First report of Crumillospongia (Demospongea) from the Cambrian of Europe (Murero biota, Spain)

The demosponge genus Crumillospongia, originally described from the Burgess Shale (middle Cambrian of Canada), has only been cited from lower and middle Cambrian localities of North America and China. The taxon is now also described from uppermost lower Cambrian rocks of the Murero Lagerstätte (Zaragoza Province, NE Spain). Crumillospongia mureroensis sp. nov. is a small to medium sized sack-shaped to elongate demosponge characterized by the presence of densely packed pores of three sizes, considerably larger than those in any other species of the genus. The Spanish material represents a link in the chronostratigraphical gap between the Chinese and North American material.Peer reviewe

Cambrian bioestratigraphy and environmental evolution of the Borobia area (Province of Soria, Oriental Iberian Chain, Spain)

[Resumen] Se estudian dos secciones estratigráficas en los afloramientos cámbricos más septentrionales de la Cadena Ibérica Oriental, las cuales incluyen a las formaciones Jalón, Ribota, Huérmeda, Daroca, Valdemiedes, Murero y Acón. Los datos estratigráficos, mineralógicos, petrológicos y paleontológicos sugieren la existencia de tres geoventos de tipo eustático. El primero de ellos (Transgresión del Cámbrico inferior) comienza con depósitos litorales en condiciones áridas y ambiente oxidante, para evolucionar a un medio sublitoral carbonatado y posteriormente a otro de plataforma siliciclástica abierta. El segundo geoevento (Regresión Hawke Bay) estaría representado por las areniscas y lutitas de la Formación Daroca. El inicio del tercer geoevento (transgresión generalizada del Cámbrico medio) produce la instauración de una plataforma mixta (terrígeno-carbonatada) con pulsos regresivos asociados, representados por la base de la Formación Acón. La presencia de los trilobites Strenuaeva ineondita, Aeadolenus sp., Asturiaspis inopinatus; Paradoxides (Eeeaparadoxides) suleatus; P. (Eee.) rouvillez: P. (Bee.) barehyrhaehis, Badulesia tenera, Badulesia pasehz: Badulesia granien: Solenopleuropsis verdiagana, Solenopleuropsis truneata y Pardazlhaina sp.; junto a los acritarcos Skiagia ezliosa, Heliosphaen'dium dissimzlare, Arehaeodiseina umbonulata, Cristallinium eambn'ensis, Eliasum Ilaniseum, Timofeevia fosfonOtiea y Timofeevia lanearae sugiere que los pisos Marianiense, Bilbiliense, Leoniense y Caesaraugustiense del Cámbrico inferior-medio están representados. Estos datos paleontológicos permiten una primera comparación entre la biozonación española de trilobites y la de acritarcos, y proceder así a la correlación de los materiales del Cámbrico inferior y medio de la Península Ibérica con los de la Plataforma Oriental Europea.[Abstract] Two stratigraphical sections from the more septentrional Cambrian outcrops of the Oriental Iberian Chain 'are studied, including theJalón, Ribota, Huérmeda, Daroca, Valdemiedes, Murero and Acón formations (Lower-Middle Cambrian). The stratigraphical, mineralogical, petrological and paleontological data suggest the presence of three eustatic geoevents. The first one (Lower Cambrian Transgression) started with litoral deposits on arid and oxidant conditions that changed to sublitoral deposits (carbonate shelf) and posteriorly to an open siliciclastic shelf. The second eustatic geoevent (Hawke Bay Regression) is represented by the sandstones and lutites of the Daroca formation. The third geoevent (Middle Cambrian Transgression) began with the establishment of a mixed shelf (terrigenous- carbonated) and shows sorne regressive pulses represented by the basal leveIs of the Acón Formation. The presence of the trilobites Strenuaeva ineondita, Aeadolenus sp., Asturiaspis inopinatus, Paradoxides (Eceaparadoxides) suleatus, P. (Eee.) rouvillei, P. (Bee.) barehyrhaehis, Badulesia tenera, Badulesia pasehz~ Badulesia granien', Solenopleuropsis verdiagana, Solenopleuropsis truneata and Paradazlhania sp.; and the acritarchs Skiagia ezliosa, Heiosphaen'dium dissimzlare, Arehaeodiseina umbonulata, Cristallinium eambn'ensis, Eliasum Ilaniseum, Timofeevia fosfontiea and timofeevia lanearae suggest a Lower-Middle Cambrian age (Marianian to Caesaraugustian stages). These biostratigraphical data allow a comparison between the trilobite and acritarch biozonations for the first time in Spain as well as the correlation of the Península Ibérica's Lower-Middle Cambrian materials with the East European Platform ones.

150 años del descubrimiento del yacimiento cámbrico de Murero (Cadenas Ibéricas, NE España).

The lower-middle Cambrian palaeontological site of Murero (Cadenas Ibéricas, NE Spain) is a classical locality of the Cambrian in Europe. The site was first reported by the French geologist Edouard de Verneuil in 1862, and now it achieves 150 years of geological works contributing to a better knowledge of the Cambrian Period. Murero is an exceptional Lagerstätte because the coexistence of both skeletal and soft-bodied groups along a continuous record of ca. 8 million years, which is subdivided into 14 trilobite zones. Murero was the first palaeontological site in Spain to obtain the highest protection figure (Bien de Interés Cultural, BIC) from the Spanish Administration in 1997. Since then, the educational and social projection of the site is continuously increasing

Las sucesiones estratigráficas del Paleozoico inferior y medio

13 páginas, 20 páginas.-- Editor: García Cortés, Angel.-- Capítulo 2.Peer reviewe

Improvement of leak tightness for swellable elastomeric seals through the shape optimization

Swellable packers have been widely employed in various oil & gas applications. Downhole conditions are difficult to reproduce using physical testing environments, but can be simulated in a virtual environment using CAE software. A better understanding of packers’ mechanical behaviour in downhole conditions would provide a higher confidence and improvement in existing engineering design practices for the manufacturing of packers. The numerical simulation can be incorporated into optimisation procedures searching for an optimal shape of packers aiming to minimise the time to seal the borehole and maximise the contact pressure between the seal and borehole. Such an optimisation would facilitate the development of a packer with various designs optimised for different downhole conditions. The objective of this work is to develop a design tool integrated into Abaqus/CAE to implement parametric numerical studies using implicit and explicit FE-simulations. However, development of such a CAE plugin is associated with a number of technical challenges specific to this class of multiphysics problems, which are addressed in this research and discussed in the paper

Building Babies - Chapter 16

In contrast to birds, male mammals rarely help to raise the offspring. Of all mammals, only among rodents, carnivores, and primates, males are sometimes intensively engaged in providing infant care (Kleiman and Malcolm 1981). Male caretaking of infants has long been recognized in nonhuman primates (Itani 1959). Given that infant care behavior can have a positive effect on the infant’s development, growth, well-being, or survival, why are male mammals not more frequently involved in “building babies”? We begin the chapter defining a few relevant terms and introducing the theory and hypotheses that have historically addressed the evolution of paternal care. We then review empirical findings on male care among primate taxa, before focusing, in the final section, on our own work on paternal care in South American owl monkeys (Aotus spp.). We conclude the chapter with some suggestions for future studies.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (HU 1746/2-1) Wenner-Gren Foundation, the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, the National Geographic Society, the National Science Foundation (BCS-0621020), the University of Pennsylvania Research Foundation, the Zoological Society of San Dieg

Functional traits determine plant co-occurrence more than environment or evolutionary relatedness in global drylands

Plant–plant interactions are driven by environmental conditions, evolutionary relationships (ER) and the functional traits of the plants involved. However, studies addressing the relative importance of these drivers are rare, but crucial to improve our predictions of the effects of plant–plant interactions on plant communities and of how they respond to differing environmental conditions. To analyze the relative importance of – and interrelationships among – these factors as drivers of plant–plant interactions, we analyzed perennial plant co-occurrence at 106 dryland plant communities established across rainfall gradients in nine countries. We used structural equation modelling to disentangle the relationships between environmental conditions (aridity and soil fertility), functional traits extracted from the literature, and ER, and to assess their relative importance as drivers of the 929 pairwise plant–plant co-occurrence levels measured. Functional traits, specifically facilitated plants’ height and nurse growth form, were of primary importance, and modulated the effect of the environment and ER on plant–plant interactions. Environmental conditions and ER were important mainly for those interactions involving woody and graminoid nurses, respectively. The relative importance of different plant–plant interaction drivers (ER, functional traits, and the environment) varied depending on the region considered, illustrating the difficulty of predicting the outcome of plant–plant interactions at broader spatial scales. In our global-scale study on drylands, plant–plant interactions were more strongly related to functional traits of the species involved than to the environmental variables considered. Thus, moving to a trait-based facilitation/competition approach help to predict that: (1) positive plant–plant interactions are more likely to occur for taller facilitated species in drylands, and (2) plant–plant interactions within woody-dominated ecosystems might be more sensitive to changing environmental conditions than those within grasslands. By providing insights on which species are likely to better perform beneath a given neighbour, our results will also help to succeed in restoration practices involving the use of nurse plants

Is Care for the Dying Improving in the United States?

Background: Striking changes occurred in health care in the United States between 2000 and 2013, including growth of hospice and hospital-based palliative care teams, and changes in Medicare payment policies. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare informants' reports and ratings of the quality of end-of-life care for decedents between 2000 and 2011?2013. Methods: The study design comprised retrospective national surveys. Subjects were decedents age 65 years and older residing in the community from two time periods. Similar survey questions were asked at the two time periods. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted, using appropriate survey weights to examine response differences between time periods, after adjusting for the decedent's age, race, pattern of functional decline, and the presence of a cancer diagnosis, as well as the respondent's relationship to the decedent. Results: A total of 1208 informants were interviewed; 622 in 2000 and 586 in 2011?2013. Respondents from deaths in 2011?2013 were more likely to state that their loved ones experienced an unmet need for pain management (25.2% versus 15.5% in 2000, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-3.3). More respondents reported that religion and spirituality were addressed in the later time period (72.4% not addressed compared with 58.3%, AOR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.9). High rates of unmet need for palliation of dyspnea and anxiety/depression remained. The overall rating of quality did not improve but decreased (with 56.7% stating care was excellent in 2000 and 47.0% in the later survey, AOR 0.70, 95% CI 0.52-0.95). Conclusions: Substantial unmet needs in end-of-life care remain. Continued efforts are needed to improve the quality of end-of-life care.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140119/1/jpm.2015.0039.pd

Assessment of leak tightness for swellable elastomeric seals considering fluid-structure interaction with the CEL approach

Swellable elastomeric seal is a type of specifically engineered packer that swell upon contact with wellbore fluids. Assessment of leakage tightness is a fundamental aspect in the design of swellable packers, since they should guarantee a reliable sealing under extreme pressures of the downhole fluids. Numerical capability of the leakage pressure prediction would facilitate improvement in the packer design methodology. Previous work was focused on investigation of the non-parametric optimisation capability seeking for an optimal external shape with a goal to maximise the grip of a packer with a borehole. The verification of an optimised design was done with a dynamic FE-simulation of packer's failure by extrusion under an excessive pressure. The downside of that verification analysis was that Abaqus/Explicit solver couldn't implement a realistic adaptive pressure application due to changing packer disposition and contact conditions. This simulation challenge is addressed in this paper by application of the Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) approach in Abaqus/Explicit, which provides the ability to simulate a class of problems where the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) is important

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Based on Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs) and Its Integration into Nanomedicine and Microfluidic Devices as Point-of-Care Testing (POCT)

Lorena García-Hevia wants to thank the Ministry of Innovation and Science of Spain for her Juan de la Cierva Incorporación grant (IJC2020-043746-I). Laura Miralles wants to also thank the Ministry of Innovation and Science of Spain for her Torres Quevedo grant (2018–2022) (PTQ2018-010019)