Phytoplankton, bacterioplankton and nitrate reductase activity distribution in relation to physical structure in the northern Alborán Sea and Gulf of Cadiz (southern Iberian Peninsula)

The IctioAlborán-Cadiz 95 cruise (July 1995) covered the northwest sector of the Alborán Sea, the Straits of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Cadiz. We present and discuss the distribution of phytoand bacterioplankton abundance, nitrate concentration and nitrate reductase (NR) activity according to circulation patterns described previously in the literature. The water-column integrated values of chlorophyll-a in the Alborán Sea were higher and more variable (12 to 318 mg m⁻³) than in the Gulf of Cadiz (3 to 49 mg m⁻³). This reflects the higher dynamism of the Alborán sector, related to the existence of characteristic mesoscale physical structures. The plankton (2-80 μm equivalent spherical diameter) in the upwelling region of the Alborán Sea had a biovolume 30 times higher than in the nutrient-poorer water of the Gulf of Cadiz. Large organisms were abundant and dominated the size spectrum of one coastal station in the Alborán zone, whereas the slope of the size spectrum became more negative at the Gulf of Cadiz station, as a consequence of the dominance of small cells. Bacterial abundance maxima ( 3 X 10⁶ bact ml⁻¹) also occurred in the upwelling region. We found relatively high nitrate and chlorophyll a concentrations in Cape Trafalgar's cold surface waters, probably due to the interaction between topography and strong tidal currents. The spatial pattern of the NR activity is discussed according to chlorophyll a, nitrate and bacteria distributions. The existence of high NR activity but low chlorophyll a and bacterial abundance suggests that this could be related with dissimilatory activity in large-sized particles.La campaña IctioAlborán-Cádiz 95 (julio de 1995) cubrió el sector noroeste del mar de Alborán, estrecho de Gibraltar y golfo de Cádiz. En este trabajo se presentan y discuten las distribuciones de abundancia de fitoplancton y bacterioplancton, concentración de nitrato y actividad nitrato reductasa (NR) de acuerdo con los patrones de circulación descritos en la bibliografía. Los valores de clorofila a integrados en la columna de agua en Alborán fueron mayores y más variables (12 a 318 mg/m³) que en el golfo de Cádiz (3 a 49 mg/m³). Esto refleja el mayor dinamismo de la zona de Alborán, relacionado con la existencia de estructuras físicas características a mesoescala. El análisis de la comunidad nano-microplanctónica (2-80 μm, diametro esférico equivalente) de la región de afloramiento del mar de Alborán mostró un biovolumen 30 veces mayor que el de aguas más pobres en nutrientes del golfo de Cádiz. Por otro lado, el espectro de tamaños en una estación costera de Alborán está dominado por organismos planctónicos grandes, mientras que la pendiente del espectro de tamaño se hace más negativa en una estación del golfo de Cádiz, como consecuencia de la mayor abundancia de plancton de pequeño tamaño. En la región de afloramiento se dieron también máximos de abundancia bacteriana ( 3 X 10⁶ bact ml⁻¹). Se han encontrado valores relativamente altos de nitrato y clorofila a en las frías aguas superficiales cercanas al cabo de Trafalgar, lo que se debe, probablemente, a la interacción entre topografía y fuertes corrientes mareales. Se discute el patrón espacial de la actividad NR en relación con las distribuciones de clorofila a, nitrato y bacterias. En muestras con valores elevados de actividad NR pero bajos de clorofila y abundancia de bacterias, se sugiere que esta actividad se relaciona con actividad disimilatoria en agregados de gran tamaño.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Phytoplankton pigment distribution in the northwestern Alboran Sea and meteorological forcing: A remote sensing study

A set of weekly-composite SeaWiFS (Sea-viewing Wide Field of view Sensor) imagery (from 1998 to 2004) has been used to asses the temporal and spatial variability of the surface chlorophyll distribution in the Northwestern Alboran Sea. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis of the images series shows the existence of three different regions in which surface chlorophyll presents a homogeneous temporal behavior in the neighborhood of the Strait of Gibraltar.The temporal patterns of surface chlorophyll concentrations in each region have been characterized by studying the role of several forcing factors, mainly the zonal component of the wind field.The first identified region occupies the coastal area in front of Estepona and Málaga and shows the highest chlorophyll concentration in the entire region of study in absence of easterly winds. A second region is located far offshore, in the zone usually occupied by the Atlantic jet entering the Alboran Sea, showing high concentrations of chlorophyll when the easterlies blow. Finally, a third region has been situated in the normal location of the Western Alboran Gyre (WAG).The zonal wind field arises as a main forcing function in the modulation of the intensity and location of the upwelling processes in the area, while the entrance of the Atlantic jet seems to be the main agent feeding of all these processes

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Genotyping: Automation and Application in Routine Laboratory Testing

A large number of assays designed for genotyping human papillomaviruses (HPV) have been developed in the last years. They perform within a wide range of analytical sensitivity and specificity values for the different viral types, and are used either for diagnosis, epidemiological studies, evaluation of vaccines and implementing and monitoring of vaccination programs. Methods for specific genotyping of HPV-16 and HPV-18 are also useful for the prevention of cervical cancer in screening programs. Some commercial tests are, in addition, fully or partially automated. Automation of HPV genotyping presents advantages such as the simplicity of the testing procedure for the operator, the ability to process a large number of samples in a short time, and the reduction of human errors from manual operations, allowing a better quality assurance and a reduction of cost. The present review collects information about the current HPV genotyping tests, with special attention to practical aspects influencing their use in clinical laboratories

Exploring Spanish Heritage Speakers’ Coping Mechanisms to Manage Name-based Microaggressions

Spanish Heritage Speakers (HSs) in the U.S. can be the target of indirect acts of discrimination related to their ethnolinguistic identity (Ayón & Philbin, 2017). Name-based microaggressions are subtle insults directed at marginalized groups or individuals as a reaction, often unconscious or automatic, to their given name. This can include mispronunciation, renaming practices or indexical bleaching of an ethnic name (i.e., Bucholtz, 2005; Ayón & Philbin, 2017). Although it may seem harmless to a casual observer, students exposed to name-related subtle discrimination can experience feelings of othering, hyper-awareness, and unconscious internalization of harmful racial ideologies directed towards their ethnoracial group (i.e., Kohli & Solórzano, 2012; Ayón & Philbin, 2017; Bucholtz, 2016). Informed by Critical Race Theory and critical raciolinguistic scholarship, this study seeks to answer the following three questions: Do Spanish heritage speakers experience name-based microaggressions? What coping mechanisms do heritage speakers utilize to counteract name-based microaggressions in the educational setting? What specific strategies could be implemented in the SHL classroom to encourage student agency? To answer these questions, we surveyed a total of 95 college-age Spanish heritage speakers across the country. Participants were asked to complete an online Qualtrics questionnaire on their experiences with name-based microaggressions. This questionnaire consisted of eleven background questions adapted from the Bilingual Language Profile (Birdsong, Gertken & Amengual, 2012), and twelve critical questions about the topic under study. Furthermore, small focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted to expand on students’ coping mechanisms regarding name-related microaggressive experiences. In line with previous research, preliminary findings indicate that HSs often utilize avoidance, internalization, and assimilation strategies to fend off uncomfortable interactions or feelings of distress. Other coping mechanisms include choosing when and where to assert their ethnolinguistic identity, and when/where to adapt to other’s expectations of them. This study contributes to our understanding of Spanish heritage speakers’ racialized realities and raciolinguistic microaggressions in the learning environment

New Spectroscopy of U Gem

We present new optical spectroscopic observations of U Geminorum obtained during a quiescent stage. We performed a radial velocity analysis of three Balmer emission lines yielding inconsistent results. Assuming that the radial velocity semi amplitude accurately reflects the motion of the white dwarf, we arrive at masses for the primary which are in the range of M_wd= 1.21 - 1.37 M_Sun. Based on the internal radial velocity inconsistencies and results produced from the Doppler tomography -- wherein we do not detect emission from the hot spot, but rather an intense asymmetric emission overlaying the disc, reminiscent of spiral arms -- we discuss the possibility that the overestimation of the masses may be due to variations of gas opacities and a partial truncation of the disc.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables, to be published on RevMexAA. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2112.0343

Treatment adherence in tyrosinemia type 1 patients

Background: While therapeutic advances have signifcantly improved the prognosis of patients with hereditary tyrosinemia type 1 (HT1), adherence to dietary and pharmacological treatments is essential for an optimal clinical outcome. Poor treatment adherence is well documented among patients with chronic diseases, but data from HT1 patients are scarce. This study evaluated pharmacological and dietary adherence in HT1 patients both directly, by quantifying blood levels nitisinone (NTBC) levels and metabolic biomarkers of HT1 [tyrosine (Tyr), phenylalanine (Phe), and succinylacetone]; and indirectly, by analyzing NTBC prescriptions from hospital pharmacies and via clinical inter views including the Haynes-Sackett (or self-compliance) test and the adapted Battle test of patient knowledge of the disease. Results: This observational study analyzed data collected over 4 years from 69 HT1 patients (7 adults and 62 children; age range, 7months-35 years) who were treated with NTBC and a low-Tyr, low-Phe diet. Adherence to both pharmacological and, in particular, dietary treatment was poor. Annual data showed that NTBC levels were lower than recommended in more than one third of patients, and that initial Tyr levels were high (>400µM) in 54.2-64.4% of patients and exceeded 750µM in 25.8% of them. Remarkably, annual normalization of NTBC levels was observed in 29.4-57.9% of patients for whom serial NTBC determinations were performed. Poor adherence to dietary treatment was more refractory to positive reinforcement: 36.2% of patients in the group who underwent multiple analyses per year maintained high Tyr levels during the entire study period, and, when considering each of the years individually this percentage ranged from 75 to 100% of them. Indirect methods revealed percentages of non-adherent patients of 7.3 and 15.9% (adapted Battle and Haynes tests, respectively). Conclusions: Despite initially poor adherence to pharmacological and especially dietary treatment among HT1 patients, positive reinforcement at medical consultations resulted in a marked improvement in NTBC levels, indicating the importance of systematic positive reinforcement at medical visits.Funding. NTBC determination was funded by SOBI. Acknowledgements. The authors thank all participating centers, as well as the patients and their families

U Geminorum: a test case for orbital parameters determination

High-resolution spectroscopy of U Gem was obtained during quiescence. We did not find a hot spot or gas stream around the outer boundaries of the accretion disk. Instead, we detected a strong narrow emission near the location of the secondary star. We measured the radial velocity curve from the wings of the double-peaked H$\alpha$ emission line, and obtained a semi-amplitude value that is in excellent agreement with the obtained from observations in the ultraviolet spectral region by Sion et al. (1998). We present also a new method to obtain K_2, which enhances the detection of absorption or emission features arising in the late-type companion. Our results are compared with published values derived from the near-infrared NaI line doublet. From a comparison of the TiO band with those of late type M stars, we find that a best fit is obtained for a M6V star, contributing 5 percent of the total light at that spectral region. Assuming that the radial velocity semi-amplitudes reflect accurately the motion of the binary components, then from our results: K_em = 107+/-2 km/s; K_abs = 310+/-5 km/s, and using the inclination angle given by Zhang & Robinson(1987); i = 69.7+/-0.7, the system parameters become: M_WD = 1.20+/-0.05 M_sun,; M_RD = 0.42+/-0.04 M_sun; and a = 1.55+/- 0.02 R_sun. Based on the separation of the double emission peaks, we calculate an outer disk radius of R_out/a ~0.61, close to the distance of the inner Lagrangian point L_1/a~0.63. Therefore we suggest that, at the time of observations, the accretion disk was filling the Roche-Lobe of the primary, and that the matter leaving the L_1 point was colliding with the disc directly, producing the hot spot at this location.Comment: 36 pages, 14 figures, ccepted for publication in A

Desarrollo e implementación del curso de introducción a la física en la universidad autónoma de la ciudad de México (UACM)

El trabajo que ahora presentamos da cuenta del proceso de implementación del curso de Introducción a la Física que se imparte en la UACM basado en el trabajo del Physics Education Group de la Universidad de Washington. Éste se desarrolla desde un enfoque constructivista, con la intención de desarrollar conocimiento operativo y habilidades de pensamiento científico como elementos que pensamos pueden contrarrestar el fracaso usual en los cursos de física. Los resultados que se presentan en esta ponencia buscan dar evidencia de que la efectividad en el aprendizaje de la ciencia requiere del involucramiento mental activo y de la consideración del estado inicial real del estudiante, entre otras cosas; asimismo, se presenta un marco metodológico para implementar y evaluar actividades de aprendizaje bajo las mismas premisas

Implementación de un proyecto de inteligencia de negocios en la empresa constructora GyM S.A.

El presente proyecto se realizó para la Empresa GyM S.A., esta organización se dedica a la construcción de obras civiles, obras electromecánicas y edificaciones, además brinda servicios a las principales Empresas del Perú y también cuenta con proyectos fuera del país. El propósito de nuestra investigación es demostrar cómo la Inteligencia de Negocios puede dar solución a la problemática actual de la corporación que, debido a la enorme cantidad de datos que procesan los sistemas con que trabajan, actualmente no cuentan con un control ni con una manera automatizada de consolidar toda esa información. Nuestra propuesta consta de integrar los sistemas de la empresa mediante técnicas presentadas por la Inteligencia de Negocios, con el fin, de que en base a la construcción de indicadores, reportes de análisis de la información, entre otras herramientas, podamos brindar una solución que sea de apoyo para la toma de decisiones en la empresa y así la alta gerencia pueda ejecutar las medidas correctivas en caso se amerite. Nuestro análisis demostrará que la solución es sumamente rentable, con respecto al costo que implica el proceso de realizar una consolidación manual de la información mensualmente, como es requerido. Así mismo, muestra efectos positivos en la utilización de Inteligencia de Negocios para la organización, debido a la calidad y mejor control de la información.Tesi