A Trait-based approach for forest ecology and management: tools for theoretical and applied ecology

Global change threats affecting forests require better understanding of mechanisms driving species environmental responses, but also species effects on ecosystems, to identify optimal management strategies for safeguarding the services they provide. Thus, this thesis serves on trait ecology and tools as Species Distribution Modelling, Remote Sensing, and Climate Change Modelling to explore ecological concepts that prove useful for determining specific management actions. Specifically we hypothesised about three main aspects: 1) the capacity of several traits to explain the characteristics of species niche in the Mediterranean; 2) the influence of trait diversity on the temporal stability of forest productivity in Temperate and Boreal zones; and 3) current and future effects of climate on the mean traits of Mediterranean forest communities. Forest inventories from Spain and Quebec (eastern Canada) were used to obtain species distribution and community composition whereas species traits values were retrieved from the literature. Main results showed that: 1) Specific Leaf Area (SLA) can be used to accurately represent species aridity limits in the Mediterranean; 2) trait diversity provides stability in Temperate forests; and 3) climate change may reduce SLA values of forest communities suggesting notable impacts on ecosystem functioning in the Mediterranean. The thesis suggests that management strategies should be based on trait ecology in order to best adapt to global change

Estudo Exploratório de Determinantes da Saúde e do Trabalho Stress do ensino universitário e de investigação em Espanha

The legal changes in the hiring profiles of universities in Spain implied significant changes in the processes of employment, stabilization and promotion of their academic staff. The aim of this research is to identify the antecedents of health and job stress of this staff, which traditionally experimented low levels of these indicators. The empirical research was based on an exploratory study that combined quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative (cognitive interviews) data gathered from 26 cases representing three different academic positions: teaching assistants, post-dissertation teaching assistants and tenured PhD lecturers. This paper proposes a health and job stress model with five dynamics: justice, permanence commitment, time, and demands and resources related with the teaching and research staff assessment process. The findings indicate that the last two dynamics (demands and resources) are mediated by the insecurity construct. This model allows comparing the classical models of job stress with the new scenario of the Spanish universities and represents a first step for the development of more efficient human resource practices in universities.Los cambios legislativos en los perfiles de contratacin del profesorado en las universidades pblicas espaolas han comportado un cambio significativo en los procesos de contratacin, estabilizacin y promocin de este colectivo de trabajadores. El objetivo de la investigacin es identificar los antecedentes del estrs y de la salud laboral de este nuevo colectivo que tradicionalmente se ha caracterizado por unos niveles relativamente bajos. La investigacin emprica consiste en un estudio exploratorio a partir de la combinacin de datos cuantitativos (encuestas) y cualitativos (entrevistas cognitivas) en 26 casos repartidos en tres colectivos diferentes (ayudantes, ayudantes doctores y colaboradores permanentes). Finalmente, la investigacin propone un modelo con cinco antecedentes del estrs y la salud laboral: justicia, compromiso de continuidad, tiempo restante del contrato, demandas de la acreditacin y recursos para alcanzarla. Acorde con los resultados, los dos ltimos antecedentes (demandas y recursos) son mediados a travs del constructo inseguridad. Este modelo permite la comparacin de los modelos clsicos de estrs laboral con la nueva realidad universitaria espaola, y un primer paso hacia la generacin de polticas de recursos humanos ms eficientes en las universidades.As mudanas legislativas nos perfis de recrutamento de docentes nas universidades pblicas espanholas realizaram uma mudana significativa nos processos de aquisio, estabilizao e promoo desse grupo de trabalhadores.O objetivo desta pesquisa identificar os antecedentes de estresse e sade no trabalho deste novo grupo que tradicionalmente tem sido caracterizada por nveis relativamente baixos.A pesquisa emprica de um estudo exploratrio da combinao de dados quantitativos (inquritos) e qualitativa (entrevistas cognitivas) em 26 casos divididos em trs grupos diferentes (assistentes, auxiliares, mdicos e pessoal permanente).Finalmente, a pesquisa prope um modelo com cinco antecedentes de estresse e sade ocupacional, justia, compromisso, continuidade, tempo restante do contrato de demandas e recursos para obter o credenciamento.De acordo com os resultados, os dois ltimos registros (demandas e recursos) so mediadas atravs da construo de insegurana.Este modelo permite a comparao dos modelos clssicos de estresse no trabalho com a nova realidade espanhola, e um primeiro passo para a gerao de polticas de recursos humanos nas universidades mais eficientes

Revisión epidemiológica de las fracturas de mandíbula tratadas quirúrgicamente en el Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, durante el periodo de 2010-2012

Introducción: El trauma maxilofacial, donde se incluye el traumatismo del tercio inferior facial, constituye un problema de relevancia dentro de los servicios de urgencia. El particular interés se debe a la alta incidencia y diversidad de estas lesiones. Este tipo de trauma se acompaña, en general, de una morbilidad asociada, pérdida de la función, desfiguramiento y un coste importante. El manejo del trauma maxilofacial incluye el tratamiento de los huesos fracturados, el trauma dentoalveolar y las heridas de tejidos blandos, así como el tratamiento de las lesiones asociadas, principalmente, de la cabeza y cuello. Existen numerosos estudios donde se ha revisado la epidemiología de las fracturas del tercio inferior facial, encontrándose resultados distintos según las diferencias geográficas, culturales, estilos de vida, densidad poblacional y estatus socioeconómico. Objetivo: Conocer la epidemiología de las fracturas de mandíbula tratadas quirúrgicamente en el servicio de Cirugía Oral y Maxilofacial del HUMS

EMMPRIN-targeted magnetic nanoparticles for In vivo visualization and regression of acute myocardial infarction.

Inhibition of extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation may represent a mechanism for cardiac protection against ischemia. Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) is highly expressed in response to acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and induces activation of several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), including gelatinases MMP-2 and MMP-9. We targeted EMMPRIN with paramagnetic/fluorescent micellar nanoparticles conjugated with the EMMPRIN binding peptide AP-9 (NAP9), or an AP-9 scrambled peptide as a negative control (NAPSC). We found that NAP9 binds to endogenous EMMPRIN in cultured HL1 myocytes and in mouse hearts subjected to ischemia/reperfusion (IR). Injection of NAP9 at the time of or one day after IR, was enough to reduce progression of myocardial cell death when compared to CONTROL and NAPSC injected mice (infarct size in NAP9 injected mice: 32%±6.59 vs 46%±9.04 or NAPSC injected mice: 48%±7.64). In the same way, cardiac parameters were recovered to almost healthy levels (LVEF NAP9 63% ± 7.24 vs CONTROL 42% ± 4.74 or NAPSC 39% ± 6.44), whereas ECM degradation was also reduced as shown by inhibition of MMP-2 and MMP-9 activation. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) scans have shown a signal enhancement in the left ventricle of NAP9 injected mice with respect to non-injected, and to mice injected with NAPSC. A positive correlation between CMR enhancement and Evans-Blue/TTC staining of infarct size was calculated (R:0.65). Taken together, these results point to EMMPRIN targeted nanoparticles as a new approach to the mitigation of ischemic/reperfusion injury.Ministerio de Economía y CompetitividadInstituto de Salud Carlos II

Co-design of sectoral climate services based on seasonal prediction information in the Mediterranean

We present in this contribution the varied experiences gathered in the co-design of a sectoral climate services collection, developed in the framework of the MEDSCOPE project, which have in common the application of seasonal predictions for the Mediterranean geographical and climatic region. Although the region is affected by low seasonal predictability limiting the skill of seasonal forecasting systems, which historically has hindered the development of downstream services, the project was originally conceived to exploit windows of opportunity with enhanced skill for developing and evaluating climate services in various sectors with high societal impact in the region: renewable energy, hydrology, and agriculture and forestry. The project also served as the scientific branch of the WMO-led Mediterranean Climate Outlook Forum (MedCOF) that had as objective -among others- partnership strengthening on climate services between providers and users within the Mediterranean region. The diversity of the MEDSCOPE experiences in co-designing shows the wide range of involvement and engagement of users in this process across the Mediterranean region, which benefits from the existing solid and organized MedCOF community of climate services providers and users. A common issue among the services described here -and also among other prototypes developed in the project- was related with the communication of forecasts uncertainty and skill for efficiently informing decision-making in practice. All MEDSCOPE project prototypes make use of an internally developed software package containing process-based methods for synthesising seasonal forecast data, as well as basic and advanced tools for obtaining tailored products. Another challenge assumed by the project refers to the demonstration of the economic, social, and environmental value of predictions provided by these MEDSCOPE prototypes.The work described in this paper has received funding from the MEDSCOPE project co-funded by the European Commission as part of ERA4CS, an ERA-NET initiated by JPI Climate, grant agreement 690462

A pan-cancer clinical platform to predict immunotherapy outcomes and prioritize immuno-oncology combinations in early-phase trials

Immunooncology; Predictive biomarkers; Tumor microenvironmentInmunooncología; Biomarcadores predictivos; Microambiente tumoralImmunooncologia; Biomarcadors predictius; Microambient tumoralBackground Immunotherapy is effective, but current biomarkers for patient selection have proven modest sensitivity. Here, we developed VIGex, an optimized gene signature based on the expression level of 12 genes involved in immune response with RNA sequencing. Methods We implemented VIGex using the nCounter platform (Nanostring) on a large clinical cohort encompassing 909 tumor samples across 45 tumor types. VIGex was developed as a continuous variable, with cutoffs selected to detect three main categories (hot, intermediate-cold and cold) based on the different inflammatory status of the tumor microenvironment. Findings Hot tumors had the highest VIGex scores and exhibited an increased abundance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes as compared with the intermediate-cold and cold. VIGex scores varied depending on tumor origin and anatomic site of metastases, with liver metastases showing an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The predictive power of VIGex-Hot was observed in a cohort of 98 refractory solid tumor from patients treated in early-phase immunotherapy trials and its clinical performance was confirmed through an extensive metanalysis across 13 clinically annotated gene expression datasets from 877 patients treated with immunotherapy agents. Last, we generated a pan-cancer biomarker platform that integrates VIGex categories with the expression levels of immunotherapy targets under development in early-phase clinical trials. Conclusions Our results support the clinical utility of VIGex as a tool to aid clinicians for patient selection and personalized immunotherapy interventions.A.H.C. would like to acknowledge fellowship funding from the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), CRIS Contra el Cancer and Hold'em For Life Oncology Fellowship. This research has been funded by the Comprehensive Program of Cancer Immunotherapy & Immunology II (CAIMI-II) supported by the BBVA Foundation (grant 53/2021) and the 2020–2021 Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology (DMOH) Fellowship award at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. VHIO would like to acknowledge the Cellex Foundation for providing research facilities and equipment and the CERCA Programme from the Generalitat de Catalunya for their support of this research. Authors from VHIO acknowledge the State Agency for Research (Agencia Estatal de Investigación) for providing financial support as a Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa (CEX2020-001024-S/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). A.V. was the recipient of a project award from the FAECC (AVP/18/AECC/3219) and received funding from the Advanced Molecular Diagnostic (DIAMAV) program from the FERO Foundation. Graphical abstract was created with BioRender.com. Diagram in Figure 3B was created with SankeyMATIC (sankeymatic.com)

Towards a Muon Collider

A muon collider would enable the big jump ahead in energy reach that is needed for a fruitful exploration of fundamental interactions. The challenges of producing muon collisions at high luminosity and 10 TeV centre of mass energy are being investigated by the recently-formed International Muon Collider Collaboration. This Review summarises the status and the recent advances on muon colliders design, physics and detector studies. The aim is to provide a global perspective of the field and to outline directions for future work.Comment: 118 pages, 103 figure

Towards a muon collider

A muon collider would enable the big jump ahead in energy reach that is needed for a fruitful exploration of fundamental interactions. The challenges of producing muon collisions at high luminosity and 10 TeV centre of mass energy are being investigated by the recently-formed International Muon Collider Collaboration. This Review summarises the status and the recent advances on muon colliders design, physics and detector studies. The aim is to provide a global perspective of the field and to outline directions for future work

Towards a muon collider

A muon collider would enable the big jump ahead in energy reach that is needed for a fruitful exploration of fundamental interactions. The challenges of producing muon collisions at high luminosity and 10 TeV centre of mass energy are being investigated by the recently-formed International Muon Collider Collaboration. This Review summarises the status and the recent advances on muon colliders design, physics and detector studies. The aim is to provide a global perspective of the field and to outline directions for future work