Geochemical evolution of pleistocene bears dentine amino acids

A linear correlation was established between aspartic acid racemization ratio from cave bear dentine collagen and absolute dating. The high correlation coefficient obtained allowed age calculation through amino acid racemization. Aspartic acid and glutamic acid racemization kinetics have also been explored in dentine from a North American black bear (Ursus americanus Pallas). Three sample sets were prepared for kinetic heating experiments in nitrogen atmosphere: one water soaked, one with a water-saturated nitrogen atmosphere, and one without any moisture. It was possible to show that the presence of water is a factor controlling amino acid racemization rate. The aspartic acid in a heating experiment at 105° C shows an "apparent kinetics reversal" which can be explained by a progressive hydrolysis of amino acid chains (proteins and polypeptides). Because of t h e low potential of collagen preservation over long periods of time, the apparent kinetics reversal phenomenon will not affect the dating of old material where no traces of collagen remain. An apparent kinetics reversal was not observed in glutamic acid, which racemizates more slowl

High-frequency stratigraphic architecture of a 3rd order depositional sequence in the coastal margin setting of Iberian Basin (Segovia Province, Spain)

En este trabajo se analiza la arquitectura estratigráfica detallada y la ciclicidad interna de la secuencia deposicional de 3er orden del Turoniense Superior – Coniaciense Basal en el margen costero de la Cuenca Ibérica (Provincia de Segovia), dentro de sucesiones predominantemente terrígenas con algunas intercalaciones carbonatadas de plataforma somera. La correlación de 16 columnas estratigráficas a lo largo de un perfil perpendicular al margen costero ha permitido identificar cuatro conjuntos de parasecuencias (4º orden) y 10 parasecuencias (5º orden), cuyo espesor y continuidad lateral varían en función de relaciones de onlap y toplap de las parasecuencias inferiores y superiores respectivamente, dentro de cada conjunto mayor (4º orden). Asimismo, dentro de las parasecuencias de 5º orden, se han identificado hasta dos parasecuencias de orden mayor (6º orden), cuyo reconocimiento está supeditado a los términos carbonatados de las sucesiones sedimentarias. En el trabajo se analiza la compleja superposición de cortejos sedimentarios que genera un patrón de apilamiento deposicional en el que coexisten tres rangos de secuencias de alta frecuencia (4º, 5º y 6º orden), aclarando las relaciones entre las facies terrígenas y carbonatadas en este margen costero, así como las diferentes tendencias sedimentarias que se reconstruyen en función de la escala de observación.The cyclicity and the stratigraphic architecture of the Upper Turonian-Lower Coniacian 3rd-order sequence have been analysed in the coastal margin of the Iberian Basin (north of the Central System, province of Segovia). This sequence is composed of coastal terrigenous sediments with some shallow shelf carbonate intercalations. The 3rd-order sequence is composed of several ranges of high-frequency superimposed parasequences. Each of the four parasequence sets (4th-order), can be divided into up to three parasequences (5th-order), which in turn are composed of two minor parasequences (6th-order), recognized only in the carbonate sediments of the sedimentary succession. Thickness and lateral extent of the parasequence sets depend on the number of their internal parasequences. Parasequences and minor parasequences thins and pinch out landwards with onlap and toplap relationships regarding the basal and top parasequence set and parasequence boundaries. The presence in the sedimentary record of 4th- 5th- and 6th-order parasequences originates a complex overlap of Systems Tracts; and thus, depending on the observation scale, different sedimentary trends can be recognized. At a detailed scale, the presence of these Systems Tracts allows to clarify the terrigenous and carbonate facies relationships. Although both facies have been formed in a single depositional episode, they were deposited in different stages of the episode. Siliciclastic facies represent the Shelf Margin Wedge/Transgressive Systems Tracts, being supplied to the Basin during a relative sea level lowstand and located at the coastal margin; later, during the subsequent transgression, they are reworked. On the other hand, carbonate sediments were deposited basinwards, during relative sea level highstands (Highstand System Tract). This depositional model explains the scarce presence of mixed facies. Two other different sedimentary trends are recognized in the entire sequence. First, the thinning upwards trend of parasequence sets, which is related with the overall regressive trend in the upper part of the sequence (due to accommodation loss). Secondly, the progressive upwards decrease of siliciclastic deposits and a correlative increase in carbonate sediments in the parasequence sets, which suggests the existence of a longer transgressive trend (2nd-order), which continues in the overlying Coniacian sequence.Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEMadrid (Comunidad Autónoma)Universidad de Alcalá de Henarespu

The Cretaceous of the Sistema Central (Spain): Stratigraphic record, depositional framework and evolutionary scheme

El Cretácico del Sistema Central representa las sucesiones sedimentarias de margen costero de las plataformas carbonatadas, que desarrolladas a partir de la cuenca Ibérica (cordillera Ibérica después de la orogénesis alpina), se extendieron sobre el margen oriental del macizo Ibérico a favor del gran ascenso eustático y de la subsidencia térmica regional. Tras la estructuración alpina del macizo Ibérico, la mayor parte de estos apilamientos sedimentarios han quedado ocultos bajo el relleno cenozoico de las cuencas del Duero y del Tajo; otra buena parte de ellos han desaparecido por la erosión subsecuente al levantamiento de la cordillera Cantábrica, el Sistema Central y los Montes de Toledo. Así, hoy en día afloran esporádicamente en el borde meridional de la Cantábrica occidental, borde septentrional de los Montes de Toledo y en depresiones internas del Sistema Central, y de manera más profusa, en los márgenes N y S del Sistema Central a lo largo de sendas bandas casi continuas. Estos afloramientos constituyen una de las escasas oportunidades que existen para conocer en detalle cómo son estas sucesiones de margen costero, reconstruyendo su arquitectura estratigráfica y su patrón de apilamiento deposicional. Ello ha permitido: (i) reconocer las relaciones laterales entre las facies carbonatadas de plataforma de áreas más internas de la cuenca y las facies siliciclásticas de margen costero, dentro del marco conceptual que impone la estratigrafía secuencial; (ii) demostrar y determinar el diacronismo de las unidades litoestratigráficas formales, cuyos límites superan, en muchos casos, los de las secuencias deposicionales; (iii) relacionar secuencialmente materiales afines de otros márgenes de la cuenca del Duero; (iv) identificar eventos de discontinuidad mayor a partir del reconocimiento de discordancias erosivas costeras, que puedan correlacionarse con sucesiones de áreas más centrales de la cuenca, y con ello, reconocer las paraconformidades presentes en el registro sedimentario de aquellas áreas; y (v) identificar cuatro unidades genéticas o mesosecuencias, asimilables a ciclos de 2º orden por su amplitud temporal y origen tecto-eustático, que permiten reconocer el marco evolutivo de este margen costero durante el Cretácico Superior.Cretaceous rocks at the Sistema Central (central Spain) represent the coastal margin sediments of the carbonate platforms developed in the Iberian basin during the large Upper Cretaceous eustatic sea-level rise. They consist of a lower succession of mainly terrigenous sediments (sands, sandstones, clays, marls and minor dolostones), an intermediate carbonate succession (dolostones, limestones and marls) and an upper terrigenous and evaporitic succession (sands, clays and gypsums), which have been traditionally considered uppermost Cretaceous - Paleocene in age but, as suggested by recent data, they should be considered older (Campanian-Maastrichtian). Most of Cretaceous sediments at the western coastal margin of the Iberian basin were eroded after the tectonic inversion of the Iberian massif (Iberian microplate) along the Alpine orogeny, or are presently covered by cainozoic deposits of the cainozoic Duero and Tajo basins. Exceptionally, these sediments crop out on the southwest edge of the cordillera Cantábrica, on northern margin of Montes de Toledo and more widely, on both sides of the Sistema Central. Then, the Cretaceous outcrops of the Sistema Central are one of the scarce areas we have to know in detail these sediments, reconstructing both their depositional stacking pattern, composed of different-order superimposed depositional sequences (Figure 5) and their wedge-shaped stratigraphic architecture as well; which, in general, shows that the subsequent sequences were progressively more extensive, onlapping onto the coastal margin, until the Santonian-Campanian, and from then they were continuously recessive prograding towards the Cantabrian margin (NW) until the end of the Cretaceous. More specifically, the stacking pattern and the stratigraphic architecture allow to: (i) recognize the lateral relationships between platform carbonate facies deposited in central areas of the basin and siliciclastic facies at the coastal margin within the conceptual framework of sequence stratigraphy; (ii) demonstrate the diachronism of formal lithostratigraphic units, whose boundaries exceed sequence boundaries in many cases; (iii) correlate with these sequences, units from other margins of the Duero basin; (iv) identify major regional discontinuities from recognition of coastal erosive unconformities, which can be traced to their correlative sediments in more internal areas of the basin, recognizing thus paraconformable strata in the record of these areas; and (v) identify four mesosequences, tecto-eustatic origin, which subsequently allow to reconstruct the evolutionary framework of this coastal margin along the Upper Cretaceous. Mesosequence I (Cenomanian Middle Turonian) is bounded by two major eustatic discontinuities, being represented on both sides of the Sistema Central by siliciclastic facies to the SW, mixed facies in the central part and carbonate facies at the NE. It is composed of three 3rd-order sequences with an overall transgressive-regressive trend (Figure 6), which is clearly recognizable by geometrical relationships of the internal sequences and by facies belt displacements. Mesosequences II and III (Upper Turonian – Lower Santonian and Middle Santonian – Lower Campanian, respectively), consist of two and three 3rd-order sequences respectively. Both constitute the vast carbonate masses of the entire Cretaceous (intermediate carbonate succession) in this area. Southwestwards the thinning of this huge carbonate succession and the lateral transition to terrigenous facies of the coastal margin can be observed; some of these terrigenous deposits could be recognized on the west margin of the Duero basin (provinces of Zamora and Salamanca). The boundary between both mesosequences is a major tectonic discontinuity at microplate scale, and it might represent the onset of the first tectonic events of the alpine cycle in the studied area. Mesosequence IV (Middle Campanian-Maastrichtian) is represented by the upper terrigenous-evaporitic succession. Its lower boundary is a major, eustatic discontinuity; although, it has been locally mapped as a cartographic unconformity (Valdeprados, Segovia), representing a major break in the general sedimentary trend, with the end of open marine sedimentation characteristic of the underlying mesosequences. In fact, until the recent finds of cretaceous vertebrate faunas at the north of the Sistema Central, the sediments of this mesosequence had been assigned mostly to the Paleocene, being correlated with other tertiary deposits of the Duero and Tajo basins. The depositional stacking pattern of their internal 3rd-order sequences has not been determined yet.Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEEspaña. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Dirección General de Investigaciónpu

A strategic reflection for the management and implementation of CAR-T therapy in Spain: an expert consensus paper

CAR-T cell therapy represents a therapeutic revolution in the prognosis and treatment of patients with certain types of hematological cancer. However, they also pose new challenges in the healthcare, regulatory and financial fields. The aim of the RET-A project was to undertake a strategic reflection on the management of CAR-T therapies within the Spanish National Health System, to agree on recommendations that will help to better deal with the new context introduced by these cell therapies in the present and in the future. This think tank involved 40 key agents and opinion leaders. The experts identified three great challenges for implementing advanced therapies in Spain: therapeutic individualisation, with a multidisciplinary approach; acceleration of access times, by minimizing bureaucracy; and increase in the number of centers qualified to manage the CAR-T therapies in the NHS. The experts agreed on the ideal criteria for designating those qualified centers. They also agreed on a comprehensive CAR-T care pathway with the timings and roles which would ideally be involved in each part of the process.This study was funded by Gilead Sciences, Inc.Peer reviewe

Ampicillin Plus Ceftriaxone Combined Therapy for Enterococcus faecalis Infective Endocarditis in OPAT

Cardiovascular Infectious Study Group of the Andalusian Society of Infectious Diseases.Ampicillin plus ceftriaxone (AC) is a well-recognized inpatient regimen for Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis (IE). In this regimen, ceftriaxone is usually administered 2 g every 2 h (AC12). The administration of AC in outpatient parenteral antibiotic treatment (OPAT) programs is challenging because multiple daily doses are required. AC regimens useful for OPAT programs include once-daily high-dose administration of ceftriaxone (AC24) or AC co-diluted and jointly administered in bolus every 4 h (ACjoined). In this retrospective analysis of prospectively collected cases, we aimed to assess the clinical effectivity and safety of three AC regimens for the treatment of E. faecalis IE. Fifty-nine patients were treated with AC combinations (AC12 n = 32, AC24 n = 17, and ACjoined n = 10). Six relapses occurred in the whole cohort: five (29.4%) treated with AC24 regimen and one (10.0%) with ACjoined. Patients were cured in 30 (93.3%), 16 (94.1%), and eight (80.0%) cases in the AC12, AC24 and ACjoined groups, respectively. Unplanned readmission occurred in eight (25.0%), six (35.3%), and two (20.0%) patients in the AC12, AC24 and ACjoined groups, respectively. The outcome of patients with E. faecalis IE treated with AC in OPAT programs relies on an optimization of the delivery of the combination. AC24 exhibit an unexpected rate of failures, however, ACjoined might be an effective alternative which clinical results should corroborate in further studies.The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. GVA was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, cofinanced by the European Development Regional Fund (“A way to achieve Europe”), Subprograma Miguel Servet (grant CP19/00159). HHL was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subprograma Rio Hortega (grant CM19/00152)

Cross-species transmission of retroviruses among domestic and wild felids in human-occupied landscapes in Chile

Human transformation of natural habitats facilitates pathogen transmission between domestic and wild species. The guigna (Leopardus guigna), a small felid found in Chile, has experienced habitat loss and an increased probability of contact with domestic cats. Here, we describe the interspecific transmission of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) between domestic cats and guignas and assess its correlation with human landscape perturbation. Blood and tissue samples from 102 free-ranging guignas and 262 domestic cats were collected and analyzed by PCR and sequencing. Guigna and domestic cat FeLV and FIV prevalence were very similar. Phylogenetic analysis showed guigna FeLV and FIV sequences are positioned within worldwide domestic cat virus clades with high nucleotide similarity. Guigna FeLV infection was significantly associated with fragmented landscapes with resident domestic cats. There was little evidence of clinical signs of disease in guignas. Our results contribute to the understanding of the implications of landscape perturbation and emerging diseases

Mechanical and electromagnetic design of the vacuum vessel of the SMART tokamak

The SMall Aspect Ratio Tokamak (SMART) is a new spherical device that is currently being designed at the University of Seville. SMART is a compact machine with a plasma major radius (R) greater than 0.4 m, plasma minor radius (a) greater than 0.2 m, an aspect ratio (A) over than 1.7 and an elongation (k) of more than 2. It will be equipped with 4 poloidal field coils, 4 divertor field coils, 12 toroidal field coils and a central solenoid. The heating system comprises of a Neutral Beam Injector (NBI) of 600 kW and an Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) of 6 kW for pre-ionization. SMART has been designed for a plasma current (I) of 500 kA, a toroidal magnetic field (B) of 1 T and a pulse length of 500 ms preserving the compactness of the machine. The free boundary equilibrium solver code FIESTA [1] coupled to the linear time independent, rigid plasma model RZIP [2] has been used to calculate the target equilibria taking into account the physics goals, the required plasma parameters, vacuum vessel structures and power supply requirements. We present here the final design of the SMART vacuum vessel together with the Finite Element Model (FEM) analysis carried out to ensure that the tokamak vessel provides high quality vacuum and plasma performance withstanding the electromagnetic j×B loads caused by the interaction between the eddy currents induced in the vessel itself and the surrounding magnetic fields. A parametric model has been set up for the topological optimization of the vessel where the thickness of the wall has been locally adapted to the expected forces. An overview of the new machine is presented here.This work received funding from the Fondo Europeo de Desarollo Regional (FEDER) by the European Commission under grant agreement numbers IE17-5670 and US-15570. This work has been carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Consortium and has received funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014-2018 and 2019-2020 under grant agreement No 633053. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission

Nueva economía 20+20

276 p : il.El fuerte avance de las Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones (TIC) ha provocado profundos cambios económicos, sociales y culturales en las últimas décadas (Cohen, De Long y Zysman, 2000). La gran velocidad con la que se ha producido este cambio ha quedado reflejada en cifras, como el avance de Internet que, desde 1969, fecha de su nacimiento, hasta la actualidad, se ha extendido a más del 25% de la población mundial, con más de 1.700 millones de usuarios en todo el mundo, siendo especialmente significativos los casos de Europa y Estados Unidos, con penetraciones del 52% y 74,2%, respectivamente (Internet World Stats, 2009). Es igualmente significativo el fuerte crecimiento experimentado por los ordenadores personales que, desde 1977, año en el que vio la luz el primero de ellos, se estima que alcanzaron los 1.000 millones en el 2008, y se hacen predicciones de que se doblará dicha cifra en torno al año 2014 (Gartner, 2008). El trabajo, el ocio, el transporte o, incluso, las relaciones personales se encuentran en un proceso de cambio permanente debido a la profunda influencia que estas tecnologías han tenido sobre la sociedad. Tanto es así que en la nueva realidad, a la que el conocimiento y la tecnología trasladan al ser humano, existen nuevas concepciones del tiempo o del espacio (Castells, 2005). Desde el punto de vista económico, se han producido cambios en la estructura mundial que han desembocado en una nueva economía. Por una parte, las nuevas tecnologías han transformado la economía tradicional, dando lugar a una compleja estructura interconectada de forma global, en la que el desarrollo de las comunicaciones ha jugado un papel fundamental. Adicionalmente, la incorporación de la tecnología en el proceso productivo ha transformado elementos tales como la localización, el tamaño, las estructuras o las relaciones entre las empresas (Brynjolfsson y Kahln, 2000). Por otra parte, las nuevas tecnologías dan lugar a un nuevo mercado de enormes dimensiones, formado por todos aquellos bienes y servicios que dependen de forma crítica de las tecnologías digitales o lo son en sí mismas, lo cual constituye la base de la economía digital (Kling y Lamb, 1999). Con todo ello, el presente informe se encarga, en primer lugar, de identificar en qué consiste la economía digital y cuáles son sus principales componentes. En el siguiente apartado se intenta medir la importancia de este sector, a través de los datos más significativos, que reflejan el crecimiento que dicho sector de la economía ha sufrido en los últimos años, y la importancia relativa del mismo respecto al resto de los sectores. A continuación se presenta una caracterización de los perfiles de empresa que constituyen la economía digital y se busca plantear, después, un modelo de variables significativas que nos permita medir de forma adecuada el sector.Esta publicación ha contado con la cofinancia- ción del Fondo Social Europeo a través del Pro- grama Operativo Plurirregional de Adaptabili- dad y Empleo 2007-2013.ÍNDICE Capítulo 0 EL PROYECTO SECTORES DE LA NUEVA ECONOMÍA 20+20 Capítulo 1 LA ECONOMÍA DIGITAL 1 Introducción 2 ¿Qué es la economía digital? 3 Importancia de la economía digital 4 Las empresas de la economía digital 5 ¿Cómo analizar la economía digital? 6 Conclusiones Capítulo 2 EXPERIENCIAS EMPRESARIALES 11870.COM AGNITIO ASPgems BARRABESBIZ BITDEFENDER BUONGIORNO BUYVIP COMEX GRUPO IBÉRICA DAEDALUS DEIMOS SPACE EPTISA TI ÍNCIPY ISDE ING KERAJET LA CIGÜEÑA DEL BEBÉ MICROGÉNESIS QAPACITY ÍNDICE TERRITORIO CREATIVO TOPRURAL TYVEN Capítulo 3 CONCLUSIONES Capítulo 4 BIBLIOGRAFÍ

Obsolescence in the neighbourhood of Nuestra Señora del Carmen

Actualmente, áreas urbanas donde habita un importantísimo sector poblacional están afectadas por una compleja problemática que se materializa en cuestiones arquitectónicas (desencaje tipológico, deficiencias técnicas, deterioro físico), urbanísticas (aislamiento, carencias funcionales, degradación del espacio público) y sociales (desempleo, segregación, conflictividad). El análisis del estado de obsolescencia de la barriada de El Carmen ha sido el punto de inicio de este trabajo de investigación. A partir de indicadores de obsolescencia socioeconómicos y físicos, anteriormente definidos por el proyecto de investigación «Intervención en barriadas residenciales obsoletas: manual de buenas prácticas» (G-GI3001/IDIH), financiado por la Unión Europea –Fondos FEDER– y gestionado por la Consejería de Fomento y Vivienda de la Junta de Andalucía, se ha establecido la situación de la barriada con referencia a valores máximos y mínimos, hallados a través del estudio de un número representativo de barriadas andaluzas. Tras la valoración del estado de obsolescencia de la barriada, se profundizó en su estudio a través de la comparación del cumplimiento de las recomendaciones establecidas como buenas prácticas en la publicación Intervención en barriadas residenciales obsoletas. Manual de buenas prácticas. Esta verificación permitió la elaboración de un diagnóstico pormenorizado basado en el análisis de los diferentes aspectos atendidos por las buenas prácticas, donde se evaluaban las deficiencias de El Carmen a escala urbana y arquitectónica, y dentro de estas, en diferentes categorías, siendo las urbanas: compacidad, conectividad, zonas verdes, funcionalidad, seguridad e inclusividad; y las arquitectónicas: hibridación, diversidad y flexibilidad, comunidad y accesibilidad. Esta evaluación detallada de las deficiencias y potencialidades de la barriada establecía los fundamentos para la definición de criterios y estrategias de intervención. Estos criterios de intervención tenían como base una selección de las buenas prácticas más adecuadas de acuerdo con las circunstancias halladas en la barriada, sistematizando las actuaciones que priorizan la atención de aspectos primordiales o que actúan mitigando carencias graves. Los criterios que se establecen son: sostenibilidad, la mejora de la calidad de vida de sus residentes y la atracción de nueva población a la barriada. Respondiendo a este estudio y la definición de criterios se proponen actuaciones estratégicas englobadas en cuatro líneas de trabajo: relación con la ciudad y su contexto, cualificación del espacio público y dotaciones existentes, cualificación de edificios existentes y actualización tipológica.Today, a number of high-occupancy urban areas are being affected by a complex problem that materialises in architectural issues (typological mismatch, technical deficiencies, physical deterioration), urban planning issues (isolation, functional inadequacies, deterioration of public space) and social issues (unemployment, segregation, conflict). Analysing the state of obsolescence of the neighbourhood of El Carmen was the starting point of this research project. Using socio-economic and physical obsolescence indicators established in an earlier research project–“Intervention in Obsolete Residential Neighbourhoods: Manual of Best Practices” (G-GI3001/IDIH), funded by the ERDF and managed by the Regional Ministry of Public Works and Housing of Andalusia–the situation of this neighbourhood was defined with reference to minimum and maximum values identified by studying a representative number of Andalusian neighbourhoods. After assessing the neighbourhood’s state of obsolescence, it was then studied to determine the degree of compliance with the best practices recommended in the publication Intervención en barriadas residenciales obsoletas. Manual de buenas prácticas. This verification made it possible to come up with a detailed diagnosis based on the analysis of different aspects addressed in that manual of best practices, evaluating the urban and architectural deficiencies of El Carmen and subdividing each into different categories. Urban deficiencies included compactness, connectivity, green areas, functionality, safety and inclusiveness; and architectural deficiencies were hybridisation, diversity, flexibility, community and accessibility. This detailed analysis of the neighbourhood’s shortcomings and potential improvements provided a solid foundation for defining intervention criteria and strategies. Those intervention criteria were based on a selection of the best practices deemed most appropriate in light of the neighbourhood’s current situation, systematising actions that address the most important aspects or attempt to mitigate serious deficiencies. The established criteria are as follows: sustainability, improving the residents’ quality of life, and bringing new residents to the neighbourhood. Based on this study and the defined criteria, strategic courses of action were proposed in four general areas: relationship with the city and its context, qualification of existing facilities and public spaces, qualification of existing buildings, and typological modernisation