Contribución al estudio de la flora algal de la isla de Tabarca (Alicante), Cyanophyta, Phaeophyta y Chlorophyta.

Sin resume

Evaluation of Contrast Sensitivity, Chromatic Vision, and Reading Ability in Patients with Primary Open Angle Glaucoma

Purpose. To compare contrast sensitivity, acquired color vision deficiency, and reading ability in patients with glaucoma at different stages of the disease and to establish correlations between visual field parameters and visual function scores. Methods. This prospective cross-sectional study included 121 glaucoma patients. Subjects with a diagnosis of chronic open angle glaucoma were recruited and classified according to Hodapp-Parrish-Anderson criteria. Patients with severe visual field defects were excluded because they were older, which could bias the interpretation of visual function tests. Contrast sensitivity was measured using the Pelli-Robson Chart and the CSV1000E test. Chromatic vision was evaluated using the Farnsworth-panel D15 and the L''Anthony D15 tests of Vision Color Recorder software. Reading ability was measured using Radner-Vissum test. Results. Contrast sensitivity (with photopic and mesopic luminance with glare) differed significantly between patients with early and moderate visual field defects (p < 0.05). Reading ability scores and results of the chromatic vision tests did not differ significantly between the two groups. Significant and moderate Spearman correlations between visual field indexes and contrast sensitivity tests were detected. Conclusions. Contrast sensitivity was significantly worse in patients with moderate glaucoma compared to those with early-stage glaucoma. Evaluation of visual function in clinical practice provides important information to address a glaucoma patient''s vision complaints

Evaluation of progressive visual dysfunction and retinal degeneration in patients with parkinson’s disease

PURPOSE. To quantify changes in visual function parameters and in the retinal nerve fiber layer and macular thickness over a 5-year period in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). METHODS. Thirty patients with PD and 30 healthy subjects underwent a complete ophthalmic evaluation, including assessment of visual acuity, contrast sensitivity vision, color vision, and retinal evaluation with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). All subjects were reevaluated after 5 years to quantify changes in visual function parameters, the retinal nerve fiber layer, and macular thickness. Association between progressive ophthalmologic changes and disease progression was analyzed. RESULTS. Changes were detected in visual function parameters and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in patients compared with controls. Greater changes were found during the follow-up in the PD group than healthy subjects in visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, Lanthony color test (P < 0.016), in superotemporal and temporal retinal nerve fiber layer sectors (P < 0.001), and in macular thickness (all sectors except inner superior and inner inferior sectors, P < 0.001). Progressive changes in the retinal nerve fiber layer were associated with disease progression (r = 0.389, P = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS. Progressive visual dysfunction, macular thinning, and axonal loss can be detected in PD. Analysis of the macular thickness and the retinal nerve fiber layer by SD-OCT can be useful for evaluating Parkinson’s disease progression

Optical Coherence Tomography as a Biomarker for Diagnosis, Progression, and Prognosis of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases present a current challenge for accurate diagnosis and for providing precise prognostic information. Developing imaging biomarkers for multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson disease (PD), and Alzheimer''s disease (AD) will improve the clinical management of these patients and may be useful for monitoring treatment effectiveness. Recent research using optical coherence tomography (OCT) has demonstrated that parameters provided by this technology may be used as potential biomarkers for MS, PD, and AD. Retinal thinning has been observed in these patients and new segmentation software for the analysis of the different retinal layers may provide accurate information on disease progression and prognosis. In this review we analyze the application of retinal evaluation using OCT technology to provide better understanding of the possible role of the retinal layers thickness as biomarker for the detection of these neurodegenerative pathologies. Current OCT analysis of the retinal nerve fiber layer and, specially, the ganglion cell layer thickness may be considered as a good biomarker for disease diagnosis, severity, and progression

Impact of collector string characteristics on experimental culture of Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey)Suringar and Laminaria saccharina (L.) Lamouroux (Laminariales, Phaeophyta)

The viability of industrial culture of Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar and Laminaria saccharina (L.) Lamouroux using Western techniques requires an indoor phase to obtain collector strings on which many sporophytes are attached, which can then develop during the mariculture phase. The present paper studies the impact on final sporophtye richness of the characteristics of the string, and its number of previous treatments. Plaited string was clearly superior for both species, and a single previous treatment was enough to guarantee a suitable density of sporophytes for seeding.La viabilidad del cultivo industrial de Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar y Laminaria saccharina (L.) Lamouroux según el sistema de cultivo occidental requiere que en una fase previa de laboratorio se obtengan colectores con hilo de siembra rico en embriones que se desarrollarán en la fase de cultivo en el mar. En el presente trabajo se atiende a la influencia que tienen en la densidad final de plántulas la naturaleza del hilo de siembra y el número de tratamientos previos a los que es sometido. Los resultados muestran claramente que el hilo trenzado tiene mejores cualidades para ambas especies, en particular para L. saccharina, y que para conseguir una densidad adecuada de embriones es suficiente someterlo a un único tratamiento de incremento de su microestructura.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Use of single-cell detritus (SCD) produced from Laminaria saccharina (L.) Lamouroux in feeding Ruditapes decussatus (L., 1758) seed clam

A production technique for single cell detritus (SCD) from Laminaria saccharina (L.) Lamouroux was developed based on the sequential action of two enzymes, endoglucanases and cellulases, and two bacteria isolated in our laboratories: CECT-5255 and CECT-5256, which have high levels of cellobiosic, proteolytic and alginolytic activity. Using this technique, L. saccharina meal is transformed into a suspension of algal cells and detritus of less than 20 m in diameter, which can easily be filtered and digested by bivalve molluscs. A feeding trial carried out with Ruditapes decussatus (L., 1758) seed clams showed that L. saccharina SCD, when used as their sole diet, got 40 % of the seed growth achieved with a microalgal diet (control diet). When the SCD was used in a mixed diet, it could substitute up to 90 % of the microalgae, with comparable or even higher growth rates than exclusive microalgal diets.En este estudio se desarrolla una técnica de producción de biotransformados de Laminaria saccharina (L.) Lamouroux basada en la acción secuencial de enzimas (endoglucanasas y celulasas) y dos bacterias aisladas en laboratorios del Instituto Español de Oceanografía: las cepas códigos CECT-5255 y CECT-5256 de la CECT, que presentan una alta actividad celobiósica, proteolítica y alginolítica. Con dicha técnica, la harina de L. saccharina se transforma en una suspensión de células libres y detritos algales de tamaño inferior a 20 m, perfectamente capturables y digeribles por los moluscos bivalvos. Los diversos ensayos realizados en la alimentación de semilla de la almeja Ruditapes decussatus (L., 1758) ponen de manifiesto que con este biotransformado de L. saccharina, utilizado como único alimento, se obtienen crecimientos de alrededor del 40 % del logrado con fitoplancton. Si se mezcla con fitoplancton, puede sustituir hasta el 90 % del alimento vivo obteniéndose crecimientos equivalentes, incluso superiores, a los de las dietas algales puras.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Radial line slot antenna design for monopulse space debris radar

This paper shows the design of a radial line slot antenna for Space Debris Radar Applications. The monopulse antenna has two beams, sum and difference, and requires an amplitude and phase receiver for detection of the azimuth and elevation direction of arrival. The antenna is circular polarized, and this paper focus on the design of the receiver antenna. The paper shows the optimization process of the position and length of slots in the central frequency of 94 GHz and a first analysis of the feeding network. This design will be tested with the fabrication of a prototype

Preparation of single cell detritus from Laminaria sacchat¡rina as a hatchery diet for bivlabe mollucs.

A high-yield technique is described for the elaboration of single cell detritus (SCD) from Laminaria saccharina, based on the sequential action of C1H, enzymes (endoglucanases and cellulases) and 2 bacteria showing a high degree of cellobiotic, proteolytic, and alginolytic activity (CECT 5255 and CECT 5256). Over 85% of dried particles of L. saccharina were transformed into a suspension of free cell and bacterial and detrital particles after 24 hours of bacterial activity with this technique. These particles were less than 20 μm in diameter, constituting a suitable diet for bivalve mollusks. After 72 hours 99% of the total particulate volume consisted of particles less than 20 μm in diameter. Tests of hatchery diets for the seed of clam Ruditapes decussatus revealed increases of 54% and 68% for live weight and length, respectively, when SCD from L. saccharina was used as the sole dietary component compared with a live phytoplankton diet. However, SCD from L. saccharina is not a suitable food for the larvae of R. decussatus.Postprint

Overview of the Spanish fisheries in the Patagonian Shelf

The fishing grounds of the Patagonian Shelf support some of the most important fisheries in the world. The great abundance of marine resources among parallels 35º and 54º South, is associated with the Subtropical Convergence formed by the Brazil and Falkland/Malvinas currents. The mixing of the flow of La Plata River and the western branch of the Falkland/Malvinas Current generates areas of high plankton production on the shelf. Hakes (Merluccius hubbsi and Merluccius australis) and cephalopods (Illex argentinus and Loligo gahi) have been found the main commercial species, with important amounts of accompanying species in the catches such as Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides), Kingclip (Genypterus blacodes), Hoki (Macruronus magellanicus), Red cod (Salilota australis), Southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis), etc. These fisheries are currently among the most important to the Spanish bottom trawler freezing fleet that has around 40 vessels fishing in this area, besides another 20 that operate in joint ventures sailing Falkland flag. It is estimated that this fleet generates approximately 2,000 direct offshore jobs, and more than 10,000 indirect onshore jobs. This paper presents results from the EC Study Project 99/016 “Data collection for stock assessment of two hakes (Merluccius hubbsi and M. australis) in international and Falkland waters of the SW Atlantic”. Historical fishery and biological data series available from the Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO) and the Falkland Islands Fishery Department (FIFD) were used during the project to describe fishing patterns and spatio-temporal changes in the abundance and distribution of target and accompanying species, as well as to give an overview of these important fisheries

Holographic entanglement entropy probes (non)locality

We study the short-distance structure of geometric entanglement entropy in certain theories with a built-in scale of nonlocality. In particular we examine the cases of Little String Theory and Noncommutative Yang-Mills theory, using their AdS/CFT descriptions. We compute the entanglement entropy via the holographic ansatz of Ryu and Takayanagi to conclude that the area law is violated at distance scales that sample the nonlocality of these models, being replaced by an extensive volume law. In the case of the noncommutative model, the critical length scale that reveals the area/volume law transition is strongly affected by UV/IR mixing effects. We also present an argument showing that Lorentz symmetry tends to protect the area law for theories with field-theoretical density of states.Comment: 24 pages and 8 figures; added references, corrected some typos and added a full NEW SECTION with an explicit result linking holography, Lorentz invariance and area law of entanglement entrop