Holocene landscapes in the Serra de Arga (NW Portugal)

El diagrama polínico obtenido permite conocer la dinámica de la vegetación y los cambios en el paisaje durante el Holoceno en el entorno de la Serra de Arga. Las fechas obtenidas, permiten situar el inicio de la secuencia en relación con el evento climático GH-8.2 registrado en las secuencias de hielo de Groenlandia. Tras esta fase de regresión se registra una recuperación del bosque correlacionable con el óptimo climático de Holoceno y en la cual se constata el predominio de los robledales. Tras un corto episodio en el que se produce un hiato sedimentario, la secuencia se reanuda en una fase de marcada deforestación tras la cual se registra un fuerte incremento de Pinus relacionado con la proliferación de plantaciones forestales.The pollen diagram obtained allow us to understand the dynamics of vegetation and landscape changes during the Holocene in the vicinity of the Serra de Arga. The dates obtained are used to place the beginning of the sequence in relation to GH-8.2 climate event recorded in Greenland ice cores. After this phase of regression there is a forest recovery coincident with the Holocene climatic optimum in which notes the predominance of oak. After a short episode in which there is a sedimentary hiatus, the sequence is resumed in a phase of marked deforestation after which records a sharp increase in Pinus associated with the proliferation of forest plantations.Fundação Calouste Gulbenkia

Holocene environmental change on the Atlantic coast of NW Iberia as inferred from the Ponzos wetland sequence

The intertidal environment of the Ponzos beach (NW Iberian Peninsula) hosts a sedimentary sequence (including large wood fragments) deposited during the first half of the Holocene in a hygrophilous continental wetland. Pollen and macrofossil data alongside radiocarbon dating allow reconstruction of the changes that occurred during the Early and Middle Holocene in the landscape of the NW Iberia coastal lowlands, as well as the local wetland plant communities, in response to the climate variations and the eustatic sea-level oscillations. The sequence represents the evolution of a coastal wetland from its initial phases as a hygrophilous wetland towards the subsequent installation of a freshwater lagoon. Pollen data show the dominant role of Atlantic (mainly deciduous) woody taxa, the scarcity of conifers and the lack of Mediterranean elements in the coastal landscapes around the Ponzos site. The presence and abundance of some taxa such as deciduous Quercus, Castanea, Fagus, Tilia and Ulmus during the Early Holocene provides further support for the occurrence of glacial refuges in the Cantabrian-Atlantic area during the Last Glaciation. The diverse vegetation that characterizes the modern landscapes in this territory established later, spreading from these glacial reservoirs of biodiversity. In this sense, the notable and early presence of Fagus at the beginning of the Holocene, a tree also previously recorded during several phases of the Last Glacial Cycle on the NW Iberia coasts, is noteworthy. In addition, during the Early and Middle Holocene are recorded other trees that are currently extirpated as natural taxa in the area, such as Pinus, Tilia and CarpinusS

Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms en el Parque Nacional Marítimo-Terrestre das Illas Atlánticas de Galicia como resultado de un transporte por mar a larga distancia

Se analiza la aparición del jacinto de agua (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms) en las playas del archipiélago de las Islas Cíes en el Parque Nacional Marítimo-Terrestre das Illas Atlánticas de Galicia, como resultado de un posible transporte a larga distancia procedente de poblaciones naturalizadas situadas en el litoral de Portugal. La especie, nativa de América del Sur, presenta una gran capacidad invasora, vinculada a su gran capacidad reproductiva y de crecimiento. Está incluida en el listado de IUCN de las 100 especies invasoras más dañinas del planeta. El Jacinto de Agua parece citado por primera vez en Europa en la zona centro de Portugal, durante la primera mitad del siglo XX, en donde se ha ido expandiendo principalmente por las cuencas de los ríos Tejo y Sado, aunque también se conocen poblaciones en la zona norte. En Galicia su presencia es testimonial y las escasas citas acreditadas, aparecen asociadas a la posterior erradicación de los ejemplares. Entre los años 2011 y 2012 y tras el paso de fuertes borrascas procedentes del suroeste, se detectó la presencia en una de las playas del archipiélago de las Islas Cíes de restos de Eichhornia crassipes, que en base a la gran cantidad de los mismos y su estado de conservación, hacen pensar en un transporte de larga distancia desde una población de gran tamañoThe arrival of Water Hyacinth plants (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms.) at the beaches of theGalician Atlantic Islands Maritime-Terrestrial National Park is assessed as a consequence, of a long distance transport of individuals coming from naturalized populations located on the Portuguese coast. This South American native species is highly invasive due to its fast growing and high reproductive capacity. Water hyacinth is named by the IUCN as one of the top one hundred of the world’s worst invasive alien species. It was first cited in Europe during the first half of the 20th century, in central Portugal, from where it has expanded mostly throughout the catchments of Tejo and Sado Rivers, although there are some other known populations in the north of Portugal. Its presence is quite exceptional in Galicia, being scarcely cited as it is normally linked to eradication events. During 2011 and 2012, after some SW squalls had passed by, some Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms. remains were detected in one of the beaches of Cíes Island. Based upon the amount of plants, and the deterioration degree of the remains, it is thought that they have been transported from a big distant populationS

Magnon currents excited by the spin Seebeck effect in ferromagnetic EuS thin films

A magnetic insulator is an ideal platform to propagate spin information by exploiting magnon currents. However, until now, most studies have focused on Y$_3$Fe$_5$O$_{12}$ (YIG) and a few other ferri- and antiferromagnetic insulators, but not on pure ferromagnets. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that magnon currents can propagate in ferromagnetic insulating thin films of EuS. By performing both local and non-local transport measurements in 18-nm-thick films of EuS using Pt electrodes, we detect magnon currents arising from thermal generation by the spin Seebeck effect. By comparing the dependence of the local and non-local signals with the temperature (< 30 K) and magnetic field (< 9 T), we confirm the magnon transport origin of the non-local signal. Finally, we extract the magnon diffusion length in the EuS film (~140 nm), a short value in good correspondence with the large Gilbert damping measured in the same film.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, and Supplemental Materia

Development and validation of the Gender-Equity Model for Liver Allocation (GEMA) to prioritise candidates for liver transplantation: a cohort study

BACKGROUND: The Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) and its sodium-corrected variant (MELD-Na) have created gender disparities in accessing liver transplantation. We aimed to derive and validate the Gender-Equity Model for liver Allocation (GEMA) and its sodium-corrected variant (GEMA-Na) to amend such inequities. METHODS: In this cohort study, the GEMA models were derived by replacing creatinine with the Royal Free Hospital glomerular filtration rate (RFH-GFR) within the MELD and MELD-Na formulas, with re-fitting and re-weighting of each component. The new models were trained and internally validated in adults listed for liver transplantation in the UK (2010-20; UK Transplant Registry) using generalised additive multivariable Cox regression, and externally validated in an Australian cohort (1998-2020; Royal Prince Alfred Hospital [Australian National Liver Transplant Unit] and Austin Hospital [Victorian Liver Transplant Unit]). The study comprised 9320 patients: 5762 patients for model training, 1920 patients for internal validation, and 1638 patients for external validation. The primary outcome was mortality or delisting due to clinical deterioration within the first 90 days from listing. Discrimination was assessed by Harrell's concordance statistic. FINDINGS: 449 (5·8%) of 7682 patients in the UK cohort and 87 (5·3%) of 1638 patients in the Australian cohort died or were delisted because of clinical deterioration within 90 days. GEMA showed improved discrimination in predicting mortality or delisting due to clinical deterioration within the first 90 days after waiting list inclusion compared with MELD (Harrell's concordance statistic 0·752 [95% CI 0·700-0·804] vs 0·712 [0·656-0·769]; p=0·001 in the internal validation group and 0·761 [0·703-0·819] vs 0·739 [0·682-0·796]; p=0·036 in the external validation group), and GEMA-Na showed improved discrimination compared with MELD-Na (0·766 [0·715-0·818] vs 0·742 [0·686-0·797]; p=0·0058 in the internal validation group and 0·774 [0·720-0·827] vs 0·745 [0·690-0·800]; p=0·014 in the external validation group). The discrimination capacity of GEMA-Na was higher in women than in the overall population, both in the internal (0·802 [0·716-0·888]) and external validation cohorts (0·796 [0·698-0·895]). In the pooled validation cohorts, GEMA resulted in a score change of at least 2 points compared with MELD in 1878 (52·8%) of 3558 patients (25·0% upgraded and 27·8% downgraded). GEMA-Na resulted in a score change of at least 2 points compared with MELD-Na in 1836 (51·6%) of 3558 patients (32·3% upgraded and 19·3% downgraded). In the whole cohort, 3725 patients received a transplant within 90 days of being listed. Of these patients, 586 (15·7%) would have been differently prioritised by GEMA compared with MELD; 468 (12·6%) patients would have been differently prioritised by GEMA-Na compared with MELD-Na. One in 15 deaths could potentially be avoided by using GEMA instead of MELD and one in 21 deaths could potentially be avoided by using GEMA-Na instead of MELD-Na. INTERPRETATION: GEMA and GEMA-Na showed improved discrimination and a significant re-classification benefit compared with existing scores, with consistent results in an external validation cohort. Their implementation could save a clinically meaningful number of lives, particularly among women, and could amend current gender inequities in accessing liver transplantation. FUNDING: Junta de Andalucía and EDRF

Diagnóstico y Caracterización de los Brezales Húmedos (Nat-2000 4020*) de las Sierras Septentrionales de Galicia a partir de Criterios Científicos: Importancia para su Conservación

En el trabajo se realiza una caracterización de las variaciones estacionales de la humedad del sustrato de los brezales húmedos de la Serra do Xistral (Lugo, Galicia), y se compara con la humedad de los diferentes ecosistemas que forman la catena vegetacional en la que se enmarcan, así como con la de otros tipos de humedales estacionales. La representatividad de este territorio ha conllevado su inclusión en la Red Natura 2000, mediante la designación del Lugar de Importancia Comunitaria (LIC) Serra do Xistral (ES1120015). Los datos presentados ponen de manifiesto un funcionamiento ecológico homogéneo de los brezales húmedos en relación al resto del complejo húmedo, así como su funcionamiento inequívoco como ecosistemas húmedos. Por tanto, se confirma el diagnóstico de los brezales húmedos de las Sierras Septentrionales gallegas, vinculados al tipo prioritario Nat-2000 4020*, incluido en el Anexo I de la Directiva Comunitaria 92/43/CEE. El diagnóstico y caracterización de los tipos de hábitat debe considerar la estructura, composición y funcionalidad ecológica, mediante el empleo de conocimientos científicos y técnicos. Esto resulta de vital importancia, sobre todo para la conservación de los tipos prioritarios, evitando la puesta en marcha de planes y proyectos sin una adecuada evaluación de sus repercusionesIn this paper we have performed a characterization of the soil moisture in several wet heaths from Serra do Xistral (Lugo, Galicia), to be compared with that in the different ecosystems existing at the same vegetation catena, as well as other seasonal wetlands in the region. The representativeness of this territory has led to its inclusion in the Natura 2000 network, by designating the Site of Community Importance (SCI) Serra do Xistral (ES1120015). The data presented show a homogeneous ecological functioning of wet heaths in relation to the rest of the wet complex, and sustain their unambiguous operation as wet ecosystems. Therefore, it confirms the diagnosis of wet heaths in the northern mountains of Galicia, linked to priority type Nat-2000 4020*, included in Annex I of the EU Directive 92/43/EEC. The diagnosis and characterization of habitat types should consider the structure, composition and ecological functionality through the use of scientific and technical knowledge. This is of vital importance, particularly for the conservation of priority types, avoiding the implementation of plans and projects without a proper impact assessmentS

Cambio climático y dinámica del paisaje en Galicia

Las secuencias polínicas, y en concreto las obtenidas a partir de sedimentos limnéticos, se han revelado como la herramienta más eficaz a la hora de valorar los cambios climáticos cuaternarios a nivel regional y su incidencia sobre los ecosistemas. Una parte importante de los registros obtenidos en el NW ibérico, presenta una antigüedad menor de 3.000; las secuencias continuas de más de 6.000 años, que alcanzan cronologías de 10.000 o 12.000 años, se limita a grandes turberas de zonas de montaña; finalmente, los periodos de más de 17.000 años, únicamente aparecen representados en sedimentos fosilizados, en los que se han obtenido registros continuos de 10.000 o 20.000 años y excepcionalmente periodos de más de 50.000. Las más de 200 secuencias disponibles para el NW ibérico, permiten realizar una correcta evaluación de la incidencia de los cambios climáticos y de la influencia antrópica sobre los ecosistemas, a lo largo de los últimos 100.000 años. La abundancia de datos, accede a reconocer la diferente influencia de estos cambios sobre las distintas áreas biogeográficas del territorio

Galician Atlantic Islands National Park: Challenges for the Conservation and Management of a Maritime-Terrestrial Protected Area

At present, biodiversity conservation and management in Spanish National Parks in Spain must respond to a series of regulations at a European, national and regional level, also adapting to scientific-technical progress. The availability of increasingly precise data on the values to be conserved (ecosystems, habitats, species, geodiversity) in these protected areas enables more detailed management, but also requires more rigorous, powerful, and multidisciplinary tools. Maritime-terrestrial national parks are highly sensitive areas to public use, so their impact must be one of the most important factors to take into account when planning their management. This work evaluates the past and present challenges for conservation in Galician Atlantic Islands National Park (NW Spain), where biodiversity conservation and management has evolved over time in a significant way, providing a valid case study applicable to other national parks worldwide, as well as similar situations in other contexts and scenarios. Future challenges are arising in the National Park to improve the conservation status of natural habitats and wildlife, mainly through new European initiatives that may establish important synergies with other countries

Mendelian Randomisation Confirms the Role of Y-Chromosome Loss in Alzheimer’s Disease Aetiopathogenesis in Men

Mosaic loss of chromosome Y (mLOY) is a common ageing-related somatic event and has been previously associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, mLOY estimation from genotype microarray data only reflects the mLOY degree of subjects at the moment of DNA sampling. Therefore, mLOY phenotype associations with AD can be severely age-confounded in the context of genome-wide association studies. Here, we applied Mendelian randomisation to construct an age-independent mLOY polygenic risk score (mloy-PRS) using 114 autosomal variants. The mloy-PRS instrument was associated with an 80% increase in mLOY risk per standard deviation unit (p = 4.22 × 10−20) and was orthogonal with age. We found that a higher genetic risk for mLOY was associated with faster progression to AD in men with mild cognitive impairment (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.23, p = 0.01). Importantly, mloy-PRS had no effect on AD conversion or risk in the female group, suggesting that these associations are caused by the inherent loss of the Y chromosome. Additionally, the blood mLOY phenotype in men was associated with increased cerebrospinal fluid levels of total tau and phosphorylated tau181 in subjects with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Our results strongly suggest that mLOY is involved in AD pathogenesis.P.G.-G. (Pablo García-González) is supported by CIBERNED employment plan CNV-304-PRF-866. CIBERNED is integrated into ISCIII (Instituto de Salud Carlos III). I.d.R is supported by a national grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III FI20/00215. A.C. (Amanda Cano) acknowledges the support of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities under the grant Juan de la Cierva (FJC2018-036012-I). M.B. (Mercé Boada) and A.R. (Agustín Ruiz) are also supported by national grants PI13/02434, PI16/01861, PI17/01474, PI19/01240, and PI19/01301. The Genome Research @ Fundació ACE project (GR@ACE) is supported by Grifols SA, Fundación bancaria “La Caixa”, Fundació ACE, and CIBERNED. Acción Estratégica en Salud is integrated into the Spanish National R + D + I Plan and funded by ISCIII (Instituto de Salud Carlos III)—Subdirección General de Evaluación—and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER—“Una manera de hacer Europa”). Genotyping of the ACE MCI-EADB samples was performed in the context of EADB (European Alzheimer DNA biobank) funded by the JPco-fuND FP-829-029 (ZonMW project number 733051061). This work was supported by a grant (European Alzheimer DNA BioBank, EADB) from the EU Joint Program—Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND). Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Genomic Characterization of Host Factors Related to SARS-CoV-2 Infection in People with Dementia and Control Populations: The GR@ACE/DEGESCO Study

Emerging studies have suggested several chromosomal regions as potential host genetic factors involved in the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease outcome. We nested a COVID-19 genome-wide association study using the GR@ACE/DEGESCO study, searching for susceptibility factors associated with COVID-19 disease. To this end, we compared 221 COVID-19 confirmed cases with 17,035 individuals in whom the COVID-19 disease status was unknown. Then, we performed a meta-analysis with the publicly available data from the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative. Because the APOE locus has been suggested as a potential modifier of COVID-19 disease, we added sensitivity analyses stratifying by dementia status or by disease severity. We confirmed the existence of the 3p21.31 region (LZTFL1, SLC6A20) implicated in the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and TYK2 gene might be involved in COVID-19 severity. Nevertheless, no statistically significant association was observed in the COVID-19 fatal outcome or in the stratified analyses (dementia-only and non-dementia strata) for the APOE locus not supporting its involvement in SARS-CoV-2 pathobiology or COVID-19 prognosis