A rapid cleaning method for diatoms

We describe here a protocol for cleaning diatoms when time is short and the amount of sample is very limited. Essentially, the method consists of drying material onto coverslips and cleaning it directly in situ using nitric acid (or hydrogen peroxide), which is evaporated to dryness. After washing twice or a few times with deionized water, the coverslips are ready for mounting in resin for light microscopy as usual, or attachment to stubs for scanning electron microscopy. Besides speed, the method has the advantage that it often preserves some frustules intact or leaves their different elements (and stages of valve formation) closely associated with each other. Examples where the method is especially advantageous are to clean small aliquots of cultures for identification or to act as vouchers, or to explore diversity of the most abundant species in natural material (e.g. periphyton). It is less suitable for counts in ecological or palaeoecological studies. We tabulate the many other cleaning methods to provide context for the new method described here.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Nitzschia fenestralis:A new diatom species abundant in the holocene sediments of an eastern African crater lake

Nitzschia is common in the phytoplankton of several East African lakes. A new species, Nitzschia fenestralis, sp. nov. D. Grady, D.G. Mann et Trobajo was encountered at numerous depths in a 16 m sediment core from Lake Babogaya, Ethiopia and is described using light and scanning electron microscopy. It is compared with several other morphologically similar taxa described from East and Central Africa (especially N. aequalis, N. mediocris, N. obsoleta and N. fabiennejansseniana), and from Europe (N. fruticosa). An unusual feature of some of these species (N. fenestralis, N. obsoleta and N. fabiennejansseniana) is that in the raphe canal each stria is represented by two narrower areolae (alternatively interpreted as a single subdivided areola). It is this feature that suggested the name of the new species (through the resemblance to a series of sash windows). Another characteristic of N. fenestralis and N. obsoleta, apparently never reported previously in any diatom, is that the more advalvar bands end approximately halfway along the frustules, rather than at the poles. In most respects (shape and size, stria and fibula densities, valve and girdle structure), N. fenestralis and N. obsoleta are very similar, but confusion is unlikely because they differ in whether central raphe endings are present (N. fenestralis) or absent (N. obsoleta). In Nitzschia fenestralis, and perhaps to a lesser extent in N. obsoleta, the striae usually become strongly radiate towards the poles. A preliminary assessment, based on the literature, suggests that N. fabiennejansseniana may be synonymous with N. obsoleta, which was described earlier.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Eileen J. Cox: her journey with diatoms

Eileen already had a keen interest in science during her school years. She studied Botany at Bristol University from 1967–1970, and it was her University teacher, Professor Frank Round, who inspired her interest in diatoms. During her PhD at Bristol under Frank Round’s supervision (1970–1975) she investigated the biology of tube-dwelling diatoms. At the same time, she worked as Departmental Demonstrator in the Botany Department. She left Bristol University in 1976 and became a Claridge Druce Research Fellow at the University of Oxford (1977–1980). Her investigations focused on the genus Navicula and the ultrastructure of diatom cells more generally. From 1979–1980 Eileen took up a post as lecturer at Pembroke College, University of Oxford. In 1980 Eileen moved to Germany and worked as a Royal Society European Exchange Research Fellow at the Litoralstation, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland. Here her studies focused on living diatoms, in particular the genus Donkinia, and she explored the value of live-cell features as diagnostic characters. From 1982–1985 she worked as a Max Planck research fellow at the Max-Planck-Institute at Plön, and from 1985–1988 as a Fellow of the German Research Foundation at the Max-Planck-Institute of Limnology, River Station, in Schlitz. During these years Eileen’s research on Navicula continued, but she also worked on the genera Placoneis, Parlibellus and Pinnularia, and studied relationships between diatom distributions and the environment. In 1989 Eileen returned to the UK to join the University of Sheffield, first as Research Associate, then as NERC Advanced Research Fellow and Honorary Lecturer, and carried out ecotoxicological studies on zooplankton. In 1992 she joined the Natural History Museum as Research Botanist to continue her research on diatoms. Here Eileen made many important contributions to diatom taxonomy and systematics. She carried out important studies on the naviculoid diatoms, and on live diatoms including her novel research on valve morphogenesis. Eileen has been involved in the organisation of many scientific meetings. In 1987 she organized the first meeting of the German-speaking diatomists in Schlitz, Germany, a meeting that has subsequently developed to include a much larger group of scientists from across Europe and from 2020 onwards will be the European Diatom Meeting. Other meetings she has helped organize include those held by the British Phycological Society, British Diatom Meetings, a NorthWest and Midlands Freshwater Group meeting, the Van Heurck Symposium on Taxonomy, a SETAC Europe meeting, a Society for the History of Natural History Meeting, and several European and International Phycological Congresses. Eileen has taught extensively; hosted 7 post-doctoral fellows and many research visitors to the Natural History Museum; supervised 10 PhD students, 4 M.Sc./M.Phil. students, 1 M.Res. student, and 4 final year B.Sc. students; and examined 9 PhDs and 1 DSc. She is currently a member of six learned societies, has refereed manuscripts for 31 scientific journals, has been invited speaker at 32 scientific meetings, gave 28 invited lectures at universities and research institutes, and presented at 56 national and international conferences. Eileen has given great service to several scientific societies, as council member, secretary or president. These include the British Phycological Society (president 2001–2002), the International Society for Diatom Research (president 2000– 112 Pl. Ecol. Evol. 152 (2), 2019 2002), the Systematics Association, and the International Phycological Society. Since 2007 Eileen has been Head of Postgraduate Studies in the Science Directorate of the Natural History Museum. As part of her role she develops and implements the training programmes of students at NHM, is responsible for strategic planning, and coordinates with research and training partners at universities and research institutions across the UK. Eileen is currently Editor in Chief of Diatom Research, and was previously Associate Editor (2011–2014), she is a board member of Fottea (since 2010), was guest co-editor of the Journal of the North American Benthological Society (Special Issue on Ecology of Springs), guest co-editor of the Journal of Limnology (Special Issue on Spring Biodiversity and Conservation), and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Phycology (2004–2009). Private hobbies include gardening, crafts such as cross stitching and sewing, visiting art museums and travelling, especially river and ocean cruises that have taken Eileen and Elliot recently to Alaska, the Caribbean, Germany, the Czech Republic, France and Portugal. Readers may like to read Eileen’s own description of her journey in diatoms, written for the young diatomists’ blog (available at https://youngisdr.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_12. html or in this volume supplementary information).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Procedencia y uso de madera de pino silvestre y pino laricio en edificios históricos de Castilla y Andalucía

The productive cycle of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and black pine (Pinus nigra Arn.) within the medieval Castilian and Andalusian carpentry is here analysed. New criteria to identify both timbers and its dendrochronological date are shown as previous facts to determine their geographical origin. Historical names of these species and other names, such as alerce, with a vague allocation are also studied. Main historical areas of resource and river ways of Tajo and Guadalquivir used to transport the wood (black pine) to interior cities (Sevilla, Toledo, Madrid …) are thus identified. On the other hand, wood’s diversification and its selective use is analysed regarding its resistance value. Availability also determines that a sort of wood becomes fossil-guide (especie-guía), which is proposed as chronological indicator for several periods and constructive contexts. Some timber remains dating to the first millennium are studied in detail. They belong to the Mosque of Cordoba and four early medieval churches sited in the Duero valley (La Nave, Baños, Quintanilla and Barriosuso). The empiric dating and analysis of this material offer a post quem chronology for the building of these churches and new facts about the distribution of theses wood’s species in the north-western Iberian peninsula.Se realiza un recorrido a través del ciclo constructivo de las maderas de pino silvestre (Pinus sylvestris L.) y pino laricio (Pinus nigra Arn.) en el ámbito de la carpintería medieval de Castilla y Andalucía. Nuevos criterios para diferenciar las dos especies de madera y su datación dendrocronológica, son aportados como datos previos para determinar el origen geográfico del material. Son objeto de discusión los nombres históricos de estas especies y otras voces, como alerce, que tienen una imprecisa asignación. Se identifican así las principales áreas históricas de aprovechamiento y las vías fluviales del Tajo y Guadalquivir utilizadas para el abastecimiento de madera de pino laricio a poblaciones del interior peninsular (Sevilla, Toledo, Madrid, etc.). Por otra parte, se analizan la diversificación de maderas y su uso selectivo en función del valor resistente de cada especie. Así mismo, las condiciones de disponibilidad determinan que un tipo de madera se convierta en fósilguía (especie-guía), que se propone como indicador cronológico de varios periodos y contextos constructivos. Finalmente, se estudian más en detalle restos lígneos del primer milenio de la Era, pertenecientes a la Mezquita de Córdoba y cuatro iglesias altomedievales de la cuenca del Duero (La Nave, Baños, Quintanilla y Barriosuso). La datación empírica y el análisis de este material aportan una cronología post quem de la construcción de estos edificios y también nuevos datos sobre la distribución de estas especies en la región norte de la Península Ibérica

Diseño y utilidad de un protocolo de PCR múltiple mediante el análisis de regiones microsatélites para la diferenciación de aislamientos clínicos de Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto

205 p.La tipificación molecular de regiones microsatélites (STR), es una herramienta de genotipado queposibilita el estudio de las relaciones filogenéticas entre diferentes aislamientos de microorganismos, conaplicaciones muy diversas en epidemiología y microbiología molecular como puede ser la investigaciónde brotes asociados a infecciones (sean nosocomiales o comunitarias) para identificar los posiblesmecanismos de transmisión de las mismas en la población.El presente trabajo de Tesis Doctoral pretende avanzar en la utilidad y aplicabilidad de la genotipadomediante STR de la levadura Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto, desarrollando y validando un nuevoprotocolo de detección múltiple con un esquema de amplificación touchdown, adaptando el protocolosingleplex original publicado por Sabino et al. en 2010. Durante la etapa de validación se estudiaron laeficacia (utilizando cepas de referencia) como la efectividad (empleando aislamientos clínicos deCandida parapsilosis sensu stricto obtenidos de pacientes con candidemia asociada a dispositivosintravasculares) del nuevo método. Para completar dicho análisis se valoró la concordancia del nuevométodo frente al de referencia y se analizó del poder discriminativo de dicha técnica mediante laestimación de cuatro parámetros (PIC, índice de Simpson, heterocigosidad estimada y la entropía).Los resultados obtenidos estimaron unos valores de sensibilidad y especificidad del 100%, con unosintervalos de confianza al 95% (IC95%) entre 0,158 - 1, y 0,753 ¿ 1 respectivamente. Asimismo, laconcordancia entre ambas técnicas (nueva y original) fue perfecta (índice Kappa: 1 IC95%) lo quegarantiza que el método optimizado es equivalente al protocolo original, permitiendo el acortamiento derealización de la técnica hasta la obtención de los resultados, permitiendo su simplificación de la técnica yabriendo la posibilidad de su automatización. Por último, cabe resaltar que el nuevo método, permitióidentificar de manera más fiable las candidemias relacionada a catéter poder establecer relacionesfilogenéticas entre las muestras tanto de sangre como de catéter en función de su genotipo y no sólo de suespecie tal y como viene haciéndose en la práctica clínica. Por este motivo, la técnica descrita y propuesta en el presente trabajo puede contribuir a la mejora del diagnóstico, tratamiento y manejo de lascandidiasis invasivas causadas por Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto

Trasplante pulmonar: limpieza ineficaz de las vías aéreas en una Unidad de Reanimación Postquirúrgica

[Resumen] Introducción: el uso del trasplante pulmonar ha ido ganando terreno en el tratamiento de enfermedades pulmonares en sus etapas terminales. El elevado número de complicaciones, sobre todo de la vía aérea, hacen crucial el trabajo de enfermería. Objetivos: 1) Establecer un Plan de Cuidados estándar para el Diagnóstico de Enfermería “Limpieza ineficaz de las vías aéreas” en el trasplantado pulmonar en la Unidad de Reanimación Postquirúrgica. 2) Comprobar la aplicabilidad del plan de cuidados en un paciente trasplantado pulmonar ingresado en la Unidad. 3) Valorar la eficacia de dicho plan en relación a los resultados obtenidos. Desarrollo: Se realiza un plan de cuidados estándar para el diagnóstico de “Limpieza Ineficaz de las vías aéreas” en el trasplantado pulmonar utilizando la taxonomía NANDA-I, NOC y NIC. A continuación, se seleccionó un caso y se aplica el estándar. Las actividades realizadas sirvieron para mejorar la limpieza de las vías aéreas y evitar complicaciones. Discusión y conclusiones: El uso de la taxonomía enfermera nos sirve para registrar y evaluar nuestras acciones de forma ordenada, justifica el trabajo de enfermería y nos permite una mayor autonomía. En general se cumplieron los resultados esperados gracias a las actividades realizadas.[Resumo] Introducción: o uso do trasplante pulmonar foi gañando terreo no tratamento de enfermedades pulmonares nas súas etapas termináis. O elevado número de complicacións, sobre todo da vía aérea, fan crucial o traballo de enfermería. Obxectivos: 1) Establecer un Plan de Coidados Estándar para o diagnóstico “ Limpeza ineficaz das vías aéreas” nun trasplantado pulmonar na Unidade de Reanimación Postquirúrxica. 2) Comprobar a aplicabilidade do plan de coidados nun paciente trasplantado pulmonar ingresado na unidade. 3) Valorar dito plan en relación cos resultados obtidos. Desenvolvemento: Realízase un plan de coidados estándar para o diagnóstico de “Limpeza ineficaz das vías aéreas”, no trasplantado pulmonar, utilizando a taxonomía NANDA-I, NOC e NIC. A continuación, seleccionouse un caso e aplicouse o estándar. As actividades realizadas serveron para mellorar a limpeza das vías aéreas e evitar complicacións. Discusión e conclusións: O uso da taxonomía enfermería sírvenos para rexistrar e evaluar as nosas accións de forma ordenada, xustifica o traballo de enfermería e permítenos unha maior autonomía. En xeral cumplíronse os resultados esperadas gracias ás actividades realizadas.[Abstract] Introduction: the use of lung transplantation has been gaining ground in the treatment of lung diseases in their terminal stages. The high number of complications, especially the airway, makes crucial nursing work. Objectives: 1) Establish a standard care plan for nursing diagnosis “ineffective airway clearance" in a lung transplant recipient on a postsurgical reanimation unit. 2) Check the applicability of the care plan on a lung transplant patient admitted to the unit. 3) Evaluate the effectiveness of the plan in relation to the results. Development: We did a standard care plan for the nursing diagnosis of “Ineffective airway clearance" in lung transplant using taxonomy NANDA-I, NOC and NIC. Then a case was selected and the standard applied. The activities served to improve the clearance of the airways and prevent complications. Discussion and Conclusions: The use of nurse taxonomy is useful to record and evaluate our actions in an orderly, justified nursing work and allows us greater autonomy. Generally expected results were accomplished thanks to the activities undertaken.Traballo fin de grao (UDC.ENFC). Enfermaría. Curso 2014/2015

When are dynamic and static feedback equivalent?

AbstractAn open question in Control Theory over commutative rings is: When does dynamic feedback equivalence imply (static) feedback equivalence? A second open problem is: Given a linear system Σ=(A,B), when does there exist a matrix F such that A+BF is invertible? In this paper we solve both questions, obtaining two characterizations of stable rings

Humanismo clásico y fé cristiana

La crisis de valores y el oscurecimiento de opciones fundamentales consistentes, plantea la recuperación de los principios morales del humanismo greco-latino como una clave para pensar y actuar. Desde esta premisa aborda la necesidad de reencontrar al ser humano entre los rasgos de la deshumanización por la agonía de las ambiciones desmedidas, la invasión de la postmodernidad y las nuevas-viejas indagaciones sobre la condición humana, ofreciendo pautas que faciliten ulteriores explicaciones en la búsqueda de nuevos continentes de humanización y trascendencia; todo ello situado en el marco de búsqueda del sentido de la existencia en la que deberán encajarse opciones, valores, actitudes y relaciones humanas que, según el estilo del Evangelio de Jesucristo, han de ser fuente de par, de felicidad y hasta de abundanci

Kalman reduced form and pole placement by state feedback for multi‐input linear systems over Hermite rings

[EN] A Kalman reduced form is obtained for linear systems over Hermite rings. This reduced form gives information of the set of assignable polynomials to a given linear system.S

Holocene palaeoenvironmental evolution of the Ebro Delta (Western Mediterranean Sea) : evidence for an early construction based on the benthic foraminiferal record

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2015. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in The Holocene 26 (2016): 1438-1456, doi:10.1177/0959683616640048.Major Mediterranean deltas began to develop during a period between 8000 and 6000 yr BP when the rate of fluvial sediment input overtook the declining rate of sea-level rise. However, different authors have argued that the Ebro Delta primarily formed during the Late Middle Ages as a consequence of increased anthropogenic pressure on its river basin and these arguments are supported by the scarcity of previous geological studies and available radiocarbon dates. To reconstruct the environmental evolution of the Ebro Delta during the Holocene, we used micropalaeontological analysis of continuous boreholes drilled in two different locations (Carlet and Sant Jaume) on the central delta plain. Different lithofacies distributions and associated environments of deposition were defined based on diagnostic foraminiferal assemblages and the application of a palaeowater-depth transfer function. The more landward Carlet sequence shows an older and more proximal progradational delta with a sedimentary record composed of inner bay, lagoonal, and beach materials deposited between 7600 yr BP and >2000 yr BP under rising sea-level and highstand conditions. This phase was followed by a series of delta-plain environments reflected in part by the Carlet deposits that formed before 2000 yr BP. The Sant Jaume borehole is located closer to the present coastline and contains a much younger sequence that accumulated in the 3 last 2.0 ka during the development of three different deltaic lobes under highstand sea40 level conditions. The results of the present study reinforce the idea that the Ebro Delta dates to the early Holocene, similar to other large Mediterranean deltas.Drilling and coring was funded by the US National Science Foundation 686 grant EAR- 0952146. Work on the cores presented in this study was partially financed by the Formation and Research Unit in Quaternary: Environmental Changes and Human Fingerprint (UPV/EHU, UFI11/09) and HAREA-Coastal Geology Research Group (Basque Government, IT767-13) projects. It was supported by an IRTA-URV Santander fellowship to Xavier Benito through “BRDI Trainee Research Personnel Programme funded by University of Rovira and Virgili R+D+I projects” and the European Community’s 7th Framework Programme through the grant to Collaborative Project RISES-AM-, Contract FP7-ENV-2013-two-stage-603396