Born in the Mediterranean: Comprehensive Taxonomic Revision of Biscutella ser. Biscutella (Brassicaceae) Based on Morphological and Phylogenetic Data

Biscutella L. ser. Biscutella (= Biscutella ser. Lyratae Malin.) comprises mostly annual or short-lived perennial plants occurring in the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East, which exhibit some diagnostic floral features. Taxa in the series have considerable morphological plasticity, which is not well correlated with clear geographic or ecologic patterns. Traditional taxonomic accounts have focused on a number of vegetative and floral characters that have proved to be highly variable, a fact that contributed to taxonomic inflation mostly in northern Africa. A detailed study and re-evaluation of morphological characters, together with recent phylogenetic data based on concatenation of two plastid and one nuclear region sequence data, yielded the basis for a taxonomic reappraisal of the series. In this respect, a new comprehensive integrative taxonomic arrangement for Biscutella ser. Biscutella is presented in which 10 taxa are accepted, namely seven species and three additional varieties. The name B. eriocarpa DC. is reinterpreted and suggested to include the highest morphological variation found in northern Morocco. Its treatment here accepts two varieties, one of which is described as new (B. eriocarpa var. riphaea A. Vicente, M. Á. Alonso & M. B. Crespo). In addition, the circumscriptions of several species, such as B. boetica Boiss. & Reut., B. didyma L., B. lyrata L., and B. maritima Ten., are revisited. Nomenclatural types, synonymy, brief descriptions, cytogenetic data, conservation status, distribution maps, and identification keys are included for the accepted taxa, with seven lectotypes and one epitype being designated here.The FPU grant program (Mº de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, Spanish Government) is kindly thanked for supporting A. V. This research was partly supported by the I+D+i research project CGL2011-30140 from Dirección General de Investigación, MICINN (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spanish Government), and the grants ACIE13–08, ACIE14–01, ACIE17–01, ACIE18–03, and PPI-2015 from the University of Alicante

SERGHEI (SERGHEI-SWE) v1.0: a performance-portable high-performance parallel-computing shallow-water solver for hydrology and environmental hydraulics

The Simulation EnviRonment for Geomorphology, Hydrodynamics, and Ecohydrology in Integrated form (SERGHEI) is a multi-dimensional, multi-domain, and multi-physics model framework for environmental and landscape simulation, designed with an outlook towards Earth system modelling. At the core of SERGHEI's innovation is its performance-portable high-performance parallel-computing (HPC) implementation, built from scratch on the Kokkos portability layer, allowing SERGHEI to be deployed, in a performance-portable fashion, in graphics processing unit (GPU)-based heterogeneous systems. In this work, we explore combinations of MPI and Kokkos using OpenMP and CUDA backends. In this contribution, we introduce the SERGHEI model framework and present with detail its first operational module for solving shallow-water equations (SERGHEI-SWE) and its HPC implementation. This module is designed to be applicable to hydrological and environmental problems including flooding and runoff generation, with an outlook towards Earth system modelling. Its applicability is demonstrated by testing several well-known benchmarks and large-scale problems, for which SERGHEI-SWE achieves excellent results for the different types of shallow-water problems. Finally, SERGHEI-SWE scalability and performance portability is demonstrated and evaluated on several TOP500 HPC systems, with very good scaling in the range of over 20 000 CPUs and up to 256 state-of-the art GPUs

Validación de un nombre en Biscutella (Brassicaceae) del este de la Península Ibérica

The name Biscutella marinae is applied to an endemic plant from co-astal sand-dune ecosystems of northern Alicante. It however was not published accor-ding to the Melbourne Code, and therefore it still remains nomenclaturally invalid. In the present contribution it is validated, and new data are reported that complete the available information on that endemic.El nombre Biscutella marinae se aplica a un endemismo de los ecosistemas de dunas costeras del norte de Alicante. Sin embargo, su publicación ini-cial no se hizo conforme al Codigo de Melbourne, por lo que dicho nombre no es váli-do nomenclaturalmente. Por ello, aquí se valida y se aportan datos que completan la in-formación existente sobre este endemismo.This work was partly supported by the I+D+i research project CGL2011–30140 from MICINN (Mº de Economía y Competitividad, Spanish Government). The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, New York, supported the type di-gitization for the Global Plant Initiative (GPI)

Determination of pulsation periods and other parameters of 2875 stars classified as MIRA in the All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS)

We have developed an interactive PYTHON code and derived crucial ephemeris data of 99.4% of all stars classified as 'Mira' in the ASAS data base, referring to pulsation periods, mean maximum magnitudes and, whenever possible, the amplitudes among others. We present a statistical comparison between our results and those given by the AAVSO International Variable Star Index (VSX), as well as those determined with the machine learning automatic procedure of Richards et al. 2012. Our periods are in good agreement with those of the VSX in more than 95% of the stars. However, when comparing our periods with those of Richards et al, the coincidence rate is only 76% and most of the remaining cases refer to aliases. We conclude that automatic codes require still more refinements in order to provide reliable period values. Period distributions of the target stars show three local maxima around 215, 275 and 330 d, apparently of universal validity, their relative strength seems to depend on galactic longitude. Our visual amplitude distribution turns out to be bimodal, however 1/3 of the targets have rather small amplitudes (A $<$ 2.5$^{m}$) and could refer to semi-regular variables (SR). We estimate that about 20% of our targets belong to the SR class. We also provide a list of 63 candidates for period variations and a sample of 35 multiperiodic stars which seem to confirm the universal validity of typical sequences in the double period and in the Petersen diagramsComment: 14 pages, 14 figures, and 8 tables. Accepted to The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, September 201

The detection of airborne transmission of tuberculosis from HIV-infected patients, using an in vivo air sampling model

Background. Nosocomial transmission of tuberculosis remains an important public health problem. We created an in vivo air sampling model to study airborne transmission of tuberculosis from patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and to evaluate environmental control measures. Methods. An animal facility was built above a mechanically ventilated HIV‐tuberculosis ward in Lima, Peru. A mean of 92 guinea pigs were continuously exposed to all ward exhaust air for 16 months. Animals had tuberculin skin tests performed at monthly intervals, and those with positive reactions were removed for autopsy and culture for tuberculosis. Results. Over 505 consecutive days, there were 118 ward admissions by 97 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, with a median duration of hospitalization of 11 days. All patients were infected with HIV and constituted a heterogeneous group with both new and existing diagnoses of tuberculosis. There was a wide variation in monthly rates of guinea pigs developing positive tuberculin test results (0%–53%). Of 292 animals exposed to ward air, 159 developed positive tuberculin skin test results, of which 129 had laboratory confirmation of tuberculosis. The HIV‐positive patients with pulmonary tuberculosis produced a mean of 8.2 infectious quanta per hour, compared with 1.25 for HIV‐negative patients with tuberculosis in similar studies from the 1950s. The mean monthly patient infectiousness varied greatly, from production of 0–44 infectious quanta per hour, as did the theoretical risk for a health care worker to acquire tuberculosis by breathing ward air. Conclusions. HIV‐positive patients with tuberculosis varied greatly in their infectiousness, and some were highly infectious. Use of environmental control strategies for nosocomial tuberculosis is therefore a priority, especially in areas with a high prevalence of both tuberculosis and HIV infection

The genus Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) in Crete (Greece)

A report on the genus Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) in Crete is provided. The previously recorded taxa are compared with new collections made on the island and with vouchers found at different herbaria. Three species were fully confirmed: T. nilotica and T. parviflora, collected in the field, and T. smyrnensis, found only in herbarium vouchers. The other previously reported taxa, T. dalmatica, T. hampeana, T. pallasii and T. tetrandra were not found; T. dalmatica was erroneously reported, the record of T. hampeana represents a fourth species but its identity requires further study, records of T. pallasii are probably misidentifications of T. nilotica and/or T. smyrnensis, and the record of T. tetrandra probably refers to T. parviflora. The presence of T. nilotica is documented, confirming that it has been historically overlooked and mistaken for T. smyrnensis. A morphological comparison between T. nilotica and T. smyrnensis is provided in order to avoid further confusion and misidentifications. A dichotomous key for the Tamarix species reported in Crete is provided.The FPU programme (Mº de Educación, Spain), the I+D+I project CGL2008-05056 (Mº de Educación y Ciencia, Spanish Government) and complementary supporting funds ACIE10-01, ACIE11-05 and ACIE13-08 (University of Alicante, Spain) made this research possible

The Symbiosis Interactome: a computational approach reveals novel components, functional interactions and modules in Sinorhizobium meliloti

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Rhizobium</it>-Legume symbiosis is an attractive biological process that has been studied for decades because of its importance in agriculture. However, this system has undergone extensive study and although many of the major factors underpinning the process have been discovered using traditional methods, much remains to be discovered.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we present an analysis of the 'Symbiosis Interactome' using novel computational methods in order to address the complex dynamic interactions between proteins involved in the symbiosis of the model bacteria <it>Sinorhizobium meliloti </it>with its plant hosts. Our study constitutes the first large-scale analysis attempting to reconstruct this complex biological process, and to identify novel proteins involved in establishing symbiosis. We identified 263 novel proteins potentially associated with the Symbiosis Interactome. The topology of the Symbiosis Interactome was used to guide experimental techniques attempting to validate novel proteins involved in different stages of symbiosis. The contribution of a set of novel proteins was tested analyzing the symbiotic properties of several <it>S. meliloti </it>mutants. We found mutants with altered symbiotic phenotypes suggesting novel proteins that provide key complementary roles for symbiosis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our 'systems-based model' represents a novel framework for studying host-microbe interactions, provides a theoretical basis for further experimental validations, and can also be applied to the study of other complex processes such as diseases.</p

Protocol for studying cough frequency in people with pulmonary tuberculosis.

INTRODUCTION: Cough is a key symptom of tuberculosis (TB) as well as the main cause of transmission. However, a recent literature review found that cough frequency (number of coughs per hour) in patients with TB has only been studied once, in 1969. The main aim of this study is to describe cough frequency patterns before and after the start of TB treatment and to determine baseline factors that affect cough frequency in these patients. Secondarily, we will evaluate the correlation between cough frequency and TB microbiological resolution. METHODS: This study will select participants with culture confirmed TB from 2 tertiary hospitals in Lima, Peru. We estimated that a sample size of 107 patients was sufficient to detect clinically significant changes in cough frequency. Participants will initially be evaluated through questionnaires, radiology, microscopic observation drug susceptibility broth TB-culture, auramine smear microscopy and cough recordings. This cohort will be followed for the initial 60 days of anti-TB treatment, and throughout the study several microbiological samples as well as 24 h recordings will be collected. We will describe the variability of cough episodes and determine its association with baseline laboratory parameters of pulmonary TB. In addition, we will analyse the reduction of cough frequency in predicting TB cure, adjusted for potential confounders. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been obtained from the ethics committees at each participating hospital in Lima, Peru, Asociación Benéfica PRISMA in Lima, Peru, the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA. We aim to publish and disseminate our findings in peer-reviewed journals. We also expect to create and maintain an online repository for TB cough sounds as well as the statistical analysis employed

Desarrollo histórico de una publicación científica: cuarenta años de la Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología

La Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología (RLP) fue fundada en 1969. En este artículo se presenta el contexto del desarrollo histórico de la psicología en Latinoamérica cuando se funda la revista y un análisis de sus principales características editoriales, incluyendo equipo editorial, revisión por pares, financiación y distribución, estructura y números monográficos, artículos publicados y su origen, autores y áreas de la psicología cubiertas. Se examina la influencia de la RLP en el desarrollo de otras revistas de psicología en Latinoamérica y España. Se discute el papel que la Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología ha jugado en el desarrollo de la psicología en estas regiones y en la constitución de sus comunidades académicas. En particular, se argumenta que la RLP ha sido uno de los principales espacios de divulgación de la producción académica de los psicólogos de la región, además de haber marcado las tendencias e introducido múltiples áreas de especialidad de la psicología en lengua castellana