Network Analysis of Scientific Research in the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico ecosystem represents a significant management challenge in its 3,423-mile coastline and transnational regulatory setting, along five states from the United States, six states from Mexico, and Cuba which borders the southeastern quadrant. Providing various resources to the regional economies, the continued success of these resources depends on the collaboration among transnational participants in bringing together complementary skills and multidisciplinary approaches to producing, circulating, and utilizing scientific knowledge. Using bibliometric analysis of Gulf of Mexico-related published research over 18 years from 2000 to 2018 allows for identifying organizations, their connections, and trends in the production of scientific research about the region. The results reveal a robust network structure between government and academic institutions but a disjuncture in US-Mexico cross-border research, with organizations outside of the Gulf of Mexico region having a stronger relationship with institutions in each country. The database and findings provide potential information that can contribute to the ongoing efforts to improve transboundary collaboration in the Gulf of Mexico region

Primary care supply and quality of care in England

We investigated the relationship between primary care supply and quality of care in England. We analysed 35 process measures of quality of care covering 13 medical conditions using English Longitudinal Study of Aging data linked to area of residence indicators. Greater GP density had a statistically significant and positive association with quality of care, and distance to GP practice had a statistically significant and negative association. The effects were concentrated in indicators of care related to cardiovascular diseases and arthritis, and on specific indicators for diabetes, incontinence and hearing problems. The results suggest that better primary care supply can improve quality of care

Lava flow morphology at an erupting andesitic stratovolcano: a satellite perspective on El Reventador, Ecuador

Lava flows pose a significant hazard to infrastructure and property located close to volcanoes, and understanding how flows advance is necessary to manage volcanic hazard during eruptions. Compared to low-silica basaltic flows, flows of andesite composition are infrequently erupted and so relatively few studies of their characteristics and behaviour exist. We use El Reventador, Ecuador as a target to investigate andesitic lava flow properties during a 4.5 year period of extrusive eruption between February 2012 and August 2016. We use satellite radar to map the dimensions of 43 lava flows and look at variations in their emplacement behaviour over time. We find that flows descend the north and south flanks of El Reventador, and were mostly emplaced during durations shorter than the satellite repeat interval of 24 days.Flows ranged in length from 0.3 to 1.7 km, and the length of these flows decreased over the observation period. We measure a decrease in flow volume with time that is correlated with a long-term exponential decrease in eruption rate, and propose that this behaviour is caused by temporary magma storage in the conduit acting as a melt capacitor between the magma reservoir and the surface. We use the dimensions of the flow levees and widths to estimate the flow yield strengths, which were of the order of 10-100 kPa. We observe that some flows were diverted by topographic obstacles, and compare measurements of decreased channel width and increased flow thickness at the obstacles with observations from laboratory experiments. Radar observations, such as those presented here, could be used to map and measure properties of evolving lava flow fields at other remote or difficult to monitor volcanoes

Pleijelius longae n. gen., n. sp., un poliqueto abisal sorprendente del atlántico noroccidental (Polychaeta: Hesionidae)

A new genus and species, Pleijelius longae n. gen., n. sp., is proposed for a small hesionid from deep water off Woods Hole, in the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean. The new genus can be separated from other members of the family by having six pairs of enlarged anterior cirri, abundant dorsally-oriented notochaetae, provided with a single row of 2-4 denti- cles, and 10 cushion-shaped marginal pharynx papillae. A cladistic analysis indicates that this new taxon falls within Hesionidae and is the sister group to Hesioninae. A key to all ‘hesionid’ genera is also included.Un nuevo género y especie, Pleijelius longae n. gen., n. sp., es propuesto para un pequeño hesiónido sorprendente abisal recogido frente a Woods Hole, en el Atlántico Noroccidental. El nuevo género puede sepa- rarse de los otros de la familia por contar con seis pares de cirros anteriores alargados, notochaetas abundantes dirigidas dor - salmente, provistas con una hilera de 2-4 dentículos, y faringe con 10 papilas redondeadas marginales. Un análsis cladístico indica que el nuevo género pertenece a Hesionidae y es el grupo hermano de los Hesioninae. También se presenta una clave para todos los géneros de “hesiónidos” del mundo.Fil: Salazar Vallejo, S. I.. El Colegio de la Frontera del Sur; MéxicoFil: Orensanz, Jose Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentin

Experimental island biogeography demonstrates the importance of island size and dispersal for the adaptation to novel habitats

Aim Island biogeography theory describes how island size and isolation determine population colonization success. Large islands sustain larger populations than small ones and experience less demographic stochasticity, thus a lower extinction risk. Nearby islands are more likely to be colonized than distant ones, because they receive more immigrants from the mainland. However, local conditions on islands are often different from those on the mainland; therefore, populations on recently colonized islands also need to adapt. Island size and isolation are known to impact the build-up of genetic variation necessary for adaptation; hence, we integrated island biogeography with evolution experimentally to gain a better understanding of the roles of island size and isolation in biodiversity patterns. Location Laboratory, Ghent University, Belgium. Time period October 2013 to June 2014. Major taxa studied Two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae). Methods Using experimental evolution, we studied the effects of island size and isolation on colonization, extinction and adaptation of the two-spotted spider mite to new islands. The mainland population consisted of bean plants and the islands of tomato plants (a known challenging condition). Islands differed in their size (number of plants) and in the number of immigrants (females, the dispersive stage) they received from the mainland. Results Island size and dispersal decreased extinction risk and increased colonization success and adaptation. Populations on small islands, which are most affected by extinction, were rescued demographically by an increase in dispersal. However, they were never able to adapt. Main conclusions Evolutionary rescue via dispersal is possible only when populations are sufficiently large; small populations cannot adapt, because they lack the genetic variation necessary for local adaptation. Hence, in addition to the effects of island size and dispersal on the ecological processes of colonization and extinction, our results show that island size and dispersal can jointly affect the evolutionary process of adaptation to novel habitats

Obesity and perceived work discrimination in Spain

Obesity is increasingly becoming a source of discrimination in many domains of living, including at the workplace. In this study, we estimate obesity-related discrimination in work settings in Spain and explore its potential sources. We use data from the European Health Interview Survey conducted in 2009–2010. Our models control for a comprehensive set of demographic, socioeconomic, health, and work-related sickness characteristics. We run separate models for women and men, and stratify by type of occupation and by area obesity prevalence. Our results indicate that weight-related discrimination in work settings in Spain is concentrated among women with morbid obesity, particularly among those working in customer-facing jobs and living in areas with low-obesity prevalence. These findings emphasize the persistence of the gendered nature of obesity-related discrimination, and provide evidence of a form of induced statistical discrimination. Employers’ expectations of lower returns from obese workers in customer facing jobs might be driven by customers’ preferences caused by social stigma. Furthermore, the role of area-obesity prevalence highlights the impact of cultural social norms even within the same country

Assessment of follicle density of leather from native brazilian goat breeds: quality criteria

The conservation in situ of zoogenetic resources requires the characterization of the production of local breeds. It is so far possible to evaluate and occasionally to improve the productive characters, making the breeding of those animals profitable for the producer. With this purpose a variety of works about the productive capacities of goat local breeds are being carried out in different countries, this contributing to avoid the biodiversity loss. The native goat breeds of Brazilian northeast highlight for their wildness, meat aptitude and skin usefulness. The final quality of the goat leather depends on a combination of factors that involve the whole process, from the livestock farmer to the leather transformation systems. The grain appearance of the leather characterizes the aesthetic-commercial value of the leather. A good appearance is given by a high and uniform follicle density. This work evaluates the superficial appearance of completed leathers of the breeds Moxotó and Canindé, highlighting the importance of the derived products of the local breeds, its contribution to the conservation of the genetic, cultural and socio-economic patrimony through differentiated products of high quality and the impact of the zoogenetic resources in the sustainable rural development of the semi-arid areas of Brazil.La conservación in situ de los recursos zoogenéticos requiere también la caracterización de la producción ligada a esas razas. Con ella se puede evaluar y en su caso mejorar los caracteres productivos, haciendo la cría de esas razas animales rentable para el ganadero. Con esta finalidad se vienen desarrollando diversos trabajos sobre las capacidades productivas de las razas locales caprinas en diversos países, contribuyendo así a evitar la pérdida de biodiversidad. Las razas caprinas nativas del nordeste brasileño destacan por su rusticidad, aptitud cárnica y el aprovechamiento de sus pieles. La calidad final del cuero de caprino depende de una combinación de factores que engloba desde el productor hasta el sistema de transformación. La apariencia de la superficie de la flor caracteriza el valor estético-comercial del cuero. La buena apariencia viene dada por la alta y uniforme densidad folicular. Este trabajo evalúa la apariencia superficial de cueros acabados de razas Moxotó y Canindé. Se pretende destacar la importancia de los productos derivados de las razas locales, su contribución a la conservación del patrimonio genético, cultural y socio-económico a través de productos diferenciados de alta calidad y el impacto de los recursos zoogenéticos en el desarrollo rural sostenible de las zonas semiáridas de Brasil