Energy balance of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis: the effect of length and age

Clearance and ingestion rates, absorption efficiencies and respiration rates were measured in mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk of different lengths (53 to 89 mm) and age (10 to 24 mo) from cultivation rafts in the Ría de Arosa (Galicia, Spain). The experiments were carried out either in the laboratory, using monoalgal food (Isochrysis galbana) with an organic content of 91%, or under natural conditions of food availability in cultivation rafts with seston, the organic content of which ranged from 33 to 69%. Food concentrations ranged from 0.57 to 1.00 mg l-1 of total particulate matter (TPM), a load which is below the threshold for the production of pseudofaeces in Mytilus. These experiments proved that the ingestion rate (IR = mg TPM h-1) of food increases with the size of the mussel (measured as g of soft-tissue dry weight [DW]) according to the power equation IR = 12.661DW0.619, this model accounting for over 90% of the variance of the IR. Behavioural patterns that tended to maintain constant IR regardless of the density of the food were observed. Absorption efficiency (AE) is positively related to the organic content (OC) of the food according to the following hyperbolic equation: AE = 1.015 - 0.163(1/OC) (r = 0.940). AE is independent of mussel size for most of the size range used in this study, but there is a critical length around 85 mm, above which there is a noticeable decrease of AE. Metabolic expenditure, measured in terms of oxygen consumption standarized per unit of dry weight of flesh, tends to increase with the age of the mussel. The results obtained led to the conclusion that physiological traits such as the regulation of ingestion or differences in AE between groups do not explain the differences in growth between mussels of the same age. These differences must therefore be due to the limited food and space available as a result of the large numbers of mussels on the cultivation rafts and the agglomeration of mussels on the cultivation ropes.Versión de editor

Recent developments in financing and bank lending to the non-financial private sector: first half of 2021

Artículo de revistaFinancing conditions for households and firms remained accommodating in the first half of 2021. Improved macroeconomic expectations from the second quarter of the year have allowed credit standards to cease tightening, at the same time as demand for loans has picked up, particularly among households. This has contributed to an increase in the flow of loans as compared with end-2020, especially loans for house purchase. However, up to May (latest available figure) this growth in new financing has not translated into an acceleration of total outstanding household and corporate debt. In the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic, total outstanding bank lending to firms and sole proprietors grew moderately in the initial months of 2021. However, the cumulative growth since the onset of the pandemic has been sizeable as a result of the hefty liquidity needs in 2020, which were covered through increased debt. The significant adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on economic activity is yet to be reflected in a broad-based increase in non-performing loans on deposit institutions’ balance sheets. However, Stage 2 credit remained on a rising trajectory in 2021 Q1, with loans to the hardest-hit sectors of economic activity accounting for the lion’s share. Non-performing loans also grew in these sectors, albeit by a lesser amount

Proyecto de difusión Primavera 2022

En el presente documento se describen los proyectos realizados durante el semestre Primavera 2022, desarrollados por el equipo de Difusión del PAP Materioteca y Sustentabilidad; teniendo como objetivo principal concientizar mediante recursos gráficos y audiovisuales los conceptos socioambientales y comunicar los distintos proyectos que se trabajan en Materioteca, así como temas relacionados con sustentabilidad. Además, un punto muy importante es fomentar el conocimiento de los materiales a nuestros seguidores. Por otro lado, en el presente documento se encuentran los antecedentes del proyecto, la contextualización, los objetivos específicos que se plantearon, el plan de acción para lograrlos y finalmente los resultados logrados durante todo el semestre, así como una conclusión que engloba los esfuerzos para finalizar lo planteado.ITESO, A.C

Diet of the neotropical otter Lontra longicaudis (Carnivora: Mustelidae) from the Santiago River basin, Mexico

The diet of the neotropical otter Lontra longicaudis is reported in the Santiago River, Nayarit - Jalisco, Mexico. A diet based on fish was found (percentage of occurrence 43.86%), with lower frequencies of insects (22.81%), reptiles (9.36%) and amphibians (8.77%), with the introduced fish Oreochromis aureus and Cyprinus carpio, the most consumed.Se reporta la dieta de la nutria neotropical Lontra longicaudis en el Río Santiago, Nayarit/Jalisco, México. Se encontró una dieta basada en peces (porcentaje de ocurrencia 43.86%), con frecuencias menores de insectos (22.81%), reptiles (9.36%) y anfibios (8.77%), siendo los peces introducidos Oreochromis aureus y Cyprinus carpio, las especies más consumidas

Systemic analysis framework for the impact of economic and financial risks

Este documento presenta el marco de referencia del Banco de España para el análisis del impacto de la materialización de riesgos macroeconómicos y financieros sobre la actividad real y la estabilidad financiera. Este marco incluye un amplio conjunto de modelos y métodos, tanto empíricos como teóricos, con el fin de capturar la heterogeneidad de las diversas fuentes de riesgo y sus distintas características. En particular, se describe su aplicación para medir el impacto de riesgos, derivados tanto de fuentes endógenas (como la acumulación de desequilibrios macroeconómicos y financieros a lo largo del ciclo) como de fuentes exógenas. Respecto a estas últimas, se presenta la aplicación de estos modelos en el contexto de la irrupción de la pandemia de COVID-19 y de las medidas de política económica adoptadas en respuesta la crisis resultante, tanto en los ámbitos fiscal y monetario como en el prudencial. Igualmente, se presenta su aplicación en el contexto de la invasión rusa de Ucrania y de la intensificación de las tensiones inflacionarias y de incertidumbre económica.This paper presents the Banco de España’s reference framework for the analysis of macroeconomic and financial risk, and the impact of the materialisation of this risk on financial stability and the real economy. The framework encompasses a broad set of empirical and theoretical models and methods, with the aim of capturing heterogeneity in the characteristics of different sources of risk. In particular, the paper describes how these models are used to identify the impact of endogenous sources of risk, such as the build-up of macro-financial imbalances over the cycle, and of exogenous shocks. Regarding the latter, the paper presents an application of the models to the main exogenous events that have occurred recently: the COVID-19 pandemic, including the fiscal, monetary and prudential measures adopted as a response to this shock; the Russian invasion of Ukraine; and the subsequent high inflation and economic uncertainty environment

The drivers of the success of Spanish Canoeing: an analysis of the efficiency of regional federations

Even though canoeing is not a particularly popular sport in Spain, it is one of the Olympic disciplines that has brought much success to the Spanish medal table. This high performance of Spanish canoeing could be attributed to the work of the clubs and regional federations (FFAA) which can optimise the scarce resources available to them, most of which come from public transfers. This study measures the efficiency of the Spanish autonomous canoeing federations (FFAAP) during the 2013-2016 Olympic cycle using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) technique and the Malmquist index. A second analysis tries to identify the key factors that lead to the efficiency of the federations. The results show that, despite the significant differences between FFAAs, there is no single way to reach efficiency. In general, the availability of resources increases the chances of achieving results, while coaches and internal competition contribute to optimising the performance of available resources. © 2022 Federacion Espanola de Docentes de Educacion Fisica. All rights reserved

Evolución reciente de la financiación y del crédito bancario al sector privado no financiero: primer semestre de 2021

Artículo de revistaDurante el primer semestre de 2021, las condiciones de financiación de las empresas y de los hogares han continuado siendo holgadas. La mejora de las expectativas macroeconómicas, a partir del segundo trimestre del año, ha permitido que los criterios de aprobación de préstamos hayan dejado de endurecerse, al tiempo que la demanda de crédito ha repuntado, y con mayor intensidad la procedente de los hogares. Esto ha contribuido a un aumento del flujo de préstamos con respecto al final de 2020, en especial de los destinados a la adquisición de vivienda. Sin embargo, este crecimiento de la nueva financiación no se ha traducido, hasta mayo (último dato disponible), en una aceleración del saldo de la deuda de los hogares y de las empresas. El saldo de crédito bancario a empresas y a empresarios individuales de los sectores más afectados por la pandemia ha crecido moderadamente en los primeros meses de 2021, si bien presenta un elevado crecimiento acumulado desde el inicio de la pandemia por las abultadas necesidades de liquidez que afrontaron en 2020 mediante un mayor endeudamiento. El notable impacto negativo de la pandemia de COVID-19 en la actividad económica sigue sin reflejarse en un aumento generalizado de los créditos dudosos en los balances de las entidades de depósito, pero en el primer trimestre de 2021 se mantenía la tendencia al alza del crédito normal en vigilancia especial, concentrado en los créditos a los sectores de actividad económica más afectados, y se observaba también un repunte, de menor cuantía, de los créditos dudosos en estos mismos sectores

Effects of xylanase supplementation on feed intake, digestibility and ruminal fermentation in Rambouillet sheep

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of adding xylanase enzyme (XY) to a basal diet containing 300 g maize stover and 700 g concentrate/kg dry matter (DM) on feed intake, ruminal fermentation, total tract and ruminal digestibility, as well as some blood parameters. Four male Rambouillet sheep (39 ± 1·8 kg body weight), with permanent rumen and duodenum cannulae were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Sheep were fed a basal diet without xylanase addition (control, XY0), or with the addition of xylanase at 1 (XY1), 3 (XY3) or 6 (XY6) μl/g of diet DM for 84 days, with four 21-day experimental periods. Feed intake, digestibility and rumen fermentation parameterswere determined on days 16–21 in each experimental period, and the apparent ruminal neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestibilitywas determined on days 16 and 17. Treatments XY1 and XY3 increased feed intake,whereas digestibility was increased with XY6. Ruminal NDF digestibility increased when sheep were fed diets treated with xylanase. Ruminal pH, ammonia-N and acetic acid increased with xylanase treated diets. Propionic acid concentration increasedwith diet XY1 at 3 h post-feeding, but after 9 h post-feeding its concentration decreased in the rumen of sheep fed xylanase treated diets. Xylanase had no effect on blood urea, phosphorus and triglycerides. Addition of xylanase at 6 μl/g DM in a diet containing 300 g maize stover and 700 g concentrate/kg DM and fed to Rambouillet sheep improved feed digestibility and ruminal fermentation without affecting blood parameters

Influence of Salix babylonica extract addition on in vitro rumen gas production and degradability of ryegrass silage harvested in different cutting days

Four cutoffs of ryegrass after 15 days (CD15), 30 days (CD30), 45 days (CD45), and 60 days (CD60) with Salix babylonica (SB) extract at 0, 30, and 60 ml/kg ryegrass silage were ensiled for 40 days and then evaluated for the in vitro dry matter (DM) digestibility and gas production (GP). No interactions occurred between cutting day and SB extract for silage’s nutrient contents and in vitro GP. The DM and organic matter (OM) contents were decreased linearly with decreased crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibres, acid detergent fibres, and acid detergent lignin contents with advancing of days. In contrary, addition of SB extract increased silages’ OM and decreased CP contents. Addition of SB extract for CD15 and CD60 silages, quadratically decreased the lag time. However, SB extract increased the rate of GP and GP during the first 12 h of incubation at the level of 30 ml/kg with CD30 silage and asymptotic GP with the level 60 ml/kg of CD60 silage. Increased DM degradability (DMD) of CD30 and CD60 silages versus decreased DMD with CD15 with increased relative GP (ml gas/g DMD). It could be concluded that CD15 had the highest DM and OM content; however, higher GP was noted with CD45 and CD60. SB extract had weak effects on nutrient content and GP, and the level of 30 ml/kg DM was more effective than the level of 60 ml/kg DM