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Archivos gráficos de craneogramas de la población de Tierra de Fuego.

Fotografías en diferentes normas de los cráneos fueguinos de los museos europeos y americanos.

[EN]: The breeding period, a key stage in animal life histories, incurs high energy expenditure and there is often the possibility that parasite infections may compromise its success. Since defences against parasites are also costly to produce, individuals should optimise the allocation of limited available resources to reproduction activities or self-maintenance, e.g. supporting immune function and sustaining body mass. Here we explored the relationships between haemosporidian infection status, body condition and nestling feeding rate in helpers, female breeders and male breeders of a cooperative breeding corvid, the Iberian (Azure-winged) Magpie Cyanopica cooki. For infection status we differentiated between uninfected birds and, separately, those infected with one or more than one Leucocytozoon parasitic lineage. Our predictions were that both breeder and helper Iberian Magpies harbouring a haemosporidian mixed-infection should show lower body condition and nestling feeding rates than single-infected and uninfected birds. We found that most of the Iberian Magpies studied (78.7%) were infected with Leucocytozoon species, most of them (67.1% of Leucocytozoon-infected individuals) harbouring mixed infections. The scaled body mass index did not differ with respect to infection status in male or female breeders; however, mixed-infected helpers showed lower body condition than single-infected ones. Moreover, we found that mixed-infected males, as well as single and mixed-infected female breeders, but not infected helpers, showed lower nestling feeding rates than uninfected individuals. These findings could indicate a compromise between reproductive and immune functions in the Iberian Magpie, which effect becomes more evident in those individuals with a higher reproductive investment during the breeding period., [ES]: El periodo reproductivo, una etapa clave en la historia de la vida animal, supone un alto gasto de energía y a menudo existe la posibilidad de que las infecciones parasitarias puedan comprometer su éxito. Puesto que las defensas antiparasitarias son también costosas de producir, los individuos deben optimizar el destino de los recursos limitados disponibles entre las actividades reproductivas o al automantenimiento, p. ej. apoyando la función inmunológica y manteniendo la masa corporal. Aquí exploramos las relaciones entre el estado de infección por hemosporidios, la condición corporal y la tasa de alimentación de pollos en ayudantes, hembras reproductoras y machos reproductores de un córvido con cría cooperativa, el rabilargo ibérico Cyanopica cooki. Para el estado de infección, diferenciamos entre aves no infectadas y, por separado, aquellas infectadas con uno o más de un linaje parasitario del género Leucocytozoon. Nuestras predicciones fueron que tanto los rabilargos reproductores como los ayudantes con una infección mixta por hemosporidios deberían mostrar una condición corporal y tasas de alimentación de pollos más bajas que las aves no infectadas o con infección simple. Encontramos que la mayoría de los rabilargos estudiados (78,7%) estaban infectados con especies del género Leucocytozoon, la mayoría de ellas (67,1% de los individuos infectados con Leucocytozoon) presentando infecciones mixtas. El índice de masa corporal escalado no difirió con respecto al estado de infección en reproductores machos o hembras; sin embargo, los ayudantes infectados mixtos mostraron una condición corporal más baja que los infectados simples. Además, encontramos que los machos con una infección mixta, así como las hembras reproductoras con infección simple y mixta, pero no los ayudantes infectados, mostraron tasas de alimentación de pollos más bajas que los individuos no infectados. Estos hallazgos podrían indicar un compromiso entre las funciones reproductiva e inmunológi

Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is well known for the enigmas surrounding its unique megalithic statues, the moai, and the prehistoric (i.e., pre-European contact) Rapanui society that built them. These enigmas include, among others, the time of the island's settlement, the geographical origin of the first settlers, the technology associated with moai transportation and emplacement, the occurrence (or not) of an ecological and cultural collapse linked to the island¿s deforestation, and the potential influence of climatic shifts on ecological and cultural changes. Until recently, most explanations for prehistoric developments invoked anthropogenic causes, but the progressive development of paleoecological studies has incorporated a new perspective in which climate change and climate-human synergies have gained momentum. This paper reviews all paleoecological studies published to date and their contribution to a better understanding of Easter Island's prehistory, with a focus on four main aspects: (i) the discovery and settlement of the island, (ii) the eventual occurrence of climatic changes and its potential influence on landscape changes, (iii) spatiotemporal deforestation patterns, and (iv) the relationship between environmental, ecological and cultural shifts. Paleoecological research on Easter Island has proceeded through three main phases: a pioneer phase (1977 1992), a transitional phase (1993 2004) and a revival phase (2005 2020). During the pioneer and transitional phases, the paradigm of a self-induced prehistoric socioecological collapse known as the "ecocidal" hypothesis dominated the scene. However, new empirical evidence obtained during the revival phase highlighted the potential importance of climate change in prehistoric ecological and cultural developments. In addition, paleoecological records have provided novel insights into the initial discovery and occupation of Easter Island before Polynesian settlement. Paleoecological evidence has suggested or suppor

Easter Island deforestation has traditionally been viewed as an abrupt island‐wide event caused by the prehistoric Rapanui civilization, which precipitated its own cultural collapse. This view emerges from early palaeoecological analyses of lake sediments, which showed a sudden and total replacement of palm pollen by grass pollen shortly after Polynesian settlement (800–1200 CE). However, further palaeoecological research has challenged this view, showing that the apparent abruptness and island‐wide synchronicity of forest removal was an artefact due to the occurrence of a sedimentary gap of several millennia that prevented a detailed record of the replacement of palm‐dominated forests by grass meadows. During the last decade, several continuous (gap‐free) and chronologically coherent sediment cores encompassing the last millennia have been retrieved and analysed, providing a new picture of forest removal on Easter Island. According to these analyses, deforestation was not abrupt but gradual and occurred at different times and rates, depending on the site. Regarding the causes, humans were not the only factors responsible for forest clearing, as climatic droughts as well as climate–human–landscape feedbacks and synergies also played a role. In summary, the deforestation of Easter Island was a complex process that was spatially and temporally heterogeneous and took place under the actions and interactions of both natural and anthropogenic drivers. In addition, archaeological evidence shows that the Rapanui civilization was resilient to deforestation and remained healthy until European contact, which contradicts the occurrence of a cultural collapse. Further research should aim to obtain new continuous cores and make use of recently developed biomarker analyses to advance towards a holistic view of the patterns, causes and consequences of Easter Island deforestation.

Platform carbonates diagenesis in salt basins could be complex due to potential alterations of fluids related and non-related to diapirism. This paper presents the diagenetic history of the Hettangian to Pliensbachian platform carbonates from the Tazoult salt wall area (central High Atlas, Morocco). Low structural relief and outcrop conditions allowed to define the entire diagenetic evolution occurred in the High Atlas diapiric basins since early stages of the diapiric activity up to their tectonic inversion. Precipitation of dolomite and calcite from both warmed marine-derived and meteoric fluids characterised diagenetic stages during Pliensbachian, when the carbonate platforms were exposed and karstified. Burial diagenesis occurred from Toarcian to Middle Jurassic, due to changes of salt-induced dynamic related to increase in siliciclastic input, fast diapir rise and rapid burial of Pliensbachian platforms. During this stage, the diapir acted as a physical barrier for fluid circulation between the core and the flanking sediments. In the carbonates and breccias flanking the structures, dolomite and calcite precipitated from basinal brines, whereas carbonate slivers located in the core of the structure, were affected by the circulation of Mn-rich fluids. The final diagenetic event is characterised by the income of meteoric fluids into the system during uplift caused by Alpine orogeny. These results highlight the relevant influence of diapirism on the diagenetic modifications in salt-related basins in terms of diagenetic events and involved fluids. © 2019 The Authors. Basin Research © 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers and International Association of Sedimentologists

[EN] This thesis is included within the objectives of the project of the Ministerio de Ciencia yTecnologia DICORE.Within the frame of this project, the thesis is focused in the study of hermetic piston compressors for refrigeration systems to attend their adaptation and use with new refrigerants. Firstlyaseriesoffivereciprocatingcompressorsofdifferentcapacitieslubricated with POE working with propane and R407C were analyzed. Since traditionally the compressors working with propane have being lubricated with mineral oil of high viscosity, an additionally a comparative study between a MO of high viscosity and the used POE were developed to evaluate the possible convenience of using POE of lower viscosity with propane. These tests included a compressor characterization with both oils, OCR measurement (Oil Circulation Rate) and finally thedesignofaproceduretomeasuretheoilexpelledbythecompressorinthestartup. Once verified the reliability in the experimental level of propane as refrigerant with this compressors. A general semi-empirical compressor model which allows on the one hand to analyze from a theoretical point of view the observed differences between both refrigerants and on the other hand to asses the design of compressors working with other refrigerants. The obtained model allows obtaining an estimation of the volumetric efficiency and the compressor when the refrigerant with an error lower than 3% in most of the tested working conditions. Finally, the development of the model has pointed out the possibility of the existence of an effect of condensation of the refrigerant during the compression process. Thiseffectthathabituallyisnotcontemplatedinthemodelsofthebibliographywould allow to explain the discrepancy between the dead volume of the compressor considered by the manufacturer and the obtained dead volume with the model., [ES] La presente tesis se encuentra englobada dentro de los objetivos del proyecto del Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología DICORE. En este contexto este trabajo se centra en el estudio de compresores de pistón herméticos para sistemas de refrigeración con el fin de asistir a su adaptación y uso con nuevos refrigerantes. Inicialmente se procedió a analizar una serie de cinco compresores de pistón de distintas capacidades lubricados con POE funcionando con propano y con R407C, observando a nivel experimental las diferencias observadas en su comportamiento. Puesto que tradicionalmente los compresores que han utilizado propano han venido siendo lubricados con aceite mineral de viscosidad alta, se realizó adicionalmente un estudio comparativo entre aceite MO clavus GV 68 y POE ISO 32 con el fin de determinar la posible aparición de algún problema relacionado con la lubricación y el aceite POE de menor viscosidad. En estas pruebas se procedió a caracterizar un compresor funcionando con ambos tipos de aceite, a realizar medida de OCR (Oil Circulation Rate) y por último se diseño un procedimiento de medida del aceite expulsado por el compresor en el arranque. Una vez comprobada la viabilidad a nivel experimental del propano como refrigerante en este tipo de compresores se procedió a realizar un modelo semiempírico general de compresor que permitiese por un lado analizar desde un punto de vista teórico las diferencias de funcionamiento de ambos refrigerantes. Dicho modelo permitiríaasíasistiraldiseñodecompresoresfuncionandoconotrosrefrigerantes. El modeloasíobtenidoproporcionaobtenerunaestimacióndelrendimientovolumétrico y del compresor cuando se sustituye el refrigerante con un error inferior al 3% en la mayoría de las condiciones de trabajo evaluadas. Porúltimo,eldesarrollodelmodelohaapuntadolaposibilidaddelaexistenciade una condensación de parte del fluido frigorígeno durante el proceso de compresión. Dicho efecto que no es habitualmente contemplado en los modelos de la bibli, [CA] La present tesi es troba englobada dins dels objectius del projecte del Ministeri de Ciència i Tecnologia DICORE. Dins d’aquest context este trevall es centra en l’estudidecompressorsdepistóhermèticsperasistemesderefrigeracióperaassistir a la seua adaptació i ús amb nous refrigerants. Primerament es va procedir a analitzar una sèrie de cinc compressors de pistó de distintescapacitatslubricatsambPOEfuncionantambpropàiambR407C,observant a nivell d’experimental les diferències observades en el seu comportament. Ja que tradicionalment els compressors que han utilitzat propà han vingut sent lubricats amb oli mineral de viscositat alta, es realitze addicionalment un estudi comparatiu d’estos dos olis a fi depoder establir l’existència d’algun problema relacionat amb la lubricació i l’oli POE de menor viscositat. En estes proves es va procedir a caracteritzar un compressor funcionant amb estos dos tipus d’oli, a realitzar mesura d’OCR (Oil Circulation Rate) i finalment se disseny un procediment de mesura de l’oli expulsat pel compressor en l’arrancada. Una vegada comprovada la viabilitat a nivell experimental del propà com a refrigerant es va procedir a realitzar un model semi-empiric general de compressor que permetera d’una banda analitzar des d’un punt de vista teòric les diferències de funcionament d’estos dos refrigerants permetent així assistir al disseny de compressors funcionant amb altres refrigerants. El model així obtingut permet obtindre una estimació del rendiment volumètric i del compressor quan se substituïx el refrigeren-te amb un error inferior al 3% en la majoria de les condicions de treball avaluades. Finalment, el desenrotllament del model ha apuntat la possibilitat de l’existència d’una condensació de part del fluid frigorigen durant el procés de compressió. Dit efecte que no és habitualment contemplat en els models de la bibliografia permetria explicar la discrepància entre el volum mort estimat pel fabricant del compressor i el volum mort obtingut a

BACKGROUND Non-conventional water sources and water-saving techniques can be valuable in semi-arid regions, although their long-term effects on citrus quality are little known. This study evaluated the effects of irrigation with two sources, transfer water (TW) and reclaimed water (RW), combined with two irrigation strategies, full irrigation (FI) and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), on fruit quality of mandarins and grapefruits during eight growth seasons, RESULTS Reclaimed water irrigation in mandarin, without water restriction, influenced maturity index (MI) less than TW-FI, because titratable acidity (TA) increased to a greater degree than soluble solid contents (SSC). Nevertheless, juice quality standards were satisfied. Regardless of the irrigation treatment (FI or RDI), a trend towards increasing fruit weight was also detected with RW. In grapefruit, its rootstock (Citrus macrophylla) enhanced salinity resilience with respect to the rootstock of mandarin (‘Carrizo’ citrange) and, hence, MI was not affected by RW. The RDI strategy, without saline stress (TW-RDI), increased, to a similar degree, both SSC and TA in mandarin fruit, not affecting the MI. In grapefruit, the water stress of RDI did improve the MI due to the TA did not change and SSC increased significantly, the TA did not change. The combination of both strategies, RW-RDI, decreased the MI only in some years because TA increased proportionally more than SSC in mandarin, CONCLUSIONS The medium- and long-term feasibility of using RW and RDI to irrigate citrus was demonstrated. However, they must be performed cautiously and with appropriate management to avoid damaging fruit quality as a result of phytotoxic elements. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

Nondestructive testing (NDT) includes several highly efficient techniques for the estimation of the physical and mechanical properties of structural timber. Apart from visual grading, scientific research using Nondestructive testing on timber has been used in Spain since the 1990s. Nondestructive testing can be used for two different purposes: timber grading and the assessment of existing timber structures. The most common devices used in Spain are portable ones based on ultrasound, stress waves, vibration and probing techniques. Many statistical linear models for estimating the mechanical properties of new sawn timber and timber from existing structures have been proposed. Furthermore, several factors that affect Nondestructive testing measurements have been studied (moisture content, temperature, specimen dimensions, sensors position-grain angle, among others) and adjustment factors have also been proposed. Species have been characterized for visual grading standards from the 1980s to date. The large number of research works using different species, devices and procedures shows the need of homogenization and standardization of Nondestructive testing use. This paper presents a review of research works using Nondestructive testing on timber in Spain, in order to add to knowledge, elucidate the concepts to unify Nondestructive testing used and promote research group collaboration in the near future.

The “Mina Rica” (the Rich Mine), located in the district of Pilar de Jaravía, in the municipality of Pulpi (Almería province, Spain), has become internationally renowned for the great geode of selenite gypsum discovered in its interior. The ore deposit is located in a NE-SW dextral shear band, affected by a system of NNE-SSW sinistral faults. The deposit is composed of two hectometric blocks of weakly deformed rocks with a pod shape, which are constituted by a folded and faulted alternation of limestone and dolomites, and to a lesser amount, gypsum and phyllites, all with a general NNE-SSW orientation and strong dipping to the W. In the time sequence of the mineral phases present in the “Mina Rica” we can distinguish a first stratabound, mineralization of iron carbonates that fossilizes the Serravallian age deformation. Baryte mineralization is associated with the Tortonian movements and celestine mineralization with the Messinian ones. Gypsum, which crystallized at a temperature of below 25ºC, was the last major sulphated mineral phase to be formed, and this took place after the Pliocene vertical replays. Moreover, this study – the cartographic underpinning of which has served as the basis for the recovery and musealization of the mine – has enabled us to discover the enormous potential that the “Mina Rica” has as a centre for geological and geo-mining practical teaching, beyond the indisputable lure of its Great Geode. We foresee that the results presented in this study will be the basis for the use of the “Mina Rica” as an educational tool to help train future generations of geologists and mining engineers., [ES] La Mina Rica, situada en la pedanía del Pilar de Jaravía, en el municipio de Pulpi (Almería, España), es hoy internacio- nalmente conocida por la gran geoda de yeso selenítico descubierta en su interior. El yacimiento explotado en ella para el beneficio del Fe, Pb y Ag se localiza en una banda de cizalla NE-SW dextral, afectada por un sistema de fallas NNE- SSW, de componente sinestral. El yacimiento lo forman dos bloques hectométricos de roca poco deformada con forma lenticular (lentejones tectónicos), constituidos por una alternancia replegada y fallada de calizas y dolomías, y en menor cantidad yesos y filitas, todo ello con orientación general NNE-SSW y fuerte buzamiento al W. En la secuencia temporal de las fases minerales presentes en la Mina Rica se distingue una primera mineralización estratoligada de carbonatos de hierro que fosiliza la deformación de edad Serravaliense. A los rejuegos Tortonienses se asocia una mineralización de barita y a los Messinienses de celestina. El yeso cristalizado a temperatura por debajo de los 25°C, es la última fase sulfatada en formarse y lo hace con posterioridad a los rejuegos verticales Pliocenos. Este estudio -cuyo soporte carto- gráfico ha servido como base para los trabajos de recuperación y musealización de la mina- nos ha permitido descubrir las enormes posibilidades de la Mina Rica como centro de interpretación geológica y geominera, más allá del indudable aliciente de su gran geoda. Los resultados presentados en este trabajo pueden servir como base de una utilización de la Mina Rica como herramienta didáctica para la formación de futuras generaciones de geólogos e ingenieros de mina.

[ES] Uno de los aspectos más apasionantes de la transcripción es la plasticidad transcriptómica y proteómica mediada por los procesos de regulación post-transcripcional (PTR). Los mecanismos PTR como el splicing alternativo (AS) y la poliadenilación alternativa (APA) han emergido como procesos estrechamente regulados que juegan un papel clave en la generación de la complejidad transcriptómica y están asociados con la coordinación de la diferenciación celular o el desarrollo de tejidos. Sin embargo nuestro conocimiento sobre cómo estos mecanismos regulan las propiedades de los productos resultantes para definir el fenotipo es aún muy reducido. La cantidad de variantes existentes y el amplio rango de posibles consecuencias funcionales, hacen su validación funcional una tarea impracticable si se realiza caso por caso. Además, la falta de herramientas para la evaluación funcional orientada a isoformas ha provocado que gran parte del trabajo computacional haya empleado pipelines ad-hoc aplicadas a sistemas biológicos específicos o simplemente hayan confiado en análisis de enriquecimiento GO, los cuales no son informativos del impacto en las propiedades de las isoformas que hay detrás de la regulación PTR. De hecho, a pesar de las más de sesenta mil publicaciones relativas al AS, muy pocas isoformas se han asociado con propiedades específicas, mientras que el número de nuevas variantes AS/APA con function desconocida crece exponencialmente debido a las técnicas de secuenciación de segunda generación (NGS). Además, y debido a limitaciones técnicas de las NGS para reconstruir la estructura de los transcritos, las tecnologías de secuenciación de tercera generación (TGS) están definiendo una nueva era en la que, por primera vez, es posible conocer la secuencia de elementos estructurales y funcionales en los mRNAs. En esta tesis se han abordado tres propósitos principales para poder avanzar en el estudio funcional de las isoformas. En primer lugar, con las TGS siendo cada vez, [CA] Un dels aspectes més emocionants de la biologia del transcriptoma és l'adaptabilitat contextual de transcriptomes i proteomes eucariotes mitjançant la regulació post-transcripcional (PTR). Els mecanismes PTR, com el splicing alternatiu (AS) i la poliadenilació alternativa (APA), s'han convertit en processos molt regulats que juguen un paper clau en la generació de la complexitat del transcriptoma i en la coordinació de la diferenciació cel·lular o del desenvolupament de teixits. No obstant això, el nostre coneixement de com aquests mecanismes imprimeixen característiques funcionals diferents al conjunt resultant d'isoformes per definir el fenotip observat és encara escàs. El nombre de variants de PTR i les seues conseqüències potencialment funcionals fa que la validació funcional sigui una tasca poc pràctica si es fa cas per cas. A més, la manca d'enfocaments funcionals orientats a isoformes ha fet que gran part del treballs computacionals per esbrinar qüestions funcionals a nivell de transcriptoma siguen estratègies computacionals ad hoc aplicades a sistemes biològics específics o bé basats en un simple anàlisi d'enriquiment GO, que no aporten informació sobre l'impacte de la PTR sobre les propietats de les isoformes. Així, malgrat les més de 60.000 publicacions existents sobre AS, poques de les isoformes existents s'han associat a propietats específiques, mentre que el nombre de noves variants AS/APA amb funcions desconegudes i fins i tot inexplorades augmenta de manera exponencial gràcies a la seqüenciació de nova generació (NGS). A causa de les limitacions tècniques del NGS per reconstruir l'estructura dels transcrits, la seqüenciació d'alt rendiment de transcrits de longitud completa mitjançant tecnologies de tercera generació (TGS) obre una nova era en la transcriptòmica, ja que millora la definició dels models genètics i, per primera vegada, permet associar amb precisió esdeveniments funcionals dins de la molècula d'ARN. Aquesta tesi aborda tres grans re, [EN] One of the most exciting aspects of transcriptome biology is the contextual adaptability of eukaryotic transcriptomes and proteomes by post-transcriptional regulation (PTR). PTR mechanisms such as alternative splicing (AS) and alternative polyadenylation (APA) have emerged as tightly regulated processes playing a key role in generating transcriptome complexity and coordinating cell differentiation or tissue development. However, how these mechanisms imprint distinct functional characteristics on the resulting set of isoforms to define the observed phenotype remains poorly understood. The number of PTR variants and their resulting range of potentially functional consequences makes their functional validation an impractical task if done on a case-by-case basis. Besides, the lack of isoform-oriented functional profiling approaches has made that much of the computational work done to elucidate transcriptome-wide functional questions has either involved ad hoc computational pipelines applied to specific biological systems or has relied on simple GO-enrichment analysis that are not informative about the PTR impact on isoform properties. Thus, even though more than 60,000 publications on AS, a few number of existing isoforms have been associated with specific properties while the number of novel AS/APA variants with unknown and even unexplored functions is exponentially increasing thanks to the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS). Due to the technical limitations of NGS to reconstruct the transcript structure, high-throughput sequencing of full-length transcripts using third-generation technologies (TGS) is opening up a new transcriptomics era that enhances the definition of gene models and, for the first time, enables to precisely associate functional events within the RNA molecule. This thesis addresses three major challenges to the progression of the study of isoform function. First, with the emergence and increasing popularity of TGS, the accurate definition a

[EN] A vortex in a Bose-Einstein condensate on a ring undergoes quantum dynamics in response to a quantum quench in terms of partial symmetry breaking from a uniform lattice to a biperiodic one. Neither the current, a macroscopic measure, nor fidelity, a microscopic measure, exhibit critical behavior. Instead, the symmetry memory succeeds in identifying the critical symmetry breaking at which the system begins to forget its initial symmetry state. We further identify a symmetry energy difference in the low lying excited states which trends with the symmetry memory.

[EN] Four models were used to simulate nitrite uptake and water loss during pork meat curing with sodium nitrite: three empirical ones (the Azuara, the Peleg and the Zugarramurdi and Lupin) and one theoretical (the diffusional). By means of the Azuara and the Peleg models, the equilibrium moisture content and the equilibrium nitrite content were properly identified. Zugarramurdi and Lupin's model did not provide information about process parameters. The effective diffusivities of water (Dwe) and nitrite (DNe) were calculated. The activation energy (ENa and Ewa) was evaluated from the parameters of both the Peleg and the diffusional models. The results were similar; the Peleg model having the advantage of simplicity of calculation. The effect of meat anisotropy was confirmed from the diffusional model; the perpendicular transport of nitrite is easier than the parallel. This study highlighted the importance of choosing the most appropriate model depending on the objective to be achieved.

[EN] Repair of central nervous system (CNS) lesions is difficulted by the lack of ability of central axons to regrow, and the blocking by the brain astrocytes to axonal entry. We hypothesized that by using bridges made of porous biomaterial and permissive olfactory ensheathing glia (OEG), we could provide a scaffold to permit restoration of white matter tracts. We implanted porous polycaprolactone (PCL) bridges between the substantia nigra and the striatum in rats, both with and without OEG. We compared the number of tyrosine-hydroxylase positive (TH+) fibers crossing the striatal-graft interface, and the astrocytic and microglial reaction around the grafts, between animals grafted with and without OEG. Although TH+ fibers were found inside the grafts made of PCL alone, there was a greater fiber density inside the graft and at the striatal-graft interface when OEG was cografted. Also, there was less astrocytic and microglial reaction in those animals. These results show that these PCL grafts are able to promote axonal growth along the nigrostriatal pathway, and that cografting of OEG markedly enhances axonal entry inside the grafts, growth within them, and re-entry of axons into the CNS. These results may have implications in the treatment of diseases such as Parkinson's and others associated with lesions of central white matter tracts.

[EN] In photoelectrochemistry, a suitable photoanode leading to high efficiencies in photocatalytic processes is a research challenge. Iron oxide nanostructures are promising materials to be used as photoanodes. In this work, different potentials during iron anodization were applied to study the properties of the synthesized nanostructures. Results revealed that nanostructures anodized at 50V presented well-defined nanotubular structures with open-tube tops, and they achieved values of photocurrent density of 0.11 mA cm(-2) at 0 rpm and 0.14 mA cm(-2) at 1000 rpm (measured at 0.50 V-Ag/Agcl), corresponding to the oxygen evolution reaction from water, i.e. 2H(2)O+4h(+)-> 4H(+)+O-2, demonstrating their good photoelectrochemical behavior.

[EN] Hydrogels are widely studied as drug delivery system. In this work we propose the employment of tetrakis (hydroxymethyl)phosphonium chloride as crosslinking agent to obtain covalent hydrogels based on chitosan. These hydrogels are obtained by Mannich reaction between the amino groups of chitosan with the hydroxymethyl groups of the crosslinker molecule. They show a pH sensitive second order swelling kinetic, have low toxicity, are biocompatible, mucoadhesive and allow a modified release of the encapsulated drug, camptothecin, for 48 h. This antitumor drug has been studied as a drug of interest to develop oral chemotherapy administration strategies. According to the obtained results, oral administration of camptothecin through hydrogels would provide low concentrations of drug at the absorption site, avoiding carrier saturation and reducing its intestinal toxicity.

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Chem. Eur. J. 2019, 25, 16390 16396 , which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201904043. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving., [EN] Expanding the previously known family of -onium (ammonium, phosphonium, and sulfonium) organic structure-directing agents (OSDAs) for the synthesis of zeolite MFI, a new member, the arsonium cation, is used for the first time. The new group of tetraalkylarsonium cations has allowed the synthesis of the zeolite ZSM-5 with several different chemical compositions, opening a route for the synthesis of zeolites with a new series of OSDA. Moreover, the use of As replacing N in the OSDA allows the introduction of probe atoms that facilitate the study of these molecules by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Finally, the influence of trivalent elements such as B, Al, or Ga isomorphically replacing Si atoms in the framework structure and its interaction with the As species has been studied. The suitability of the tetraalkylarsonium cation for carrying out the crystallization of zeolites is demonstrated along with the benefit of the presence of As atoms in the occluded OSDA, which allows its advanced characterization as well as the study of its evolution during OSDA removal by thermal treatments.

[EN] Soybean peroxidase (SBP) has been employed for the treatment of aqueous solutions containing pentachlorophenol (PCP) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide at pH range 5-7. Reaction carried out with 1mg/L of PCP, 4mg/L of H2O2, and 1.3x10(-9)M of SBP showed a fast initial elimination of PCP (ca. 30% in 20min), but the reaction does not go beyond the removal of 50% of the initial concentration of PCP. Modification in SBP and PCP amounts did not change the reaction profile and higher amounts of H2O2 were detrimental for the reaction. Addition of Fe(II) to the system resulted in an acceleration of the process to reach nearly complete PCP removal at pH 5 or 6; this is more probably due to a synergetic effect of the enzymatic process and Fenton reaction. However, experiments developed in tap water resulted in a lower PCP elimination, but this inconvenience can be partly overcome by leaving the tap water overnight in an open vessel before reaction.

Background: The analysis of gene expression levels is used in many clinical studies to know how patients evolve or to find new genetic biomarkers that could help in clinical decision making. However, the techniques and software available for these analyses are not intended for physicians, but for geneticists. However, enabling physicians to make initial discoveries on these data would benefit in the clinical assay development. Results: Melanoma is a highly immunogenic tumor. Therefore, in recent years physicians have incorporated immune system altering drugs into their therapeutic arsenal against this disease, revolutionizing the treatment of patients with an advanced stage of the cancer. This has led us to explore and deepen our knowledge of the immunology surrounding melanoma, in order to optimize the approach. Within this project we have developed a database for collecting relevant clinical information for melanoma patients, including the storage of patient gene expression levels obtained from the NanoString platform (several samples are taken from each patient). The Immune Profiling Panel is used in this case. This database is being exploited through the analysis of the different expression profiles of the patients. This analysis is being done with Python, and a parallel version of the algorithms is available with Apache Spark to provide scalability as needed. Conclusions: VIGLA-M, the visual analysis tool for gene expression levels in melanoma patients is available at http://khaos.uma.es/melanoma/. The platform with real clinical data can be accessed with a demo user account, physician, using password physician_test_7634 (if you encounter any problems, contact us at this email address: mailto: khaos@lcc.uma.es). The initial results of the analysis of gene expression levels using these tools are providing first insights into the patients’ evolution. These results are promising, but larger scale tests must be developed once new patients have been sequenced, to di

This paper describes jMetalPy, an object-oriented Python-based framework for multi-objective optimization with metaheuristic techniques. Building upon our experiences with the well-known jMetal framework, we have developed a new multi-objective optimization software platform aiming not only at replicating the former one in a di erent programming language, but also at taking advantage of the full feature set of Python, including its facilities for fast prototyping and the large amount of available libraries for data processing, data analysis, data visualization, and high-performance computing. As a result, jMetalPy provides an environment for solving multi-objective optimization problems focused not only on traditional metaheuristics, but also on techniques supporting preference articulation and dynamic problems, along with a rich set of features related to the automatic generation of statistical data from the results generated, as well as the real-time and interactive visualization of the Pareto front approximations produced by the algorithms. jMetalPy o ers additionally support for parallel computing in multicore and cluster systems. We include some use cases to explore the main features of jMetalPy and to illustrate how to work with it.

jMetal is a Java-based framework for multi-objective optimization with metaheuristics providing, among other features, a wide set of algorithms that are representative of the state-of-the-art. Although it has become a widely used tool in the area, it lacks support for automatic tuning of algorithm parameter settings, which can prevent obtaining accurate Pareto front approximations, especially for inexperienced users. In this paper, we present a first approach to combine jMetal and irace, a package for automatic algorithm configuration; the NSGA-II is chosen as the target algorithm to be tuned. The goal is to facilitate the combined use of both tools to jMetal users to avoid wasting time in adjusting manually the parameters of the algorithms. Our proposal involves the definition of a new algorithm template for evolutionary algorithms, which allows the flexible composition of multi-objective evolutionary algorithms from a set of configurable components, as well as the generation of configuration files for adjusting the algorithm parameters with irace. To validate our approach, NSGA-II is tuned with a benchmark problems and compared with the same algorithm using standard settings, resulting in a new variant that shows a competitive behavior.

Knowledge extraction and incorporation is currently considered to be beneficial for efficient Big Data an- alytics. Knowledge can take part in workflow design, constraint definition, parameter selection and con- figuration, human interactive and decision-making strategies. This paper proposes BIGOWL, an ontologyto support knowledge management in Big Data analytics. BIGOWL is designed to cover a wide vocab- ulary of terms concerning Big Data analytics workflows, including their components and how they areconnected, from data sources to the analytics visualization. It also takes into consideration aspects suchas parameters, restrictions and formats. This ontology defines not only the taxonomic relationships be- tween the different concepts, but also instances representing specific individuals to guide the users inthe design of Big Data analytics workflows. For testing purposes, two case studies are developed, whichconsists in: first, real-world streaming processing with Spark of traffic Open Data, for route optimizationin urban environment of New York city; and second, data mining classification of an academic dataset onlocal/cloud platforms. The analytics workflows resulting from the BIGOWL semantic model are validatedand successfully evaluated.

The efficient calibration of hydrologic models allows experts to evaluate past events in river basins, as well as to describe new scenarios and predict possible future floodings. A difficulty in this context is the need to adjust a large number of parameters in the model to reduce prediction errors. In this work, we address this issue with two complementary contributions. First, we propose a new lumped rainfall-runoff hydrologic model—called Qom—which is featured by a limited set of continuous decision variables associated with soil moisture and direct runoff. Qom allows to separate and quantify the volume of losses and excesses of the rainwater falling in a hydrographic basin, while a Clark’s model is used to determine output hydrograms. Second, we apply a multi-objective optimization approach to find accurate calibrations of the model in a systematic and automatic way. The idea is to formulate the process as a bi-objective optimization problem where the Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency coefficient and percent bias have to be minimized, and to combine the results found by a set of metaheuristics used to solve it. For validation purposes, we apply our proposal in six hydrographic scenarios, comprising river basins located in Spain, USA, Brazil and Argentina. The proposed approach is shown to minimize prediction errors of simulated streamflows with regards to those observed in these real-world basins.

[EN] A visible-light driven photoelectrochemical degradation process has been applied to a solution polluted with the organophosphate insecticide chlorfenvinphos. Different WO3 nanosheets/nanorods have been used as photoanodes. These nanostructured electrodes have been fabricated by anodization of tungsten and, subsequently, they have been subjected to a thermal treatment (annealing). The combined influence of annealing temperature (400¿°C and 600¿°C) and operation pH (1 and 3) on the photoelectrocatalytic behavior of these nanorods has been examined through a statistical analysis. Morphological, structural and photoelectrochemical characterizations have also been carried out. The chlorfenvinphos degradation efficiency depended both on annealing temperature and, specially, operation pH. At pH 1 and using an annealing temperature of 600¿°C, chlorfenvinphos has been effectively degraded following pseudo-first order kinetics with a coefficient of 7.8¿×¿10¿3¿min¿1, and notably mineralized (more than 65% of Total Organic Carbon decrease).

[EN] Advanced oxidation processes driven by renewable energy sources are gaining attention in degrading organic pollutants in waste waters in an efficient and sustainable way. The present work is focused on a study of TiO2 nanotubes as photocatalysts for photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of acetaminophen (AMP) at different pH (3, 7, and 9). In particular, different TiO2 photocatalysts were synthetized by stirring the electrode at different Reynolds numbers (Res) during electrochemical anodization. The morphology of the photocatalysts and their crystalline structure were evaluated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Raman confocal laser microscopy (RCLM). These analyses revealed that anatase TiO2 nanotubes were obtained after anodization. In addition, photocurrent densities versus potential curves were performed in order to characterize the electrochemical properties of the photocatalysts. These results showed that increasing the Re during anodization led to an enhancement in the obtained photocurrents, since under hydrodynamic conditions part of the initiation layer formed over the tubes was removed. PEC degradation of acetaminophen was followed by ultraviolet-visible absorbance measurements and chemical oxygen demand tests. As drug mineralization was the most important issue, total organic carbon measurements were also carried out. The statistical significance analysis established that acetaminophen PEC degradation improved as hydrodynamic conditions linearly increased in the studied range (Re from 0 to 600). Additionally, acetaminophen conversion had a quadratic behavior with respect to the reaction pH, where the maximum conversion value was reached at pH 3. However, in this case, the diversity of the byproducts increased due to a different PEC degradation mechanism.

[EN] Genetic engineered male sterility has different applications, ranging from hybrid seed production to bioconfinement of transgenes in genetic modified crops. The impact of this technology is currently patent in a wide range of crops, including legumes, which has helped to deal with the challenges of global food security. Production of engineered male sterile plants by expression of a ribonuclease gene under the control of an anther- or pollen-specific promoter has proven to be an efficient way to generate pollen-free elite cultivars. In the last years, we have been studying the genetic control of flower development in legumes and several genes that are specifically expressed in a determinate floral organ were identified. Pisum sativum ENDOTHECIUM 1 (PsEND1) is a pea anther-specific gene displaying very early expression in the anther primordium cells. This expression pattern has been assessed in both model plants and crops (tomato, tobacco, oilseed rape, rice, wheat) using genetic constructs carrying the PsEND1 promoter fused to the uidA reporter gene. This promoter fused to the barnase gene produces full anther ablation at early developmental stages, preventing the production of mature pollen grains in all plant species tested. Additional effects produced by the early anther ablation in the PsEND1::barnase-barstar plants, with interesting biotechnological applications, have also been described, such as redirection of resources to increase vegetative growth, reduction of the need for deadheading to extend the flowering period, or elimination of pollen allergens in ornamental plants (Kalanchoe, Pelargonium). Moreover, early anther ablation in transgenic PsEND1::barnase-barstar tomato plants promotes the developing of the ovaries into parthenocarpic fruits due to the absence of signals generated during the fertilization process and can be considered an efficient tool to promote fruit set and to produce seedless fruits. In legumes, the production of new hybrid culti

[EN] To evaluate how rearing programmes could affect resources allocation and reproductive performance of primiparous rabbit females, a total of 118 rabbit females were used to evaluate the effects of five rearing feeding programmes on their performance from 1st to 2nd parturition: CAL, fed ad libitum C diet (11.0 MJ digestible energy (DE), 114 g digestible protein (DP) and 358 g NDF/kg dry matter (DM) until 1st parturition; CR, fed ad libitum with C diet until 12 weeks of age and then C diet restricted (140 g/day) until 1st parturition; F, fed ad libitum with F diet (8.7 MJ DE, 88 g DP and 476 NDF/kg DM) until 1st parturition; FC, fed with F diet ad libitum until 16 weeks of age, and C diet ad libitum until 1st parturition; FCF, fed with F diet ad libitum until 16 weeks of age, then C diet ad libitum until 20 weeks and then F diet ad libitum until 1st parturition. From 1st parturition, C diet was ad libitum offered to all the experimental groups until 2nd parturition. CAL females presented lower feed intake than females of F, FC and FCF groups in the 1st week of lactation (on av. ¿16.6%; P<0.05). During 1st lactation, the perirenal fat thickness change in CAL females was not different from 0 (+0.02 mm), while in the other four groups it increased (on av. +0.44 mm; P<0.05). Plasma of females fed with F diet during rearing (F, FC and FCF) had lower non-esterified fatty acids content than those exclusively fed with C diet (¿0.088 and ¿0.072 mmol/l compared to CAL and CR, respectively; P<0.05). FCF litters had higher weight than F litters at day 21 of lactation (+247 g; P<0.05), but FCF litter had significantly lower weight than FC litters at weaning (+170 g; P<0.05). CR females had the shortest average interval between the 1st and 2nd parturition (49 days) and FCF females the longest (+ 9 days compared to CR; P<0.05). At 2nd parturition, liveborn litters of F females were larger and heavier than litters of FCF females (+2.22 kits and +138 g; P<0.05), probably due to t

[EN] The prevailing need to reduce the use of phytosanitary products, which helps mitigate its effect on the environment, makes it necessary to apply phytosanitary products more precisely, so in this work the design and the first results are presented of the evaluation of an experimental air-assisted sprayer designed to adapt application doses to tree canopy size. The prototype features vertical booms and customized air vents in conjunction with three ultrasonic rangefinders to estimate distances to targeted trees at three different heights. These ranges are continuously being sent to the decision making processor which applies a logic rule based on different criteria adjusted to the specific objectives selected for each application. Multiple field tests were performed in orange groves with varieties Clemenules and Orogrande. After applying a reference volume of 3000 l/ha, results showed that spraying savings up to 30 % are possible while maintaining the same coverage rates, [ES] La imperante necesidad de reducción del uso de fitosanitarios, que ayude a mitigar su efecto sobre el ambiente, hace que sea necesaria la aplicación de fitosanitarios de manera más precisa, por lo que en este trabajo se presentan el diseño y los primeros resultados de un prototipo de pulverizador hidroneumático diseñado para una aplicación que tenga en cuenta el tamaño de los árboles. El prototipo diseñado está dotado de deflectores y barras prácticamente verticales. Se le incorporan tres sensores de ultrasonidos para la detección de la distancia al árbol a tres alturas. La información obtenida de dichos sensores es enviada a un controlador de automatización programable. La programación realizada en Labview para su control tiene en cuenta las características específicas de cada árbol y permite emplear diferentes criterios para conseguir diferentes objetivos. En los ensayos de campo con dos variedades de cítricos, Clemenules y Orogrande, distribuyendo un volumen de 3000 L/ha como referencia, se ha comprobado cómo se pueden mantener índices de recubrimiento similares a los obtenidos con un diseño convencional, pero con un ahorro del 25 al 30% del volumen distribuido.

A chitosan membrane composed by 60% (w/w) chitosan and 40% (w/w) Aliquat®336 has been proposed as a new biopolymeric support for electromembrane extraction. The new support has been characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy, resulting a 30–35 µm thickness. Amoxicillin, nicotinic acid, hippuric acid, salicylic acid, anthranilic acid, ketoprofen, naproxen and ibuprofen have been successfully extracted using the proposed support. Better enrichment factors were obtained for the acidic polar analytes than for the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds (ranging from 118 for hippuric acid and 20 for ibuprofen). Electromembrane extraction was developed applying a DC voltage of 100 V, 1-octanol as supported liquid membrane and 20 min of extraction. The target analytes have also been satisfactorily extracted from human urine samples, providing high extraction efficiencies. The chitosan membrane is presented as a promising alternative for supporting liquid membrane compared to commonly used materials for this purpose.

The paper describes a comprehensive study of the importance of cations to improve the efficiency and mass transfer in the electromembrane extraction for the determination of non-steroidal antiinflammatory. The procedure has been demonstrated to be adequate for the analysis of the selected non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in human urine samples. Effects of donor and acceptor solution composition were examined studying the presence of different counter-ions in both aqueous solutions demonstrating to be an important parameter in the transference of the analytes across the membrane. Other parameters that are also critical for electromembrane, such as the organic solvent, the voltage, the extraction time and the donor solution volume were also optimized. The extracts were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array and fluorescence detection. The highest enrichment factor was achieved using a pH 7 donor composition adjusted with KOH and an acceptor composition at pH 12 adjusted with NaOH. The enrichment factors were within the range of 85 and 133 for all compounds after 20 min extraction, using a voltage of 60 V, a stirring speed of 600 rpm and 1-octanol as support liquid membrane. Detection and quantitation limits were within 0.1–1.5 ng mL −1 and 0.3–3.0 ng mL −1 , respectively. The presence of K + and Na + as counter ions in the donor and the acceptor solution, respectively, demonstrated a higher enrichment compared to previous reported methods for the determination of non-steroidal antiinflammatory by electromembrane extraction using NaOH/NaOH as counter-ions.

cient than existing MCMC methods. From a statistical point of view, we interpret the data as a marked point pattern, where the sampling locations form a point pattern and the measurements taken in those locations (i.e., species abundance or occur‐ rence) are the associated marks. Inference and prediction of species distribution is performed using a Bayesian approach, and integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) methodology and software are used for model fitting to minimize the compu‐ tational burden. We show that abundance is highly overestimated at low abundance locations when preferential sampling effects not accounted for, in both a simulated example and a practical application using fishery data. This highlights that ecologists should be aware of the potential bias resulting from preferential sampling and ac‐ count for it in a model when a survey is based on non‐randomized and/or non‐sys‐ tematic sampling.

Complex life-histories may promote the evolution of different strategies to allow optimal matching to the environmental conditions that organisms can encounter in contrasting environments. For ectothermic animals, we need to disentangle the role of stage-specific thermal tolerances and developmental acclimation to predict the effects of climate change on spatial distributions. However, the interplay between these mechanisms has been poorly explored. Here we study whether developmental larval acclimation to rearing temperatures affects the thermal tolerance of subsequent terrestrial stages (metamorphs and juveniles) in common frogs (Rana temporaria). Our results show that larval acclimation to warm temperatures enhances larval heat tolerance, but not thermal tolerance in later metamorphic and juvenile stages, which does not support the developmental acclimation hypothesis. Further, metamorphic and juvenile individuals exhibit a decline in thermal tolerance, which would confer higher sensitivity to extreme temperatures. Because thermal tolerance is not enhanced by larval developmental acclimation, these 'risky' stages may be forced to compensate through behavioural thermoregulation and short-term acclimation to face eventual heat peaks in the coming decades.

LitMod3D is a software for 3D integrated geophysical-petrological interactive modelling of the lithosphere and underlying upper mantle using a variety of input datasets: potential fields (gravity and magnetic), surface heat flow, elevation (isostasy), seismics, magnetotellurics and geochemical. Ver 3.0 incorporates a highly optimised Python thermal solver (bi-conjugate gradient squared method), crustal petrology features (thermodynamic equilibrium and metastable) and a parallel gravity forward solver. The new version is intended to work with program get-inp (customized interface to Perple_X, http://www.perplex.ethz.ch/) to generate the inputcrustal and mantle compositional files. This software was first edited in 2009 and updated in 2019.

This software estimates the depth to Moho and depth to the base of the lithosphere by means of fitting elevation and geoid anomaly data combined with thermal analysis. It assumes local isostasy and a crustal density increasing linearly with depth between predefined values at surface and at the base of the crust. The density of the lithosphere mantle is considered to be temperature dependent. The geoid anomalies are calculated relative to a reference lithospheric column. This reference column serves to calibrate the zero level for the geoid anomalies, and must be selected in such a way that physically meaningful results are obtained in our lithospheric model. This software was first edited in 2005 and updated in 2019.

In this paper, we prove the existence of smooth initial data for the 2D free boundary incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, for which the smoothness of the interface breaks down in finite time into a splash singularity.

La diversidad vegetal de Sierra Nevada es resultado de múltiples procesos que han determinado que se haya producido la sucesión continuada de contingentes florísticos y comunidades vegetales de diverso origen a lo largo de su historia geológica. Gran parte de la flora actual de Sierra Nevada proviene de latitudes septentrionales de Europa ( elementos arctoterciarios), cuando aún los materiales que dieron lugar al macizo nevadense estaban unidos al este de la placa ibérica en el Oligoceno, lejos de su emplazamiento final al sur de Iberia. A finales de este período, y durante todo el Mioceno, el clima inicia una tendencia hacia la aridez y enfriamiento global que provoca la extinción de parte de la flora paleotropical de Iberia, y su progresiva sustitución por la flora arctoterciaria. Es cuando la vegetación del sureste peninsular se enriquece en elementos sabanoides, quedando relegados los bosques siempreverdes y semideciduos a las zonas de mayor disponibilidad hídrica. La alta montaña nevadense es ocupada por cinturones de coníferas, mientras que por la franja costera y lagunas salobres se distribuyen los manglares. La desecación parcial del Mediterráneo durante la crisis del Messiniense promueve la creación de puentes que constituyen importantes rutas migratorias para especies irano-turánicas y saharo-síndicas. Tras la apertura del Estrecho de Gibraltar en el Plioceno, se consolida la estacionalidad propia del clima mediterráneo, que dio lugar a una vegetación muy similar en estructura a la actual. Finalmente, el Cuaternario supone la culminación del lento proceso de enfriamiento iniciado en el Terciario, durante el cual la alternancia de períodos glaciales e interglaciales proporciona refugio a táxones arctoterciarios e induce la extinción de los últimos elementos paleotropicales. La reciente recuperación climática del Holoceno supuso la expansión de bosques de frondosas del género Quercus.

Ditomina is a subtribe of ground beetles included in the large tribe Harpalini, with most species restricted to the Mediterranean basin. To date, affinities within Harpalini have mainly been derived from morphological data, and the placement of several genera within Ditomina has been subject to discussion. In this study we provide a regional molecular phylogeny for Ditomina with representatives from seven of the eight known genera from the West Mediterranean region, the Australian Phorticosomus Schaum, 1862, and selected Harpalini outgroup taxa. DNA sequences from two different markers, the mitochondrial protein coding gene cox1 and the nuclear gene ITS2, were sequenced and analysed from 19 taxa. Molecular phylogenetic analyses consistently support (i) the sister relationship of genera Carterus Dejean, 1830 and Eocarterus Stichel, 1923; (ii) a close relationship among Ditomus Bonelli, 1810, Tschitscherinellus Csiki, 1906 and Odontocarus Solier, 1835, which form a lineage well separated from Dixus Billberg, 1820; and (iii) the exclusion of Graniger Motschulsky, 1864 and the Australian Phorticosomus from the subtribe Ditomina. In addition, phylogenetic trees indicate a vicariance event for the brachypterous genus Eocarterus on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar, followed by further geographical differentiation in southern Iberia and northern Morocco. This pattern contrasts with the distribution of various fully winged species of ground beetles on both sides of the same barrier, suggesting the role of dispersal limitation in speciation. Finally, a new key to supraspecific taxa of the Ditomina of the West Mediterranean region is provided.

Viruses can spread collectively using different types of structures such as extracellular vesicles, virion aggregates, polyploid capsids, occlusion bodies, and even cells that accumulate virions at their surface, such as bacteria and dendritic cells. Despite the mounting evidence for collective spread, its implications for viral fitness and diversity remain poorly understood. It has been postulated that, by increasing the cellular multiplicity of infection, collective spread could enable mutually beneficial interactions among different viral genetic variants. One such interaction is genetic complementation, whereby deleterious mutations carried by different genomes are compensated. Here, we used simulations to evaluate whether complementation is likely to increase the fitness of viruses spreading collectively. We show that complementation among co-spreading viruses initially buffers the deleterious effects of mutations, but has no positive effect on mean population fitness over the long term, and even promotes error catastrophe at high mutation rates. Additionally, we found that collective spread increases the risk of invasion by social cheaters such as defective interfering particles. We also show that mutation accumulation depends on the type of collective infectious units considered. Co-spreading viral genomes produced in the same cell (e.g. extracellular vesicles, polyploid capsids, occlusion bodies) should exhibit higher genetic relatedness than groups formed extracellularly by viruses released from different cells (aggregates, binding to bacterial or dendritic cell surfaces), and we found that increased relatedness limits the adverse effects of complementation as well cheater invasion risk. Finally, we found that the costs of complementation can be offset by recombination. Based on our results, we suggest that alternative factors promoting collective spread should be considered.

TRPM8 is a polymodal, nonselective cation channel activated by cold temperature and cooling agents that plays a critical role in the detection of environmental cold. We found that TRPM8 is a pharmacological target of tacrolimus (FK506), a macrolide immunosuppressant with several clinical uses, including the treatment of organ rejection following transplants, treatment of atopic dermatitis, and dry eye disease. Tacrolimus is an inhibitor of the phosphatase calcineurin, an action shared with cyclosporine. Tacrolimus activates TRPM8 channels in different species, including humans, and sensitizes their response to cold temperature by inducing a leftward shift in the voltage-dependent activation curve. The effects of tacrolimus on purified TRPM8 in lipid bilayers demonstrates conclusively that it has a direct gating effect. Moreover, the lack of effect of cyclosporine rules out the canonical signaling pathway involving the phosphatase calcineurin. Menthol (TRPM8-Y745H)- and icilin (TRPM8-N799A)-insensitive mutants were also activated by tacrolimus, suggesting a different binding site. In cultured mouse DRG neurons, tacrolimus evokes an increase in intracellular calcium almost exclusively in cold-sensitive neurons, and these responses were drastically blunted in Trpm8 KO mice or after the application of TRPM8 antagonists. Cutaneous and corneal cold thermoreceptor endings are also activated by tacrolimus, and tacrolimus solutions trigger blinking and cold-evoked behaviors. Together, our results identify TRPM8 channels in sensory neurons as molecular targets of the immunosuppressant tacrolimus. The actions of tacrolimus on TRPM8 resemble those of menthol but likely involve interactions with other channel residues.

[EN] The eruption of the Cerro Blanco Volcanic Complex, in the southern Puna, NW Argentina dated at 4410–4150 a cal BP, was investigated to produce new information on stratigraphy, geomorphology, physical volcanology, radiocarbon dating, petrography, and geochemistry. Identification of pre–, syn–, and post–caldera products allowed us to estimate the distribution of the Plinian fallout during the paroxysmal syn–caldera phase of the eruption. The new results provide evidence for a major rhyolitic explosive eruption that spread volcanic deposits over an area of ~500,000 km2, accumulating >100 km3 of tephra (bulk volume). This last value exceeds the lower threshold of Volcanic Explosive Index (VEI) of 7. Ash-fall deposits mantled the region at distances >400 km from source and thick pyroclastic-flow deposits filled neighbouring valleys up to 35 km away. This eruption is the largest documented during the past five millennia in the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes, and is probably one of the largest Holocene explosive eruptions in the world. We have also identified two additional rhyolitic eruptions in the region from two other eruptive sources: one during the Early–Holocene and another in the Late–Holocene. The identification and characterisation of these significant volcanic events provide new constraints into regional Holocene geological and archaeological records, and offer extensive regional chronostratigraphic markers over a wide geographical area of South America., [ES] La erupción del Complejo Volcánico Cerro Blanco en el sur de la Puna, noroeste de Argentina (4410–4150 a BP) se investigó para obtener nueva información sobre estratigrafía, geomorfología, volcanología física, dataciones por radiocarbono, petrografía y geoquímica. La caracterización de los productos en relación a la evolución de la caldera de Cerro Blanco permitió estimar la distribución de los depósitos de ceniza de la fase paroxísmica Plineana de la erupción. Estos novedosos resultados evidencian una gran erupción explosiva riolítica que generó depósitos cineríticos en un área de aproximadamente 500.000 km2, acumulando > 100 km3 de tefra (volumen total). Este último valor supera el umbral inferior del Índice de Explosividad Volcánica (IEV) de 7. Los depósitos de caída de ceniza cubrieron la región, llegando a más de 400 km desde el Complejo Volcánico de Cerro Blanco, y los potentes depósitos de flujos piroclásticos rellenaron los valles vecinos alcanzando una distancia de 35 km. Esta erupción es la más grande documentada durante los últimos cinco milenios en la Zona Volcánica Central de los Andes y es probablemente una de las mayores erupciones explosivas holocenas del mundo. Además, se han identificado otras dos erupciones riolíticas en la región procedentes de otros dos centros eruptivos: una durante el Holoceno temprano y otra en el Holoceno tardío. La identificación y caracterización de estos grandes eventos volcánicos proporcionan nuevas guías para los registros geológicos y arqueológicos regionales del Holoceno, siendo marcadores cronostratigráficos de aplicación a una extensa área geográfica de América del Sur.

This chapter reviews the available information on the distribution and bioactivity of the main neuroendocrine systems involved in the control of key physiological processes such as reproduction, feeding, metabolism, growth and stress in the Senegalese sole, Solea senegalensis. Catecholamines are released both as neurotransmitters in the hypothalamic-sympathetic nervous system and as classical neurohormones from the adrenal medulla or chromaffin cells of the kidney being involved in a rapid major neuroendocrine pathway integrating the primary response to stress in fish. The localization of catecholaminergic neurons and fibres in the brain of the Senegalese sole has been determined by Rodriguez-Gomez et al. using antibodies against tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate limiting enzyme for catecholamine synthesis. The monoamine serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine is one of the major neurotransmitters in the central nervous system and thus, it has been involved in multiple neuroendocrine regulatory networks. Galanin is a peptide present in the central nervous system and intestine of vertebrates, from mammals to fish.

]EN] Gene flow is an important factor determining the evolution of a species, since it directly affects population structure and species¿ adaptation. Here, we investigated population structure, population history, and migration among populations covering the entire distribution of the geographically isolated South-West European common lizard (Zootoca vivipara louislantzi) using 34 newly developed polymorphic microsatellite markers. The analyses unravelled the presence of isolation by distance, inbreeding, recent bottlenecks, genetic differentiation, and low levels of migration among most populations, suggesting that Z. vivipara louislantzi is threatened. The results point to discontinuous populations and are in line with physical barriers hindering longitudinal migration south to the central Pyrenean cordillera and latitudinal migration in the central Pyrenees. In contrast, evidence for longitudinal migration exists from the lowlands north to the central Pyrenean cordillera and the Cantabrian Mountains. The locations of the populations south to the central Pyrenean cordillera were identified as the first to be affected by global warming; thus, management actions aimed at avoiding population declines should start in this area

[EN] Whether and how differences in environmental predictability affect life-history traits is controversial and may depend on mean environmental conditions. Solid evidence for effects of environmental predictability are lacking and thus, the consequences of the currently observed and forecasted climatechange induced reduction of precipitation predictability are largely unknown. Here we experimentally tested whether and how changes in the predictability of precipitation affect growth, reproduction, and survival of common lizard Zootoca vivipara. Precipitation predictability affected all three age classes. While adults were able to compensate the treatment effects, yearlings and juvenile females were not able to compensate negative effects of less predictable precipitation on growth and body condition, respectively. Differences among the age-classes¿ response reflect differences (among age-classes) in the sensitivity to environmental predictability. Moreover, effects of environmental predictability depended on mean environmental conditions. This indicates that integrating differences in environmental sensitivity, and changes in averages and the predictability of climatic variables will be key to understand whether species are able to cope with the current climatic change

The study of stress-related hormones as mediators of sexual selection has traditionally focused on the effect of glucocorticoids on male quality and competing ability. However, environmental stressors are expected to affect both males and females, and the strength of sexual selection might be affected by changes in female mating decisions, a hypothesis that has rarely been tested. Here, we investigated whether female common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) mating behaviour and mating preferences are affected by different levels of administered corticosterone and conditioned by the familiarity of their partners, which is known to influence Z. vivipara social behaviour. To this end, two females, one corticosterone-treated and one control female, were simultaneously presented with an unfamiliar male and the following day with either a familiar or an unfamiliar male. Females treated with corticosterone (Cort) were more aggressive towards males and mated less. Furthermore, copulation probability in Cort females, but not in control females, increased with body size. On the second day, Cort females only mated with familiar partners. In contrast, male behaviour towards females was not affected by treatment and only bigger males successfully copulated with Cort females. This shows that corticosterone directly affected female mating behaviour and mating preferences, while male mating behaviour was unaffected by the female's level of corticosterone. Environmental and social stressors may affect reproductive strategies of females, the strength of sexual selection, and sexual conflict through their effects on female glucocorticoid levels, potentially in a wide range of species.

[EN] Identification of high levels of intraspecific genetic variability is common among assessments of reptiles from the Iberian Peninsula, conforming to the >refugia within refugia> hypothesis. Divergent genetic lineages are often found to be allopatric, or with limited contact or hybrid zones; such zones are more widely reported in Northern Europe, leading to the >melting pots not hotspots> hypothesis. However, population level sampling is needed to determine if divergent lineages overlap, something that is often missing in phylogenetic studies. Mitochondrial genetic diversity was assessed within the lacertid lizard Acanthodactylus erythrurus across the Iberian Peninsula. Not only were highly divergent lineages recovered in the southern region, but also considerable admixture of these was identified, particularly in northern populations. This has implications for biogeographic scenarios, with patterns typically identified at a larger scale emerging within a single European southern refugium. It also indicates that divergent mtDNA lineages appear to freely mix, at least within this species, which has taxonomic implications.

Neandertals disappeared from the fossil record around 40,000 bp, after a demographic history of small and isolated groups with high but variable levels of inbreeding, and episodes of interbreeding with other Paleolithic hominins. It is reasonable to expect that high levels of endogamy could be expressed in the skeleton of at least some Neandertal groups. Genetic studies indicate that the 13 individuals from the site of El Sidrón, Spain, dated around 49,000 bp, constituted a closely related kin group, making these Neandertals an appropriate case study for the observation of skeletal signs of inbreeding. We present the complete study of the 1674 identified skeletal specimens from El Sidrón. Altogether, 17 congenital anomalies were observed (narrowing of the internal nasal fossa, retained deciduous canine, clefts of the first cervical vertebra, unilateral hypoplasia of the second cervical vertebra, clefting of the twelfth thoracic vertebra, diminutive thoracic or lumbar rib, os centrale carpi and bipartite scaphoid, tripartite patella, left foot anomaly and cuboid-navicular coalition), with at least four individuals presenting congenital conditions (clefts of the first cervical vertebra). At 49,000 years ago, the Neandertals from El Sidrón, with genetic and skeletal evidence of inbreeding, could be representative of the beginning of the demographic collapse of this hominin phenotype.

The Geode of Pulpi (Almeria, Spain) is an ~11 m3 ovoid cavity, the walls of which are covered with meter-sized idiomorphic and highly transparent gypsum (CaSO4¿2H2O) crystals. We performed a thorough study based on field work, and petrographic and geochemical data collection, which aimed to reconstruct the geological history leading to the formation of this geode. The geode is hosted in mineralized Triassic carbonate rocks with a discontinuous mineral sequence from iron-carbonates and barite to celestine and finally gypsum (microcrystalline and selenite). Data from fluid inclusions show that barite precipitated above 100 °C, celestine at ~70 °C, and gypsum below 25 °C. All ¿34S sulfate phases fall between Triassic and Tertiary evaporite values. Barite and gypsum, either microcrystalline or large selenite crystals, show variable ¿34S and ¿18O compositions, whereas celestine and centimetric selenite gypsum have homogeneous values. We propose that the growth of the large selenite crystals in the Geode of Pulpi was the result of a self-feeding mechanism consisting of isovolumetric anhydrite replacement by gypsum at a temperature of 20 ± 5 °C, episodically contributed by a ripening process enhanced by temperature oscillations due to climatic change. © 2019 The Authors.

The potential of capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS) for metabolomics is demonstrated through the analysis of metabolites from human HT29 colon cancer cells treated and non-treated with dietary polyphenols. Prior to CE-MS analysis, four different metabolite purification strategies are investigated. Namely, the results obtained after methanol deproteinization, ultrafiltration, and two solid-phase extraction methods using C18 and polymer-based cartridges are described. These generic methods can have broad applications to analyze metabolites in a large variety of matrices and fields, including the new Foodomics area.

Spatial variations of denitrification activity and the relative importance of controlling factors were determined using the isotope pairing technique in a seepage chain of Mediterranean flowthrough lakes (Ruidera lakes) and within a given lake in the chain (Colgada lake), all receiving extremely high nitrogen inputs. The range of denitrification rates measured (28-155 ¿mol N m-2 h-1) were comparable with rates measured with isotope pairing in other freshwater systems. While the bulk of total denitrification was mostly based on NO3- from the overlying water, coupled nitrification-denitrification seemed to be lower in all Ruidera lakes. At the regional scale, i.e. lake district, inter-variability in denitrification (CV = 37 %) was lower than the intra-variability observed in a single lake (CV = 54 %). In fact, a preliminary meta-analysis of data from published studies suggested that denitrification rate variabilities did not differ statistically between the environmental and regional scales. Dissolved oxygen concentration, dissolved organic carbon content and nitrate from the overlying water were found to be the most important factors affecting the spatial heterogeneity of denitrification rate in the lake complex. At the single-lake scale, only phosphorus explained the variability of denitrification rates observed along its main axis. Our study emphasizes the significance of hotspots in denitrification processes, but also highlights the need for further studies on spatial denitrification given that fact that conflicting controlling factors have been found at different scales. To spatially measure denitrification is complicated due to the intrinsic difficulties of the incubation process and hotspots, which makes modelling indispensable., [ES] Mediante la técnica del par isotópico, estudiamos las variaciones espaciales de la actividad desnitrificante y la importancia relativa de sus factores de control en una cadena de lagos mediterráneos de tipo fluvial (lagunas de Ruidera) y en un lago concreto dentro de la misma (Laguna Colgada), todos los cuales reciben cargas elevadas de nitrógeno. El rango de las tasas medidas mediante dicha técnica fue comparable (28-155 µmol N m-2 h-1) al registrado en otros ambientes dulceacuícolas. Gran parte de las tasas se debieron al nitrato presente en el agua sobrenadante al sedimento (62-83 %), resultando de menor importancia los procesos acoplados de nitrificación-desnitrificación en todos los lagos estudiados. A escala del conjunto lacustre, la variabilidad del proceso fue inferior (CV = 37 %) a la presente en un único lago (CV = 54 %). En relación con esto, un meta-análisis preliminar de la variabilidad de la desnitrificación en distintos limnoambientes reveló que no había diferencias significativas entre la escala del ecosistema individual y la regional. Las concentraciones de oxígeno disuelto, carbono orgánico disuelto y nitrato en el agua sobrenadante fueron los factores fundamentales que controlaron las tasas de desnitrificación en el conjunto de lagos, mientras que en la laguna Colgada solo el ortofosfato explicó la variabilidad del proceso registrada en su eje principal. Este estudio recalca la importancia de los micrositios más favorables (hotspots) para el proceso de desnitrificación, pero también apoya la necesidad de más estudios sobre el tema porque los factores que lo controlan a distintas escalas espaciales difieren entre estudios. Las dificultades intrínsecas a la incubación y a la existencia dichos micrositios para medir espacialmente este proceso mediante cualquier técnica hacen imprescindible la modelización del mismo

The recognition of PPxY viral Late domains by the third WW domain of the HECT-E3 ubiquitin ligase NEDD4 (hNEDD4-WW3) is essential for the completion of the budding process of numerous enveloped viruses, including Ebola, Marburg, HTLV1 or Rabies. hNEDD4-WW3 has been validated as a promising target for the development of novel host-oriented broad spectrum antivirals. Nonetheless, finding inhibitors with good properties as therapeutic agents remains a challenge since the key determinants of binding affinity and specificity are still poorly understood. We present here a detailed structural and thermodynamic study of the interactions of hNEDD4-WW3 with viral Late domains combining isothermal titration calorimetry, NMR structural determination and molecular dynamics simulations. Structural and energetic differences in Late domain recognition reveal a highly plastic hNEDD4-WW3 binding site that can accommodate PPxY-containing ligands with varying orientations. These orientations are mostly determined by specific conformations adopted by residues I859 and T866. Our results suggest a conformational selection mechanism, extensive to other WW domains, and highlight the functional relevance of hNEDD4-WW3 domain conformational flexibility at the binding interface, which emerges as a key element to consider in the search for potent and selective inhibitors of therapeutic interest.