Ongoing and Upcoming Cold-Water Coral Multi Stressor Experiments

Comunicación escrita (póster) a Congresos• Cold-water corals (CWC) form complex 3-D structures that are biodiversity hotspots. However, the knowledge about their ecophysiological response to global change stressors (i.e. warming, acidification, decrease of dissolved oxygen concentration) is still very limited, as well as their possible interactions with local stressors such as the impacts from mining and fishing activities. • Three long-term, multi stressor experiments will explore the combined impact of several environmental and local stressors based on the IPCC projections on different CWC species across the North Atlantic. • Further experiments will include the addition of particles from mining or sediment from trawling activities to all treatments after long-term experiments finish to study the potential physical damage and ecotoxicological effects. • The results from these studies will increase our knowledge on the potential consequences of global change and local stressors and their possible interactions on CWC species and ecosystems that they form. • The results will contribute to support science-based marine spatial planning for the North Atlantic.European Union Commission Horizon 2020 Programa (grant agreement 818123), FEDER ((ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000140), Ayuntamiento de A Coruña (Spain) and Deep-Sea Biology Societ

Intermediate- and long-term associations between air pollution and ambient temperature and glycated hemoglobin levels in women of child bearing age

Background: Air pollution has been linked to obesity while higher ambient temperatures typically reduce metabolic demand in a compensatory manner. Both relationships may impact glucose metabolism, thus we examined the association between intermediate- and long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ambient temperature and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), a longer-term marker of glucose control. Methods: We assessed 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month average air pollution and ambient temperature at 1-km2 spatial resolution via satellite remote sensing models (2013–2019), and assessed HbA1c at four, six, and eight years postpartum in women enrolled in the Programming Research in Obesity, Growth, Environment and Social Stressors (PROGRESS) cohort based in Mexico City. PM2.5 and ambient temperature were matched to participants’ addresses and confirmed by GPS tracker. Using linear mixed-effects models, we examined the association between 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month average PM2.5 and ambient temperature with repeated log-transformed HbA1c values. All models included a random intercept for each woman and were adjusted for calendar year, season, and individual-level confounders (age, marital status, smoking, alcohol consumption level, and education level). Results: We analyzed 1,265 HbA1c measurements of 484 women. Per 1 µg/m3 increase in 3-month and 6-month PM2.5, HbA1c levels increased by 0.28% (95% confidence interval (95 %CI): 0.14, 0.42%) and 0.28% (95 %CI: 0.04, 0.52%) respectively. No association was seen for 12-month average PM2.5. Per 1 °C increase in ambient temperature, HbA1c levels decreased by 0.63% (95 %CI: −1.06, −0.21%) and 0.61% (95 %CI: −1.08, −0.13%), while the 12-month average again is not associated with HbA1c. Conclusions: Intermediate-term exposure to PM2.5 and ambient temperature are associated with opposing changes in HbA1c levels, in this region of high PM2.5 and moderate temperature fluctuation. These effects, measurable in mid-adult life, may portend future risk of type 2 diabetes and possible heart disease

Bioadsorción de Cromo (VI) en Solución Acuosa por la Biomasa Celular de Cryptococcus neoformans y Helminthosporium sp

Se determinó la bioadsorción de Cromo (VI) en solución por la biomasa celular de la levadura capsulada Cryptococcus neoformans y del hongo micelial Helminthosporium sp, por el método colorimétrico de la difenilcarbazida. La biomasa de C. neoformans fue más eficiente en la remoción de Cromo (VI) en solución (98%) que la de Helminthosporium sp (65%). La mayor bioadsorción para C. neoformans fue a pH=2.0 +/- 0.2, mientras que para Helminthosporium sp fue a pH=4.0 +/- 0.2, ambas a 28oC durante 24 horas con 0.2 mg/L de biomasa celular. Se concluye que las biomasas fúngicas remueven eficientemente Cromo (VI) en solución y pueden utilizarse para descontaminar nichos acuáticos contaminados con este metal

Performance Comparisons of Bio-Micro Genetic Algorithms on Robot Locomotion

This paper presents a comparison of four algorithms and identifies the better one in terms of convergence to the best performance for the locomotion of a quadruped robot designed. Three algorithms found in the literature review: a standard Genetic Algorithm (GA), a micro-Genetic Algorithm ( μ GA), and a micro-Artificial Immune System ( μ AIS); the fourth algorithm is a novel micro-segmented Genetic Algorithm ( μ sGA). This research shows how the computing time affects the performance in different algorithms of the gait on the robot physically; this contribution complements other studies that are limited to simulation. The μ sGA algorithm uses less computing time since the individual is segmented into specific bytes. In contrast, the use of a computer and the high demand in computational resources for the GA are avoided. The results show that the performance of μ sGA is better than the other three algorithms (GA, μ GA and μ AIS). The quadruped robot prototype guarantees the same conditions for each test. The structure of the platform was developed by 3D printing. This structure was used to accommodate the mechanisms, sensors and servomechanisms as actuators. It also has an internal battery and a multicore Embedded System (mES) to process and control the robot locomotion. The computing time was reduced using an mES architecture that enables parallel processing, meaning that the requirements for resources and memory were reduced. For example, in the experiment of a one-second gait cycle, GA uses 700% of computing time, μ GA (76%), μ AIS (32%) and μ sGA (13%). This research solves the problem of quadruped robot’s locomotion and gives a feasible solution (Central Pattern Generators, (CPGs)) with real performance parameters using a μ sGA bio-micro algorithm and a mES architecture

Description and quantification of the deep-sea megabenthic communities in Ormonde seamount (Gorringe Bank, NE Atlantic) using video analysis

The Gorringe Bank is a seamounts complex located at the eastern tip of the Azores-Gibraltar plate boundary separating Eurasia and Africa. Despite its early discovery at the end of the XIX century, the knowledge of the benthic communities and other associated fauna is still very scarce in this region, particularly in the deep areas below 200 m. The Ormonde seamount is one of the two main summits of Gorringe Bank, which rises from 5000 m to 33 m depth. In this study, we characterised the deep-sea communities in the Ormonde seamount from 900 to 2000 m depth by analysing underwater videos recorded by remotely operated vehicle (ROV) during the MEDWAVES survey (EU H2020 project ATLAS). We provided for the first time, detailed and quantitative information on species composition, densities, spatial distribution and state of conservation compared to other well studied seamounts. The surveyed areas were strongly dominated by sponges, but the presence of patches of cold-water corals were also notable and some other vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) were identified. Spatial patterns in the deep-sea communities were also analysed as a result of the different water masses that bathed the area, exhibiting higher biodiversity in the presence of the Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW). Studies of deep-sea ecosystems not only improve our knowledge of the deep ocean but also are essential defining an appropriate management plan and conservation measures