Reuse of nesting scrapes by Kentish Plovers

We studied reuse of nesting scrapes within breeding seasons by Kentish Plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus) in an inland lake of southern Spain over six years. Overall, 5.6% of original nests were reused at least once. We tested whether nest reuse is adaptive, but found no differences in breeding success between those pairs that reused nests and those that did not. We also tested whether nest reuse should be more frequent when scrapes are difficult to excavate than when it is easier to excavate them, and found that nests on hard substrates were more frequently reused than nests on soft substrates, and that nest reuse was more frequent in the second half of the season, when the nesting substrate is harder, than in the first half of the season. This suggests that nest reuse may save Kentish Plovers some energy.Peer Reviewe

Brood desertion by female shorebirds: A test of the differential parental capacity hypothesis on Kentish plovers

The aim of this study was to examine whether the energetic costs of reproduction explain offspring desertion by female shorebirds, as is suggested by the differential parental capacity hypothesis. A prediction of the hypothesis is that, in species with biparental incubation in which females desert from brood care after hatching, the body condition of females should decline after laying to a point at which their body reserves are too low for continuing parental care. We tested this prediction on Kentish plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus) in which both sexes incubate but the females desert from brood care before the chicks fledge. We found no changes in either the body masses or body compositions of both individual male and female plovers from early incubation and throughout early chick rearing. Furthermore, the timing of brood desertion by females was not affected by their body condition. Neither did we find gender differences in the energetic costs of incubation. There were no differences in the timing of brood desertion between experimental and control females in an experiment in which we lengthened or shortened the duration of incubation by one week. These results indicate that energetic costs do not explain offspring desertion by female Kentish plovers and that the needs of chicks for parental care rather than cumulative investment by females is what determines the timing of brood desertion.Peer Reviewe

Técnicas de detención del Sars Cov 2

Biomarkers are biological molecules widely used to determine disease stages. Clinical diagnostic tests in the SARS-CoV-2 infection, both  direct  and indirect,  rely  on biomarkers. Direct  biomarkers are  based  on  the identification of viral genome sequences, such as RT-qPCR diagnostics, those based on CRISPR-Cas9 systems, or direct sequencing  of  the  viral  genome  by  nanopores  (LampPORE).  Indirect  tests  are  based on the identification of biomarkers in response  to the disease, such as serological  tests, where  IgM and      IgG are identified. Ongoing, new test based on biosensors, differences in the metabolic status of the tissue, computer-assisted study of radiological images, or salivary sampling, become a new paradigm. Having faster diagnostic tests will enable to trace the evolution of the disease in the population, so its use is essential.Los biomarcadores son moléculas biológicas ampliamente utilizadas para determinar el estado de una enfermedad y están siendo la base de las pruebas de diagnóstico clínico, tanto directas como indirectas, de la infección por SARS-CoV-2. Los biomarcadores directos se basan en la identificación de secuencias del genoma del virus, como los diagnósticos por RT-qPCR, por CRISPR-Cas9, o por secuenciación directa del genoma del virus en nanoporos (LampPORE). Las determinaciones indirectas se basan en la identificación de biomarcadores en respuesta a la enfermedad, como las pruebas serológicas, donde se identifican las IgM e IgG. Un nuevo paradigma de detección aparece con el desarrollo de nuevas pruebas basadas en biosensores, en las diferencias en el estado metabólico del tejido, en el estudio de imágenes radiológicas asistido por ordenador, o incluso en tomar muestras de saliva. Tener pruebas de diagnóstico más rápi- das permitirá dibujar un mapa de la evolución de la enfermedad en la población, por lo que su uso es esencial

Optimized design of local shielding for the IFMIF/EVEDA beam dump

This paper describes the local shielding design process of the IFMIF/EVEDA Beam Dump and the most relevant results obtained from the simulations. Different geometries and materials have been considered, and the design has been optimized taking into account the origin of the doses, the effect of the walls of the accelerator vault and the space restrictions. The initial idea was to shield the beam stopper with a large water tank of easy transport and dismantling but it was shown to be insufficient to satisfy the dose limit requirements, basically due to photon dose, and hence a denser shield combining hydrogenous and heavy materials was preferred. It will be shown that, with this new shielding, dose rate outside the accelerator vault during operation comply with the legal limits and unrestricted maintenance operations inside most of the vault are possible after a reasonable cooling time after shutdown

Genómica del cáncer de pulmón

In simplified terms, cancer consists of an uncontrolled proliferation of cells because proliferative signals are maintained and antiproliferative ones, such as cell death and immune response, are evaded. These cells also have angiogenic and metastatic capabilities, which confer the characteristic malignancy to cancer. When uncontrolled growth occurs in some type of cell in the respiratory system, we have lung cancer, which is considered a malignant tumor that invades neighboring structures and forms metastases in other tissues by spreading through the blood or lymph. In turn, the lung is a destination for metastases from other cancers unrelated to the respiratory systemDe forma simplificada, un cáncer consiste en una proliferación incontrolada de células debido a que se mantienen las señales proliferativas y se eluden las antiproliferativas, como la muerte celular y la respuesta inmunitaria. Éstas células también tienen capacidad angiogénica y metastásica, y son las que confieren al cáncer su malignidad característica. Cuando elcrecimiento incontrolado se produce en algún tipo de célula del aparato respiratorio, tenemos un cáncer de pulmón, que se considera un tumor maligno que invade las estructuras vecinas y forma metástasis en otros tejidos al diseminarse por la sangre o la linfa. A su vez, el pulmón es destino de metástasis de otros cánceres ajenos al aparato respiratorio

An EMMPRIN-γ-catenin-Nm23 complex drives ATP production and actomyosin contractility at endothelial junctions

Cell-cell adhesions are important sites through which cells experience and resist forces. In endothelial cells, these forces regulate junction dynamics and determine endothelial barrier strength. We identify the Ig superfamily member EMMPRIN (also known as basigin) as a coordinator of forces at endothelial junctions. EMMPRIN localization at junctions correlates with endothelial junction strength in different mouse vascular beds. Accordingly, EMMPRIN-deficient mice show altered junctions and increased junction permeability. Lack of EMMPRIN alters the localization and function of VE-cadherin (also known as cadherin-5) by decreasing both actomyosin contractility and tugging forces at endothelial cell junctions. EMMPRIN ensures proper actomyosin-driven maturation of competent endothelial junctions by forming a molecular complex with \u3b3-catenin (also known as junction plakoglobin) and Nm23 (also known as NME1), a nucleoside diphosphate kinase, thereby locally providing ATP to fuel the actomyosin machinery. These results provide a novel mechanism for the regulation of actomyosin contractility at endothelial junctions and might have broader implications in biological contexts such as angiogenesis, collective migration and tissue morphogenesis by coupling compartmentalized energy production to junction assembly

Negative Impacts of Human Land Use on Dung Beetle Functional Diversity

The loss of biodiversity caused by human activity is assumed to alter ecosystem functioning. However our understanding of the magnitude of the effect of these changes on functional diversity and their impact on the dynamics of ecological processes is still limited. We analyzed the functional diversity of copro-necrophagous beetles under different conditions of land use in three Mexican biosphere reserves. In Montes Azules pastures, forest fragments and continuous rainforest were analyzed, in Los Tuxtlas rainforest fragments of different sizes were analyzed and in Barranca de Metztitlán two types of xerophile scrub with different degrees of disturbance from grazing were analyzed. We assigned dung beetle species to functional groups based on food relocation, beetle size, daily activity period and food preferences, and as measures of functional diversity we used estimates based on multivariate methods. In Montes Azules functional richness was lower in the pastures than in continuous rainforest and rainforest fragments, but fragments and continuous forest include functionally redundant species. In small rainforest fragments (<5 ha) in Los Tuxtlas, dung beetle functional richness was lower than in large rainforest fragments (>20 ha). Functional evenness and functional dispersion did not vary among habitat types or fragment size in these reserves. In contrast, in Metztitlán, functional richness and functional dispersion were different among the vegetation types, but differences were not related to the degree of disturbance by grazing. More redundant species were found in submontane than in crassicaule scrub. For the first time, a decrease in the functional diversity in communities of copro-necrophagous beetles resulting from changes in land use is documented, the potential implications for ecosystem functioning are discussed and a series of variables that could improve the evaluation of functional diversity for this biological group is proposed

Historical Biogeography and Diversification of Truffles in the Tuberaceae and Their Newly Identified Southern Hemisphere Sister Lineage

Truffles have evolved from epigeous (aboveground) ancestors in nearly every major lineage of fleshy fungi. Because accelerated rates of morphological evolution accompany the transition to the truffle form, closely related epigeous ancestors remain unknown for most truffle lineages. This is the case for the quintessential truffle genus Tuber, which includes species with socio-economic importance and esteemed culinary attributes. Ecologically, Tuber spp. form obligate mycorrhizal symbioses with diverse species of plant hosts including pines, oaks, poplars, orchids, and commercially important trees such as hazelnut and pecan. Unfortunately, limited geographic sampling and inconclusive phylogenetic relationships have obscured our understanding of their origin, biogeography, and diversification. To address this problem, we present a global sampling of Tuberaceae based on DNA sequence data from four loci for phylogenetic inference and molecular dating. Our well-resolved Tuberaceae phylogeny shows high levels of regional and continental endemism. We also identify a previously unknown epigeous member of the Tuberaceae - the South American cup-fungus Nothojafnea thaxteri (E.K. Cash) Gamundi. Phylogenetic resolution was further improved through the inclusion of a previously unrecognized Southern hemisphere sister group of the Tuberaceae. This morphologically diverse assemblage of species includes truffle (e.g. Gymnohydnotrya spp.) and non-truffle forms that are endemic to Australia and South America. Southern hemisphere taxa appear to have diverged more recently than the Northern hemisphere lineages. Our analysis of the Tuberaceae suggests that Tuber evolved from an epigeous ancestor. Molecular dating estimates Tuberaceae divergence in the late Jurassic (~156 million years ago), with subsequent radiations in the Cretaceous and Paleogene. Intra-continental diversification, limited long-distance dispersal, and ecological adaptations help to explain patterns of truffle evolution and biodiversity