Calcisponges have a ParaHox gene and dynamic expression of dispersed NK homeobox genes

This study was funded by the Sars Centre core budget to M. Adamska. Sequencing was performed at the Norwegian High Throughput Sequencing Centre funded by the Norwegian Research Council. O.M.R. and D.E.K.F. acknowledge support from the BBSRC and the School of Biology, University of St Andrews.Sponges are simple animals with few cell types, but their genomes paradoxically contain a wide variety of developmental transcription factors1,2,3,4, including homeobox genes belonging to the Antennapedia (ANTP) class5,6, which in bilaterians encompass Hox, ParaHox and NK genes. In the genome of the demosponge Amphimedon queenslandica, no Hox or ParaHox genes are present, but NK genes are linked in a tight cluster similar to the NK clusters of bilaterians5. It has been proposed that Hox and ParaHox genes originated from NK cluster genes after divergence of sponges from the lineage leading to cnidarians and bilaterians5,7. On the other hand, synteny analysis lends support to the notion that the absence of Hox and ParaHox genes in Amphimedon is a result of secondary loss (the ghost locus hypothesis)8. Here we analysed complete suites of ANTP-class homeoboxes in two calcareous sponges, Sycon ciliatum and Leucosolenia complicata. Our phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that these calcisponges possess orthologues of bilaterian NK genes (Hex, Hmx and Msx), a varying number of additional NK genes and one ParaHox gene, Cdx. Despite the generation of scaffolds spanning multiple genes, we find no evidence of clustering of Sycon NK genes. All Sycon ANTP-class genes are developmentally expressed, with patterns suggesting their involvement in cell type specification in embryos and adults, metamorphosis and body plan patterning. These results demonstrate that ParaHox genes predate the origin of sponges, thus confirming the ghost locus hypothesis8, and highlight the need to analyse the genomes of multiple sponge lineages to obtain a complete picture of the ancestral composition of the first animal genome.PostprintPeer reviewe

Regularity of Edge Ideals and Their Powers

We survey recent studies on the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity of edge ideals of graphs and their powers. Our focus is on bounds and exact values of $\text{ reg } I(G)$ and the asymptotic linear function $\text{ reg } I(G)^q$, for $q \geq 1,$ in terms of combinatorial data of the given graph $G.$Comment: 31 pages, 15 figure

CIBERER : Spanish national network for research on rare diseases: A highly productive collaborative initiative

Altres ajuts: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.CIBER (Center for Biomedical Network Research; Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red) is a public national consortium created in 2006 under the umbrella of the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII). This innovative research structure comprises 11 different specific areas dedicated to the main public health priorities in the National Health System. CIBERER, the thematic area of CIBER focused on rare diseases (RDs) currently consists of 75 research groups belonging to universities, research centers, and hospitals of the entire country. CIBERER's mission is to be a center prioritizing and favoring collaboration and cooperation between biomedical and clinical research groups, with special emphasis on the aspects of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cellular research of RDs. This research is the basis for providing new tools for the diagnosis and therapy of low-prevalence diseases, in line with the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) objectives, thus favoring translational research between the scientific environment of the laboratory and the clinical setting of health centers. In this article, we intend to review CIBERER's 15-year journey and summarize the main results obtained in terms of internationalization, scientific production, contributions toward the discovery of new therapies and novel genes associated to diseases, cooperation with patients' associations and many other topics related to RD research

Search for a massive resonance decaying into a Higgs boson and a W or Z boson in hadronic final states in proton-proton collisions at root s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe

The SPECTRA Barrax campaign (SPARC): Overview and first results from CHRIS data

In the framework of preparatory activities for the SPECTRA (Surface Processes and Ecosystems Changes Through Response Analysis) ESA Earth Explorer Core Mission, CHRIS/PROBA acquisitions over the Barrax Core Site in Spain were used to compile a reference dataset for future in-depth studies. Taking advantage of the possibility of consecutive days of acquisitions, multiple-angular acquisitions finally included 10 different view angles from CHRIS, in Mode 1 with 62 spectral, and a ground resolution of about 34 m. Additional ROSIS and HYMAP sensors, flying simultaneously with CHRIS overpass, provided detailed images for validation of CHRIS data, particularly in the spectral domain. Moreover, up to 3 angles per sample from airborne HYMAP data were acquired, with high spectral and spatial resolution, and then both spectral and angular domains can be exploited with the combined CHRIS/HYMAP/ROSIS dataset. Detailed soil/vegetation and atmospheric measurements complete the SPARC data, and data from other satellites (MERIS, SEVIRI, SPOT, Landsat) were collected as well, to address scaling issues. Methods for data analysis and exploitation have been developed in the context of SPARC activities, and preliminary results about retrievals of biophysical information from multi-angular hyperspectral data are already available. The whole SPARC dataset represents a reference for the exploitation of CHRIS data, allowing the development of new processing and retrieval algorithms, and the validation of such algorithms by means of ground measurements and complementary airborne and satellite data. More details on several processing aspects of the CHRIS/PROBA data acquired within the SPARC campaign are presented in other papers in this conference

Assessing and forecasting the impacts of global change on Mediterranean rivers. The SCARCE Consolider project on Iberian basins

The Consolider-Ingenio 2010 project SCARCE, with the full title "Assessing and predicting effects on water quantity and quality in Iberian Rivers caused by global change" aims to examine and predict the relevance of global change on water availability, water quality, and ecosystem services in Mediterranean river basins of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as their socio-economic impacts. Starting in December 2009, it brought together a multidisciplinary team of 11 partner Spanish institutions, as well as the active involvement of water authorities, river basin managers, and other relevant agents as stakeholders. The study areas are the Llobregat, Ebro, Jucar, and Guadalquivir river basins. These basins have been included in previous studies and projects, the majority of whom considered some of the aspects included in SCARCE but individually. Historical data will be used as a starting point of the project but also to obtain longer time series. The main added value of SCARCE project is the inclusion of scientific disciplines ranging from hydrology, geomorphology, ecology, chemistry, and ecotoxicology, to engineering, modeling, and economy, in an unprecedented effort in the Mediterranean area. The project performs data mining, field, and lab research as well as modeling and upscaling of the findings to apply them to the entire river basin. Scales ranging from the laboratory to river basins are addressed with the potential to help improve river basin management. The project emphasizes, thus, linking basic research and management practices in a single framework. In fact, one of the main objectives of SCARCE is to act as a bridge between the scientific and the management and to transform research results on management keys and tools for improving the River Basin Management Plans. Here, we outline the general structure of the project and the activities conducted within the ten Work Packages of SCARCE.This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the project Consolider-Ingenio 2010 CSD2009-00065. Special thanks are due to all partners of the SCARCE consortium and the peer review panel for ensuring quality results and fruitful collaboration within the project.Francés, F. (2012). Assessing and forecasting the impacts of global change on Mediterranean rivers. The SCARCE Consolider project on Iberian basins. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 19:918-933. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0566-5S91893319Andreu J, Capilla J, Sanchís E (1996) AQUATOOL, a generalized decision-support system for water-resources planning and operational management. 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J Hydrol 383:135–146Bolster D, Barahona M, Dentz M, Fernàndez-Garcia D, Sánchez-Vila X, Trinchero P, Valhondo C, Tartakovsky DM (2009) Probabilistic risk analysis of groundwater remediation strategies. Water Resour Res 45: W06413Brack W, Bakker J, de Deckere E, Deerenberg C, van Gils J, Hein M, Jurajda P, Kooijman B, Lamoree M, Lek S, López de Alda MJ, Marcomini A, Muñoz I, Rattei S, Segner H, Thomas K, von der Ohe PC, Westrich B, de Zwart D, Schmitt-Jansen M (2005) MODELKEY - Models for assessing and forecasting the impact of environmental key pollutants on freshwater and marine ecosystems and biodiversity. Environ Sci Pollut Res 12:252–256Calbó J (2010) Water scarcity in the Mediterranean. In: Sabater S, Barceló D (eds) The handbook of environmental chemistry. Springer, BerlinCarmona-Catot G, Benito J, García-Berthou E (2011) Comparing latitudinal and upstream–downstream gradients: life history traits of invasive mosquitofish. Divers Distrib 17:214–224CHE (2008) Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro. Available from: http://www.chebro.es . Accessed January 2009de Barros FPJ, Bolster D, Sanchez-Vila X, Nowak W (2011) A divide and conquer approach to cope with uncertainty, human health risk and decision making in contaminant hydrology. Water Resour Res (in press)Dodds WK, Bouska WW, Eitzmann JL, Pilger TJ, Pitts KL, Riley AJ, Schloesser JT, Thornbrugh DJ (2009) Eutrophication of US freshwaters: analysis of potential economic damages. Environ Sci Technol 43:12–19Elosegi A, Díez J, Mutz M (2010) Effects of hydromorphological integrity on biodiversity and functioning of river ecosystems. Hydrobiologia 657:199–215Estrela T, Fidalgo A, Fullana J, Maestu J, Pérez MA, Pujante AM (2004) Júcar Pilot River Basin. Provisional article 5. Report pursuant to the Water Framework Directive. 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Ecol Econ 10:197–207García-Galán M, Garrido T, Fraile J, Ginebreda A, Díaz-Cruz M, Barceló D (2010a) Application of fully automated online solid phase extraction-liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of sulfonamides and their acetylated metabolites in groundwater. Anal Bioanal Chem 399:795–806García-Galán MJ, Díaz-Cruz MS, Barceló D (2010b) Occurrence of sulfonamide residues along the Ebro river basin: removal in wastewater treatment plants and environmental impact assessment. Environ Int 37:462–473Gasith A, Resh VH (1999) Streams in Mediterranean climate regions: abiotic influences and biotic responses to predictable seasonal events. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 30:51–81Gaudes A, Artigas J, Muñoz I (2010) Species traits and resilience of meiofauna to floods and drought in a Mediterranean stream. Mar Freshw Res 61:1336–1347Ginebreda A, Muñoz I, López de Alda MJ, Brix R, López-Doval J, Barceló D (2010) Environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in rivers: relationships between hazard indexes and aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity indexes in the Llobregat River (NE Spain). Environ Int 36:153–162Giorgi F, Lionello P (2008) Climate change projections for the Mediterranean region. Glob Planet Chang 63:90–104Greskowiak J, Prommer H, Massmann G, Johnston CD, Nutzmann G, Pekdeger A (2005) The impact of variably saturated conditions on hydrogeochemical changes during artificial recharge of groundwater. Appl Geochem 20:1409–1426Guasch H, Leira M, Montuelle B, Geiszinger A, Roulier JL, Tornés E, Serra A (2009) Use of multivariate analyses to investigate the contribution of metal pollution to diatom species composition: search for the most appropriate cases and explanatory variables. Hydrobiologia 627:143–158Guerra P, Eljarrat E, Barceló D (2010) Simultaneous determination of hexabromocyclododecane, tetrabromobisphenol A, and related compounds in sewage sludge and sediment samples from Ebro River basin (Spain). Anal Bioanal Chem 397:2817–2824IPCC (2007) Fourth assessment report: climate change 2007. Cambridge University Press, CambridgeIzagirre O, Agirre U, Bermejo M, Pozo J, Elosegi A (2008) Environmental controls of whole-stream metabolism identified from continuous monitoring of Basque streams. J N Am Benthol Soc 27:252–268Jelic A, Gros M, Ginebreda A, Céspedes-Sánchez R, Ventura F, Petrovic M, Barceló D (2011) Occurrence, partition and removal of pharmaceuticals in sewage water and sludge during wastewater treatment. Water Res 45:1165–1176Kay JJ, Regier HA, Boyle M, Francis G (1999) An ecosystem approach for sustainability: addressing the chanllenge of complexity. Futures 31:721–742Köck-Schulmeyer M, Ginebreda A, Postigo C, López-Serna R, Pérez S, Brix R, Llorca M, López de Alda MJ, Petrovic M, Munné A, Tirapu L, Barceló D (2011) Wastewater reuse in Mediterranean semi-arid areas: the impact of discharges of tertiary treated sewage on the load of polar micro pollutants in the Llobregat river (NE Spain). Chemosphere 82:670–678Kuster M, De la Cal A, Eljarrat E, López de Alda MJ, Barceló D (2010a) Evaluation of two aquatic passive sampling configurations for their suitability in the analysis of estrogens in water. Talanta 83:493–499Kuster M, Díaz-Cruz S, Rosell M, López de Alda MJ, Barceló D (2010b) Fate of selected pesticides, estrogens, progestogens and volatile organic compounds during artificial aquifer recharge using surface waters. Chemosphere 79:880–886Lacorte S, Raldúa D, Martínez E, Navarro A, Díez S, Bayona JM, Barceló D (2006) Pilot survey of a broad range of priority pollutants in sediment and fish from the Ebro river basin (NE Spain). Environ Pollut 140:471–482Lindenmayer DB, Likens GE (2009) Adaptive monitoring: a new paradigm for long-term research and monitoring. Trends Ecol Evol 24:482–486López-Serna R, Pérez S, Ginebreda A, Petrovic M, Barceló D (2010) Fully automated determination of 74 pharmaceuticals in environmental and waste waters by online solid phase extraction-liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry. Talanta 83:410–424Llorca M, Farré M, Picó Y, Barceló D (2010) Study of the performance of three LC-MS/MS platforms for analysis of perfluorinated compounds. Anal Bioanal Chem 398:1145–1159Marcé R, Rodríguez MA, García JC, Armengol J (2010) El Nino Southern oscillation and climate trends impact reservoir water quality. Glob Chang Biol 16:2857–2865Martín G, Toja J, Sala SE, Fernández MD, Reyes I, Casco MA (2010) Application of diatom biotic indices in the Guadalquivir River Basin, a Mediterranean basin. Which one is the most appropriated? Environ Monit Assess 170:519–534Mas-Martí E, García-Berthou E, Sabater S, Tomanova S, Muñoz I (2010) Comparing fish assemblages and trophic ecology of permanent and intermittent reaches in a Mediterranean stream. Hydrobiologia 657:167–180Medici C, Bernal S, Butturini A, Sabater F, Martín M, Wade AJ, Francés F (2010) Modelling the inorganic nitrogen behaviour in a small Mediterranean forested catchment, Fuirosos (Catalonia). Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 14:223–237Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) Ecosystems and human well-being: synthesis. Island Press, Washington (US), p 137Muñoz I, López-Doval JC, Ricart M, Villagrasa M, Brix R, Geiszinger A, Ginebreda A, Guasch H, López de Alda MJ, Romaní AM, Sabater S, Barceló D (2009) Bridging levels of pharmaceuticals in river water with biological community structure in the Llobregat River Basin (Northeast Spain). Environ Toxicol Chem 28:2706–2714Nadal M, Kumar V, Schuhmacher M, Domingo JL (2008) Applicability of a neuroprobabilistic integral risk index for the environmental management of polluted areas: a case study. Risk Anal 28:271–286Navarro-Ortega A, Tauler R, Lacorte S, Barceló D (2010) Occurrence and transport of PAHs, pesticides and alkylphenols in sediment samples along the Ebro River Basin. J Hydrol 383:5–17Navarro A, Lacorte S, Barceló D (2010) Occurrence and transport of pesticides and alkylphenols in water samples along the Ebro River Basin. J Hydrol 383:18–29Navarro A, Tauler R, Lacorte S, Barceló D (2006) Chemometrical investigation of the presence and distribution of organochlorine and polyaromatic compounds in sediments of the Ebro River Basin. 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Data for the s Process from n_TOF

International audienceA considerable amount of (n, $\gamma$ ) reactions has been studied, so far, at the neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN. The experimental program aims at determining and improving cross sections for a number of isotopes relevant to s-process nucleosynthesis. A brief summary of some physical cases related to the s-process nucleosyntheis is presented in this work together with ongoing experiments and challenging future programs

Data for the s Process from n_TOF

A considerable amount of (n, gamma) reactions has been studied, so far, at the neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN. The experimental program aims at determining and improving cross sections for a number of isotopes relevant to s-process nucleosynthesis. A brief summary of some physical cases related to the s-process nucleosyntheis is presented in this work together with ongoing experiments and challenging future programs