Lack of Data or Lack of Weasels? The Likely Silent Extinction of Weasel Mustela nivalis (Carnivora: Mustelidae) in Spain

Records from online biodiversity databases (including citizen science data) can play a crucial role in enhancing scientific knowledge about the abundance, distribution, and population trends of poorly studied species which are usually not properly monitored. This study aims to demonstrate the utility of data hosted in GBIF in detecting the likely decline of species common and widely distributed in the past, but whose conservation status is now uncertain, such as the weasel (Mustela nivalis) in Spain. To address this, we analyzed data on its presence in Spain from 2008 to 2022 available on GBIF.org, and compared it with the distribution data from the Atlas of Mammals of Spain published in 2007. The results indicate that: (i) data from GBIF.org reveal a moderate decline (negative trend) in the weasel population in Spain during the study period; (ii) the species has been recorded in a limited number of 10 × 10 km UTM-squares (Universal Transverse Mercator) within its distribution range as defined by the 2007 atlas; and (iii) there are large areas of Spain in which the species has not been detected in recent years. These findings highlight the concerning conservation status of this carnivorous species and underscore the value of data from open access platforms such as GBIF in identifying potential silent extinctions

Procedimiento para Identificar los Valores que Determinan el Pensamiento Científico

Science requires ideas and scientific thinking. Innovation is very close to science. If we talk about science and innovation, where "people act", there is a common element that is the "acting of people" and that is how values are arrived at. Having these premises the "problematic situation" is deduced as: "in the field of science there is no regular identification of what forms of action, values, are specific to the people who act on it, who can improve their behavior and help to the training of their skills as a scientist ". Based on this, the following question was posed as a "problem": "What are the values that correspond to a scientific thought?" The objective of the research was aimed at: "elaborating a procedure that allows to identify which are the main values for the development of scientific thought".La ciencia requiere ideas y de un pensamiento científico. Muy unido a la ciencia está la innovación. Si se habla de ciencia e innovación, donde “las personas actúan”, hay un elemento común que es la “actuación de personas” y así se llega a los valores. Teniendo estas premisas la “situación problémica” se deduce como: “en el campo de la ciencia no existe con regularidad una identificación de qué formas de actuación, valores, son propios de las personas que actúan en ella, que puedan mejorar sus conductas y ayuden a la formación de sus competencias como científico”. Basados esto, se planteó como “problema” la interrogante siguiente: “¿cuáles son los valores que se corresponden con un pensamiento científico?” El objetivo de la investigación estuvo dirigido a: “elaborar un procedimiento que permita identificar cuáles son los principales valores para el desarrollo del pensamiento científico”

Selective hydrodeoxygenation of biomass derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural over silica supported iridium catalysts

Catalytic performance of iridium supported on SiO2 was investigated for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) transformation. Ir/SiO2 catalysts exhibiting different metal loading (1, 3, and 5¿wt.%) were tested in the preliminary experiments in the hydrogenation of two probe molecules, e.g. ethyl pyruvate (EP) and ketopantolactone (KP) to evaluate the Ir dispersion on the catalyst activity in CO hydrogenation. In the transformation of HMF the influence of metal dispersion, iridium precursor and addition of H2SO4 were studied revealing that 2,5-bis-(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) was the main product with 83% selectivity at 70% conversion of HMF over chlorine free Ir/SiO2 together with H2SO4 at 333¿K in THF under 10¿bar H2 pressure. On the other hand, one-pot synthesis of HMF to 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) was promoted in the presence of chlorine containing 1%Ir/SiO2(Cl) and H2SO4. Both of these products are considered high value-added chemicals from biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. The exposed iridium atoms together with the total acid sites are an important catalytic descriptor for hydrogenation of HMF to BHMF.Peer ReviewedPreprin

S13RS SGR No. 13 (Sustainability Orientation)

A RESOLUTION To urge and request the Office of Orientation to implement a sustainability program in all new student orientation session