Pleistocene-Holocene P. nigra traces on tufa archives in the Northern Meseta of the Iberian Peninsula

Molds preserved on travertines constitute exceptional species-informative material to reconstruct past vegetation. These are common on the High Ebro region. Here, the fluvial system erosion and karstification of the Mesozoic limestone since the Late Tertiary, origins extensive travertine complexes like the one studied in Tubilla del Agua (Burgos). In this site, three different travertine complexes are observed. The older one is represented by two disconnected edifices incised by the Valoria river. The age of this structure is established between > 300,000 and 240,000 yr BP, as from the U/Th dating on its base and top. The subsequent incision lasted until at least 90,000 yr BP, when another edifice erected upstream on the older one. The second travertine group comprises three platforms aged 60,000 yr BP the lower one, and 18,000 yr BP the middle one. The third travertine group is a lake-barrier complex 12,000 yr BP old, on which Tubilla del Agua was built, and a stratified travertine body that covers the valley bottom 10,000 to 2700 cal yr BP old. Some of the ages of the oldest travertines, and the most modern ones, coincide with the principal travertine formation cycles described by Durán (1996) for Spain. The matrix of precipitated calcium carbonate of all these complexes are rich in plant remain molds (mosses, stems, leaves, cones) of the surrounding flora. Pinus nigra Arnold cone molds have been localized and identified by comparative morphology studies. These remains are of high valuable information about the Pleistocene and Holocene presence of this taxon, in a site where no natural presence can be found today. This work was funded by project CGL2008-06005

Damage and spatiotemporal dynamics of the Ngaio flat mite, Brevipalpus ferraguti (Trombidiformes: Tenuipalpidae), with observations on the development of the female insemination system

[EN] We studied the Ngaio flat mite, Brevipalpus ferraguti Ochoa & Beard, on Myoporum laetum (Scrophulariaceae), a common introduced plant used as hedgerows in gardens and green areas of the Mediterranean, where the mite causes considerable damage. We first describe the damage, and then the patterns of mite seasonal abundance and spatial distribution. Finally, we address the development of the female insemination system at the population level. Damage occurs on both sides of the leaves, starting with a uniform stippling and bronzing and ending in the leaves drying out and extensive defoliation that coincides with summer. Mite population peaked between June and August, maintained moderate levels in autumn and winter and reached its lowest density in early spring. Active motile immatures and eggs were present throughout the year. Females and motile immature forms were more abundant on the abaxial (lower) leaf surface, but eggs were deposited on both surfaces indistinctly, suggesting that females actively move to the adaxial (upper) surface in summer to oviposit. All the developmental stages were aggregated on the leaves throughout the year regardless of their population density. Our study suggests that a binomial or presenceabsence sampling, examining only the number of females on the abaxial surface, can accurately estimate the total mite density levels. Only 23.5% of females possessed a fully developed spermatheca, whereas in 76.5% of the cases the seminal receptacle was not present or not developed. Females with a complete spermatheca were less abundant in summer. Average temperatures and host plant species affected the occurrence of this reproductive structure.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature.Escobar-Garcia, HA.; Ferragut Pérez, FJ. (2022). Damage and spatiotemporal dynamics of the Ngaio flat mite, Brevipalpus ferraguti (Trombidiformes: Tenuipalpidae), with observations on the development of the female insemination system. Experimental and Applied Acarology. 86(1):73-90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-021-00670-y739086

Hybrid Random Forest Survival Model to Predict Customer Membership Dropout

Dropout prediction is a problem that must be addressed in various organizations, as retaining customers is generally more profitable than attracting them. Existing approaches address the problem considering a dependent variable representing dropout or non-dropout, without considering the dynamic perspetive that the dropout risk changes over time. To solve this problem, we explore the use of random survival forests combined with clusters, in order to evaluate whether the prediction performance improves. The model performance was determined using the concordance probability, Brier Score and the error in the prediction considering 5200 customers of a Health Club. Our results show that the prediction performance in the survival models increased substantially in the models using clusters rather than that without clusters, with a statistically significant difference between the models. The model using a hybrid approach improved the accuracy of the survival model, providing support to develop countermeasures considering the period in which dropout is likely to occur.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dropout Prediction: A Systematic Literature Review

Dropout predicting is challenging analysis process which requires appropriate approaches to address the dropout. Existing approaches are applied in different areas such as education, telecommunications, retail, social networks, and banking services. The goal is to identify customers in the risk of dropout to support retention strategies. This research developed a systematic literature review to evaluate the development of existing studies to predict dropout using machine learning, following the guidelines recommended by Kitchenham and Peterson. The systematic review followed three phases planning, conducting, and reporting. The selection of the most relevant articles was based on the use of Active Systematic Review tool using artificial intelligence algorithms. The criteria identified 28 articles and several research lines where identified. Dropout is a transversal problem for several sectors of economic activity, where it can be taken countermeasures before it happens if detected early

Standardization of hake LPUE series of the Galician set-longline fleet in Subarea VII

WGHMM (now WGBIE) identified a problem in the assessment of northern hake in relation to the scarce information on the abundance of large fish. 2004 WKSOUTH tested the inclusion in SS3 of Galician LPUEs from set-longline fleet targeting hake in ICES Subarea VII. This metier catches mainly adults. However, during WGBIE 2014, a serious inconsistency was detected when updating this LPUE time series, related to the assumption of the average fishing days by trip employed along the time series. The current working document provides the revision of this LPUE series by applying the actual number of fishing days by trip recorded in logbooks, which has varied greatly in the final part of the time series. The revised LPUE indices obtained were then tested in the assessment of northern hake stock. The difference in results between the assessments without LLPUE and the assessment which includes the new LPUE series were minor. In the initial part of the time series the LPUE matched the abundance closely but in the last period the increase in the LLPUE was much lower than the increase in the stock abundance

A Role for Pre-mRNA-PROCESSING PROTEIN 40C in the Control of Growth, Development, and Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Because of their sessile nature, plants have adopted varied strategies for growing and reproducing in an ever-changing environment. Control of mRNA levels and pre-mRNA alternative splicing are key regulatory layers that contribute to adjust and synchronize plant growth and development with environmental changes. Transcription and alternative splicing are thought to be tightly linked and coordinated, at least in part, through a network of transcriptional and splicing regulatory factors that interact with the carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II. One of the proteins that has been shown to play such a role in yeast and mammals is pre-mRNA-PROCESSING PROTEIN 40 (PRP40, also known as CA150, or TCERG1). In plants, members of the PRP40 family have been identified and shown to interact with the CTD of RNA Pol II, but their biological functions remain unknown. Here, we studied the role of AtPRP40C, in Arabidopsis thaliana growth, development and stress tolerance, as well as its impact on the global regulation of gene expression programs. We found that the prp40c knockout mutants display a late-flowering phenotype under long day conditions, associated with minor alterations in red light signaling. An RNA-seq based transcriptome analysis revealed differentially expressed genes related to biotic stress responses and also differentially expressed as well as differentially spliced genes associated with abiotic stress responses. Indeed, the characterization of stress responses in prp40c mutants revealed an increased sensitivity to salt stress and an enhanced tolerance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola (Psm) infections. This constitutes the most thorough analysis of the transcriptome of a prp40 mutant in any organism, as well as the first characterization of the molecular and physiological roles of a member of the PRP40 protein family in plants. Our results suggest that PRP40C is an important factor linking the regulation of gene expression programs to the modulation of plant growth, development, and stress responses.Fil: Hernando, Carlos Esteban. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: García Hourquet, Mariano. Fundación Instituto Leloir; ArgentinaFil: de Leone, María José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Careno, Daniel Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Iserte, Javier Alonso. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Mora Garcia, Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Yanovsky, Marcelo Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; Argentin

Dehydration accelerates reductions in cerebral blood flow during prolonged exercise in the heat without compromising brain metabolism

Dehydration hastens the decline in cerebral blood flow (CBF) during incremental exercise, while the cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (CMRO2) is preserved. It remains unknown whether CMRO2 is also maintained during prolonged exercise in the heat and whether an eventual decline in CBF is coupled to fatigue. Two studies were undertaken. In study 1, ten male cyclists cycled in the heat for ~2 h with (control) and without fluid replacement (dehydration) while internal (ICA) and external (ECA) carotid artery blood flow and core and blood temperature were obtained. Arterial and internal jugular venous blood samples were assessed with dehydration to evaluate the CMRO2. In study 2 (8 males), middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCA Vmean) was measured during prolonged exercise to exhaustion in both dehydrated and euhydrated states. After a rise at the onset of exercise, ICA flow declined to baseline with progressive dehydration (P < 0.05). However, cerebral metabolism remained stable through enhanced oxygen and glucose extraction (P < 0.05). ECA flow increased for one hour but declined prior to exhaustion. Fluid ingestion maintained cerebral and extra-cranial perfusion throughout non-fatiguing exercise. During exhaustive exercise, however, euhydration delayed but did not prevent the decline in cerebral perfusion. In conclusion, during prolonged exercise in the heat dehydration accelerates the decline in CBF without affecting CMRO2 and also restricts extra-cranial perfusion. Thus fatigue is related to reduction in CBF and extra-cranial perfusion rather than in CMRO2.The study was supported by a grant from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, PepsiCo Inc, USA

Escrutinio physico-medico-chimico de las aguas dulces del comun uso de los Reales Sitio de San Ildefonso y Balsaín y de las minerales de Alaraz y Muñana ...

Copia digital. Valladolid : Junta de Castilla y León. Consejería de Cultura y Turismo, 2012-2013Sign.: A-D4, E2, 3[calderón]-4[calderón]4, A-V

gLAB hands-on education on satellite navigation

The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) allows computing the Position, Velocity and Time (PVT) of users equipped with appropriate hardware (i.e. an antenna and a receiver) and software. The latter estimates the PVT from the ranging measurements and ephemeris transmitted by the GNSS satellites in frequencies of the L band. The research group of Astronomy and Geomatics (gAGE) at the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC) has been developing the GNSS LABoratory (gLAB) tool suite since 2009, in the context of the European Space Agency (ESA) educational program on satellite navigation (EDUNAV). gLAB is a multi-purpose software capable of determining the PVT in several modes: stand-alone (e.g. as a smartphone or car navigator), differential (e.g. surveying equipment or precise farming), and augmented with integrity (e.g. civil aviation or safety of life applications). gLAB has been designed for two main sets of users and functions. The first one is to educate University students and professionals in the art and science of GNSS data processing. This includes newcomers to the GNSS field that highly appreciate the Graphical User Interface (GUI), the default templates with the necessary configuration or the messages with warnings and errors. The second group of users are those with previous experience on GNSS. Those are interested into a high computation speed, high-accuracy positioning, batch processing and access to the intermediate computation steps. In the present contribution, we present some examples in which gLAB serves as an education platform. The data sets are actual GNSS measurements collected by the publicly available International GNSS Service (IGS), together with other IGS products such as the satellite orbits and clocks broadcast in the navigation message. The proposed methodology and procedures are tailored to understand the effects of different error components in both the Signal in Space (SIS) and the position domain, by activating or deactivating different modeling terms in gLAB. The results illustrate some examples of how the PVT can be enhanced or deteriorated when using different processing strategies or propagation effects present in the GNSS signals traversing the atmosphere, among others. We conclude that gLAB is a useful tool to learn GNSS data processing or to expand any prior knowledg