El Valhuero (Toro, Zamora): una inhumación tardoantigua en un yacimiento de la Edad del Bronce

El hallazgo en un yacimiento de la Edad del Bronce de una sepultura aparentemente asignable por su decúbito y orientación W-E a un periodo histórico motivó su  datación radiocarbónica, confirmándose su presunto carácter post-prehistórico. Se estudia el enterramiento y se plantea su encuadre en el contexto de la Antigüedad Tardía de la zona

Uso del espacio por adultos de gaviota patiamarilla Larus michahellis Naumann, 1840 durante el periodo reproductor: resultados preliminares en relación al uso de vertederos.

En la actualidad, con el progresivo cierre de vertederos, nos situamos en un marco experimental ideal para estudiar cómo afecta la reducción drástica de un recurso trófico en la ecología, dinámica poblacional y movimientos de una especie con alto interés en la gestión, como es la gaviota patiamarilla Larus michahellis Naumann, 1840. En este contexto, en 2016 se equiparon con GPS un total de 10 ejemplares adultos de gaviota patiamarilla en una de las colonias de cría de Gipuzkoa, de los que sólo 4 proporcionaron datos hasta el 31.07.2016. El análisis preliminar aporta información básica sobre el uso del territorio durante una parte del periodo reproductor. El porcentaje de localizaciones se distribuyó de esta manera: 60% en la colonia; 18% en otro tipo de hábitats; 12% en prados y cultivos; y 6.5% en vertederos. Se detecta, así, un relativo alto uso de los prados y cultivos del entorno de la colonia, así como de dos de los vertederos más importantes de la región. Por otro lado, parece existir alta variabilidad individual en el uso del territorio que podría reflejar diferentes estrategias en la búsqueda de alimento

El Valhuero (Toro, Zamora): una inhumación tardoantigua en un yacimiento de la Edad del Bronce

El hallazgo en un yacimiento de la Edad del Bronce de una sepultura aparentemente asignable por su decúbito y orientación W-E a un periodo histórico motivó su  datación radiocarbónica, confirmándose su presunto carácter post-prehistórico. Se estudia el enterramiento y se plantea su encuadre en el contexto de la Antigüedad Tardía de la zona

Decisiones de partida en un paseriforme migratorio, el carricero común Acrocephalus scirpaceus, con relación a la carga de reservas y la proximidad a barreras geográficas

28 páginas, 3 tablas, 2 figuras.research on the stopover ecology of migrant birds has examined the role of multiple factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic, on departure decisions. however, a single factor may influence stopover decisions differentially, depending on the relative geographic location of a stopover site within the flyway and the expectation of ecological challenges ahead. For instance, actual fuel load may have a decisive influence on departure decisions before a crossing of major geographical barriers, such as seas or deserts, but may be less important when crossing vast continental areas offering plenty of opportunities to refuel. the aim here was to test whether the relative influence of fuel load on departure decisions of the Common reed-warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus, a long-distance migrant songbird, varies in relation to proximity to a geographical barrier: the sea expanse between Iberia and Africa. we expected that departure from southern Iberian stopover sites would be highly influenced by fuel load, since migrants would not fly to Africa until they had sufficient fuel to cross the sea. we used Cormack- Jolly-Seber (CJS) models to test for the effect of fuel load on emigration (departure) probability from a number of stopover sites situated in northern and southern Iberia during the autumn migration period. reed-warblers stopping over for longer than one day were more likely to depart if they were in northern Iberia than in southern sites. Moreover, large fuel loads promoted emigration from stopover sites in northern, but not in southern, Iberia. therefore, we found no evidence supporting the hypothesis that reed-warblers wait until they acquire large fuel loads before leaving their stopover sites near the edge of the barrier. this study shows that the same parameters may not act in the same way along migration route, in particular in relation to geographical barrier proximitythis research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education (pre-doctoral fellowship to MA),Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (project CGL2010-21933-C02-02; to EB), Basque Government and Gipuzkoa Administration.Peer reviewe

Habitat selection, diet and food availability of European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria chicks in Swedish Lapland

Fennoscandian alpine tundra habitats support large numbers of breeding waders, but relatively little is known about their breeding ecology despite the fact that this habitat is threatened by climate change. We studied habitat selection, diet and prey availability of European (Eurasian) Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria chicks at the Vindelfj€allen Nature Reserve, Ammarn€as, Sweden. Information from 22 chicks tracked using radio-transmitters was analysed. By analysing 149 faecal samples, four main prey taxa were identified, Coleoptera (40%), Bibionidae (31%), Hymenoptera (13%) and Tipulidae (10%). We found that chicks switched from feeding on Tipulidae to feeding on Bibionidae as they grew, and that this switch coincided with a shift from the use of the habitat where Tipulidae were abundant (alpine meadow/heathland) to the use of the habitat were Bibionidae were abundant (Willow shrub). Although chicks track food availability to some extent, the link between prey availability and habitat use was not perfect, indicating that additional factors other than food abundance, such as shelter from predators, determine habitat selection. Bibionidae are an important prey for Golden Plover chicks as it is the only prey group that has a late summer flush in abundance, in contrast to the general decline of total arthropod biomass during the chick-rearing period. However, Bibionidae imagoes only occurred in 2011 and were virtually absent in 2013, which relates to the species’ ecology with 2- to 5-year cycles in mass occurrence. Extreme annual variation in an essential food source such as Bibionidae imagoes might have an important effect on the condition and survival of Golden Plover chicks, an important subject for future studies. The foraging conditions for Golden Plover chicks in Fennoscandia appear to be different to those in the UK, where the chicks rely mainly on a Tipulidae flush only

Proteostasis disturbances and endoplasmic reticulum stress contribute to polycystic liver disease: New therapeutic targets

Background & Aims Polycystic liver diseases (PLDs) are genetic disorders characterized by progressive development of multiple biliary cysts. Recently, novel PLD-causative genes, encoding for endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident proteins involved in protein biogenesis and transport, were identified. We hypothesized that aberrant proteostasis contributes to PLD pathogenesis, representing a potential therapeutic target.Methods ER stress was analysed at transcriptional (qPCR), proteomic (mass spectrometry), morphological (transmission electron microscopy, TEM) and functional (proteasome activity) levels in different PLD models. The effect of ER stress inhibitors [4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA)] and/or activators [tunicamycin (TM)] was tested in polycystic (PCK) rats and cystic cholangiocytes in vitro.Results The expression levels of unfolded protein response (UPR) components were upregulated in liver tissue from PLD patients and PCK rats, as well as in primary cultures of human and rat cystic cholangiocytes, compared to normal controls. Cystic cholangiocytes showed altered proteomic profiles, mainly related to proteostasis (ie synthesis, folding, trafficking and degradation of proteins), marked enlargement of the ER lumen (by TEM) and hyperactivation of the proteasome. Notably, chronic treatment of PCK rats with 4-PBA decreased liver weight, as well as both liver and cystic volumes, of animals under baseline conditions or after TM administration compared to controls. In vitro, 4-PBA downregulated the expression (mRNA) of UPR effectors, normalized proteomic profiles related to protein synthesis, folding, trafficking and degradation and reduced the proteasome hyperactivity in cystic cholangiocytes, reducing their hyperproliferation and apoptosis.Conclusions Restoration of proteostasis in cystic cholangiocytes with 4-PBA halts hepatic cystogenesis, emerging as a novel therapeutic strategy