Interannual variability of zooplankton biomass and structure in Ría de Vigo ( Galiza, NW Spain) and adjacent shelfwaters between 1994 and 2000.

Changes in zooplankton biomass and structure in relation to hidroclimatological indexes in Ría de Vigo and adjacent shelf waters are presented for the period 1994-2000. Zooplankton biomass showed an inverse relation with NAO, the Gulf Current and upwelling indexes. The interannual variations in zooplankton composition showed a gook correlation to changes in the hidroclimatological indexes. The presence of warm water species of Copepoda (i.e., Temora stylifera) and Cladocera (i.e., Evadne spinifera, Penilia avirostris) between 1996 and 1998 is reported. In the same years a high abundance of oceanic copepods, such as: Paraeuchaeta hebes, Centropages chierchiae, Oithona plumifera and copepodits of Calanus helgolandicus have been observed inside Ría de Vig

Histiocitosis de células de Langerhans en el raquis infantil

Introducción: la Histiocitosis de células de Langerhans incluye un amplio espectro de enfermedades de etiología desconocida, observada preponderantemente en niños. El objetivo del presente trabajo es: analizar formas de presentación, estudios complementarios, procedimientos diagnósticos, criterios de estadificación y resultados de distintas modalidades terapéuticas en 12 pacientes con Histiocitosis de células de Langerhans con localización raquídea. Materiales y Métodos: doce pacientes evaluados retrospectivamente con diseño de caso-control, tratados entre 1983- 2004. Seguimiento promedio 5 años. La estadificación incluyó extensión anatómica (Weinstein-Boriani-Biagini) y comportamiento biológico (Enneking). El centellograma, la TC y la RNM fueron los estudios de elección. El tratamiento incluyó corticoides, radioterapia, quimioterapia y cirugía. Resultados: relación masculino-femenino 10-2, media edad 9 años 5 meses. Datos clínicos relevantes: dolor, limitación funcional o deformidad y compromiso neurológico. Predominio de formas únicas en raquis lumbar, cuerpo vertebral. Las variables clínicas fueron modificadas favorablemente con significancia estadística (p < 0,05). Se obtuvo la remisión de la enfermedad sin excepciones, pero persistieron distintas secuelas morfológicas vertebrales, sin traducción clínica. Conclusión: Se obtuvo la curación de las lesiones, independientemente del tratamiento realizado. Al momento del diagnóstico, ningún criterio clínico, histológico o de imágenes pudo predecir el curso ulterior de la enfermedad.Background: Langerhans' Cell Histiocytosis includes a wide spectrum of disorders of unknown etiology observed mostly in children. The purpose of this investigation is: to analyze the clinical course, the complementary studies, the diagnostic procedures, the criteria of stadification and the results of the diverse treatment modalities, in the spine involvement. Methods: twelve pediatric patients treated from 1983 to 2004 were retrospectively reviewed through a case-control design. Mean follow up was 5 years. Lesions were classified according to their anatomical extent (Weinstein-Boriani-Biagini) and biological behavior (Enneking). Supports for staging and searching were taken from Scintigraphy, CT and MRI. Treatment was performed by surgery, chemotherapy, corticosteroids and radiation therapy, depending on the extent of the disease. Alpha was set at 0.05. Results: male-female ratio was 10-2. The most frequent clinical data were pain, deformity or stiffness and neurological impairment. Solitary location was prevalent. The lumbar spine was most frequently affected. The vertebral body was involved in all the cases. Clinical data were improved without exceptions but vertebral body collapse underwent poor improvement. Conclusions: recurrence free-healing was obtained in all cases, regardless of treatment method. At the time of diagnosis, no clinical, radiographic or histological criteria could predict the course of the disease

Mesozooplankton from Ría de Vigo (NW Spain) and its adjacent shelf between 1995 and 2003

The mesozooplankton (200 μm to 2 mm) community from monthly samples collected at two stations in Ría de Vigo (39 m) and its adjacent shelf (97 m) between 1995-2003 is described. The mesozooplankton was dominated by copepods. Inside the Ría, meroplankton (larvae of gasteropods, lamelibranchiae, echinodermate and cirripids nauplii) and other holoplanktonic organisms, such as apendicularia, cladocera, siphonophora and medusae, were also well represented. The copepod group inside the Ría was dominated by Acartia clausi, juveniles of Calanus helgolandicus, Paracalanus parvus, Pseudocalanus elongatus, Temora longicornis, Oithona plumifera, Oncaea media, Euterpina acutifrons and copepodites of Centropages spp. In the offshore station, dominant copepods species were the same than inshore together with other oceanic species, such as Paraeuchaeta hebes, Calanoides carinatus and Aetideus armatus. Biomass values within Ría de Vigo ranged between 2 and 151 mg dry weight /m3 and between 2 and 314 mg dry weight /m3 in the offshore station. Abundance ranged between 149 ind/m in January 1995 and 41814 ind/m3 in August of 2003 in the inner station, and between 22 ind/m3 in January 1996 and 93410 ind/m3 in May 1999 in the outer station. The most outstanding events were the high levels of the Mediterranean copepod Temora stylifera, usually rare in Galician waters recorded in the area in 1997 and 1998, and the increased levels of cirripid larvae observed inside the Ría

Symbiont-mediated RNA interference in insects

RNA interference (RNAi) methods for insects are often limited by problems with double-stranded (ds) RNA delivery, which restricts reverse genetics studies and the development of RNAi-based biocides. We therefore delegated to insect symbiotic bacteria the task of: (i) constitutive dsRNA synthesis and (ii) trauma-free delivery. RNaseIII-deficient, dsRNA-expressing bacterial strains were created from the symbionts of two very diverse pest species: a long-lived blood-sucking bug, Rhodnius prolixus, and a short-lived globally invasive polyphagous agricultural pest, western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis). When ingested, the manipulated bacteria colonized the insects, successfully competed with the wild-type microflora, and sustainably mediated systemic knockdown phenotypes that were horizontally transmissible. This represents a significant advance in the ability to deliver RNAi, potentially to a large range of non-model insects

The future of isosorbide as a fundamental constituent for polycarbonates and polyurethanes

Isosorbide is a biobased compound which could become in the near future an advantageous competitor of petroleum-derived components in the synthesis of polymers of different nature. When the reactivity of isosorbide is not enough, it can be successfully transformed into secondary building blocks, such as isosorbide bis(methyl carbonate), which provides extra functionalities for polymerization reactions with diols or diamines. The present review summarizes the possibilities for isosorbide as a green raw material to be used in the synthesis of polycarbonates and polyurethanes to obtain products of similar or enhanced properties to the commercial equivalents.This paper is a part of the research carried out within the VIPRISCAR project which has received funding from the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (JU) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 790440. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the Bio-Based Industries Consortium

The ITRAX core scanner, a useful tool to distinguish anthropic vs. climatic influences in lagoon of Aveiro (N Portugal)

The main goal of this work is to distinguish anthropic and climatic influences in sediments from the lagoon of Aveiro (Portugal). This study is based on a core (240-cm long) collected in Murtosa Channel. Optical and X-radiographic images and high-resolution elemental profiles were acquired with ITRAX micro-X-ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanner. Samples collected at each ≈3 cm along the core were analysed for grain size and total organic carbon. Furthermore, the fine fraction of selected layers was subjected to geochemical analysis by ICP-MS, after total acid digestion of the sediments, and mineralogical analysis, by XRD techniques. A radiocarbon age was determined by AMS, using molluscs shells collected at a depth of 90 cm. Sediments along the core are composed by fine and medium sand, with several mud layers. Sediments composing the first 100-cm may have been deposited after 1950, as it is indicated by the radiocarbon data, the increasing trend of Zn/Al, Pb/Al and Cu/Al and total concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cu, V, Cr, As and Ni in this interval that therefore might be linked with industrial activities of Chemical Complex of Estarreja. The progressive increase of Si/Al, Cl/Al, Rb/Al, K/Al and Br/Al and reduced Al concentrations, from the base to the top of this core, are interpreted as being related to higher marine influence and greater differences in tidal currents with longer exposition to air of the sediments with the consequent formation of brines favouring minerals precipitation in the area (e.g. anhydrite). These results seem to be a consequence of several works developed over time like: i) dredging to improve the navigation access to the harbour, located in the external sector of the lagoon; ii) the control of the course of some rivers influencing the supply of sediments. The tendency of sea level rise may have also emphasized the gradual increase of marine influence in this area. Fine-grained sections, related to an increase in Al, phyllosilicates, organic matter, pyrite and siderite contents would be attributed to phases of greater supply of fine-sediments during heavy rainfall events by the nearby Antuã river and other streams during negative phases of North Atlantic Oscillation. Higher deposition of organic matter enhanced diagenetic changes with pyrite and siderite formation. In the bottom of the core another record of pollution was unveiled to mining activities at the beginning of 20th century.FCT de Portugal - C/CTE/UI4035/2011CNPq - 401803/2010-

Detection of very high energy gamma-ray emission from the gravitationally-lensed blazar QSO B0218+357 with the MAGIC telescopes

Context. QSO B0218+357 is a gravitationally lensed blazar located at a redshift of 0.944. The gravitational lensing splits the emitted radiation into two components, spatially indistinguishable by gamma-ray instruments, but separated by a 10-12 day delay. In July 2014, QSO B0218+357 experienced a violent flare observed by the Fermi-LAT and followed by the MAGIC telescopes. Aims. The spectral energy distribution of QSO B0218+357 can give information on the energetics of z ~ 1 very high energy gamma- ray sources. Moreover the gamma-ray emission can also be used as a probe of the extragalactic background light at z ~ 1. Methods. MAGIC performed observations of QSO B0218+357 during the expected arrival time of the delayed component of the emission. The MAGIC and Fermi-LAT observations were accompanied by quasi-simultaneous optical data from the KVA telescope and X-ray observations by Swift-XRT. We construct a multiwavelength spectral energy distribution of QSO B0218+357 and use it to model the source. The GeV and sub-TeV data, obtained by Fermi-LAT and MAGIC, are used to set constraints on the extragalactic background light. Results. Very high energy gamma-ray emission was detected from the direction of QSO B0218+357 by the MAGIC telescopes during the expected time of arrival of the trailing component of the flare, making it the farthest very high energy gamma-ray sources detected to date. The observed emission spans the energy range from 65 to 175 GeV. The combined MAGIC and Fermi-LAT spectral energy distribution of QSO B0218+357 is consistent with current extragalactic background light models. The broad band emission can be modeled in the framework of a two zone external Compton scenario, where the GeV emission comes from an emission region in the jet, located outside the broad line region.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&