Deciphering the record of hyaenic activity in the Early Pleistocene site of Fuente Nueva-3 (Baza Basin, SE Spain)

FN3 is an open air site, dated ~1.4 Ma. Their archaeological levels preserve evidences of human presence, consisting in lithic artefacts and cuts and percussion marks on bones. The lithic remains are associated with abundant macromammals bones with a very wide size range, from proboscideans to small mustelids. Carnivores are represented, mainly, by isolated teeth, bellowing to canids, ursids, felids and hyaenids, and their activity is recorded by the presence of different tooth marks types. However, there exists an important difference in the carnivore record between the levels, consisting in the presence of more than 200 coprolites in the Upper Level, whereas in the Lower Level these elements are practically absent. For the identification of the defecating organism, different analyses have been performed. The morphological study evidences the presence of the seven shape-types of pellets, although the most common morphologies are round, oval and disk. The colour of hyena faeces is also very characteristic, colour analysis of FN3 coprolites shows a predominance of whitish and very pale brown tonalities. To determine the composition, the samples were studied by XRD, XRF and SEM. The results have revealed that the coprolites mostly consist of calcium phosphate. These data are consistent with the expected composition of faeces in an organism that ingests a large amount of bones, in addition, macroscopic observation of the coprolites surface evidence the presence of numerous fragments of digested bones within them. All these features allow us to adscribe the FN3 coprolites to the hyaena Pachycrocuta brevirostris, species of which several teeth have been found at this site.This record manifests a great difference between both archaeological levels, showing in the Upper Level a scenario were hominin and hyaenids coexisted and competed for food resources, whereas in the Lower Level hyaenas were practically absent, and the main modifying agent was early Homo.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Pedicle myiasis by Lucilia caesar (Diptera, Calliphoridae): an emerging disease in roe deer from north-western Spain

A total of 35 male roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) from Lugo province (north-western Spain) were examined for pedicle myiasis between 2020 and 2022. All these animals had died by different causes and were examined or preserved just after their death to avoid post-mortem infestations. After external and internal head inspection, five animals were diagnosed with severe myiasis at the basis of the antlers (14.29%; 95% confidence interval = 5.38–31.04). All the affected bucks presented a cutaneous wound (1.5–15 cm in diameter) around the pedicles with extensive tissue destruction, exposition of frontal and parietal bones, and massive infestation by dipteran larvae (2–12 mm long). Four of five roe deer showed whitish egg clusters adhered to the basis of the antlers. Moreover, in one animal, six larvae had penetrated the cranial cavity, and in two of them larvae were also found in the nasopharyngeal cavity. All the cases were recorded in summer (May–August). Morphological identification and subsequent molecular confirmation revealed that all animals were infested by different larval stages of Lucilia caesar (Diptera: Calliphoridae). This study represents the first report of pedicle myiasis in Spain. Since this disease is reported sporadically, the detection of five cases in a short period of time suggests an increase in the incidence of this myiasisS

Sharing food with hyenas: a latrine of Pachycrocuta brevirostris in the Early Pleistocene assemblage of Fuente Nueva-3 (Orce, Baza Basin, SE Spain)

The Early Pleistocene archeological site of Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3) preserves some of the oldest evidence of hominin presence in Western Europe, including a huge assemblage of Oldowan tools and evidence of butchering and marrow processing of large mammal bones. Moreover, there is also evidence of the regular presence of carnivores at the site, including a small proportion of bones that show tooth marks, the majority of which can be attributed to the giant, short-faced hyena Pachycrocuta brevirostris, and there are 220 coprolites, most of them from the Upper Archeological Level. In order to identify the defecating agent, we analyze here the coprolites and compare them with other specimens from the literature and with scats from zoo spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). The morphology, color, size, and chemical composition of the FN3 coprolites allow us to attribute them to the hyena P. brevirostris, which is also represented at the site by fossil specimens. In addition, we evaluate the origin of the accumulation of coprolites and discuss on the role played by the scavenging hyenas in the accumulation and modification of the bone remains unearthed at the site, which allows evaluating the contribution of the giant hyena to this Early Pleistocene site. Finally, based on the lithology of layer 5 of the Upper Archeological Level, fine sands and clays deposited in a salt-lake environment, we hypothesize that this layer may have acted as a quicksand where large-sized animals like elephants were trapped and their carcasses lured scavenging carnivores.Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEJunta de AndalucíaGeneralitat de CatalunyaMinisterio de Ciencia e InnovaciónComunidad de Madridpu

El suelo y la sostenibilidad. Recurso para una aproximación multidisciplinar en la enseñanza de las Ciencias

El proyecto pretende dar a conocer el suelo como recurso natural al alumnado. Se trata de un recurso vital, profundamente desconocido y escasamente trabajado en las aulas. Apenas aparece de forma explícita en el currículo de Secundaria y menos aún en el de Primaria. Muchos organismos internacionales han resaltado la necesidad de que el ciudadano de a pie conozca el suelo, su enorme valor en la alimentación del ser humano y el grave riesgo en el que se encuentra hoy en día pues su fertilidad está descendiendo a un ritmo alarmante debido fundamentalmente a la acción humana. El valorar este recurso pasa por conocerlo y para ello es necesario trabajarlo en las aulas, pero antes hemos de formar a los futuros docentes,esto es lo que nos hemos propuesto desde la Facultad de Educación. Por otro lado nos resulta fundamental el que los ciudadanos conozcan el compostaje, actividad fácil de desarrollar tanto en los centros docentes como en el propio domicilio; compostar permite cuidar el medio ambiente de forma doble, por un lado reduciendo los desechos y por otro produciendo un material (el compost) con muchas ventajas para la agricultura, contribuyendo de esta forma a la sostenibilidad

Pobreza en la ocupación e instrumentos de reacción

Unión Europea,Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad y el Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional DER2015-63701-C3-1-

Identification of genetic variants associated with Huntington's disease progression: a genome-wide association study

Background Huntington's disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene, HTT. Age at onset has been used as a quantitative phenotype in genetic analysis looking for Huntington's disease modifiers, but is hard to define and not always available. Therefore, we aimed to generate a novel measure of disease progression and to identify genetic markers associated with this progression measure. Methods We generated a progression score on the basis of principal component analysis of prospectively acquired longitudinal changes in motor, cognitive, and imaging measures in the 218 indivduals in the TRACK-HD cohort of Huntington's disease gene mutation carriers (data collected 2008–11). We generated a parallel progression score using data from 1773 previously genotyped participants from the European Huntington's Disease Network REGISTRY study of Huntington's disease mutation carriers (data collected 2003–13). We did a genome-wide association analyses in terms of progression for 216 TRACK-HD participants and 1773 REGISTRY participants, then a meta-analysis of these results was undertaken. Findings Longitudinal motor, cognitive, and imaging scores were correlated with each other in TRACK-HD participants, justifying use of a single, cross-domain measure of disease progression in both studies. The TRACK-HD and REGISTRY progression measures were correlated with each other (r=0·674), and with age at onset (TRACK-HD, r=0·315; REGISTRY, r=0·234). The meta-analysis of progression in TRACK-HD and REGISTRY gave a genome-wide significant signal (p=1·12 × 10−10) on chromosome 5 spanning three genes: MSH3, DHFR, and MTRNR2L2. The genes in this locus were associated with progression in TRACK-HD (MSH3 p=2·94 × 10−8 DHFR p=8·37 × 10−7 MTRNR2L2 p=2·15 × 10−9) and to a lesser extent in REGISTRY (MSH3 p=9·36 × 10−4 DHFR p=8·45 × 10−4 MTRNR2L2 p=1·20 × 10−3). The lead single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TRACK-HD (rs557874766) was genome-wide significant in the meta-analysis (p=1·58 × 10−8), and encodes an aminoacid change (Pro67Ala) in MSH3. In TRACK-HD, each copy of the minor allele at this SNP was associated with a 0·4 units per year (95% CI 0·16–0·66) reduction in the rate of change of the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) Total Motor Score, and a reduction of 0·12 units per year (95% CI 0·06–0·18) in the rate of change of UHDRS Total Functional Capacity score. These associations remained significant after adjusting for age of onset. Interpretation The multidomain progression measure in TRACK-HD was associated with a functional variant that was genome-wide significant in our meta-analysis. The association in only 216 participants implies that the progression measure is a sensitive reflection of disease burden, that the effect size at this locus is large, or both. Knockout of Msh3 reduces somatic expansion in Huntington's disease mouse models, suggesting this mechanism as an area for future therapeutic investigation

Nos vemos en el huerto

Contiene: un anexo con el material utilizado para el desarrollo de actividades y una plantilla para la evaluación del alumno .- 1 disquete con la memoria del proyectoEl proyecto consiste en crear en el patio del colegio, un entorno natural poco habitual para el alumnado, un huerto, para sensibilizar a los alumnos con el medio ambiente. Por otro lado, se pretende trabajar otros temas transversales como la educación para la salud, la educación para la paz, la igualdad de oportunidades y la educación del consumidor. Los objetivos son fomentar no sólo la adquisición de conocimientos sino el desarrollo de valores y actitudes positivas hacia el cuidado y el respeto del medio físico y social. La metodología es activa, participativa y motivadora. Las actividades se dividen en dos grupos, los talleres -en el huerto, de cocina, de tintado y estampado- y los trabajos en el aula donde se recopilan ideas previas al trabajo de campo y se reflexionará para después sacar conclusiones del trabajo. Estas se complementan con la visita de una granja y de un vivero. La evaluación valora la adquisición de hábitos higiénicos, la orientación temporal, el uso de los sentidos para la exploración, y el conocimiento de utensilios y técnicas de trabajo.Madrid (Comunidad Autónoma). Consejería de EducaciónMadridMadrid (Comunidad Autónoma). Subdirección General de Formación del Profesorado. CRIF Las Acacias; General Ricardos 179 - 28025 Madrid; Tel. + 34915250893ES

Molecular detection of Rickettsia spp. in wild ungulates and their ticks in Mediterranean areas of southwestern Spain

Wildlife is an important reservoir of zoonotic pathogens. The objective of the present study was to assess the importance of wild ungulates in the epidemiology of Rickettsia spp. Ticks and spleen samples were collected from 262 red deer (Cervus elaphus) and 83 wild boar (Sus scrofa) hunted in southwestern Spain over a 5-year period. DNA was extracted from tick pools (n = 191) and spleens (n = 345), and two nested PCR assays targeting the rOmpA and rOmpB genes were used to detect Rickettsia DNA. Five tick species were identified (Hyalomma lusitanicum, Dermacentor marginatus, Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus bursa and Haemaphysalis sulcata). Rickettsia DNA was detected in 31 (16.2%) tick pools and two red deer spleen samples (0.8%). Four validated Rickettsia species (R. slovaca, R. monacensis, R. helvetica and R. raoultii), one uncultivated species (Candidatus R. rioja) and two uncharacterized Rickettsia spp. were detected in ticks. R. helvetica and R. slovaca were also detected in spleen samples from red deer. The overall prevalence in ungulate spleen samples was lower than in tick pools suggesting that these ungulates do not play a major role in the transmission of Rickettsia spp. However, their importance as spreaders of positive ticks cannot be ruled out. The results present a challenge for the veterinary and public health communities since most of the Rickettsia spp. detected are pathogenic. Furthermore, the new Rickettsia species could be potential pathogens. For these reasons, identifying Rickettsia species present in ticks and wildlife is of particular interest to clarify their sylvatic cycle and establish appropriate control measures.This study is part of the TED2021-132599B-C22 project, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR. Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan – Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU. It was also partially funded by the research project LifeWATCH INDALO – Scientific Infrastructures for Global Change Monitoring and Adaptation in Andalusia (LIFEWATCH-2019-04-AMA-01), financed with FEDER funds (POPE 2014-2020) and by CIBER – Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CB 2021), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and Unión Europea – NextGenerationEU. S. Jiménez-Ruiz and D. Jiménez-Martín hold Postdoctoral and PhD contracts from the University of Castilla-La Mancha-European Social Fund (2018/12504) and from the own Research Plan of the University of Cordoba, respectively.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Córdoba/CBUA.Peer reviewe

Dirección Estratégica y Diseño Organizativo

Tras este cuarto año de funcionamiento, la red de Dirección Estratégica y Diseño Organizativo ya se puede considerar consolidada. Durante el presente curso, los miembros de la red han analizado la opinión de los estudiantes del grado en ADE y del MBA sobre la ética y la responsabilidad social corporativa a partir de un cuestionario realizado en clase. Los resultados se presentaron en dos comunicaciones en el seno de las XVI Jornadas de Investigación en Docencia Universitaria, celebradas en la Universidad de Alicante a principios del mes de junio. Por otro lado, la red ha continuado con el trabajo iniciado en los cursos anteriores relativo a la revisión y actualización del material docente −teórico y práctico− empleado en las asignaturas “Dirección Estratégica de la Empresa I” y “Dirección Estratégica de la Empresa II”, impartidas ambas en el tercer curso del grado en ADE y en el cuarto de DADE, TADE e I2ADE. Así mismo, se ha seguido aplicando la metodología de ‘evaluación continua’ centrada en la resolución y discusión en clase de casos breves, la cual ya se considera asentada en la impartición de la asignatura, siendo aplicada por vez primera durante el curso 2014-2015

Factores condicionantes de la percepción de los futuros directivos sobre la Responsabilidad Social Corporativa: formación, género y experiencia laboral

Uno de los principales retos de la Educación Superior se relaciona con la formación y desarrollo de valores éticos de los universitarios. Tanto desde el punto de vista académico como profesional, en los últimos años se ha debatido mucho sobre el papel social que tienen las empresas y su responsabilidad para con la sociedad. El objetivo de este trabajo es conocer la influencia de la educación reglada sobre determinados aspectos de responsabilidad social e identificar otros factores condicionantes de un comportamiento responsable. Para ello, se ha encuestado a los alumnos de diferentes titulaciones universitarias donde se imparten asignaturas relacionadas con la responsabilidad social corporativa, en calidad de futuros directivos. Los resultados señalan que la formación específica y la experiencia laboral previa apenas condicionan la percepción de los alumnos sobre la responsabilidad social de las empresas. Por su parte, el género es el factor que en más ocasiones aparece como determinante de las diferencias en dichas percepciones.El presente trabajo contó con una ayuda del Programa de Redes-I3CE de investigación en docencia universitaria del Instituto de Ciencias de la Educación de la Universidad de Alicante (convocatoria 2018-19). Ref.: 4451