Uninformed sacrifice: evidence against long-range alarm transmission in foraging ants exposed to a localized perturbation

It is well stablished that danger information can be transmitted by ants through relatively small distances, provoking either a state of alarm when they move away from potentially dangerous stimulus, or charge toward it aggressively. There is almost no knowledge if danger information can be transmitted along large distances. In this paper, we perturb leaf cutting ants of the species Atta insularis while they forage in their natural evioronment at a certain point of the foraging line, so ants make a "U" turn to escape from the danger zone and go back to the nest. Our results strongly suggest that those ants do not transmit "danger information" to other nestmates marching towards the danger area. The individualistic behavior of the ants returning from the danger zone results in a depression of the foraging activity due to the systematic sacrifice of non-informed individuals.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Electrocatalysis: Fundamentals and Applications

Electrocatalysis is a special field in Electrochemistry that hasgained a special growth after the late eighties due to theapplication of new hybrid techniques. However, most of theapplications have run for academic purposes but not fortechnical uses in the industry. Nowadays, the application ofnew concepts of electrocatalysis for industrial electrochemi-cal processes has appeared as a necessity and not only attract-ing attention for chemists but for engineers. Therefore,industrial electrocatalytic processes have only been presentedin the literature from the chemical engineering point of viewwith few further electrochemical explanations and mainlyduring the late seventies. The design and preparation of anelectrocatalyst (electrodes for technological uses) are basedon new concepts such as a controlled surface roughness,atomic topographic profiles, defined catalytic centre sites,atomic rearrangements, and phase transitions in the courseof the electrochemical reactions.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicada

First Trimester Aneuploidy Screening Program for Preeclampsia Prediction in a Portuguese Obstetric Population

Objective. To evaluate the performance of a first trimester aneuploidy screening program for preeclampsia (PE) prediction in a Portuguese obstetric population, when performed under routine clinical conditions. Materials and Methods. Retrospective cohort study of 5672 pregnant women who underwent routine first trimester aneuploidy screening in a Portuguese university hospital from January 2009 to June 2013. Logistic regression-based predictive models were developed for prediction of PE based on maternal characteristics, crown-rump length (CRL), nuchal translucency thickness (NT), and maternal serum levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and free beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (free β-hCG). Results. At a false-positive rate of 5/10%, the detection rate for early-onset (EO-PE) and late-onset (LO-PE) PE was 31.4/45.7% and 29.5/35.2%, respectively. Although both forms of PE were associated with decreased PAPP-A, logistic regression analysis revealed significant contributions from maternal factors, free β-hCG, CRL, and NT, but not PAPP-A, for prediction of PE. Conclusion. Our findings support that both clinical forms of EO-PE and LO-PE can be predicted using a combination of maternal history and biomarkers assessed at first trimester aneuploidy screening. However, detection rates were modest, suggesting that models need to be improved with additional markers not included in the current aneuploidy screening programs

Editorial: Electrocatalysis: Fundamentals and Applications

Electrocatalysis is a special field in Electrochemistry that hasgained a special growth after the late eighties due to theapplication of new hybrid techniques. However, most of theapplications have run for academic purposes but not fortechnical uses in the industry. Nowadays, the application ofnew concepts of electrocatalysis for industrial electrochemi-cal processes has appeared as a necessity and not only attract-ing attention for chemists but for engineers. Therefore,industrial electrocatalytic processes have only been presentedin the literature from the chemical engineering point of viewwith few further electrochemical explanations and mainlyduring the late seventies. The design and preparation of anelectrocatalyst (electrodes for technological uses) are basedon new concepts such as a controlled surface roughness,atomic topographic profiles, defined catalytic centre sites,atomic rearrangements, and phase transitions in the courseof the electrochemical reactions.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicada

Aprendizagem baseada em jogos (ABJ) por meio de novas tecnologias na área de Educação Física. Proposta de formação para professores e/ou alunos na área educacional.

Resumen: Introducción: Esta propuesta de formación hacia el profesorado y/o alumnado de la rama educativa, persigue que los participantes descubran nuevas herramientas y recursos tecnológicos que les permitan lograr el aprendizaje del alumnado a través del juego. Estas propuestas están enfocadas al área de Educación Física, aunque ello no impide que puedan aplicarse a otras áreas. A través del aprendizaje cooperativo se pretende formar al profesorado en estos nuevos conocimientos. Los diferentes recursos que se expondrán en esta propuesta son las camisetas de Realidad Aumentada (RA), el Merge Cube y diferentes juegos interactivos que los docentes pueden crear a través de Genially. Objetivos: Los principales objetivos están centrados en desarrollar y enseñar nuevas formas o herramientas para que el profesorado de Educación Física tenga más recursos para sus clases. Métodos: Se plantean cinco sesiones en la que se enseña al profesorado partícipe las diferentes herramientas digitales, a través del aprendizaje cooperativo. El aprendizaje cooperativo se basa en pequeñas agrupaciones de alumnos en las que estos deben trabajar codo con codo para conseguir llegar a una meta común, es decir, dependen los unos de los otros para lograr un fin concreto (Salgado et al., 2022). Conclusiones: Para que los docentes consigan una formación completa y esta no quede obsoleta, es necesario que no paren de actualizar sus conocimientos dentro del ámbito de la educación, por ello se plantea esta propuesta.Abstract: Introduction: This training proposal for teachers and/or students of the educational branch, seeks for participants to discover new tools and technological resources that allow them to achieve student learning through play. These proposals are focused on the area of Physical Education, although this does not prevent them from being applied to other areas. Through cooperative learning, the aim is to train teachers in this new knowledge. The different resources that will be exhibited in this proposal are the Augmented Reality (AR) t-shirts, the Merge Cube and different interactive games that teachers can create through Genially. Aim: The main objectives are focused on developing and teaching new ways or tools so that Physical Education teachers have more resources for their classes. Methods: Five sessions are proposed in which the participating teachers are taught the different digital tools, through cooperative learning. Cooperative learning is based on small groups of students in which they must work side by side to achieve a common goal, that is, they depend on each other to achieve a specific goal (Salgado et al., 2022). Conclusions: In order for teachers to get a complete training and this does not become obsolete, it is necessary that they do not stop updating their knowledge within the field of education, for this reason this proposal is proposed.Resumo: Introdução: Esta proposta de formação para professores e/ou alunos do ramo educativo, procura que os participantes descubram novas ferramentas e recursos tecnológicos que lhes permitam alcançar a aprendizagem dos alunos através do jogo. Essas propostas são voltadas para a área da Educação Física, embora isso não impeça que sejam aplicadas em outras áreas. Através da aprendizagem cooperativa, pretende-se formar professores neste novo conhecimento. Os diferentes recursos que serão exibidos nesta proposta são as camisetas de Realidade Aumentada (RA), o Merge Cube e diferentes jogos interativos que os professores podem criar através do Genially. Objectivos: Os objetivos principais estão voltados para desenvolver e ensinar novas formas ou ferramentas para que os professores de Educação Física tenham mais recursos para suas aulas. Métodos: São propostas cinco sessões nas quais os professores participantes aprendem as diferentes ferramentas digitais, através da aprendizagem cooperativa. A aprendizagem cooperativa baseia-se em pequenos grupos de alunos nos quais devem trabalhar lado a lado para atingir um objetivo comum, ou seja, dependem uns dos outros para atingir um objetivo específico. (Salgado et al., 2022). Conclusões: Para que os professores tenham uma formação completa e esta não se torne obsoleta, é necessário que não deixem de atualizar seus conhecimentos dentro do campo da educação, por isso se propõe esta proposta

Foraging at the Edge of Chaos: Internal Clock versus External Forcing

Activity rhythms in animal groups arise both from external changes in the environment, as well as from internal group dynamics. These cycles are reminiscent of physical and chemical systems with quasiperiodic and even chaotic behavior resulting from “autocatalytic” mechanisms. We use nonlinear differential equations to model how the coupling between the self-excitatory interactions of individuals and external forcing can produce four different types of activity rhythms: quasiperiodic, chaotic, phase locked, and displaying over or under shooting. At the transition between quasiperiodic and chaotic regimes, activity cycles are asymmetrical, with rapid activity increases and slower decreases and a phase shift between external forcing and activity. We find similar activity patterns in ant colonies in response to varying temperature during the day. Thus foraging ants operate in a region of quasiperiodicity close to a cascade of transitions leading to chaos. The model suggests that a wide range of temporal structures and irregularities seen in the activity of animal and human groups might be accounted for by the coupling between collectively generated internal clocks and external forcings

Aportación al catálogo de los hongos superiores del Archipielago Canario

The present paper provides us with new contributions to the mycologic flora ofthe Canary Archipelago, accompanied by a short description, as well as with ecological and distributive data. It is also composed of a catalogue of those species, probable first quotations for different islands, whose presence in the archipelago had been already detected.Nuevas aportaciones a la flora micológica del Archipiélago Canario, acompañadas de una breve descripción, así como de datos ecológicos y de distribución se presentan en el presente trabajo. También se ha confeccionado un catálogo con aquellas especies, probables primeras citas para diferentes islas, cuya presencia en el archipiélago ya había sido detectada