Mountain farmland protection and fire-smart management jointly reduce fire hazard and enhance biodiversity and carbon sequestration

The environmental and socio-economic impacts of wildfires are foreseen to increase across southern Europe over the next decades regardless of increasing resources allocated for fire suppression. This study aims to identify fire-smart management strategies that promote wildfire hazard reduction, climate regulation ecosystem service and biodiversity conservation. Here we simulate fire-landscape dynamics, carbon sequestration and species distribution (116 vertebrates) in the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Gerês-Xurés (NW Iberia). We envisage 11 scenarios resulting from different management strategies following four storylines: Business-as-usual (BAU), expansion of High Nature Value farmlands (HNVf), Fire-Smart forest management, and HNVf plus Fire-Smart. Fire-landscape simulations reveal an increase of up to 25% of annual burned area. HNVf areas may counterbalance this increasing fire impact, especially when combined with fire-smart strategies (reductions of up to 50% between 2031 and 2050). The Fire-Smart and BAU scenarios attain the highest estimates for total carbon sequestered. A decrease in habitat suitability (around 18%) since 1990 is predicted for species of conservation concern under the BAU scenario, while HNVf would support the best outcomes in terms of conservation. Our study highlights the benefits of integrating fire hazard control, ecosystem service supply and biodiversity conservation to inform better decision-making in mountain landscapes of Southern Europe.This research work was funded by national funds through the FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., under the FirESmart project (PCIF/MOG/0083/2017) and the project INMODES (CGL2017- 89999-C2-2-R) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. A.R. was funded by the Xunta de Galicia (postdoctoral fellowship ED481B2016/084-0) and IACOBUS program (INTERREG VA España – Portugal, POCTEP 2014-2020). J.D. and A.R. thanks the support of Xunta de Galicia ED431B 2018/36. Â. Sil received support from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through Ph.D. Grant SFRH/BD/132838/2017, funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, and by the European Social Fund - Operational Program Human Capital within the 2014- 2020 EU Strategic Framework. FM-F has a contract from FCT (ref. DL57/2016/CP1440/CT0010). We thank to Adrián Lamosa Torres, Xosé Pardavila and Alberto Gil for their help during fieldwork in Xurés and Rafael Vázquez for providing additional data for amphibians and reptiles.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Using fire to enhance rewilding when agricultural policies fail

Rewilding has been proposed as an opportunity for biodiversity conservation in abandoned landscapes. However, rewilding is challenged by the increasing fire risk associated with more flammable landscapes, and the loss of open-habitat specialist species. Contrastingly, supporting High Nature Value farmlands (HNVf) has been also highlighted as a valuable option, but the effective implementation of agricultural policies often fails leading to uncertain scenarios wherein the effects of wildfire management remain largely unexplored. Herein, we simulated fire-landscape dynamics to evaluate howfire suppression scenarios affect fire regime and biodiversity (102 species of vertebrates) under rewilding and HNVf policies in the future (2050), in a transnational biosphere reserve (Gerês-Xurés Mountains, Portugal-Spain). Rewilding and HNVf scenarios were modulated by three different levels of fire suppression effectiveness. Then, we quantified scenario effects on fire regime (burned and suppressed areas) and biodiversity (habitat suitability change for 2050). Simulations confirm HNVf as a longterm opportunity for fire suppression (up to 30,000 ha of additional suppressed areas between 2031 and 2050 in comparison to rewilding scenario) and for conservation (benefiting around 60% of species). Rewilding benefits some species (20%), including critically endangered, vulnerable and endemic taxa, while several species (33%) also profit from open habitats created by fire. Although HNVf remains the best scenario, rewilding reinforced by low fire suppression management may provide a nature-based solution when societal support through agricultural policies failsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Heterozygous Variants in KMT2E Cause a Spectrum of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Epilepsy.

We delineate a KMT2E-related neurodevelopmental disorder on the basis of 38 individuals in 36 families. This study includes 31 distinct heterozygous variants in KMT2E (28 ascertained from Matchmaker Exchange and three previously reported), and four individuals with chromosome 7q22.2-22.23 microdeletions encompassing KMT2E (one previously reported). Almost all variants occurred de novo, and most were truncating. Most affected individuals with protein-truncating variants presented with mild intellectual disability. One-quarter of individuals met criteria for autism. Additional common features include macrocephaly, hypotonia, functional gastrointestinal abnormalities, and a subtle facial gestalt. Epilepsy was present in about one-fifth of individuals with truncating variants and was responsive to treatment with anti-epileptic medications in almost all. More than 70% of the individuals were male, and expressivity was variable by sex; epilepsy was more common in females and autism more common in males. The four individuals with microdeletions encompassing KMT2E generally presented similarly to those with truncating variants, but the degree of developmental delay was greater. The group of four individuals with missense variants in KMT2E presented with the most severe developmental delays. Epilepsy was present in all individuals with missense variants, often manifesting as treatment-resistant infantile epileptic encephalopathy. Microcephaly was also common in this group. Haploinsufficiency versus gain-of-function or dominant-negative effects specific to these missense variants in KMT2E might explain this divergence in phenotype, but requires independent validation. Disruptive variants in KMT2E are an under-recognized cause of neurodevelopmental abnormalities

Propuesta de matadero modelo y salubre en la ciudad de Ferreñafe

Teniendo como objetivo elaborar la propuesta de matadero modelo y salubre en la ciudad de Ferreñafe, se ha obtenido el diseño técnico y sanitario de lo que podría convertirse en el mejor matadero del norte del Perú. En la animación presentada se observa claramente el buen manejo del animal desde su encierro inicial, pasando por su insensibilización (aturdimiento), continuando con todo el proceso sanitario hasta la entrega de la canal a sus respectivos propietarios. La disposición fmal de los derechos sólidos y de las aguas residuales, están sujetas a técnicas sanitarias actualizadas, lo que evita un riesgo innecesario de contaminación ambiental por lo que se garantiza la inocuidad del producto fmal y la no presentación de contaminantes limitantes de la salud de la comunidad

Botrytis cinerea laccase abolishes resveratrol toxicity and reduces Grape PR proteins solubility

Some grape proteins are structurally and functionally related to plant pathogenesis-related proteins. When challenging mature grape berries, Botrytis cinerea encounters these PR proteins as well the stilbenic phytoalexin trans-resveratrol and other grape polyphenols. To mimic these conditions, Botrytis cinerea was grown in vitro with proteins and polyphenols extracted from mature grapes and with trans-resveratrol. Results showed that in the presence of highly toxic amounts of trans-resverattol, grape polyphenols and proteins allowed total and partial recovery of fungal growth, respectively. These resveratrol-polyphenol or resveratrol-protein combinations also induced a strong release into the medium of laccase activity, which is likely to be involved in the trans-resveratrol detoxification process. Most grape proteins quickly disappeared from the culture when polyphenols and trans-resveratrol were supplied together and similar protein patterns were obtained in vitro by incubating grape proteins with grape polyphenols and/or trans-resveratrol with a purified B. cinerea laccase. Under these conditions, most protein became insoluble. The grape protein pattern obtained from grape berries infected by B. cinerea strongly resembled that obtained in vitro by incubating the grape proteins and polyphenols with the fungal laccase. It seems that B. cinerea, in the presence of the berry polyphenols and through laccase activity, easily neutralizes the toxicity of grape stilbenic phytoalexins and makes the grape pathogenesis-related proteins insoluble. Whether changes of grape proteins solubility affect the expression of proteinase genes and the proteolytic activity of B. cinerea is currently under investigation

The role of grape polyphenols on trans-resveratrol activity against Botrytis cinerea and of fungal laccase on the solubility of putative grape PR proteins

The necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea is the causal agent of grey mould disease on grapevine. In contact with mature grape berries, the fungus encounters an environment particularly rich in polyphenols and proteins, where the stilbenic phytoalexin trans-resveratrol may accumulate. Some grape proteins are structurally and functionally related to plant pathogenesis-related proteins. To mimic conditions similar to those found in grape berries, B. cinerea was grown in vitro with proteins and polyphenols extracted from mature grapes, and with trans-resveratrol. Results showed that in the presence of highly toxic amounts of trans-resveratrol, grape polyphenols allowed total recovery of fungal growth, and proteins allowed partial recovery. These resveratrol-polyphenol or resveratrol-protein combinations also induced a strong release into the medium of laccase activity, which is likely to be involved in transresveratrol detoxification. The protein pattern changed during fungal growth; most grape proteins quickly disappeared from the culture when polyphenols and transresveratrol were present together. Similar protein patterns were obtained in vitro by incubating grape proteins with grape polyphenols and/or trans-resveratrol with a purified B. cinerea laccase. Under these conditions, most proteins became insoluble. The grape protein pattern obtained from grape berries infected by B. cinerea strongly resembled that obtained in vitro by incubating grape proteins and polyphenols with fungal laccase. It seems that B. cinerea, through laccase secretion and activity and by exploiting the berry polyphenols, easily neutralizes the toxicity of grape stilbenic phytoalexins and makes the grape pathogenesis-related proteins insoluble

Proporciones Visuales-DI188-201801

Descripción: Proporciones Visuales es un curso que se sustenta en las distintas formas de creación artística y su estrecha relación con los procesos creativos. En el curso se dan a conocer los lineamientos básicos para la identificación interpretación y apreciación de distintas manifestaciones artísticas a partir de ejercicios de observación y exploración creativa. Es un curso general en la carrera de Diseño Profesional de Interiores de carácter teórico-práctico dirigido a los alumnos de primer ciclo.Propósito: El curso tiene como propósito desarrollar la competencia de Diseño Comercial a nivel inicial. En este contexto el aporte de las artes y la cultura como fuentes de inspiración referenciales y experiencias se vuelven fundamentales en el proceso de diseño. Se busca que el estudiante aprenda a observar con actitud estética desarrolle la sensibilidad y la reflexión sobre el mundo que lo rodea y sea capaz de crear imágenes conceptos u objetos aplicables a diferentes temáticas comerciales

Construcción Y Prototipo Final-DI165-201802

Descripción: El curso Construcción y Prototipo Final brinda herramientas de teoria crítica y producción de la comunicación visual. El curso busca que el alumno entienda las complejidad e importancia de la información visual para que a partir de ésta el alumno construya su identidad como diseñador. Así se forma como un profesional que observa e identifica las posibilidades en su entorno y que además sabe comunicar su propuesta a través de la construcción de imagenes.Propósito: El propósito del curso es que el estudiante investigue reflexione critique y especule a partir de la información visual; para que finalmente entienda la importancia de la comunicación visual en el ámbito del diseño interior. Finalmente el estudiante construye y propone una identidad visual propia