Assessing changes in epiphytic lichen community after 45 years, a study case in white poplars from northern Iberian Peninsula (Jaca, Aragon)

Epiphytic lichens are used broadly as bioindicators, as they are sessile organisms with slow growth and different species display a wide range of environmental sensitivity. Most studies on epiphytic lichens focus on their use as indicators of the present environmental conditions, but few studies assess the changes that occur over decades. Comparative temporal approaches in lichens are rare, since there are few old datasets and in most cases substrates have disappeared, especially trees. However, in 1973 one of us (X. Llimona) described the lichen community on urban Populus alba in Jaca, and those trees are still alive. Our aim was to study the epiphytic lichen community in 2018 and compare it with the study of 1973. Species richness decreased during these 45 years. While only 36% of species found in 1973 persisted until 2018, these species remaining were observed at a high frequency in the 2018 sampling. Lichens communities from both years were similar on its tolerance to environmental variables, and the locality and their surroundings had the same land use in both years. Thus, the changes in lichen composition between both samplings might be explained by autogenic succession or limitation on dispersion rather than habitat filtering. Our data suggests that, under stable environments, lichen community assembly over decades depends on other traits such as competition rather than lichen sensitivity

Essential thrombocythaemia in a child of three years

AbstractEssential thrombocythaemia is a rare pathology in adults and extremely rare in children, making it a diagnostic challenge for paediatricians. The challenge is greater when patients are asymptomatic, despite an incidental discovery of thrombocytosis.We report the case of extreme thrombocytosis found in an asymptomatic child of 3 years with no personal history or familial history. Study protocol started by ruling out laboratory errors, infectious disease, haemolytic anaemia, iron deficiency anaemia and autoimmune diseases. Bone marrow sample confirmed elevated megakaryocyte production, with other cell lines within normal ranges. Genetic analysis (including JAK2 mutation) was also negative, leading to a differential diagnosis of essential thrombocythaemia. Hydroxyurea (10mg/kg) and aspirin (5mg/kg) were prescribed. A moderate reduction in platelet count was achieved after 4 weeks of treatment

The role of regions in global value chains: an analysis for the European Union

While considerable attention has been directed to the national-level impacts of global value chains, far less attention has been focused on the way in which global production fragmentation has affected regional economies. Using some measures derived from a multiregional, multisectoral input–output model, this paper analyzes the position and share of EU regions in Global Value Chains (GVC). The spatial determinants of these two dimensions are explored using spatial econometric methods to capture the influence of neighboring regions on these outcomes. Empirically, the focus is on a set of NUTS2 European regions for the most recent year (2010) of the EUREGIO database. Our results confirm the hypothesis of spatial dependence between regions conditioning the engagement and position GVCs, suggesting that global production processes are influenced by regional and local factors. In particular, spatial spillover effects play a significant role conditioned by both geographical proximity and similarity of production structures. The results show that sharing certain characteristics, some of them associated to their degree of proximity and the neighbouring situation of regions condition their specialization, participation and positioning in GVC, generating some important insights informative for the formulation of regional development policies

Catalogue of lichens (and some related fungi) of Navarino Island, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile

The Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile, has been identified as a hotspot of bryophyte diversity and it has been suggested to be the same for lichens. However, in contrast to the extensive bryophyte studies, only preliminary lichen inventories had been conducted in this reserve. We conducted the first intensive study on the diversity of lichens on Navarino Island during the southern summers of 2005 and 2008. We explored the main habitat types of the island, including coastal areas, evergreen and deciduous forests, Magellanic tundra, and high Andean ('alpine') habitats on the mountain summits. The following substrates on which lichens grow were considered: bark, wood (incl. logs, stumps), soil, mosses, and rocks. We recorded a total of 416 taxa, although some of them not identified to species level. A main result is the finding of two species that are proposed as new: The lichen Candelariella magellanica, and the saprobic fungus Sclerococcum nothofagi that grows on the bark of trees of the genus Nothofagus. In addition, one species of lichenicolous fungus is recorded for the first time on Navarino Island: Tremella haematommatis. These results provide additional evidence about the great diversity of lichens that are conserved in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve

Europeanization vs. Globalization? A deeper look into income and employment embodied in intra-European trade

Production processes are nowadays increasingly global, implying interdependent structures linking goods, processes and countries. Traditional economic blocks and sectoral intra-country linkages coexist with increasing worldwide dependencies. Recent literature supports the hypothesis of a new globalization process taking place in the late 1990s and the 21st century, centred on the consolidation of increasingly competitive macro-regions at a global level, with a growing specialization of countries within them. We propose a multiregional input-output (MRIO) model of the European Union (EU) to analyse whether the generation of employment and income in Europe in recent decades can be defined as a process that is mainly regional or global (involving countries within the region versus countries outside Europe). Our results show that intra-EU trade is an important factor contributing to income and employment growth, more oriented to intermediate inputs, in the same way as extra-EU trade, despite the fact that some European countries are more specialized in final goods, mainly driven by high-income EU countries. Los procesos de producción son hoy en día cada vez más globales, lo que implica estructuras interdependientes que vinculan bienes, procesos y países. Los bloques económicos tradicionales y los vínculos sectoriales dentro del país coexisten con dependencias mundiales crecientes. La literatura reciente respalda la hipótesis de un nuevo proceso de globalización que tuvo lugar a fines de los años 90 y el siglo XXI, centrado en la consolidación de macro-regiones cada vez más competitivas a nivel global, con una creciente especialización de los países dentro de ellas. Proponemos un modelo multirregional input-output (MRIO) de la Unión Europea (UE) para analizar si la generación de empleo e ingresos en Europa en las últimas décadas se puede definir como un proceso que es principalmente regional o global. Nuestros resultados muestran que el comercio intracomunitario es un factor importante que contribuye al crecimiento de los ingresos y el empleo, más orientado a los inputs intermedios, de la misma manera que el comercio extracomunitario, a pesar del hecho de que algunos países europeos están más especializados en productos finales, principalmente demandados por países de altos ingresos de la UE

X-chromosomal haplotype frequencies of four linkage groups in a population of Argentina

DNA samples of hundred ten unrelated anonymized male individuals living in province of Entre Rios, Argentina, were genotyped using Investigador Argus X-12 system (Qiagen) for 12 STRs in four haplogroups. The frequency of most common haplotype was 0.02727, 0.06364, 0.03636, and 0.03636 for haplogroups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The Match Probability was 6.0E-08 and the mean exclusion chance was 0.999999936. This work presents the first haplotype frequency data for Investigator Argus X-12 system in a population of Argentina

Methodological advances in imaging intravital axonal transport.

Axonal transport is the active process whereby neurons transport cargoes such as organelles and proteins anterogradely from the cell body to the axon terminal and retrogradely in the opposite direction. Bi-directional transport in axons is absolutely essential for the functioning and survival of neurons and appears to be negatively impacted by both aging and diseases of the nervous system, such as Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The movement of individual cargoes along axons has been studied in vitro in live neurons and tissue explants for a number of years; however, it is currently unclear as to whether these systems faithfully and consistently replicate the in vivo situation. A number of intravital techniques originally developed for studying diverse biological events have recently been adapted to monitor axonal transport in real-time in a range of live organisms and are providing novel insight into this dynamic process. Here, we highlight these methodological advances in intravital imaging of axonal transport, outlining key strengths and limitations while discussing findings, possible improvements, and outstanding questions

Updated European Consensus Statement on diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD

Background Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is among the most common psychiatric disorders of childhood that often persists into adulthood and old age. Yet ADHD is currently underdiagnosed and undertreated in many European countries, leading to chronicity of symptoms and impairment, due to lack of, or ineffective treatment, and higher costs of illness. Methods The European Network Adult ADHD and the Section for Neurodevelopmental Disorders Across the Lifespan (NDAL) of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA), aim to increase awareness and knowledge of adult ADHD in and outside Europe. This Updated European Consensus Statement aims to support clinicians with research evidence and clinical experience from 63 experts of European and other countries in which ADHD in adults is recognized and treated. Results Besides reviewing the latest research on prevalence, persistence, genetics and neurobiology of ADHD, three major questions are addressed: (1) What is the clinical picture of ADHD in adults? (2) How should ADHD be properly diagnosed in adults? (3) How should adult ADHDbe effectively treated? Conclusions ADHD often presents as a lifelong impairing condition. The stigma surrounding ADHD, mainly due to lack of knowledge, increases the suffering of patients. Education on the lifespan perspective, diagnostic assessment, and treatment of ADHD must increase for students of general and mental health, and for psychiatry professionals. Instruments for screening and diagnosis of ADHD in adults are available, as are effective evidence-based treatments for ADHD and its negative outcomes. More research is needed on gender differences, and in older adults with ADHD. (c) 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.Peer reviewe

Integrable microwave filter based on a photonic crystal delay line

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