Aproximación al conocimiento de la estructura urbana de España y sus comunidades autónomas.

Sin resume

Análisis químico de muestras minoritarias por procedimientos no destructivos, FRX, de útiles metálicos de la edad del bronce del sureste español

En el presente trabajo se expone las earaeterísticas prineipales de un nuevo sistema de toma de muestras y su portamuestras. eon objeto de emplearlo en el análisis químici^ de muestras arqueológieas. empleando 0.2 g eomo máximo, con lo que se conserva la integridad del objeto analizado. En este caso se utiliza un espectrómetro .seeuencial Philips PW1400. de tluorcseencia de rayos X. El ci tado mcttKlo et>nsigue altas cotas de Habilidad y exactitud en los elementos quí micos elegidos para su análisis

Spatial distribution, inter-annual variability and influence of abiotic factors on molluscan assemblages collected with otter trawl in the northen Alborán Sea

Molluscs constitute one of the most diverse and best represented invertebrate groups in the marine environment. In the northern sectors of the Alborán Sea and Gulf of Cádiz 1200 spp. of the 1800 spp. occurring in the Mediterranean Sea, have been found so far highlighting the importance of this area for the european molluscan fauna (Gofas et al., 2011). Molluscs are also the second group in abundance and biomass in demersal fisheries and an important component of soft-bottom benthic communities, including ecologically important and/or commercial mollusc species that are also exposed to an increasing trawling impact (Snelgrove, 1998; Kaiser & De Groot, 1999). Previous studies on molluscs of the Alborán Sea has primarily focused on those from infralittoral habitats, with few studies focussing on the composition, structure and dynamics of circalittoral and bathyal molluscan assemblages ( Rueda et al., 2015). The study of soft bottom molluscan assemblages where trawling fishing fleet operates is important for improving the fisheries evaluation and management, as well as the implementation of ecosystemic and biodiversity conservation measures in the context of the new Marine Strategy Framework Directive. In the present study, the distribution and inter-annual variability of molluscan assemblages of circalittoral and bathyal soft bottoms of the Alborán Sea have been analyzed as well as the relationships of fauna with different environmental variables. Samples were collected in 190 otter trawl hauls performed between “Punta Europa” and “Cabo de Gata”, including the Alborán Ridge, at depths from 30 to 800 m during four MEDITS-ES trawl surveys in spring between 2012 and 2015. Several environmental variables from the water column (temperature and salinity) and sediment samples were taken where each haul was performed in order to elucidate their relationships with the molluscan assemblages. Abundances of each species (individuals . h-1) of each haul and trawl survey were pooled in a matrix for performing multivariate methods in order to contrast molluscan assemblages of different sites and years. The Bray-Curtis similarity index was then used to perform non-parametric multidimensional scaling ordinations (nMDS). A fourth root transformation pretreatment was applied on the quantitative data in order to minimize the contribution of the most abundant species to the analyses. Analyses of similarities (ANOSIM) were carried out for statistical comparisons of groups of samples according to different factors (e.g. year, location). Analyses of similitude percentage (SIMPER) were used to identify those species that contributed to the similarity and dissimilarity between groups of samples according to factors. These multivariate analyses were executed using the PRIMER v6 (Plymouth Routines in Multivariate Ecological Research). Average values of abundance of molluscs (N), species richness (S), Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’: log2), evenness index (J’) and taxonomic distinctness index (Δ*) were calculated for each sample group. Statistical differences between these values were tested with the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis using SPSS software. The relationships between environmental variables and molluscs abundance in the different hauls were only studied for the 2014 trawl survey using a correspondence canonical analysis (CCA). The statistical significance of the adjusted CCA was assessed using a Monte Carlo permutation test. Prior to this, the environmental variables were screened and those which presented a correlation higher than 0.9 (after a Spearman correlation analysis) were not further considered. These analyses were executed using the R software. Three main molluscan assemblages were detected and belonged to the: I) Continental Shelf (30-200 m); II) Upper Continental Slope (201-350 m), and III) Middle Continental Slope (351-800 m). The multivariate analyses revealed geographical differences within the Alborán Sea, being these differences more acute between the Alborán Island, mainly in the shallower assemblages (30-200 m and 201-350 m) and the remaining locations considered. These differences were due to a lower abundance in the island of species that were dominant in the continental margin, such as Alloteuthis media, Sepietta oweniana and Turritella communis and a higher abundance in the island of species that were less abundant in the continental margin, such as Neopycnodonte cochlear, Arca tetragona, Loligo forbesii and Sepia orbignyana. No significant differences of the abundance, biomass, species richness and diversity index were detected in the assemblages over the four years. Nevertheless, significant abundance declines of A. media, S. oweniana, and increases of N. cochlear were detected in the continental shelf over the years as well as abundance declines of Bathypolipus sponsalis and Galeodea rugosa in the slope assemblages. Regarding the environmental variables, the shallower assemblage (30-200 m) showed a significantly higher temperature, lower salinity and wider variety of sediment types than the others, with a predominance of sandy mud textures followed by muddy sand. As depth increases the sedimentary heterogeneity decreases, with dominant muddy sediments. Depth, temperature and mud percentage were the key variables that better explained the variability of the molluscan assemblage in the CCA. In conclusions: (1) Acute geographical differences occurred between the Alborán Island and the locations of the continental margin, due to its location far from the continental influence and, therefore, with lower fisheries activity and a less muddy and more bioclastic sediment, (2) Inter-annual trends in the abundance, biomass, species richness and diversity of assemblages were not detected, but some species displayed inter-annual changes due to biological aspects or accidental catch of gregarious species and (3) depth and some sedimentological variables displayed the most significant relationships with the molluscan assemblages, as previously observed for other invertebrate assemblages in the Alborán Sea

Data on clinical characteristics of a heart failure patients’ cohort with reduced ejection fraction and analysis of the circulating values of five different heart failure biomarkers; high sensitivity troponin T, galectin-3, C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen, soluble AXL and BNP

AbstractIn this article, the full description of a heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HF_REF) cohort of 192 patients is provided. Tables with the baseline demographic, prior history, ECG parameters, echocardiographic parameters, laboratory values and pharmacological treatment of these patients are included. Also, the quartile values of the analyzed circulating biomarkers: high sensitivity Troponin T (hs-TnT), galectin-3 (Gal-3), C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (CICP), soluble AXL (sAXL) and Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) are given. The main demographic and clinical features of the patients’ subgroups that have hs-TnT, Gal-3, CICP or BNP above the third quartile are described. Tables with Pearson correlation analysis of the HF_REF patients’ biomarker levels are included. And Pearson correlation analysis of the HF_REF patients’ hs-TnT, Gal-3, CICP levels with patients’ biochemical parameters, blood count and inflammation parameters are also described. These data are related to the research articles (AXL receptor tyrosine kinase is increased in patients with heart failure (M. Batlle, P. Recarte-Pelz, E. Roig, M.A. Castel, M. Cardona, M. Farrero, et al., 2014) [1] and Use of serum levels of high sensitivity troponin T, galectin-3 and C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen at long term follow-up in Heart Failure patients with reduced ejection fraction: comparison with soluble AXL and BNP (M. Batlle, B. Campos, M. Farrero, M. Cardona, B. González, M.A. Castel, et al., 2016) [2]

Integrated control of Fascioliasis in Latin America: Results of an International Atomic Energy Agency Project

Even though Fascioliasis has been known for centuries, it is now emerging in many parts of the world . Human cases are rising, two decades ago the estimates were of a few thousand , current estimates reach many millions. The human endemic areas are highest in Latin American countries and animal fascioliasis greatly affects livestock all through the region, often of poor subsistence farmers, thus decreasing even more their meager earnings and contributing to the cycle of disease and poverty . The enourmous geographical diversity of the regions affected by fascioliasis in Latin America ranges from the cold, snowcovered Patagonia to the simmering tropics of Central America

A relict oasis of living deep-sea mussels Bathymodiolus and microbial-mediated seep carbonates at newly-discovered active cold seeps in the Gulf of Cádiz, NE Atlantic Ocean

Extensive beds of the deep-sea mussel Bathymodiolus mauritanicus (currently also known as Gigantidas mauritanicus) linked to active cold seeps related to fissure-like activity on Al Gacel mud volcano, Gulf of Cádiz, were filmed and sampled for the first time during the oceanographic expedition SUBVENT-2 aboard R/V Sarmiento de Gamboa. Al Gacel mud volcano is one of up to 80 fluid venting submarine structures (mud volcanoes and mud volcano/diapir complexes) identified in the Gulf of Cádiz as result of explosive venting of hydrocarbon-enriched fluids sourced from deep seated reservoirs. This mud volcano is a cone-shaped edifice, 107 m high, 944 m in diameter constituted by mud breccias and, partially covered by pavements of seep carbonates. Extensive beds of this deep-sea mussel were detected at the northern flank at 810–815 m water depth associated with bacterial mats around intermittent buoyant vertical bubble methane plumes. High methane concentrations were measured in the water column above living mussel beds. Other chemosymbiotic species (Siboglinum sp., Solemya elarraichensis, Isorropodon sp., Thyasira vulcolutre and Lucinoma asapheus) were also found in different parts of Al Gacel mud volcano. Al Gacel mud volcano may currently represent one of the most active mud volcanoes in the Gulf of Cádiz, delivering significant amounts of thermogenic hydrocarbon fluids which contribute to foster the extensive chemosynthesis-based communities detected. This finding is of paramount importance for linking extremophile bivalve populations along the North Atlantic, including cold seeps of the Gulf of México, hydrothermal vents of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and now, detailed documented at the Gulf of Cádiz.Versión del edito

Cut-offs and response criteria for the Hospital Universitario la Princesa Index (HUPI) and their comparison to widely-used indices of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis

Objective To estimate cut-off points and to establish response criteria for the Hospital Universitario La Princesa Index (HUPI) in patients with chronic polyarthritis. Methods Two cohorts, one of early arthritis (Princesa Early Arthritis Register Longitudinal PEARL] study) and other of long-term rheumatoid arthritis (Estudio de la Morbilidad y Expresión Clínica de la Artritis Reumatoide EMECAR]) including altogether 1200 patients were used to determine cut-off values for remission, and for low, moderate and high activity through receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. The areas under ROC (AUC) were compared to those of validated indexes (SDAI, CDAI, DAS28). ROC analysis was also applied to establish minimal and relevant clinical improvement for HUPI. Results The best cut-off points for HUPI are 2, 5 and 9, classifying RA activity as remission if =2, low disease activity if >2 and =5), moderate if >5 and <9 and high if =9. HUPI''s AUC to discriminate between low-moderate activity was 0.909 and between moderate-high activity 0.887. DAS28''s AUCs were 0.887 and 0.846, respectively; both indices had higher accuracy than SDAI (AUCs: 0.832 and 0.756) and CDAI (AUCs: 0.789 and 0.728). HUPI discriminates remission better than DAS28-ESR in early arthritis, but similarly to SDAI. The HUPI cut-off for minimal clinical improvement was established at 2 and for relevant clinical improvement at 4. Response criteria were established based on these cut-off values. Conclusions The cut-offs proposed for HUPI perform adequately in patients with either early or long term arthritis

Anisotropy studies around the galactic centre at EeV energies with the Auger Observatory

Data from the Pierre Auger Observatory are analyzed to search for anisotropies near the direction of the Galactic Centre at EeV energies. The exposure of the surface array in this part of the sky is already significantly larger than that of the fore-runner experiments. Our results do not support previous findings of localized excesses in the AGASA and SUGAR data. We set an upper bound on a point-like flux of cosmic rays arriving from the Galactic Centre which excludes several scenarios predicting sources of EeV neutrons from Sagittarius $A$. Also the events detected simultaneously by the surface and fluorescence detectors (the `hybrid' data set), which have better pointing accuracy but are less numerous than those of the surface array alone, do not show any significant localized excess from this direction.Comment: Matches published versio

Centrality dependence of charged particle production at large transverse momentum in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=2.76\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}} = 2.76 TeV

The inclusive transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) distributions of primary charged particles are measured in the pseudo-rapidity range $|\eta|<0.8$ as a function of event centrality in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}=2.76$ TeV with ALICE at the LHC. The data are presented in the $p_{\rm T}$ range $0.15<p_{\rm T}<50$ GeV/$c$ for nine centrality intervals from 70-80% to 0-5%. The Pb-Pb spectra are presented in terms of the nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm{AA}}$ using a pp reference spectrum measured at the same collision energy. We observe that the suppression of high-$p_{\rm T}$ particles strongly depends on event centrality. In central collisions (0-5%) the yield is most suppressed with $R_{\rm{AA}}\approx0.13$ at $p_{\rm T}=6$-7 GeV/$c$. Above $p_{\rm T}=7$ GeV/$c$, there is a significant rise in the nuclear modification factor, which reaches $R_{\rm{AA}} \approx0.4$ for $p_{\rm T}>30$ GeV/$c$. In peripheral collisions (70-80%), the suppression is weaker with $R_{\rm{AA}} \approx 0.7$ almost independently of $p_{\rm T}$. The measured nuclear modification factors are compared to other measurements and model calculations.Comment: 17 pages, 4 captioned figures, 2 tables, authors from page 12, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/284