Effectiveness of predator satiation in masting oaks is negatively affected by conspecific density

La variación en la disponibilidad de las semillas da forma a las comunidades de plantas, y se ve fuertemente afectada por la depredación de las semillas. En algunas especies de plantas, la variación temporal en la producción de semillas es especialmente alta y está sincronizada en grandes áreas, lo que se denomina "siembra en mástil". Una ventaja selectiva de este fenómeno es la saciedad de los depredadores, que supone que la siembra en mástil ayuda a las plantas a escapar de la depredación de las semillas mediante la inanición de los depredadores en los años de escasez y la saciedad en los años de mástil. Sin embargo, aunque se puede predecir que la depredación de la semilla tiene un fuerte componente espacial y depende de las densidades de las plantas, apenas se ha investigado si la eficacia de la saciedad de los depredadores en las plantas de mastelero cambia según el efecto Janzen-Connell. Estudiamos, durante un período de 8 años, la producción de semillas, los patrones espacio-temporales de depredación de semillas de gorgojos y la abundancia de gorgojos adultos en una población de encinas (Quercus ilex) que consiste en árboles intercalados en parches que cubren un continuo de densidad conespecífica. Los robles aislados sacian eficazmente a los depredadores, pero esto es superado por el aumento de la densidad de plantas conespecíficas. La falta de saciedad de los depredadores en los árboles que crecen en parches densos fue causada por la redistribución de los insectos entre las plantas que probablemente los atenuó contra la escasez de alimentos en los años de escasez, y cambió el tipo de respuesta funcional del gorgojo del tipo II en los árboles aislados al tipo III en los árboles que crecían en parches densos. Este estudio proporciona la primera evaluación empírica de la noción de que el apareamiento y la saciedad del depredador deberían ser más importantes en las poblaciones que empiezan a dominar sus comunidades, y es coherente con la observación de que el apareamiento es menos frecuente y menos intenso en bosques diversos.Variation in seed availability shapes plant communities, and is strongly affected by seed predation. In some plant species, temporal variation in seed production is especially high and synchronized over large areas, which is called ‘mast seeding’. One selective advantage of this phenomenon is predator satiation which posits that masting helps plants escape seed predation through starvation of predators in lean years, and satiation in mast years. However, even though seed predation can be predicted to have a strong spatial component and depend on plant densities, whether the effectiveness of predator satiation in masting plants changes according to the Janzen-Connell effect has been barely investigated. We studied, over an 8-year period, the seed production, the spatiotemporal patters of weevil seed predation, and the abundance of adult weevils in a holm oak (Quercus ilex) population that consists of trees interspersed at patches covering a continuum of conspecific density. Isolated oaks effectively satiate predators, but this is trumped by increasing conspecific plant density. Lack of predator satiation in trees growing in dense patches was caused by re-distribution of insects among plants that likely attenuated them against food shortage in lean years, and changed the type of weevil functional response from type II in isolated trees to type III in trees growing in dense patches. This study provides the first empirical evaluation of the notion that masting and predator satiation should be more important in populations that start to dominate their communities, and is consistent with the observation that masting is less frequent and less intense in diverse forests.• National Science Foundation (Polonia). Becas Preludio 2015/17/N/ NZ8/01565, y Etiuda no. 2015/16/T/NZ8/00018, para Michał Bogdziewicz • Foundation for Polish Science Start Scholarship. Ayuda para para Michał Bogdziewicz • Gobierno de Extremadura. Programa de Atracción de Talento Investigador. Ayuda TA13032, para Raúl Bonal Andrés • Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha/Fondo Social Europeo. Proyectos PII1C09-0256-9052 y PPII-2014-01-P • Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España y la Unión Europea Fondo de Desarrollo Regional. Proyecto AGL2014-54739-R (I+D+i) • Generalitat de Catalunya. Proyecto BEEMED (SGR913)peerReviewe

Evaluación y participación en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje

La red INTERUNIVERSITARIA PARA LA DIDÁCTICA EN TRABAJO SOCIAL (MODALIDAD I) acumula una experiencia como grupo, de tres cursos académicos, a lo largo de los cuales ha podido recoger una serie de datos sobre la incorporación de las competencias a las titulaciones de grado. En los objetivos formulados para el curso 2011-2012, se planteó por un lado, la explotación y comparación de los datos obtenidos en los cursos anteriores, así como la evaluación comparativa del instrumento para la coordinación y mejora de la calidad docente y por otro lado la difusión de los hallazgos que la red ha hecho. En la presente memoria se recoge la caracterización y principales resultados del estudio “Análisis de la integración de la evaluación por competencias en las titulaciones de grado adaptadas al EEES” (Res. EA2010-0199). El estudio desarrollado por la Red contó con la colaboración de profesores e investigadores de diez universidades españolas. El análisis de los resultados obtenidos a partir de la aplicación del M.E.C.U. (Modelo de Evaluación de la integración de la formación por Competencias en la Universidad, García-SanPedro, 2010) y de otros instrumentos se describe en esta memoria en Trabajo Social

Prospecciones arqueologicas geofisicas realizadas por el Museo Nacional de Arqueologia Subacuatica de 2007 a 2011

Las últimas prospecciones geofísicas realizadas por el Museo se han llevado a cabo en cola- boración con dos instituciones: la Fundación Aurora Trust y el Ministerio de Defensa. Se presentan las actuaciones acometidas y sus resultados. Así mismo se analiza la utilización de estas nuevas tecnologías en la documentación del patrimonio cultural en profundidad.peer-reviewe

Isotopic study of the influence of oxygen interaction and surface species over different catalysts on the soot removal mechanism

In order to improve the catalytic formulations for soot removal in after-treatment emission control technologies for gasoline and diesel engine vehicle, an isotopic study was approached using transitory labeled oxygen response method over model catalysts that allows the unraveling of soot oxidation mechanism. Ce-based materials promote oxygen exchange associated with the high population of lattice oxygen species (O2-) denoted as OI type. The incorporation of praseodymium produces a Pr3+ enrichment that decrease the energy for oxygen release and increase oxygen mobility through surface and subsurface oxygen centers (OII type) depending on the synthesis procedure. For PtBaK catalyst, OIII species are responsible for oxygen exchange. Gas-solid reaction between soot and gas phase molecular oxygen is responsible for direct uncatalyzed soot oxidation. For ceria containing catalysts, low-temperature soot removal takes place through the intervention of lattice atomic species and superoxide species. For DPNR model catalyst, PtBaK/Al2O3, the soot elimination occurs with the intervention of OIII type centers. In the presence NO, the assisted and cooperative mechanism due to NO2 and the intervention of the adsorbed nitrate species on the trimetallic catalyst enhances soot removal capacity.MCR acknowledges the postdoctoral fellowship obtained from the University of Malaga. MCR, CH, MAL and LJA want to thank the financial support of CTQ 2017-87909R project. MCR also want to thank the University of Alicante for the financial support for the internship (INV19-07). JCMM and AGG gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2018/076 project) and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (PID2019-105542RB-I00 project) and the UE-FEDER funding. JCMM also acknowledges Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for the financial support through a FPU grant (FPU17/00603)

NO Oxidation on Lanthanum-Doped Ceria Nanoparticles with Controlled Morphology

The present work aims to assess the impact of morphology and reducibility on lanthanum-doped ceria nanocatalysts with controlled morphology on the NO oxidation reaction. Specifically, samples were prepared using a hydrothermal method incorporating lanthanum at varying molar concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 15 mol.%) into ceria with a controlled morphology (nanocubes and nanorods). The structural, compositional, and redox characterization of these catalysts has been performed via scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (X-EDS), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), and oxygen storage capacity (OSC). NO oxidation catalytic tests were conducted, and the results were compared with estimated curves (obtained by considering the proportions of the corresponding components), which revealed the presence of a synergistic effect between lanthanum and ceria. The degree of enhancement was found to depend on both the morphology and the amount of lanthanum incorporated into CeO2. These findings may facilitate the optimization of features concerning ceria-based nanocatalysts for the removal of NOx emissions from exhaust gases.This research was funded by Generalitat Valenciana (CIPROM/2021/070 project), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation/Research Spanish Agency (PID2019-105542RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, PID2020-113006RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and PID2020-113809RB-C33 projects), and UE-FEDER funding

Gender Inequalities in Diagnostic Inertia around the Three Most Prevalent Cardiovascular Risk Studies: Protocol for a Population-Based Cohort Study

Evidence shows that objectives for detecting and controlling cardiovascular risk factors are not being effectively met, and moreover, outcomes differ between men and women. This study will assess the gender-related differences in diagnostic inertia around the three most prevalent cardiovascular risk factors: dyslipidemia, arterial hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, and to evaluate the consequences on cardiovascular disease incidence. This is an epidemiological and cohort study. Eligible patients will be adults who presented to public primary health care centers in a Spanish region from 2008 to 2011, with hypertension, dyslipidemia, or/and diabetes and without cardiovascular disease. Participants’ electronic health records will be used to collect the study variables in a window of six months from inclusion. Diagnostic inertia of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and/or diabetes is defined as the registry of abnormal diagnostic parameters—but no diagnosis—on the person’s health record. The cohort will be followed from the date of inclusion until the end of 2019. Outcomes will be cardiovascular events, defined as hospital admission due to ischemic cardiopathy, stroke, and death from any cause. The results of this study could inform actions to rectify the structure, organization and training of health care teams in order to correct the inequality

Influence of graphene oxide's characteristics on the fabrication and performance of crosslinked nanofiltration membranes

Graphene oxide (GO) is emerging as an excellent next generation material for water purification membranes. Its ability to be fabricated cost-effectively in large quantities and featured characteristics, such as hydrophilicity, makes it an equitable graphene alternative in respective nanometric applications, including nanofiltration. In this study, the influence of key properties of the GO sheets, such as lateral size, surface chemistry and colloid stability, on the successful fabrication and subsequent water purification performance of crosslinked nanofiltration membranes is analysed. GO water suspensions with nanosheets of different lateral sizes and distribution of oxygenated functional groups were prepared by controlling the sonication time (from 0 to 180 min) starting from commercial GO. The variation of the physicochemical characteristics of the resulting GO sheets was comprehensively studied by means of atomic force microscopy, UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, zeta potential measurements and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The morphology of the subsequently fabricated membranes was hereafter examined via scanning electron microscopy, while their nanofiltration performance was investigated against methylene blue solution. The influence of GO's physicochemical characteristics on membrane performance was apparent, with the average rejection values ranging from 59.8% to 98.4% at a changing lateral size and surface chemistry

Tailored Graphenic Structures Directly Grown on Titanium Oxide Boost the Interfacial Charge Transfer

The successful application of titanium oxide-graphene hybrids in the fields of photocatalysis, photovoltaics and photodetection strongly depends on the interfacial contact between both materials. The need to provide a good coupling between the enabling conductor and the photoactive phase prompted us to directly grow conducting graphenic structures on TiO2 crystals. We here report on the direct synthesis of tailored graphenic structures by using Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition that present a clean junction with the prototypical titanium oxide (110) surface. Chemical analysis of the interface indicates chemical bonding between both materials. Photocurrent measurements under UV light illumination manifest that the charge transfer across the interface is efficient. Moreover, the influence of the synthesis atmosphere, gas precursor (C2H2) and diluents (Ar, O2), on the interface and on the structure of the as-grown graphenic material is assessed. The inclusion of O2 promotes vertical growth of partially oxidized carbon nanodots/rods with controllable height and density. The deposition with Ar results in continuous graphenic films with low resistivity (6.8x10-6 ohm x m). The synthesis protocols developed here are suitable to produce tailored carbon-semiconductor structures on a variety of practical substrates as thin films, pillars or nanoparticles.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, original research pape

3D-imaging of Printed Nanostructured Networks using High-resolution FIB-SEM Nanotomography

Networks of solution-processed nanomaterials are important for multiple applications in electronics, sensing and energy storage/generation. While it is known that network morphology plays a dominant role in determining the physical properties of printed networks, it remains difficult to quantify network structure. Here, we utilise FIB-SEM nanotomography to characterise the morphology of nanostructured networks. Nanometer-resolution 3D-images were obtained from printed networks of graphene nanosheets of various sizes, as well as networks of WS2 nanosheets, silver nanosheets and silver nanowires. Important morphological characteristics, including network porosity, tortuosity, pore dimensions and nanosheet orientation were extracted and linked to network resistivity. By extending this technique to interrogate the structure and interfaces within vertical printed heterostacks, we demonstrate the potential of this technique for device characterisation and optimisation.Comment: 6 figure