Diversity, bioforms and abundance of aquatic plants in a wetland of the Orinoco floodplains, Venezuela

Richness (alpha and beta diversity), abundance and dominance of bioforms of aquatic vegetation in a wetland of the Orinoco floodplains in Venezuela, studied over an annual cycle are described. In a lowland extension of 65,000 hectares including a whole range of aquatic habitats (shallows, marshes, ponds and streams), 197 species belonging to 122 genera and 56 families were recorded. Beta diversity was higher in lentic than in lotic wetlands, the emergent rooted bioform being the most abundant in all habitats and throughout the year. Considering the most persistent species (spatially and temporally), Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms., Hymenachne amplexicaulis (Rudge) Nees and Luziola subintegra Swallen obtained the highest relative importance values. The most abundant species in all environments and throughout the year was Salvinia auriculata Aubl. Brief comments on the limited use of these aquatic plants are given.Se describen la riqueza (alfa y beta diversidad), abundancia y dominancia de bioformas de plantas acuáticas en un humedal de los Llanos del Orinoco, Venezuela, estudiada durante un ciclo anual. En una extensión de 65.000 ha que incluye toda la variedad de hábitats acuáticos del bajo llano venezolano (bajíos, esteros, lagunas y caños), se registraron 197 especies pertenecientes a 122 géneros y 56 familias. La diversidad beta fue mayor en los ambientes lénticos que en los lóticos, siendo la bioforma arraigada emergente la más abundante en todos los ambientes y durante todo el año. Considerando las especies mas persitentes espacial y temporalmente del inventario, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms., Hymenachne amplexicaulis (Rudge) Nees and Luziola subintegra Swallen, obtuvieron los mayores valores de importancia relativa. La especie más abundante en todos los ambientes y durante todo el año fue Salvinia auriculata Aubl. Se comenta brevemente sobre el escaso aprovechamiento de estas plantas acuáticas

Plantas acuáticas: aspectos sobre su distribución geográfica, condición de maleza y usos

Some aspects related to the geographical distribution of aquatic plants are discussed. While records in new locations can extend the range of spatial presence, it contribute little about the origin and native or introduced condition of macrophytes. Aquatic systems can be diverse. They represent themselves a dispersion media for aquatic plants, besides asexual reproduction combined with other strategies, allowed to colonized other environments and enlarge their distribution. The majority of aquatic plant species in the Orinoco basin have neotropical distribution. Some are considered weeds because they are dominant and have a remarkable ecological plasticity both in the wild and disturbed habitats. Species that have been dispersed naturaly or by humans and succeed in their new habitats, can be considered naturalized but also invasive weeds and are fought, rightly but not with the same determination that would put: 1) to preserve or restore the aquatic systems that have affected; 2) exploit the potential uses these aquatic resources offer; 3) considering its value in the ecosystems.Los registros de plantas acuáticas en nuevas localidades permiten ampliar su área de distribución geográfica, pero no siempre informan sobre su origen y condición de nativa o introducida. En el caso de la flora acuática de los llanos del Orinoco, la mayoría de las especies (70%) habita solo en el Neotrópico, de modo que su área nativa se halla en América. Muchas de estas plantas han alcanzado distribuciones más amplias, debido a que los sistemas acuáticos en los que habitan constituyen en sí mismos medios de dispersión. Además, una serie de estrategias como la reproducción asexual y las ecofases les permiten colonizar y reproducirse rápida y exitosamente en nuevos ambientes. No menos importante es la influencia humana en la dispersión activa de estas plantas, principalmente por efectos de la agricultura y las obras hidráulicas. Por ello, debido a su naturaleza dominante y su plasticidad ecológica, algunas plantas acuáticas se convierten en maleza, tanto en su medio natural como en aquellos hábitats que han sido alterados por el ser humano en calidad y cantidad de agua. Las especies que se dispersan naturalmente o con ayuda del hombre, y que tienen éxito en nuevos ambientes, se les considera naturalizadas, pero también invasoras y malezas, en cuyo caso se les combate casi siempre sin tener en cuenta la importancia de: 1) conservar o restaurar la naturaleza de los sistemas acuáticos que hemos afectado; 2) aprovechar los usos potenciales que estos recursos hidrobiológicos ofrecen y 3) estudiar, valorar y preservar su insustituible función en la dinámica de estos ecosistemas

Diversity, bioforms and abundance of aquatic plants in a wetland of the Orinoco floodplains, Venezuela

Richness (alpha and beta diversity), abundance and dominance of bioforms of aquatic vegetation in a wetland of the Orinoco floodplains in Venezuela, studied over an annual cycle are described. In a lowland extension of 65,000 hectares including a whole range of aquatic habitats (shallows, marshes, ponds and streams), 197 species belonging to 122 genera and 56 families were recorded. Beta diversity was higher in lentic than in lotic wetlands, the emergent rooted bioform being the most abundant in all habitats and throughout the year. Considering the most persistent species (spatially and temporally), Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms., Hymenachne amplexicaulis (Rudge) Nees and Luziola subintegra Swallen obtained the highest relative importance values. The most abundant species in all environments and throughout the year was Salvinia auriculata Aubl. Brief comments on the limited use of these aquatic plants are given

Plantas acuáticas: aspectos sobre su distribución geográfica, condición de maleza y usos

Some aspects related to the geographical distribution of aquatic plants are discussed. While records in new locations can extend the range of spatial presence, it contribute little about the origin and native or introduced condition of macrophytes. Aquatic systems can be diverse. They represent themselves a dispersion media for aquatic plants, besides asexual reproduction combined with other strategies, allowed to colonized other environments and enlarge their distribution. The majority of aquatic plant species in the Orinoco basin have neotropical distribution. Some are considered weeds because they are dominant and have a remarkable ecological plasticity both in the wild and disturbed habitats. Species that have been dispersed naturaly or by humans and succeed in their new habitats, can be considered naturalized but also invasive weeds and are fought, rightly but not with the same determination that would put: 1) to preserve or restore the aquatic systems that have affected; 2) exploit the potential uses these aquatic resources offer; 3) considering its value in the ecosystems.Los registros de plantas acuáticas en nuevas localidades permiten ampliar su área de distribución geográfica, pero no siempre informan sobre su origen y condición de nativa o introducida. En el caso de la flora acuática de los llanos del Orinoco, la mayoría de las especies (70%) habita solo en el Neotrópico, de modo que su área nativa se halla en América. Muchas de estas plantas han alcanzado distribuciones más amplias, debido a que los sistemas acuáticos en los que habitan constituyen en sí mismos medios de dispersión. Además, una serie de estrategias como la reproducción asexual y las ecofases les permiten colonizar y reproducirse rápida y exitosamente en nuevos ambientes. No menos importante es la influencia humana en la dispersión activa de estas plantas, principalmente por efectos de la agricultura y las obras hidráulicas. Por ello, debido a su naturaleza dominante y su plasticidad ecológica, algunas plantas acuáticas se convierten en maleza, tanto en su medio natural como en aquellos hábitats que han sido alterados por el ser humano en calidad y cantidad de agua. Las especies que se dispersan naturalmente o con ayuda del hombre, y que tienen éxito en nuevos ambientes, se les considera naturalizadas, pero también invasoras y malezas, en cuyo caso se les combate casi siempre sin tener en cuenta la importancia de: 1) conservar o restaurar la naturaleza de los sistemas acuáticos que hemos afectado; 2) aprovechar los usos potenciales que estos recursos hidrobiológicos ofrecen y 3) estudiar, valorar y preservar su insustituible función en la dinámica de estos ecosistemas

Estudio experimental del Sistema de Albañilería Integral en la construcción de viviendas sismorresistentes. Experimental study of the Integral Masonry System in the construction of earthquake resistant houses

This paper presents the application of the Integral Masonry System (IMS) to the construction of earthquake resistant houses and its experimental study. To verify the security of this new type of building in seismic areas of the third world two prototypes have been tested, one with adobe and the other with hollow brick. In both cases it’s a two-story 6x6x6 m3 house built to scale 1/2. The tests are carried out at the Laboratory of Antiseismic Structures of the Department of Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru in Lima, in collaboration with the UPM (Technical University of Madrid). This article shows the design process of the prototypes to test, including the sizing of the reinforcements, the characteristics of the tests and the results obtained. These results show that the IMS with adobe or brick remains stable with no significant cracks faced with a severe earthquake, with an estimated acceleration of 1.8 g. Este artículo presenta una aplicación del Sistema de Albañilería Integral (SAI) a la construcción de viviendas sismorresistentes y su estudio experimental. Para verificar su seguridad para su construcción en zonas sísmicas del tercer mundo se han ensayado dos prototipos, uno con adobe, y otro con ladrillo hueco. Se trata de una vivienda de 6x6x6 m3 y dos plantas que se construyen a escala 1/2. Los ensayos se realizaron en el Laboratorio de Estructuras Antisísmicas del Departamento de Ingeniería de la Pontificia Católica Universidad del Perú (PUCP) de Lima en colaboración con la UPM (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid). Este artículo muestra el proceso de diseño de los prototipos a ensayar, incluido el dimensionado de los refuerzos, las características de los ensayos y los resultados obtenidos. Estos resultados muestran que el SAI con adobe o ladrillo permanece estable sin grietas significativas ante un sismo severo, con una aceleración estimada de 1,8 g

Biometric parameters and biochemical composition of wild wreckfish (Polyprion americanus)

Wreckfish (Polyprion americanus) is considered to be a good candidate for European aquaculture. The main biometric parameters were recorded from 86 wild-caught fish (2.6-18 kg of total weight) for 14 months and the gonadosomatic index (GSI), hepatosomatic index (HIS) and viscerosomatic index (VSI) were obtained. Biochemical analyses of muscle, liver and gonads from wild wreckfish showed that wreckfish has a high level of protein in muscle, 84% of dry weight (DW), and low level of lipids (7% DW). Capture season, sex, size or weight of the fish did not have a strong effect on the variability observed in the levels of proteins, lipids and fatty acids of the different tissues. Reared wreckfish have more lipids in mature gonads than wild fish, which may be due to a more lipid-rich diet. However, some polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) such as arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) reached higher values in wild female gonads than in reared gonads, which could indicate the wreckfish has high requirements in these fatty acids. This study obtained valuable data on the biology and biochemical composition of wreckfish to estimate its nutritional requirements, which could be useful for the future of this species in aquaculture.European Union's Seventh Framework Programme Research, Technological development and demonstration (KBBE-2013-07)Postprint1,48

From Cu(i) and Cu(i)–Cu(ii) mixed-valence clusters to 2D Cu(ii) and Cu(i) coordination polymers supported by a flexible bis-tetrazole organosulfur ligand

Three coordination compounds from the reaction of copper(II) bromide with the flexible bis-tetrazole organosulfur ligand, 1,2-bis(1-methyl-1H-tetrazole-5-ylthio)ethane (bmtte) have been isolated and characterised. The identification of polymeric 2Cu2Br4 (bmtte) (1), trinuclear [Cu3Br4(bmtte)2] (2) and tetra-nuclear [Cu2Br2(bmtte)]2 (3) compounds shows that the reaction conditions have a significant influence on the structure of the complexes formed. Moreover, two polymorphs of the 2D Cu(II )-coordination polymer 1 have been isolated and these crystallise in the monoclinic C2/m (1m) and the triclinic P1¯ (1t) space groups. The thermal stabilities and behaviour in aqueous media of compounds 1–3 were investigated along with the reactivity of compound 2 with CuBr2 and KI. The solid-state reaction between mixed-valence compound 2 with KI or the direct reaction of CuI and bmtte under microwave irradiation allowed the preparation of the polymeric 2 1Cu4 I4 (bmtte)2 (4). The redox behaviour of complexes 2 and 3 was analysed by cyclic voltammetry.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PID2019-110218RB-I00Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PID2020-115004RB-I00Fundación CajaCanarias | Ref. 2021ECO11Xunta de GaliciaUniversidad de La Lagun

A novel hanging spherical drop system for the generation of cellular spheroids and high throughput combinatorial drug screening

We propose a novel hanging spherical drop system for anchoring arrays of droplets of cell suspension based on the use of biomimetic superhydrophobic flat substrates, with controlled positional adhesion and minimum contact with a solid substrate. By facing down the platform, it was possible to generate independent spheroid bodies in a high throughput manner, in order to mimic in vivo tumour models on the lab-on-chip scale. To validate this system for drug screening purposes, the toxicity of the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin in cell spheroids was tested and compared to cells in 2D culture. The advantages presented by this platform, such as feasibility of the system and the ability to control the size uniformity of the spheroid, emphasize its potential to be used as a new low cost toolbox for high-throughput drug screening and in cell or tissue engineering.The authors thank the precious help of Alessandra Zonari and Rui Domingues for capturing the confocal images. The authors acknowledge the financial support from the FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e para a Tecnologia through the Ph.D. grants with the references SFRH/BD/73119/2010, SFRH/BD/69529/2010 and SFRH/BD/71396/2010. We acknowledge the financial support of FEDER through the program Operacional Factores de Competitividade - COMPETE and from FCT - the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia under the project PTDC/CTM-BIO/1814/2012. We also thank the support by the European Research Council grant agreement ERC-2012-ADG 20120216-321266 for the project ComplexiTE

Developing ANDI: A Novel Approach to Health Product R&D in Africa

Solomon Nwaka and colleagues discuss ANDI, the African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation, which is intended to help stimulate health research and development on the African continent

UC Updatable Databases and Applications

We define an ideal functionality \Functionality_{\UD} and a construction \mathrm{\Pi_{\UD}} for an updatable database (\UD). \UD is a two-party protocol between an updater and a reader. The updater sets the database and updates it at any time throughout the protocol execution. The reader computes zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs of knowledge of database entries. These proofs prove that a value is stored at a certain position in the database, without revealing the position or the value. (Non-)updatable databases are implicitly used as building block in priced oblivious transfer, privacy-preserving billing and other privacy-preserving protocols. Typically, in those protocols the updater signs each database entry, and the reader proves knowledge of a signature on a database entry. Updating the database requires a revocation mechanism to revoke signatures on outdated database entries. Our construction \mathrm{\Pi_{\UD}} uses a non-hiding vector commitment (NHVC) scheme. The updater maps the database to a vector and commits to the database. This commitment can be updated efficiently at any time without needing a revocation mechanism. ZK proofs for reading a database entry have communication and amortized computation cost independent of the database size. Therefore, \mathrm{\Pi_{\UD}} is suitable for large databases. We implement \mathrm{\Pi_{\UD}} and our timings show that it is practical. In existing privacy-preserving protocols, a ZK proof of a database entry is intertwined with other tasks, e.g., proving further statements about the value read from the database or the position where it is stored. \Functionality_{\UD} allows us to improve modularity in protocol design by separating those tasks. We show how to use \Functionality_{\UD} as building block of a hybrid protocol along with other functionalities