Dual regimes of ion migration in high repetition rate femtosecond laser inscribed waveguides

Ion migration in high repetition rate femtosecond laser inscribed waveguides is currently being reported in different optical glasses. For the first time we discuss and experimentally demonstrate the presence of two regimes of ion migration found in laser written waveguides. Regime-I, corresponds to the initial waveguide formation mainly via light element migration (in our case atomic weight < 31u), whereas regime-II majorly corresponds to the movement of heavy elements. This behavior brings attention to a problem which has never been analyzed before and that affects laser written active waveguides in which active ions migrate changing their local spectroscopic properties. The migration of active ions may in fact detune the pre-designed optimal values of active photonic devices. This paper experimentally evidences this problem and provides solutions to avert it.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Connecting species’ geographical distributions to environmental variables: range maps versus observed points of occurrence

Connecting the geographical occurrence of a species with underlying environmental variables is fundamental for many analyses of life history evolution and for modeling species distributions for both basic and practical ends. However, raw distributional information comes principally in two forms: points of occurrence (specific geographical coordinates where a species has been observed), and expert-prepared range maps. Each form has potential short-comings: range maps tend to overestimate the true occurrence of a species, whereas occurrence points (because of their frequent non-random spatial distribution) tend to underestimate it. Whereas previous comparisons of the two forms have focused on how they may differ when estimating species richness, less attention has been paid to the extent to which the two forms actually differ in their representation of a species’ environmental associations. We assess such differences using the globally distributed avian order Galliformes (294 species). For each species we overlaid range maps obtained from IUCN and point-of-occurrence data obtained from GBIF on global maps of four climate variables and elevation. Over all species, the median difference in distribution centroids was 234 km, and median values of all five environmental variables were highly correlated, although there were a few species outliers for each variable. We also acquired species’ elevational distribution mid-points (mid-point between minimum and maximum elevational extent) from the literature; median elevations from point occurrences and ranges were consistently lower (median −420 m) than mid-points. We concluded that in most cases occurrence points were likely to produce better estimates of underlying environmental variables than range maps, although differences were often slight. We also concluded that elevational range mid-points were biased high, and that elevation distributions based on either points or range maps provided better estimates

Evidence-based selection on the appropriate FIT cut-off point in CRC screening programs in the COVID pandemic

Background: The COVID pandemic has forced the closure of many colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs. Resuming these programs is a priority, but fewer colonoscopies may be available. We developed an evidence-based tool for decision-making in CRC screening programs, based on a fecal hemoglobin immunological test (FIT), to optimize the strategy for screening a population for CRC. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data collected at a regional CRC screening program between February/2014 and November/2018. We investigated two different scenarios: not modifying vs. modifying the FIT cut-off value. We estimated program outcomes in the two scenarios by evaluating the numbers of cancers and adenomas missed or not diagnosed in due time (delayed). Results: The current FIT cut-off (20-mu g hemoglobin/g feces) led to 6, 606 colonoscopies per 100, 000 people invited annually. Without modifying this FIT cut-off value, when the optimal number of individuals invited for colonoscopies was reduced by 10-40%, a high number of CRCs and high-risk adenomas (34-135 and 73-288/100.000-people invited, respectively) will be undetected every year. When the FIT cut-off value was increased to where the colonoscopy demand matched the colonoscopy availability, the number of missed lesions per year was remarkably reduced (9-36 and 29-145/100.000 people, respectively). Moreover, the unmodified FIT scenario outcome was improved by prioritizing the selection process based on sex (males) and age, rather than randomly reducing the number invited. Conclusions: Assuming a mismatch between the availability and demand for annual colonoscopies, increasing the FIT cut-off point was more effective than randomly reducing the number of people invited. Using specific risk factors to prioritize access to colonoscopies should be also considered

Taxonomic clarification in W-Mediterranean Androcymbium (Colchicaceae): A. wyssianum sunk in the synonymy of A.gramineum and A.europaeum restored

Capsule dehiscence has been used as a diagnostic character for W Mediterranean species of Androcymbium. Depending on the state of capsule maturity, the character, however, can be ambiguous in herbarium material. Based on morphological, phenological and cpDNA characters it is shown that misinterpretation of the capsule as indehiscent in the type material of A. gramineum has led to serious taxonomic confusion. The combined analyses produced evidence that A. gramineum of the population from the type locality at Essaouira, Morocco, is conspecific with A. wyssianum. A. gramineum is therefore the correct name for the species with dehiscent capsules, whereas the populations with indehiscent capsules at the Atlantic coast north of Essaouira and in SE Spain represent a second species, which is correctly named A. europaeu

Two Trebouxia algae with different physiological performances are ever-present in lichen thalli of Ramalina farinacea. Coexistence versus Competition

Ramalina farinacea is an epiphytic fruticose lichen that is relatively abundant in areas with Mediterranean, subtropical or temperate climates. Little is known about photobiont diversity in different lichen populations. The present study examines the phycobiont composition of several geographically distant populations of R. farinacea from the Iberian Peninsula, Canary Islands and California as well as the physiological performance of isolated phycobionts. Based on anatomical observations and molecular analyses, the coexistence of two different taxa of Trebouxia (working names, TR1 and TR9) was determined within each thallus of R. farinacea in all of the analysed populations. Examination of the effects of temperature and light on growth and photosynthesis indicated a superior performance of TR9 under relatively high temperatures and irradiances while TR1 thrived at moderate temperature and irradiance. Ramalina farinacea thalli apparently represent a specific and selective form of symbiotic association involving the same two Trebouxia phycobionts. Strict preservation of this pattern of algal coexistence is likely favoured by the different and probably complementary ecophysiological responses of each phycobiont, thus facilitating the proliferation of this lichen in a wide range of habitats and geographic areas. © 2010 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (CGL2006-12917-C02-01/02), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2009-13429-C02-01/02), the AECID (PCI_A/024755/09) and the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO 174/2008 GVA). We are grateful to Dr J. Gimeno-Romeu (University of California, Davis, USA) and to Dr P. J. G. de Nova (IREC, Ciudad Real, Spain), who were the first to isolate DNA from Ramalina farinacea thalli in our group. Wendy Ran revised the manuscript in English.Casano, L.; Del Campo, E.; García Breijo, FJ.; Reig Armiñana, J.; Gasulla, F.; Del Hoyo, A.; Guéra, A.... (2011). Two Trebouxia algae with different physiological performances are ever-present in lichen thalli of Ramalina farinacea. Coexistence versus Competition. Environmental Microbiology. 13(3):806-818. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02386.xS806818133Angert, A. L., Huxman, T. E., Chesson, P., & Venable, D. L. (2009). Functional tradeoffs determine species coexistence via the storage effect. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(28), 11641-11645. doi:10.1073/pnas.0904512106Baker, N. R., & Oxborough, K. (s. f.). Chlorophyll Fluorescence as a Probe of Photosynthetic Productivity. Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration, 65-82. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-3218-9_3Barreno , E. Herrera-Campos , M. García-Breijo , F. Gasulla , F. Reig-Armiñana , J. 2008 Non photosynthetic bacteria associated to cortical structures on Ramalina and Usnea thalli from Mexico http://192.104.39.110/archive/IAL6abstracts.pdfBECK, A., FRIEDL, T., & RAMBOLD, G. (1998). Selectivity of photobiont choice in a defined lichen community: inferences from cultural and molecular studies. New Phytologist, 139(4), 709-720. doi:10.1046/j.1469-8137.1998.00231.xBilger, W., & Bj�rkman, O. (1991). Temperature dependence of violaxanthin de-epoxidation and non-photochemical fluorescence quenching in intact leaves ofGossypium hirsutum L. andMalva parviflora L. Planta, 184(2), 226-234. doi:10.1007/bf01102422Bj�rkman, O., & Demmig, B. (1987). Photon yield of O2 evolution and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics at 77 K among vascular plants of diverse origins. Planta, 170(4), 489-504. doi:10.1007/bf00402983Bold, H. C., & Parker, B. C. (1962). Some supplementary attributes in the classification of chlorococcum species. Archiv f�r Mikrobiologie, 42(3), 267-288. doi:10.1007/bf00422045Cenis, J. L. (1992). Rapid extraction of fungal DNA for PCR amplification. Nucleic Acids Research, 20(9), 2380-2380. doi:10.1093/nar/20.9.2380Del Campo, E. M., Casano, L. M., Gasulla, F., & Barreno, E. (2010). Suitability of chloroplast LSU rDNA and its diverse group I introns for species recognition and phylogenetic analyses of lichen-forming Trebouxia algae. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 54(2), 437-444. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.10.024Demmig-Adams, B., & Adams, W. W. (1996). The role of xanthophyll cycle carotenoids in the protection of photosynthesis. Trends in Plant Science, 1(1), 21-26. doi:10.1016/s1360-1385(96)80019-7Demmig-Adams, B., M�guas, C., Adams, W. W., Meyer, A., Kilian, E., & Lange, O. L. (1990). Effect of high light on the efficiency of photochemical energy conversion in a variety of lichen species with green and blue-green phycobionts. Planta, 180(3), 400-409. doi:10.1007/bf01160396DePriest, P. T. (2004). Early Molecular Investigations of Lichen-Forming Symbionts: 1986–2001. Annual Review of Microbiology, 58(1), 273-301. doi:10.1146/annurev.micro.58.030603.123730DOERING, M., & PIERCEY-NORMORE, M. D. (2009). Genetically divergent algae shape an epiphytic lichen community on Jack Pine in Manitoba. The Lichenologist, 41(1), 69-80. doi:10.1017/s0024282909008111Friedl, T. (1989). Comparative ultrastructure of pyrenoids inTrebouxia (Microthamniales, Chlorophyta). Plant Systematics and Evolution, 164(1-4), 145-159. doi:10.1007/bf00940435Gasulla, F., de Nova, P. G., Esteban-Carrasco, A., Zapata, J. M., Barreno, E., & Guéra, A. (2009). Dehydration rate and time of desiccation affect recovery of the lichenic algae Trebouxia erici: alternative and classical protective mechanisms. Planta, 231(1), 195-208. doi:10.1007/s00425-009-1019-yGasulla, F., Guéra, A., & Barreno, E. (2010). “A simple and rapid method for isolating lichen photobionts“. Symbiosis, 51(2), 175-179. doi:10.1007/s13199-010-0064-4Gauze, G. F. (1934). The struggle for existence, by G. F. Gause. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.4489Genty, B., Briantais, J.-M., & Baker, N. R. (1989). The relationship between the quantum yield of photosynthetic electron transport and quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects, 990(1), 87-92. doi:10.1016/s0304-4165(89)80016-9Gross, K. (2008). Positive interactions among competitors can produce species-rich communities. Ecology Letters, 11(9), 929-936. doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2008.01204.xGUZOW-KRZEMIŃSKA, B. (2006). Photobiont flexibility in the lichen Protoparmeliopsis muralis as revealed by ITS rDNA analyses. The Lichenologist, 38(5), 469-476. doi:10.1017/s0024282906005068Haruta, S., Kato, S., Yamamoto, K., & Igarashi, Y. (2009). Intertwined interspecies relationships: approaches to untangle the microbial network. Environmental Microbiology, 11(12), 2963-2969. doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.01956.xJOHANSEN, S., & HAUGEN, P. (2001). A new nomenclature of group I introns in ribosomal DNA. RNA, 7(7), 935-936. doi:10.1017/s1355838201010500Jones, A. ., Berkelmans, R., van Oppen, M. J. ., Mieog, J. ., & Sinclair, W. (2008). A community change in the algal endosymbionts of a scleractinian coral following a natural bleaching event: field evidence of acclimatization. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 275(1641), 1359-1365. doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.0069Kopecky, J., Azarkovich, M., Pfündel, E. E., Shuvalov, V. A., & Heber, U. (2005). Thermal Dissipation of Light Energy is Regulated Differently and by Different Mechanisms in Lichens and Higher Plants. Plant Biology, 7(2), 156-167. doi:10.1055/s-2005-837471Kosugi, M., Arita, M., Shizuma, R., Moriyama, Y., Kashino, Y., Koike, H., & Satoh, K. (2009). Responses to Desiccation Stress in Lichens are Different from Those in Their Photobionts. Plant and Cell Physiology, 50(4), 879-888. doi:10.1093/pcp/pcp043Kranner, I., Cram, W. J., Zorn, M., Wornik, S., Yoshimura, I., Stabentheiner, E., & Pfeifhofer, H. W. (2005). Antioxidants and photoprotection in a lichen as compared with its isolated symbiotic partners. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102(8), 3141-3146. doi:10.1073/pnas.0407716102Kroken, S., & Taylor, J. W. (2000). Phylogenetic Species, Reproductive Mode, and Specificity of the Green AlgaTrebouxiaForming Lichens with the Fungal GenusLetharia. The Bryologist, 103(4), 645-660. doi:10.1639/0007-2745(2000)103[0645:psrmas]2.0.co;2Little, A. F. (2004). Flexibility in Algal Endosymbioses Shapes Growth in Reef Corals. Science, 304(5676), 1492-1494. doi:10.1126/science.1095733Loarie, S. R., Duffy, P. B., Hamilton, H., Asner, G. P., Field, C. B., & Ackerly, D. D. (2009). The velocity of climate change. Nature, 462(7276), 1052-1055. doi:10.1038/nature08649Muggia, L., Grube, M., & Tretiach, M. (2008). Genetic diversity and photobiont associations in selected taxa of the Tephromela atra group (Lecanorales, lichenised Ascomycota). Mycological Progress, 7(3), 147-160. doi:10.1007/s11557-008-0560-6Niyogi, K. K. (2004). Is PsbS the site of non-photochemical quenching in photosynthesis? Journal of Experimental Botany, 56(411), 375-382. doi:10.1093/jxb/eri056O’Brien, H. E., Miadlikowska, J., & Lutzoni, F. (2005). Assessing host specialization in symbiotic cyanobacteria associated with four closely related species of the lichen fungusPeltigera. European Journal of Phycology, 40(4), 363-378. doi:10.1080/09670260500342647Ohmura, Y., Kawachi, M., Kasai, F., Watanabe, M. M., & Takeshita, S. (2006). Genetic combinations of symbionts in a vegetatively reproducing lichen,Parmotrema tinctorum, based on ITS rDNA sequences. The Bryologist, 109(1), 43-59. doi:10.1639/0007-2745(2006)109[0043:gcosia]2.0.co;2Piercey-Normore, M. D. (2005). The lichen-forming ascomyceteEvernia mesomorphaassociates with multiple genotypes ofTrebouxia jamesii. New Phytologist, 169(2), 331-344. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2005.01576.xPombert, J.-F., Lemieux, C., & Turmel, M. (2006). BMC Biology, 4(1), 3. doi:10.1186/1741-7007-4-3Rambold, G., Friedl, T., & Beck, A. (1998). Photobionts in Lichens: Possible Indicators of Phylogenetic Relationships? The Bryologist, 101(3), 392. doi:10.1639/0007-2745(1998)101[392:pilpio]2.0.co;2Romeike, J., Friedl, T., Helms, G., & Ott, S. (2002). Genetic Diversity of Algal and Fungal Partners in Four Species of Umbilicaria (Lichenized Ascomycetes) Along a Transect of the Antarctic Peninsula. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 19(8), 1209-1217. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a004181Rosenberg, E., Sharon, G., & Zilber-Rosenberg, I. (2009). The hologenome theory of evolution contains Lamarckian aspects within a Darwinian framework. Environmental Microbiology, 11(12), 2959-2962. doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.01995.xSchreiber, U., Schliwa, U., & Bilger, W. (1986). Continuous recording of photochemical and non-photochemical chlorophyll fluorescence quenching with a new type of modulation fluorometer. Photosynthesis Research, 10(1-2), 51-62. doi:10.1007/bf00024185Skaloud, P., & Peksa, O. (2010). Evolutionary inferences based on ITS rDNA and actin sequences reveal extensive diversity of the common lichen alga Asterochloris (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 54(1), 36-46. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.09.035Wegley, L., Edwards, R., Rodriguez-Brito, B., Liu, H., & Rohwer, F. (2007). Metagenomic analysis of the microbial community associated with the coral Porites astreoides. Environmental Microbiology, 9(11), 2707-2719. doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2007.01383.xWeis, E., & Berry, J. A. (1987). Quantum efficiency of Photosystem II in relation to ‘energy’-dependent quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics, 894(2), 198-208. doi:10.1016/0005-2728(87)90190-3Wornik, S., & Grube, M. (2009). Joint Dispersal Does Not Imply Maintenance of Partnerships in Lichen Symbioses. Microbial Ecology, 59(1), 150-157. doi:10.1007/s00248-009-9584-yYAHR, R., VILGALYS, R., & DEPRIEST, P. T. (2004). Strong fungal specificity and selectivity for algal symbionts in Florida scrub Cladonia lichens. Molecular Ecology, 13(11), 3367-3378. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294x.2004.02350.xYahr, R., Vilgalys, R., & DePriest, P. T. (2006). Geographic variation in algal partners of Cladonia subtenuis (Cladoniaceae) highlights the dynamic nature of a lichen symbiosis. New Phytologist, 171(4), 847-860. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2006.01792.xZoller, S. (2003). Slow algae, fast fungi: exceptionally high nucleotide substitution rate differences between lichenized fungi Omphalina and their symbiotic green algae Coccomyxa. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 29(3), 629-640. doi:10.1016/s1055-7903(03)00215-

Analysis of the Calls Received during the COVID-19 Lockdown by the Mental Health Crisis Helpline Operated by the Professional College of Psychology of Aragon

COVID-19 has had a direct impact on the physical and mental health of millions of people worldwide. Therefore, a Mental Health Crisis Helpline (MHCH) was set up and offered free of charge by the Professional College of Psychology of Aragon (COPPA) during the lockdown period. This research aims to study the reasons for the calls, to describe the population segments that used it, and to analyse the possible relationships between the variables studied. A total of 1411 calls were answered and 598 were registered. The main reasons for the calls were: anxiety symptoms, concern for a relative, previous mental health problems, conflicts, and depressive symptoms. Significantly more men called for anxiety symptoms (60.8% vs. 49.5%) versus more women calling regarding a chronic physical illness (3.5% vs. 0.7%), concern about a relative (22.7% vs. 12.4%), care guidelines (6% vs. 1.3%), and bereavement (6.2% vs. 2%). Calls regarding conflict increased slightly as the lockdown period progressed (p < 0.001; r = 0.15), in contrast with calls regarding previous psychological conditions and anxiety symptoms (p = 0.035; r = -0.09; p = 0.005; r = -0.12). These results highlight the intensive use of the MHCH, confirming the need for the implementation of specific psychological care resources in times of crisis. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Rapid assessment of nonlinear optical propagation effects in dielectrics

8 págs.; 6 figs.; Open Access funded by Creative Commons Atribution Licence 4.0Ultrafast laser processing applications need fast approaches to assess the nonlinear propagation of the laser beam in order to predict the optimal range of processing parameters in a wide variety of cases. We develop here a method based on the simple monitoring of the nonlinear beam shaping against numerical prediction. The numerical code solves the nonlinear Schrodinger equation with nonlinear absorption under simplified conditions by employing a state-of-the art computationally efficient approach. By comparing with experimental results we can rapidly estimate the nonlinear refractive index and nonlinear absorption coefficients of the material. The validity of this approach has been tested in a variety of experiments where nonlinearities play a key role, like spatial soliton shaping or fs-laser waveguide writing. The approach provides excellent results for propagated power densities for which free carrier generation effects can be neglected. Above such a threshold, the peculiarities of the nonlinear propagation of elliptical beams enable acquiring an instantaneous picture of the deposition of energy inside the material realistic enough to estimate the effective nonlinear refractive index and nonlinear absorption coefficients that can be used for predicting the spatial distribution of energy deposition inside the material and controlling the beam in the writing process.This work has been partly funded by MINECO TEC2011-22422 project. J. de H. acknowledges funding from the JAE CSIC Program (pre-doctoral fellowship co-funded by the European Social Fund). A.P. acknowledges support from the People Program (Marie Curie Actions) Incoming International Fellowship (CHRONOS) under REA grant agreement nu [327627].Peer Reviewe