Nomenclatural Type Identification of Names in North African Tamarix (Tamaricaceae)

Tamarix is native to Eurasia plus the northern and southern territories of Africa, with some species being introduced into America and Oceania. They are usually found in arid, desertic, or subdesertic areas, often on saline or subsaline soils, in Mediterranean, temperate, or subtropical climates. The genus is renowned for its complex taxonomy, which is usually based on rather variable or unstable characters, which leads to contrasting taxonomic treatments. As part of the taxonomic revision of Tamarix undertaken by the authors, ten names (i.e., T. africana, T. bounopoea, T. brachystylis var. fluminensis, T. malenconiana, T. muluyana, T. tenuifolia, T. tingitana, T. trabutii, T. valdesquamigera, and T. weyleri) published from material collected in the southwestern parts of the Mediterranean basin are taxonomically and nomenclaturally discussed after analysing their original material. Eight intended holotypes are corrected here to lectotypes; one epitype is designated for T. africana to warrant current use of the name; and one isotype, 30 isolectotypes, and 11 syntypes are also identified for the studied names. Further, the taxonomic identity of all names and their eventual synonymic placement are accordingly discussed.This work was partly supported by the European Commission through the H2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange Programme, project 645636: ‘Insect-plant relationships: insights into biodiversity and new applications’ (FlyHigh); and by the grants UAUSTI19−08, UAUSTI21−04, UAUSTI22−05, UADIF21−29, UADIF22−28, VIGROB21−166, VIGROB22−166, ACIE18−03, ACIE21−01, and ACIE22−01, from diverse programmes of Universidad de Alicante

The genus Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) in Crete (Greece)

A report on the genus Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) in Crete is provided. The previously recorded taxa are compared with new collections made on the island and with vouchers found at different herbaria. Three species were fully confirmed: T. nilotica and T. parviflora, collected in the field, and T. smyrnensis, found only in herbarium vouchers. The other previously reported taxa, T. dalmatica, T. hampeana, T. pallasii and T. tetrandra were not found; T. dalmatica was erroneously reported, the record of T. hampeana represents a fourth species but its identity requires further study, records of T. pallasii are probably misidentifications of T. nilotica and/or T. smyrnensis, and the record of T. tetrandra probably refers to T. parviflora. The presence of T. nilotica is documented, confirming that it has been historically overlooked and mistaken for T. smyrnensis. A morphological comparison between T. nilotica and T. smyrnensis is provided in order to avoid further confusion and misidentifications. A dichotomous key for the Tamarix species reported in Crete is provided.The FPU programme (Mº de Educación, Spain), the I+D+I project CGL2008-05056 (Mº de Educación y Ciencia, Spanish Government) and complementary supporting funds ACIE10-01, ACIE11-05 and ACIE13-08 (University of Alicante, Spain) made this research possible

What Is Wrong with Frankenia nodiflora Lam. (Frankeniaceae)? New Insights into the South African Sea-Heaths

The taxonomic identity and phylogenetic relationships of several southern African perennial taxa related to Frankenia repens are discussed. In particular, F. nodiflora Lam., a misunderstood species described from the Cape region and synonymised to F. pulverulenta, is restored for plants endemic to salt-pans and riverbeds in the coastal lowlands across the Cape Flats (Western Cape province, South Africa). Further, a revision of morphologically close plants, usually identified as F. pulverulenta or F. repens, also occurring in similar saline ecosystems of the inland western South Africa revealed the existence of two distinct new entities not matching any described taxa of the genus. Molecular analyses of nuclear ribosomal (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region) DNA sequence data together with morphological divergence allow recognition of those taxa at species rank, within an independent lineage close to F. repens. In consequence, two new sea-heath species are described in the so-called “F. repens group”: F. nummularia from the Nama-Karoo Biome (Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces), and F. anneliseae from the Succulent Karoo Biome (Northern Cape province). Full morphological description and type designation are reported for each accepted species as well as data on ecology, habitat, distribution, and taxonomic relationships to other close relatives are given. Further, an identification key is presented to facilitate recognition of the southern African taxa of Frankenia.This work was partly supported by H2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange Programme of the European Commission, project 645636: ‘Insect-plant relationships: insights into biodiversity and new applications’ (FlyHigh) and by the grants UAUSTI19-08, UAUSTI21-04, UAUSTI22-05, UADIF21-29, UADIF22-28, VIGROB21-166, VIGROB22-166, ACIE17-01, ACIE18-03, ACIE21-01 and ACIE22-01, from diverse programmes of Universidad de Alicante. L.M. acknowledges logistic support of the Iluka Chair in Vegetation Science and Biogeography at Murdoch University, Perth, Australia

Tamarix minoa (Tamaricaceae), a new species from the island of Crete (Greece) based on morphological and plastid molecular sequence data

Tamarix minoa is described from material collected on the S Aegean island of Crete (Kriti), Greece. A morphological comparison with the species considered to be closest, T. africana and T. hampeana, is provided. An original illustration showing the main morphological characters of the new species is also given, as are photographs of the new species in its habitat. The isolated phylogenetic position of T. minoa is shown to be strongly supported by plastid molecular sequence data (trnS-trnG, trnQ-rps16 and ndhF-rpl32), thus warranting its recognition at specific rank.National Geographic Society, research project “Human recreation versus plant diversity on maritime sands in Crete” (NGS grant no. 8573-08). The FPU programme (Mº de Educación, Spain), the I+D+I project CGL2008-05056 (Mº de Educación y Ciencia, Spanish Government), the project OAPN 354-2011 (Mº de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente, Spanish Government) and complementary supporting funds ACIE10-01, ACIE11-05 and ACIE13-08 (University of Alicante, Spain)

Multi-phase feedback processes in the Sy2 galaxy NGC 5643

We study the multi-phase feedback processes in the central ~3 kpc of the barred Sy 2 galaxy NGC 5643. We use observations of the cold molecular gas (ALMA CO(2-1)) and ionized gas (MUSE IFU). We study different regions along the outflow zone which extends out to ~2.3 kpc in the same direction (east-west) as the radio jet, as well as nuclear/circumnuclear regions in the host galaxy disk. The deprojected outflowing velocities of the cold molecular gas (median Vcentral~189 km s^-1) are generally lower than those of the outflowing ionized gas, which reach deprojected velocities of up to 750 km s^-1 close to the AGN, and their spatial profiles follow those of the ionized phase. This suggests that the outflowing molecular gas in the galaxy disk is being entrained by the AGN wind. We derive molecular and ionized outflow masses of ~5.2x10^7 Msun and 8.5x10^4 Msun and molecular and ionized outflow mass rates of ~51 Msun yr^-1 and 0.14 Msun yr^-1. Therefore, the molecular phase dominates the outflow mass and outflow mass rate, while the outflow kinetic power and momentum are similar in both phases. However, the wind momentum load for the molecular and ionized outflow phases are ~27-5 and <1, which suggests that the molecular phase is not momentum conserving while the ionized one most certainly is. The molecular gas content (~1.5x10^7 Msun) of the eastern spiral arm is approximately 50-70% of the content of the western one. We interpret this as destruction/clearing of the molecular gas produced by the AGN wind impacting in the host galaxy. The increase of the molecular phase momentum implies that part of the kinetic energy from the AGN wind is transmitted to the molecular outflow. This suggest that in Sy-like AGN such as NGC 5643, the radiative/quasar and the kinetic/radio AGN feedback modes coexist and may shape the host galaxies even at kpc-scales via both positive and (mild) negative feedback.Comment: 26 pages, 21 figures, 5 tables. Astronomy and Astrophysics, Accepted 2020 September 11, in pres

Guiding the humoral response against HIV-1 toward a MPER adjacent region by immunization with a VLP-formulated antibody-selected envelope variant

Preventive HIV-1 vaccine strategies rely on the elicitation of broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAb) responses, but their induction in vivo by vaccination remains challenging. Considering that the ability of an epitope to elicit effective humoral immunity depends on its exposure on the virion, we have used a reverse genetics approach to select variants from an HIV-1 AC10_29 randomly mutated envelope library that showed increased affinity for a selected bNAb (4E10 bNAb targeting the HIV-1 MPER region). Isolated envelope sequences were analyzed by deep-sequencing showing a small number of dominant changes, including the loss of four potential N-linked glycosylation sites and disruption of the V1/V2 loop. Accordingly, the dominant variant (LR1-C1), showed not only increased affinity for MPER bNAbs 4E10 and 2F5, but also higher affinity for an additional antibody targeting the V3 loop (447-52D) that could be a consequence of an open conformation tier 1-like Env. Furthermore, the amino acids specific for the selected variant are associated with an increased sensitivity for 4E10 and 2F5 antibodies. In vivo studies showed that sera from mice immunized with LR1-C1 viruses possessed an improved neutralizing activity compared to the wild-type AC10_29 env. While Virus Like Particles (VLPs) carrying this envelope were unable to induce detectable neutralizing activity in immunized rabbits, one animal showed antibody response to the 4E10-proximal region. Our data establish a novel approach that has the potential to yield HIV envelope immunogen sequences that direct antibody responses to specific envelope regions

El grupo ARA en las asignaturas Botánica y Biodiversidad vegetal (Grado en Biología): valoración y propuestas de mejora

Uno de los retos más destacables en materia de innovación universitaria es el Programa de grupos de Alto Rendimiento Académico (ARA) implementado en la Universidad de Alicante (UA). Éste constituye una experiencia novedosa solamente en cuatro titulaciones de dicha universidad, siendo el Grado en Biología pionero en dicho programa. En origen, el grupo ARA se establece no meramente como un grupo de docencia en inglés, sino para reforzar el potencial de los alumnos más destacados desde el inicio de sus estudios universitarios, por lo que el profesorado tiene que adecuar sus enseñanzas a los requerimientos del alumnado. Con la experiencia acumulada tras cuatro años de grupos ARA en las asignaturas Botánica y Biodiversidad vegetal, impartidas íntegramente en inglés en el tercer y cuarto semestres del Grado en Biología, se han revisado los resultados obtenidos para favorecer una renovación curricular, partiendo del porcentaje de alumnos internacionales en programas de movilidad, el número de alumnos por curso, las notas de evaluación continua y las globales respecto al resto de grupos donde se imparten dichas materias, así como la asistencia a las distintas actividades. El análisis estadístico de los resultados permite realizar una valoración crítica de las actividades desarrolladas, discutiéndose las fortalezas y debilidades detectadas en los grupos estudiados

Cuatro años de docencia ARA del área de Botánica (Grado en Biología, UA): valoración de resultados

El Programa de grupos de Alto Rendimiento Académico (ARA) es una experiencia innovadora de la Universidad de Alicante (UA), en la que solamente cuatro titulaciones lo han implantado, siendo el Grado en Biología pionero en dicho programa. Tras cuatro años de experiencia docente en grupos ARA de las asignaturas Botánica y Biodiversidad vegetal, respectivamente del tercer y cuarto semestres de la titulación, se ha realizado una revisión de los resultados obtenidos, sobre la base del porcentaje de alumnos internacionales en programas de movilidad, el número de alumnos por curso, las notas de evaluación continua, las notas globales respecto al resto de grupos donde se imparten dichas materias, así como la asistencia a las actividades no obligatorias, etc. En esta comunicación se hace una valoración crítica de los resultados obtenidos tras el análisis comparativo de las actividades anteriormente descritas, y se discuten los puntos fuertes y debilidades detectados en las asignaturas del área que se imparten íntegramente en inglés, en el marco del Grado de Biología de la Facultad de Ciencias de la UA

El proyecto de El Berrocal: síntesis preliminar

El Berrocal is an international research project on the natural radionuclide migration in a fissured granitic environment. This project is being carried out in the El Berrocal zone, north of the village of Nombela (Toledo). The gelogical formation studied is a granitic pluton with an epithermal vein-type mineralization comprising quartz, sphalerite, pyrite and chalcopyrite; and pitchblende, pyrite, carbonates and barite. The activities of the project are focused on the structural, lithological, geochemical, hydrochemical and hydrogeological aspects of the granite-U mineralization system, in order to establish a migration model of the natural radionuclides of the environment. The concurrence of the tectonic, hydrothermal and supergenic processes has originated several U remobilizations during the deuteric, hydrothermal and supergenic alteration phases, which affected the system. These phases are responsible of the mineralogical species and present distribution of this element within the system. The Th remobilization is much more limited, due to its different geochemical behavior. The present water-rock interaction processes account for the different types of water existing in the system, which are sulphatic, in the shallowest zones, and calcium bicarbonated in the deepest. The U contents in these waters vary from 1 to 100 ppb. The hydrogeology of the zone is controlled, at a local scale, by the topography and the fracture network, and the mineralized quartz dyke plays a major role on the groundwater flow. The isotopic analyses of the U and Th series in the infill materials seem to indicate recent sorption-desorption U processes and coprecipitation with carbonates.«El Berrocal», es un proyecto internacional de investigación sobre la migración de radionucleidos naturales en un medio granítico fisurado. Este proyecto se está desarrollando en la zona de El Berrocal, situada al norte de Nombela (Toledo), en un plutón granítico con una mineralización filoniana epitermal de uranio. El objetivo del proyecto es conocer los aspectos estructurales, litológicos, geoquímicos, hidroquímicos e hidrogeológicos del sistema granito-mineralización de U, a fin de establecer un modelo de migración de los radionucleidos naturales del medio. La convergencia de procesos tectónicos, hidrotermales y supergénicos ha dado lugar a sucesivas removilizaciones del uranio durante las fases deutérica, hidrotermal y supergénica, que afectaron al sistema. Estas fases son las responsables de la mineralogía y distribución actual de dicho elemento en el sistema. La removilización del torio es mucho más restringida debido a su diferente comportamiento geoquímico. Los procesos actuales de interacción agua-roca están condicionando los tipos de aguas existentes en el sistema que son: sulfatadas, en las zonas más superficiales y bicarbonatadas cálcicas, en las más profundas. Los contenidos en uranio en estas aguas están comprendidos entre 1 y 100 ppb. La hidrogeología de la zona está controlada, a nivel local, por la topografía y la red de fracturación, siendo el dique de cuarzo mineralizado un accidente con repercusión importante en la circulación de las aguas subterráneas. El análisis isotópico de las series del uranio y del torio en rellenos fisurales parece indicar procesos recientes de sorción-desorción de uranio y coprecipitación con carbonatos

New solar axion search in CAST with 4^4He filling

The CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) searches for $a\to\gamma$ conversion in the 9 T magnetic field of a refurbished LHC test magnet that can be directed toward the Sun. Two parallel magnet bores can be filled with helium of adjustable pressure to match the X-ray refractive mass $m_\gamma$ to the axion search mass $m_a$. After the vacuum phase (2003--2004), which is optimal for $m_a\lesssim0.02$ eV, we used $^4$He in 2005--2007 to cover the mass range of 0.02--0.39 eV and $^3$He in 2009--2011 to scan from 0.39--1.17 eV. After improving the detectors and shielding, we returned to $^4$He in 2012 to investigate a narrow $m_a$ range around 0.2 eV ("candidate setting" of our earlier search) and 0.39--0.42 eV, the upper axion mass range reachable with $^4$He, to "cross the axion line" for the KSVZ model. We have improved the limit on the axion-photon coupling to $g_{a\gamma}< 1.47\times10^{-10} {\rm GeV}^{-1}$ (95% C.L.), depending on the pressure settings. Since 2013, we have returned to vacuum and aim for a significant increase in sensitivity.Comment: CAST Collaboration 6 pages 3 figure