Adaptive Divergence and Speciation across Depth in a Caribbean Candelabrum Coral

Since Darwin, biologists wonder how organisms cope with environmental variation, why there are so many species, and how species form. In my dissertation, I explore how species of long-lived, clonal reef organisms originate across depth gradients. In Chapter 2, I evaluate the strength of depth to isolate populations by comparing the genes and morphologies of pairs of depth-segregated populations of the candelabrum coral Eunicea flexuosa across the Caribbean. Eunicea flexuosa is a long-lived clonal cnidarian that associates with an alga of the genus Symbiodinium. Genetic analysis revealed two depth-segregated lineages, each genetically well-mixed across the Caribbean. Survivorship data, combined with estimates of selection coefficients based on transplant experiments, suggest that selection is strong enough to segregate these two lineages. Limited recruitment to reproductive age, even under weak annual selection advantage, is sufficient to generate habitat segregation because of the cumulative selection accrued during prolonged pre-reproductive growth. I then studied in detail the genetic diversity of Symbiodinium in each Shallow and Deep E. flexuosa lineage (Chapter 3). I sampled colonies of the two ecotypes across depths at three Caribbean locations. I find that each host lineage is associated with a unique Symbiodinium variant. This relationship between host and alga is maintained when host colonies are reciprocally transplanted. Even when the clades of both partners are present at intermediate depths, the specificity between host and algal lineages remained. I then test whether the Shallow/Deep adaptive divergence occurs in natural populations, by examining the frequencies of juvenile and adults. The habitat distributions of the two lineages are more distinct when inferred from adults than from juveniles. Selection coefficients from cohort data correlates with that from transplant experiments (Chapter 4). The two lineages form a narrow hybrid zone (100 m), with coincident clines of both the host coral and its algal symbiont. Effective dispersal estimates derived from the hybrid zone are small (20 m) for a broadcast spawner with a large dispersing potential (50 km). Ecological factors associated with depth act as filters generating strong barriers to gene flow despite extensive dispersal, altering morphologies, and contributing to the potential for speciation in the sea

Location-allocation problem for banking correspondent services : the colombian urban market case

Banking correspondents are a channel through which third parties operate on behalf of a bank, under a contract authorising the provision of some banking services. This model has been implemented extensively in developing countries, as a channel to increase financial inclusion by bringing financial products and services closer to marginalised populations. However, there is a lack of studies on the criteria employed by banks when selecting retailers to turn into banking correspondents (BC), in turn preventing the channel from offering a service portfolio adequate to the capacities of the retailers providing this kind of services, affecting the profitability and sustainability of the channel. The current research parted from the agency theory, which allowed to understand the relationship between the parties involved in the delivery of BC services, seeking to boost financial inclusion in Colombia through the development of the BC channel by solving the problem of location and portfolio allocation for retailers acting as banking correspondents in Colombian urban zones. It parted from the case of Bogota, where improvements were achieved in the selection of retailers and portfolio allocation, thus enhancing the relationship between agents, allowing banks to select banking correspondents and allocating them a particular service portfolio, while transaction volumes and channel profits are maximised. This was done through the development of a methodology comprising five stages, namely: (a) the development of a taxonomy on network integration models and financial services; (b) the development of a taxonomy on the strategies of small and medium retailers that could be selected as banking correspondents; (c) the validation of both taxonomies through cluster analyses; (d) validation of the resulting classifications through an ANOVA and a Kruskal-Wallis H test; and (e) the elaboration of a chance-constrained programming model that uses the elements built and validated in the formers stages. A classification of retailers was obtained from factors related to their operational and business strategies, as well as a classification of banking correspondents based on their service portfolios. It was also noted there is a significant relationship between the groups from both classifications, which led to the chance-constrained programming model being run on a sample of retailers in Bogotá, located at the borough of Suba. The model enabled to select those retailers best suited to become banking correspondents, determining the number of transactions according to their constraints in terms of retailer capabilities, banks and the environment, while estimating the expected income from these banking correspondent operationsTesi

Long prereproductive selection and divergence by depth in a caribbean candelabrum coral

Long-lived corals, the foundation of modern reefs, often follow ecological gradients, so that populations or sister species segregate by habitat. Adaptive divergence maintains sympatric congeners after secondary contact or may even generate species by natural selection in the face of gene flow. Such ecological divergence, initially between alternative phenotypes within populations, may be aided by immigrant inviability, especially when a long period separates larval dispersal and the onset of reproduction, during which selection can sort lineages to match different habitats. Here, we evaluate the strength of one ecological factor (depth) to isolate populations by comparing the genes and morphologies of pairs of depth-segregated populations of the candelabrum coral Eunicea flexuosa across the Caribbean. Eunicea is endemic to the Caribbean and all sister species co-occur. Eunicea flexuosa is widespread both geographically and across reef habitats. Our genetic analysis revealed two depth-segregated lineages. Field survivorship data, combined with estimates of selection coefficients based on transplant experiments, suggest that selection is strong enough to segregate these two lineages. Genetic exchange between the Shallow and Deep lineages occurred either immediately after divergence or the two have diverged with gene flow. Migration occurs asymmetrically from the Shallow to Deep lineage. Limited recruitment to reproductive age, even under weak annual selection advantage, is sufficient to generate habitat segregation because of the cumulative prolonged prereproductive selection. Ecological factors associated with depth can act as filters generating strong barriers to gene flow, altering morphologies, and contributing to the potential for speciation in the sea

Estudio constructivo, propuesta de rehabilitación y cambio de uso de la antigua leprosería de Barcelona Can Masdeu

Can Masdeu, antigua leprosería de Barcelona. Desde su origen hasta la actualidad, ha sufrido una serie de cambios provocados por las necesidades funcionales en cada momento. La información más antigua obtenida de esta masía consta del 1901, cuando fue abjudicada por subasta al Hospital de la Santa Cruz hasta el 1977 que finalmente cerró durante más de 25 años, mostrando en la actualidad un avanzado estado de degradación constructiva con el agotamiento de sus elementos estructurales y constructivos. En el 2001 fue ocupada y rehabilitada como vivienda y centro social. El proyecto se centra en la masía de Can Masdeu, conocida como la antigua leproseria del Hospital de Sant Pau, ubicada en uno de los valles no urbanizados del Parque de Collserola, en Barcelona. Por estos motivos el edificio presenta cierta dificultad a la hora de estudiarlo, las ampliaciones y pequeñas intervenciones que se han ido realizando a lo largo de todos estos años nos han creado muchos conflictos para establecer la tipología constructiva correspondiente a cada época. Los objetivos de nuestro proyecto serán: - Un estudio histórico de la evolución de Can Masdeu. - Un levantamiento gráfico. - Un estudio de los elementos constructivos. - Un análisis de las lesiones existentes con sus propuestas de actuación. - Una propuesta de intervención del edificio

Two-Dimensional Line Strength Maps in Three Well-studied Early-Type Galaxies

Integral field spectroscopy has been obtained for the nuclear regions of 3 large, well-studied, early-type galaxies. From these spectra we have obtained line strength maps for about 20 absorption lines, mostly belonging to the Lick system. An extensive comparison with multi-lenslet spectroscopy shows that accurate kinematic maps can be obtained, and also reproducible line strength maps. Comparison with long-slit spectroscopy also produces good agreement. We show that Mg is enhanced with respect to Fe in the inner disk of one of the three galaxies studied, the Sombrero. [Mg/Fe] there is larger than in the rest of the bulge. The large values of Mg/Fe in the central disk are consistent with the centres of other early-type galaxies, and not with large disks, like the disk of our Galaxy, where [Mg/Fe] is approximately 0. We confirm with this observation a recent result of Worthey (1998) that Mg/Fe is determined by the central kinetic energy, or escape velocity, of the stars, only, and not by the formation time scale of the stars. A stellar population analysis using the models of Vazdekis et al. (1996) shows that our observed H gamma agrees well with what is predicted based on the other lines. Using the line strength of the Ca II IR triplet as an indicator of the abundance of Ca, we find that Ca follows Fe, and not Mg, in these galaxies. This is peculiar, given the fact that Ca is an alpha-element. Finally, by combining the results of this paper with those of Vazdekis et al. (1997) we find that the line strength gradients in the three galaxies are primarily caused by variations in metallicity.Comment: 23 pages, Latex, includes mn.sty, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ

Slots Startup Synchronization with Shared Resources Dependency

Producción CientíficaIn this work the authors present a new formulation that allows an optimal schedule of batch processes with length dependence on the synchronization of the startup of the processes. It is also keep into account the distribution of shared resources among the devices.European Union, Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 723575 (CoPro)MINECO-FEDER (DPI2015-70975-P

Diseño completo de un mecanismo de palancas articuladas mediante software SOLIDWORKS/COSMOS

Proyecto de un mecanismo divisor sinusoidal. Project of a senoidal dividerIngeniería Técnica en Mecánic

Variable Growth Across Species and Life Stages in Caribbean Reef Octocorals

Growth rates often measured as linear extension rates can serve as a proxy for organismal performance across environments, yet few estimates of these growth rates exist, and fewer are reported from multi-year monitoring. We studied the effect of species, depth, exposure, and life stages on the linear extension rates of common octocorals inhabiting Caribbean reefs. We monitored 16 species from the families Briareidae, Gorgoniidae, and Plexauridae, including eight genera: Antillogorgia, Briareum, Eunicea, Gorgonia, Muricea, Muriceopsis, Plexaura, and Plexaurella. We surveyed over 2,000 colonies across eight reefs in Southwest Puerto Rico from 2003 to 2006. Our surveys include reefs along a gradient of water motion from inside protected reefs to offshore unprotected reefs and from shallow (5 m) forereefs to deeper environments reaching 25 m. We observed that linear extension rates vary across species and largely follow branch thickness variation and colony architecture, with thin plume-like shapes growing faster. We also found that in 7 out of the 16 species, colonies from shallow habitats with brighter and warmer environments have higher growth rates than colonies in deep, low energy, and darker areas. Importantly, small/juvenile corals of most species (\u3c10 cm) grew faster than adult colonies. Our data highlight the possibility that, as climate change continues to deteriorate Caribbean reefs by decimating scleractinian corals and opening new habitat for less vulnerable species, plume-like corals with fast growth rates such as species within the genus Antillogorgia may become the most abundant benthic cnidarians on Caribbean shallow forereefs