La Convención de la UNESCO sobre la Protección del Patrimonio Subacuático. Principios Generales

Resumen: Este artículo analiza los principios generales sobre los que se asienta la Convención de la UNESCO sobre la Protección del Patrimonio Cultural Subacuático, que se encuentran recogidos en su art. 2. Comenzando por la definición de patrimonio cultural subacuático, contempla las áreas de protección, los mecanismos de protección utilizados y la cooperación. Asimismo, hace hincapié en otros principios clave como la categorización del patrimonio cultural subacuático como patrimonio común de la humanidad y su conservación in situ, la soberanía de los Estados sobre sus aeronaves  y la no explotación comercial de los bienes recuperados. Palabras clave: Convención de la UNESCO, patrimonio cultural subacuático, conservación in situ, patrimonio común de la humanidad, aeronaves de Estado, no explotación comercial.   Abstract: This article analyses the general principles in which the Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage is based, mentioned in its art. 2. Beginning with the definition of Underwater cultural heritage, talks about the protection zones, the means of protection applied nowadays and the needed cooperation and participation of the States. It also focuses on other UNESCO Convention’s key principles like: declaration of underwater cultural heritage as common heritage of mankind and its in situ conservation, State’s rights with respect to its State vessels and aircraft, and non commercial exploitation of the underwater cultural heritage. Key words: UNESCO Convention, underwater cultural heritage, in situ conservation, common heritage of mankind, state vessels, non-commercial exploitation

Incorporación de la Convención de la UNESCO de 1970 al ordenamiento jurídico de EE.UU. La Cultural Property Implementation Act

Este artículo profundiza en el proceso de incorporación de la Convención de la UNESCO de 1970 al ordenamiento jurídico de EE.UU. Comienza describiendo el papel del Gobierno estadounidense en las conversaciones que se estaban celebrando en París para redactar la Convención. Compila y describe los avances que se produjeron en cada una de las propuestas de ley que se presentaron en el Congreso de EE.UU. para incorporar la misma. Así como los factores que condujeron a sus sucesivos fracasos hasta que en 1982 se aprobaba la CCPIA. El tema se trata tanto desde una perspectiva histórica como desde un punto de vista estadístico, analizando con detalle las características, peculiaridades, posicionamiento y representatividad de los grupos que participaron activamente en el proceso de redacción de la Ley.This article focuses on the process of the incorporation of the 1970 UNESCO Convention to the U.S. Legal System. It starts describing the role of the U.S. Government during the meetings taken place in Paris to negotiate the terms and clauses of the Convention. It compiles and describes the bills of law introduced in the U.S. Congress to incorporate the Convention. It also talks about the factors that made them failed until 1982 when the CCPIA was approved. The issue is approached from an historical an also statistical perspective, analyzing in depth the characteristics, points of view and weight of the lobbies that actively participated in the implementation process

La protección de bienes culturales robados e ilícitamente exportados a ee .uu . Incorporación del Artículo 7 de la Convención de la Unesco de 1970 al Ordenamiento Jurídico Estadounidense

En 1983 se aprobaba en EE.UU. la Cultural Property Implementation Act, la ley que incorpora la Convención de la UNESCO de 1970 al ordenamiento jurídico estadounidense. Este artículo analiza pormenorizadamente la forma en la que el art.7 de la Convención fue incorporado, partiendo de la definición de bien cultural y finalizando con los requisitos de obligado cumplimiento que establece dicha ley para lograr la protección de los mismos, y que son desgranados mediante el examen de casos de robo ocurridos en los últimos años. Las disposiciones de la CCPIA en materia de bienes culturales son comparadas con las de la Convención de 1970, poniendo de manifiesto las similitudes y sobre todo las diferencias entre ambos instrumentos. Palabras clave: tráfico ilícito de bienes culturales, protección internacional bienes culturales robados, CCPIA, Convención UNESCO 1970. Abstract: In 1983 was enacted in U.S. the Cultural Property Implementation Act, the law that incorporates 1970 UNESCO Convention to the United States Legal System. This article focuses on the way that article 7 of the Convention was incorporated, starting with the definition of Cultural Property and finalizing with the mandatory requirements established by this Law to get its protection, that are detailed here, using examples of real cases. CCPIA’s Cultural Property provisions are compared with those included in the Convention, trying to identify the similarity and differences between both instruments. Key words: Illicit Trade of Cultural Property, International Protection of Stolen Cultural Property, CCPIA, 1970 UNESCO Convention

Comparing univariate and multivariate models to forecast portfolio Value-at-Risk

This article compares multivariate and univariate Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) models to forecast portfolio value-at-risk (VaR). We provide a comprehensive look at the problem by considering realistic models and diversified portfolios containing a large number of assets, using both simulated and real data. Moreover, we rank the models by implementing statistical tests of comparative predictive ability. We conclude that multivariate models ou tperform their univariate counterparts on an out-of-sample basis. In particular, among the models considered in this article, the dynamic conditional correlation model with Student's t errors seems to be the most appropriate specification when implemented to estimate the VaR of the real portfolios analyzedA. A. P. S. acknowledges financial support from research Projects CNPq Universal 481719/2011-3 and UFSC-Funpesquisa 2010/2011 from the Brazilian Government. F. J. N. is supported by the Spanish Government through Project MTM2010-16519. E. R. is supported by the Spanish Government ECO2009-0810

Water Masses and Circulation in the Tropical Pacific off Central Mexico and Surrounding Areas

13 páginas, 8 figuras, 2 tablasThe seasonal variations and the interactions of the water masses in the tropical Pacific off central Mexico (TPCM) and four surrounding areas were examined based on an extensive new hydrographic database. The regional water masses were redefined in terms of absolute salinity (SA) and conservative temperature (Θ) according to the Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010 (TEOS-10). Hydrographic data and the evaporation minus (precipitation + runoff) balance were used to investigate the origin and seasonality of two salinity minima in the area. The shallow (50–100 m) salinity minimum originates with the California Current System and becomes saltier as it extends southeastward and mixes with tropical subsurface waters while the surface salinity minimum extends farther north in the TPCM in summer and fall because of the northward advection of tropical surface waters. The interactions between water masses allow a characterization of the seasonal pattern of circulation of the Mexican Coastal Current (MCC), the tropical branch of the California Current, and the flows through the entrance of the Gulf of California. The seasonality of the MCC inferred from the distribution of the water masses largely coincides with the geostrophic circulation forced by an annual Rossby waveThis is a product of the project CONACyT (SEP2011–168034-T), with collaboration from the following sources: CONACyT Projects 168034-T, T-9201, 4271P-T, 38797-T, 26653-T, 1076-T9201, 4271PT9601, C01–25343; 38834-T, C02-44870F,G34601-S, and 103898; Naval Postgraduate School; NOC-US; NOAA (GC04– 219); and the regular UABC budget through Projects 4009, 4015, 0324, 0333, and 0352. Funding came from CONACyT, México through the Grant 1329234 for the Ph.D. studies of Esther PortelaPeer reviewe

Cytogenomics Unveil Possible Transposable Elements Driving Rearrangements in Chromosomes 2 and 4 of Solea senegalensis

Cytogenomics, the integration of cytogenetic and genomic data, has been used here to reconstruct the evolution of chromosomes 2 and 4 of Solea senegalensis. S. senegalensis is a flat fish with a karyotype comprising 2n = 42 chromosomes: 6 metacentric + 4 submetacentric + 8 subtelocentric + 24 telocentric. The Fluorescence in situ Hybridization with Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes (FISH-BAC) technique was applied to locate BACs in these chromosomes (11 and 10 BACs in chromosomes 2 and 4, respectively) and to generate integrated maps. Synteny analysis, taking eight reference fish species (Cynoglossus semilaevis, Scophthalmus maximus, Sparus aurata, Gasterosteus aculeatus, Xiphophorus maculatus, Oryzias latipes, Danio rerio, and Lepisosteus oculatus) for comparison, showed that the BACs of these two chromosomes of S. senegalensis were mainly distributed in two principal chromosomes in the reference species. Transposable Elements (TE) analysis showed significant differences between the two chromosomes, in terms of number of loci per Mb and coverage, and the class of TE (I or II) present. Analysis of TE divergence in chromosomes 2 and 4 compared to their syntenic regions in four reference fish species (C. semilaevis, S. maximus, O. latipes, and D. rerio) revealed differences in their age of activity compared with those species but less notable differences between the two chromosomes. Differences were also observed in peaks of divergence and coverage of TE families for all reference species even in those close to S. senegalensis, like S. maximus and C. semilaevis. Considered together, chromosomes 2 and 4 have evolved by Robertsonian fusions, pericentric inversions, and other chromosomal rearrangements mediated by TEs

A Comprehensive Integrated Genetic Map of the Complete Karyotype of Solea senegalensis (Kaup 1858)

Solea senegalensis aquaculture production has experienced a great increase in the last decade and, consequently, the genome knowledge of the species is gaining attention. In this sense, obtaining a high-density genome mapping of the species could offer clues to the aquaculture improvement in those aspects not resolved so far. In the present article, a review and new processed data have allowed to obtain a high-density BAC-based cytogenetic map of S. senegalensis beside the analysis of the sequences of such BAC clones to achieve integrative data. A total of 93 BAC clones were used to localize the chromosome complement of the species and 588 genes were annotated, thus almost reaching the 2.5% of the S. senegalensis genome sequences. As a result, important data about its genome organization and evolution were obtained, such as the lesser gene density of the large metacentric pair compared with the other metacentric chromosomes, which supports the theory of a sex proto-chromosome pair. In addition, chromosomes with a high number of linked genes that are conserved, even in distant species, were detected. This kind of result widens the knowledge of this species' chromosome dynamics and evolution

First description of in situ chlorophyll fluorescence signal within East Antarctic coastal polynyas during fall and winter

Antarctic coastal polynyas are persistent and recurrent regions of open water located between the coast and the drifting pack-ice. In spring, they are the first polar areas to be exposed to light, leading to the development of phytoplankton blooms, making polynyas potential ecological hotspots in sea-ice regions. Knowledge on polynya oceanography and ecology during winter is limited due to their inaccessibility. This study describes i) the first in situ chlorophyll fluorescence signal (a proxy for chlorophyll-a concentration and thus presence of phytoplankton) in polynyas between the end of summer and winter, ii) assesses whether the signal persists through time and iii) identifies its main oceanographic drivers. The dataset comprises 698 profiles of fluorescence, temperature and salinity recorded by southern elephant seals in 2011, 2019-2021 in the Cape-Darnley (CDP;67˚S-69˚E) and Shackleton (SP;66˚S-95˚E) polynyas between February and September. A significant fluorescence signal was observed until April in both polynyas. An additional signal occurring at 130m depth in August within CDP may result from in situ growth of phytoplankton due to potential adaptation to low irradiance or remnant chlorophyll-a that was advected into the polynya. The decrease and deepening of the fluorescence signal from February to August was accompanied by the deepening of the mixed layer depth and a cooling and salinification of the water column in both polynyas. Using Principal Component Analysis as an exploratory tool, we highlighted previously unsuspected drivers of the fluorescence signal within polynyas. CDP shows clear differences in biological and environmental conditions depending on topographic features with higher fluorescence in warmer and saltier waters on the shelf compared with the continental slope. In SP, near the ice-shelf, a significant fluorescence signal in April below the mixed layer (around 130m depth), was associated with fresher and warmer waters. We hypothesize that this signal could result from potential ice-shelf melting from warm water intrusions onto the shelf leading to iron supply necessary to fuel phytoplankton growth. This study supports that Antarctic coastal polynyas may have a key role for polar ecosystems as biologically active areas throughout the season within the sea-ice region despite inter and intra-polynya differences in environmental conditions

Current Development of Alternative Treatments for Endothelial Decompensation: Cell-Based Therapy

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG[Abstract] Current treatment for corneal endothelial dysfunction consists in the replacement of corneal endothelium by keratoplasty. Owing to the scarcity of donor corneas and the increasing number of transplants, alternative treatments such as cell-based therapies are necessary. In this article, we highlight the biological aspects of the cornea and the corneal endothelium, as well as the context that surrounds the need for new alternatives to conventional keratoplasty. We then review some of those experimental treatments in more detail, focusing on the development of the in vitro and preclinical phases of two cell-based therapies: tissue-engineered endothelial keratoplasty (TE-EK) and cell injection. In the case of TE-EK graft construction, we analyse the current progress, considering all the requirements it must meet in order to be functional. Moreover, we discuss the inherent drawbacks of endothelial keratoplasties, which TE-EK grafts should overcome in order to make surgical intervention easier and to improve the outcomes of current endothelial keratoplasties. Finally, we analyse the development of preclinical trials and their limitations in terms of performing an optimal functional evaluation of cell-based therapy, and we conclude by discussing early clinical trials in humans.Xunta de Galicia; R2016/036Xunta de Galicia; ED431B 2020/55Xunta de Galicia; ED481B 2017/029Xunta de Galicia; ED481A-2019/206Xunta de Galicia; ED481A-2017/280This work was carried out thanks to funding from the Rede Galega de Terapia Celular 2016 (R2016/036) and Grupos con Potencial de Crecemento 2020 (ED431B 2020/55) both from Xunta de Galicia. This work was supported by one postdoctoral and two predoctoral fellowships from the Xunta de Galicia and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) [grant numbers ED481B 2017/029, ED481A-2019/206, and ED481A-2017/280, respectively], as well as by two predoctoral fellowships for research stays from INDITEX-University of A Coruña-2019

Integration of Maps Enables a Cytogenomics Analysis of the Complete Karyotype in Solea senegalensis

The Pleuronectiformes order, which includes several commercially-important species, has undergone extensive chromosome evolution. One of these species is Solea senegalensis, a flatfish with 2n = 42 chromosomes. In this study, a cytogenomics approach and integration with previous maps was applied to characterize the karyotype of the species. Synteny analysis of S. senegalensis was carried out using two flatfish as a reference: Cynoglossus semilaevis and Scophthalmus maximus. Most S. senegalensis chromosomes (or chromosome arms for metacentrics and submetacentrics) showed a one-to-one macrosyntenic pattern with the other two species. In addition, we studied how repetitive sequences could have played a role in the evolution of S. senegalensis bi-armed (3, and 5-9) and acrocentric (11, 12 and 16) chromosomes, which showed the highest rearrangements compared with the reference species. A higher abundance of TEs (Transposable Elements) and other repeated elements was observed adjacent to telomeric regions on chromosomes 3, 7, 9 and 16. However, on chromosome 11, a greater abundance of DNA transposons was detected in interstitial BACs. This chromosome is syntenic with several chromosomes of the other two flatfish species, suggesting rearrangements during its evolution. A similar situation was also found on chromosome 16 (for microsatellites and low complexity sequences), but not for TEs (retroelements and DNA transposons). These differences in the distribution and abundance of repetitive elements in chromosomes that have undergone remodeling processes during the course of evolution also suggest a possible role for simple repeat sequences in rearranged regions