Regional surface temperature simulations over the Iberian Peninsula: evaluation and climate projections

The realism of a specifc confguration of the WRF Regional Climate Model (RCM) to represent the observed temperature evolution over the Iberian Peninsula (IP) in the 1971–2005 period has been analyzed. The E-OBS observational dataset was used for this purpose. Also, the added value of the WRF simulations with respect to the IPSL Earth System Model (ESM) used to drive the WRF RCM was evaluated. In general, WRF presents lower temperatures than in the observations (negative biases) over the IP. These biases are comparatively larger than those of the driving ESM. Once the biases are corrected, WRF provides an added value in terms of a higher spatial representation. WRF introduces more variability in some regions in comparison to gridded observation. Warming trends according to the observations are also well represented by the RCM. In the second part of this study, the projections of future climate performed with both the ESM and the RCM were evaluated for the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios during the 21st century. Although both models simulate temperature increases, the RCM simulates a smaller warming than the ESM after the mid-21st century, except for winter. Using the WRF model, the maximum temperature increase reaches 6 ◦C and 3 ◦C for RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 in the south east of the Iberian Peninsula by the end of the 21st century, respectively

Vertical variability of trophic positions of zooplankton in the deep Ocean

Zooplankton plays a key role in oceanic ecosystems. However, the trophic ecology of organisms in deep layers of the ocean is poorly known. In this study we analyze the variability of trophic positions of zooplankton collected across three ocean basins in the epi-, meso and bathypelagic domains. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were used as indicators of the sources of nutrients and positions within the food web. The enrichment in heavy nitrogen isotopes with depth and the correlation between surface and deep samples revealed that deep zooplankton was supported by local epipelagic production, subsequently processed through the water column. In addition the nitrogen isotope enrichment of carnivores vs. omnivores was consistent across ocean biomes and water layers, suggesting a similar trophic structure of the pelagic food web in the deep ocean despite variations in the nitrogen sources. Siphonofora, Chaetognata and Myctophida were the top predators while Calanoid Copepoda and Mysidacea displayed the lowest trophic positions. In contrast, carbon isotopes did not show significant variations with depth or trophic groups implying low influence of coastal production in deep ocean food webs

Bathypelagic fauna as a main driver of carbon sequestration in the ocean

Sequestration, in contrast to export, is a mechanism of the biological pump occurring when carbon cannot return to the atmosphere in at least 100 years, normally the carbon transported below 1000 m depth. Pelagic fauna release carbon at depth through respiration, egestion, excretion, moulting, lipid consumption and mortality supporting deep-sea food webs. Knowledge about this transport in the mesopelagic layer is growing. However, the role of the pelagic fauna to fuel the bathypelagic zone, the layer where effective carbon sequestration occurs, is largely unknown. Here we report net zooplankton biomass in the meso- and bathypelagic zones showing significant relationships with primary production (PP) at a global scale during the Malaspina Circumnavigation Expedition. We also reviewed available data on zooplankton biomass at the different biogeographical provinces also showing significant correlations with large-scale estimates of PP, implying the transference of a significant fraction of PP from the epipelagic to the deep ocean. Carbon sequestration assessed only from conservative estimates of zooplankton mortality in the bathypelagic was 0.43 PgC y-1, in the order of recent estimates of gravitational carbon sequestration. These values and those recently reviewed due to lipid consumption almost triples ocean carbon sequestration estimates in Westerlies and Polar biomes. These results point at a pivotal role of the pelagic fauna in ocean carbon sequestration as, besides zooplankton, downward transport by macroplankton and micronekton should also be accounted for. Our results raises the question of whether we are severely underestimating carbon sequestration in the ocea

Large deep-sea zooplankton biomass mirrors primary productivity in the global ocean.

The biological pump transports organic carbon produced by photosynthesis to the meso- and bathypelagic zones, the latter removing carbon from exchanging with the atmosphere over centennial time scales. Organisms living in both zones are supported by a passive flux of particles, and carbon transported to the deep-sea through vertical zooplankton migrations. Here we report globally-coherent positive relationships between zooplankton biomass in the epi-, meso-, and bathypelagic layers and average net primary production (NPP). We do so based on a global assessment of available deep-sea zooplankton biomass data and largescale estimates of average NPP. The relationships obtained imply that increased NPP leads to enhanced transference of organic carbon to the deep ocean. Estimated remineralization from respiration rates by deep-sea zooplankton requires a minimum supply of 0.44 Pg C y−1 transported into the bathypelagic ocean, comparable to the passive carbon sequestration. We suggest that the global coupling between NPP and bathypelagic zooplankton biomass must be also supported by an active transport mechanism associated to vertical zooplankton migration

Guía Clínica Española del Acceso Vascular para Hemodiálisis

El acceso vascular para hemodiálisis es esencial para el enfermo renal tanto por su morbimortalidad asociada como por su repercusión en la calidad de vida. El proceso que va desde la creación y mantenimiento del acceso vascular hasta el tratamiento de sus complicaciones constituye un reto para la toma de decisiones debido a la complejidad de la patología existente y a la diversidad de especialidades involucradas. Con el fin de conseguir un abordaje consensuado, el Grupo Español Multidisciplinar del Acceso Vascular (GEMAV), que incluye expertos de las cinco sociedades científicas implicadas (nefrología [S.E.N.], cirugía vascular [SEACV], radiología vascular e intervencionista [SERAM-SERVEI], enfermedades infecciosas [SEIMC] y enfermería nefrológica [SEDEN]), con el soporte metodológico del Centro Cochrane Iberoamericano, ha realizado una actualización de la Guía del Acceso Vascular para Hemodiálisis publicada en 2005. Esta guía mantiene una estructura similar, revisando la evidencia sin renunciar a la vertiente docente, pero se aportan como novedades, por un lado, la metodología en su elaboración, siguiendo las directrices del sistema GRADE con el objetivo de traducir esta revisión sistemática de la evidencia en recomendaciones que faciliten la toma de decisiones en la práctica clínica habitual y, por otro, el establecimiento de indicadores de calidad que permitan monitorizar la calidad asistencial.Vascular access for haemodialysis is key in renal patients both due to its associated morbidity and mortality and due to its impact on quality of life. The process, from the creation and maintenance of vascular access to the treatment of its complications, represents a challenge when it comes to decision-making, due to the complexity of the existing disease and the diversity of the specialities involved. With a view to finding a common approach, the Spanish Multidisciplinary Group on Vascular Access (GEMAV), which includes experts from the five scientific societies involved (nephrology [S.E.N.], vascular surgery [SEACV], vascular and interventional radiology [SERAM-SERVEI], infectious diseases [SEIMC] and nephrology nursing [SEDEN]), along with the methodological support of the Cochrane Center, has updated the Guidelines on Vascular Access for Haemodialysis, published in 2005. These guidelines maintain a similar structure, in that they review the evidence without compromising the educational aspects. However, on one hand, they provide an update to methodology development following the guidelines of the GRADE system in order to translate this systematic review of evidence into recommendations that facilitate decision-making in routine clinical practice, and, on the other hand, the guidelines establish quality indicators which make it possible to monitor the quality of healthcare