Global change and plant-ecosystem functioning in freshwaters

Freshwater ecosystems are of worldwide importance for maintaining biodiversity and sustaining the provision of a myriad of ecosystem services to modern societies. Plants, one of the most important components of these ecosystems, are key to water nutrient removal, carbon storage, and food provision. Understanding how the functional connection between freshwater plants and ecosystems is affected by global change will be key to our ability to predict future changes in freshwater systems. Here, we synthesize global plant responses, adaptations, and feedbacks to present-day and future freshwater environments through trait-based approaches, from single individuals to entire communities. We outline the transdisciplinary knowledge benchmarks needed to further understand freshwater plant biodiversity and the fundamental services they provide.Environmental Biolog

Isolation of entomopathogenic nematodes and control of Phyllophaga vetula Horn in Oaxaca, Mexico

This study aimed to isolate native entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca and to determine their potential for control of white grub (Phyllophaga vetula Horn). Fifty-five (55) soil samples were collected in 13 communities in the period August to October 2008 and 29.1% of these were found positive for EPN. Five isolates were selected for their apparent pathogenicity to third instar Galleria mellonella; two of the genus Steinernema and three Heterorhabditis. After evaluating these five isolates for control of white grubs, the Heterorhabditidae EPN presented the lowest values for both lethal dosages and lethal times. Using  polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedures, the species Heterorhabditis mexicana, Steinernema  carpocapsae and Steinernema feltiae were identified. We concluded that H. mexicana was the most effective isolate for control of P. vetula larvae.Key words: Entomopathogenic nematodes, Steinernema, Heterorhabditis, bioassays, lethal dosages

A multiobjective optimization issue: genetic control planning or trajectories.

Part of a research project on cooperative marine robotics is the scenario of a submarine rendez-vous. This paper considers this case, where a high-manoeuvrability AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle) should meet a submarine platform for energy, samples and data service. Since the AUV is equipped with a set of thrusters, the problem of an adequate command of the thrusters appears. Given initial and final points for the AUV underwater trajectory, the question is to determine the set of forces and times to be exerted by the thrusters to get an adequate trajectory. Several constraints and simultaneous objectives to be optimized must be considered. Given the complexity of the multi-objective optimisation problem, it seems opportune to use Genetic Algorithms. The paper describes the problem to be solved, then explains how the GA were applied, and presents results for a set of cases considered, including obstacle avoidance

Depression in internal medicine inpatients at the time of hospital discharge and referral to primary care

Background and objectives: This is the first multi-center study intended to document the prevalence, characteristics, and associations of depression in Medicine patients at the time of hospital discharge and their referral to Primary Care (PC). Methods: Adult patients randomly selected among consecutive admissions to Medicine wards in 8 hospitals in Spain, covering health districts, were examined in a two-phase ''case-finding'' procedure. Standardized, Spanish versions of instruments were used, including the Standardized Polyvalent Psychiatric Interview (SPPI) and Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS). Cases of depression were diagnosed according to ICD-10 general hospital research criteria. Results: Three hundred and twelve patients with treatable depression and 777 non-depressed controls were identified. In a conservative estimate, the global prevalence of major depression was 7.1%, dysthymia 4.2% and adjustment depression 7.1%, and 51.9% of cases were of moderate/ severe intensity. Depression was more frequent in women, the differences being significant in all categories of depression. The prevalence of depression was lower in individuals aged 85 or more years, the differences being significant in cases of both dysthymia and adjustment depression. A clear pattern of decreasing prevalence with age was observed in women. The depressed had as an average five medical systems affected, and higher CIRS scores compared with the controls, the differences being significant in cases of both major depression and dysthymia. Conclusions: This is the first report showing a considerable prevalence of treatable cases of depression in Medicine patients at the time of hospital discharge and referral to PC. Depression is associated with the severity of the medical condition, and differences observed by age and sex have clinical implications. Paper read at the 3rd Annual Meeting of the European Association of Psychosomatic Medicine, Nuremberg 2015. © 2022 Asociación Universitaria de Zaragoza para el Progreso de la Psiquiatría y la Salud Menta

Ships confining an oil spill over: A scenario for automatized cooperation

Cooperation between robots is an important contemporary issue. This can be translated to the marine environment, either using marine robots or introducing automatics in the operations of ships. A general research on this kind of problems has started in our group, after several years of developing autonomous robotized ships. Several scenarios have been proposed for the study of cooperation details. This paper focus in a very interesting case, which is representative of other cases: several ships towing booms for oil spill over confinement. It turns out that the cooperation problem is not trivial. Along the operation several phases can be distinguished, and several coordination problems and needs appear. A computer simulation has been developed, after physics based analysis, and some initial coordinated control strategies have been proposed and tested. These strategies are supposed to be applied through verbal orders to captains. Along the operation phases the role of captains change, for an adaptive coordination. The paper introduces the research topic, then describes the scenario and its simulation, then focus on the cooperation problems emerging from the operation phases and the control and coordination solutions that have been proposed, and finally draws some conclusions

Usefulness of the CONUT index upon hospital admission as a potential prognostic indicator of COVID-19 health outcomes

Background: In-hospital mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is high. Simple prognostic indices are needed to identify patients at high-risk of COVID-19 health outcomes. We aimed to determine the usefulness of the CONtrolling NUTritional status (CONUT) index as a potential prognostic indicator of mortality in COVID-19 patients upon hospital admission. Methods: Our study design is of a retrospective observational study in a large cohort of COVID-19 patients. In addition to descriptive statistics, a Kaplan-Meier mortality analysis and a Cox regression were performed, as well as receiver operating curve (ROC). Results: From February 5, 2020 to January 21, 2021, there was a total of 2969 admissions for COVID-19 at our hospital, corresponding to 2844 patients. Overall, baseline (within 4 days of admission) CONUT index could be scored for 1627 (57.2%) patients. Patients' age was 67.3 ± 16.5 years and 44.9% were women. The CONUT severity distribution was: 194 (11.9%) normal (0-1); 769 (47.2%) light (2-4); 585 (35.9%) moderate (5-8); and 79 (4.9%) severe (9-12). Mortality of 30 days after admission was 3.1% in patients with normal risk CONUT, 9.0% light, 22.7% moderate, and 40.5% in those with severe CONUT (P < 0.05). An increased risk of death associated with a greater baseline CONUT stage was sustained in a multivariable Cox regression model (P < 0.05). An increasing baseline CONUT stage was associated with a longer duration of admission, a greater requirement for the use of non-invasive and invasive mechanical ventilation, and other clinical outcomes (all P < 0.05). The ROC of CONUT for mortality had an area under the curve (AUC) and 95% confidence interval of 0.711 (0.676-0746). Conclusion: The CONUT index upon admission is potentially a reliable and independent prognostic indicator of mortality and length of hospitalization in COVID-19 patientsThe work is supported by a grant from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement (No 101016216

Tracking changes on soil structure and organic carbon sequestration after 30 years of different tillage and management practices

Long-term field trials are essential for monitoring the effects of sustainable land management strategies for adaptation and mitigation to climate change. The influence of more than thirty years of different management is analyzed on extensive crops under three tillage systems, conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT), and no-tillage (NT), and with two crop rotations, monoculture winter-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and wheat-vetch (Triticum aestivum L.-Vicia sativa L.), widely present in the center of Spain. The soil under NT experienced the largest change in organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, macroaggregate stability, and bulk density. In the MT and NT treatments, SOC content was still increasing after 32 years, being 26.5 and 32.2 Mg ha−1, respectively, compared to 20.8 Mg ha−1 in CT. The SOC stratification (ratio of SOC at the topsoil/SOC at the layer underneath), an indicator of soil conservation, increased with decreasing tillage intensity (2.32, 1.36, and 1.01 for NT, MT, and CT respectively). Tillage intensity affected the majority of soil parameters, except the water stable aggregates, infiltration, and porosity. The NT treatment increased available water, but only in monocropping. More water was retained at the permanent wilting point in NT treatments, which can be a disadvantage in dry periods of these edaphoclimatic conditions