Phenotypic plasticity and morphological integration in a marine modular invertebrate

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Colonial invertebrates such as corals exhibit nested levels of modularity, imposing a challenge to the depiction of their morphological evolution. Comparisons among diverse Caribbean gorgonian corals suggest decoupling of evolution at the polyp vs. branch/internode levels. Thus, evolutionary change in polyp form or size (the colonial module <it>sensu stricto</it>) does not imply a change in colony form (constructed of modular branches and other emergent features). This study examined the patterns of morphological integration at the intraspecific level. <it>Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata </it>(Verrill) (Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae) is a Caribbean shallow water gorgonian that can colonize most reef habitats (shallow/exposed vs. deep/protected; 1–45 m) and shows great morphological variation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To characterize the genotype/environment relationship and phenotypic plasticity in <it>P. bipinnata</it>, two microsatellite loci, mitochondrial (MSH1) and nuclear (ITS) DNA sequences, and (ITS2) DGGE banding patterns were initially compared among the populations present in the coral reefs of Belize (Carrie Bow Cay), Panama (Bocas del Toro), Colombia (Cartagena) and the Bahamas (San Salvador). Despite the large and discrete differentiation of morphotypes, there was no concordant genetic variation (DGGE banding patterns) in the ITS2 genotypes from Belize, Panama and Colombia. ITS1–5.8S-ITS2 phylogenetic analysis afforded evidence for considering the species <it>P. kallos </it>(Bielschowsky) as the shallow-most morphotype of <it>P. bipinnata </it>from exposed environments. The population from Carrie Bow Cay, Belize (1–45 m) was examined to determine the phenotypic integration of modular features such as branch thickness, polyp aperture, inter-polyp distance, internode length and branch length. Third-order partial correlation coefficients suggested significant integration between polypar and colonial traits. Some features did not change at all despite 10-fold differences in other integrated features. More importantly, some colonial features showed dependence on modular features.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Consequently, module integration in gorgonian corals can be shifted, switched or canalized along lineages. Modular marine organisms such as corals are variations on a single theme: their modules can couple or decouple, allowing them to adapt to all marine benthic environments.</p

Três experiencia religiosa dos enfermeiros na formação: um cuidado além do corpo

La presencia de las religiosas en el cuidado enfermero es un fenómeno presente en la historia desde la antigüedad, pero en actual desaparición. Sin embargo, siguen existiendo congregaciones dedicadas a ello así como a la profesionalización de sus cuidados. El presente estudio pretende indagar sobre esta realidad centrándose, fundamentalmente, en conocer las vivencias y experiencias de tres religiosas estudiantes de enfermería en su relación con los enfermos y su entorno y su proceso de adaptación a la nueva vida a la que se enfrentan cuando comienzan dichos estudios. El estudio, de corte cualitativo, recoge a través del testimonio directo de las religiosas lo que constituye su experiencia vivida, donde el cuidado al enfermo no es meramente físico, llegando a ser un cuidado en su máxima plenitud. Se evidencia el carácter afectivo y relacional del cuidado, las aportaciones positivas y negativas de estas religiosas y su más íntima visión del cuidado desde su comienzo como estudiantes de enfermería, pasando por la convivencia con el resto de alumnos y profesores y finalizando con sus vivencias en el mundo hospitalario.The presence of the religious orders in the nursing care is a phenomenon present in history since ancient times, but in current disappearance. However, there are congregations that still continue with this task and they are turning professional their cares. This article aim to show the study of this situation. This qualitative study is focus on the testimony of the experience of three nursing religious students and their relationship with the patients and their enviroment, in addition to their adaptation when it comes to face their new studies. The cares provides by the learners are not purely physical but an absolute cares. The study evidence the affective and relational character of the students, the positives and negatives supports of them and their vision of the cares since the beginning of their studies, the coexistence with their classmates and teachers and their experience in the clinical practices.A presença das religiosas no cuidado do doente é um fenómeno presente na história desde a Antiguidade, mas que está atualmente em desaparição. No entanto, ainda existem diversas congregações religiosas dedicadas a esta atividade assim como à profissionalização dos cuidados. O presente estudo pretende indagar nesta realidade, conhecer as vivências e experiências de três religiosas estudantes de enfermagem na sua relação com os doentes e com seu ambiente familiar, e a sua adapatação à nova vida quando começaram tais estudos. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo que recolhe o testemunho direto das religiosas sobre a experiência vivida, onde o cuidado do doente não se limita a uma questão de saúde física, sendo antes um cuidado multidisciplinar: o laço afetivo do cuidado, as contribuições positivas e negativas das religiosas e a sua visão mais íntima do cuidado desde o seu início como estudantes de enfermagem, a sua convivência com os outros alunos e professores até as suas vivências no ambiente hospitalar

Removal torque and physico-chemical characteristics of dental implants etched with hydrofluoric and nitric acid : an experimental study in Beagle dogs

Objective: To study the composition, surface characteristics and response to removal torque of an implant surface subjected to hydrofluoric acid etching and posterior passivating with hydrofluoric and nitric acid. Study design: Twelve implants were initially selected and their physico-chemical characteristics were evaluated by means of energy-dispersive X-rays (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In addition, 24 implants ? 12 measuring 8 mm and 12 measuring 10 mm in length ? were implanted in 6 Beagle dogs. Twelve implants were removed after a recovery period of 6 weeks, followed by removal of the remaining 12 implants after 12 weeks, using a torque calibrator (Gauge Tonichi® model BGT150CN-S) with a force registry range of 0-150 Ncm. Results: EDS analysis of the surface chemical composition only revealed the presence of titanium in the etched surfaces. In the same way as with the surfaces of other dental implants, XPS analysis revealed traces of other elements present in the surface, fundamentally carbon. Following dual acid etching, the surface showed the roughness resulting from acid action, with a morphology that proved to be quite homogeneous. The roughness values obtained exceeded 1 µm. The mean removal torque values after 6 weeks were 79.7 Ncm for the 8 mm implants and 115 Ncm for the 10 mm implants. After 12 weeks, these values increased to 101.2 Ncm and 139.7 Ncm, respectively. Conclusions: Hydrofluoric and nitric acid etching affords optimum surface characteristics comparable to those of other surfaces. The recorded removal torque values raise the possibility of human clinical application for early or immediate loading procedures

RI-CUBE: dotando al PCE de información abstracta de ingeniería de tráfico interdominio

El cómputo de rutas en Internet se ha vuelto una tarea compleja y costosa. La arquitectura PCE (Path Computation Element) proporciona la funcionalidad necesaria para el cómputo de rutas interdominio en redes MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) y GMPLS (Generalized Multiprotocol Label Switching). En este escenario, el cálculo de rutas interdominio se lleva a cabo mediante la cooperación entre PCEs. El PCE que requiera ayuda, utiliza un mecanismo de selección de PCEs colaboradores que podría tener en consideración el estado de la red y sus recursos. Este mecanismo es especialmente importante debido al impacto que tiene en el tiempo total necesario para computar una ruta interdominio completa. En este trabajo, aportamos un detallado estudio de la información de ingeniería de tráfico manejada por los IGPs (Interior Gateway Protocols) más importantes y también un mecanismo para intercambiar esta información en entornos interdominio de forma que no se viole la privacidad de sobre la topología de la dominios afectados. Con esta información en su poder, un elemento PCE puede seleccionar un PCE exterior para colaborar, de forma efectiva y más precisa, minimizando el tiempo total necesario para calcular la ruta interdominio.Postprint (published version

Potential of Sentinel-2A Data to Model Surface and Canopy Fuel Characteristics in Relation to Crown Fire Hazard

[EN] Background: Crown fires are often intense and fast spreading and hence can have serious impacts on soil, vegetation, and wildlife habitats. Fire managers try to prevent the initiation and spread of crown fires in forested landscapes through fuel management. The minimum fuel conditions necessary to initiate and propagate crown fires are known to be strongly influenced by four stand structural variables: surface fuel load (SFL), fuel strata gap (FSG), canopy base height (CBH), and canopy bulk density (CBD). However, there is often a lack of quantitative data about these variables, especially at the landscape scale. Methods: In this study, data from 123 sample plots established in pure, even-aged, Pinus radiata and Pinus pinaster stands in northwest Spain were analyzed. In each plot, an intensive field inventory was used to characterize surface and canopy fuels load and structure, and to estimate SFL, FSG, CBH, and CBD. Equations relating these variables to Sentinel-2A (S-2A) bands and vegetation indices were obtained using two non-parametric techniques: Random Forest (RF) and Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS). Results: According to the goodness-of-fit statistics, RF models provided the most accurate estimates, explaining more than 12%, 37%, 47%, and 31% of the observed variability in SFL, FSG, CBH, and CBD, respectively. To evaluate the performance of the four equations considered, the observed and estimated values of the four fuel variables were used separately to predict the potential type of wildfire (surface fire, passive crown fire, or active crown fire) for each plot, considering three different burning conditions (low, moderate, and extreme). The results of the confusion matrix indicated that 79.8% of the surface fires and 93.1% of the active crown fires were correctly classified; meanwhile, the highest rate of misclassification was observed for passive crown fire, with 75.6% of the samples correctly classified. Conclusions: The results highlight that the combination of medium resolution imagery and machine learning techniques may add valuable information about surface and canopy fuel variables at large scales, whereby crown fire potential and the potential type of wildfire can be classified.SIWe are grateful to the Galician Government and European Social Fund (Official Journal of Galicia DOG n° 52, 17 March 2014, p. 11343, exp: POS-A/2013/049) for financing the postdoctoral research stays of Eduardo González-Ferreiro at different institutions

Acciones docentes prácticas en Derecho penal, Derecho penitenciario y Criminología: experiencias didácticas fuera del aula

Con la implantación del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior se han venido operando cambios importantes en los métodos y técnicas aplicados en la docencia del Derecho y, más concretamente, en las disciplinas jurídicas que conforman las Ciencias penales. Así, se ha ido avanzando en la dirección de promover una participación más activa del estudiante, mediante el empleo de herramientas y métodos innovadores que han contribuido a proporcionar una formación más integral, comprensiva de competencias genéricas, transversales y específicas. En esta línea de cambio del modelo educativo, la Red de Investigación sobre acciones docentes prácticas en Derecho penal, Derecho penitenciario y Criminología ha desarrollado nuevos recursos que giran en torno a la realización de salidas didácticas de los alumnos a instituciones y organizaciones directamente relacionadas con el sistema penal, fundamentalmente las que componen la judicatura, el aparato policial y el sistema penitenciario

Differential study of retinal thicknesses in the eyes of Alzheimer’s patients, multiple sclerosis patients and healthy subjects

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cause retinal thinning that is detectable in vivo using optical coherence tomography (OCT). To date, no papers have compared the two diseases in terms of the structural differences they produce in the retina. The purpose of this study is to analyse and compare the neuroretinal structure in MS patients, AD patients and healthy subjects using OCT. Spectral domain OCT was performed on 21 AD patients, 33 MS patients and 19 control subjects using the Posterior Pole protocol. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was used to analyse the differences between the cohorts in nine regions of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner plexiform layer (IPL) and outer nuclear layer (ONL). The main differences between MS and AD are found in the ONL, in practically all the regions analysed (AUROCFOVEAL = 0.80, AUROCPARAFOVEAL = 0.85, AUROCPERIFOVEAL = 0.80, AUROC_PMB = 0.77, AUROCPARAMACULAR = 0.85, AUROCINFERO_NASAL = 0.75, AUROCINFERO_TEMPORAL = 0.83), and in the paramacular zone (AUROCPARAMACULAR = 0.75) and infero-temporal quadrant (AUROCINFERO_TEMPORAL = 0.80) of the GCL. In conclusion, our findings suggest that OCT data analysis could facilitate the differential diagnosis of MS and AD

Differential Study of Retinal Thicknesses in the Eyes of Alzheimer"s Patients, Multiple Sclerosis Patients and Healthy Subjects

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer"s disease (AD) cause retinal thinning that is detectable in vivo using optical coherence tomography (OCT). To date, no papers have compared the two diseases in terms of the structural differences they produce in the retina. The purpose of this study is to analyse and compare the neuroretinal structure in MS patients, AD patients and healthy subjects using OCT. Spectral domain OCT was performed on 21 AD patients, 33MS patients and 19 control subjects using the Posterior Pole protocol. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was used to analyse the differences between the cohorts in nine regions of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner plexiform layer (IPL) and outer nuclear layer (ONL). The main differences between MS and AD are found in the ONL, in practically all the regions analysed (AUROCFOVEAL = 0.80, AUROCPARAFOVEAL = 0.85, AUROCPERIFOVEAL = 0.80, AUROC_PMB = 0.77, AUROCPARAMACULAR = 0.85, AUROCINFERO_NASAL = 0.75, AUROCINFERO_TEMPORAL = 0.83), and in the paramacular zone (AUROCPARAMACULAR = 0.75) and infero-temporal quadrant (AUROCINFERO_TEMPORAL = 0.80) of the GCL. In conclusion, our findings suggest that OCT data analysis could facilitate the differential diagnosis of MS and AD

Ceramoteca medieval: Materialidad y Virtualidad. Un nuevo instrumento docente y de divulgación. CERAMED

This teaching innovation project will create an exhibition space in the Department of Medieval History and Historiographic Sciences and Techniques that brings together archaeological pieces, their experimental reproductions and their 3D digital models, along with historical and archaeological information. The purpose of the CERAMED exhibition is to support both the teaching and the studies carried out within the framework of the disciplines of our competence. The entire university community will be able to enjoy viewing this didactic resource exhibited in a public space with free access. Specifically, the pieces chosen will be related to teaching in: " Arqueología de los Asentamientos y de los Paisajes Andalusíes" (Degree in Archeology), " Arqueología de al-Andalus y de las Sociedades Islámicas" (Degree in Archeology), " Arqueología de la producción de y la cultura material en el mundo medieval y postmedieval” (Master in Archeology) and “Cerámica Medieval y Postmedieval. Técnicas de análisis y registro arqueológico” (University extension course, Fundación General Universidad de Granada-Empresa). The CERAMED Innovation Project makes available to students different and innovative teaching resources (original, experimental and digital pieces). The process to achieve innovation will consist of the selection and cataloging of the pieces; choice of physical and virtual exhibition space; realization of experimental and digital reproductions. The main objective of the innovation seeks to introduce into the learning process of the students of the Degree in Archeology and the Master in Archeology different resources (classical, experimental and digital) existing in these areas of knowledge. In addition, a basic knowledge will be provided on the management of technological tools related to the digital Humanities that will allow them to develop research projects oriented to the world of work.Vicerrectorado Docencia, Unidad de Calidad, Innovación Docente y Prospectiva, Plan FIDODepartamento de Historia Medieval y Ciencias y Técnicas HistoriográficasGrupo de Investigación "Producción, Intercambio y Materialidad" (HUM-1035)Escuela de Arte, Granad