Estat de conservació de les praderies de Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile, 1813 dins la Badia de Portocolom (Mallorca)

[cat] Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus), Delile, 1813 és una fanerògama marina endèmica del Mediterrani que proporciona gran quantitat de serveis ecosistèmics i és clau per a la conservació de la biodiversitat. Com la majoria de la vegetació marina està en greu recessió. Una de les principals amenaces que afecten aquesta planta, juntament amb l’eutrofització i l’escalfament global, és el fondeig incontrolat. En aquest estudi fem una avaluació de l’estat de conservació de la praderia de P. oceanica situada davant la platja de s’Arenal a la badia de Portocolom afectada per fondeig incontrolat. La mitjana del percentatge de cobertura entre una fondària de 2 i 4.8 metres va ser de 44.2 ± 13.6 %, cobertures inferiors a les reportades anteriorment per aquesta zona. Les densitats van variar entre 392 i 576 feixos/m2, amb una mitjana de 508 ± 31 feixos/m2. Aquesta praderia té molt baixa densitat, o densitat anormal, indicant que està sotmesa a pressions que posen en perill el seu estat de conservació. Vam poder estimar el nombre de feixos arrabassats per una àncora d’un vaixell d’uns 15 metres d’eslora, que va ser de 165 ± 31 feixos. Aquesta praderia necessitaria 5 anys en condicions òptimes per poder recolonitzar l’àrea arrabassada per aquesta àncora. Una estima del carboni alliberat per l’efecte del fondeig d’aquesta àncora revelaria que 915 g de carboni quedaria disponible i podria ser alliberat a l’atmosfera.[eng] Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus), Delile, 1813 is an endemic Mediterranean seagrass that provides multiple ecosystem services and is a key species for biodiversity conservation. Like most submerged vegetation, this key habitat is regressing alarmingly. One of the main threats affecting this seagrass, together with eutrophication and global warming, is uncontrolled anchoring. Here, we evaluate the conservation status of the P. oceanica meadow in front of s’Arenal beach in Portocolom Bay that is affected by uncontrolled anchoring. The mean cover percentage at depths between 2 and 4.8 meters was 44.2 ± 13.6 %, lower than previously reported for this area. Densities varied between 392 and 576 shoots/m2, with an average of 508 ± 31 shoots/m2. This is a very low, or even an abnormal, density, indicating that this meadow is subject to pressures that are threatening its conservation. We could estimate the number of shoots that were torn off by the action of anchoring of a 15 m long boat: 165 ± 31 shoots. This meadow would require 5 years of optimal conditions to be able to recolonize the area removed by the action of this anchoring. An estimate of the carbon released by the action of this anchoring was 915 g of carbon that could become available and could be released to the atmosphere

Setting conclitions, Petrology ancl Geochemistry of calc-alkaline rhyolites, stephanian-permian, in the iberian chains

[Resumen] Se exponen los caracteres del emplazamiento, la composición petrológica y geoquímica de unos sills riolíticos que, con afinidad calco-alcalina, se emplazaron, bajo un ambiente sin-colisional, en diversos sectores de la Cadena Ibérica. Estas riolitas representan un origen crustal, con baja tasa de fusión, previo a un magmatismo calco-alcalino de origen subcrustal.[Abstract] The setting characters, the petrological and geochemical composition are exposed for sorne rhyolitic sills, with calc-alkaline affinity, which were set, in a syncollisional environment, in several areas of the Iberian Chains. These rhyolites represent a crustal origin, with a low degree of fussion, previous to a calc-alkaline magmatism of subcrustal origino

Brasil x Espanha: consumo de energia térmica e emissões de CO2 envolvidos na fabricação de revestimentos cerâmicos

A demanda de energia térmica da indústria de revestimentos cerâmicos é bastante elevada, sendo atendida quase por completo pela combustão do gás natural. Os gastos com geração de energia térmica representam uma grande parte do custo de produção de revestimentos cerâmicos, e as emissões de CO2 resultantes desta atividade industrial são muito expressivas. Neste sentido, o aumento da eficiência térmica nos processos produtivos conhecidos atualmente deve ser buscado constantemente com o objetivo de reduzir o custo de fabricação e as emissões de CO2. Para isso, é necessário dispor de uma base de dados de consumos energéticos e emissões de CO2, a fim de conhecer a situação atual do setor e as possibilidades de aumentar a eficiência energética do processo. Dessa forma, o presente trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de levantar dados baseados em medições diretas em equipamentos industriais consumidores de gás natural, no Brasil e na Espanha, utilizando a mesma metodologia. Foram visitadas 65 empresas e analisados 130 equipamentos, sendo possível estabelecer comparações entre o consumo de diversas tipologias de produtos, etapas do processo produtivo, distintas rotas de processamento, equipamentos com características construtivas diferenciadas, dentre outros. As informações obtidas constituem um inédito banco de dados que representa a real situação dos setores de revestimentos cerâmicos do Brasil e da Espanha, com respeito ao consumo energético e às emissões de CO2

A sensitive and bright single-cell resolution live imaging reporter of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in the mouse

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Understanding the dynamic cellular behaviors and underlying molecular mechanisms that drive morphogenesis is an ongoing challenge in biology. Live imaging provides the necessary methodology to unravel the synergistic and stereotypical cell and molecular events that shape the embryo. Genetically-encoded reporters represent an essential tool for live imaging. Reporter strains can be engineered by placing <it>cis</it>-regulatory elements of interest to direct the expression of a desired reporter gene. In the case of canonical Wnt signaling, also referred to as Wnt/β-catenin signaling, since the downstream transcriptional response is well understood, reporters can be designed that reflect sites of active Wnt signaling, as opposed to sites of gene transcription, as is the case with many fluorescent reporters. However, even though several transgenic Wnt/β-catenin reporter strains have been generated, to date, none provides the single-cell resolution favored for live imaging studies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have placed six copies of a TCF/Lef responsive element and an <it>hsp68 </it>minimal promoter in front of a fluorescent protein fusion comprising human histone H2B to GFP and used it to generate a strain of mice that would report Wnt/β-catenin signaling activity. Characterization of developmental and adult stages of the resulting <it>TCF/Lef:H2B-GFP </it>strain revealed discrete and specific expression of the transgene at previously characterized sites of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In support of the increased sensitivity of the <it>TCF/Lef:H2B-GFP </it>reporter, additional sites of Wnt/β-catenin signaling not documented with other reporters but identified through genetic and embryological analysis were observed. Furthermore, the sub-cellular localization of the reporter minimized reporter perdurance, and allowed visualization and tracking of individual cells within a cohort, so facilitating the detailed analysis of cell behaviors and signaling activity during morphogenesis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>By combining the Wnt activity read-out efficiency of multimerized TCF/Lef DNA binding sites, together with the high-resolution imaging afforded by subcellularly-localized fluorescent fusion proteins such as H2B-GFP, we have created a mouse transgenic line that faithfully recapitulates Wnt signaling activity at single-cell resolution. The <it>TCF/Lef:H2B-GFP </it>reporter represents a unique tool for live imaging the <it>in vivo </it>processes triggered by Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and thus should help the formulation of a high-resolution understanding of the serial events that define the morphogenetic process regulated by this signaling pathway.</p

Reduction of CO2-emissions in ceramic tiles manufacture by combining energy-saving measures

Ceramic tile manufacture requires a great quantity of energy, mainly in the form of heat. The heat is principally used in the kilns and dryers, and it is obtained by natural gas combustion. The increasing cost of natural gas, as well as the application of a new gas tax, the new legislation in regard to emissions trading, and the difficult current economic situation have driven the ceramic tile sector to implement energy-saving actions in the production process with the twofold aim of reducing energy costs and abating carbon dioxide emissions. One such course of action is the European project REDUCER, funded by the European Commission and led by Azulev S.A.U., in which the Instituto de Tecnología Cerámica (ITC) also participates. This project seeks to implement energy-saving actions in company kilns and dryers in order to lower natural gas consumption and reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the tile manufacturing process. One of the saving actions envisaged is the installation of a system of waste heat recovery from one of the company kilns to the tile body dryers. This new waste heat recovery system is to be added to and will complement the already existing system at the company, thus achieving maximum heat recovery from the kiln stacks. The recovered heat will go entirely to the green tile body dryers, thus reducing natural gas consumption in the dryers. The designed installation seeks to recover 600 kW heat from the stacks of one of the kilns, entailing a natural gas saving of more than 120 k€/year and suppressing the emission into the atmosphere of 720 tons of CO2/year, savings that are to be added to those attained with other energy-saving measures. This paper describes the energy-saving actions implemented at the company, as well as the resulting energy savings

Effects of wastewater treatment plant effluent inputs on planktonic metabolic rates and microbial community composition in the Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is the world's largest area suffering from eutrophication-driven hypoxia. Low oxygen levels are threatening its biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The main causes for eutrophication-driven hypoxia are high nutrient loadings and global warming. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) contribute to eutrophication as they are important sources of nitrogen to coastal areas. Here, we evaluated the effects of wastewater treatment plant effluent inputs on Baltic Sea planktonic communities in four experiments. We tested for effects of effluent inputs on chlorophyll <i>a</i> content, bacterial community composition, and metabolic rates: gross primary production (GPP), net community production (NCP), community respiration (CR) and bacterial production (BP). Nitrogen-rich dissolved organic matter (DOM) inputs from effluents increased bacterial production and decreased primary production and community respiration. Nutrient amendments and seasonally variable environmental conditions lead to lower alpha-diversity and shifts in bacterial community composition (e.g. increased abundance of a few cyanobacterial populations in the summer experiment), concomitant with changes in metabolic rates. An increase in BP and decrease in CR could be caused by high lability of the DOM that can support secondary bacterial production, without an increase in respiration. Increases in bacterial production and simultaneous decreases of primary production lead to more carbon being consumed in the microbial loop, and may shift the ecosystem towards heterotrophy

Widespread Tau Seeding Activity at Early Braak Stages

Transcellular propagation of tau aggregates may underlie the progression of pathology in Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) and other tauopathies. Braak staging (B1, B2, B3) is based on phospho-tau accumulation within connected brain regions: entorhinal cortex (B1); hippocampus/limbic system (B2); and frontal and parietal lobes (B3). We previously developed a specific and sensitive assay that uses flow cytometry to quantify tissue seeding activity based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) in cells that stably express tau reporter proteins. In a tauopathy mouse model, we have detected seeding activity far in advance of histopathological changes. It remains unknown whether individuals with AD also develop seeding activity prior to accumulation of phospho-tau. We measured tau seeding activity across four brain regions (hippocampus, frontal lobe, parietal lobe, and cerebellum) in 104 fresh-frozen human AD brain samples from all Braak stages. We observed widespread seeding activity, notably in regions predicted to be free of phospho-tau deposition, and in detergent-insoluble fractions that lacked tau detectable by ELISA. Seeding activity correlated positively with Braak stage and negatively with MMSE. Our results are consistent with early transcellular propagation of tau seeds that triggers subsequent development of neuropathology. The FRET-based seeding assay may also complement standard neuropathological classification of tauopathies

Preliminary comparison of magmatic manifestations, calc-alkaline affinity and stephanian-permian age, in the Iberian Chain

[Resumen] En este trabajo se estudian, de forma sintética y actualizada, las manifestaciones (hipovolcánicas y volcanoclásticas) calco-alcalinas que, con carácter epizonal, pluriepisódico y edad Stephaniense-Pérmico, afloran en la Cadena Ibérica. El estudio del magmatismo en la cuenca de Sauquillo de Alcázar (Soria) permite identificar la geometría y la modalidad de este magmatismo con mayor precisi6n, respecto a lo obtenido en los cuatro afloramientos volcano-clásticos seleccionados. Los resultados obtenidos facilitan realizar consideraciones sobre el estudio espacio-temporal de este magmatismo..[Abstract] A synthetic and actualized study of several magmatic calc-alkaline manifestations of Stephanian-Permian age, of the Iberian Chain, is proposed in this papero The Sauquillo de Alcázar (Soria) outcrop allows a more complete study (with drilling logs and a surface profile) giving improved spacetime information on the geometry and evolution of this magmatism. Four pyroclastic outcrops are integrated in this compariso

Precipitation characteristics and associated weather conditions on the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies during March–April 2015

Precipitation events that bring rain and snow to the Banff–Calgary area of Alberta are a critical aspect of the region's water cycle and can lead to major flooding events such as the June 2013 event that was the second most costly natural disaster in Canadian history. Because no special atmospheric-oriented observations of these events have been made, a field experiment was conducted in March and April 2015 in Kananaskis, Alberta, to begin to fill this gap. The goal was to characterize and better understand the formation of the precipitation at the surface during spring 2015 at a specific location in the Kananaskis Valley. Within the experiment, detailed measurements of precipitation and weather conditions were obtained, a vertically pointing Doppler radar was deployed and weather balloons were released. Although 17 precipitation events occurred, this period was associated with much less precipitation than normal (−35&thinsp;%) and above-normal temperatures (2.5&thinsp;°C). Of the 133&thinsp;h of observed precipitation, solid precipitation occurred 71&thinsp;% of the time, mixed precipitation occurred 9&thinsp;% and rain occurred 20&thinsp;%. An analysis of 17&thinsp;504 precipitation particles from 1181 images showed that a wide variety of crystals and aggregates occurred and approximately 63&thinsp;% showed signs of riming. This was largely independent of whether flows aloft were upslope (easterly) or downslope (westerly). In the often sub-saturated surface conditions, hydrometeors containing ice occurred at temperatures as high as 9&thinsp;°C. Radar structures aloft were highly variable with reflectivity sometimes  &gt; 30&thinsp;dBZe and Doppler velocity up to −1&thinsp;m&thinsp;s−1, which indicates upward motion of particles within ascending air masses. Precipitation was formed in this region within cloud fields sometimes having variable structures and within which supercooled water at least sometimes existed to produce accreted particles massive enough to reach the surface through the relatively dry sub-cloud region.</p

Viure amb càncer colorectal

Treballs d'Educació Farmacèutica als ciutadans. Unitat Docent d'Estades en Pràctiques Tutelades. Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona. Curs: 2015-2016. Tutors: Jordi Casas Sánchez i Marian March Pujol