Effects of the environment on galaxies in the Catalogue of Isolated Galaxies: physical satellites and large scale structure

We aim to identify and quantify the effects of the satellite distribution around a sample of galaxies in the Catalogue of Isolated Galaxies (CIG), as well as the effects of the Large Scale Structure (LSS) using the SDSS-DR9. To recover the physically bound galaxies we focus on the satellites which are within the escape speed of each CIG galaxy. We also propose a more conservative method using the stacked Gaussian distribution of the velocity difference of the neighbours. The tidal strengths affecting the primary galaxy are estimated to quantify the effects of the local and LSS environments. We also define the projected number density parameter at the 5$^{\rm th}$ nearest neighbour to characterise the LSS around the CIG galaxies. Out of the 386 CIG galaxies considered in this study, at least 340 (88\% of the sample) have no physically linked satellite. Out of the 386 CIG galaxies, 327 (85\% of the sample) have no physical companion within a projected distance of 0.3 Mpc. The CIG galaxies are distributed following the LSS of the local Universe, although presenting a large heterogeneity in their degree of connection with it. A clear segregation appears between early-type CIG galaxies with companions and isolated late-type CIG galaxies. Isolated galaxies are in general bluer, with likely younger stellar populations and rather high star formation with respect to older, redder CIG galaxies with companions. Reciprocally, the satellites are redder and with an older stellar populations around massive early-type CIG galaxies, while they have a younger stellar content around massive late-type CIG galaxies. This suggests that the CIG is composed of a heterogeneous population of galaxies, sampling from old to more recent, dynamical systems of galaxies.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Game species: extinction hidden by census numbers

Management of game species may involve a risk of alteration of their genetic properties. Local adaptations may be disrupted if artificially selected individuals from farms or those belonging to distant geographical areas are introduced to increase population density or trophy ‘quality’. In Spain, red deer (Cervus elaphus) from different European subspecies have been introduced to increase the size of trophies (antlers) of local populations. Legislation against these introductions is not effective for various reasons, and once the individuals are in the Iberian peninsula it is virtually impossible to prevent their spreading throughout the whole territory without a genetic tool to distinguish between autochthonous and foreign specimens. We have developed such a genetic test and propose a strategy to dissuade land-owners from importing foreign deer. Since deer are bred mainly for their antlers, our strategy is based on an agreement with the National Trophy Body in Spain which rejects trophies from foreign populations. Rejection decreases the value of the trophy so that it becomes more profitable to produce autochthonous deer. Using such a strategy at some critical step in the production or commercialisation process may be a good model to apply in protecting genetic properties of exploited species

Especies de caza: procesos de extinción ocultos tras elevados tamaños de censo

Management of game species may involve a risk of alteration of their genetic properties. Local adaptations may be disrupted if artificially selected individuals from farms or those belonging to distant geographical areas are introduced to increase population density or trophy “quality”. In Spain, red deer (Cervus elaphus) from different European subspecies have been introduced to increase the size of trophies (antlers) of local populations. Legislation against these introductions is not effective for various reasons, and once the individuals are in the Iberian peninsula it is virtually impossible to prevent their spreading throughout the whole territory without a genetic tool to distinguish between autochthonous and foreign specimens. We have developed such a genetic test and propose a strategy to dissuade land–owners from importing foreign deer. Since deer are bred mainly for their antlers, our strategy is based on an agreement with the National Trophy Body in Spain which rejects trophies from foreign populations. Rejection decreases the value of the trophy so that it becomes more profitable to produce autochthonous deer. Using such a strategy at some critical step in the production or commercialization process may be a good model to apply in protecting genetic properties of exploited species.La gestión de las especies de caza puede conllevar riesgos de alteración de sus propiedades genéticas. Las adaptaciones locales pueden deteriorarse si ejemplares producidos mediante selección artificial en granjas o procedentes de áreas geográficas distantes, son introducidos para aumentar la densidad poblacional o la "calidad" de los trofeos de caza. En España, se han introducido ejemplares de ciervo ibérico (Cervus elaphus) procedentes de distintas subespecies europeas para aumentar así el tamaño de las cuernas (trofeos de caza) de las poblaciones autóctonas. La legislación contra este tipo de introducciones no es eficaz por diversos motivos y, una vez introducidos los ejemplares en la península ibérica, es prácticamente imposible prevenir su dispersión por todo el territorio sin contar con herramientas genéticas que permitan diferenciar los ejemplares autóctonos de los foráneos. Nosotros hemos desarrollado un test genético para este fin, y hemos propuesto una estrategia para disuadir a lospropietarios de llevar a cabo la importación de ejemplares foráneos. Puesto que los ciervos se crían fundamentalmente por su cornamenta como trofeo de caza, nuestra estrategia se ha basado en un acuerdo con la Junta Nacional de Homologación de Trofeos de Caza, para que ésta rechace los trofeos pertenecientes a ejemplares foráneos. Este rechazo reduce el valor de los ejemplares procedentes de otras poblaciones y favorece la producción de ciervo autóctono. Sugerimos que la utilización de estrategias de este tipo en puntos clave de procesos de producción o comercialización, puede ser un buen modelo a aplicar para proteger las propiedades genéticas de las especies sujetas a explotación por el hombre

The December 2015 re-brightening of V404 Cyg: Variable absorption from the accretion disc outflow

In December 2015 the black hole binary V404 Cyg underwent a secondary outburst after the main June 2015 event. We monitored this re-brightening with the INTEGRAL and Swift satellites, and in this paper we report the results of the time-resolved spectral analysis of these data. The December outburst shared similar characteristics with the June one. The well sampled INTEGRAL light curve shows up to 10 Crab flares, which are separated by relatively weak non-flaring emission phases when compared to the June outburst. The spectra are well described by absorbed Comptonization models, with hard photon indices, $\Gamma \lesssim 2$, and significant detections of a high-energy cut-off only during the bright flares. This is in contrast to the June outburst, where the Comptonization models gave electron temperatures mostly in the 30--50 keV range, while some spectra were soft ($\Gamma \sim 2.5$) without signs of any spectral cut-off. Similarly to the June outburst, we see clear sings of a variable local absorber in the soft energy band covered by Swift/XRT and INTEGRAL/JEM-X, which causes rapid spectral variations observed during the flares. During one flare, both Swift and INTEGRAL captured V404 Cyg in a state where the absorber was nearly Compton thick, $N_\textrm{H} \approx 10^{24}\,\textrm{cm}^{-2}$, and the broad band spectrum was similar to obscured AGN spectra, as seen during the "plateaus" in the June outburst. We conclude that the spectral behaviour of V404 Cyg during the December outburst was analogous with the first few days of the June outburst, both having hard X-ray flares that were intermittently influenced by obscuration due to nearly Compton-thick outflows launched from the accretion disc.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, accepted to A&

Considerations on Field Methodology for Macrofungi Studies in Fragmented Forests of Mediterranean Agricultural Landscapes

The methodology used for the determination of macrofungal diversity in Mediterranean areas differs in the time of sampling and the number of years displayed, making it difficult to compare results. Furthermore, the results could be refuted because the studies are being conducted over an insufficient number of years or without considering the variation of the meteorological conditions from one year to the next and its effects on fruiting time, which might not fit the sampling. In order to optimize field work on fungal fruiting in Mediterranean environments dominated by holm oak (Quercus ilex L.), a weekly field analysis of macrofungal diversity from February 2009 to June 2013 was carried out in a Mediterranean holm oak forest in the middle-west of the Iberian Peninsula. The results revealed that fruiting bodies appeared throughout the year and that there was a delay in autumn fruiting, overlapping with spring. All this seems to indicate that weekly collection throughout the year and for a period of two years could be sufficient to estimate the macrofungal biodiversity of this ecosystem. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Knowledge Networks around the Strategic Alliances of Micro Coffee Producers

The organizational process that goes from the knowledge networks to the strategic alliances supposes a management, production and transfer of information that the literature differentiates according to the degree of empathy, commitment, entrepreneurship, innovation and satisfaction of leaders and followers. In this sense, the objective of this study was to study the phenomenon in coffee growers in central Mexico. From a structural model ⌠X 2 = 321.23 (34gl) p = 0.009; GFI = 0.990; CFI = 0.975; RMSEA = 0.008⌡, after establishing the reliability and validity of an instrument, it was found that innovation determines satisfaction (0.51), although the type of study, sample selection and analysis limit the findings to the specific context of the investigation. Lines concerning the extension of work to different contexts and samples are noticed

The cosmic evolution of the spatially-resolved star formation rate and stellar mass of the CALIFA survey

We investigate the cosmic evolution of the absolute and specific star formation rate (SFR, sSFR) of galaxies as derived from a spatially-resolved study of the stellar populations in a set of 366 nearby galaxies from the CALIFA survey. The analysis combines GALEX and SDSS images with the 4000 break, H_beta, and [MgFe] indices measured from the datacubes, to constrain parametric models for the SFH, which are then used to study the cosmic evolution of the star formation rate density (SFRD), the sSFR, the main sequence of star formation (MSSF), and the stellar mass density (SMD). A delayed-tau model, provides the best results, in good agreement with those obtained from cosmological surveys. Our main results from this model are: a) The time since the onset of the star formation is larger in the inner regions than in the outer ones, while tau is similar or smaller in the inner than in the outer regions. b) The sSFR declines rapidly as the Universe evolves, and faster for early than for late type galaxies, and for the inner than for the outer regions of galaxies. c) SFRD and SMD agree well with results from cosmological surveys. At z< 0.5, most star formation takes place in the outer regions of late spiral galaxies, while at z>2 the inner regions of the progenitors of the current E and S0 are the major contributors to SFRD. d) The inner regions of galaxies are the major contributor to SMD at z> 0.5, growing their mass faster than the outer regions, with a lookback time at 50% SMD of 9 and 6 Gyr for the inner and outer regions. e) The MSSF follows a power-law at high redshift, with the slope evolving with time, but always being sub-linear. f) In agreement with galaxy surveys at different redshifts, the average SFH of CALIFA galaxies indicates that galaxies grow their mass mainly in a mode that is well represented by a delayed-tau model, with the peak at z~2 and an e-folding time of 3.9 Gyr.Comment: 23 pages, 16 figures, 6 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. *Abridged abstract

Rapid spectral transition of the black hole binary V404 Cyg

During the June 2015 outburst of the black hole binary V404 Cyg, rapid changes in the X-ray brightness and spectra were common. The INTEGRAL monitoring campaign detected spectacular Eddington-limited X-ray flares, but also rapid variations at much lower flux levels. On 2015 June 21 at 20 h 50 min, the 3-10 keV JEM-X data as well as simultaneous optical data started to display a gradual brightening from one of these low-flux states. This was followed 15 min later by an order-of-magnitude increase of flux in the 20-40 keV IBIS/ISGRI light curve in just 15 s. The best-fitting model for both the pre- and post-transition spectra required a Compton-thick partially covering absorber. The absorber parameters remained constant, but the spectral slope varied significantly during the event, with the photon index decreasing from $\Gamma \approx 3.7$ to $\Gamma \approx 2.3$. We propose that the rapid 20-40 keV flux increase was either caused by a spectral state transition that was hidden from our direct view, or that there was a sudden reduction in the amount of Compton down-scattering of the primary X-ray emission in the disk outflow.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, accepted to A&