Procedencia de los alimentos utilizados en las explotaciones de vacuno lechero del Principado de Asturias

publishedTomo I . Sección: Sistemas Ganaderos-Economía y Gestión. Sesión: Producción de leche. Ponencia nº 2

Monte Bernorio (Palencia): siglo I a.C. / 1936- 1937 d.C. Arqueología de un campo de batalla

El yacimiento de Monte Bernorio es uno de los más importantes de la Edad del Hierro en el norte de la Península Ibérica. Por su estratégico emplazamiento, este oppidum tuvo un importante papel en la guerra de conquista que el Emperador Augusto desarrolló contra los territorios de Cántabros y Ástures. Dos mil años más tarde este núcleo volvió a tener una crucial importancia estratégica en los enfrentamientos de la Guerra Civil, en los que Monte Bernorio jugó un papel fundamental dentro del denominado “Frente Norte”. A través del estudio arqueológico de los restos que se han conservado de los combates se puede llegar a comprender la dureza de la guerra en esta área y las condiciones de vida de los soldados en las posiciones que se erigieron entre los restos de la Edad del Hierro.Monte Bernorio is one of the most important Iron Age sites in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Due to its strategic position, this oppidum played a relevant role in the war of conquest that Emperor Augustus carried out in the land of the Cantabrians and Asturians. Two thousand years later, this place was again of great strategic relevance during the Spanish Civil War: Monte Bernorio played a crucial role within the so-called “Northern Front”. Through the archaeological study of the Civil War remains, it is possible to understand the hardness of the combats that took place in this area, as well as the harsh conditions of life experienced by those soldiers who fought among the ruins of an Iron Age settlement

Dynamics of alternative modes of RNA replication for positive-sense RNA viruses

We propose and study nonlinear mathematical models describing the intracellular time dynamics of viral RNA accumulation for positive sense single-stranded RNA viruses. Our models consider different replication modes ranging between two extremes represented by the geometric replication (GR) and the linear stamping machine replication (SMR). We first analyze a model that quantitatively reproduced experimental data for the accumulation dynamics of both polarities of Turnip mosaic potyvirus RNAs. We identify a non-degenerate transcritical bifurcation governing the extinction of both strands depending on three key parameters: the mode of replication (®), the replication rate (r) and the degradation rate (±) of viral strands. Our results indicate that the bifurcation associated with ® generically takes place when the replication mode is closer to the SMR, thus suggesting that GR may provide viral strands with an increased robustness against degradation. This transcritical bifurcation, which is responsible for the switching from an active to an absorbing regime, suggests a smooth (i.e., second-order), absorbing-state phase transition. Finally, we also analyze a simplified model that only incorporates asymmetry in replication tied to differential replication modes.This work has been funded by the Human Frontier Science Program Organization grant RGP12/2008, by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci´on grants BIO2008-01986 (JAD) and BFU2009-06993 (SFE), and by the Santa Fe Institute. FM is the recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from Universitat Polit`ecnica de Val`encia. We also want to thank the hospitality and support of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (University of California at Santa Barbara), where part of this work was developed (grant NSF PHY05-51164).Peer reviewe

Prevalence of blood parasites in seabirds - a review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>While blood parasites are common in many birds in the wild, some groups seem to be much less affected. Seabirds, in particular, have often been reported free from blood parasites, even in the presence of potential vectors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>From a literature review of hemosporidian prevalence in seabirds, we collated a dataset of 60 species, in which at least 15 individuals had been examined. These data were included in phylogenetically controlled statistical analyses of hemosporidian prevalence in relation to ecological and life-history parameters. <it>Haemoproteus </it>parasites were common in frigatebirds and gulls, while <it>Hepatozoon </it>occurred in albatrosses and storm petrels, and <it>Plasmodium </it>mainly in penguins. The prevalence of <it>Haemoproteus </it>showed a geographical signal, being lower in species with distribution towards polar environments. Interspecific differences in <it>Plasmodium </it>prevalence were explained by variables that relate to the exposure to parasites, suggesting that prevalence is higher in burrow nesters with long fledgling periods. Measures of <it>Plasmodium</it>, but not <it>Haemoproteus </it>prevalences were influenced by the method, with PCR-based data resulting in higher prevalence estimates.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our analyses suggest that, as in other avian taxa, phylogenetic, ecological and life-history parameters determine the prevalence of hemosporidian parasites in seabirds. We discuss how these relationships should be further explored in future studies.</p

Reality and causality in quantum gravity modified electrodynamics

We present a general description of the propagation properties of quantum gravity modified electrodynamics characterized by constitutive relations up to second order in the correction parameter. The effective description corresponds to an electrodynamics in a dispersive and absorptive non-local medium, where the Green functions and the refraction indices can be explicitly calculated. The reality of the electromagnetic field together with the requirement of causal propagation in a given referrence frame leads to restrictions in the form of such refraction indices. In particular, absorption must be present in all cases and, contrary to the usual assumption, it is the dominant aspect in those effective models which exhibit linear effects in the correction parameter not related to birefringence. In such a situation absorption is linear while propagation is quadratical in the correction parameter.Comment: 15 pages, LaTex, minor changes to clarify some points, version accepted for publicatio

Compositional analysis of flatworm genomes shows strong codon usage biases across all classes

In the present work, we performed a comparative genome-wide analysis of 22 species representative of the main clades and lifestyles of the phylum Platyhelminthes. We selected a set of 700 orthologous genes conserved in all species, measuring changes in GC content, codon, and amino acid usage in orthologous positions. Values of 3rd codon position GC spanned over a wide range, allowing to discriminate two distinctive clusters within freshwater turbellarians, Cestodes and Trematodes respectively. Furthermore, a hierarchical clustering of codon usage data differs remarkably from the phylogenetic tree. Additionally, we detected a synonymous codon usage bias that was more dramatic in extreme GC-poor or GC-rich genomes, i.e., GC-poor Schistosomes preferred to use AT-rich terminated synonymous codons, while GC-rich M. lignano showed the opposite behavior. Interestingly, these biases impacted the amino acidic usage, with preferred amino acids encoded by codons following the GC content trend. These are associated with non-synonymous substitutions at orthologous positions. The detailed analysis of the synonymous and non-synonymous changes provides evidence for a two-hit mechanism where both mutation and selection forces drive the diverse coding strategies of flatworms

Integration of genetic data on fisheries management models. The European hake case.

The European hake is one of the major commercially important species in Western Europe fisheries. Currently its management is divided into different functional units in the Mediterranean (GFCM, General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean) and two stocks in the Atlantic: the Southern and the Northern Stock. The basis for the definition of this management stock structure is under permanent discussion and in the latest years there were an increased amount of genetic studies addressing this topic. Integrated ecosystem assessment requires an improved understanding of the marine ecosystem to provide an effective advice. To this end we have gathered hake genetic information from different studies with the aim of developing a spatial assessment model that links the current stocks. These studies show a restricted gene flow between Southern hake and Mediterranean hake, although a smaller genetic distance between Southern and Northern stocks than one expected from two independent populations, suggesting the presence of a major gene flow from northern grounds core stock (Porcupine and Great Sole Banks) towards the Bay of Biscay and the northwest coast of the Iberian Peninsula. However the quantitative implementation of genetic metrics (such as Fst, migration rates, etc) into population dynamic models is not straightforward given the different nature and assumptions behind these different approaches. In this work we discuss the problems to link these different disciplines suggesting ways to overcome them. These include ways to improve future genetic sampling and developing plausible scenarios for genetic connectivity in population dynamic models

Edible Ectomycorrhizal Mushrooms: A Non-Timber Forest Product of Neotropical Forests and its Relation to Sustainability and Climate Change Mitigation

Edible ectomycorrhizal mushrooms (EEM) are a non-timber forest product that constitutes a valuable genetic resource and a nutritious and functional food containing antitumor, antidiabetes, antimicrobial, antihypertensive and antioxidant bioactive compounds, whose sustainable use can contribute to conservation of Neotropical forests. International commerce of some EEM annually is worth billions of dollars, while numerous EEM species represent a valuable food resource and an important source of income for thousands of families in countries with developing economies. Additionally, EEM can be used as biofertilizers which increase nutrient mobilization, health and survival of trees, therefore contributing to successful reforestations. The cultivation of some species of EEM has already been achieved, as in the case of the black truffles in Europe, while efforts in order to cultivate other species currently is being developed in different countries. During the last two decades, ethnomycological and biotechnological research registering EEM consumed in Mexico and selecting species feasible to inoculate Neotropical trees has been conducted by the authors. More than 250 EEM species have been recorded to be consumed as traditional food by 23 ethnic groups in the country; accounting for the second largest biodiversity of EEM worldwide, only after China. The sustainable use of EEM constitutes an important component of forest management, particularly in Neotropical areas with high degree of economic and social margination. Additionally, 25 species of EEM have been tested by the authors e.g. Laccaria, Hebeloma and Suillus species showing increased macro-(N, P, K, Ca and Mg) and micro-(Fe and Ca) nutrient mobilization, photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll a, b and total contents of inoculated plants compared with non-inoculated plants. Conspicuous ectomycorrhizal colonization, up to 100% in some cases, and production of EEM sporomes with 20 tested pine and oak species have demonstrated the feasibility of this biotechnology. Field trials developed in both low- and high-fertility soils have demonstrated increases in the survival of native inoculated pines and oaks; and initial production of EEM sporomes four years after the establishment of tree plantations has occurred. Molecular and metagenomic sequencing of the rRNA S1 and S18 genes studies conducted by the authors, have shown the persistence of the inoculated EEM and conspicuous changes in the microbiomes associated with mycorrhized and non-mycorrized root trees, respectively. This biotechnology has shown to increase natural production of EEM, demonstrating benefits to sustainable ecosystem management and, through successful reforestations, to mitigation of climate change.Keywords: Biodiversity conservation, Edible wild mushrooms, Ectomycorrhiza, Non-timber forest products, Environmental sustainabilit

Metodología de diseño de LNA de banda ancha robustos frente a variaciones de proceso

Los amplificadores de bajo ruido requieren cumplir unas especificaciones de diseño muy estrictas. Esto hace delicado y tedioso su diseño, especialmente si se desea garantizar su robustez al sufrir las variaciones de proceso. Para solventarlo, este trabajo presenta una metodología de optimización