Caracterización de endemismos mediterráneos en la flora egipcia

The Mediterranean Basin is the world’s second richest hotspot, and one of the most important locations on the planet for endemic taxa. However, there is no available up-to-date list of Mediterranean endemics. Available data are frequently insufficient or outdated. Therefore, this study aimed at delimiting the Mediterranean floristic region in Egypt, screening its Mediterranean endemics, and determining their habitats, life forms, flowering periods, dispersal types and phyto-geographical distribution. From a list of 275 Mediterranean endemic taxa in Egypt compiled from literature, this study reduced it to 57 taxa (including species, subspecies and varieties; 20.7%) belonging to 46 genera and 22 families. Fifteen major habitats harbored Mediterranean endemics in Egypt, with coastal dunes (17 taxa = 29.8%) and non-saline depressions (16 taxa = 28.1%) being the most represented. Moreover, the Mareotis (west) subsector was the richest (46 taxa = 80.7%). The largest number of taxa was recorded in North African sub-region (52 taxa = 91.2%), followed by Eastern (levant) sub-region (36 taxa = 63.2%). Therophytes were the most recorded life form, while ballochory was the most represented dispersal type. In conclusion, it is crucial to shed the light on Mediterranean endemics and provide an up-to-date documented database to help future management plan that support their conservation and sustainable use.La cuenca Mediterránea es el segundo hotspot más rico del mundo y uno de los lugares más importantes del planeta en taxones endémicos. Sin embargo, no existe una lista actualizada de taxones endémicos mediterráneos. Los datos disponibles son frecuentemente insuficientes o están desactualizados. Por tanto, nuestro objetivo fue delimitar la región florística mediterránea en Egipto, seleccionar sus plantas endémicas mediterráneas y determinar sus hábitats, formas de vida, periodos de floración, tipos de dispersión y distribución fitogeográfica. Partiendo de una lista preliminar de 275 taxones endémicos del Mediterráneo presentes en Egipto recopilada de la bibliografía, este estudio redujo ese número a 57 taxones (incluyendo especies, subespecies y variedades; 20.7%) pertenecientes a 46 géneros y 22 familias. Las plantas endémicas mediterráneas de Egipto viven en quince hábitats principales, siendo los más representativos las dunas costeras (17 taxones = 29.8%) y las depresiones no salinas (16 taxones = 28.1%). El subsector Mareotis (al oeste) fue el más rico (46 taxones = 80.7%), mientras que el mayor número de taxones se registró en la subregión del norte de África (52 taxones = 91.2%), seguida de la subregión del este (levante) (36 taxones = 63.2%). Los terófitos fueron la forma vital más registrada y la balocoria el tipo de dispersión más común. En conclusión, es crucial arrojar luz sobre las plantas endémicas del Mediterráneo y proporcionar una base de datos documentada y actualizada que ayude a planificar una gestión futura que promueva su conservación y uso sostenible

Antenatal steroid exposure and heart rate variability in adolescents born with very low birth weight

Reduced heart rate variability (HRV) suggests autonomic imbalance in the control of heart rate and is associated with unfavorable cardiometabolic outcomes. We examined whether antenatal corticosteroid (ANCS) exposure had long-term programming effects on heart rate variability (HRV) in adolescents born with very low birth weight (VLBW)

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS FOR SOLAR PROTON EVENTS MEASURED BY GOES SPACECRAFT DURING THE PERIOD (1976-1990)

ABSTRACT During tile period fro

Controlling hybrid nonlinearities in transparent conducting oxides via two-colour excitation

Nanophotonics and metamaterials have revolutionised the way we think about optical space (epsilon, mu), enabling us to engineer the refractive index almost at will, to confine light to the smallest of the volumes, and to manipulate optical signals with extremely small footprints and energy requirements. Significant efforts are now devoted to finding suitable materials and strategies for the dynamic control of the optical properties. Transparent conductive oxides exhibit large ultrafast nonlinearities under both interband and intraband excitations. Here, we show that combining these two effects in aluminium-doped zinc oxide via a two colour laser field discloses new material functionalities. Owing to the independence of the two nonlinearities the ultrafast temporal dynamics of the material permittivity can be designed by acting on the amplitude and delay of the two fields. We demonstrate the potential applications of this novel degree of freedom by dynamically addressing the modulation bandwidth and optical spectral tuning of a probe optical pulse

Antenatal corticosteroids and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in adolescents born preterm

Antenatal corticosteroid (ANCS) treatment hastens fetal lung maturity and improves survival of premature infants, but the long-term effects of ANCS are not well-described. Animal models suggest ANCS increases the risk of cardiovascular disease through programmed changes in the renin-angiotensin (Ang)-aldosterone system (RAAS). We hypothesized that ANCS exposure alters the RAAS in adolescents born prematurely