Estudio de la ontogenia de la conducta del lobo mexicano (Canis lupus baileyi) en cautiverio

La ontogenia de la conducta es el proceso por el cual aparecen los cambios progresivos en el comportamiento del individuo durante su desarrollo. A pesar de que el lobo gris ha sido ampliamente estudiado existe muy poca información al respecto, y menos aún del lobo mexicano, que es una subespecie en peligro de extinción. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar el desarrollo del comportamiento del lobo mexicano desde su nacimiento hasta los 2 años de edad, basándose en las etapas propuestas por Mech (1970), que no habían sido previamente estudiadas a profundidad. Para ello, se consideraron las observaciones conductuales de 44 individuos pertenecientes a 11 camadas diferentes, nacidos en el Zoológico San Juan de Aragón, en la Ciudad de México entre 1989 y 1997, así como las observaciones de las interacciones entre éstos y los otros miembros de sus respectivas manadas. Se construyó una base de datos con 28050 registros para los cachorros y juveniles, y una de 8290 para los adultos, a partir de las cuales se hizo un análisis cualitativo de los cambios conductuales y uno cuantitativo de los cambios en las frecuencias de exhibición de los comportamientos durante el periodo de estudio. Los resultados soportan la validez de las etapas de desarrollo. La etapa neonatal se caracteriza por la presencia de muy pocas conductas debido al limitado desarrollo físico, especialmente del sistema nervioso. En la etapa de transición comienzan a aparecer los patrones típicos de la especie. Durante la etapa de socialización es cuando se presentan por primera vez la mayor parte de los comportamientos y el sistema nervioso alcanza un nivel de desarrollo muy similar al del adulto. La etapa juvenil se caracteriza por la aparición de pocas conductas nuevas, pero los cambios más notables son con respecto a la frecuencia relativa de las mismas, de tal manera que se han podido identificar 4 sub etapas: en la primera se aprecia el carácter infantil de los individuos, en la segunda se lleva a cabo la independencia alimenticia y el inicio de la integración a la estructura jerárquica de la manada, la tercera se relaciona principalmente con el cuidado parental que brindan a los cachorros de la siguiente camada y en la cuarta es cuando se presentan las conductas sexuales y la completa integración al orden social del grupo. Los comportamientos de juego y alimentación tienen una mayor importancia en las primeras etapas, mientras que los agonistas y sumisos en las últimas. Las conductas parentales y tolerancia hacia las crías son mayores al inicio del desarrollo y van disminuyendo gradualmente, también se encontró que pueden asociarse directamente a algunas conductas de los cachorros. En este estudio se ha demostrado que el comportamiento del lobo mexicano sufre cambios cualitativos y cuantitativos durante su desarrollo.The ontogeny of behavior is the process by which progressive changes appear in the behavior of the individual during its development. Although the gray wolf has been extensively studied there is very little information about it, even less the Mexican wolf, which is an endangered subspecies. The objective of this study was to analyze the development of Mexican wolf behavior from birth to 2 years old, based on the periods proposed by Mech (1970), which had not previously been studied in depth. For this, the behavioral observations of 44 individuals belonging to 11 different litters, born at San Juan de Aragón Zoo, in Mexico City between 1989 and 1997, as well as the observations of the interactions between these and the other members of their respective packs. A database was constructed with 28050 records for puppies and juveniles, and one for 8290 for adults, from which a qualitative analysis of the behavioral changes and a quantitative analysis of the changes in the display frequencies of the behaviors were done during the study period. The results support the validity of the periods of development. The neonatal period is characterized by the presence of very few behaviors due to limited physical development, especially of the nervous system. In the transition period the typical patterns of the species begin to appear. During the period of socialization most of the behaviors appear for the first time and the nervous system reaches a level of development very similar to that of the adult. The juvenile stage is characterized by the appearance of few new behaviors, but the most notable changes are with respect to the relative frequency of the same ones, in such a way that it has been possible to identify 4 sub periods: in the first one it the infantile character is appreciated. In the second, the food independence and the beginning of the integration to the hierarchical structure of the pack are carried out. The third one is related mainly to the parental care provided to the puppies of the next year and in the fourth it is when the sexual behaviors are presented and the complete integration to the social order of the group. Behaviors of play and feeding are of greater importance in the early periods, while agonists and submissive in the latter. Parental behaviors and tolerance towards offspring are higher at the onset of development and are gradually declining, they were also found to be directly associated with some puppy behaviors. In this study it has been demonstrated that the behavior of the Mexican wolf undergoes qualitative and quantitative changes during its development

Diffusion of the utopias. The academy and the media in times of pandemic

At the end of the 20th century, the disappearance of the great utopias occurs. Crises are favorable moments to imagine better worlds. Social scientists and humanists - because of their knowledge of reality and its possibilities for change - are privileged to visualize the Covid-19 crisis as an opportunity for change and transfer the orientation of change to all of society. This is a transcendental translation for the consolidation of utopia in the social imaginary. This work explores the rehabilitation of utopia in the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic's start by academics. Doing this identifies, classifies, and analyzes the specific proposals that these thinkers have published in the press to move towards a happy world. We note that the pandemic has not managed to rehabilitate the utopia and that the community's proposals for change are fragmented. We consider that this fragmentation is a symptom of micro-stories, which implies a shift towards micro-routes. However, medium-range utopias proliferate in which messages appear insistently and, in that sense, may be reflected in the social imaginar

Morphological Description of Frontal EEG Interictal and Ictal Discharges in an Adult Cohort of 175 Patients

EEG morphology; Electroencephalography; Frontal lobe seizuresMorfología EEG; Electroencefalografía; Convulsiones del lóbulo frontalMorfologia EEG; Electroencefalografia; Convulsions del lòbul frontalClinical and electroencephalogram (EEG) features in frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) vary considerably among patients, making the diagnosis a challenge. The objective of this study was to describe interictal and ictal EEG activity, identifying variables that could help to differentiate and diagnose frontal lobe epilepsy cases. A prospective cross-sectional study from patients with frontal interictal epileptiform discharges (IED) referred to the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital (Barcelona, Spain) after a clinical event compatible with epileptic seizures was designed. The interictal and ictal activity were analyzed to provide a detailed EEG description of the cases, using different statistical analyses. The morphological seizure pattern at the ictal onset remained globally unchanged over time in seizures arising from the frontal lobe for each patient. Isolated sharp waves were the most frequent waveforms in the expression of IED. Frontal lobe seizures are frequently short and sometimes appear grouped in clusters within the same recording. Often the ictal expression of the electrical activity in frontal lobe seizure is subtle and challenging to interpret. A description of the main findings is summarized to identify seizures arising from the frontal lobe and avoid false negatives findings in EEG interpretations.This research received no external funding

Clinical and pathological features of Merkel cell carcinoma: A 4-year follow-up observational retrospective study in Spain

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a malignant skin cancer with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 50%. Knowledge of MCC has increased in recent years mostly due to improved diagnosis techniques. In Spain there is lack of information regarding the incidence and tumour characteristics, and the treatment approaches are not standardised. The objective of this study was to provide information of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of MCC patients in Spain. Methods: Retrospective, observational study involving 192 patients from 25 Spanish hospitals. Evaluated vari ables included overall survival and incidence rate of Merkel cell polyomavirus, in patients diagnosed from 2012 to 2016. Results: The Spanish incidence rate was estimated 0.32/100,000 inhabitants/year, with variations according to geographical regions, being slightly higher in areas with greater sunlight exposure. In total, 61.5% of tumours showed expansive growth (progressive growth of the tumour), 78.6% showed localisation in UV-exposed skin. 97.4% of patients were diagnosed by excisional biopsy. Surgery was the first line treatment in 96.6% of patients, radiotherapy in 24.6%, and chemotherapy in 6.3%. These treatments were not mutually exclusive. Median overall survival was 38.3 months (78.4% at 12 months and 60% at 24 months). MCPyV was present in 33.8% of patients. Conclusion: The incidence of MCC in Spain is one of the highest in Europe, with a slight predominance in men. The sample has shown that a biopsy is available for diagnosis in most cases. Moreover, the treatment is surgical when the tumour is localized and is associated with lymphadenectomy, and/or it is radiotherapy if widespread

Optimization of an Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction Method Applied to the Extraction of Flavonoids from Moringa Leaves (Moringa oleifera Lam.)

Interest in phenolic compounds has recently increased due to their potential as antioxidant agents. Moringa leaves (Moringa oleifera) have a high content of phenolic compounds, which presents them as a promising source for the extraction of these compounds. However, it is necessary to use analytical techniques to identify and quantify their actual compound content to determine the quality of the raw material and the potential of the final product. Ultrasound assisted extraction is a green, rapid and environmentally friendly extraction technique that produces high quality extracts from natural products. Hence, the aim of this research is to optimize the variables of the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) process for the extraction of moringa leaves using response surface methodology (RSM) to extract the main flavonoids using methanol as the extraction solvent. A Box-Behnken design (BBD) has been used to evaluate the effect of the ultrasound extraction process variables. Finally, the optimal extraction time in the range between 2 and 30 min was determined. The results revealed that the methanol concentration was the most influential variable. The optimal extraction time was established at 15 min. Six of the main flavonoids were quantified by UHPLC-DAD and identified by UHPLC-QToF-MS. The results confirmed that UAE is an efficient method for the extraction and subsequent analysis and quality control of the flavonoids that can be found in moringa leaves

Informe de distribución espacial de características geomorfológicas y sedimentarias del sector meridional del LIC ESZZ15002 Espacio marino del oriente y sur de Lanzarote-Fuerteventura

En este informe se presenta una caracterización morfosedimentaria y estructural del margen sur de Fuerteventura, nueva y ampliada, que ha supuesto un beneficio para el estudio de las características morfológicas y de los hábitats bentónicos del margen sur de Fuerteventura. Para ello se ha realizado el reprocesado de los datos batimétricos y de reflectividad disponibles en la zona, que ha permitido mejorar su resolución y calidad, y ampliar de manera considerable la zona de estudio en relación a la estudiada en el proyecto anterior LIFE+INDEMARES. Los datos batimétricos se han interpretado junto con los registros de sonda paramétrica de alta resolución y los datos sedimentológicos (granulometría, mineralogía, contenido en materia orgánica y carbonatos) y petrológicos (tipo de roca) de muestras del fondo marino obtenidas durante en el proyecto LIFE+INDEMARES. Entre los tipos morfológicos cartografiados en la zona abundan los rasgos estructurales y erosivos, pero también existen rasgos deposicionales y biogénicos a lo largo de toda el área de estudio. Además se han identificado varios conos volcánicos situados a lo largo del talud. Las muestras de sedimento recuperadas se sitúan preferentemente en el techo del Banco de Amanay y en la zona de El Banquete, corresponden, fundamentalmente, a sedimentos gruesos de tipo arena-arena gravosa y en menor medida arena fangosa, con alto contenido en carbonato. Por su parte, dentro del material rocoso predominan las rocas volcánicas, principalmente los basaltos olivínicos, y las rocas carbonatadas ferruginosas. Entre las principales carencias identificadas, que podrían ser consideradas como una actividad futura para la mejora del conocimiento de la zona, destaca la ausencia de (1) una malla apropiada de registros de sonda paramétrica, ya que los existentes se centran en el techo del Banco de Amanay y en El Banquete, dejando las zonas profundas sin estudiar; y (2) una distribución adecuada de los muestreos de sedimento, ya que como en el punto anterior, las muestras recuperadas se limitan, fundamentalmente al techo del Banco de Amanay y El Banquete, dejando muchas áreas sin explorar. Esta escasez de muestras no permite un calibrado suficientemente correcto de los datos de reflectividad que son clave en la realización de modelos de predicción de hábitat.This report presents a new and expanded morphosedimentary and structural characterization of the southern margin of Fuerteventura. The multibeam data (bathymetry and backscatter) available in the study area have been reprocessed, and high resolution parametric profiles, sedimentological (grain size, mineralogy, organic matter, and carbonate content) and petrological (type of rock) data have been integrated to achieve a more complete approach. The reprocessing of bathymetric data has substantially improved the resolution and quality of the data, and the addition of data from previous projects (ZEE project) has allowed to extend the study area. All this new information provides a benefit to the study of the morphological characteristics and the benthic habitats from the south of Fuerteventura area. Among the morphological types mapped in the study area, structural and erosive features are frequent, but depositional and biogenic features also appear in the whole area. Moreover, several volcanic cones have been mapped along the slope. Sediment samples retrieved at the study area, mostly located at the top of the Amanay Bank and El Banquete, correspond to coarse sediments as sand-gravelly sand and, in a lesser extent, with muddy sand of high carbonate content. The analysis from the rock samples indicates the presence of both volcanic (mainly olivine basalts) and carbonate (ferruginous) rocks. We identify two shortcomings in this study: (1) the absence of a suitable grid of high resolution sub-bottom profiles, since the available records are limited to the top of Amanay Bank and El Banquete area and, (2) the absence of a spatially more homogeneous and intensive grid for surficial sediment samples; this makes impossible to obtain a good calibration between the sediment samples and the backscatter data. For these reasons, we strongly recommend future activities to improve the knowledge of the area with a more detailed geophysical and sedimentological study, which will result in better habitat prediction models.Fondos LIFE, Comisión Europea. Fundación Biodiversidad. LIFE IP-PAF INTEMARE

Vaccine breakthrough infections with SARS-CoV-2 Alpha mirror mutations in Delta Plus, Iota, and Omicron

Replication of SARS-CoV-2 in the human population is defined by distributions of mutants that are present at different frequencies within the infected host and can be detected by ultra-deep sequencing techniques. In this study, we examined the SARS-CoV-2 mutant spectra of amplicons from the spike-coding (S-coding) region of 5 nasopharyngeal isolates derived from patients with vaccine breakthrough. Interestingly, all patients became infected with the Alpha variant, but amino acid substitutions that correspond to the Delta Plus, Iota, and Omicron variants were present in the mutant spectra of the resident virus. Deep sequencing analysis of SARS-CoV-2 from patients with vaccine breakthrough revealed a rich reservoir of mutant types and may also identify tolerated substitutions that can be represented in epidemiologically dominant variants.This work was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (COVID-19 Research Call COV20/00181) and co-financed by the European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe.” The work was also supported by grants CSIC-COV19-014 from the CSIC, project 525/C/2021 from the Fundació La Marató de TV3; PID2020-113888RB-I00 from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación; BFU2017-91384-EXP from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU);PI18/00210 and PI21/00139 from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III; and S2018/BAA-4370 (PLATESA2) from the Comunidad de Madrid/ FEDER. This research work was also funded by the European Commission – NextGenerationEU (regulation EU 2020/2094), through the CSIC’s Global Health Platform (PTI Salud Global). CP and PM are supported by the Miguel Servet programme of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CPII19/00001 and CP16/00116, respectively), cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). CIBERehd is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Institutional grants from the Fundación Ramón Areces and Banco Santander to the CBMSO are also acknowledged. The team at CBMSO belongs to the Global Virus Network (GVN). BMG is supported by predoctoral contract PFIS FI19/00119 from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo), cofinanced by the Fondo Social Europeo (FSE). CGC is supported by predoctoral contract PRE2018- 083422 from the MCIU. BS was supported by a predoctoral research fellowship (Doctorados Industriales, DI-17-09134) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO).Peer reviewe

Vertidos tóxicos al río Guadiamar: propuestas técnicas para su corrección

Inmediatamente de producirse el vertido tóxico al río Guadiamar, el Grupo T.A.R. se lanzó sin pensarlo dos veces a la búsqueda de soluciones técnicas a un panorama desolador y de efectos desconocidos, todos ellos amenazantes. El ácido “se comía el suelo inundado” por la riada, el agua retenida en Entremuros a pH 3, y con un enorme contenido de metales pesados, ocupaba una extensión de kilómetros. Nos hundimos en el agua hasta el cuello, y cuando nos cubría cogimos la barca, metimos el río a pedazos en nuestro laboratorio, para trabajar todas las hipótesis, ensayar todas las posibilidades. Peleando con la realidad le sacamos datos al Guadiamar, diseñamos actuaciones, poniéndole ingeniería a cuantas hipótesis nos planteaba la situación. En primera fila observamos las mejores actuaciones que nadie diseñó. El propio río, activando sus defensas naturales, mejoró la calidad del agua retenida en el dique de Entremuros subiendo el pH y precipitando los metales pesados. Los mecanismos de entrada de los metales pesados en la cadena trófica parecían ser lentos, dando tiempo a que la retirada de los lodos tóxicos llevada a cabo por la Administración fuera eficaz y diera tiempo a realizar tanto esfuerzo. Aunque el Guadiamar ha trabajado muy duro en su propia recuperación, con su ayuda hemos elaborado una gran cantidad de propuestas técnicas; unas para actuaciones de emergencia, otras a corto, medio y largo plazo. También hemos dado forma a un Plan frente a las previsibles avenidas de este primer otoño después del vertido. Nuestro objetivo ha sido poner a disposición soluciones preparadas para todo tipo de problemas, en primera o en segunda instancia. Prevenir no solo una o dos contingencias, se ha tratado de estar preparado para la mayor cantidad de eventualidades posibles. Por ello algunas serán utilizables, otras estarán en reserva, y muchas irían al cajón de los papeles. Pero ahí están por si acaso. Este libro recoge los trabajos de campo, los ensayos de laboratorio y la ingeniería desarrollada en los primeros cuatro meses. Durante el siguiente preparamos la edición del mismo, mientras, en paralelo, continuábamos en el trabajo experimental y el diseño. Cuando se cumpla el quinto mes, el 25 de Septiembre de 1998, lo presentaremos, ciento cincuenta días después... Con la financiación de la Diputación de Sevilla hemos preparado la primera edición en formato CD Rom e Internet, con muy poco coste para acceder a su contenido. En poco tiempo saldrá la edición en papel, con la misma financiación que la primera. Nos gustaría que este documento fuera entendido como lo que es, en nuestra opinión, una llamada urgente al debate de las ideas. Tratamos de ofrecer la información necesaria y el foro donde recoger las propuestas que seguramente muchos pueden aportar sin saber como transmitir sus experiencias. El Grupo de Tratamiento de Aguas Residuales (T.A.R.) abre con este libro la MESA DE DISCUSIÓN, para buscar un poco de luz, avanzar en las soluciones técnicas a la inmensa tarea de recuperar el río Guadiamar. El libro presenta lagunas, unas por la enorme prisa, otra por falta de datos, muchas por nuestra escasez de conocimientos. Dicen en España que “lo mejor es enemigo de lo bueno”...,y nos gustaría recoger ideas hoy mejor que mañana, que podría ser tarde. Nos comprometemos a seguir trabajando en soluciones técnicas, innovaciones tecnológicas e investigación aplicada a la recuperación del Guadiamar, a conocer lo ocurrido y su remedio. Nos comprometemos a publicar de la misma forma los resultados obtenidos, de manera que la discusión y el debate sigan siempre abiertos. El grupo T.A.R. podría ser un punto de intercambio de conocimientos universal, abierto, respetuoso y tolerante, universitario en definitiva, y por tanto útil en el cumplimiento de sus obligaciones. La primera necesidad de responder urgentemente, está dando paso a unas actuaciones programadas, a medida de los efectos de las correcciones introducidas. Deben instaurarse políticas de prevención y nuevas actuaciones para recuperar el Guadiamar, mejorar urgentemente las condiciones del entorno. Aprender de las soluciones adoptadas y generar mejores prácticas, puede ser una buena conclusión del trabajo realizado por tanta gente. Lo que empezó siendo una carrera de velocidad se nos convierte en un maratón, ya no hay que correr explosivamente, hay que mantener un ritmo en la carrera; hay que persistir en el esfuerzo todos los días durante mucho tiempo. Este nuevo desafío sigue siendo duro y difícil. Podéis contar con el Grupo T.A.R. para recorrer el duro camino de la Recuperación

Electroconvulsive Therapy in Super Refractory Status Epilepticus: Case Series with a Defined Protocol

Super-refractory status epilepticus (SRSE) represents a neurological emergency that is characterized by a lack of response to the third line of antiepileptic treatment, including intravenous general anesthetics. It is a medical challenge with high morbidity and mortality. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been recommended as a nonpharmacologic option of treatment after other alternatives are unsuccessful. Its effect on the cessation of SRSE has been minimally investigated. The objective of this article is to analyze the effect of ECT on SRSE. For this purpose, a multidisciplinary team created a protocol based on clinical guidelines similar to those described previously by Ray et al. (2017). ECT was applied to six patients with SRSE after the failure of antiepileptic treatment and pharmacologic coma.The objective of each ECT session was to elicit a motor seizure for at least 20 s. SRSE was resolved in all patients after several days of treatment, including ECT as a therapy, without relevant adverse effects. Thus, ECT is an effective and feasible option in the treatment of SRSE, and its place in the algorithm in treatment should be studied due to the uncommon adverse effects and the noninvasive character of the therapy

Machine Learning Improves Risk Stratification in Myelofibrosis: An Analysis of the Spanish Registry of Myelofibrosis

Myelofibrosis (MF) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) with heterogeneous clinical course. Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation remains the only curative therapy, but its morbidity and mortality require careful candidate selection. Therefore, accurate disease risk prognostication is critical for treatment decision-making. We obtained registry data from patients diagnosed with MF in 60 Spanish institutions (N = 1386). These were randomly divided into a training set (80%) and a test set (20%). A machine learning (ML) technique (random forest) was used to model overall survival (OS) and leukemia-free survival (LFS) in the training set, and the results were validated in the test set. We derived the AIPSS-MF (Artificial Intelligence Prognostic Scoring System for Myelofibrosis) model, which was based on 8 clinical variables at diagnosis and achieved high accuracy in predicting OS (training set c-index, 0.750; test set c-index, 0.744) and LFS (training set c-index, 0.697; test set c-index, 0.703). No improvement was obtained with the inclusion of MPN driver mutations in the model. We were unable to adequately assess the potential benefit of including adverse cytogenetics or high-risk mutations due to the lack of these data in many patients. AIPSS-MF was superior to the IPSS regardless of MF subtype and age range and outperformed the MYSEC-PM in patients with secondary MF. In conclusion, we have developed a prediction model based exclusively on clinical variables that provides individualized prognostic estimates in patients with primary and secondary MF. The use of AIPSS-MF in combination with predictive models that incorporate genetic information may improve disease risk stratification