Scolopendrellidae (Myriapoda, Symphyla) from the Afrotropics with descriptions of seven new species

Among the Scolopendrellidae belonging to the collection of Symphyla of the Royal Museum for Central Africa (Tervuren, Belgium), ten species were found and seven new species are described: Symphylella erecta sp. nov., S. fuko sp. nov., S. kalundu sp. nov., S. lubumbashi sp. nov., S. malagassa sp. nov., S. tanganyika sp. nov. and Remysymphyla spinosa sp. nov. SEM micrographs and additional information of the new species and also of Remysymphyla hova Aubry & Masson, 1952, Ribautiella zagnanadina Brölemann, 1926 and R. schoutedeni Hinschberger, 1954 are provided, which contributes to an easier determination of the afrotropical scolopendrellid species. The diagnosis of the genus Remysymphyla is discussed

Influence of Technology on Perceived Obsolescence though Product Design Properties

Formal or perceived obsolescence describes the fact that users decide to stop using a product, even though it still fulfils its function. This is because the design is perceived as obsolete, which also leads to negative product semantics. This is often the case with products that are frequently updated to incorporate the latest technology. The aim of this paper is to understand the influence of technology on the perception of design. To this end, 297 people were surveyed about their perception of formal obsolescence in regard to different elements of a car and a smartphone, based on their design properties: shape, colour and material. In addition, technological attributes (some of which were dystopian) were added to these products to assess the influence of current or obsolete technology on participants' perception of obsolescence. Possible correlations were assessed by means of a chi-square analysis. The results show that technology does not influence all design properties in the same way, with shape being more important than colour or material. This is especially true for multimedia products, such as vehicle displays or smartphones. The results of this paper can help design engineers to create products that last longer, while also reducing their environmental impact

Tecnologías de la comunicación versus integración cultural : análisis reflexivo de la demonización y la polarización del discurso mediático sobre la cultura musulmana en occidente

La diáspora existente durante la última década de musulmanes y la complejidad gubernamental para la aculturación de estos se ha convertido en una falta de identidad de las segundas y terceras generaciones de los mismos individuos. Estas circunstancias se interpretan como un conflicto entre cultura dominadora (país receptor) y cultura heredada (proveniente de los padres), llevando al sujeto a un estado de rebeldía frente a la identidad nacional. El vacío circunstancial está siendo aprovechado por el incipiente fundamentalismo proveniente de Oriente, que ha hecho de las tecnologías de la comunicación una herramienta para reclutar a estas generaciones perdidas en Occidente. La Worl Wide Web ha pasado a ser un arma de doble filo para la sociedad occidental con respecto a los yihadistas, utilizando la falta de barreras y escasez de seguridad en la red como canal informativo a la hora de acometer ciberterrorismo y difundir la barbarie a través de videos. William Lind (1989) en The changing face of war: In to the fourth generation ya predijo la importancia de las TIC en los conflictos venideros: «Las operaciones psicológicas llegarán a ser el arma dominante en la forma de intervención en los medios de comunicación y a través de las TIC (…). Los adversarios de la cuarta generación de guerra manipularán los medios para alterar la opinión pública mundial y local para doblegar la voluntad de lucha». Estamos ante una nueva forma de terrorismo sin parangón, con dificultades añadidas por la falta de fronteras físicas en lo digital, y la formación de un grupo terrorista profesional con un gran conocimiento de las TIC y de su manipulación. Todas estas características se traducen en un estado de tensión constante frente al emigrante musulmán, circunstancia trasladada al aumento de partidos xenófobos y a un prejuicio discriminatorio que puede hacer de la integración de los mismos un tema tabú para las futuras sociedades occidentales

Tandem Repeat DNA provides many cytological markers for hybrid zone analysis in two subspecies of the grasshopper chorthippus parallelus

Recent advances in next generation sequencing (NGS) have greatly increased our understanding of non-coding tandem repeat (TR) DNA. Here we show how TR DNA can be useful for the study of hybrid zones (HZ), as it serves as a marker to identify introgression in areas where two biological entities come in contact. We used Illumina libraries to analyse two subspecies of the grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus, which currently form a HZ in the Pyrenees. We retrieved a total of 152 TR sequences, and used fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) to map 77 families in purebred individuals from both subspecies. Our analysis revealed 50 TR families that could serve as markers for analysis of this HZ, using FISH. Differential TR bands were unevenly distributed between chromosomes and subspecies. Some of these TR families yielded FISH bands in only one of the subspecies, suggesting the amplification of these TR families after the geographic separation of the subspecies in the Pleistocene. Our cytological analysis of two TR markers along a transect of the Pyrenean hybrid zone showed asymmetrical introgression of one subspecies into the other, consistent with previous findings using other markers. These results demonstrate the reliability of TR-band markers for hybrid zone studie

Beneficial effects of plant extracts in ruminant nutrition: A review

Use of antibiotics in animal feeds was banned hence researches on alternative natural products that can modulate ruminal fermentation have been intensified. Plant extracts are considered as natural compounds that can replace antibiotics as safe and sustainable alternatives. Extracts contain some plant secondary metabolites (PSM) that are a natural resource and are largely unexploited in ‘conventional’ animal production systems. They are considered as a source of antinutritional factors and not as a source of exploitable performance-enhancing compounds. Recent and continuing changes to legislation controlling the use of animal feed additives have stimulated interest in bioactive PSM as alternative performance enhancers. Interest is largely on their manipulative role in digestive and absorptive processes of the hindgut. The aim of the present review is to discuss the use of plants and their extracts to manipulate the rumen microbial ecosystem to improve the efficiency of rumen metabolism. The bioavailability of PSM and their actions on peripheral metabolism will be considered with a view to improve animal performance. In order to fully exploit their bioactive properties for the benefit of animal performance, modes of action need to be understood

Calcium dynamics in bovine adrenal medulla chromaffin cell secretory granules

Producción CientíficaThe secretory granules constitute one of the less well-known compartments in terms of Ca2+ dynamics. They contain large amounts of total Ca2+, but the free intragranular [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]SG), the mechanisms for Ca2+ uptake and release from the granules and their physiological significance regarding exocytosis are still matters of debate. We used in the present work an aequorin chimera targeted to the granules to investigate [Ca2+]SG homeostasis in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. We found that most of the intracellular aequorin chimera is present in a compartment with 50–100 lm Ca2+. Ca2+ accumulation into this compartment takes place mainly through an ATP-dependent mechanism, namely, a thapsigargin-sensitive Ca2+-ATPase. In addition, fast Ca2+ release was observed in permeabilized cells after addition of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) or caffeine, suggesting the presence of InsP3 and ryanodine receptors in the vesicular membrane. Stimulation of intact cells with the InsP3-producing agonist histamine or with caffeine also induced Ca2+ release from the vesicles, whereas acetylcholine or high-[K+] depolarization induced biphasic changes in vesicular [Ca2+], suggesting heterogeneous responses of different vesicle populations, some of them releasing and some taking up Ca2+ during stimulation. In conclusion, our data show that chromaffin cell secretory granules have the machinery required for rapid uptake and release of Ca2+, and this strongly supports the hypothesis that granular Ca2+ may contribute to its own secretion.2015-09-1

Influence of Salix babylonica extract in combination or not with increasing levels of minerals mixture on in vitro rumen gas production kinetics of a total mixed ration

Plant extracts, with high concentrations of secondary metabolites, are good candidates for enhancing nutrient utilization (Patra et al., 2006; Cedillo et al., 2014). Administration of Salix babylonica (SB) extract to ruminants as feed additives modified in vitro ruminal fermentation in lambs (Jiménez-Peralta et al., 2011; Salem et al., 2014b), improved in vivo digestibility as well as average daily gain of lambs (Salem et al., 2011a, 2014b) and milk production (Salem et al., 2014a). Some plant extracts also improved animal growth and nutrient digestion (Mapiye et al., 2010; Salem et al., 2011a) due to positive impacts of their secondary metabolites on activity of ruminal microorganisms (Jiménez-Peralta et al., 2011) and/or increased amino acid flow to the duodenum (Mueller-Harvey, 2006). This can result in more muscle deposition and, consequently, heavier carcasses (Gleghorn et al., 2004) and improved meat quality (Mapiye et al., 2010).The aim of this study was to determine the effects of increasing levels of two feed additives composed of Salix babylonica (SB) extract and minerals mixture (MM) or their combination on in vitro gas production (GP) and dry matter (DM) degradability of total mixed ration (TMR; 50 concentrate: 50 corn silage, on DM basis). Combinations of four levels of SB extract (0, 0.6, 1.2 and 1.8 mL/g DM) with four levels of MM (0, 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 g/100 g DM) were evaluated in a completely random design. Samples of TMR (1 g) were weighed in 120 mL serum bottles with addition of SB extract and/or MM. Then, 10 mL of particle free ruminal fluid were added followed by 40 mL of the buffer solution. The GP was recorded at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h of incubation. Addition of SB extract, without MM, increased (P<0.05) asymptotic GP (mL/g DM), the rate of GP (/h), GP and DM degradability (DMD)

SARS-CoV-2 viral load in nasopharyngeal swabs is not an independent predictor of unfavorable outcome

The aim was to assess the ability of nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral load at frst patient’s hospital evaluation to predict unfavorable outcomes. We conducted a prospective cohort study including 321 adult patients with confrmed COVID-19 through RT-PCR in nasopharyngeal swabs. Quantitative Synthetic SARS-CoV-2 RNA cycle threshold values were used to calculate the viral load in log10 copies/mL. Disease severity at the end of follow up was categorized into mild, moderate, and severe. Primary endpoint was a composite of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and/or death (n= 85, 26.4%). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral load over the second quartile (≥7.35 log10 copies/mL, p = 0.003) and second tertile (≥ 8.27 log10 copies/mL, p = 0.01) were associated to unfavorable outcome in the unadjusted logistic regression analysis. However, in the fnal multivariable analysis, viral load was not independently associated with an unfavorable outcome. Five predictors were independently associated with increased odds of ICU admission and/or death: age≥ 70 years, SpO2, neutrophils > 7.5 × ­103 /µL, lactate dehydrogenase≥ 300 U/L, and C-reactive protein≥ 100 mg/L. In summary, nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral load on admission is generally high in patients with COVID-19, regardless of illness severity, but it cannot be used as an independent predictor of unfavorable clinical outcome

Subject inversion in non-native Spanish

This study presents new empirical evidence on the L2 acquisition of Spanish SV–VS contrasts, a syntax-pragmatics interface phenomenon. Results from a context-dependant preference task involving unergative and unaccusative verbs in different focus situations (broad and narrow focus) reveal that beginner and intermediate English speakers prefer SV in all contexts. In contrast, advanced learners, who clearly know that VS is possible in Spanish, show a pattern of optionality with unergative verbs (in both broad and narrow focus contexts), whereas VS is correctly preferred with unaccusative verbs in both broad and narrowly-focused contexts. We argue that these results can be explained by a representational deficit according to which the VS order is overgeneralised to unergative verbs regardless of the discursive situation. We argue that learners’ overuse of VS structures is exacerbated by the lack of clear evidence for the use of SV and VS forms in the native input

Deepint.net: A rapid deployment platform for smart territories

This paper presents an efficient cyberphysical platform for the smart management of smart territories. It is efficient because it facilitates the implementation of data acquisition and data management methods, as well as data representation and dashboard configuration. The platform allows for the use of any type of data source, ranging from the measurements of a multi-functional IoT sensing devices to relational and non-relational databases. It is also smart because it incorporates a complete artificial intelligence suit for data analysis; it includes techniques for data classification, clustering, forecasting, optimization, visualization, etc. It is also compatible with the edge computing concept, allowing for the distribution of intelligence and the use of intelligent sensors. The concept of smart cities is evolving and adapting to new applications; the trend to create intelligent neighbourhoods, districts or territories is becoming increasingly popular, as opposed to the previous approach of managing an entire megacity. In this paper, the platform is presented, and its architecture and functionalities are described. Moreover, its operation has been validated in a case study where the bike renting service of Paris—Vélib’ Métropole has been managed. This platform could enable smart territories to develop adapted knowledge management systems, adapt them to new requirements and to use multiple types of data, and execute efficient computational and artificial intelligence algorithms. The platform optimizes the decisions taken by human experts through explainable artificial intelligence models that obtain data from IoT sensors, databases, the Internet, etc. The global intelligence of the platform could potentially coordinate its decision-making processes with intelligent nodes installed in the edge, which would use the most advanced data processing techniques.This work has been partially supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Interreg Spain-Portugal V-A Program (POCTEP) under grant 0677_DISRUPTIVE_2_E, the project My-TRAC: My TRAvel Companion (H2020-S2RJU-2017), the project LAPASSION, CITIES (CYTED 518RT0558) and the company DCSC. Pablo Chamoso’s research work has been funded through the Santander Iberoamerican Research Grants, call 2020/2021, under the direction of Paulo Novais