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Petrochemical clusters are forms of industrialization that use compounds and polymers derived directly or indirectly from gas or crude oil for chemical applications. They pose a variety of short- and long-term risks to the environment and the people who live nearby. The aim of this study is to determine whether there is a correlation between the degree of perceived technological risk and the emotional value generated by the contemplation of the petrochemical industry landscape in order to try to establish strategic lines of action to mitigate the perception of risk and improve the emotional well-being of the population. This study uses manipulated pictures and a Public Participation Geographic Information System (PPGIS) survey to assess changes in perception and emotional response in residents in Teheran (Iran). Key findings show an insignificant relationship between technological risk and landscape value perception in both original and manipulated pictures. However, taking into account that, in general, in manipulated pictures, there is a more significant relationship, designing the landscape could help to mitigate the technological risk perception. This study contributes to the broader discussion about industrialization and its environmental and social consequences. It emphasizes the importance of considering public perception when planning and developing industrial areas, so as to balance industrial functionality and environmental and aesthetic considerations for long-term urban development.

Abstract With the exception of a few groups of birds, such as large raptors and colonial seabirds, direct counts of nests cannot be conducted over very large areas for most of the abundant and widely distributed species, and thus indirect methods are used to estimate their relative abundances and population sizes. However, many species of the Family Hirundinidae (swallows and martins) build their mud nests in discrete, predictable and accessible sites, which are reused across years. Therefore, the direct count of active nests could constitute a reliable method for estimating breeding population sizes and their changes at large spatial and temporal scales. We illustrate the feasibility of this monitoring approach through a single year survey of >2700 nests of three coexisting Old‐World species, the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), the red‐rumped swallow (Cecropis daurica), and the crag martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris), distributed across Portugal and Spain. Our results revealed changes in the use of nesting substrates and increases in interspecific nest usurpation rates over recent decades. While 56% of the nests of C. daurica were located in rocks five decades ago, almost 100% are nowadays located in anthropogenic substrates such as bridges, road culverts, and abandoned buildings, which could have favored the range expansion of this species. Nest occupation rates were surprisingly low (12% in C. daurica, 21% in H. rustica, and 37% in P. rupestris), and the proportion of abandoned nesting sites was very high (65% in C. daurica, 50% in H. rustica, and 27% in P. rupestris). Abandonment rates reflect the population decline reported for H. rustica. Notably, the usurpation of nests of C. daurica by house sparrows Passer domesticus, which is the main cause of breeding failure, has increased from 2.4% in 1976–1979 to 34.7% of the nests nowadays. The long‐term monitoring of nests may constitute a reliable and affordable method, with the help of citizen science, for assessing changes in breeding population sizes and conservation threats of these and other mud‐nest building hirundines worldwide.

The movement of the human hand offers various degrees of freedom, enabling efficient performance of dynamic tasks and robust interaction with the environment in a compliant and continuous manner. However, the rigid exoskeleton used in hand rehabilitation limits the user’s freedom of movement, complicating their natural interaction with the environment. In this study, we present a soft exo-glove for assistive rehabilitation actuated by Shape Memory Alloys (SMA), controlled by a surface electromyography (sEMG) hand gesture classifier. Thanks to the actuator type, the soft exo-glove enables slow, smooth, and controlled movements when activated and provides complete control transparency when the device is not active. This advantage enhances the comfort and acceptance of the exo-glove by the patient. On the other hand, the classifier, in conjunction with the control algorithm and the soft exo-glove, offers the potential to use the exo-glove in assistive hand rehabilitation therapy. For user-friendly use, an interface has been developed, enabling the acquisition of new sEMG data from new users, retraining of the classifier, and connection with the soft exo-glove for rehabilitation therapy. The main objective of this study is to demonstrate that the proposed wearable soft exo-glove, along with the control algorithm and the employed classifier, constitutes an effective solution for assistive rehabilitation tasks, as demonstrated with healthy subjects. Furthermore, this solution can be easily adapted to the users’ characteristics and requirements.

To evaluate perceived risk, it is necessary to understand both the type of risk and the residents’ perceptions. With the rise of information on technology and digital platforms, new avenues have emerged for examining citizens’ risk perception in participatory settings. However, the lack of theoretical and methodological approaches in this area calls for further research. The objective of this article is to fill the existing research gap by conducting a scoping review of published literature that examines risk perception related to the petrochemical industry, specifically focusing on digital platforms and the utilization of participatory processes in assessing risk perception within this industry context. The review analyzes the types of questions and responses encountered during participatory processes. The authors selected and studied 10 papers in-depth after applying specific selection criteria. They identified two types of risks—natural and technological—associated with the petrochemical industry, and two types of questions: general questions such as demographics, education, and employment, and specific questions such as risk perception, trust in government and company information, type of risk, or proximity to polluted areas. The paper identifies two question types in participatory processes: general and specific. It emphasizes that the most frequent participation level is consultation, involving seeking public feedback for decision-making. Risk perception is a common topic in participatory processes, highlighting the importance of understanding and addressing public concerns about activities risks. Understanding risk and questions raised during participation is crucial to studying risk perception. This knowledge can improve policies, identify risk mitigation solutions, and identify relevant questions to aid in logical answers.Systematic Review Registration:http://www.prisma-statement.org/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Abstract Variation in offspring sex ratio, particularly in birds, has been frequently studied over the last century, although seldom using long‐term monitoring data. In raptors, the cost of raising males and females is not equal, and several variables have been found to have significant effects on sex ratio, including food availability, parental age, and hatching order. Sex ratio differences between island populations and their mainland counterparts have been poorly documented, despite broad scientific literature on the island syndrome reporting substantial differences in population demography and ecology. Here, we assessed individual and environmental factors potentially affecting the secondary sex ratio of the long‐lived Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus. We used data collected from Spanish mainland and island populations over a ca. 30‐year period (1995–2021) to assess the effects of insularity, parental age, breeding phenology, brood size, hatching order, type of breeding unit (pairs vs. trios), and spatial and temporal variability on offspring sex ratio. No sex bias was found at the population level, but two opposite trends were observed between mainland and island populations consistent with the island syndrome. Offspring sex ratio was nonsignificantly female‐biased in mainland Spain (0.47, n = 1112) but significantly male‐biased in the Canary Islands (0.55, n = 499), where a male‐biased mortality among immatures could be compensating for offspring biases and maintaining a paired adult sex ratio. Temporal and spatial variation in food availability might also have some influence on sex ratio, although the difficulties in quantifying them preclude us from determining the magnitude of such influence. This study shows that insularity influences the offspring sex ratio of the Egyptian vulture through several processes that can affect island and mainland populations differentially. Our research contributes to improving our understanding of sex allocation theory by investigating whether sex ratio deviations from parity are possible as a response to changing environments comprised by multiple and complexly interrelated factors.

In their Comment in @CommsEarth, Manuel Morales and colleagues argue that we must act now to protect green agricultural policies in the EU to ensure food security in the future.

Abstract Timing is essential for survival and reproduction of organisms across the tree of life. The core circadian clock gene Clk is involved in the regulation of annual timing events and shows highly conserved sequence homology across vertebrates except for one variable region of poly-glutamine repeats. Clk genotype varies in some species with latitude, seasonal timing and migration. However, findings are inconsistent, difficult to disentangle from environmental responses, and biased towards high latitudes. Here we combine field data with a common-garden experiment to study associations of Clk polymorphism with latitude, migration and annual-cycle timing within the stonechat species complex across its trans-equatorial distribution range. Our dataset includes 950 records from 717 individuals from nine populations with diverse migratory strategies. Gene diversity was lowest in resident African and Canary Island populations and increased with latitude, independently of migration distance. Repeat length and annual-cycle timing was linked in a population-specific way. Specifically, equatorial African stonechats showed delayed timing with longer repeat length for all annual-cycle stages. Our data suggest that at low latitudes with nearly constant photoperiod, Clk genotype might orchestrate a range of consistent, individual chronotypes. In contrast, the influence of Clk on annual-cycle timing at higher latitudes might be mediated by its interactions with genes involved in (circadian) photoperiodic pathways.

This work presents an innovative honeycomb cell geometry design with enhanced in-plane energy absorption under quasi-static lateral loads. Numerical and experimental compression tests results under axial and lateral loads are analyzed. The proposed cell geometry was designed to overcome the limitations posed by standard hexagonal honeycombs, which show relatively low stiffness and energy absorption under loads that have a significant lateral component. To achieve this, the new cell geometry was designed with internal diagonal walls to support the external walls, increasing its stiffness and impact energy absorption in comparison with the hexagonal cell. 3D-printed unit-cell specimens made from ABS thermoplastic material were subjected to experimental quasi-static compression tests, in both lateral and axial directions. Energy absorption was compared to that of the standard hexagonal cell, with the same mass and height. Finite element models were developed and validated using experimental data. Results show that the innovative geometry absorbs approximately 15% more energy under lateral compression, while maintaining the same level of energy absorption of the standard hexagonal cell in the axial direction. The present study demonstrates that the proposed cell geometry has the potential to substitute the standard hexagonal honeycomb in applications where significant lateral loads are present.

Abstract Quantifying space use and segregation, as well as the extrinsic and intrinsic factors affecting them, is crucial to increase our knowledge of species‐specific movement ecology and to design effective management and conservation measures. This is particularly relevant in the case of species that are highly mobile and dependent on sparse and unpredictable trophic resources, such as vultures. Here, we used the GPS‐tagged data of 127 adult Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus captured at five different breeding regions in Spain to describe the movement patterns (home‐range size and fidelity, and monthly cumulative distance). We also examined how individual sex, season, and breeding region determined the cumulative distance traveled and the size and overlap between consecutive monthly home‐ranges. Overall, Griffon Vultures exhibited very large annual home‐range sizes of 5027 ± 2123 km2, mean monthly cumulative distances of 1776 ± 1497 km, and showed a monthly home‐range fidelity of 67.8 ± 25.5%. However, individuals from northern breeding regions showed smaller home‐ranges and traveled shorter monthly distances than those from southern ones. In all cases, home‐ranges were larger in spring and summer than in winter and autumn, which could be related to difference in flying conditions and food requirements associated with reproduction. Moreover, females showed larger home‐ranges and less monthly fidelity than males, indicating that the latter tended to use the similar areas throughout the year. Overall, our results indicate that both extrinsic and intrinsic factors modulate the home‐range of the Griffon Vulture and that spatial segregation depends on sex and season at the individual level, without relevant differences between breeding regions in individual site fidelity. These results have important implications for conservation, such as identifying key threat factors necessary to improve management actions and policy decisions.

The Dupont’s lark (Chersophilus duponti) is an endangered passerine typical of Mediterranean shrub-steppes, whose European distribution is restricted to Spain. Here, we update the population size and distribution range of the species at a European scale and evaluate (i) the current status; (ii) the change in population size and distribution range of the species from 2004 to 2009 to the current period (2017–2022); and (iii) the effectiveness of the current network of special protection areas (SPAs) for protecting the Dupont’s lark. The European Dupont’s lark population showed a decrease of 29.9%, declining from ca. 3267 to 2289 territorial males from 2004 to 2009 to the current period. Moreover, the species has suffered a contraction in its distribution range of 35.9%, with only 39.3% of the species’ territories located within the current network of SPAs. Our findings agree with the previously described decline of the Dupont’s lark in Europe. The population decline was even larger in peripheral regions, which suggests that the species is suffering a centripetal process of contraction and extinction. These results indicate that if there is no change in present-day declining forces, several peripheral populations will reach extinction in a few decades and the overall population size of the species will continue decreasing. Our study should be considered as a last call for action and used for implementing urgent conservation measures to protect the species and its habitat. Future studies should focus on analyzing and managing the factors driving the species’ extinction and future actions for the conservation of the species should focus on increasing the percentage of the Dupont’s lark territories within protected areas, since the data are alarmingly low for a species that is facing clear risk of extinction.

Abstract Natal dispersal, the movement between the birth and the first breeding site, has been rarely studied in long-lived territorial birds with a long-lasting pre-breeding stage. Here we benefited from the long-term monitoring programs of six populations of Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) from Spain and France to study how the rearing environment determines dispersal. For 124 vultures, we recorded a median dispersal distance of 48 km (range 0–656 km). Linear models were used to assess the effect of population and individual traits on dispersal distance at two spatial scales. Dispersal distances were inversely related to vulture density in the natal population, suggesting that birds perceive the abundance of conspecifics as a signal of habitat quality. This was particularly true for declining populations, so increasing levels of opportunistic philopatry seemed to arise in high density contexts as a consequence of vacancies created by human-induced adult mortality. Females dispersed further than males, but males were more sensitive to the social environment, indicating different dispersal tactics. Both sexes were affected by different individual attributes simultaneously and interactively with this social context. These results highlight that complex phenotype-by-environment interactions should be considered for advancing our understanding of dispersal dynamics in long-lived organisms.

This paper presents a Public Participation Geographic Information System (PPGIS) application conducted in the Ebro Delta Natural Park, Spain. It aims to support decision-making and management activities. The application is based on an online PPGIS questionnaire using Google Maps API. Participants were asked about the spatial and temporal usage while visiting the Natural Park, about their landscape preferences, and appreciations. A set of eight pairs of bipolar adjectives related to landscape characteristics and experience, four items related to public use, and nine to leisure activities were used. In total, 204 valid answers and 3,969 georeferenced opinions were mapped by this case study. The results of this mapping give insights in the use, perception and appreciation of landscape naturalness and aesthetic beauty, accessibility, facilities, services, and signposting. Furthermore, this study discuss the outcomes of mapping the results and how they support the park management with regard to the identification of conflicts, and the need for action. Finally, this study discuss potentials and limitations of PPGIS as a tool for public participation to capture visitors' experiential knowledge in order to optimize and enhance the management of protected areas.

Abstract: Posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) effectively prevents graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The use of PTCy in HLA-identical HSCT is less explored. We conducted a retrospective study of 107 consecutive patients undergoing an HLA-identical sibling (10/10) HSCT in 2 centers in Spain, 50 with GVHD prophylaxis with methotrexate–cyclosporin A (MTX-CsA) and 57 using a PTCy-based regimen with additional immunosuppression. Graft source was unmanipulated mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) in most patients (97 patients, 91%). Cumulative incidences of grade II to IV and III to IV acute GVHD at 100 days were lower in the PTCy group (22.6% vs 52.2%, P = .0015; 8.8% vs 24.4%, P = .016), without statistically significant differences in the 2-year cumulative incidence of chronic moderate to severe GVHD (16.7% vs 26%, P = .306). At 2 years, no statistically significant differences were observed in OS (78% vs 56%, P = .088), EFS (62.5% vs 48%, P = .054), relapse (28% vs 27%, P = .47), and NRM (8.8% vs 24%, P = .054). The composite endpoint of GVHD and relapse-free survival (GRFS) was favorable for the PTCy group (24% vs 48%, P = .011), PTCy being the sole independent factor identified in the multivariate analysis for this endpoint. In this study, PTCy combination with additional immunosuppression using mostly PBSCs grafts showed a reduction of acute GVHD rate and an impact on GRFS, with safety results comparable with those obtained with MTX-CsA. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these observations..

Introducción

A whole-exome capture and next-generation sequencing was applied to an 11 y/o patient with a clinical history of congenital hypotonia, generalized motor and cognitive neurodevelopmental delay, and severe cognitive deficit, and without any identifiable Syndromic pattern, and to her parents, we disclosed a de novo heterozygous pathogenic mutation, c.697_699del p.Phe233del (rs786204835)(ACMG classification PS2, PM1, PM2, PP5), harbored in the PURA gene (MIM*600473) (5q31.3), associated with Autosomal Dominant Mental Retardation 31 (MIM # 616158). We used the significant improvement in the accuracy of protein structure prediction recently implemented in AlphaFold that incorporates novel neural network architectures and training procedures based on the evolutionary, physical, and geometric constraints of protein structures. The wild-type (WT) sequence and the mutated sequence, missing the Phe233, were reconstructed. The predicted local Distance Difference Test (lDDT) for the PURAwt and the PURA–Phe233del showed that the occurrence of the Phe233del affects between 220–320 amino acids. The distortion in the PURA structural conformation in the ~5 Å surrounding area after the p.Phe233del produces a conspicuous disruption of the repeat III, where the DNA and RNA helix unwinding capability occurs. PURA Protein–DNA docking corroborated these results in an in silico analysis that showed a loss of the contact of the PURA–Phe233del III repeat domain model with the DNA. Together, (i) the energetic and stereochemical, (ii) the hydropathic indexes and polarity surfaces, and (iii) the hybrid Quantum Mechanics–Molecular Mechanics (QM–MM) analyses of the PURA molecular models demarcate, at the atomic resolution, the specific surrounding region affected by these mutations and pave the way for future cell-based functional analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a de novo mutation underpinning a PURA syndrome in a Latin American patient and highlights the importance of predicting the molecular effects in protein structure using artificial intelligence algorithms and molecular and atomic resolution stereochemical analyses.

Se presenta Fasti Congressuum, un proyecto digital creado por doctorandos universitarios con el objetivo de difundir congresos y calls for papers relacionados con la Antigüedad. Surgido a raíz de las dificultades de acceso a los mismos por parte de los investigadores, este proyecto se basa en el uso de las humanidades digitales y en el espíritu de trabajo en equipo, aprovechando las ventajas de las redes sociales y contribuyendo a crear una red de difusión internacional. Así, Fasti Congressuum está llegando a una notable cantidad de investigadores mediante la utilización de una web trilingüe dinámica y fácil de consultar, cuyos contenidos son difundidos a través de Facebook, de Twitter y de una newsletter. Estos prometedores resultados, junto con el formato de post (que condensa eficazmente la información imprescindible sobre cada congreso) convierten a Fasti Congressuum en una novedosa herramienta dentro del mundo de la difusión académica de la Antigüedad.

En los últimos tiempos, se ha empezado a prestar una merecida atención a la morfología léxica del español desde perspectivas que ponen el foco en un acercamiento pedagógico y didáctico directamente orientado al aula. En todas las etapas de enseñanza, el potenciamiento de la conciencia morfológica y de la reflexión metalingüística deben ser claves en las que fundamentar el proceso de aprendizaje. A partir de un breve decálogo de citas para la reflexión teórica, en el artículo se proponen diversos tipos de actividades que permitan al alumno centrarse en la reflexión inductiva sobre cómo operan los procesos de formación de palabras en español. El objetivo último es que sea el estudiante el que –a través de actividades formuladas de manera guiada– pueda ir obteniendo conclusiones y generalizaciones, y sea capaz incluso de ir descubriendo cuáles deben ser los límites de su propio aprendizaje morfológico en etapas preuniversitarias de su educación.

El siguiente artículo propone el estudio, a partir de los datos proporcionados por la epigrafía latina de las provincias hispanas, de una de las familias imperiales más importantes del período de la anarquía militar, como es el caso de la domus Licinia Augusta (253-268). Se examinarán, por tanto, las técnicas autorrepresentativas de los emperadores Valeriano, Galieno y sus familiares, Salonina, Valeriano el Joven y Salonino, mediante el análisis estadístico de su corpus epigráfico hispano. De esta manera, se estudiarán los tipos, la procedencia o los títulos imperiales más significativos, además de identificar dos fases cronológicas diferentes y subrayar la importancia de las comunidades en las dedicatorias imperiales de la época.

A georeferenced and tagged dataset of photographs is presented. Over 2000 photographs from the Ebro Delta Natural Park, N-E Spain, have been treated. Raw data come from Wikiloc, a Volunteered Geographic Information source, and have been cleansed and systematized. The photographs have been classified according to their image content. An automatic first analysis was performed using 8-bit software. For uncertain tags, a second supervised analysis was performed. Classification into eight types and thirty-seven subtypes was conducted by considering landscape and social reactions. Data have been treated with the ArcGis 10.2. Geographic Information System. This dataset is useful for understanding ecosystem services by means of users' photographs. Keywords: Volunteered geographic information (VGI), Landscape analysis, Image content, Protected areas, Wikiloc

Abstract: Despite considerable advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), its prediction remains unresolved and depends mainly on clinical data. The aim of this study is to build a predictive model based on clinical variables and cytokine gene polymorphism for predicting acute GVHD (aGVHD) and chronic GVHD (cGVHD) from the analysis of a large cohort of HLA-identical sibling donor allogeneic stem cell transplant (allo-SCT) patients. A total of 25 SNPs in 12 cytokine genes were evaluated in 509 patients. Data were analyzed using a linear regression model and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). The statistical model was constructed by randomly selecting 85% of cases (training set), and the predictive ability was confirmed based on the remaining 15% of cases (test set). Models including clinical and genetic variables (CG-M) predicted severe aGVHD significantly better than models including only clinical variables (C-M) or only genetic variables (G-M). For grades 3-4 aGVHD, the correct classification rates (CCR1) were: 100% for CG-M, 88% for G-M, and 50% for C-M. On the other hand, CG-M and G-M predicted extensive cGVHD better than C-M (CCR1: 80% vs. 66.7%, respectively). A risk score was calculated based on LASSO multivariate analyses. It was able to correctly stratify patients who developed grades 3-4 aGVHD (P < .001) and extensive cGVHD (P < .001). The novel predictive models proposed here improve the prediction of severe GVHD after allo-SCT. This approach could facilitate personalized risk-adapted clinical management of patients undergoing allo-SCT.

Este estudio pretende demostrar que la perspectiva curvilínea en la obra de Antonio López es obtenida, exclusivamente, a través de la medición de la realidad. También la arquitectura juega un papel decisivo pues su naturaleza rectilínea evidencia la distorsión de las formas que depende de los condicionantes espaciales que utilice el artista. El resultado es un espacio pictórico que aúna principios geométricos, metodológicos y ópticos.

The aim of this paper is to describe a renewed approach to the ABC landscape assessment method, a procedure that undertakes landscape approach considering abiotic (A), biotic (B) and cultural (C) elements shaping the landscape. This new method is organized in three nested multi-scaled levels defined with high accuracy (1:10,000; 1:20,000; 1:25,000), it combines holistic and parametric approaches and it delineates landscape units from both a typological and chorological point of view. The procedure is based on field work, congruently integrates physical, cultural and perceived landscape components and focuses on the spatial dimension of landscape. Landscape units are hierarchised and classified, leading to a landscape taxonomy. An example is given for Muntanyes d’Ordal, in the Barcelona metropolitan area, with 36 units and 1,019 delineations at Level I, 8 units and 74 delineations at Level II and 14 units at Level III. Overall, 42.5% of Level I delineations are defined by biotic elements and 32.4% by anthropic elements, which shows the peri-urban nature of the area studied. The main interest and originality of the method lies in the fact that the holistic and parametric approaches are integrated using a systematic procedure that can be easily replicated anywhere so that results from different areas can be compared.

A major obstacle to obtaining cost-effective experimental data on the fatigue life of sandwich panels is the prohibitive amount of time and cost required to carry out millions of cycles. On the other hand, vibration techniques applied to sandwich geometries fail to match the stress patterns that are obtained from standard flexural fatigue tests. To overcome such limitations, a vibration-based fatigue technique is proposed, which entails the use of sandwich specimens whose geometries are optimized to reproduce the stress distribution observed during three point bend loading while vibrating at the first resonant frequency. The proposed vibration technique was experimentally validated. The results, compared with the average number of cycles to failure at different stress ratios obtained via the Three-Point Bending test, showed high levels of accuracy. The proposed method is robust and time effective and indicates the possibility of attaining fatigue lifetime prediction of a wide class of composite elements, such as sandwich panels.

Mapping cognitive landscape perception is hindered by the difficulty of representing opinions that are spatially distributed in a heterogeneous way or not restricted by the locations of physical elements in the landscape. In recent years, the use of tools based on geographic information techniques has gained momentum in landscape assessment. We propose a methodology for generalizing cognitive landscape opinions on a spatial basis. To this end, we used a public participatory geographic information system to collect data, which is a method based on bipolar adjectives to approach users’ opinions, and the inverse distance weighted spatial interpolator and multi-criteria evaluation to undertake the spatial analysis. The study was conducted in the Ebro Delta, which is a protected wetland in northeastern Spain. The assessment was based on 1593 georeferenced opinions and resulted in a continuous geographic map of 330 km2 depicting positive and negative perceptions about the landscape. The area under study was perceived as productive, interesting, attractive, and, for the most part, quiet and peaceful, although it was seen as dirty in some parts. The method successfully mapped cognitive landscape opinions and establishes a novel procedure in landscape approaches.

Al present article, s’hi mostra l’interès de la cartografia cognitiva per valorar el coneixement del territori i el raonament espacial. L’estudi es desenvolupa al delta de l’Ebre i s’estructura a partir de consignar topònims i elements d’interès territorial en un mapa mut. La població mostral són 132 estudiants de darrer curs de batxillerat dels cinc centres d’educació secundària del Delta. Mitjançant diferents tècniques d’anàlisi cartogràfica, s’evidencien aspectes de cognició espacial difícils de detectar amb altres procediments. Els resultats assenyalen que els participants tenen un bon coneixement del territori però que presenten dificultats a l’hora de concretar-lo en un mapa a escala detallada, a causa d’unes habilitats espacials poc treballades.

We assembled and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome of Trouessartia rubecula, the first feather mite complete mitochondrial genome from the largest feather mite superfamily Analgoidea (ca. 1150 spp). The mitogenome was composed of 13 protein, 17 tRNA, and 2 rRNA-coding genes and was 14,125 bp in length.

We report a lung-invasive fungal disease with possible cutaneous needle tract seeding in a patient with a febrile neutropenia caused by the Basidiomycetes mold Inonotus spp. Although rare, Inonotus spp. should be added to the list of microorganisms causing invasive fungal disease in neutropenic patients with hematologic malignancies.

Allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a curative procedure for several hematological malignancies. Haploidentical HSCT (haplo-HSCT) using high-dose post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) makes transplantation possible for patients with no HLA-matched sibling donor. However, this treatment can cause complications, mainly infection, graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD), and conditioning-related toxicity. In recent years, different biomarkers in the form of tissue-specific proteins have been investigated; these may help us to predict complications of allo-HSCT. In this study we explored two such biomarkers, suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) and regenerating islet-derived 3α (REG3α), in the largest series reported of T cell–replete haplo-HSCT with PTCy. Plasma samples drawn from 87 patients at days +15 and +30 were analyzed. ST2 and REG3α levels at day +15 were not associated with post-transplant complications. ST2 levels at day +30 were higher in patients with grade II-IV acute GVHD, mainly those who received reduced intensity conditioning (RIC; median 2,503 vs. 1,830 ng/ml; p = 0.04). Of note, patients with higher plasma ST2 levels at day +30 also presented a higher incidence of non-relapse mortality (HR, 7.9; p = 0.004) and lower 2-year overall survival (25 vs. 44 months; p = 0.02) than patients with lower levels. Patients with REG3α levels higher than 1,989 pg/ml at day +30 presented a higher incidence of acute gastrointestinal GVHD in the whole cohort (HR, 8.37; p = 0.003) and in the RIC cohort (HR 6.59; p = 0.01). These data suggest that measurement of ST2 and REG3α might be useful for the prognosis and prediction of complications in patients undergoing haplo-HSCT with PTCy.

A menudo, el interés científico por la sal ha encontrado provechosos socios en los investigadores de la economía ro­mana, más que en su relación simbólica con los pobladores. Por ello, el estudio se propone analizar la relación existen­te entre la sal y la religión romana, to­mando para ello el ejemplo del culto de Hércules en Roma, Ostia y el centro de Italia. Con ese fin se analizará en un pri­mer momento la figura del dios itálico en su contexto originario, subrayando sus diferencias conceptuales con el dios grecorromano más tardío y su relación con la sal y su culto urbano. En un se­gundo momento, se revisará el papel que desempeña el dios con la ciudad de Ostia y su casuística, para, en último lugar, es­tudiar la devoción de la divinidad en el centro de Italia, tremendamente radica­da desde tiempos muy remotos en san­tuarios como el de Alba Fucens.

Shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators have recently demonstrated their potential for various applications in fields such as robotics, medicine, aerospace, and automotive. Its features, such as low weight and high force, simplicity, noiseless operation, and low cost compared with other conventional actuator, are only a few advantages of this actuator, which is receiving increasing interest among researchers. However, the use of these actuators is still limited by some of their characteristics: high position error in the cooling stage when the actuator works at frequencies that exceed the necessary cooling time and high electrical energy consumption. Different actuator configurations can help minimize these disadvantages through modifying the length, the number of cables, or the sheath used in the actuator, which modify the characteristics of the complete system. In this work, we developed different configurations of SMA actuators and tested their performance in terms of efficiency and the position error in the cooling stage. The findings demonstrate that over-dimensioned actuators are more energetically efficient and present a faster initial form recovery. The multi-wires actuator configuration produce a better response in terms of position but are less energy efficient. These conclusions allow for the selection of the most appropriate configuration based on the requirements of each particular application.

VGI (Volunteered Geographic Information) refers to spatial data collected, created, and shared voluntarily by users. Georeferenced tracks are one of the most common components of VGI, and, as such, are not free from errors. The cleaning of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) tracks is usually based on the detection and removal of outliers using their geometric characteristics. However, according to our experience, user profile differentiation is still a novelty, and studies delving into the relationship between contributor efficiency, activity, and quality of the VGI produced are lacking. The aim of this study is to design a procedure to filter GNSS traces according to their quality, the type of activity pursued, and the contributor efficiency with VGI. Source data are obtained Wikiloc. The methodology includes tracks classification according mobility types, box plot analysis to identify outliers, bivariate user segmentation according to level of activity and efficiency, and the study of its spatial behavior using kernel-density maps. The results reveal that out of 44,326 tracks, 8096 (18.26%) are considered erroneous, mainly (73.02%) due to contributors’ poor practices and the remaining being due to bad GNSS reception. The results also show a positive correlation between data quality and the author’s efficiency collecting VGI.

Lynch syndrome is the most common cause of inherited colorectal cancer, totaling 5 to 8% of all the cases with high susceptibility to this type of cancer and extracolonic cancer. It is related to germinal mutations taking place at mismatch repair genes. The diagnosis of Lynch syndrome is essential for both monitoring patients with this disease and detecting asymptomatic carriers, in order to establish appropriate clinical monitoring, preventive management and genetic counseling Although clinical criteria have been standardized by implementing Amsterdam I and II, as well as Bethesda guidelines, the detection rate of mutations in these genes only varies between 20% and 60%. The objective of this research was to review the state of the art regarding molecular diagnosis of Lynch syndrome; thus, a review of the literature published from 1995 to 2015 in PubMed database was performed by using the criteria “lynch syndrome molecular screening”. 19 articles were selected and reviewed, and the relevant bibliography related to such articles was also reviewed. This paper presents different approaches proposed by several researchers on molecular algorithms to improve the efficiency of Lynch syndrome diagnosis.

Recent changes in European legislation have legalized the abandonment of carcasses around livestock farms, but our understanding of how vultures exploit these semi-predictable food sources is still very limited. For filling this gap, we determine the individual and ecological drivers influencing vulture visits to farms. We assessed the effects of individual characteristics of both birds and farms on the frequency of vultures’ visits to livestock facilities using data collected from 45 GPS-tagged Egyptian Vultures (Neophron percnopterus) and 318 farms (>94% of livestock) on Fuerteventura Island, Spain. Farms were more visited during the vultures’ breeding season. Farms located closer to highly predictable feeding places (i.e., vulture restaurants and garbage dumps) or with more available feeding resources were visited by more vultures, whereas those located close to roads and vultures’ breeding territories received fewer visits. Younger territorial birds visited a farm more frequently than older territorial ones, whereas older non-territorial individuals concentrated those visits on farms closer to their activity core areas compared with younger ones. Our findings indicate that visits to farms were determined by their spatial distribution in relation to the age-specific birds’ activity centers, the availability of carcasses, seasonality, and individual characteristics of vultures. These interacting factors should be considered in vulture conservation, avoiding very general solutions that ignore population structure.

Background Steppe-birds face drastic population declines throughout Europe. The Dupont’s lark Chersophilus duponti is an endangered steppe-bird species whose European distribution is restricted to Spain. This scarce passerine bird could be considered an ‘umbrella species’, since its population trends may reveal the conservation status of shrub-steppes. However, trends for the Spanish, and thus European, population of Dupont’s lark are unknown. In this work, we evaluated Dupont’s lark population trends in Europe employing the most recent and largest compiled database to date (92 populations over 12 years). In addition, we assessed the species threat category according to current applicable criteria (approved in March 2017) in the Spanish catalogue of threatened species (SCTS), which have never been applied to the Dupont’s lark nor to any other Spanish species. Finally, we compared the resulting threat categories with the current conservation status at European, national and regional levels. Methods We fitted switching linear trend models (software TRIM—Trends and Indices for Monitoring data) to evaluate population trends at national and regional scale (i.e. per Autonomous Community) during the period 2004–2015. In addition, the average finite annual rate of change ($\overline \lambda $λ¯) obtained from the TRIM analysis was employed to estimate the percentage of population size change in a 10-year period. A threat category was assigned following A1 and A2 criteria applicable in the SCTS. Results Trends showed an overall 3.9% annual decline rate for the Spanish population (moderate decline, following TRIM). Regional analyses showed high inter-regional variability. We forecasted a 32.8% average decline over the next 10 years. According to these results, the species should be listed as ‘Vulnerable’ at a national scale (SCTS). At the regional level, the conservation status of the species is of particular concern in Andalusia and Castile-Leon, where the species qualifies for listing as ‘Endangered’. Discussion Our results highlight the concerning conservation status of the European Dupont’s lark population, undergoing a 3.9% annual decline rate. Under this scenario, the implementation of a wide-ranging conservation plan is urgently needed and is vital to ensuring the conservation of this steppe-bird species. The role of administrations in matters of nature protection and the cataloguing of endangered species is crucial to reverse declining population trends of this and other endangered taxa.

A través de un análisis de carácter integral del registro epigráfico, se plantea un estudio de varios conjuntos de epígrafes romanos localizados en la mitad septentrional de Galicia, conjuntos definidos tanto por criterios epigráficos, externos e internos, como por su relación con el paisaje físico y epigráfico del entorno. Estos conjuntos apuntarían a la presencia bien de horizontes epigráficos, bien de regiones del territorio galaico-provincial con elementos culturales comunes, y cuya interacción con el hábito epigráfico habría dado lugar a producciones con características propias. Se pone en evidencia, en suma, la posibilidad de identificar sectores rurales que habrían desarrollado modelos epigráficos con elementos característicos, reflejo de las diversas dinámicas internas de toma de contacto y desarrollo de un elemento material aculturizante tan crucial como fue la epigrafía latina.

Purpose: To investigate the extent and evolution of hamstring muscle damage caused by an intensive bout of eccentric leg curls (ELCs) by (1) assessing the time course and association of different indirect markers of muscle damage such as changes in the force-generating capacity (FGC), functional magnetic resonance (fMRI), and serum muscle enzyme levels and (2) analyzing differences in the degree of hamstring muscle damage between and within subjects (limb-to-limb comparison).Methods: Thirteen male participants performed six sets of 10 repetitions of an ELC with each leg. Before and at regular intervals over 7 days after the exercise, FGC was measured with maximal isometric voluntary contraction (MVC). Serum enzyme levels, fMRI transverse relaxation time (T2) and perceived muscle soreness were also assessed and compared against the FGC.Results: Two groups of subjects were identified according to the extent of hamstring muscle damage based on decreased FGC and increased serum enzyme levels: high responders (n = 10, severe muscle damage) and moderate responders (n = 3, moderate muscle damage). In the high responders, fMRI T2 analysis revealed that the semitendinosus (ST) muscle suffered severe damage in the three regions measured (proximal, middle, and distal). The biceps femoris short head (BFsh) muscle was also damaged and there were significant differences in the FGC within subjects in the high responders.Conclusion: FGC and serum enzyme levels measured in 10 of the subjects from the sample were consistent with severe muscle damage. However, the results showed a wide range of peak MVC reductions, reflecting different degrees of damage between subjects (high and moderate responders). fMRI analysis confirmed that the ST was the hamstring muscle most damaged by ELCs, with uniform T2 changes across all the measured sections of this muscle. During intensive ELCs, the ST muscle could suffer an anomalous recruitment pattern due to fatigue and damage, placing an excessive load on the BFsh and causing it to perform a synergistic compensation that leads to structural damage. Finally, T2 and MVC values did not correlate for the leg with the smaller FGC decrease in the hamstring muscles, suggesting that long-lasting increases in T2 signals after FGC markers have returned to baseline values might indicate an adaptive process rather than damage.

Se presentan las características generales del páramo andino, un ecosistema de gran interés social y territorial poco conocido entre los geógrafos españoles. La síntesis desarrollada constituye un estado de la cuestión actualizado y contrastado sobre los principales aspectos que definen y caracterizan este espacio. La perspectiva adoptada tiene un marcado carácter sistémico y focaliza en cuestiones de orden ambiental, por ser este aspecto el que mejor engloba la complejidad actual del páramo. Así, después de glosar el encuadre geográfico del páramo andino, se repasa de forma sumaria los aspectos que mejor describen el beneficio social de este ámbito, a saber los aprovechamientos hídricos, la ocupación del suelo y el uso que realizan las sociedades implicadas. El propósito principal de este artículo es dar a conocer a los geógrafos ibéricos un ámbito de trabajo de gran actualidad entre los geógrafos latinoamericanos. [fr] Cet article expose les caractéristiques générales du páramo andin : un écosystème de grand intérêt social et territorial peu connu des géographes espagnols. Cet article constitue un état de l’art actualisée et comparé des principaux aspects qui définissent et caractérisent cet espace. La perspective adoptée a un caractère systémique, et focalise sur les questions environnementales, qui sont au centre des enjeux actuels du páramo. Ainsi, après un résumé du cadre géographique du páramo andin, on détaille les aspects qui décrivent le mieux les bénéfices de ce milieu, à savoir les exploitations hydrauliques, l’occupation du sol et l’usage qu’en ont les sociétés locales. L’objectif de ce travail est de faire connaître aux géographes ibériques un sujet de grande actualité entre géographes latino-américains.

Los márgenes de ciudades configuran paisajes complejos, de transición entre lo rural, lo natural y lo urbano, con límites difusos y en mutua interdependencia. El Convenio europeo del paisaje concede gran importancia a los paisajes cotidianos, entre los que se encuentran los de carácter periurbano. Existe un número limitado de experiencias de valoración estética en paisajes periurbanos, hecho que sorprende teniendo en cuenta la abundancia e importancia de los mismos. La investigación que presentamos se basa en una metodología, centrada en el uso de sistemas de información geográfica (SIG), apropiada para valorar estéticamente dichas áreas, y con utilidad en planeamiento territorial. Su principal interés radica en ofrecer una doble valoración, según calidad y fragilidad del paisaje, y en su elevada sistematicidad. El procedimiento se aplica en Muntanyes d’Ordal, en la Región Metropolitana de Barcelona (España), un área de fuertes tensiones territoriales y valores paisajísticos contrastados. Los resultados obtenidos son de gran aplicabilidad e indican un predominio de los valores medios, tanto de calidad como de fragilidad del paisaje.

Se estudia el efecto de borde en bosques templados, tomando como objeto de estudio comunidades fragmentadas de pino-encino del centro de México. Se muestrearon 29 fragmentos de bosque para reconocer áreas de borde e interior con distinta composición y estructura vegetal. Con el fin de evaluar el efecto de borde a escala de paisaje, se analizó el impacto de la extensión de las áreas de borde e interior en 333 fragmentos con distintas características espaciales (tamaño, forma y conectividad). Los resultados indican la existencia de un gradiente borde-interior que impacta principalmente en la composición vegetal de los bosques. El área de menor calidad ecológica es el borde (≤ 50 m), con valores altos de composición (diversidad, riqueza y abundancia), presencia de especies que muestran preferencia por ambientes de borde (Prunus serotina, Quercus crassipes y Q. rugosa), y de pinos cultivados (Pinus patula) o de ambientes perturbados (P. leiophylla). El área núcleo (> 100 m), a diferencia del borde muestra valores más bajos de composición, pero con presencia de especies que prefieren ambientes de interior (Q. crassifolia, Q. obtusata y P. montezumae). Entre ambas se detecta un área de transición (> 50 a 100 m) con solapamiento de especies de exterior e interior (Prunus serotina, Q. obtusata y P. teocote), pero valores de composición más bajos que en el borde y mayor similitud estadística con el área núcleo. Mientras que el 93% de la superficie forestal corresponde a fragmentos que todavía conservan un área núcleo y/o de transición, el 7% está repartida en una gran cantidad de pequeños fragmentos formados de manera exclusiva por áreas de borde; estos últimos tienen formas lineales que suponen un alto potencial para la conectividad y la restauración. Esta investigación aporta nueva información acerca de las consecuencias de la fragmentación del paisaje en bosques templados.

This paper analyses public use in the Ebro Delta Natural Park using PPGIS (public participation geographic information system) methodology. An online survey was designed using Google Maps API, HTML, and JAVASCRIPT. Respondents were asked to place and rate thirteen items on an interactive map to characterize and georeference public use with regard to accessibility, facilities and services, signposting, safety and security, and leisure activities. In total we collected 209 valid surveys and mapped 2617 georeferenced opinions. Facilities and services were rated highly by users (72.46% were “very satisfied”). These were followed by accessibility (61%, “very satisfied”) and signposting (60.2%, “satisfied” or “quite satisfied”). Safety and security items were hardly rated perhaps because users do not feel insecure in the area. Respondents’ mapping of opinions and experiences, which are heterogeneous and were well rated, enabled us to visualize areas that might be understood as social hotspots. Our results show that PPGIS is an effective procedure for measuring public use in protected areas and may be a valuable tool for park managers and planners.

Un número considerable de estudios de paisaje se incluyen en la llamada perspectiva territorial, que es aquella que centra su labor en cuestiones de carácter espacial. En este ámbito toma especial interés el concepto “unidad de paisaje”, por ser el resultado de las bases epistemológicas y metodológicas empleadas por cada escuela de trabajo. La presente aportación reflexiona en torno a este concepto y sistematiza la diversidad de planteamientos, tomando como punto de referencia criterios de forma y criterios de contenido. El ejercicio presenta la singularidad y el valor añadido de usar como ejemplo estudios de paisaje realizados en el Estado español. [fr] Un nombre considérable d'études de paysage sont inclus dans la perspective territoriale, c'est à dire, celle qui centre sa tâche dans questions de caractère spatial. Dans ce cadre prend spécial intérêt le concept “unité paysagère”, étant le résultat des bases épistémologiques et méthodologiques gérées par chaque école de travail. La présente contribution s'interroge autour de ce concept et systématise la diversité d'approches, en prenant comme point de référence des critères de forme et de contenu. D'ailleurs, l'exercice présente la remarque et la singularité d'utiliser exemples d'études de paysage développées dans l'état espagnol.

Se reflexiona sobre los humedales españoles incluidos en el Convenio Ramsar. Después de una sucinta contextualización, se reseñan sus principales rasgos territoriales y se aborda su caracterización desde distintos puntos de vista, a saber: localización, naturalidad, estructura física y génesis, entre otros aspectos de índole ambiental en los que ha resultado de gran apoyo la consulta de bibliografía especializada. Esta aproximación permite detectar distintas problemáticas que deben encarar estos espacios, como es el caso de las relacionadas con el acceso y calidad del agua, las afecciones territoriales o las ligadas a su aprovechamiento y gestión. Se hace hincapié en la inconsistencia del listado español, hecho que lleva proponer un intencionadamente breve recuento de zonas húmedas susceptibles de ser consideradas por el Convenio.

Urban fringes set complex landscapes, in transition from rural to natural and urban, with fuzzy boundaries in mutual interdependence. The European Landscape Convention gives notorious importance to everyday landscapes, including those of suburban character. Few landscape evaluation researches are done in suburban areas, which is surprising considering its importance and abundance. This paper shows a methodology, yield on geographical information systems (GIS), for landscape assessment of suburban areas, useful in urban planning. Its main interest lies in a double assessment, which considers both landscape quality and landscape fragility, applied systematically. The procedure is applied in Muntanyes d’Ordal in the metropolitan area of Barcelona (Spain), an area with pronounced regional strengths and contrasted landscape values. Results are of important applicability and indicate a predominance of mean values, both for landscape quality and landscape fragility.

A high-level control algorithm capable of generating position and torque references from surface electromyography signals (sEMG) was designed. It was applied to a shape memory alloy (SMA)-actuated exoskeleton used in active rehabilitation therapies for elbow joints. The sEMG signals are filtered and normalized according to data collected online during the first seconds of a therapy session. The control algorithm uses the sEMG signals to promote active participation of patients during the therapy session. In order to generate the reference position pattern with good precision, the sEMG normalized signal is compared with a pressure sensor signal to detect the intention of each movement. The algorithm was tested in simulations and with healthy people for control of an elbow exoskeleton in flexion–extension movements. The results indicate that sEMG signals from elbow muscles, in combination with pressure sensors that measure arm–exoskeleton interaction, can be used as inputs for the control algorithm, which adapts the reference for exoskeleton movements according to a patient’s intention.