Status and population trends of Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae in the Canary Islands

Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae Gené, 1839 is a colonial, diurnal raptor whose distribution ranges from the Mediterranean region to the eastern coast of Morocco and the Canary Islands, where it has the westernmost and southernmost breeding colonies (Cramp & Simmons 1998, Snow & Perrins 1998). The species is highly migratory, gathering in their breeding areas from mid-April to mid-October (Tucker & Heath 1994), its breeding period adapted to coincide with the postnuptial migration of small passerines (Cramp & Simmons 1998, Del Hoyo et al. 1994). After the application of proper census methods as outlined in the International Action Plan for this species (BirdLife International 1999), its global breeding population was recently estimated at more than 13,500 pairs (Dimalexis et al. 2008), although it could reach c. 30,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2008). The Spanish breeding population was estimated at 1,081 pairs distributed over the Balearic Islands (836 breeding pairs; Viada 2006), the Canary Islands (200; De León et al. 2008), and the Columbretes Islands (45; Viada 2006). The species is included in Annex I and II of the European Birds’ Directive 79/409/EEC and constitutes a priority species for conservation. The International Species Action Plan recommended a coordinated international survey as urgent action to conserve the species (BirdLife International 1999), which was accomplished in some countries within the framework of the project “Conservation measures for Falco eleonorae in Greece” LIFE 03NAT/GR/000091. In line with these recommendations, two main aims are pursued in this manuscript: (1) to update census data of the breeding population of Eleonora’s Falcon in the Canary Islands as a contribution to this global census project; (2) to evaluate the population tendency of Eleonora’s Falcon in the Canary Islands by using data from previous studies

L‑arginine‑containing mesoporous silica nanoparticles embedded in dental adhesive (Arg@MSN@DAdh) for targeting cariogenic bacteria

Dental caries is the major biofilm-mediated oral disease in the world. The main treatment to restore caries lesions consists of the use of adhesive resin composites due to their good properties. However, the progressive degradation of the adhesive in the medium term makes possible the proliferation of cariogenic bacteria allowing secondary caries to emerge. In this study, a dental adhesive incorporating a drug delivery system based on L-arginine-containing mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) was used to release this essential amino acid as a source of basicity to neutralize the harmful acidic conditions that mediate the development of dental secondary caries. The in vitro and bacterial culture experiments proved that L-arginine was released in a sustained way from MSNs and diffused out from the dental adhesive, effectively contributing to the reduction of the bacterial strains Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus casei. Furthermore, the mechanical and bonding properties of the dental adhesive did not change significantly after the incorporation of L-arginine-containing MSNs. These results are yielding glimmers of promise for the costeffective prevention of secondary caries.Spanish GovernmentEuropean CommissionRey Juan Carlos University CTQ2017-88642-R PID2021-125216OB-I00 2022/00004/01

Análisis de la corresponsabilidad parental en España. Enfoque dirigido al ámbito laboral, familiar y personal

Treball final de Màster Universitari en Igualtat i Gènere en l'Àmbit Públic i Privat (Pla de 2013). Codi: SRM042. Curs acadèmic 2019-2020Analysis of parental co-responsibility in Spain. Approach directed to the work, family and personal environment

Diel pattern of circadian clock and storage protein gene expression in leaves and during seed filling in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)

Background Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is an important source of protein supply for animal and human nutrition. The major storage globulins VICILIN and LEGUMIN (LEG) are synthesized from several genes including LEGA, LEGB, LEGJ and CVC (CONVICILIN). The current hypothesis is that the plant circadian core clock genes are conserved in a wide array of species and that primary metabolism is to a large extent controlled by the plant circadian clock. Our aim was to investigate a possible link between gene expression of storage proteins and the circadian clock. Results We identified cowpea orthologues of the core clock genes VunLHY, VunTOC1, VunGI and VunELF3, the protein storage genes VunLEG, VunLEGJ, and VunCVC as well as nine candidate reference genes used in RT-PCR. ELONGATION FACTOR 1-A (ELF1A) resulted the most suitable reference gene. The clock genes VunELF3, VunGI, VunTOC1 and VunLHY showed a rhythmic expression profile in leaves with a typical evening/night and morning/midday phased expression. The diel patterns were not completely robust and only VungGI and VungELF3 retained a rhythmic pattern under free running conditions of darkness. Under field conditions, rhythmicity and phasing apparently faded during early pod and seed development and was regained in ripening pods for VunTOC1 and VunLHY. Mature seeds showed a rhythmic expression of VunGI resembling leaf tissue under controlled growth chamber conditions. Comparing time windows during developmental stages we found that VunCVC and VunLEG were significantly down regulated during the night in mature pods as compared to intermediate ripe pods, while changes in seeds were non-significant due to high variance. The rhythmic expression under field conditions was lost under growth chamber conditions. Conclusions The core clock gene network is conserved in cowpea leaves showing a robust diel expression pattern except VunELF3 under growth chamber conditions. There appears to be a clock transcriptional reprogramming in pods and seeds compared to leaves. Storage protein deposition may be circadian regulated under field conditions but the strong environmental signals are not met under artificial growth conditions. Diel expression pattern in field conditions may result in better usage of energy for protein storage.This work was supported by the 7th Research Framework Programme of the European Union “Eurolegume (Enhancing of Legumes Growing in Europe through Sustainable Cropping for Protein Supply for Food and Feed)” FP7– 613781. The funding body had no role in the experimental design, analysis or results shown in the manuscript

Investment in Human Capital and Corporate Social Responsibility in SMEs providing accommodation services. The specificity of family firms

The general purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of Human Capital Investment (HCI) on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices in small and medium-sized enterprises providing accommodation services. Thus, this study has two aims: first, analyzing the effect that HCI exerts on CSR practices; and second, examining the moderating effect of being a family firm on prior relationship. The sample is obtained from a survey carried out during 2017 in Spain to 1136 family and non-family businesses, which 41 belong to "Accommodation Services" and the methodology used is PLS-SEM.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Dynamics of mammary infections in organic dairy farms in Northern Spain

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the microbiological state and the dynamics of the mammary infections of organic farms in North Spain to discover if the high somatic cell count (SCC) observed in these farms is associated to a high incidence of mastitis. Microbiological cultures and SCC were performed in 8,496 foremilk samples collected from 160 cows in five representative organic farms from February 2006 to January 2008. Even though 79.3% of cultures were positive, only 21.2% of the total fit our diagnosis of mastitis (clinical, subclinical and chronic). The great prevalence of Corynebacterium bovis (teat canal-region pathogen) in the positive cultures that did not fit the mastitis diagnosis criteria (nearly 70%) compared with those that did (27%) was found to be related to lack of post-milking teat disinfection. The study prevalence of mastitis was 69.2% (66.7% subclinical mastitis, 27.8% clinical mastitis); the mean monthly prevalence was 47.4%; the mean monthly incidence was 12.9% and the mean duration of infection was 3.84 ± 3.98 months The high SCC in foremilk samples from old cows (three or more lactations) not diagnosed as mastitis compared to the heifers, reflects a worsening health status of the animals over time. When compared with the conventional sector in Northern Spain, these parameters indicate a poorer udder health in the studied organic herds with a high presence of chronic subclinical processesINIA (Ref. RTA2006-00132-C02-01)S

Transparency and Digitalization in Water Services: Reality or Still a Dream?

The provision of public services, mostly by local governments, has been widely analyzed in the scientific literature. The relevance of these services has generated an incipient demand for information on the part of citizens, which makes it necessary for the bodies responsible for their provision to present adequate levels of transparency. In this context, digitalization is a crucial tool for providing information to citizens and, therefore, contributing to improving the levels of transparency of those organizations that provide public services. Among these, the drinking water supply service stands out, which is crucial for well-being and sustainable progress, and whose analysis is of vital importance, especially in countries such as Spain affected by factors such as climate change and urbanization. In this way, the aim of this paper is to analyze the degree of transparency of the companies providing water supply services in Spain, as well as their degree of digitalization. To this end, a relationship will be established between the Transparency Index of Public Enterprises (INDEP) and the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE), which measure the degree of transparency and digitalization, respectively. This relationship will be established for a sample of 59 companies responsible for water supply. The main results derived from this study show a wide margin for improvement on the part of the companies analyzed, both in terms of transparency and digitalization, as the vast majority of these companies show a medium–low degree of compliance in both aspects.Ministry of Science and Innovation, Grant/Award numbers: PID2021-128713OB-I00, MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/yporFEDERUna manera de hacer Europ