Can Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) discriminate among essential minerals in their diet?

Optimal foraging predicts that animals should be able to assess the content of important nutrients in food. Ungulates discriminate salt and P, but discrimination of other minerals is controversial even though they are also essential and often limiting. Animal scientists have explained this taste through palatability, which predicts the same pattern of discrimination for calves and hinds and greater consumption by the latter. Social learning may also be involved, predicting a correlation between mother and calf and less consumption by the latter. The present study examines the consumption behaviour of free-choice supplemented minerals by hinds and calves of Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) to discern between these hypotheses. Behavioural indices of intake correlated with actual mineral consumption (P,0·001). Mother and calf behavioural indices correlated only for salt-mixed minerals. Calves showed overall behavioural indices of consumption greater than hinds (P,0·01 and P,0·001), and also for all single supplements except NaCl, as expected from growth needs and in contrast to the palatability hypothesis. Calves showed a greater consumption of CuSO4 and lower of Na2SeO3 than pure salt. Hinds showed a different pattern, ingesting lower amounts of all minerals except CuSO4 and salt. Additional analyses also showed discrimination between minerals unmixed with salt, such as CaHPO4 and CaCO3 (P¼0·012 and P¼0·020). The greater intake of growing calves and the different consumption patterns for hinds and calves suggest that deer can discriminate among minerals, and that they do not consume minerals for their palatability or driven by social learning. Therefore, deer may be selecting minerals according to nutritional requirements.The present study was supported by projects CGL2008-00749/BOS (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion-Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional) and PC108-0115 (Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha).Peer Reviewe

Is sexual attraction and place of origin a moderator of sex in pornography consumption? Cross-sectional study on a representative sample of young adults

Background: Pornography consumption is higher in men, but we do not know if this association can be modified by different variables, such as sexual attraction and place of origin. Given the impact pornography has on minors, there are limited studies that analyze the use of pornography in representative samples of the adult population. The aim was analyze the prevalence and factors associated with using pornography in young adult men and women, living in Spain, with different sexual attractions and different places of birth. Methods: Cross-sectional study with an online survey conducted with 2515 men and women aged between 18 and 35 years of age. The prevalence of pornography consumption is described and analyzed in the total sample and stratified by sex, according to socio-demographic and sexual attraction variables. The association between covariates and pornography consumption at some point in life was estimated with prevalence ratios (PR) obtained with the Poisson models of robust variance. Dependent variable: voluntarily using pornography at some point in life. Socio-demographic variables were included in the analysis: age, sex, level of education, place of birth. Sexual attraction was also analyzed. Results: In Spain, 94.7% of men between 18 and 34 years and 74.6% of women have voluntarily used pornography at some point in their life. The mean age to start using it is earlier in men [Mean:14.2; Standard Deviation (SD):2.3]. Bisexual/homosexual attraction (reference: heterosexual) increases the probability of using pornography in women [(PR (95%CI): 1.30 (1.22; 1.38)]. Yet this is not observed in men. In both sexes, the probability of using pornography increases with age [(PR (95%CI): 1.01(1.00; 1.01)] and coming from abroad (reference: native), being the effect of country of birth significantly higher in women [(PR (95%CI): 1.17 (1.09; 1.26)] than in men [(PR (95%CI): 1.04 (1.01; 1.07). Conclusions: Public health programmes aimed at improving affective-sexual health should consider the high use of pornography among young adults in Spain, as well as those variables that increase its use.This research was supported by the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health of Spain (Grant ESP20PI02) and by the Institute of Health Carlos III (Grant PI22CIII/00036). Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature.S

Construyendo la Web de las Cosas: Ahorro energético y gestión de iluminación en ciudades

Se están realizando muchos esfuerzos para acercar aquellos objetos de la vida cotidiana a Internet. A lo largo de estos últimos años han emergido una gran cantidad de tecnologías como comunicación por proximidad -RFID o NFC-, localización en tiempo real o sensores embebidos. Además la computación distribuida, las tecnologías móviles y la conectividad en cualquier lugar están cobrando una mayor relevancia. La unión de todo esto nos permite transformar objetos de cada día en objetos inteligentes que pueden entender y reaccionar ante su entorno.En este artículo vamos a presentar como llevar toda esta tecnología a la vida real. Vamos a describir cómo implantar dispositivos en farolas y cómo hemos realizado diversos demostradores, de forma que se ha controlado, regulado y monitorizado remotamente su consumo energético. A lo largo del trabajo describiremos las pautas a seguir para llevar estas propuestas a nuestras ciudades

Performance Study of Software AER-Based Convolutions on a Parallel Supercomputer

This paper is based on the simulation of a convolution model for bioinspired neuromorphic systems using the Address-Event-Representation (AER) philosophy and implemented in the supercomputer CRS of the University of Cadiz (UCA). In this work we improve the runtime of the simulation, by dividing an image into smaller parts before AER convolution and running each operation in a node of the cluster. This research involves a test cases design in which the optimal parameters are set to run the AER convolution in parallel processors. These cases consist on running the convolution taking an image divided in different number of parts, applying to each part a Sobel filter for edge detection, and based on the AER-TOOL simulator. Execution times are compared for all cases and the optimal configuration of the system is discussed. In general, CRS obtain better performances when the image is divided than for the whole image.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TEC2009-10639-C04-0

Bio-Templating: An Emerging Synthetic Technique for Catalysts. A Review

In the last few years, researchers have focused their attention on the synthesis of new catalyst structures based on or inspired by nature. Biotemplating involves the transfer of biological structures to inorganic materials through artificial mineralization processes. This approach offers the main advantage of allowing morphological control of the product, as a template with the desired morphology can be pre-determined, as long as it is found in nature. This way, natural evolution through millions of years can provide us with new synthetic pathways to develop some novel functional materials with advantageous properties, such as sophistication, miniaturization, hybridization, hierarchical organization, resistance, and adaptability to the required need. The field of application of these materials is very wide, covering nanomedicine, energy capture and storage, sensors, biocompatible materials, adsorbents, and catalysis. In the latter case, bio-inspired materials can be applied as catalysts requiring different types of active sites (i.e., redox, acidic, basic sites, or a combination of them) to a wide range of processes, including conventional thermal catalysis, photocatalysis, or electrocatalysis, among others. This review aims to cover current experimental studies in the field of biotemplating materials synthesis and their characterization, focusing on their application in heterogeneous catalysis

Applying active learning by contextualizing robotic applications to historical heritage

Optional university courses are designed to allow undergraduate students to specialize in relevant fields to enhance their skills and knowledge for their future careers. However, there are some cases in which students prioritize enrolling in courses that are easy to pass. This choice results in having students with low motivation and commitment, who mainly focus on doing just enough to pass the course, missing the opportunity to boost their skills. In this study, an eclectic approach is proposed, applying a mixture of active learning methods together with the theory of multiple intelligences to improve students' performance, motivation, and commitment throughout the course. The study was applied to the 56 students enrolled in the optional Micro-Robotics Application spring course in the year 2021 at the University of Cádiz (Spain). Results demonstrate that this combination of active learning methodologies increased students' motivation, prompting them to give their best in terms of commitment, performance, and creativity. Furthermore, they were convinced that during the course they not only learned relevant robotic knowledge but also acquired essential skills needed for their future. Finally, this study highlights the benefits and future directions for implementing active learning methodologies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses

Plasmatic protein values in captive adult Iberian red deer stags (Cervus elaphus hispanicus)

The aim of this study was to assess the time trend of plasmatic proteins in red deer stags. Blood samples were taken monthly from 17 male red deer for 22 months. Total plasmatic determination and protein electrophoresis were performed. Plasmatic proteins showed minimum values during spring and summer and a maximum at the peak of the mating period. Total globulins, β and γ, followed a pattern similar to that observed for total proteins, whereas α1 and α2 globulins showed no seasonal variations. Albumin showed higher values in early spring and summer and lower values at the beginning of autumn, coinciding with the mating season. These seasonal changes in plasmatic proteins should be taken into account when assessing blood protein analysis results.This study was funded by projects AGL2007-63838/gan, PBI-05-040, PAC 06-01304298 and PET2006-0263 and MICINN (PTQ 09-02-01923).Peer Reviewe

Viabilidad del cultivo del pulpo

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