New cladotherian mammal from southern Chile and the evolution of mesungulatid meridiolestidans at the dusk of the Mesozoic era

In the last decades, several discoveries have uncovered the complexity of mammalian evolution during the Mesozoic Era, including important Gondwanan lineages: the australosphenidans, gondwanatherians, and meridiolestidans (Dryolestoidea). Most often, their presence and diversity is documented by isolated teeth and jaws. Here, we describe a new meridiolestidan mammal, Orretherium tzen gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Cretaceous of southern Chile, based on a partial jaw with five cheek teeth in locis and an isolated upper premolar. Phylogenetic analysis places Orretherium as the earliest divergence within Mesungulatidae, before other forms such as the Late Cretaceous Mesungulatum and Coloniatherium, and the early Paleocene Peligrotherium. The in loco tooth sequence (last two premolars and three molars) is the first recovered for a Cretaceous taxon in this family and suggests that reconstructed tooth sequences for other Mesozoic mesungulatids may include more than one species. Tooth eruption and replacement show that molar eruption in mesungulatids is heterochronically delayed with regard to basal dryolestoids, with therian-like simultaneous eruption of the last premolar and last molar. Meridiolestidans seem endemic to Patagonia, but given their diversity and abundance, and the similarity of vertebrate faunas in other regions of Gondwana, they may yet be discovered in other continents.Fil: Martinelli, Agustín Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: Soto Acuña, Sergio. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: Goin, Francisco Javier. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Kaluza, Jonatan Ezequiel. Universidad Maimónides; Argentina. Universidad de Chile; Chile. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Bostelmann, J. Enrique. Universidad Austral de Chile; ChileFil: Fonseca, Pedro H. M.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Reguero, Marcelo Alfredo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Leppe, Marcelo. Instituto Antártico Chileno; ChileFil: Vargas, Alexander O.. Universidad de Chile; Chil

Enquete sobre a realização de pesquisas em centros educacionais no Chile: cumprimentos de aspectos regulatórios éticos e legais

Antecedentes: La investigación en centros educacionales es una fuente frecuente de estudios de las áreas sociales y salud. Objetivo: Determinar el conocimiento y la adherencia a la regulación ética y legal vigente de la investigación realizadas con niños en centros educacionales. Metodología: Estudio transversal tipo encuesta online. Se consultó sobre el nivel de conocimiento y adherencia a la regulación ética y legislación vigente en Chile, para realizar investigación con menores de edad. Resultados: 126 centros respondieron la encuesta; 69% de zonas urbanas; 60% son centros municipales y 34% particulares subvencionados. En un 31,8% de los centros se realizó investigación, 41% de salud y 30,8% de educación. El 27,5% informó que la investigación contaba con aprobación del comité ético-científico para su implementación, un 82% señaló no recibir ni tener conocimiento de los aspectos regulatorios sobre la investigación con seres humanos. Conclusión: Existe bajo conocimiento y adherencia a la regulación ética y legal de la investigación con niños en centros educacionales. Se realizó una jornada de difusión de los resultados y se propuso un flujograma generado por expertos orientado a los directores de centros educacionales para contribuir a la adherencia de los aspectos éticos y regulatorios de la investigación en centros educacionales.Background: Research in educational centers is a frequent source of social and health related studies. Objective: To determine the knowledge and adherence to the current legal and ethical regulations to research performed on children at educational institutions. Methodology: Cross-sectional study online survey-type. The level of knowledge and adherence to the ethical regulation and legislation in Chile, to conduct research with minors was consulted. Results: 126 educational institutions responded the survey; 69% belonged to urban centers; 60% corresponded to those under the Municipality umbrella and 34% to charter schools. Research was performed in 31,8% of the consulted institutions, 41% of the research was on health issues and 30,8% on education. The 27,5% answered that they had the approval of ethical-scientific committee, 82% answered that they neither received nor had any awareness of regulatory aspects on research. Conclusion: There is low knowledge and adherence to ethical and legal regulation to research performed with children in educational centers. A journey for dissemination of results was performed and a flow chart was created by experts and proposed to the school directors to contribute to the adherence of ethical and regulatory aspects of research in educational centers.Antecedentes: A pesquisa em centros educacionais é uma fonte frequente de estudos das áreas sociais e de saúde. Objetivo: determinar o conhecimento e a adesão à regulamentação ética e legal vigente de pesquisa realizada com crianças em centros educacionais. Metodologia: estudo transversal de tipo enquete on-line. Consultou-se sobre o nível de conhecimento e adesão ao regulamento ético e a legislação vigente no Chile, para realizar a pesquisa com menores de idade. Resultados: 126 centros responderam à enquete; 69% em áreas urbanas; 60% são centros municipais e 34% centros particulares subsidiados. Em 31,8% dos centros foram realizadas pesquisas, 41% de saúde e 30,8% de educação. 27,5% relataram que a pesquisa teve aprovação do Comitê de etico-cientifico para a sua execução, 82% disseram não receber ou ter conhecimento dos aspectos regulatórios da pesquisa com seres humanos. Conclusão: Existe pouco conhecimento e adesão ao regulamento ético e legal de pesquisa envolvendo crianças em centros educacionais. Fora realizada uma conferência para a divulgação dos resultados e fora proposto um fluxograma gerado por especialistas, que visam os diretores de centros educacionais para contribuir para a aderência dos aspectos éticos e regulatórios de pesquisa em centros educacionais

Multiple late-Pleistocene colonisation events of the Antarctic pearlwort Colobanthus quitensis (Caryophyllaceae) reveal the recent arrival of native Antarctic vascular flora

Aim: Antarctica's remote and extreme terrestrial environments are inhabited by only two species of native vascular plants. We assessed genetic connectivity amongst Antarctic and South American populations of one of these species, Colobanthus quitensis, to determine its origin and age in Antarctica. Location: Maritime Antarctic, sub‐Antarctic islands, South America. Taxon: Antarctic pearlwort Colobanthus quitensis (Caryophyllaceae). Methods: Four chloroplast markers and one nuclear marker were sequenced from 270 samples from a latitudinal transect spanning 21–68° S. Phylogeographic, population genetic and molecular dating analyses were used to assess the demographic history of C. quitensis and the age of the species in Antarctica. Results: Maritime Antarctic populations consisted of two different haplotype clusters, occupying the northern and southern Maritime Antarctic. Molecular dating analyses suggested C. quitensis to be a young (<1 Ma) species, with contemporary population structure derived since the late‐Pleistocene. Main conclusions: The Maritime Antarctic populations likely derived from two independent, late‐Pleistocene dispersal events. Both clusters shared haplotypes with sub‐Antarctic South Georgia, suggesting higher connectivity across the Southern Ocean than previously thought. The overall findings of multiple colonization events by a vascular plant species to Antarctica, and the recent timing of these events, are of significance with respect to future colonizations of the Antarctic Peninsula by vascular plants, particularly with predicted increases in ice‐free land in this area. This study fills a significant gap in our knowledge of the age of the contemporary Antarctic terrestrial biota. Adding to previous inferences on the other Antarctic vascular plant species (the grass Deschampsia antarctica), we suggest that both angiosperm species are likely to have arrived on a recent (late‐Pleistocene) time‐scale. While most major groups of Antarctic terrestrial biota include examples of much longer‐term Antarctic persistence, the vascular flora stands out as the first identified terrestrial group that appears to be of recent origin

Delivering 21st century Antarctic and Southern Ocean science

The Antarctic Roadmap Challenges (ARC) project identified critical requirements to deliver high priority Antarctic research in the 21st century. The ARC project addressed the challenges of enabling technologies, facilitating access, providing logistics and infrastructure, and capitalizing on international co-operation. Technological requirements include: i) innovative automated in situ observing systems, sensors and interoperable platforms (including power demands), ii) realistic and holistic numerical models, iii) enhanced remote sensing and sensors, iv) expanded sample collection and retrieval technologies, and v) greater cyber-infrastructure to process ‘big data’ collection, transmission and analyses while promoting data accessibility. These technologies must be widely available, performance and reliability must be improved and technologies used elsewhere must be applied to the Antarctic. Considerable Antarctic research is field-based, making access to vital geographical targets essential. Future research will require continent- and ocean-wide environmentally responsible access to coastal and interior Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Year-round access is indispensable. The cost of future Antarctic science is great but there are opportunities for all to participate commensurate with national resources, expertise and interests. The scope of future Antarctic research will necessitate enhanced and inventive interdisciplinary and international collaborations. The full promise of Antarctic science will only be realized if nations act together

Sustained Antarctic Research: A 21st Century Imperative

The view from the south is, more than ever, dominated by ominous signs of change. Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are intrinsic to the Earth system, and their evolution is intertwined with and influences the course of the Anthropocene. In turn, changes in the Antarctic affect and presage humanity's future. Growing understanding is countering popular beliefs that Antarctica is pristine, stable, isolated, and reliably frozen. An aspirational roadmap for Antarctic science has facilitated research since 2014. A renewed commitment to gathering further knowledge will quicken the pace of understanding of Earth systems and beyond. Progress is already evident, such as addressing uncertainties in the causes and pace of ice loss and global sea-level rise. However, much remains to be learned. As an iconic global “commons,” the rapidity of Antarctic change will provoke further political action. Antarctic research is more vital than ever to a sustainable future for this One Earth

A roadmap for Antarctic and Southern Ocean science for the next two decades and beyond

Antarctic and Southern Ocean science is vital to understanding natural variability, the processes that govern global change and the role of humans in the Earth and climate system. The potential for new knowledge to be gained from future Antarctic science is substantial. Therefore, the international Antarctic community came together to ‘scan the horizon’ to identify the highest priority scientific questions that researchers should aspire to answer in the next two decades and beyond. Wide consultation was a fundamental principle for the development of a collective, international view of the most important future directions in Antarctic science. From the many possibilities, the horizon scan identified 80 key scientific questions through structured debate, discussion, revision and voting. Questions were clustered into seven topics: i)Antarctic atmosphere and global connections, ii) Southern Ocean and sea ice in a warming world, iii) ice sheet and sea level, iv) the dynamic Earth, v) life on the precipice, vi) near-Earth space and beyond, and vii) human presence in Antarctica. Answering the questions identified by the horizon scan will require innovative experimental designs, novel applications of technology, invention of next-generation field and laboratory approaches, and expanded observing systems and networks. Unbiased, non-contaminating procedures will be required to retrieve the requisite air, biota, sediment, rock, ice and water samples. Sustained year-round access toAntarctica and the Southern Ocean will be essential to increase winter-time measurements. Improved models are needed that represent Antarctica and the Southern Ocean in the Earth System, and provide predictions at spatial and temporal resolutions useful for decision making. A co-ordinated portfolio of cross-disciplinary science, based on new models of international collaboration, will be essential as no scientist, programme or nation can realize these aspirations alone.Tinker Foundation, Antarctica New Zealand, The New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP), the Alfred Wegner Institut, Helmholtz Zentrum für Polar und Meeresforschung (Germany), and the British Antarctic Survey (UK).http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=ANShb201

Propiedades psicométricas de los cuestionarios de funcionalidad en población deportista con patologías musculoesqueléticas de la extremidad inferior: una revisión sistemática

Background and purpose Clinical monitoring for the recovery of sports injuries is fundamental for a safe return to the sport. The identification of the psychometric properties of self-report functional questionnaires, which have been validated in the athlete population, may facilitate the appropriate selection of objective methodologies to assess the functional recovery of individuals with sport-related injuries. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature on the psychometric properties of self-administered questionnaires that measure functionality in athletes with musculoskeletal conditions of the lower limb. Materials and methods A comprehensive search was carried out in MEDLINE/PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Scielo, and Google Scholar databases up to 30 October 2019. Psychometric properties studies of self-reported questionnaires measuring functionality in sports population were included. The methodological quality was evaluated using the COSMIN methodology. Results A total of 37 studies and 13 different questionnaires were included. Cross-cultural validity was the least reported psychometric property. Content validity was poorly reported in the majority of questionnaires. According to the COSMIN standards, LEFS, CAIT, HAGOS, ACL-RSI, VISA-P, and UWRI are valid and reliable questionnaires to determine patient-reported outcome measurements during the rehabilitation process of an athlete. Conclusion The selection of the most appropriate questionnaire to assess functionality in athletes should consider: (1) the condition in which it has been validated, (2) the type of sport included, and (3) the quality of the psychometric properties of the available questionnaires