Transient LTRE analysis reveals the demographic and trait-mediated processes that buffer population growth.

Temporal variation in environmental conditions affects population growth directly via its impact on vital rates, and indirectly through induced variation in demographic structure and phenotypic trait distributions. We currently know very little about how these processes jointly mediate population responses to their environment. To address this gap, we develop a general transient life table response experiment (LTRE) which partitions the contributions to population growth arising from variation in (1) survival and reproduction, (2) demographic structure, (3) trait values and (4) climatic drivers. We apply the LTRE to a population of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) to demonstrate the impact of demographic and trait-mediated processes. Our analysis provides a new perspective on demographic buffering, which may be a more subtle phenomena than is currently assumed. The new LTRE framework presents opportunities to improve our understanding of how trait variation influences population dynamics and adaptation in stochastic environments

Trace-metaldynamics in response of increase CO₂ and iron availability in a coastal mesocosm experiment

A mesocosm experiment was performed in the Raunefjord (Norway) to study changes in dissolved Cu (dCu) and Fe (dFe), and in the elemental composition of particles during an Emiliania huxleyi dominated bloom. The CO2 treatments consisted of present (LC; 390 ppmV) and predicted levels (HC; 900 ppmV) and iron conditions were created with the addition of the siderophore desferoxamine B (DFB). Our results showed the DFB addition enhanced the solubility of Fe in this fjord environment. Initially, dFe was comparable among treatments but after the addition, the HC and/or +DFB treatments presented higher levels and finally, the only ones maintaining high dFe were the +DFB treatments. Unlike dCu presented indistinguishable levels in all mesocosms over time. Particulate metals were normalised to P and Al to evaluate the relative influence of biotic and abiotic sources. The Fe:P ratios decreased with time and compared to published phytoplankton ratios suggest Fe storage. On the other hand, Fe:Al ratios were relatively closer to the crustal ratios suggesting that the abiotic source was more important for this metal. Trends for other metals will be discussed.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

User Experience Design Manifesto

The rapid change of the elements of context requires an urgent reflection on "Experience" and "Meaning with Value". The aim of this article is to critically review the User Experience Design (UXD) as a disciplinary field, and contribute by a Manifesto to an inspiring vision of the future. Some authors will be reviewed in order to list and discuss the different ideas to redefine the desirable skills to an enlightened practice and to influence a new ethos of "Be Innovation" to a better world. The article retrieves and revisits a Design Manifesto made on the basis of a strategic vision for Design based on distinctive design competencies. This Manifesto was in the origin of the platform www.inspaedia.com.CITAD – Centro de Investigação em Território, Arquitetura e Design, Universidades de Lusíada, Portugal; CIAUD – Centro de Investigação em Arquitetura, Urbanismo e Design, Faculdade de Arquitetura, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal. This research is financed by national funds from the FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal, within the scope of the project UID/AUR/04026/2013

Environmentally induced phenotypic variation in wild yellow-bellied marmots

We thank all the marmoteers who helped in data collection and 2 anonymous reviewers who helped us to clarify our message. AM-C was supported by a Fulbright Fellowship, and JGAM was supported by Fond Québécois de Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologies. KBA was supported by the National Science Foundation between 1962 and 2000. DTB was supported by the National Geographic Society, UCLA (Faculty Senate and the Division of Life Sciences), a Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory research fellowship, and by the National Science Foundation (IDBR-0754247 and DEB-1119660 to DTB as well as DBI 0242960 and 0731346 to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory).Peer reviewedPostprin

El águila y el dragón: la batalla del nuevo milenio

Irak, Estados Unidos e Inglaterra han estado en el ojo del huracán debido a la incursión bélica que estos últimos dos realizaron en el 2003 para derrocar al régimen iraquí a pesar de la oposición de muchos países en el Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU

Biogeochemical cycling of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the Strait of Georgia

The temporal and spatial distribution of dissolved and particulate PBDEs seawater concentration has been monitored in the Strait of Georgia (SoG) since 2013. We aim to determine the sources, sinks and biogeochemical cycling of PBDE congeners in the water column in SoG. Particulate PBDEs concentrations show high temporal and spatial variability, indicating that the outfalls from the waste water treatment plants are major point sources. Changes in congener distributions in relation to total particulate PBDE concentrations suggest that the less brominated congeners desorb from sewage particles and add to the dissolved PBDEs pool more rapidly than the more brominated congeners. We also measured very low particulate PBDE concentrations during phytoplankton blooms, which suggest slow kinetics of adsorption or uptake of dissolved PBDEs by phytoplankton. In contrast, the concentrations of dissolved PBDEs in the SoG are more uniform and indicate that the outfalls from waste water treatment plants are not major direct point sources. Other potential sources include atmospheric deposition and desorption from effluent particles after their dispersion. A depth profile of dissolved PBDEs shows higher concentrations of the BDE-47, 99 and 153 at the surface, indicating contributions from the atmosphere or from the Fraser River. However, their highest concentrations were found at, or above, the buoyancy depth of the outfall plume from the Iona Waste Water Treatment Plant. Results obtained to date suggest a differential partitioning of PBDE congeners after their discharge from waste water treatment plants. Less brominated congeners are preferentially desorbed from sewage particles and are preferentially transported towards the surface by the estuarine circulation of the SoG, while the more brominated congeners predominantly remain associated with particles and accumulate on the seafloor. This working hypothesis will be further tested by measuring the kinetics of adsorption/desorption of PBDEs on phytoplankton and sewage particles using C-14 labelled PBDE congeners

The global relevance of the Scotia Arc: An introduction

The Scotia Arc, situated between South America and Antarctica, is one of the Earth’s most important ocean gateways and former land bridges. Understanding its structure and development is critical for the knowledge of tectonic, paleoenvironmental and biological processes in the southern oceans and Antarctica. It extends from the Drake Passage in the west, where the Shackleton Fracture Zone forms a prominent, but discontinuous, bathymetric ridge between the southern South American continent and the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula to the active intra-oceanic volcanic arc forming the South Sandwich Island in the east. The tectonic arc comprises the NSR to the north and to the south the South Scotia Ridge, both transcurrent plate margins that respectively include the South Georgia and South Orkney microcontinents. The Scotia and Sandwich tectonic plates form the major basin within these margins. As the basins opened, formation of first shallow sea ways and then deep ocean connections controlled the initiation and development of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which is widely thought to have been important in providing the climatic conditions for formation of the polar ice-sheets. The evolution of the Scotia Arc is therefore of global palaeoclimatic significance. The Scotia Arc has been the focus of increasing international research interest. Many recent studies have stressed the links and interactions between the solid Earth, oceanographic, palaeoenvironmental and biological processes in the area. This special issue presents new works that summarize significant recent research results and synthesize the current state of knowledge for the Scotia Arc

Innovation of Coagulation-Flocculation Processes Using Biopolyelectrolytes and Zeta Potential for Water Reuse

The coagulation-flocculation process is one of the conventional technologies used for the treatment of different types of industrial wastewater. The zeta potential is a key parameter that allows to determine the effective pH, the type and the correct biopolyelectrolyte dose to return the water quality using coagulation-flocculation. In this chapter, we present the application of a natural cationic biopolyelectrolyte (chitosan) to make the separation and recovery of cellulose fiber more efficient and to increase the reuse of treated water from the pulp and paper industry. The result of the coagulation-flocculation test at pH 5.4 and a chitosan dose = 10 mg/L shows that the treated water has the following values: biochemical oxygen demand = 150 mg O2/L, turbidity = 5 FAU, total suspended solids = 2 mg/L, chemical oxygen demand = 200 mg/L and hardness = 250 mg CaCO3/L. The quality of water obtained allows its discharge to a natural water body, in which it is possible to continue with a biological treatment stage, or to reuse the treated water for the manufacture of paper. Additionally, this coagulation-flocculation process can be coupled to an advanced oxidation process to increase the quality of the water and mineralize the content of organic material