Palaeoecological data indicates land-use changes across Europe linked to spatial heterogeneity in mortality during the Black Death pandemic

The Black Death (1347–1352 CE) is the most renowned pandemic in human history, believed by many to have killed half of Europe’s population. However, despite advances in ancient DNA research that conclusively identified the pandemic’s causative agent (bacterium Yersinia pestis), our knowledge of the Black Death remains limited, based primarily on qualitative remarks in medieval written sources available for some areas of Western Europe. Here, we remedy this situation by applying a pioneering new approach, ‘big data palaeoecology’, which, starting from palynological data, evaluates the scale of the Black Death’s mortality on a regional scale across Europe. We collected pollen data on landscape change from 261 radiocarbon-dated coring sites (lakes and wetlands) located across 19 modern-day European countries. We used two independent methods of analysis to evaluate whether the changes we see in the landscape at the time of the Black Death agree with the hypothesis that a large portion of the population, upwards of half, died within a few years in the 21 historical regions we studied. While we can confirm that the Black Death had a devastating impact in some regions, we found that it had negligible or no impact in others. These inter-regional differences in the Black Death’s mortality across Europe demonstrate the significance of cultural, ecological, economic, societal and climatic factors that mediated the dissemination and impact of the disease. The complex interplay of these factors, along with the historical ecology of plague, should be a focus of future research on historical pandemics

Survivorship rates of adult Anolis mariarum (Squamata: Polychrotidae) in two populations with differing mean and asymptotic body sizes

We compared adult survivorships in two populations of the lizard Anolis mariarum with different mean and asymptotic body sizes to examine one prediction of age-specific mortality theory; that populations that experience higher adult mortality should exhibit earlier maturation and smaller adult body sizes. We used a maximum likelihood approach to evaluate different survivorship models and model-averaging to estimate survivorship and capture probabilities for each site and sex. Relative tail length did not affect survivorship rates of adults in these two populations, but body size was related to survivorship, with the largest individuals at the time of first capture having lower survivorship rates, so body size was included as a covariate in some of the models examined. Analyses revealed that males at both sites had higher survivorships than females, but there were no differences among the sites in survivorship rates or capture probabilities for either sex. The differences in body sizes documented for these sites still could represent life history adaptations to differences among the sites in mortality rates in the egg or juvenile stages of the life cycle, or may represent a case of phenotypic plasticity to differing environmental conditions, but they appear not to be related to differences in adult survivorships. The estimates of annual survivorships (11.7% to 21.2%) were high for a small, mainland Anolis, and this is the first report of survivorships of male anoles exceeding those of females.<br>Comparamos las sobrevivencias de los adultos en dos poblaciones de la lagartija Anolis mariarum con distintos promedio y asíntotas de sus tamaños corporales, para examinar una predicción de la teoría de mortalidad específica de edad; que las poblaciones que experimentan mayor mortalidad de los adultos deben exhibir maduración sexual más temprana y menores tamaños corporales en los adultos. Utilizamos la técnica de máxima verosimilitud para evaluar diferentes modelos de sobrevivencia y una técnica de modelopromediado para estimar sobrevivencia y probabilidades de recaptura para cada sexo y sitio. La longitud relativa de la cola no afectó las tasas de sobrevivencia de los adultos en estas poblaciones, pero el tamaño corporal estuvo relacionado con la sobrevivencia, siendo los individuos más grandes en el momento de la primera captura los que presentaron las tasas de sobrevivencia más bajas; por lo tanto, el tamaño corporal fue incluido como una covariable en algunos de los modelos examinados. Los análisis revelaron que los machos de ambos sitios presentan mayores sobrevivencias que las hembras, pero no encontramos diferencias entre los sitios entre las tasas de sobrevivencia o las probabilidades de captura para cada sexo. Aún así, las diferencias documentadas en los tamaños corporales entre estos sitios pueden representar adaptaciones en las historias de vida ante diferentes tasas de mortalidad en las clases de edad tempranas como huevos o juveniles en cada sitio, o por otra parte puede representar un caso de plasticidad fenotípica ante diferentes condiciones ambientales, las cuales no parecen estar relacionadas con diferencias en las sobrevivencias de los adultos. Los estimativos de sobrevivencia anual (11.7% a 21.2%) fueron altos para este Anolis continental de pequeño tamaño. Este es el primer reporte para el género en que la sobrevivencia de los machos excede a la de las hembras

Efecto de aceites esenciales de lavanda y laurel sobre el \uc1caro Varroa destructor Anderson &amp; Truemann (Acari:Varroidae)

The varroasis is considered the most serious parasitic disease of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.); it is produced by the mite Varroa destructor Anderson &amp; Truemann. A large number of products have been tested for the control of this parasitic disease. Currently, resistant races, problems of contamination of honey and other products of the hive have been generated by the indiscriminate and reiterated use of some products against this mite. The current tendency for its control is the utilization of natural products as part of an integrated control strategy. This investigation had the objective of evaluating the effects of essential oils, extracted from lavender (Lavandula officinalis Chaix) and laurel (Laurelia sempervirens Ruiz et Pav. Tul.) on V. destructor. The experimental unit, consisted of a cage with 15 bees, each affected by one mite. Four treatments were employed: essential oil of lavender (30%), essential oil of laurel (30%), pure acetone, and the control that received distillated water. Products were applied in the cage, in a climatic chamber, with similar conditions to the hive. The period of evaluation lasted 24 h, at intervals of 1, 3, 5, 8, 14 and 24 h. Both essential oils removed 100% of the mites, however, the percentage of mortality of the mite was low, 41.67 and 35% for lavender oil and laurel oil, respectively.La varroasis es considerada la m\ue1s seria enfermedad parasitaria de las abejas (Apis mellifera L.) y es provocada por el \ue1caro Varroa destructor Anderson &amp; Truemann. Una gran cantidad de productos han sido probados para el control de esta enfermedad parasitaria. Actualmente se han generado razas resistentes, problemas de contaminaci\uf3n de la miel y de otros productos de la colmena, debido al uso indiscriminado y reiterado de algunos productos contra este \ue1caro. La tendencia actual es el uso de productos naturales como parte de una estrategia de control integrado. Esta investigaci\uf3n tuvo como objetivo evaluar los efectos de los aceites esenciales extra\ueddos de Lavandula officinalis Chaix y Laurelia sempervirens (Ruiz et Pav.) Tul. sobre el \ue1caro Varroa destructor. La unidad experimental consisti\uf3 en una jaula con 15 abejas, cada una parasitada con un \ue1caro. Se emplearon cuatro tratamientos: aceite esencial de lavanda (30%), aceite esencial de laurel (30%) acetona pura y un testigo, que recibi\uf3 agua destilada. Los productos se aplicaron en la jaula, en una c\ue1mara clim\ue1tica, con condiciones similares a la colmena. El periodo de evaluaci\uf3n se extendi\uf3 por 24 h, con intervalos de 1, 3, 5, 8, 14 y 24 h. Ambos aceites esenciales removieron el 100% de los \ue1caros, sin embargo, el porcentaje de mortalidad de los \ue1caros fue bajo, 41,67 y 35%, para aceite de lavanda y aceite de laurel, respectivamente

A recent pyroclastic density current (1963-64 AD?-1976 AD?) from the Copahue volcano (I): Field geological evidences and radiocarbon age

We describe a historical pyroclastic deposit attributed to a pyroclastic density current (PDC) in the NE, E and SE flanks from the Copahue volcano. The radiocarbon dating (F = 1.3678 \ub10.0075) enable to correlate this pyroclastic deposit with two possible eruption times 1963-64 AD and 1976 AD (1961 AD?). We consider its importance to assess the volcanic hazard of the Copahue volcano

EL N aCLEO CENTRAL DE LA AM\ucdGDALA DE LOS CET\uc1CEOS ODONTOCETOS: DESCRIPCI 3N MICROSC 3PICA DEL N aCLEO ENCEF\uc1LICO QUE PROCESA EL MIEDO Y LA ANSIEDAD

none8sinoneSacchini S.; Bombardi C.; Arbelo M.; Fernández A.; Sierra E.; Espinosa de los Monteros A.; Andrada M.; Herráez P.Sacchini S.; Bombardi C.; Arbelo M.; Fernández A.; Sierra E.; Espinosa de los Monteros A.; Andrada M.; Herráez P

ENDPOINTS AND DESIGN OF CLINICAL TRIALS IN PATIENTS WITH DECOMPENSATED CIRRHOSIS: POSITION PAPER OF THE LIVERHOPE CONSORTIUM

Management of decompensated cirrhosis is currently geared towards the treatment of complications once they occur. To date there is no established disease-modifying therapy aimed at halting progression of the disease and preventing the development of complications that can be used for patients with decompensated cirrhosis. The design of clinical trials to investigate new therapies for patients with decompensated cirrhosis is complex. The population of patients with decompensated cirrhosis is heterogeneous (i.e., different etiologies, comorbidities, severity of the disease), leading to the inclusion of diverse populations in clinical trials. In addition, primary endpoints selected for trials that include patients with decompensated cirrhosis are not homogeneous and at times may not be appropriate endpoints. This leads to difficulties in comparing of results obtained from different trials. Against this background, the LiverHope Consortium organized a meeting of experts with the goal of making recommendations for the design of clinical trials and defining appropriate endpoints both for trials aimed at modifying the natural history and preventing progression of decompensated cirrhosis and trials aimed at investigating new therapies for the management of each complication of cirrhosis