Evaluación de la calidad ecológica de los ríos en Puerto Rico: principales amenazas y herramientas de evaluación

Background. Stream ecosystems reflect human impacts on the environment. An understanding of the threats affecting these ecosystems and the development of tools to assess them is key for the conservation and management of aquatic ecosystems. Puerto Rico is an oceanic island with dense human presence and strong pressures over freshwater resources that result in the degradation of water bodies. Aquatic macroinvertebrates respond to pollution and are good indicators of anthropogenic impacts on streams. Goals. To describe major threats to the ecological condition of streams in Puerto Rico and introduce two biomonitoring indices based on macroinvertebrates that allow for the assessment of stream condition on the island. Methods. We proposed a standardized methodology for the use of the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) and Family Biotic Index (FBI) modified for Puerto Rico. Results. Major threats to aquatic ecosystems in Puerto Rico are associated with urbanization, water extraction, and untreated water discharges. For the elaboration of the indices, a tolerance value was assigned to each of the 87 taxonomic groups reported for Puerto Rico. Based on stream sampling, impact scales were developed for the BMWP-PR and FBI-PR. In addition, a standardized methodology is proposed to avoid sampling biases. Conclusions. The conservation status of rivers in Puerto Rico is relatively good compared with other tropical regions. The indices proposed (BMWP-PR, FBI-PR) are the first developed for the island with the goal of evaluating the ecological condition of streams. The indices are proposed as a starting point, future efforts should focus on the development of additional tools.Antecedentes. Los ecosistemas de río reflejan los impactos que los seres humanos tienen sobre el ambiente. Entender las amenazas a los que están expuestos estos ecosistemas y tener herramientas para evaluar estos impactos es esencial para la conservación y el manejo de los ecosistemas acuáticos. Puerto Rico es una isla oceánica con alta presencia humana y altas presiones de uso sobre sus recursos de agua dulce que resultan en impactos sobre los cuerpos de agua. Los insectos acuáticos responden claramente a la contaminación y son buenos indicadores de los impactos antropogénicos en ríos. Objetivos. Describir las principales amenazas a la condición ecológica de los ríos en Puerto Rico y proponer dos índices ecológicos basados en macroinvertebrados que permite la evaluación de la condición de los ríos en la isla. Métodos. Se propone una metodología estándar de muestreo para el uso adecuado de los índices Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) e Índice Biótico de Familias (IBF) modificados para Puerto Rico. Resultados. Las mayores amenazas sobre los ecosistemas acuáticos de Puerto Rico están asociadas a la urbanización, la extracción de agua, y descargas de aguas residuales no tratadas. Para la elaboración de los índices, se le asignó un valor de tolerancia a cada uno de los 87 grupos taxonómicos de macroinvertebrados acuáticos reportados para Puerto Rico. Basados en muestreos, se desarrollaron escalas de impacto para el BMWP-PR y el IBF-PR. Además, se desarrolló una metodología estandarizada para evitar sesgos de muestreo. Conclusiones. El estado de conservación de los ríos en Puerto Rico es relativamente bueno comparado con otras regiones tropicales. Los índices propuestos (BMWP-PR, IBF-PR) representan las primeras herramientas desarrolladas para la isla con el objetivo de evaluar la condición ecológica de los ríos. Los índices se proponen como un punto de partida, futuros esfuerzos deben contemplar la elaboración de herramientas adicionales

A global agenda for advancing freshwater biodiversity research

Global freshwater biodiversity is declining dramatically, and meeting the challenges of this crisis requires bold goals and the mobilisation of substantial resources. While the reasons are varied, investments in both research and conservation of freshwater biodiversity lag far behind those in the terrestrial and marine realms. Inspired by a global consultation, we identify 15 pressing priority needs, grouped into five research areas, in an effort to support informed stewardship of freshwater biodiversity. The proposed agenda aims to advance freshwater biodiversity research globally as a critical step in improving coordinated actions towards its sustainable management and conservation.Peer reviewe

Spread of a SARS-CoV-2 variant through Europe in the summer of 2020.

Following its emergence in late 2019, the spread of SARS-CoV-21,2 has been tracked by phylogenetic analysis of viral genome sequences in unprecedented detail3–5. Although the virus spread globally in early 2020 before borders closed, intercontinental travel has since been greatly reduced. However, travel within Europe resumed in the summer of 2020. Here we report on a SARS-CoV-2 variant, 20E (EU1), that was identified in Spain in early summer 2020 and subsequently spread across Europe. We find no evidence that this variant has increased transmissibility, but instead demonstrate how rising incidence in Spain, resumption of travel, and lack of effective screening and containment may explain the variant’s success. Despite travel restrictions, we estimate that 20E (EU1) was introduced hundreds of times to European countries by summertime travellers, which is likely to have undermined local efforts to minimize infection with SARS-CoV-2. Our results illustrate how a variant can rapidly become dominant even in the absence of a substantial transmission advantage in favourable epidemiological settings. Genomic surveillance is critical for understanding how travel can affect transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and thus for informing future containment strategies as travel resumes. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited

Spread of a SARS-CoV-2 variant through Europe in the summer of 2020

[EN] Following its emergence in late 2019, the spread of SARS-CoV-21,2 has been tracked by phylogenetic analysis of viral genome sequences in unprecedented detail3,4,5. Although the virus spread globally in early 2020 before borders closed, intercontinental travel has since been greatly reduced. However, travel within Europe resumed in the summer of 2020. Here we report on a SARS-CoV-2 variant, 20E (EU1), that was identified in Spain in early summer 2020 and subsequently spread across Europe. We find no evidence that this variant has increased transmissibility, but instead demonstrate how rising incidence in Spain, resumption of travel, and lack of effective screening and containment may explain the variant’s success. Despite travel restrictions, we estimate that 20E (EU1) was introduced hundreds of times to European countries by summertime travellers, which is likely to have undermined local efforts to minimize infection with SARS-CoV-2. Our results illustrate how a variant can rapidly become dominant even in the absence of a substantial transmission advantage in favourable epidemiological settings. Genomic surveillance is critical for understanding how travel can affect transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and thus for informing future containment strategies as travel resumes.S

MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL : A data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in P ortugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with 26% of all species being includedin the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associatedwith habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mam-mals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion formarine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems func-tionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is cru-cial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS INPORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublishedgeoreferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mam-mals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira thatincludes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occur-ring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live obser-vations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%),bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent lessthan 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrowsjsoil moundsjtunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animaljhairjskullsjjaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8),observation in shelters, (9) photo trappingjvideo, (10) predators dietjpelletsjpine cones/nuts, (11) scatjtrackjditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalizationjecholocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and100 m (76%). Rodentia (n=31,573) has the highest number of records followedby Chiroptera (n=18,857), Carnivora (n=18,594), Lagomorpha (n=17,496),Cetartiodactyla (n=11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n=7008). The data setincludes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened(e.g.,Oryctolagus cuniculus[n=12,159],Monachus monachus[n=1,512],andLynx pardinus[n=197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate thepublication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contrib-ute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting onthe development of more accurate and tailored conservation managementstrategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite thisdata paper when the data are used in publications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Search for long-lived particles produced in association with a Z boson in proton-proton collisions at s \sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

A search for long-lived particles (LLPs) produced in association with a Z boson is presented. The study is performed using data from proton-proton collisions with a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the CMS experiment during 2016–2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 117 fb−1. The LLPs are assumed to decay to a pair of standard model quarks that are identified as displaced jets within the CMS tracker system. Triggers and selections based on Z boson decays to electron or muon pairs improve the sensitivity to light LLPs (down to 15 GeV). This search provides sensitivity to beyond the standard model scenarios which predict LLPs produced in association with a Z boson. In particular, the results are interpreted in the context of exotic decays of the Higgs boson to a pair of scalar LLPs (H → SS). The Higgs boson decay branching fraction is constrained to values less than 6% for proper decay lengths of 10–100 mm and for LLP masses between 40 and 55 GeV. In the case of low-mass (≈ 15 GeV) scalar particles that subsequently decay to a pair of b quarks, the search is sensitive to branching fractions B(H → SS) < 20% for proper decay lengths of 10–50 mm. The use of associated production with a Z boson increases the sensitivity to low-mass LLPs of this analysis with respect to gluon fusion searches. In the case of 15 GeV scalar LLPs, the improvement corresponds to a factor of 2 at a proper decay length of 30 mm

Search for long-lived particles decaying to leptons with large impact parameter in proton–proton collisions at s=13 TeV\sqrt{s} = 13\,\text {Te}\text {V}

A search for new long-lived particles decaying to leptons using proton–proton collision data produced by the CERN LHC at s√=13TeV is presented. Events are selected with two leptons (an electron and a muon, two electrons, or two muons) that both have transverse impact parameter values between 0.01 and 10cm and are not required to form a common vertex. Data used for the analysis were collected with the CMS detector in 2016, 2017, and 2018, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 118 (113)fb−1 in the ee channel (eμ and μμ channels). The search is designed to be sensitive to a wide range of models with displaced eμ, ee, and μμ final states. The results constrain several well-motivated models involving new long-lived particles that decay to displaced leptons. For some areas of the available phase space, these are the most stringent constraints to date

Search for long-lived particles decaying to leptons with large impact parameter in proton-proton collisions at s=13Te

A search for new long-lived particles decaying to leptons using proton-proton collision data produced by the CERN LHC at s=13Te is presented. Events are selected with two leptons (an electron and a muon, two electrons, or two muons) that both have transverse impact parameter values between 0.01 and 10 cm and are not required to form a common vertex. Data used for the analysis were collected with the CMS detector in 2016, 2017, and 2018, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 118 (113) fb-1 in the ee channel ( eμ and μμ channels). The search is designed to be sensitive to a wide range of models with displaced eμ , ee , and μμ final states. The results constrain several well-motivated models involving new long-lived particles that decay to displaced leptons. For some areas of the available phase space, these are the most stringent constraints to date

Analysis of the CP structure of the Yukawa coupling between the Higgs boson and τ leptons in proton-proton collisions at s\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

The first measurement of the CP structure of the Yukawa coupling between the Higgs boson and τ leptons is presented. The measurement is based on data collected in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV by the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb$^{-1}$. The analysis uses the angular correlation between the decay planes of τ leptons produced in Higgs boson decays. The effective mixing angle between CP-even and CP-odd τ Yukawa couplings is found to be −1 ± 19°, compared to an expected value of 0 ± 21° at the 68.3% confidence level. The data disfavour the pure CP-odd scenario at 3.0 standard deviations. The results are compatible with predictions for the standard model Higgs boson