Incorporating phylogeographic information in alien bird distribution models increases geographic extent but not accuracy of predictions

Species distribution models (SDM) have been proposed as valuable first screening tools for predicting species responses to new environmental conditions. SDMs are usually conducted at the species level, assuming that species-environment relationships are a species-specific feature that do not evolve and show no variability across a species’ range. However, broad environmental tolerances at the species level can encompass narrower and different environmental tolerances for specific lineages or populations. In this study, we evaluate whether SDMs that account for within-taxon niche variation in climate and human-habitat associations provide better fits between projected distributions and real occurrence data for alien bird species than species-level SDMs. Our study focuses on eight alien bird species with established alien populations for which detailed phylogeographic information was available. Similarity in climates and human disturbance conditions occupied by different phylogenetic groups within species was low and not greater than random expectations. Accounting for intraspecific niche variation in SDMs modified the distribution and extent of suitable habitat predicted as susceptible to invasion, but did not result in more accurate model predictions in alien ranges. Until more accurate information on intraspecific variability is available, species-level models can be reasonable candidates. When phylogeographic information is available, the use of the most conservative criterion (i.e. to model both species and lineages on the basis of the actual range) is recommended

Introducción a la genética en la enseñanza secundaria y bachillerato : II. ¿Resolución de problemas o realización de ejercicios?

In this paper we analize the level of knowledge students have at different educational levels (15-18 years), about some basic concepts related to genetic inheritance. The strategies developed by students when solving, successfully, genetic problems have also been studied. The results show the difficulties in learning through problem-solving activities. Consequently, very often, their posings (even those of cause-effect approach) allow them to find the right solution by applying the correspondent algorithm. As a conclusion, some suggestions to change the students' position on genetic problems are presented

Evaluación de la degradación del suelo y sequías en una región árida utilizando índices de sequía, índice de vegetación ajustado al suelo modificado y datos de sensores remotos Landsat

Ain Sefra is part of the Ksour Mountains and it's situated in southwestern Algeria, where the climate is arid. The study area is progressively facing regression and degradation exacerbated by climate change. These trends point to a significant acceleration of desertification and drought and the loss of production systems that play a critical social, ecological, and economic role in the region. To better understand the natural hazard of dryness in Ain Sefra and the impact of climate change, we used various drought indices and remote sensing data. Hence, analyzing precipitation records from 1965 to 2021, through several drought indices, droughts were identified as a recurring phenomenon. Moreover, the frequency of successive dry years is relatively high. There were three most extended continuous dry periods. The first phase lasted seven years from 1980 to 1987, the second twelve years from 1994 to 2006, and the third nine years from 2012 to 2021. Calculation of the Modified Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI) for five multidate satellite images allowed us to follow the evolution of land use elements in this region from 1977 to 2017. Indeed, the study of these multi-temporal images reveals a considerable growth of sands, moving towards the north and northeast of the zone during the last decades. The combination of drought indices and remote sensing seems to be most promising; whose results are valuable tools for guidance and decision support to local and regional authorities.Ain Sefr, en las montañas Ksour, está situada en el suroeste de Argelia, donde el clima es árido. El área de estudio se enfrenta progresivamente a la regresión y degradación exacerbada por el cambio climático. Estas tendencias apuntan a una aceleración significativa de la desertificación y la sequía y a la pérdida de sistemas de producción que desempeñan un papel social, ecológico y económico crítico en la región. Para comprender mejor el peligro natural de la sequía en Ain Sefra y el impacto del cambio climático, se varios índices de sequía y datos de teledetección. Al analizar los registros de precipitación desde 1965 hasta 2021, a través de varios índices de sequía, se identificaron las sequías como un fenómeno recurrente. Además, la frecuencia de años secos sucesivos es relativamente alta. Hubo tres períodos secos continuos más prolongados. La primera fase duró siete años, de 1980 a 1987, la segunda doce años, de 1994 a 2006, y la tercera nueve años, de 2012 a 2021. El cálculo del Índice de Vegetación Ajustado al Suelo Modificado (MSAVI) para cinco imágenes satelitales multifecha nos permitió seguir la evolución de los elementos de uso del suelo en esta región desde 1977 hasta 2017. De hecho, el estudio de estas imágenes multitemporales revela un crecimiento considerable de arenas, moviéndose hacia el norte y noreste de la zona durante las últimas décadas. La combinación de índices de sequía y sensores remotos parece ser muy prometedores, pues sus resultados son valiosas herramientas de orientación y apoyo a la decisión de los entes locales y regionales.Financial support to perform this study was provided partially by the University Center Salhi Ahmed Naama (Argelia). Antonio Jodar-Abellan acknowledges financial support received form the XTREME Spanish National Project (Ref: PID2019-109381RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033)

Quantum Conductance Steps in Solutions of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

We have prepared solutions of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in Aroclor 1254, a mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls. The solutions are stable at room temperature. Transport measurements were performed using a scanning--tunneling probe on a sample prepared by spin--coating of the solution on gold substrates. Conductance steps were clearly seen. An histogram of a high number of traces shows maximum peaks at integer values of the conductance quantum $G_0 = 2e^2/h$, demonstrating ballistic transport at room temperature along the carbon nanotube over distances longer than $1.4\mu m$.Comment: 4 pages and 2 figure

Variaciones del valor nutritivo del turrón de Jijona en las calidades suprema, extra y popular.

In this paper, the nutritive value of the three qualities of Jijona- Nougat has been analysed. These qualities are regulated by the Spanish Regulations for Nougat and Marzipan (Reglamentación Técnico-Sanitaria para Turrones y Mazapanes), (Real Decreto 1167/1990). Thirty-three samples of Jijona-Nougat have been studied: twenty-one samples belonging to «Suprema» quality (corresponding to three different batches of production of seven commercial brands). Nine samples belonging to «Extra» quality (three different batches of production of three commercial brands). Three «Popular» samples, corresponding to three different batches of production from the unique manufacturer found on the market. Moisture and macronutrients: protein, fat and carbohydrates, have been determined in all the samples. The results and their statistical study are shown in this paper.En este trabajo se ha estudiado el valor nutritivo del turrón de Jijona y las variaciones del mismo en las tres calidades tipificadas en la Reglamentación Técnico Sanitaria para Turrones y Mazapanes (Real Decreto 1167/1990). Para ello, se han analizado un total de treinta y tres muestras de turrón de Jijona, divididas de la siguiente forma: veintiuna muestras pertenecen a la calidad Suprema (correspondientes a tres lotes distintos de siete marcas comerciales), nueve a la Extra (tres lotes diferentes de tres marcas comerciales) y tres a la Popular, procedentes de tres lotes de un único fabricante encontrado en el comercio. En todas ellas se ha determinado el contenido de humedad y los macronutrientes: proteína, grasa y carbohidratos. Los resultados y su tratamiento estadístico se muestran en este trabajo

Nanoscale magnetic structure and properties of solution-derived self-assembled La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 islands

The following article appeared in Journal of Applied Physics 111.2 (2012): 024307 and may be found at http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/jap/111/2/10.1063/1.3677985Strain-induced self-assembled La0.7Sr0.3MnO 3 nanoislands of lateral size 50-150 nm and height 10-40 nm have been grown on yttria-stabilized zirconia (001)-substrates from ultradiluted chemical solutions based on metal propionates. The nanoislands grow highly relaxed withstanding the epitaxial relation (001)LSMO[110]//(001) Ysz[010] and show bulk-like average magnetic properties in terms of Curie temperature and saturation magnetization. The interplay of the magnetocrystalline and shape anisotropy within the nanoisland ensemble results in an in-plane magnetic anisotropy with a magnetocrystalline constant K 1(150K) = -(5±1) kJ/m3 and in-plane easy axis along the [110] -La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 direction as measured, for the first time, through ferromagnetic resonance experiments. Magnetic force microscopy studies reveal the correlation between nanoisland size and its magnetic domain structure in agreement with micromagnetic simulations. In particular, we have established the required geometric conditions for single domain, multidomain, and vortex configurations.We acknowledge the financial support from MEC (MAT2008-01022, Consolider NANOSELECT and FPU), Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (CAM S2009/MAT-1467), Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Pla de Recerca 2009-SGR- 770 and XaRMAE), and EU (NESPA). R. D. Zysler and C. A. Ramos acknowledge support from PIP-1333(2007) CONICET and PICT 829 (2006) and PICT 832(2006) ANPCyT of Argentina. Serveis Científic-Tècnics from Universitat de Barcelona and Servei de Micròscopia from Universitat Auto`noma de Barcelona are acknowledged for TEM facilities

Experimental loophole-free violation of a Bell inequality using entangled electron spins separated by 1.3 km

For more than 80 years, the counterintuitive predictions of quantum theory have stimulated debate about the nature of reality. In his seminal work, John Bell proved that no theory of nature that obeys locality and realism can reproduce all the predictions of quantum theory. Bell showed that in any local realist theory the correlations between distant measurements satisfy an inequality and, moreover, that this inequality can be violated according to quantum theory. This provided a recipe for experimental tests of the fundamental principles underlying the laws of nature. In the past decades, numerous ingenious Bell inequality tests have been reported. However, because of experimental limitations, all experiments to date required additional assumptions to obtain a contradiction with local realism, resulting in loopholes. Here we report on a Bell experiment that is free of any such additional assumption and thus directly tests the principles underlying Bell's inequality. We employ an event-ready scheme that enables the generation of high-fidelity entanglement between distant electron spins. Efficient spin readout avoids the fair sampling assumption (detection loophole), while the use of fast random basis selection and readout combined with a spatial separation of 1.3 km ensure the required locality conditions. We perform 245 trials testing the CHSH-Bell inequality $S \leq 2$ and find $S = 2.42 \pm 0.20$. A null hypothesis test yields a probability of $p = 0.039$ that a local-realist model for space-like separated sites produces data with a violation at least as large as observed, even when allowing for memory in the devices. This result rules out large classes of local realist theories, and paves the way for implementing device-independent quantum-secure communication and randomness certification.Comment: Raw data will be made available after publicatio

Primeros datos del magmatismo pérmico medio-superior del SE de la Cordillera Ibérica: caracterización y comparación con magmatismos contemporáneos del Tethys occidental

A multiple basic to intermediate sill is reported for the first time in the south-eastern Iberian Ranges. It is composed of several tabular to irregular levels intercalated within the fluvial sediments of the Alcotas Formation (Middle-Upper Permian). The sill could represent the youngest Paleozoic subvolcanic intrusion in the Iberian Ranges. The igneous rocks are classified as basaltic andesites. They show a subophitic microstructure constituted by plagioclase (An62 – An6), augite (En48Wo44Fs7 –En46Wo39Fs15), pseudomorphosed olivine, minor amounts of oxides (magnetite and ilmenite) and accessory F-apatite. According to the mineralogy and whole-rock composition, their geochemical affinity is transitional from subalkaline to alkaline. Radiometric dating of the sill is not feasible due to its significant alteration. Field criteria, however, suggest an emplacement coeval to the deposition of the Alcotas Formation (Middle-Upper Permian). This hypothesis is supported by the transitional affinity of these rocks, similar to other Middle-Upper Permian magmatisms in the western Tethys, e.g., from the Pyrenees. Taking into account their isotopic signature (εSr: -6.8 to -9.2; εNd: +1.7 to +8.3), an enriched mantle source with the involvement of a HIMU component has been identified. This interpretation is supported by the trace element contents. Some of these HIMU characteristics have been recognised in the Middle-Upper Permian magmatisms of the Central Pyrenees (Anayet Basin) and the High Atlas (Argana Basin). However, none of these source features are shared with other Middle-Upper Permian magmatisms of the western Tethys (Catalonian Coastal Ranges, Corsica-Sardinia and southern France), nor with the Lower Permian magmatism of the Iberian Ranges. These differences support the presence of a heterogeneous mantle in the western Tethys during the Permian.Se describe por primera vez en el sudeste de la Cordillera Ibérica un sill múltiple de carácter básico a intermedio. Está compuesto por varios cuerpos tabulares a irregulares intercalados entre los sedimentos de origen fluvial de la Formación Alcotas (Pérmico Medio-Superior). El sill podría representar la intrusión subvolcánica paleozoica más reciente en la Cordillera Ibérica. Estas rocas subvolcánicas se clasifican como andesitas basálticas. Muestran una textura subofítica constituida por plagioclasa (An62 – An6), augita (En48Wo44Fs7 –En46Wo39Fs15), pseudomorfos de olivino, minerales opacos (magnetita e ilmenita) y F-apatito accesorio. De acuerdo con su composición mineral y de roca total, su afinidad geoquímica es transicional entre subalcalina y alcalina. La datación radiométrica del sill no es posible debido a su elevado grado de alteración. No obstante, los criterios de campo sugieren un emplazamiento contemporáneo con el depósito de la Formación Alcotas (Pérmico Medio-Superior). Esta hipótesis está apoyada por la afinidad transicional de estas rocas, similar a otros episodios magmáticos del Pérmico Medio-Superior en el Tethys occidental, como los que afloran en los Pirineos. Teniendo en cuenta su signatura isotópica (εSr: -6.8 a -9.2; εNd: +1.7 a +8.3), se propone un origen a partir de un manto enriquecido, con la participación de un componente de tipo HIMU. Esta interpretación está apoyada por sus contenidos en elementos traza. Algunas de estas características del protolito han sido reconocidas en los magmatismos del Pérmico Medio-Superior del Pirineo (cuenca del Anayet) y del Alto Atlas (cuenca de Argana), pero no son habituales en otros magmatismos de edad Pérmico Medio-Superior del Tethys occidental (Cadenas Costero Catalanas, Córcega-Cerdeña y Sur de Francia), ni en el magmatismo Pérmico Inferior de la Cordillera Ibérica. Estas diferencias apoyan la presencia de un manto heterogéneo en el Tethys occidental durante el Pérmico