Problemática de la peste porcina africana en Europa. Alternativas futuras

African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most important infectious diseases of swine. It is a complex disease caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV), the only member of the Asfarviridae family, without available vaccine or effective treatment. The latest introduction of ASFV in Europe was in 2007 through Georgia and rapidly spreading to Eastern European countries. The first cases of ASF in the European Union (EU) were reported in 2014, producing 2346 outbreaks so far. It currently represents a huge threat to the EU pig production since the EU is the second largest pig producer and the largest exporter in the world.La peste porcina africana (PPA) es una de las enfermedades infecciosas más importantes en la especie porcina. Se trata de una enfermedad compleja producida por el virus de la peste porcina africana (VPPA) para la que no se dispone de vacuna ni tratamiento efectivo. La última introducción del VPPA en Europa tuvo lugar en 2007 a través de Georgia, expandiéndose rápidamente por los países de Europa del Este. En 2014 se dieron los primeros casos de PPA en la Unión Europea (UE), produciéndose 2.346 brotes hasta el momento. Teniendo en cuenta que la UE es el segundo productor de carne de porcino y la principal exportadora del planeta, en la actualidad, la PPA representa una amenaza para la producción porcina europea

Co-application of activated carbon and compost to contaminated soils: toxic elements mobility and PAH degradation and availability

This work assesses the suitability of three commercial activated carbons (ACs) and their combination with olive mill waste compost (AC + C) as amendments for the remediation of two different contaminated soils. The treatments were applied to a mining soil, and their ability to immobilize trace elements was evaluated. Besides, the efficiency of the amendments to degrade and reduce the availability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated in a soil from a wood creosote treatment plant. To this aim, trace elements mobility and PAH degradation and availability were evaluated. Ecotoxicological assays were performed to assess potential toxicity risks in the untreated and the amended soils. In the mining soil, the ACs were able to immobilize metals and As, but the AC + C treatments were more effective than AC. In the PAH-polluted soil, AC treatments promoted the degradation of high molecular weight PAH, but the AC + C amendments further enhanced the degradation of total PAH and reduced the availability of those with 3-rings. The ecotoxicological tests demonstrated an improvement of soil quality when AC and compost were applied together. In conclusion, the co-application of AC and compost reduces the mobility of potentially toxic elements in the polluted mine soil and enhances PAH degradation and reduces PAH availability in the creosote-contaminated soilThis work was fnancially supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain, projects CTM2013-47874-C2-R and CTM2013-48697-C2-

An optical surface resonance may render photonic crystals ineffective

In this work we identify and study the presence of extremely intense surface resonances that frustrate the coupling of photons into a photonic crystal over crucial energy ranges. The practical utility of photonic crystals demands the capability to exchange photons with the external medium, therefore, it is essential to understand the cause of these surface resonances and a route to their elimination. We demonstrate that by modifying the surface geometry it is possible to tune the optical response or eliminate the resonances to enable full exploitation of the photonic crystal.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figures, submitted to PR

Physiological Responses of Species to Microclimate Help explain Population Dynamics along Succession in a Tropical Dry Forest of Yucatan, Mexico

We investigated relationships between population dynamics and microclimate, physiology, and the degree of mycorrhizal colonization, for three species (Piscidia piscipula L.(Sarg.)) (Fabaceae), Bunchosia swartzianaGriseb. (Malpighiaceae) and Psidium sartorianum (Bergius) Nied. (Myrtaceae)) of a tropical sub deciduous forest in Yucatan, Mexico that were growing in plots of different successional ages. We hypothesized that abundance and persistence were related to increased plasticity in CO2assimilation. We found that Piscidia piscipula had greater abundance in intermediate plots (18 to 21 years), presented higher levels of plasticity in CO2 assimilation (greater variability among individuals, plots, and seasons), presented the highest CO2 assimilation rates, and presented greater drought resistance (higher water potentials and capacitance). Conversely, Psidium sartorianum had greater abundance in older plots (more than 50 years of secondary succession), lower assimilation rates, and low levels of plasticity in CO2 assimilation. Bunchosia had intermediate values. Locally, the degree of mycorrhizal colonization was consistent with abundance across plots. Regionally (but not locally), plasticity in CO2 assimilation was consistent with abundance. We found differences in microclimates among plots and within plots among species. Physiological adjustments appeared to play an important role in the capacity to regenerate and in the successional persistence of these species in this tropical dry forest

The Debye length and anionic transport properties on composite membranes based on supported Ionic Liquid-Like Phases (SILLPS)

[EN] An analysis of the ionic transport properties of BMIM [NTf2] in supported ionic-liquid-like phase (SILLP)-based membranes has been carried out based on experimental impedance spectroscopy measurements. The direct current (dc)-conductivity was analyzed to determine the temperature and frequency dependence. The fit of the loss tangent curve data with the Cole-Cole approximation of the electrode polarization model provides the conductivity, diffusivity, and density of charge carriers. Among these quantities, a significant increase in conductivity is observed when an ionic liquid is added to the polymeric matrix containing imidazolium fragments. The use of a recent generalization of Eyring's absolute rate theory allowed the elucidation of how the local entropy restrictions, due to the porosity of the polymeric matrix, control the conductive process. The fit of the conductivity data as a function of temperature manifests the behavior of the excess entropy with respect to the temperature. The activation entropy and enthalpy were also determined. Our results correlate the Debye length (L-D) with the experimental values of conductivity, electrode polarization relaxation time, and sample relaxation time involved. Our work provides novel insights into the description of ionic transport in membranes as the diffusivity, mobility, and free charge density depend on the L-D. Moreover, we discuss the behavior of the polarization relaxation time, the sample relaxation time, and the static permittivity as a function of the temperature.V. Compan is grateful to Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO), project reference: ENE/2015-69203-R. ISH acknowledges financial support by UNAM-DGAPA under grant IN117419. SIH and CGA are grateful to projects UNAM-DGAPA-PAPIIT IN114721, LANCAD-UNAM-DGTIC-276 and LANCAD-UNAM-DGTIC-385. ISH and JAPR are grateful to project UNAM-DGAPA-PAPIIT IN117419. BA and SVL are grateful to MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and ERDF A way of making Europe, grant numbers PDI2021-124695OB-C22 and RTI2018-098233-B-C22; Pla de Promocio de la Investigacio de la Universitat Jaume I, grant number UJI-B2021-31 and Conselleria de Innovacio, Universitat i Ciencia, grant number AICO/2021/139.Hernández, SI.; Altava, B.; Portillo-Rodríguez, JA.; Santamaría-Holek, I.; García-Alcántara, C.; Luis, SV.; Compañ Moreno, V. (2022). The Debye length and anionic transport properties on composite membranes based on supported Ionic Liquid-Like Phases (SILLPS). Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 24(48):29731-29746. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2cp01519f2973129746244

Age estimation obtained from analysis of octopus (Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797) beaks: Improvements and comparisons

Two methods are currently available for age estimation in octopus beaks. They have been applied to the same specimen from a sample of 30 individuals of Octopus vulgaris caught in central-eastern Atlantic waters. These techniques aim at revealing growth increments in the rostrum sagittal sections (RSS) and lateral wall surfaces (LWS) of octopus upper and lower beaks. Both methods were improved to reduce the time of sample preparation and to enhance the appearance of the increments. For each individual, two independent readings were done for upper and lower beak sections, as well as for the lateral wall surfaces. Vertical reflected light (epifluorescence) and image analysis system were shown to be useful in the observation and analysis of the sequence of increments. Precision of the ageing, increment counts obtained by both techniques, and increment widths were discussed. Using upper beak RSS led to more precise age estimates, whereas preparing LWS was quicker and simpler, and revealed a higher number of increments. Therefore, our study recommends counting growth increments in LWS of beaks to age adult common octopus

Brote nosocomial de COVID-19 en una planta de medicina interna: probable transmisión aérea

Transmissió aèria; Brot; COVID-19Transmisión aérea; Brote; COVID-19Airborne transmission; Outbreak; COVID-19Background and objectives: Despite the increasing evidence supporting the importance of airborne transmission in SARS-CoV-2 infection, it has not been considered relevant in the vast majority of reported nosocomial outbreaks of COVID-19. The aim of this study is to describe a nosocomial outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection whose features suggest that aerosol transmission had an important role. Methods: This is a descriptive analysis of a nosocomial outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection in an internal medicine ward that occurred in December 2020. All cases were confirmed by a positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2. Results: From December 5 to December 17, 21 patients and 44 healthcare workers (HCWs) developed a nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infection. Fifty-one of the 65 cases (78.5%) were diagnosed between December 6 and 9. The attack rate in patients was 80.8%. Among HCWs, the attack rate was higher in those who had worked at least one full working day in the ward (56.3%) than in those who had occasionally been in the ward (25.8%; p = 0.005). Three days before the first positive case was detected, two extractor fans were found to be defective, affecting the ventilation of three rooms. Sixteen cases were asymptomatic, 48 cases had non-severe symptoms, and 2 cases required admission to the intensive care unit. All patients eventually recovered. Conclusion: The high attack rate, the explosive nature of the outbreak, and the coincidence in time with the breakdown in air extractors in some rooms of the ward suggest that airborne transmission played a key role in the development of the outbreak.Antecedentes y objetivos A pesar de los datos cada vez mayores que respaldan la importancia de la transmisión aérea en la infección por el SARS-CoV-2, en la inmensa mayoría de los brotes nosocomiales descritos de COVID-19 no se ha considerado relevante. El objetivo de este estudio consiste en describir un brote nosocomial de infección por el SARS-CoV-2 cuyas características indican que la transmisión por aerosoles desempeñó un papel importante. Métodos Se trata de un análisis descriptivo de un brote nosocomial de infección por el SARS-CoV-2 en una planta de Medicina Interna que tuvo lugar en diciembre de 2020. Todos los casos se confirmaron mediante una PCR positiva para SARS-CoV-2. Resultados Entre el 5 y el 17 de diciembre, 21 pacientes y 44 profesionales sanitarios contrajeron una infección nosocomial por el SARS-CoV-2. De los 65 casos, 51 (78,5%) se diagnosticaron entre el 6 y el 9 de diciembre. La tasa de ataque en los pacientes fue del 80,8%. Entre los profesionales sanitarios, la tasa de ataque fue mayor en los que habían trabajado al menos una jornada laboral completa en la planta (56,3%) que en los que habían estado ocasionalmente en ella (25,8%; p = 0,005). Tres días antes de detectar el primer caso positivo se identificó una avería en dos extractores de aire, que afectó a la ventilación de tres habitaciones. Dieciséis casos cursaron de forma asintomática, 48 manifestaron síntomas leves y 2 precisaron ingreso en la unidad de cuidados intensivos. Todos los casos se recuperaron finalmente. Conclusiones La elevada tasa de ataque, la naturaleza explosiva del brote y la coincidencia en el tiempo con la avería de los extractores de aire en algunas habitaciones de la planta indican que la transmisión aérea desempeñó un papel fundamental en el desarrollo del brote

High-pressure study of the behavior of mineral barite by X-ray diffraction

In this paper, we report the angle-dispersive x-ray diffraction data of barite, BaSO 4, measured in a diamond-anvil cell up to a pressure of 48 GPa, using three different fluid pressure-transmitting media (methanol-ethanol mixture, silicone oil, and He). Our results show that BaSO 4 exhibits a phase transition at pressures that range from 15 to 27 GPa, depending on the pressure media used. This indicates that nonhydrostatic stresses have a crucial role in the high-pressure behavior of this compound. The new high-pressure (HP) phase has been solved and refined from powder data, having an orthorhombic P2 12 12 1 structure. The pressure dependence of the structural parameters of both room- and HP phases of BaSO 4 is also discussed in light of our theoretical first-principles total-energy calculations. Finally, a comparison between the different equations of state obtained in our experiments is reported. © 2011 American Physical Society.Financial support from the Spanish Consolider Ingenio 2010 Program (Project No. CDS2007-00045) is acknowledged. The work was also supported by Spanish MICCIN under Projects No. CTQ2009-14596-C02-01 and No. MAT2010-21270-C04-01 as well as from Comunidad de Madrid and European Social Fund: S2009/PPQ-1551 4161893 (QUIMAPRES). The ESRF is acknowledged for provision of beamtime.Santamaría-Pérez, D.; Gracia, L.; Garbarino, G.; Beltrán, A.; Chuliá-Jordán, R.; Gomis Hilario, O.; Errandonea, D.... (2011). High-pressure study of the behavior of mineral barite by X-ray diffraction. Physical Review B. 84:54102-1-54102-8. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.84.054102S54102-154102-884RUBIN, A. E. (1997). Mineralogy of meteorite groups. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 32(2), 231-247. doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01262.xVegas, A. (2000). Cations in Inorganic Solids. Crystallography Reviews, 7(3), 189-283. doi:10.1080/08893110008044245Santamaría-Pérez, D., & Vegas, A. (2003). The Zintl–Klemm concept applied to cations in oxides. I. The structures of ternary aluminates. Acta Crystallographica Section B Structural Science, 59(3), 305-323. doi:10.1107/s0108768103005615Vegas, A., & Jansen, M. (2001). Structural relationships between cations and alloys; an equivalence between oxidation and pressure. Acta Crystallographica Section B Structural Science, 58(1), 38-51. doi:10.1107/s0108768101019310Lee, P.-L., Huang, E., & Yu, S.-C. (2001). Phase diagram and equations of state of BaSO4. High Pressure Research, 21(2), 67-77. doi:10.1080/08957950108201005Lee, P.-L., Huang, E., & Yu, S.-C. (2003). High-pressure Raman and X-ray studies of barite, BaSO4. High Pressure Research, 23(4), 439-450. doi:10.1080/0895795031000115439Crichton, W. A., Merlini, M., Hanfland, M., & Muller, H. (2011). The crystal structure of barite, BaSO4, at high pressure. American Mineralogist, 96(2-3), 364-367. doi:10.2138/am.2011.3656Errandonea, D., Santamaria-Perez, D., Bondarenko, T., & Khyzhun, O. (2010). New high-pressure phase of HfTiO4 and ZrTiO4 ceramics. Materials Research Bulletin, 45(11), 1732-1735. doi:10.1016/j.materresbull.2010.06.061López-Solano, J., Rodríguez-Hernández, P., Muñoz, A., Gomis, O., Santamaría-Perez, D., Errandonea, D., … Raptis, C. (2010). Theoretical and experimental study of the structural stability ofTbPO4at high pressures. Physical Review B, 81(14). doi:10.1103/physrevb.81.144126Hammersley, A. P., Svensson, S. O., Hanfland, M., Fitch, A. N., & Hausermann, D. (1996). Two-dimensional detector software: From real detector to idealised image or two-theta scan. High Pressure Research, 14(4-6), 235-248. doi:10.1080/08957959608201408Mao, H. K., Xu, J., & Bell, P. M. (1986). Calibration of the ruby pressure gauge to 800 kbar under quasi-hydrostatic conditions. 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Characterization of theTiSiO4structure and its pressure-induced phase transformations: Density functional theory study. Physical Review B, 80(9). doi:10.1103/physrevb.80.094105Blanco, M. A., Francisco, E., & Luaña, V. (2004). GIBBS: isothermal-isobaric thermodynamics of solids from energy curves using a quasi-harmonic Debye model. Computer Physics Communications, 158(1), 57-72. doi:10.1016/j.comphy.2003.12.001Errandonea, D., Santamaría-Perez, D., Vegas, A., Nuss, J., Jansen, M., Rodríguez-Hernandez, P., & Muñoz, A. (2008). Structural stability ofFe5Si3andNi2Sistudied by high-pressure x-ray diffraction andab initiototal-energy calculations. Physical Review B, 77(9). doi:10.1103/physrevb.77.094113Santamarı́a-Pérez, D., Nuss, J., Haines, J., Jansen, M., & Vegas, A. (2004). Iron silicides and their corresponding oxides: a high-pressure study of Fe5Si3. Solid State Sciences, 6(7), 673-678. doi:10.1016/j.solidstatesciences.2004.03.027Errandonea, D., Meng, Y., Somayazulu, M., & Häusermann, D. (2005). Pressure-induced transition in titanium metal: a systematic study of the effects of uniaxial stress. Physica B: Condensed Matter, 355(1-4), 116-125. doi:10.1016/j.physb.2004.10.030Klotz, S., Paumier, L., Le March, G., & Munsch, P. (2009). The effect of temperature on the hydrostatic limit of 4:1 methanol–ethanol under pressure. High Pressure Research, 29(4), 649-652. doi:10.1080/08957950903418194Errandonea, D., & Manjón, F. J. (2008). Pressure effects on the structural and electronic properties of ABX4 scintillating crystals. Progress in Materials Science, 53(4), 711-773. doi:10.1016/j.pmatsci.2008.02.001Lacomba-Perales, R., Errandonea, D., Meng, Y., & Bettinelli, M. (2010). High-pressure stability and compressibility ofAPO4(A=La, Nd, Eu, Gd, Er, and Y) orthophosphates: An x-ray diffraction study using synchrotron radiation. 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Ferroelectric substrate effects on the magnetism, magnetotransport, and electroresistance of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 thin films on BaTiO3

La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 optimally doped epitaxial films were grown on ferroelectric BaTiO3 substrates. Electronic transport (magnetoresistance and electroresistance) and magnetic properties showed important anomalies in the temperature interval between 60 and 150 K, below the metal-insulator transition. Scanning probe microscopy revealed changes in BaTiO3 surface morphology at those temperatures. La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 thickness is a critical factor: 120-angstrom -thick films showed large anomalies sensitive to electric poling of the BaTiO3, whereas the behavior of 150-angstrom -thick films is closer to that of the reference La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 samples grown on SrTiO3. We propose that, through inhomogenous strain and electric polarization effects, the ferroelectric substrate induces an inhomogenous spin distribution in the magnetic layer. This would imply the coexistence of in-plane and out-of-plane ferromagnetic patches in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3, possibly interspersed with antiferromagnetic regions, as it has recently been theoretically predicted. Substrate poling effects are investigated, and a magnetoelectric coupling is demonstrated

Comparative assessment of satellite- and drone-based vegetation indices to predict arthropod biomass in shrub-steppes

Arthropod biomass is a key element in ecosystem functionality and a basic food item for many species. It must be estimated through traditional costly field sampling, normally at just a few sampling points. Arthropod biomass and plant productivity should be narrowly related because a large majority of arthropods are herbivorous, and others depend on these. Quantifying plant productivity with satellite or aerial vehicle imagery is an easy and fast procedure already tested and implemented in agriculture and field ecology. However, the capability of satellite or aerial vehicle imagery for quantifying arthropod biomass and its relationship with plant productivity has been scarcely addressed. Here, we used unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and satellite Sentinel-2 (S2) imagery to establish a relationship between plant productivity and arthropod biomass estimated through ground-truth field sampling in shrub steppes. We UAV-sampled seven plots of 47.6–72.3 ha at a 4-cm pixel resolution, subsequently downscaling spatial resolution to 50 cm resolution. In parallel, we used S2 imagery from the same and other dates and locations at 10-m spatial resolution. We related several vegetation indices (VIs) with arthropod biomass (epigeous, coprophagous, and four functional consumer groups: predatory, detritivore, phytophagous, and diverse) estimated at 41–48 sampling stations for UAV flying plots and in 67–79 sampling stations for S2. VIs derived from UAV were consistently and positively related to all arthropod biomass groups. Three out of seven and six out of seven S2-derived VIs were positively related to epigeous and coprophagous arthropod biomass, respectively. The blue normalized difference VI (BNDVI) and enhanced normalized difference VI (ENDVI) showed consistent and positive relationships with arthropod biomass, regardless of the arthropod group or spatial resolution. Our results showed that UAV and S2-VI imagery data may be viable and cost-efficient alternatives for quantifying arthropod biomass at large scales in shrub steppes. The relationship between VI and arthropod biomass is probably habitat-dependent, so future research should address this relationship and include several habitats to validate VIs as proxies of arthropod biomassBBVA Foundation, BBVA Dron Ricoti project; European Commission, Grant/ Award Number: LIFE15-NAT-ES-000802; REMEDINAL-3 from CAM; European Comission, Grant/Award Number: LIFE20-NAT-ES-00013