Modeling tree-growth: Assessing climate suitability of temperate forests growing in Moncayo Natural Park (Spain)

In the past few decades, temperate forests have been negatively altered by numerous anthropogenic activities and by the impact of ongoing climate change. These changes may require management actions to help preserve some forest tree species. In this sense, highly-detailed knowledge of tree growth and survival across territorial and climatic gradients will be important for forest conservation. We developed a novel approach to determine the optimal zones of forest growth and expansion through climate suitability maps, using a dense tree-ring network of four forest species in Moncayo Natural Park and high-resolution climate data. Our results showed that the mixed-effects models developed using climate data and tree size were able to predict between 65 and 80% of growth variability along the climatic gradient. All studied species were influenced by climate, and the relationship between growth and climate significantly differed along the prevailing climate gradient. Moreover, the suitability maps showed that the current species distribution is limited, and their application may serve as a tool for adaptive management in forests subjected to climate change

Síntesis y caracterización fisicoquímica de circonia promovida con ácido tungstofosfórico y ácido bórico utilizada como catalizador en la isomerización de n-pentano

En este trabajo se muestra la preparación, caracterización y evaluación de la actividad catalítica de materiales del tipo ZrO2 promovida con ácido tungstofosfórico y ácido bórico. El Zr(OH)4 se sintetizó por el método sol-gel utilizando como precursores al n-butóxido de circonio y 1-butanol, manteniendo un pH = 8 durante la síntesis. El Zr(OH)4 se impregnó con un 15% en pesodel agente ácido, calcinado a 600 ºC e impregnado  posteriormente con 0,5% en peso de platino. Se observó que los iones [PW12O40]3– y [BO3]3– permanecen fuertementeenlazados a la superficie de la ZrO2 inhibiendo el crecimiento de la partícula, retardando la sinterización del material y la aparición de la fase monoclínica.Además, con la incorporación de estos dopantes se incrementó la acidez total del material, específicamente la población de sitios ácidos fuertes, siendo este tipo de sitios los predominantes en las muestras acidificadas.La acidez desarrollada por los materiales fue la adecuada para lograr catalizar la reacción de isomerización de n-pentano con conversiones superiores al 20% y selectividades hacia el isopentano que fluctuaron alrededor del 90%

Teaching Archaeological Heritage Management : Towards a Change in Paradigms

The concept of archaeological heritage management (AHM) has been key to wider archaeological research and preservation agendas for some decades. Many universities and other education providers now offer what is best termed heritage management education (HME) in various forms. The emphasis is commonly on archaeological aspects of heritage in a broad sense and different terms are often interchangeable in practice. In an innovative working-conference held in Tampere, Finland, we initiated a debate on what the components of AHM as a course or curriculum should include. We brought together international specialists and discussed connected questions around policy, practice, research and teaching/training, at local, national, transnational and World Heritage levels. In this article we take the Tampere discussions further, focusing especially on the meaning, necessity, implications and prerequisites of interdisciplinary HME. We offer our thoughts on developing HME that reflects the contemporary aspects and needs of heritage and its management.Peer reviewe

A genomic portrait of the emergence, evolution, and global spread of a methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus pandemic

The widespread use of antibiotics in association with high-density clinical care has driven the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria that are adapted to thrive in hospitalized patients. Of particular concern are globally disseminated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clones that cause outbreaks and epidemics associated with health care. The most rapidly spreading and tenacious health-care-associated clone in Europe currently is EMRSA-15, which was first detected in the UK in the early 1990s and subsequently spread throughout Europe and beyond. Using phylogenomic methods to analyze the genome sequences for 193 S. aureus isolates, we were able to show that the current pandemic population of EMRSA-15 descends from a health-care-associated MRSA epidemic that spread throughout England in the 1980s, which had itself previously emerged from a primarily community-associated methicillin-sensitive population. The emergence of fluoroquinolone resistance in this EMRSA-15 subclone in the English Midlands during the mid-1980s appears to have played a key role in triggering pandemic spread, and occurred shortly after the first clinical trials of this drug. Genome-based coalescence analysis estimated that the population of this subclone over the last 20 yr has grown four times faster than its progenitor. Using comparative genomic analysis we identified the molecular genetic basis of 99.8% of the antimicrobial resistance phenotypes of the isolates, highlighting the potential of pathogen genome sequencing as a diagnostic tool. We document the genetic changes associated with adaptation to the hospital environment and with increasing drug resistance over time, and how MRSA evolution likely has been influenced by country-specific drug use regimens

Entrenamiento de flexibilidad integradora para mejorar la movilidad articular y el rango de movimiento en bailarinas de jazz

[Abstract] Flexibility is one of the physical capacities associated with improved performance in jazz dancers girls. However, jazz training being a complex physical activity is not only based on flexibility training, it also focuses on the development of motor skills, technique, posture, and rhythm. Therefore, it is important to demonstrate whether a passive stretching training, with minimum frequency, generates favorable results on flexibility. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of flexibility training on active and passive range of motion (ROM), as well as joint mobility in girls jazz dancers by chronological caracterizar la muestra age group. 30 jazz dancers with an average age of 8.5 ± 1.6 years with no more than four years practicing professional sports practice, enrolled in an integrative flexibility training program developed once a week for 12 weeks, and were assessed for active and passive hip joint mobility through goniometry in conjunction with six flexibility tests. There was an increase in all flexibility variables with a moderate size-effect, except for the joint ROM in active and passive left abduction and active right flexion, which had a high effect. In conclusion, training focused on static exercises can be considered an effective strategy to develop ROM, because it's possible to increase flexibility and stretch in lower extremities with a frequency of once a week in jazz dancing girls.[Resumen] La flexibilidad es una de las capacidades físicas asociadas con la mejora del rendimiento en las niñas bailarinas de jazz. Sin embargo, el entrenamiento del jazz al ser una actividad física compleja no solo se basa en el entrenamiento de la flexibilidad, también se centra en el desarrollo de las habilidades motoras, la técnica, la postura y el ritmo. Por lo tanto, es importante demostrar si un entrenamiento de estiramiento estático de frecuencia mínima, genera resultados favorables en flexibilidad. El propósito de este estudio es determinar el efecto del entrenamiento de flexibilidad sobre el rango de movimiento (ROM) activo y pasivo, así como la movilidad articular en bailarinas de jazz de niñas por cronológico para caracterizar la muestra de grupos de edad. 30 bailarines de jazz con una edad promedio de 8.5 ± 1.6 años con no más de cuatro años practicando deporte profesional, inscritas en un programa de entrenamiento de flexibilidad integral desarrollado a realizarse una vez por semana durante 12 semanas. Se les evaluó la movilidad articular de cadera de forma activa y pasiva mediante goniometría junto con seis pruebas de flexibilidad. Hubo un aumento en todas las variables de flexibilidad con un efecto de tamaño moderado, excepto el ROM articular en abducción izquierda activa y pasiva y flexión derecha activa, que tuvo un efecto alto. En conclusión, el entrenamiento centrado en ejercicios estáticos puede considerarse una estrategia eficaz para desarrollar el ROM, y  aumentar la flexibilidad así como los estiramientos en el tronco inferior con una frecuencia de una vez a la semana en las bailarinas de jazz

Blockade of hemichannels normalizes the differentiation fate of myoblasts and features of skeletal muscles from dysferlin-deficient mice

Indexación: Scopus.Dysferlinopathies are muscle dystrophies caused by mutations in the gene encoding dysferlin, a relevant protein for membrane repair and trafficking. These diseases are untreatable, possibly due to the poor knowledge of relevant molecular targets. Previously, we have shown that human myofibers from patient biopsies as well as myotubes derived from immortalized human myoblasts carrying a mutated form of dysferlin express connexin proteins, but their relevance in myoblasts fate and function remained unknown. In the present work, we found that numerous myoblasts bearing a mutated dysferlin when induced to acquire myogenic commitment express PPARγ, revealing adipogenic instead of myogenic commitment. These cell cultures presented many mononucleated cells with fat accumulation and within 48 h of differentiation formed fewer multinucleated cells. In contrast, dysferlin deficient myoblasts treated with boldine, a connexin hemichannels blocker, neither expressed PPARγ, nor accumulated fat and formed similar amount of multinucleated cells as wild type precursor cells. We recently demonstrated that myofibers of skeletal muscles from blAJ mice (an animal model of dysferlinopathies) express three connexins (Cx39, Cx43, and Cx45) that form functional hemichannels (HCs) in the sarcolemma. In symptomatic blAJ mice, we now show that eight-week treatment with a daily dose of boldine showed a progressive recovery of motor activity reaching normality. At the end of this treatment, skeletal muscles were comparable to those of wild type mice and presented normal CK activity in serum. Myofibers of boldine-treated blAJ mice also showed strong dysferlin-like immunoreactivity. These findings reveal that muscle dysfunction results from a pathophysiologic mechanism triggered by mutated dysferlin and downstream connexin hemichannels expressed de novo lead to a drastic reduction of myogenesis and favor muscle damage. Thus, boldine could represent a therapeutic opportunity to treat dysfernilopathies. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/17/602

Dynamic heterogeneities in the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of simple spherical spin models

The response of spherical two-spin interaction models, the spherical ferromagnet (s-FM) and the spherical Sherrington-Kirkpatrick (s-SK) model, is calculated for the protocol of the so-called nonresonant hole burning experiment (NHB) for temperatures below the respective critical temperatures. It is shown that it is possible to select dynamic features in the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of both models, one of the hallmarks of dynamic heterogeneities. The behavior of the s-SK model and the s-FM in three dimensions is very similar, showing dynamic heterogeneities in the long time behavior, i.e. in the aging regime. The appearence of dynamic heterogeneities in the s-SK model explicitly demonstrates that these are not necessarily related to {\it spatial} heterogeneities. For the s-FM it is shown that the nature of the dynamic heterogeneities changes as a function of dimensionality. With incresing dimension the frequency selectivity of the NHB diminishes and the dynamics in the mean-field limit of the s-FM model becomes homogeneous.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figure

Association of body composition indices with insulin resistance in European adolescents: The HELENA study

Background: The different body components may contribute to the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of the present study was to examine the association of fat mass and fat free mass indices with markers of insulin resistance, independently of each other and giving, at the same time, gender-specific information in a wide cohort of European adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study in a school setting was conducted in 925 (430 males) adolescents (14.9 ± 1.2 years). Weight, height, anthropometric, bioimpedance and blood parameters were measured. Indices for fat mass and fat free mass, and homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) were calculated. Multiple regression analyses were performed adjusting for several confounders including fat free mass and fat mass when possible. Results: Indices of fat mass were positively associated with HOMA (all p < 0.01) after adjusting for all the confounders including fat free mass indices, in both sexes. Fat free mass indices were associated with HOMA, in both males and females, after adjusting for center, pubertal status, socioeconomic status and cardiorespiratory fitness, but the associations disappear when including fat mass indices in the adjustment’s model. Conclusion: Fat mass indices derived from different methods are positively associated with insulin resistance independently of several confounders including fat free mass indices. In addition, the relationship of fat free mass with insulin resistance is influenced by the amount of fat mass in European adolescents. Nevertheless, future studies should focus not only on the role of fat mass, but also on other body components such as fat free mass because its role could vary depending of the level and distribution of fat mass

Measuring nutritional knowledge using Item Response Theory and its validity in European adolescents

Objective: To analyse the Nutritional Knowledge Test (NKT) using Item Response Theory (ITR) analysis and to assess the construct validity of the Nutritional Knowledge Scale (NKTS) and its associations with adolescent food group consumption and nutritional biomarkers. DesignCross-sectional study: SettingMulticentre investigation conducted in ten European cities.ParticipantsAdolescents aged 12·5-17·5 years (n 3215) who completed over 75 % of the NKT. Results: Factor analysis indicated that the NKT can be analysed with a one-dimensional model. Eleven out of twenty-three items from the NKT presented adequate parameters and were selected to be included in the NKTS. Nutrition knowledge was positively associated with consumption of fruits, cereals, dairy products, pulses, meat and eggs, and fish, as well as with blood concentrations of vitamin C, ß-carotene, n-3 fatty acids, holo-transcobalamin, cobalamin and folate; nutrition knowledge was negatively associated with intake of olives and avocado, alcohol and savoury snacks. Conclusions: The NKTS assessed nutritional knowledge adequately and it is proposed as a new tool to investigate this subject in future studies

Fragmentation of daily rhythms associates with obesity and cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescents: The HELENA study

Background & aims: Chronobiology studies periodic changes in living organisms and it has been proposed as a promising approach to investigate obesity. We analyze the association of the characteristics of the rest-activity rhythms with obesity, cardiorespiratory fitness and metabolic risk in adolescents from nine European countries. Methods: 1044 adolescents (12.5-17.5 y) were studied. Circadian health was evaluated by actigraphy with accelerometers (Actigraph GT1M). Characteristics of the daytime activity such as fragmentation (intradaily variability), estimated acrophase, and 10 h mean daytime activity index were obtained. Body composition was assessed using Bioelectrical-Impedance-Analysis, skinfold thickness, air-displacement-plethysmography and Dual-energy-X-ray-Absorptiometry. Cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) and metabolic risk were studied. Results: Highly fragmented activity rhythms were associated with obesity and central adiposity (P < 0.05). Obese adolescents had-3 times higher odds of having a high fragmentation of daytime activity compared to normal weight adolescents OR (95% CI) = 2.8 (1.170, 6.443). A highly fragmented rhythm was also related to lower cardiorespiratory fitness and higher metabolic risk (P < 0.05) so those adolescents classified as low fitness showed a significantly higher fragmentation of daytime activity than those included in the high fitness group (P < 0.0001). Other characteristics of the rhythms such as smaller 10 h daytime mean activity index and delayed estimated acrophase were also related to obesity and metabolic risk (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our results indicate that the daily organization of the rest-activity cycle is more fragmented in obese and less fit adolescents and correlates with higher metabolic risk. This fact reinforces our hypothesis that disturbances in daily rhythms can be considered as sensitive markers of poorer adolescent's health