Impacts of the Tropical Pacific/Indian Oceans on the Seasonal Cycle of the West African Monsoon

The current consensus is that drought has developed in the Sahel during the second half of the twentieth century as a result of remote effects of oceanic anomalies amplified by local land–atmosphere interactions. This paper focuses on the impacts of oceanic anomalies upon West African climate and specifically aims to identify those from SST anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Oceans during spring and summer seasons, when they were significant. Idealized sensitivity experiments are performed with four atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs). The prescribed SST patterns used in the AGCMs are based on the leading mode of covariability between SST anomalies over the Pacific/Indian Oceans and summer rainfall over West Africa. The results show that such oceanic anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Ocean lead to a northward shift of an anomalous dry belt from the Gulf of Guinea to the Sahel as the season advances. In the Sahel, the magnitude of rainfall anomalies is comparable to that obtained by other authors using SST anomalies confined to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean. The mechanism connecting the Pacific/Indian SST anomalies with West African rainfall has a strong seasonal cycle. In spring (May and June), anomalous subsidence develops over both the Maritime Continent and the equatorial Atlantic in response to the enhanced equatorial heating. Precipitation increases over continental West Africa in association with stronger zonal convergence of moisture. In addition, precipitation decreases over the Gulf of Guinea. During the monsoon peak (July and August), the SST anomalies move westward over the equatorial Pacific and the two regions where subsidence occurred earlier in the seasons merge over West Africa. The monsoon weakens and rainfall decreases over the Sahel, especially in August.Peer reviewe

Omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, GALACTIC‐HF: baseline characteristics and comparison with contemporary clinical trials

Aims: The safety and efficacy of the novel selective cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is tested in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTIC‐HF) trial. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants in GALACTIC‐HF and how these compare with other contemporary trials. Methods and Results: Adults with established HFrEF, New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA) ≥ II, EF ≤35%, elevated natriuretic peptides and either current hospitalization for HF or history of hospitalization/ emergency department visit for HF within a year were randomized to either placebo or omecamtiv mecarbil (pharmacokinetic‐guided dosing: 25, 37.5 or 50 mg bid). 8256 patients [male (79%), non‐white (22%), mean age 65 years] were enrolled with a mean EF 27%, ischemic etiology in 54%, NYHA II 53% and III/IV 47%, and median NT‐proBNP 1971 pg/mL. HF therapies at baseline were among the most effectively employed in contemporary HF trials. GALACTIC‐HF randomized patients representative of recent HF registries and trials with substantial numbers of patients also having characteristics understudied in previous trials including more from North America (n = 1386), enrolled as inpatients (n = 2084), systolic blood pressure < 100 mmHg (n = 1127), estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 528), and treated with sacubitril‐valsartan at baseline (n = 1594). Conclusions: GALACTIC‐HF enrolled a well‐treated, high‐risk population from both inpatient and outpatient settings, which will provide a definitive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy, as well as informing its potential future implementation

Post-Cretaceous bursts of evolution along the benthic-pelagic axis in marine fishes

Ecological opportunity arising in the aftermath of mass extinction events is thought to be a powerful driver of evolutionary radiations. Here, we assessed how the wake of the Cretaceous–Palaeogene (K-Pg) mass extinction shaped diversification dynamics in a clade of mostly marine fishes (Carangaria), which comprises a disparate array of benthic and pelagic dwellers including some of the most astonishing fish forms (e.g. flatfishes, billfishes, remoras, archerfishes). Analyses of lineage diversification show time-heterogeneous rates of lineage diversification in carangarians, with highest rates reached during the Palaeocene. Likewise, a remarkable proportion of Carangaria's morphological variation originated early in the history of the group and in tandem with a marked incidence of habitat shifts. Taken together, these results suggest that all major lineages and body plans in Carangaria originated in an early burst shortly after the K-Pg mass extinction, which ultimately allowed the occupation of newly released niches along the benthic-pelagic habitat axis

Un estudio sobre experiencias didácticas en la asignatura de Filosofía de tercero de BUP : proyecto de innovación pedagógica

A. Definir el papel que desempeñan distintos modelos didácticos en los objetivos de instrucción, interrelación y expectativas para los estudiantes de tercero de BUP en la asignatura de Filosofía. Ello exige partir de la situación real y actual del instituto y de la disciplina, con el fin de contextualizar desde una perspectiva sociológica las actitudes, valores y comportamientos de los alumnos. B. Destacar el talante interdisciplinar y el afán de presentar la Filosofía como algo atractivo y vinculado a la creatividad e innovación social. C. Reelaborar el programa de Filosofía. 105 alumnos, distribuídos en 4 grupos (3 experimentales y 1 control). El muestreo es aleatorio simple. Investigación cuasiexperimental, en la medida que sólo van a ser controladas las variables objeto de estudio dejando las restantes al azar, o experimento de campo en la medida que se llevó a efecto en el ambiente natural en el que se desenvolvieron los hechos. Tiene como objetivo general demostrar la influencia que diferentes estilos de enseñanza ejercen sobre las variables dependientes: rendimiento, comunicación grupal, percepción del profesor por los alumnos y actitudes de estos hacia la materia impartida. Estas variables han sido objeto de una medición pretest que permitió comprobar, mediante las pruebas de Duncan, la ausencia de diferencias significativas intergrupales. Las variables independientes (estilos de enseñanza) se presentan en 4 valores: estilo activo, liberal o abierto; estilo activo, liberal o abierto con menos grado de libertad en determinación del temario y mayor democracia en el control del aula: plan experimental del MEC; enseñanza formal o tradicional. Prueba actitudinal, elaborada por Escotet (1984), pruebas de evaluación sobre conocimiento de sí mismo y del entorno, y desarrollo de las actitudes crítica, reflexiva y creativa. Porcentajes. A. La propuesta de un programa abierto, flexible y receptivo de los problemas de los alumnos favorece el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. B. Los métodos didácticos liberales y democráticos son favorables para el rendimiento del alumnado. También el llamado método tradicional (con específicas matizaciones) es positivo, sin que a priori debamos rechazarlo por ineficaz o anacrónico. La liberalidad extremosa (cercana al 'laissez-faire') no coadyuva en el rendimiento. C. El profesor es percibido positivamente con el empleo de los métodos didácticos: liberal, democrático o tradicional matizado, aunque la percepción no es igual con cada uno de los estilos. La valoración del profesor es negativa (pero cercana a la media teórica) con el empleo de la metodología del 'laissez-faire'. D. La actitud de los alumnos ante la Filosofía (en cuanto asignatura del currículum de tercero de BUP es favorable (aunque con distinta intensidad) en todos los grupos, excepto para el método liberal extremoso o 'laissez-faire'.MadridBiblioteca de Educación del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte; Calle San Agustín, 5 - 3 Planta; 28014 Madrid; Tel. +34917748000; Fax +34917748026; [email protected]

Bayes Factor Delimitation

xml files for model testing (one vs two species scenario) with Bayes factor delimitation analyses, using different amount of individuals (58-108) and snps (149-957

Selected output SNPs datasets

Data matrices selected to evaluate the effect of the number of individuals and missing data included on the sensitivity of the results

Phylogenetic trees

Phylogenetic trees of the selected matrices using snp

Diagnostic SNPs

List of character transformations (SNPs) that differentiate populations of L. campechanus from L. purpureu

Data from: Genomics overrules mitochondrial DNA, siding with morphology on a controversial case of species delimitation

Species delimitation is a major quest in biology and is essential for adequate management of the organismal diversity. A challenging example comprises the fish species of red snappers in the Western Atlantic. Red snappers have been traditionally recognized as two separate species based on morphology: Lutjanus campechanus (northern red snapper) and L. purpureus (southern red snappers). Recent genetic studies using mitochondrial markers, however, failed to delineate these nominal species, leading to the current lumping of the northern and southern populations into a single species (L. campechanus). This decision carries broad implications for conservation and management as red snappers have been commercially over-exploited across the Western Atlantic and are currently listed as vulnerable. To address this conflict, we examine genome-wide data collected throughout the range of the two species. Population genomics, phylogenetic and coalescent analyses favor the existence of two independent evolutionary lineages, a result that confirms the morphology-based delimitation scenario in agreement with conventional taxonomy. While we find evidence of introgression in geographically neighboring populations in northern South America, the genetic differences strongly support isolation and differentiation of these species, suggesting that the northern and southern red snappers should be treated as distinct taxonomic entities