Modelo de evaluación del riesgo en la entrada y difusión de agentes patógenos que afectan a las abejas en España

Desde la aparición a nivel mundial del fenómeno denominado despoblamiento masivo de las colmenas, se han intensificado los estudios para determinar cuáles son las causas que lo producen. Así mismo, la preocupación por el estado sanitario de las colmenas ha ido en aumento debido a que existe un mercado apícola más competitivo económicamente, y a que las actividades comerciales que involucran la compra-venta de productos apícolas han hecho aumentar el riesgo, de manera considerable, de enfermedades exóticas que afectan a las abejas. Nuestro objetivo principal es estudiar el estado sanitario y las prevalencias de las enfermedades apícolas presentes. La evaluación de riesgo aquí presentada incluye la identificación de las posibles vías de entrada y difusión de los agentes patógenos, a partir de la información obtenida de encuestas, realizadas para tal efecto, al sector apícola español, así como de bibliografía científica disponible.From the appearance worldwide of the phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), the studies have been intensified to determine which are the reasons that produce it. Likewise, the worry for the sanitary state of the beehives has gone in increase due to the fact that a beekeeping market exists more competitive economically, and to that the commercial activities that involve the dealing bee product have made increase the risk, of a considerable way, of exotic diseases of honeybees. Our principal aim is to study the sanitary state and the prevalences of the bees diseases present. The evaluation of risk here presented includes the identification of the possible routes of entry and spread of the pathogenic agents, from the information obtained of surveys, realized for such an effect, to the Spanish beekeeping, as well as of scientific available bibliograph

The Role of Intra-Clutch Variation of Magpie Clutches in Foreign Egg Rejection Depends on the Egg Trait Considered.

MM-M and JA conceived the idea and analyzed the data. MM-M led the writing of the manuscript. MP and JGM performed the experiment in the field work. JG and GL-C carried out the images processing and performed the analyzes related to fractal dimension. All authors contributed critically to the drafts and gave final approval for publication.We thank Brian Peer for inviting us to contribute to this special issue. We are also indebted to Daniel Hanley and Vanina Dafne Fiorini for comments that greatly improved the manuscript.The existence of a coevolutionary process between avian brood parasites and their hosts predicts a lower intra-clutch variation in egg appearance of host eggs among rejecters as this would favor egg discrimination of parasite eggs by hosts once parasitic egg mimicry had evolved. So far empirical tests of this prediction have ignored the fact that different aspects of host egg phenotypes may differ in the relative role of environmental vs. genetic determination, and hence that the role of intra-clutch variation in egg rejection within a population cannot be invariant. Here, we estimated whether the intra-clutch variation in several aspects of host eggshell features is consistently associated to rejection of parasitic foreign eggs across years in a magpie host population parasitized by great spotted cuckoos. We innovatively estimated spottiness by means of the fractal dimension of eggs, which considers the homogeneity of spot pattern complexity in eggshells. Our results show that low intra-clutch variation in the blue-green coloration at the middle area of the eggs associated with a high chance of rejection, but only in one of the 3 years we conducted the study. In addition, females that rejected foreign eggs presented more homogenous spot patterns in their clutches as estimated by their fractal dimension than females that accepted experimental eggs, independently of the year of study. Finally, intra-clutch variation in egg volume of host eggs was not associated to rejection. Analyses at the individual level revealed that the relative role of genetic vs. environmental factors that determine egg phenotype would be feature-specific in magpies, females having a characteristic spottiness, but not color or volume, pattern. Our work stresses the importance of considering a holistic approach including several aspects of variation in host egg phenotype (size, color, and homogeneity of spot pattern), as some aspects might be more susceptible to selection through egg rejection than others, presumably because they are less influenced by variation in the environmental conditions. Moreover, our study highlights the importance of replication in studies on the adaptive value of host traits in egg rejection.This study was made possible through funding by the Spanish Ministry of Science through different projects (CGL2011-27561 and CGL2014-55362-P), a grant (BES-2015-075675), the Juan de la Cierva–Incorporación Fellowship (IJC2018-036411-I), and the Junta de Andalucía through a project (P06-RNM-01862)

Automated Deployment of a Spark Cluster with Machine Learning Algorithm Integration

The vast amount of data stored nowadays has turned big data analytics into a very trendy research field. The Spark distributed computing platform has emerged as a dominant and widely used paradigm for cluster deployment and big data analytics. However, to get started up is still a task that may take much time when manually done, due to the requisites that all nodes must fulfill. This work introduces LadonSpark, an open-source and non-commercial solution to configure and deploy a Spark cluster automatically. It has been specially designed for easy and efficient management of a Spark cluster with a friendly graphical user interface to automate the deployment of a cluster and to start up the distributed file system of Hadoop quickly. Moreover, LadonSpark includes the functionality of integrating any algorithm into the system. That is, the user only needs to provide the executable file and the number of required inputs for proper parametrization. Source codes developed in Scala, R, Python, or Java can be supported on LadonSpark. Besides, clustering, regression, classification, and association rules algorithms are already integrated so that users can test its usability from its initial installation.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades TIN2017-88209-C2-1-

Great spotted cuckoo disregard information on conspecific breeding success while parasitizing magpie

Supplementary data are available at Behavioral Ecology online.The study of mechanisms underlying host selection by brood parasites usually lays on selection by parasites of host traits that inform on host parental abilities or location. However, brood parasites might use information extracted from past reproductive performance of either their hosts or themselves, a possibility almost neglected. In this study, we use a long-term data set to analyze whether the probability of parasitism by great spotted cuckoos (Clamator glandarius) of a magpie (Pica pica) nest in a given year is related with the reproductive outcome of any of the 2 species in the surroundings of that nest the previous year. We found that probability of parasitism for a nest in a year was explained by previous year cuckoo reproductive outcome and parasitism rate in the area surrounding the focal nest, but not by host reproductive outcome. To discern between the effect of parasitism rate and that of parasite reproductive success on parasite choices, we carried out an experiment modifying the natural correlation found between parasitism status and host and parasite success in the patches. The results showed that neither host nor cuckoo reproductive outcome in a patch after the experiment explained probability of parasitism in the following year. Only parasitism rate in the surroundings of a nest before the experiment explained probability of parasitism for this nest in the following year. Hence, these results indicate that great spotted cuckoos disregard social information related to past parasitism outcome, probably because parasitism outcome is tightly correlated with parasitism itself.Programa Juan de la Cierva-Formación Fellowship (FJCI-2015–26257)Junta de Andalucía (Proyecto P06-RNM-01862)Ministerio de Economía (proyectos CGL2014-56769-P y CGL2017-83503-P)Junta de Extremadura (contrato TA13002

Revisión estratigráfica de Punta Coyote (Baja California Sur, México) e implicaciones para el volcanismo de la Sierra Madre Occidental y el arco Comondú

We present new stratigraphic evidence for a migration of the Upper Volcanic Supergroup that formed the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) volcanic arc in northwestern Mexico during the Oligocene-Miocene. Particularly we discuss the transition from the frontal arc to the Comondú volcanic arc in Punta Coyote, Baja California Peninsula. This information complements the knowledge of the stratigraphic evolution of the Oligocene-Miocene volcanic arc in Baja California and its correlation with the Upper Volcanic Supergroup of the Sierra Madre Occidental in northwestern Mexico. We present new stratigraphic and sedimentologic data of the volcanosedimentary succession of the lower unit of the Comondú group near of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, in Punta Coyote. Facies analysis and new 40Ar /39Ar dating allowed to interpret the sedimentary environment and evolution of volcanic pulses in the lower unit of the Comondú group in Punta Coyote. The study area was part of the forearc basin westward to the SMO volcanic arc during the Oligocene to early Miocene. The sedimentary environment of the lower unit of the Comondú group was initially a braided river system that prograded to an alluvial fan environment and three tuffs units: Los Azabaches tuff (30.6±0.4 Ma), La Capilla and El Oro tuffs (22.0±0.4 Ma). The succession studied provides new stratigraphic information related to the evolution of the Oligocene-Miocene volcanic arc in the Baja California Peninsula and its correlation with the Upper Volcanic Supergroup of the SMO in northwestern Mexico.Se presentan nuevos datos sobre la estratigrafía y sedimentología de la sucesión volcanosedimentaria de la Unidad Inferior del Grupo Comondú (UIGC) al noreste de la ciudad de La Paz, en Punta Coyote, Baja California Sur, México. El análisis de facies, así como las nuevas dataciones 40Ar /39Ar permitieron interpretar la evolución del ambiente sedimentario y los pulsos volcánicos de la UIGC en Punta Coyote. De acuerdo al análisis realizado, el área estudiada formó parte de la cuenca de arco delantero al oeste del arco volcánico de la Sierra Madre Occidental durante el Oligoceno inferior al Mioceno inferior. El ambiente sedimentario de la unidad inferior del Grupo Comondú evolucionó inicialmente como un ambiente fluvial trenzado progradando a un ambiente de abanico aluvial donde llegaron a depositarse tres unidades tobáceas: toba los Azabaches (30.6 ± 0.4 Ma), toba La Capilla y toba El Oro (22.0 ± 0.4 Ma). La sucesión estudiada aporta nueva información en relación a la evolución estratigráfica del arco volcánico Oligoceno-Mioceno en la Península de Baja California y su correlación con los depósitos del Supergrupo Volcánico Superior de la Sierra Madre Occidental al noroeste de México

Brood parasitism, provisioning rates and breeding phenology of male and female magpie hosts

Parental care is a costly behaviour that raises the prospects of offspring survival. In species with biparental care these costs are shared by both parents, although there may be a conflict regarding the relative investment of each sex. Avian brood parasites leave all the costs of rearing offspring to their hosts. The magnitude of these costs and their consequences on the relative role of both sexes in parental care and future reproduction remain mostly unknown. Here, we investigate whether provisioning rate of nestlings by magpie hosts Pica pica differs between broods parasitized by the great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius and non-parasitized broods, and whether the relative contribution of each sex to provisioning is affected by parasitism. Furthermore, we explore the effect of parasitism on magpie’s future reproduction. We found that provisioning rate was similar in parasitized and non-parasitized broods, and that the relative contribution of males and females was also similar, irrespectively of the parasitism status. However, rearing parasitic offspring seems to have a negative long-term effect on magpie’s breeding phenology in the following breeding season. Our results suggest that, although brood parasitism by great spotted cuckoos does not seem to influence the relative contribution of both sexes to parental care, it may entail long-term extra costs in terms of breeding delay for magpies.Junta de Andalucía (Proyecto P06-RNM-01862)Ministerio de Ciencia (proyecto CGL2014-55362-P)Programa Juan de la Cierva –Incorporación (IJC2018-036411-I)German Research Foundation (SFB TRR 212 (NC3) – Projectos n. 316099922 y 396782608

Co-infections and superinfections complicating COVID-19 in cancer patients: A multicentre, international study

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Complicacions infeccioses; CàncerCoronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Complicaciones infecciosas; CáncerCoronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Infectious complications; CancerBackground We aimed to describe the epidemiology, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of co-infections and superinfections in onco-hematological patients with COVID-19. Methods International, multicentre cohort study of cancer patients with COVID-19. All patients were included in the analysis of co-infections at diagnosis, while only patients admitted at least 48 h were included in the analysis of superinfections. Results 684 patients were included (384 with solid tumors and 300 with hematological malignancies). Co-infections and superinfections were documented in 7.8% (54/684) and 19.1% (113/590) of patients, respectively. Lower respiratory tract infections were the most frequent infectious complications, most often caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Only seven patients developed opportunistic infections. Compared to patients without infectious complications, those with infections had worse outcomes, with high rates of acute respiratory distress syndrome, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and case-fatality rates. Neutropenia, ICU admission and high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) were independent risk factors for infections. Conclusions Infectious complications in cancer patients with COVID-19 were lower than expected, affecting mainly neutropenic patients with high levels of CRP and/or ICU admission. The rate of opportunistic infections was unexpectedly low. The use of empiric antimicrobials in cancer patients with COVID-19 needs to be optimized.This study was supported by the Spanish Plan Nacional de IDi 2013-2016, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, and the Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI grant: RD16/0016/0001). It was also co-financed by the European Development Regional Fund ‘A Way to Make Europe’, Operational Programme Smart Growth 2014-2020

Papel de los estudios comportamentales en Ecología

Editorial del número monográfico de Ecosistemas sobre Papel de los estudios comportamentales en EcologíaPeer reviewe

Observational study of lipid profile and LDL particle size in patients with metabolic syndrome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype is characterized by an increase in plasma triglycerides, a decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), and the prevalence of small, dense-low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc) particles. The aim of this study was to establish the importance of LDL particle size measurement by gender in a group of patients with Metabolic Syndrome (MS) attending at a Cardiovascular Risk Unit in Primary Care and their classification into phenotypes.</p> <p>Subjects and methods</p> <p>One hundred eighty-five patients (93 men and 92 women) from several areas in the South of Spain, for a period of one year in a health centre were studied. Laboratory parameters included plasma lipids, lipoproteins, low-density lipoprotein size and several atherogenic rates were determinated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found differences by gender between anthropometric parameters, blood pressure and glucose measures by MS status. Lipid profile was different in our two study groups, and gender differences in these parameters within each group were also remarkable, in HDLc and Apo A-I values. According to LDL particle size, we found males had smaller size than females, and patients with MS had also smaller than those without MS. We observed inverse relationship between LDL particle size and triglycerides in patients with and without MS, and the same relationship between all atherogenic rates in non-MS patients. When we considered our population in two classes of phenotypes, lipid profile was worse in phenotype B.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In conclusion, we consider worthy the measurement of LDL particle size due to its relationship with lipid profile and cardiovascular risk.</p