Factors associated with the colonization of agricultural areas by common voles Microtus arvalis in NW Spain

The common vole, considered a rodent pest when overabundant in agricultural areas, was traditionally absent from the agricultural plains of Castilla-y-León, NW Spain. However, it rapidly invaded ca. 50.000 km2 of agricultural land, where regular outbreaks have caused crop damages and conflict with farmers. To better understand the factors that triggered this massive invasion of previously unoccupied habitats, we studied the associations between the common vole range expansion and changes in climate and land uses in the region since the 1970s. We found long-term trends in climate, with some changes that could have helped the range expansion (increased fall precipitation and winter temperature) and other changes that may have impaired it (reduced summer precipitation and increased summer temperatures). Dramatic changes in land use also took place prior to and during the invasion period (marked increases in irrigated and green herbaceous crops such as alfalfa, which are preferred habitats for voles). We found strong associations between changes in vole distribution and the extent of green crops (irrigated crops and alfalfa) at regional level. The colonization probability of a given agrarian county increased with the extent of green crops, particularly so when vole presence in neighbouring counties was lower, and tended to decrease with increasing livestock abundance. Land use changes, especially increases in irrigated crops and alfalfa, appear to be amongst the main drivers behind the vole range expansion. We discuss these findings in relation to the social conflicts and management challenges that arose from the recent invasion of agricultural areas by crop-damaging common voles.Funding was from the ECOCYCLES project (BIODIVERSA. ERA-net project, European Union´s 6th Framework Programme for Research); PhD grant JAE-Predoc, from the CSIC, jointly funded by the European Social Fund to DJ. This study also contributes to projects ECOVOLE (CGL2012-35348) and TOPILLAZO (CGL2011-30274/BOS) funded by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain.Peer Reviewe

A comparison of methods for estimating common vole (Microtus arvalis) abundance in agricultural habitats

Rodent outbreaks cause significant crop damages in agricultural areas worldwide, but routinely monitoring large areas at low cost remains a challenge. The common vole Microtus arvalis has recently colonized the agricultural plains of the northern Iberian Plateau, an area where it has started to produce population outbreaks with important impacts in agriculture, the environment and human health. Vole monitoring has become of prime importance to implement preventive management measures to control populations. In order to find a simple and reliable vole monitoring method to be applied in large areas, we compared abundance estimates derived from three methods: capture-mark-recapture (CMR), single capture events (SCE) and presence/absence of vole activity signs (VAS) during three seasons and on the main agricultural habitats in the study area. We show that an activity index based on the presence of fresh droppings and/or clippings had a similar performance to SCE in a large sample of plots (n = 222) across habitats and seasons. Data obtained with both methods (SCE, VAS) were also well correlated with those obtained with CMR, despite a limited sample size (n = 23 CMR plots). We suggest that the VAS method, which is a cheaper and easier alternative to trapping methods, provides a promising tool for scientists and managers to implement large scale monitoring of common vole in agricultural areas.Funding was from the ECOCYCLES project (BIODIVERSA. ERA-net project, European Union's 6th Framework Programme for Research); PhD grant JAE-Predoc, from the CSIC, jointly funded by the European Social Fund to D.J. This study also contributes to the projects ECOVOLE (CGL2012-35348) and TOPILLAZO (CGL2011-30274/BOS) funded by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad of Spain.Peer Reviewe

Incidence and clinical manifestations of giant cell arteritis in Spain: results of the ARTESER register

Objective This study aimed to estimate the incidence of giant cell arteritis (GCA) in Spain and to analyse its clinical manifestations, and distribution by age group, sex, geographical area and season.Methods We included all patients diagnosed with GCA between 1 June 2013 and 29 March 2019 at 26 hospitals of the National Health System. They had to be aged >= 50 years and have at least one positive results in an objective diagnostic test (biopsy or imaging techniques), meet 3/5 of the 1990 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria or have a clinical diagnosis based on the expert opinion of the physician in charge. We calculated incidence rate using Poisson regression and assessed the influence of age, sex, geographical area and season.Results We identified 1675 cases of GCA with a mean age at diagnosis of 76.9 +/- 8.3 years. The annual incidence was estimated at 7.42 (95% CI 6.57 to 8.27) cases of GCA per 100 000 people >= 50 years with a peak for patients aged 80-84 years (23.06 (95% CI 20.89 to 25.4)). The incidence was greater in women (10.06 (95% CI 8.7 to 11.5)) than in men (4.83 (95% CI 3.8 to 5.9)). No significant differences were found between geographical distribution and incidence throughout the year (p=0.125). The phenotypes at diagnosis were cranial in 1091 patients, extracranial in 337 patients and mixed in 170 patients.Conclusions This is the first study to estimate the incidence of GCA in Spain at a national level. We found a predominance among women and during the ninth decade of life with no clear variability according to geographical area or seasons of the year

Inventario y criterios de gestión de los mamíferos del Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido

2 volúmenes + 1 vol. Anexos + Resumen.-- Informe Final del Convenio de Investigación entre el Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales y el Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (CSIC).Peer reviewe

Cultural Heritage in Europe: A commitment for socioeconomic change from managing our past II

Diseño web, apoyo RRSS: Empresa Jansá Cultura y Tecnología https://appcultura.comEl proyecto formará en el Patrimonio Cultural existente en la Unión Europea desde su gestión. Supone actividades como: 1. Conocer los bienes culturales desde la visión crítica de los procesos de patrimonialización hasta la catalogación e inventario. 2 Planificar su financiación, legislación o la ordenación urbanística y territorial. 3. Controlar las acciones ilícitas que pueden deteriorarlos, así como la venta o la transmisión de estos bienes. 4. Plantear su socialización desde la interpretación y la difusión en ámbitos formales e informales, desde estrategias de turismo, tecnológicas o de redes sociales, así como realizar procesos participativos, de implicación de la sociedad civil y organizaciones interesadas en la toma de decisiones sobre su tratamiento. 5. Ser capaces de evaluar a corto, largo y medio plazo y desde múltiples perspectivas, incluida la del impacto socioeconómico. De la importancia del tema habla por si sola la declaración del Parlamento Europeo para la celebración del Año 2018 y que reproducimos (http://www.consilium.europa.eu/es/press/press-releases/2017/02/09-cultural-heritage/): " Año Europeo del Patrimonio Cultural en 2018: celebración de la diversidad y la riqueza de nuestro patrimonio europeo, cuyos objetivos son: - Promover la diversidad cultural, el diálogo intercultural y la cohesión social; - Poner de relieve la contribución económica del patrimonio cultural a los sectores cultural y de la creación, en particular a las pequeñas y medianas empresas, y al desarrollo local y regional; - Hacer hincapié en el papel del patrimonio cultural en las relaciones exteriores de la UE, por ejemplo, en la prevención de conflictos, la reconciliación tras estos y la reconstrucción del patrimonio cultural destruido " Abordar estos temas requiere una formación transdisciplinar, que aporta el equipo de docentes de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid y de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid pertenecientes a las siguientes áreas de conocimiento: historia, historia del arte, geografía, arqueología, economía, sociología, psicología, derecho, arquitectura, ingeniería de las telecomunicaciones y de caminos, canales y puertos. A ellos se le suma una trayectoria de cerca de 30 años en los temas referidos, siendo nuestros centros pioneros en España para impartir esa formación y sin lugar a dudas innovadores en la transversalidad con la que las hemos impulsado en nuestras distintas facultades y escuelas, donde no existe el área de conocimiento como tal. Participamos miembros de varios grupos de investigación, como el de Gestión del Patrimonio Cultural, Patrimonio Turismo y Desarrollo o Paisajes Culturales. Destacan responsabilidades y docencias en Másteres como el de Conservación y Restauración en Patrimonio Arquitectónico, de la UPM o el de Museos y Patrimonio Histórico Artístico de la UCM, lineas de doctorado en Turismo y Desarrollo, asignaturas de grado y posgrados como Patrimonio Urbano, Paisaje Cultural y Ordenación Territorial o la gestión del patrimonio arqueológico. Así mismo la mayoría de nosotros hemos sido evaluados positivamente por el programa Docentia, y hemos participado y dirigido otros proyectos de innovación como el que se encuentra en los antecedentes a este sobre Patrimonio Cultural en CIU y el del decanato de la Fac. Geografía e Historia de Living Unilab sobre APs y ecosistemas de aprendizaje. Iniciativas con las que continuaremos participando. Pero, sin lugar a dudas, ha sido el Máster Interuniversitario Patrimonio Cultural en el S.XXI: Gestión e investigación, un motor de arranque para iniciativas conjuntas entre este equipo, a través del Campus de Excelencia Internacional, y es justo este año cuando se pone en marcha y podremos allí explorar gran parte de nuestras innovaciones recogidas en este proyecto. A estos esfuerzos se suma el alumnado: 13 estudiantes de grados y posgrados comprometidxs con la oportunidad que nos ofrece el pasado. No hay mejor aval para nuestra propuesta.The Educational Innovation Project “Cultural Heritage in Europe: a commitment for socioeconomic change from managing our past” of the Complutense University of Madrid together with the Technical University of Madrid, took advantage of the celebration of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 to open new paths of transversal and multidisciplinary knowledge in the field of Cultural Heritage by applying a type of classroom teaching that would allow students to offer projects that could have an impact on society and contribute to meeting the objectives set by the European Commission for this year's celebration. From a European perspective, the project has completed a triple aspect: researcher, education and public service when working and disseminating Cultural Heritage among the population of Madrid and Europe. The work has been done on disciplines as diverse as Architecture, History, Civil Engineering, Geography, Tourism, etc. to compose from the different subjects involved a speech that will contribute to this field.Depto. de Prehistoria, Historia Antigua y ArqueologíaFac. de Geografía e HistoriaFALSEAyuntamiento de Madrid/Foro de Empresas por Madridsubmitte

Panorama general de las llamadas "políticas de segunda oportunidad" para las pequeñas y medianas empresas

Las pequeñas empresas son, sin duda alguna, las que de manera más intensa están padeciendo las consecuencias negativas de la crisis económica actual. El concepto de «fresh start» o «segunda oportunidad del concursado», alude al conjunto de mecanismos o instituciones cuyo objetivo fundamental es conseguir que, si se dan ciertos requisitos, pueda llevar a cabo nuevamente una participación efectiva en el tráfico jurídico, en condiciones de igualdad con los restantes intervinientes en el mercado. Resulta evidente que la a concepción actual del concurso ejerce un efecto claramente desincentivador del espíritu emprendedor. Esta es la razón fundamental que justifica la escasa utilización del mismo como cauce para dar respuesta a las dificultades financieras de las empresas.Recibido: 02.06.2014Aceptado: 12.09.2014</p

Dispersal across southern Iberian refugia? Integrating RAPDs, sequence data and morphometrics in Armeria (Plumbaginaceae)

A southern Spanish massif (Tejeda/Almijara range, Málaga province, SE Spain) has been previously identified as a contact zone for genotypes of a rare taxon, Armeria villosa subsp. bernisii, and a frequent one, A. filicaulis, based on (1) the discovery of a species-independent geographically structured pattern of variation for nuclear ribosomal ITS sequence data and (2) the sharing of chloroplast haplotypes, which reveal horizontal transfer between the species. This study uses RAPD data, as a total DNA marker, and morphometrics, as potentially revealing hybridisation and introgression, to throw further light on the origin of the above mentioned contact zone. Individuals of the two taxa sampled from the range do not show a F1 hybrid profile for RAPD or for morphometrics. To integrate this results with the previously published sequence data (ITS and chloroplast spacer trnL-F) it is proposed that introgressive hybridisation has occurred in A. villosa subsp. bernisii, while for A. filicaulis the contact zone occurs at the intraspecific level. With the available data, the contact between individuals of Armeria with different genotypes in the two taxa may have involved westward migration from a biodiversity-rich massif like Sierra Nevada, and this may apply to other organisms although further data are needed to confirm it.Peer reviewe