Otroacizzia soriae sp. nov., a new Miocene psyllid (Insecta, Hemiptera, Psyllidae) from Dominican amber

new species of the fossil genus Otroacizzia Klimaszewski, 1996 (Hemiptera, Psyllidae) is described as Otroacizzia soriae sp. nov. on the basis of a female specimen. This species is preserved in mid-Miocene amber from La Toca mines, Dominican Republic. The genus Otroacizzia is the most diverse psylloid genus in Dominican amber, with four known species. The new species differs from the three previously known species by the presence of a subapical dark band in the fore wing from the anterior part of the end of vein Rs to the end of vein Cu1b, which has a gap in the middle of the cell c1. Other differences in the fore wing are the presence of a strongly curved vein Cu1b and a cell c1 clearly longer than cell m1. Finally, the antennal segment 3 of the new species is one and a half times longer than segment 4.Se describe una nueva especie del género fósil Otroacizzia Klimaszewski, 1996 (Hemiptera, Psyllidae) a partir de un ejemplar hembra: Otroacizzia soriae sp. nov. Esta especie está conservada en ámbar del Mioceno medio de las minas de La Toca en República Dominicana. Con cuatro especies conocidas, el género Otroacizzia es el género de psiloideo con mayor diversidad en el ámbar dominicano. La nueva especie difiere de las tres especies ya conocidas por la presencia de una banda oscura subapical en el ala anterior desde la parte anterior del final de la vena Rs hasta el final de la vena Cu1b, la cual presenta una discontinuidad en el medio de la celda c1. Otras diferencias en el ala anterior son la presencia de una vena Cu1b fuertemente curvada y una celda c1 claramente más larga que la celda m1. Finalmente, el tercer segmento antenal de la nueva especie es una vez y media más largo que el cuarto segmento

CLIWOC multilingual meteorological dictionary

This dictionary is the first attempt to express the wealth of archaic logbook wind force terms in a form that is comprehensible to the modern-day reader. Oliver and Kington (1970) and Lamb (1982) have drawn attention to the importance of logbooks in climatic studies, and Lamb (1991) offered a conversion scale for early eighteenth century English wind force terms, but no studies have thus far pursued the matter to any greater depth. This text attempts to make good this deficiency, and is derived from the research undertaken by the CLIWOC project1 in which British, Dutch, French and Spanish naval and merchant logbooks from the period 1750 to 1850 were used to derive a global database of climatic information. At an early stage in the project it was apparent that many of the logbook weather terms, whilst conforming to a conventional vocabulary, possessed meanings that were unclear to twenty-first century readers or had changed over time. This was particularly the case for the important element of wind force; but no special plea is entered for the evolution in nautical vocabulary, which often reflected more wide-ranging changes in the respective native languages.The key objective was to translate the archaic vocabulary of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century mariner into expressions directly comparable with the Beaufort Scale (see Appendix I). Only then could the projects scientific programme be embarked upon. This dictionary is the result of the largest undertaking into logbook studies that has yet been carried out. Several thousand logbooks from British, Dutch, French and Spanish archives were examined, and the exercise offered a unique opportunity to explore the vocabulary of the one hundred year period beginning in 1750. The logbooks from which the raw data have been abstracted range widely across the North and South Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. Only the Pacific, largely in consequence of the paucity of regular naval activity in that area, is not well represented. The range of climates encountered in this otherwise wide geographic domain gives ample opportunity for the full range of the mariners nautical weather vocabulary to be assessed, from the calms of the Equatorial regions, through the gales of the mid-latitude systems to the fearsome storms of the tropical latitudes. The Trade Winds belts, the Doldrums, the unsettled mid-latitudes, even the icy wastes of the high latitudes, are all embraced in this study. It is not here intended to pass any judgements on the climatological record of the logbooks, and this text seeks only to provide a means of understanding archaic wind force terms and, other than to indicate those items that were not commonly used, no information is given on the frequency with which different terms appeared in the logbooks. Attention is, furthermore, confined to Dutch, English, French and Spanish because these once great imperial powers were the only nations able to support wide-ranging ocean-going fleets with their attendant collections of logbooks and documents over this long period of time. The work is offered to the wider academic community in the hope that they will prove to be of as much value as it has been to the CLIWOC team

Tratamiento de la columna vertebral en la educación secundaria obligatoria: parte II - ejercicios recomendables

El dolor de espalda en personas adultas es producido, en numerosas ocasiones, por una inadecuada educación postural y una deficiente condición física. Esta situación provoca un desequilibrio muscular en aquellos grupos musculares responsables de mantener la postura. En la E.S.O, también se producen tales desequilibrios por lo que, como actitud preventiva y educadora, es recomendable tener en cuenta el tratamiento corporal que sufren los alumnos a lo largo del día y durante las clases de Educación Física. Entre los ejercicios que favorecen la reeducación postural así como su desarrollo y mantenimiento, se ha realizado una selección de los que se consideran no debería faltar en una programación de E.F para la ESO

Tratamiento de la columna vertebral en la educación secundaria obligatoria: parte I - prevención y ejercicios poco recomendables

El dolor de espalda es uno de los motivos más frecuentes por los cuales se acude a la consulta médica y es preocupante la cada vez más temprana edad en la cual se presentan estos problemas. Ello impone la necesidad de dar a conocer a los alumnos de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria unos mínimos conocimientos acerca de la anatomía de la columna vertebral y ciertos recursos ergonómicos para adoptar actitudes posturales correctas. Por otro lado, el profesor de Educación Física ha de conocer cuáles son los ejercicios, de forma general, menos recomendables en la prevención de determinados problemas de espalda

Oxidative stress balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory factors in human intestinal epithelial cells

Background: Oxidative stress plays a key role in the development of intestinal inflammatory diseases. Several pro-inflammatory mediators may generate oxidation products that exacerbate the inflammatory damage. Gastrointestinal molecules, like serotonin (5- HT), adenosine and melatonin, which are involved in intestinal physiology, have also been described as intestinal pro-inflammatory factors; whereas IL-10, a known anti-inflammatory cytokine, has also been implicated in intestinal pathophysiology. Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the contribution of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory molecules to oxidative stress balance, as well as to assess their effect on cellular antioxidant enzymes activity, in intestinal epithelial cells. Methods: Caco-2 cells were treated with the different molecules, and the oxidative stress was determined by measuring lipid peroxidation (MDA+4HDA) and protein carbonyl levels. The activity of the anti-oxidant enzymes (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) was also analyzed in treated cells. Results: Pro-inflammatory factors (5-HT, adenosine, melatonin and TNFa) increased oxidative damage in both lipids and proteins. Theses molecules, except melatonin, also inhibited the activity of antioxidant enzymes. With regard to IL-10, this cytokine was not shown to alter cellular oxidative damage, but was able to reduce the oxidative damage g by pro-inflamatory factors, and to restore their effects on anti-oxidant enxymes activities. Unexpectedly, IL-10, together with melatonin, was found to increase the antioxidant activity above the control. Conclusions: The anti-oxidant effect of IL-10 emphasizes the role of this cytokine as a potential therapy for the treatment of intestinal inflammation induced by pro-inflammatory molecules

Association of the superior semicircular canal and tegmen tympani dehiscences and its relationship with the pneumatisation of the temporal bone

To analyse the degree of pneumatisation of the temporal bone when there is an association between dehiscence of the superior semicircular canal and dehiscence of the tegmen tympani. Materials and methods We analysed a retrospective CT study of 124 selected cases. A single inclusion criterion was applied: the presence of a dehiscence of the tegmen tympani. On the other hand, the degree of temporal pneumatisation was assessed by axial and coronal planes, and has been divided into the following grades O, I, II and III, according to the status and relationship of the mastoid, the bony labyrinth, the petrous segment of the carotid canal and sigmoid sinus. Results Of the 124 cases studied, 35 (28.2%) presented both dehiscences. In 26 of the 35 (47.3%), grade II pneumatisation, 4 (14,8%), grade I, and 5 (11,9%) grade III was observed, with a statistically significant relationship (p < 0.001). On the other hand, we did not find a significant relationship when relating both dehiscences in any age or sex group. However, when relating the degree of pneumatisation to sex, among those with grade III pneumatisation, the proportion of men (52.4%) was significantly higher than that of women (47.6%) (p = 0.017). Conclusion We have detected a statistically significant relationship between the coexistence of grade II pneumatisation and the presence of both dehiscences in the temporal bone

Hot spring arsenic distribution in the Andes Cordillera (18-52oS)

1 página.-- Resumen presentado en el 23rd International Applied Geochemistry Symposium (IAGS), Oviedo, 14-19 Jun. 2007.-- Edited by Jorge Loredo Pérez.One of the most extensive areas around the world where the low quality of groundwater due to the presence of high concentrations of arsenic of natural origin is a major concern is Argentina-Chile. The exhaustive knowledge of the geological, hydrogeological, and geochemical setting can be very effective to define an alternative strategy to mitigate the arsenic problem in water. The magnitude and extension of the arsenic affected areas is not well known. In order to understand the source of the arsenic, the development of a database of thermal waters in the Andean region is in progress. We present in this work the assessment of more than 360 hot springs and wells located in the Andes between 14 and 52oS of latitude. This information comes from projects carried out by our team in the area and from references. The hot waters with higher concentrations of arsenic (50-30,000 μg/l) are mainly located in volcanic areas with hydrothermal activity of the Andes Cordillera between 14 and 28oS.Peer reviewe

Respuesta hidrológica y erosiva de un suelo forestal mediterráneo en recuperación de diferentes impactos

Land use changes, including land abandonment, and forest fires have been two key factors that have characterized the evolution of Mediterranean ecosystems. This work studies the evolution in the hydrologic characteristics and the erosive response of a Mediterranean forest soil, which has undergone during years changes in its forest use and the fire impact, are shown. This soil is in recovering stage since year 1996. The study has been carried out in the Experimental Station of Porta-Coeli in a system of four erosion plots (40 x 8 m) of closed type. The hydrologic behaviour and erosive parameters have been studied in each rain event during period 2006-2008. The temporal variability of soil moisture contents have been also studied through the characterization of its response curves regarding different episodes of rain, analyzing its relation with runoff generation.En las últimas décadas, dos de los factores más importantes que han caracterizado la evolución en los ecosistemas mediterráneos han sido los cambios de uso del suelo, incluyendo el abandono de cultivos, y los incendios forestales. En este trabajo se presenta la evolución de las características hidrológicas y de la respuesta erosiva de un suelo forestal mediterráneo que ha sufrido durante años cambios en su uso y el impacto de incendios forestales. Actualmente la zona de estudio se encuentra en recuperación desde el año 1996. El trabajo se ha desarrollado en la Estación Experimental de Porta-Coeli en un sistema de cuatro parcelas (40 x 8 m) de erosión de tipo cerrado. Se ha determinado su comportamiento hidrológico y sus parámetros erosivos en cada episodio de lluvia durante el período 2006-2008. También se ha estudiado la variabilidad temporal del contenido de humedad del suelo a través de la caracterización de sus curvas-respuesta en diferentes episodios de lluvia, y se analiza su relación con la generación de escorrentía

Efficient analysis of arbitrarily shaped inductive obstacles in rectangular waveguides using a surface integral equation formulation

In this paper we propose to use the Surface Integral Equation technique for the analysis of arbitrarily shaped Hplane obstacles in rectangular waveguides, which can contain both metallic and/or dielectric objects. The Green functions are formulated using both spectral and spatial images series, whose convergence behavior has been improved through several acceleration techniques. Proceeding in this way, the convergence of the series is not attached to the employment of any particular basis or test function, thus consequently increasing the flexibility of the implemented technique. In order to test the accuracy and numerical efficiency of the proposed method, results for practical microwave circuits have been successfully compared with other numerical approaches.The authors would like to thank Alcatel Alenia Space (Madrid, Spain) for having provided data of the lossy dielectric loaded evanescent waveguide filter. They also wish to acknowledge the economic support of MEC, Spanish Government, through the coordinated Research Project TEC2004/04313-C02

Chemical characterization of the stained glass window from the rose window, Siena Duomo (Italy, 1288-1289)

[EN] The chemical composition of nine medieval coloured stained glasses from Duomo (Catedral) of Siena, Italy, has been characterized. They come from the rose window elaborated under the drawing of Duccio di Buoninsegna masterwork (1288- 89 AD). This note explains the results obtained by EMPA, representative of bulk chemistry of several coloured glasses (deep green, olive green, yellow, purple, pink, deep blue, light blue, red plaqué and also uncoloured), as well as the associated trace elements (obtained by Induced Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry) that represent the chemical fingerprint of these glasses. The studied samples are sodium-calcium glass (chemical compositions in the range 13-14 wt% Na2O, 56-64 wt% SiO2, 4 wt% MgO, 9-10 wt% CaO, 2,5-4 wt% K2O); thus of Mediterranean tradition.This fact has been found by our team in previous studies (stained glasses from the church of Monestir de Pedralbes, Barcelona) for XIV century glass made at least 40 years later. As a general rule, the conservation state of these sodium glasses is good, except for the cohesion of grisaille to glass mesostase. This study allowed to identify three glass groups developed from different raw material formulations: a first group is constituted by deep green, olive green, light blue and yellow glass; a second one comprises by uncoloured, deep purple, deep blue and pink glass; and finally, the plaqué red glass that shows deeply different composition. Pink and yellow glass was produced following the traditional recipe compiled by Theophilus, a monk who lived at the beginning of XII century. This implies a separate process of raw material purification and a careful control of the redox kiln conditions; thus, these glasses can be considered as traditional or technologically not evolved. The deep blue, light blue and deep purple were obtained after the artisan dosed addition of a cobalt salt. Olive green and deep green glasses were produced with addition of copper (together with manganese and iron), previously prepared as a pigment that has as excipient a potassium glass. The use of potassium glass instead of the sodium glass locally produced strongly suggests that the pigment could be bought directly from Middle or Northern Europe markets and/or could be a sub-product of copper ore melting. On the other hand, the production of sodium red ruby plaqué glass, technologically more evolved and comparable to the coeval potassium glass coming from the Central Europe glass factories, would be outstanding in the XIV century; but we interpret (taking into account its chemical composition) that was produced later and introduced during the restoration conducted at the end of XVII century. We can also note the use of well-dosed lead additions in order to increase the lightness and transparency of coloured glass. Manganese has been a very important element in the Siena workshop glassmaker colour palette achievements. On the other hand, the trace-element chemical fingerprint of the glass allows arguing what kind of mineral salts were used as pigments, as well as the way to introduce it in the uncoloured original glass.[ES] Se han caracterizado químicamente una colección de vidrios arquitectónicos coloreados originales del rosetón del Duomo (catedral) de Siena, Italia, realizados bajo diseño del artista Duccio di Buoninsegna en 1288-89. Esta comunicación expone los resultados obtenidos mediante el empleo de microsonda electrónica de Castaing (mayoritarios) y espectrometría de masas con fuente de plasma acoplado inductivamente (ICP-MS, elementos en traza) en vidrios de varios colores (incoloro, verde oscuro, verde oliva, amarillo, violeta, rosa, azul oscuro, azul celeste, rojo plaqué). Se trata de vidrios sódico-cálcicos (valores en peso alrededor del 13-14 % de Na2O, 56-64 % SiO2, 4% MgO, 9-10 % CaO, 2,5-4 K2O) de tradición por tanto mediterránea. Un resultado semejante se encontró precedentemente para vidrios realizados a lo largo del siglo XIV, cuanto menos unos 40 años después (vidriera de la iglesia del Monestir de Pedralbes, Barcelona). En general, el estado de conservación de estos vidrios es bueno, excepto por lo que se refiere a la adherencia de las grisallas al vidrio base. El estudio desarrollado ha permitido identificar tres grupos de vidrios desarrollados a partir de formulaciones de diferentes composiciones: un primer grupo constituido por los vidrios de color verde claro, verde oscuro, azul celeste y amarillo; un segundo grupo constituido por los vidrios incoloro, violeta, azul oscuro, y malva; y finalmente el vidrio rojo plaqué, de composición netamente diferente a todos los demás. Desde el punto de vista de la obtención de los colores, cabe destacar que los datos químicos permiten deducir que el malva y el amarillo han sido elaborados siguiendo la receta tradicional del monje Theophilus de inicios del siglo XII, utilizando un proceso de purificación especial de las materias primas, y controlando artesanalmente las condiciones redox del horno; en este sentido, estos vidrios se pueden calificar como tradicionales o tecnológicamente poco evolucionados. Los colores azul oscuro, violeta y azul celeste se han obtenido mediante la adición de una misma sal de cobalto en diferentes dosis, y los colores verde oliva y verde oscuro mediante la adición de cobre (junto con manganeso y hierro), previamente preparados en un colorante que tiene como excipiente un vidrio potásico. Este último hecho (el empleo de vidrio potásico no usual en los centros productores del área mediterránea) permite suponer que el color puede haber sido comprado directamente a un fabricante centroeuropeo o que se tratara de un subproducto de fundición de minerales de cobre. Por su parte, la fabricación del vidrio plaqué, tecnológicamente más complejo y comparable al vidrio rojo plaqué potásico centroeuropeo contemporáneo indicaría, si fuera original, la incorporación de este proceso tecnológico al taller local. En opinión de los autores se trata de un vidrio de producción local mucho más tardia, incorporado en la restauración documentada a finales del siglo XVII. Destaca también, como en Pedralbes, el empleo del plomo para aumentar la luminosidad y transparencia del vidrio, en dosis variables atendiendo al color del vidrio. Por otro lado hay que señalar que en Siena el manganeso es un elemento muy importante con el que el fabricante del vidrio jugó intensamente para obtener la paleta de colores. El análisis de los metales presentes como elementos traza, y de las tierras raras, permite establecer sólidas hipótesis sobre el tipo de sales minerales empleadas como colorantes y como fueron incorporados al vidrio incoloro original.Este trabajo se ha podido realizar en el marco de diferentes proyectos financiados (proyecto 3338 de la Fundació Bosch i Gimpera, UB; acción integrada hispano-italiana HI2006-0190: La producción y el comercio del vidrio plano en Europa y en el Mediterráneo Occidental, entre los siglos XI y XV: un estudio arqueométrico) . La caracterización geoquímica de los vidrios mediante MSE e ICP-MS se ha llevado a cabo en los Serveis Científico-Tècnics de la Universitat de Barcelona (SCT-UB);Peer reviewe