4,5-Dibromo-2,7-di-tert-butyl-9,9-dimethyl-9H-thioxanthene

In the title compound, C23H28Br2S, the thioxanthene unit is twisted, showing a dihedral angle of 29.3 (5)° between the benzene rings. When projected along [001], the packing shows two types of channels. The crystal studied was a racemic twin

Effects of environmental variables on the distribution of juvenile cubomedusae Carybdea marsupialis in the coastal Western Mediterranean

[EN] Relationships between environmental factors and oscillations in jellyfish abundance, especially in the early life stages, could help to interpret past increases and also predict scenarios in a changing future. For the first time, we present cubozoan spatial and temporal distributions in the earliest stages and their relationships with different factors. Abundances ofCarybdea marsupialismedusae showed high interannual variability from 2008 to 2014 along the Denia coast (SE Spain, W Mediterranean). During 2015, samples were collected from 11 beaches along 17 km of coastline, 8 times from January to November in order to determine the effects of environmental factors on the distribution of juvenileC.marsupialis. Juveniles (<= 15 mm diagonal bell width) were present from May to July, with more sampled near shore (0-15 m). Most of them occurred in June when their numbers were unequal among beaches (average 0.05 ind m(-3), maximum 6.71 ind m(-3)). We tested distributions of juveniles over time and space versus temperature, salinity, nutrients (N, P and Si), chlorophyll-a(Chl-a), and zooplankton abundance. Temperature and cladocerans (zooplankton group) were significantly positively correlated with juvenile distribution, whereas Chl-aconcentration was weakly negative. By contrast, in 2014, high productivity areas (Chl-aand zooplankton) overlapped the maximum adult abundance (5.2 ind m(-3)). The distribution of juveniles during 2015 did not spatially coincide with the areas where ripe adults were located the previous year, suggesting that juveniles drift with the currents upon release from the cubopolyps. Our results yield important insights into the complexity of cubozoan distributions.This study has received funding through European Commission's LIFE programme [LIFE08 NAT ES64 CUBOMED.eu to C.B. from the Alicante University and V.L.F. from the Institute of Marine Science, CSIC, Spain], and from the D.G Sostenibilidad de la Costa y el Mar from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, the Fundacion Biodiversidad, and the D.G. Agua -Generalitat Valenciana. It has also received support from Parques Nacionales and Ajuntament de Denia. We are grateful for the collaboration of Fundació Baleària, Marina El Portet de Dénia and Marina de Dénia. This work is a contribution from the ¿Ramon Margalef¿ Environmental Research Institute (IMEM) from the University of Alicante, Spain. We are especially grateful for the sampling and laboratory support provided in the Montgó Research Station by NGO ACIF Marina Alta volunteers: Ángela Alba, Ainara Ballesteros, Miguel Escolano, Ángel Fernández, Marta Gil, Héctor Gutiérrez, Ainara Lacalle and Alba Pérez. We would also like to extend our thanks to Jordi Alventosa and Júlia Escrivá from IGIC-Polytechnic Valencia University for their contribution to nutrient analysis. Editing services were provided by Sea Pen Scientific Writing.Bordehore, C.; Fonfría, E.; Alonso, C.; Rubio-Tortosa, B.; Acevedo, M.; Canepa, A.; Falco, S.... (2020). Effects of environmental variables on the distribution of juvenile cubomedusae Carybdea marsupialis in the coastal Western Mediterranean. PLoS ONE. 15(6):1-20. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230768S120156Purcell, J., Uye, S., & Lo, W. (2007). Anthropogenic causes of jellyfish blooms and their direct consequences for humans: a review. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 350, 153-174. doi:10.3354/meps07093Graham, W. M., Gelcich, S., Robinson, K. L., Duarte, C. M., Brotz, L., Purcell, J. E., … Condon, R. H. (2014). Linking human well-being and jellyfish: ecosystem services, impacts, and societal responses. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 12(9), 515-523. doi:10.1890/130298Cegolon, L., Heymann, W., Lange, J., & Mastrangelo, G. (2013). Jellyfish Stings and Their Management: A Review. Marine Drugs, 11(12), 523-550. doi:10.3390/md11020523Hartwick, R. F. (1991). Distributional ecology and behaviour of the early life stages of the box-jellyfish Chironex fleckeri. Hydrobiologia, 216-217(1), 181-188. doi:10.1007/bf00026460Mooney, C. J., & Kingsford, M. J. (2016). The influence of salinity on box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri, Cubozoa) statolith elemental chemistry. Marine Biology, 163(5). doi:10.1007/s00227-016-2867-1Kingsford, M. J., Seymour, J. E., & O’Callaghan, M. D. (2012). Abundance patterns of cubozoans on and near the Great Barrier Reef. Hydrobiologia, 690(1), 257-268. doi:10.1007/s10750-012-1041-0ACEVEDO, M. J., STRAEHLER-POHL, I., MORANDINI, A. C., STAMPAR, S. N., BENTLAGE, B., MATSUMOTO, G. I., … FUENTES, V. L. (2019). Revision of the genus Carybdea (Cnidaria: Cubozoa: Carybdeidae): clarifying the identity of its type species Carybdea marsupialis. Zootaxa, 4543(4), 515. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4543.4.3Bordehore, C., Fuentes, V. L., Atienza, D., Barberá, C., Fernandez-Jover, D., Roig, M., … Gili, J. M. (2011). Detection of an unusual presence of the cubozoan Carybdea marsupialis at shallow beaches located near Denia, Spain (south-western Mediterranean). Marine Biodiversity Records, 4. doi:10.1017/s1755267211000650Canepa, A., Fuentes, V., Bosch-Belmar, M., Acevedo, M., Toledo-Guedes, K., Ortiz, A., … Gili, J.-M. (2017). Environmental factors influencing the spatio-temporal distribution of Carybdea marsupialis (Lineo, 1978, Cubozoa) in South-Western Mediterranean coasts. PLOS ONE, 12(7), e0181611. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181611Acevedo MJ. Biology, ecology and ecophysiology of the box jellyfish Carybdea marsupialis (Cnidaria: Cubozoa). PhD dissertation. Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona. 2016.Pulis K. A preliminary study of the population, ecology and genetic characters of the Mediterranean box jellyfish (Carybdea marsupialis) in the island of Malta. MSc dissertation. University of Malta, Malta. 2015.Bordehore C. Studies on the ecology of Carybdea marsupialis (Cubozoa) and jellyfish sting risk management. PhD dissertation. Universidad de Alicante, Alicante. 2014.Straehler-Pohl, I., & Jarms, G. (2005). Life cycle of Carybdea marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758 (Cubozoa, Carybdeidae) reveals metamorphosis to be a modified strobilation. Marine Biology, 147(6), 1271-1277. doi:10.1007/s00227-005-0031-4Gordon, M., & Seymour, J. (2012). Growth, Development and Temporal Variation in the Onset of Six Chironex fleckeri Medusae Seasons: A Contribution to Understanding Jellyfish Ecology. PLoS ONE, 7(2), e31277. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031277Canepa, A., Purcell, J. E., Belmar, M. B., Acevedo, M., Gentile, M., & Fuentes, V. (2013). Salinity effects on asexual reproduction of Carybdea sp. (Cnidaria: Cubozoa). Journal of Plankton Research, 36(2), 585-590. doi:10.1093/plankt/fbt124Canepa A. Jellyfish of the Spanish Mediterranean coast: effects of environmental factors on their spatio-temporal dynamics and economic impacts. PhD dissertation, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona. 2014.Aminot A, Chaussepied M. Manuel des analyses chimiques en milieu marin. Brest: Centre national pour l’exploitation des océans; 1983.APHA, AWWA, WEF. Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. 22 edition. Washington: American Public Health Association; 2012.Zuur, A. F., Ieno, E. N., Walker, N., Saveliev, A. A., & Smith, G. M. (2009). Mixed effects models and extensions in ecology with R. Statistics for Biology and Health. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-87458-6Zuur, A. F., Ieno, E. N., & Smith, G. M. (2007). Analysing Ecological Data. Statistics for Biology and Health. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-45972-1Yang C, Szu-Pyng K, Fen-Bin L, Pen-Shan H. Twelve different interpolation methods: a case study of Surfer 8.0. ISPRS Congr Istanbul. 2004; 778–783.STRAEHLER-POHL, I., & JARMS, G. (2011). Morphology and life cycle of Carybdea morandinii, sp. nov. (Cnidaria), a cubozoan with zooxanthellae and peculiar polyp anatomy. Zootaxa, 2755(1), 36. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2755.1.2Chiaverano, L. M., Holland, B. S., Crow, G. L., Blair, L., & Yanagihara, A. A. (2013). Long-Term Fluctuations in Circalunar Beach Aggregations of the Box Jellyfish Alatina moseri in Hawaii, with Links to Environmental Variability. PLoS ONE, 8(10), e77039. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0077039Hamner, W. M., Gilmer, R. W., & Hamner, P. P. (1982). The physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of a stratified, saline, sulfide lake in Palau1. Limnology and Oceanography, 27(5), 896-909. doi:10.4319/lo.1982.27.5.0896Gordon, M. R., & Seymour, J. E. (2008). Quantifying movement of the tropical Australian cubozoan Chironex fleckeri using acoustic telemetry. Hydrobiologia, 616(1), 87-97. doi:10.1007/s10750-008-9594-7Colin, S. P., Costello, J. H., Katija, K., Seymour, J., & Kiefer, K. (2013). Propulsion in Cubomedusae: Mechanisms and Utility. PLoS ONE, 8(2), e56393. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0056393Coates, M. M. (2003). Visual Ecology and Functional Morphology of Cubozoa (Cnidaria). Integrative and Comparative Biology, 43(4), 542-548. doi:10.1093/icb/43.4.542Garm, A., O’Connor, M., Parkefelt, L., & Nilsson, D.-E. (2007). Visually guided obstacle avoidance in the box jellyfish Tripedalia cystophora and Chiropsella bronzie. Journal of Experimental Biology, 210(20), 3616-3623. doi:10.1242/jeb.004044Lewin, R. (1986). Supply-Side Ecology. Science, 234(4772), 25-27. doi:10.1126/science.234.4772.25Marcus, N. H., & Marcus, N. H. (1998). Minireview: The importance of benthic-pelagic coupling and the forgotten role of life cycles in coastal aquatic systems. Limnology and Oceanography, 43(5), 763-768. doi:10.4319/lo.1998.43.5.0763Bordehore, C., Fuentes, V. L., Segarra, J. G., Acevedo, M., Canepa, A., & Raventós, J. (2015). Use of an Inverse Method for Time Series to Estimate the Dynamics of and Management Strategies for the Box Jellyfish Carybdea marsupialis. PLOS ONE, 10(9), e0137272. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.013727

Combinatorial Analysis Methodologies for Accelerated Research: The Case of Chalcogenide Thin-Film Photovoltaic Technologies

One of the fastest ways for the discovery, understanding, development, and further optimization of new complex materials is the application of combinatorial analysis methodologies, which have already shown impressive results for different organic and inorganic materials, leading to the fast development of different scientific fields and industrial applications. However, in the case of thin-film materials for optoelectronic devices and, in particular, for second-generation photovoltaic (PV) devices, the application of combinatorial analysis is still quite uncommon with a desultory rather than systematic application. The present review discusses the main constraints for the application of combinatorial analysis to thin-film materials with a focus on chalcogenide compounds and different strategies to overcome them. Special attention is paid to the requirements for the preparation of graded thin films, characterization, and analysis of the results, providing different hints for the implementation of high-quality combinatorial analysis. Finally, an overview of the currently published results in the field of chalcogenide thin-film PV technologies is presented, showing the relevance of the combinatorial approach for boosting the development not only of this promising PV technology, but also of other optoelectronic devices based on complex materials and multilayered structures

Identification of zoonotic genotypes of Giardia duodenalis

Giardia duodenalis, originally regarded as a commensal organism, is the etiologic agent of giardiasis, a gastrointestinal disease of humans and animals. Giardiasis causes major public and veterinary health concerns worldwide. Transmission is either direct, through the faecal-oral route, or indirect, through ingestion of contaminated water or food. Genetic characterization of G. duodenalis isolates has revealed the existence of seven groups (assemblages A to G) which differ in their host distribution. Assemblages A and B are found in humans and in many other mammals, but the role of animals in the epidemiology of human infection is still unclear, despite the fact that the zoonotic potential of Giardia was recognised by the WHO some 30 years ago. Here, we performed an extensive genetic characterization of 978 human and 1440 animal isolates, which together comprise 3886 sequences from 4 genetic loci. The data were assembled into a molecular epidemiological database developed by a European network of public and veterinary health Institutions. Genotyping was performed at different levels of resolution (single and multiple loci on the same dataset). The zoonotic potential of both assemblages A and B is evident when studied at the level of assemblages, sub-assemblages, and even at each single locus. However, when genotypes are defined using a multi-locus sequence typing scheme, only 2 multi-locus genotypes (MLG) of assemblage A and none of assemblage B appear to have a zoonotic potential. Surprisingly, mixtures of genotypes in individual isolates were repeatedly observed. Possible explanations are the uptake of genetically different Giardia cysts by a host, or subsequent infection of an already infected host, likely without overt symptoms, with a different Giardia species, which may cause disease. Other explanations for mixed genotypes, particularly for assemblage B, are substantial allelic sequence heterogeneity and/or genetic recombination. Although the zoonotic potential of G. duodenalis is evident, evidence on the contribution and frequency is (still) lacking. This newly developed molecular database has the potential to tackle intricate epidemiological questions concerning protozoan diseases.This study was partially funded by the European MED-VET-NET project contract FOOD-CT-2004-506122, and by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (VWA). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.S

Insights on biodiversity drivers to predict species richness in tropical forests at the local scale

Disentangling the relative importance of different biodiversity drivers (i.e., climate, edaphic, historical factors, or human impact) to predict plant species richness at the local scale is one of the most important challenges in ecology. Biodiversity modelling is a key tool for the integration of these drivers and the predictions generated are essential, for example, for climate change forecast and conservation planning. However, the reliability of biodiversity models at the local scale remains poorly understood, especially in tropical species-rich areas, where they are required. We inventoried all woody plants with stems ≥ 2.5 cm in 397 plots across the Andes-Amazon gradient. We generated and mapped 19 uncorrelated biodiversity drivers at 90 m resolution, grouped into four categories: microclimatic, microtopographic, anthropic, and edaphic. In order to evaluate the importance of the different categories, we grouped biodiversity drivers into four different clusters by categories. For each of the four clusters of biodiversity drivers, we modelled the observed species richness using two statistical techniques (random forest and Bayesian inference) and two modelling procedures (including or excluding a spatial component). All the biodiversity models produced were evaluated by cross-validation. Species richness was accurately predicted by random forest (Spearman correlation up to 0.85 and explained variance up to 67%). The results suggest that precipitation and temperature are important driving forces of species richness in the region. Nonetheless, a spatial component should be considered to properly predict biodiversity. This could reflect macroevolutionary underlying forces not considered here, such as colonization time, dispersal capacities, or speciation rates. However, the proposed biodiversity modelling approach can predict accurately species richness at the local scale and detailed resolution (90 m) in tropical areas, something that previous works had found extremely challenging. The innovative methodology presented here could be employed in other areas with conservation needsWe thank the Consejería de Educacion (Comunidad de Madrid, Spain), National Geographic Society (8047-06, 7754-04), National Science Foundation (DEB#0101775, DEB#0743457, DEB#1557094), Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CGL2016-75414-P), Centro de Estudios de América Latina (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid – Banco Santander), Consejería de Educacion, Cultura y Deportes (Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, SBPLY/21/180501/000241), Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (PID2019-106341GB-I00) for funding our research. The full dataset can be requested from the Madidi Project (https://madidiproject.weebly.com/

Chiral recognition with a benzofuran receptor that mimics an oxyanion hole

A new chiral benzofuran receptor has been synthesized and its properties in the association of amino acid derivatives have been studied. X-ray structures were obtained and these corroborate the presence of an oxyanion-hole motif in these structures

Horizontal flow fields observed in Hinode G-band images II. Flow fields in the final stages of sunspot decay

We present a subset of multi-wavelengths observations obtained with the Japanese Hinode mission, the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), and the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) at Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain during the time period from 2010 November 18-23. Horizontal proper motions were derived from G-band and Ca II H images, whereas line-of-sight velocities were extracted from VTT Echelle H-alpha 656.28 nm spectra and Fe I 630.25 nm spectral data of the Hinode/Spectro-Polarimeter, which also provided three-dimensional magnetic field information. The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board SDO provided continuum images and line-of-sight magnetograms as context for the high-resolution observations for the entire disk passage of the active region. We have performed a quantitative study of photospheric and chromospheric flow fields in and around decaying sunspots. In one of the trailing sunspots of active region NOAA 11126, we observed moat flow and moving magnetic features (MMFs), even after its penumbra had decayed. We also noticed a superpenumbral structure around this pore. MMFs follow well-defined, radial paths from the spot all the way to the border of a supergranular cell surrounding the spot. In contrast, flux emergence near the other sunspot prevented it from establishing such well ordered flow patterns, which could even be observed around a tiny pore of just 2 Mm diameter. After the disappearance of the sunspots/pores a coherent patch of abnormal granulation remained at their location, which was characterized by more uniform horizontal proper motions, low divergence values, and diminished photospheric Doppler velocities. This region, thus, differs significantly from granulation and other areas covered by G-band bright points. We conclude that this peculiar flow pattern is a signature of sunspot decay and the dispersal of magnetic flux.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Tutorial action in the EHEA at the Faculty of Pharmacy of us: 4 years of experience of a student mentoring program

La Facultad de Farmacia de la Universidad de Sevilla (US) tiene en marcha un Programa de Alumnos Tutores desde 2006/07 con el objetivo de que alumnos de cursos superiores (AATT) tutelen a alumnos de nuevo ingreso (1x3). Pretende generar una actitud responsable en los AATT y favorecerles el desarrollo de habilidades sociales, objetivos cualitativos dentro de la educación universitaria que sirven como preparación previa a su inserción en el mundo laboral. La actividad es supervisada por Profesores Tutores (1x3) que analizan la evolución de ambos grupos de alumnos. Es una supervisión activa a través de distintas vías de acción para ayudar a la consecución de objetivos, tales como entrevistas periódicas, revisión de informes, acciones de apoyo como charlas sobre técnicas de estudio, coloquios sobre salidas laborales, exposiciones de las experiencias personales de algunos alumnos recientemente egresados, gestión estratégica de búsqueda de empleo, elaboración de portafolios,… Con respecto a la evolución del programa, el número de profesores ha crecido moderadamente llegando a una situación estable, mientras que el número de alumnos, tanto tutores como tutelados, ha crecido en un ritmo constante acorde a las restricciones indicadas. Los resultados son muy positivos, entendiéndose que el proyecto se enmarca en un contexto más cualitativo que cuantitativo y que el principal objetivo es el robustecimiento de la experiencia y asentar una dinámica de apoyo hacia los alumnos de nuevo ingreso y de planificación de tareas, tutela y responsabilidad en general de los alumnos tutores.The Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Seville (US) has developed a Student Mentoring Program (from 2006/07 - present). The main objective of this project is that senior students act as Mentor Students for students at their first year in the University (1x3). It aims to generate a responsible attitude in mentor students and to promote the development of social skills, qualitative goals within higher education that serve as preparation prior to their integration into the world of work. This activity is supervised by Mentor Professors (1x3) that analyze the evolution of both groups of students. It is an active monitoring through various actions such as regular interviews, review of reports, support operations such as lectures on study skills, seminars on job opportunities, statements of personal experiences of some recently graduated students, strategic management job search, portfolio development... With regard to the development of the program, the number of Mentor Professors has grown moderately, reaching a stable condition, while the number of students, both tutor and supervised, has grown steadily in line with the restrictions indicated. The results are very positive, considering the more qualitative than quantitative character of the project and that the main objectives are the strengthening of the experience and the establishment of a dynamic support to the new students and scheduling and general responsibility for mentor students

APOA5 Q97X Mutation Identified through homozygosity mapping causes severe hypertriglyceridemia in a Chilean consanguineous family

BACKGROUND: Severe hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) has been linked to defects in LPL, APOC2, APOA5, LMF1 and GBIHBP1 genes. However, a number of severe HTG cases are probably caused by as yet unidentified mutations. Very high triglyceride plasma levels (>112 mmol/L at diagnosis) were found in two sisters of a Chilean consanguineous family, which is strongly suggestive of a recessive highly penetrant mutation. The aim of this study was to determine the genetic locus responsible for the severe HTG in this family. METHODS: We carried out a genome-wide linkage study with nearly 300,000 biallelic markers (Illumina Human CytoSNP-12 panel). Using the homozygosity mapping strategy, we searched for chromosome regions with excess of homozygous genotypes in the affected cases compared to non-affected relatives. RESULTS: A large homozygous segment was found in the long arm of chromosome 11, with more than 2,500 consecutive homozygous SNP shared by the proband with her affected sister, and containing the APOA5/A4/C3/A1 cluster. Direct sequencing of the APOA5 gene revealed a known homozygous nonsense Q97X mutation (p.Gln97Ter) found in both affected sisters but not in non-affected relatives nor in a sample of unrelated controls. CONCLUSION: The Q97X mutation of the APOA5 gene in homozygous status is responsible for the severe hypertriglyceridemia in this family. We have shown that homozygosity mapping correctly pinpointed the genomic region containing the gene responsible for severe hypertriglyceridemia in this consanguineous Chilean famil