Zooplankton richness in farm ponds of Andalusia (southern Spain)a comparison with natural wetlands

This study shows the results of an extensive survey carried out in spring 2007 on 120 farrn ponds in Andalusia (South of Spain). Pond use was diverse, but the most common uses were irrigation of vast areas of land and livestock watering. Zooplankton showed an unexpected richness in these previously unstudied water bodies which lie on private properties. A total of 103 taxa were identified (62 rotifera, 27 cladocera, 8 copepoda and 6 ostracoda). When results are compared with an extensive survey carried out at the same time in the protected wetlands of Andalusia, we found that there are many species exclusive to both the farrn ponds and the protected wetlands. This suggests high complementary between artificial and natural aquatic habitats, which highlight the role of farrn ponds in biodiversity conservation. Furthermore, our results showed that farm ponds with natural substrate have a higher diversity and species richness of zooplankton than those with artificial substrate. Farrn ponds and other farming-related ecosystems are becoming important in both ecological and management studies, because they are increasing in landscapes al! over the world. This study is part of a wider project to investigate the environmental improvement of smal! artificial water bodies in Andalusia and results will be used to promote a more useful management policy for existing and future farrn ponds in this region.Se presentan resultados de un muestreo extensivo de 120 balsas de riego llevado a cabo en la primavera de 2007 en Andalucía (Sur de España). Los datos de zooplancton revelan una inesperada riqueza de especies en estos cuerpos de agua, que no habían sido estudiados hasta la actualidad, porque muchos de ellos son de reciente creación y están en propiedad privada. Su uso es variado, utilizándose principalmente para el riego de vastas áreas y como abrevaderos de ganado. Se han identificado un total de 103 taxa (62 rotiferos, 27 cladóceros, 8 copépodos y 6 ostrácodos). Cuando los resultados se compararon con un muestreo extensivo llevado a cabo en el mismo periodo en humedales naturales protegidos de Andalucía, se encontraron taxones exclusivos tanto en las balsas como en los humedales, sugiriendo que estos nuevos sistemas podrían ser reservorios para la biodiversidad en todo tipo de paisajes agrícolas. Por otra parte, los resultados evidencian que las balsas con sustrato natural tienen una mayor diversidad y riqueza de especies de zooplancton que las balsas con sustrato artificial. Las balsas de riego y otros ecosistemas asociados a ambientes agrícolas están adquiriendo importancia en ecología y estudios de gestión, ya que están proliferando en los paisajes de todo el mundo. Este estudio es parte de un proyecto de mayor envergadura acerca de la capacidad ambiental de las balsas de riego de Andalucía. Estos resultados se usarán para promover una política de gestión más adecuada en futuras balsas de riego de la región

Dietary niche overlap and resource partitioning among six steppe passerines of Central Spain using DNA metabarcoding

Trophic niche partitioning is a mechanism that facilitates the coexistence of ecologically similar species by sharing their resource use. However, detailed information of the trophic niche in insectivorous birds is usually limited by the lack of accurate identification of consumed food resources. The use of DNA metabarcoding has proved useful for molecular identification of the taxa present in bird faecal samples. Here, we used this molecular technique to study the diets of six steppe passerine species distributed in two Special Protection Areas in central Spain, and to characterize the dietary niche overlap and the prey composition differences between bird species. In total, we distinguished 112 diet items, covering 39 arthropod families of 13 orders. Although significant dietary differences existed in prey species composition, our results indicated a 74% overlap in steppe bird dietary niche, mostly due to high consumption of abundant arthropod prey such as beetles, grasshoppers and spiders in the breeding season by all bird species. The lowest overlap was found for the dietary niches of the Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla and Dupont's Lark Chersophilus duponti, a scarce and threatened species, which appeared to be the species with the most distinct dietary niche within the community. Our results make a significant contribution to the knowledge of shrub-steppe bird diets and their trophic interactions, indicating that some extent of interspecific resource partitioning occurs in the study area, notably between Dupont's Lark and the Greater Short-toed Lark. Our study demonstrates the value of DNA metabarcoding in the assessment of passerine diets and provides useful ecological results for the design of biodiversity conservation programmes in the increasingly scarce and threatened steppe habitatsThis study was supported by the European Commission LIFE Ricot ı (LIFE15-NAT-ES-000802) and LIFE Connect Ricot ı (LIFE20-NAT-ES-000133) projects, and the BBVA Foundation Dron Ricot ı project. This is a contribution to the Excellence Network Remedinal 3CM (S2013/MAE2719). Lu ıs P. da Silva and Vanessa A. Mata were funded by Fundac ~ao para a Ci^encia e Tecnologia (FCT) through the research contract CEECIND/02064/ 2017 and 2020.02547.CEECIND, respectivel

Eco-friendly healing agents for recycled concrete

Abstract An innovative option to extend the service life of construction and building materials is the use of bio-healing agents. This study was focused on assessing the protection and consolidation effect of eco-friendly healing agents by analysing the water absorption of recycled concrete. A recycled concrete with 50% replacement of natural coarse aggregate by construction and demolition waste (CDW) aggregate and a similar recycled concrete in which, additionally, the Portland cement was replaced by recycled cement (with 25% ceramic waste) were biotreated by healing agents. These agents were obtained by using waste biomass of two different mixed microbial cultures from polyhydroxyalkanoates production processes. Results have shown that biotreatments decreased the water absorption significantly, more evident in concrete samples with both recycled cement and aggregates than on the other type of concrete. Resumen Una innovadora posibilidad planteada para prolongar la vida útil de los materiales de construcción y edificación es el uso de agentes bioreparadores. Este estudio se centró en la evaluación del efecto protector y consolidante de agentes reparadores y respetuosos con el medio ambiente mediante el análisis de la absorción de agua del hormigón reciclado. Un hormigón reciclado con sustitución del 50% de los áridos gruesos naturales por residuos de construcción y demolición (RCD) y un hormigón reciclado similar en el cual, además, se sustituyó el cemento convencional Portland por cemento reciclado (con 25% de residuo cerámico) fueron biotratados con agentes reparadores. Estos agentes se obtuvieron en el proceso de producción de polihidroxialcanoatos utilizando biomasa residual de dos cultivos microbianos mixtos diferentes. Los resultados mostraron que los biotratamientos disminuyen significativamente la absorción de agua del hormigón, siendo más eficaces en las muestras de hormigón que combinan cemento y árido reciclado que en el otro tipo de hormigón.authorsversionpublishe

Multi‐Electron Reactions enabled by Anion‐Based Redox Chemistry for High‐Energy Multivalent Rechargeable Batteries

The development of multivalent metal (such as Mg and Ca) based battery systems is hindered by lack of suitable cathode chemistry that shows reversible multi‐electron redox reactions. Cationic redox centres in the classical cathodes can only afford stepwise single‐electron transfer, which are not ideal for multivalent‐ion storage. The charge imbalance during multivalent ion insertion might lead to an additional kinetic barrier for ion mobility. Therefore, multivalent battery cathodes only exhibit slope‐like voltage profiles with insertion/extraction redox of less than one electron. Taking VS4 as a model material, reversible two‐electron redox with cationic–anionic contributions is verified in both rechargeable Mg batteries (RMBs) and rechargeable Ca batteries (RCBs). The corresponding cells exhibit high capacities of >300 mAh g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1 in both RMBs and RCBs, resulting in a high energy density of >300 Wh kg−1 for RMBs and >500 Wh kg−1 for RCBs. Mechanistic studies reveal a unique redox activity mainly at anionic sulfides moieties and fast Mg2+ ion diffusion kinetics enabled by the soft structure and flexible electron configuration of VS4

Marginal Reefs Under Stress: Physiological Limits Render Galápagos Corals Susceptible to Ocean Acidification and Thermal Stress

Ocean acidification (OA) and thermal stress may undermine corals' ability to calcify and support diverse reef communities, particularly in marginal environments. Coral calcification depends on aragonite supersaturation (Ω » 1) of the calcifying fluid (cf) from which the skeleton precipitates. Corals actively upregulate pHcf relative to seawater to buffer against changes in temperature and dissolved inorganic carbon, which together control Ωcf. Here we assess the buffering capacity of modern and fossil corals from the Galápagos Islands that have been exposed to sub-optimal conditions, extreme thermal stress, and OA. We demonstrate a significant decline in pHcf and Ωcf since the pre-industrial era, trends which are exacerbated during extreme warm years. These results suggest that there are likely physiological limits to corals' pH buffering capacity, and that these constraints render marginal reefs particularly susceptible to OA

Regulation of BDNF Release by ARMS/Kidins220 through Modulation of Synaptotagmin-IV Levels

BDNF is a growth factor with important roles in the nervous system in both physiological and pathological conditions, but the mechanisms controlling its secretion are not completely understood. Here, we show that ARMS/Kidins220 negatively regulates BDNF secretion in neurons from the CNS and PNS. Downregulation of the ARMS/Kidins220 protein in the adult mouse brain increases regulated BDNF secretion, leading to its accumulation in the striatum. Interestingly, two mouse models of Huntington's disease (HD) showed increased levels of ARMS/Kidins220 in the hippocampus and regulated BDNF secretion deficits. Importantly, reduction of ARMS/Kidins220 in hippocampal slices from HD mice reversed the impaired regulated BDNF release. Moreover, there are increased levels of ARMS/Kidins220 in the hippocampus and PFC of patients with HD. ARMS/Kidins220 regulates Synaptotagmin-IV levels, which has been previously observed to modulate BDNF secretion. These data indicate that ARMS/Kidins220 controls the regulated secretion of BDNF and might play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of HD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT BDNF is an important growth factor that plays a fundamental role in the correct functioning of the CNS. The secretion of BDNF must be properly controlled to exert its functions, but the proteins regulating its release are not completely known. Using neuronal cultures and a new conditional mouse to modulate ARMS/Kidins220 protein, we report that ARMS/Kidins220 negatively regulates BDNF secretion. Moreover, ARMS/Kidins220 is overexpressed in two mouse models of Huntington's disease (HD), causing an impaired regulation of BDNF secretion. Furthermore, ARMS/Kidins220 levels are increased in brain samples from HD patients. Future studies should address whether ARMS/Kidins220 has any function on the pathophysiology of HD

The transcription factor DDIT3 is a potential driver of dyserythropoiesis in myelodysplastic syndromes

Haematopoietic stem cells; Myelodysplastic syndrome; TranscriptomicsCèl·lules mare hematopoètiques; Síndrome mielodisplàstic; TranscriptòmicaCélulas madre hematopoyéticas; Síndrome mielodisplásico; TranscriptómicaMyelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) malignancies characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, with increased incidence in older individuals. Here we analyze the transcriptome of human HSCs purified from young and older healthy adults, as well as MDS patients, identifying transcriptional alterations following different patterns of expression. While aging-associated lesions seem to predispose HSCs to myeloid transformation, disease-specific alterations may trigger MDS development. Among MDS-specific lesions, we detect the upregulation of the transcription factor DNA Damage Inducible Transcript 3 (DDIT3). Overexpression of DDIT3 in human healthy HSCs induces an MDS-like transcriptional state, and dyserythropoiesis, an effect associated with a failure in the activation of transcriptional programs required for normal erythroid differentiation. Moreover, DDIT3 knockdown in CD34+ cells from MDS patients with anemia is able to restore erythropoiesis. These results identify DDIT3 as a driver of dyserythropoiesis, and a potential therapeutic target to restore the inefficient erythroid differentiation characterizing MDS patients.This work was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and co-financed by ERDF A way of making Europe (PI17/00701, and PI20/01308) (F.P.) and (PI19/00726) (T.E.), CIBERONC (CB16/12/00489) (F.P.); Gobierno de Navarra (AGATA 0011-1411-2020-000010/0011-1411-2020-000011 and DIANA 0011-1411-2017-000028/0011-1411-2017-000029/0011-1411-2017-000030) (F.P.); Fundación La Caixa (GR-NET NORMAL-HIT HR20-00871) (F.P.); and Cancer Research UK [C355/A26819], FC AECC and AIRC under the Accelerator Award Program, and MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ERDF A way of making Europe [RTI2018-101708-A-I00] (M.H.). Moreover, this work was supported by PhD fellowships from Gobierno de Navarra (0011-0537-2019-000001) (N.B.), and (0011-0537-2020-000022) (A.D.-M.); a PhD fellowship from Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (FPU18/05488) (M.A.); an Investigador AECC award from the Fundación AECC (INVES19059EZPO) (T.E.), H2020 Marie S. Curie IF Action, European Commission, Grant Agreement No. 898356 (M.H.); and by grants RYC2018-025502-I (A.A.) and PRE2018-084542 (R.R.) funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ESF Investing in your future. We particularly acknowledge the patients and healthy donors for their participation in this study, and the Biobank of the University of Navarra for its collaboration

A Dynamic Interplay of Circulating Extracellular Vesicles and Galectin-1 Reprograms Viral Latency during HIV-1 Infection

Combined Antiretroviral therapy (cART) suppresses HIV replication but fails to eradicate the virus, which persists in a small pool of long-lived latently infected cells. Immune activation and residual inflammation during cART are considered to contribute to viral persistence. Galectins, a family of b-galactoside-binding proteins, play central roles in host-pathogen interactions and inflammatory responses. Depending on their structure, glycan binding specificities and/or formation of distinct multivalent signaling complexes, different members of this family can complement, synergize, or oppose the function of others. Here, we identify a regulatory circuit, mediated by galectin-1 (Gal-1)–glycan interactions, that promotes reversal of HIV-1 latency in infected T cells. We found elevated levels of circulating Gal-1 in plasma from HIV-1-infected individuals, which correlated both with inflammatory markers and the transcriptional activity of the reservoir, as determined by unspliced-RNA (US-RNA) copy number. Proinflammatory extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolated from the plasma of HIV-infected individuals induced Gal-1 secretion by macrophages. Extracellularly, Gal-1 interacted with latently infected resting primary CD41 T cells and J-LAT cells in a glycan-dependent manner and reversed HIV latency via activation of the nuclear factor kB (NF-kB). Furthermore, CD41 T cells isolated from HIV-infected individuals showed increased HIV-1 transcriptional activity when exposed to Gal-1. Thus, by modulating reservoir dynamics, EV-driven Gal-1 secretion by macrophages links inflammation with HIV-1 persistence in cART-treated individuals. IMPORTANCE Antiretroviral therapy has led to a dramatic reduction in HIV-related morbidity and mortality. However, cART does not eradicate the virus, which persists in resting CD41 T cells as the main viral reservoir, consequently requiring lifelong treatment. A major question is how the functional status of the immune system during antiretroviral therapy determines the activity and size of the viral reservoir. In this study, we identified a central role for galectin-1 (Gal-1), a glycan-binding protein released in response to extracellular vesicles (EVs), in modulating the activity of HIV reservoir, thus shaping chronic immune activation in HIV-infected patients. Our work unveils a central role of Gal-1 in linking chronic immune activation and reservoir dynamics, highlighting new therapeutic opportunities in HIV infection.Fil: Rubione, Julia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Pérez, Paula Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Czernikier, Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Duette, Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Pereyra Gerber, Federico Pehuén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Salido, Jimena Patricia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Fabiano, Martina P.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Ghiglione, Yanina Alexandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Turk, Gabriela Julia Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Laufer, Natalia Lorna. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Cagnoni, Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Pérez Sáez, Juan Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Merlo, Joaquín Pedro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Pascuale, Carla Antonela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Stupirski, Juan Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Sued, Omar Gustavo. Fundación Huésped; ArgentinaFil: Varas Godoy, Manuel. Universidad San Sebastián; ChileFil: Lewin, Sharon R.. Monash University; Australia. University of Melbourne; AustraliaFil: Mariño, Karina Valeria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Ostrowski, Matias. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; Argentin

Functional MRI Evaluation of Multiple Neural Networks Underlying Auditory Verbal Hallucinations in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders.

Functional MRI studies have identified a distributed set of brain activations to be asso­ ciated with auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH). However, very little is known about how activated brain regions may be linked together into AVH-generating networks. Fifteen volunteers with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder pressed buttons to indicate onset and offset of AVH during fMRI scanning. When a general linear model was used to compare blood oxygenation level dependence signals during periods in which subjects indicated that they were versus were not experiencing AVH ( AVH-on versus AVH-off ), it revealed AVH-related activity in bilateral inferior frontal and superior temporal regions; the right middle temporal gyrus; and the left insula, supramarginal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, and extranuclear white matter. In an effort to identify AVH-related networks, the raw data were also processed using independent component analyses (ICAs). Four ICA components were spatially consistent with an a priori network framework based upon published meta-analyses of imaging correlates of AVH. Of these four components, only a network involving bilateral auditory cortices and posterior receptive language areas was significantly and positively correlated to the pattern of AVH-on versus AVH-off. The ICA also identified two additional networks (occipital-temporal and medial prefrontal), not fully matching the meta-analysis framework, but nevertheless containing nodes reported as active in some studies of AVH. Both networks showed significant AVH-related profiles, but both were most active during AVH-off periods. Overall, the data suggest that AVH generation requires specific and selective activation of auditory cortical and posterior language regions, perhaps coupled to a release of indirect influence by occipital and medial frontal structures

Las balsas agrícolas en Andalucía: una oportunidad para enlazar desarrollo y conservación en climas mediterráneos

Se presenta el resumen de un extenso y fructífero trabajo de levantamiento de información, investigación y gestión llevado a cabo durante los años 2003-2011 entre la Administración de medio ambiente andaluza, Universidades Públicas de Sevilla, Almería y Granada y propietarios de fincas privadas en Andalucía, para estudiar la importancia, el reservorio, la localización y potencial uso de las balsas agrícolas en esta Comunidad Autónoma. Los resultados del trabajo de campo asociado continúan ofreciendo resultados muy llamativos acerca de su biodiversidad asociada así como del extraordinario poder como canalizadores y reservorios para muchas especies asociadas a los humedales naturales que, en muchos casos, han visto disminuida su distribución y posibles zonas de asentamiento, cría, refugio, debido en parte a la actividad humana