Asesoramiento experto en la divulgación de la ciencia: equipos transdisciplinares como vía de concienciación poblacional frente al Cambio Climático

Introducción: En la era geológica actual, el Antropoceno, los medios de comunicación constituyen una herramienta vital en la divulgación social, siendo el asesoramiento de expertos fundamental para una correcta difusión de conocimientos científicos. Metodología-Desarrollo: Con la finalidad de comprobar el grado de conocimiento para con uno de los principales problemas ambientales de la actualidad y evaluar cómo el asesoramiento experto contribuye a una mejor comprensión de la Ciencia, se procedió a la realización de una encuesta cerrada dicotómica con individuos graduados procedentes de diferentes áreas de conocimiento. Dicho cuestionario se ejecutó de forma pareada a los mismos individuos antes y después de la impartición, por parte de especialistas, de clases magistrales sobre teoría del cambio climático dentro del contexto teórico del cambio global. Resultados: El estudio evidenció que los individuos procedentes de áreas afines a temáticas ambientales presentaban un mayor grado de conocimiento ante el dilema planteado. Por otra parte, el asesoramiento científico recibido derivó en un incremento significativo respecto al número de aciertos por parte de los encuestados. Conclusiones: El cambio climático es una temática integrada en los medios de comunicación, responsables de difundir los avances que surgen al respecto y de concienciar a la población sobre las posibles medidas de mitigación y adaptación frente a esta problemática. No obstante es fundamental la formación de equipos transdisciplinares de expertos junto a profesionales divulgativos para la correcta difusión informativa, evitando así incurrir en preocupaciones sensacionalistas donde convergen predilecciones ecologistas, políticas y económicas en detrimento de criterios científicos objetivos

Ciencia y divulgación sobre la sexta extinción masiva de biodiversidad, ¿es realmente el cambio climático el principal responsable?

Introducción: Actualmente estamos ante una sexta extinción masiva en cuanto a pérdida de especies a nivel planetario. Sin embargo, aún no existe un consenso absoluto respecto a la principal causa de este desastre natural, derivando esto en una imposibilidad de informar correctamente a la ciudadanía, dando lugar a errores conceptuales que impiden atajar de forma efectiva el problema. Metodología-Desarrollo: Se procedió, tras la impartición de sesiones teóricas de carácter científico, a la realización de una serie de encuestas cerradas dicotómicas dirigidas a individuos con un grado superior clasificados acorde a su género y al medio informativo de uso mayoritario para ver, en primer lugar, si compartían la opinión de estar ante una sexta extinción masiva, pudiendo comprobar posteriormente el grado de conocimiento sobre las causas y efectos de dicha pérdida de especies. Resultados: Mientras que no se evidenció una influencia clara del género en el estudio realizado, los distintos medios informativos analizados como vía principal de información recibida por parte de los encuestados sí formaron grupos diferenciados en cuanto al nivel de conocimiento sobre la problemática planteada. Conclusiones: Si bien la tasa anual de pérdida de especies es realmente preocupante en la actualidad, a nivel divulgativo la principal preocupación ambiental es para con el cambio climático, no constituyendo sin embargo dicho fenómeno una causa principal de pérdida de biodiversidad, siendo en cambio la modificación de los usos del suelo el principal impulsor directo responsable de la fragmentación del territorio, motivo responsable de la elevada tasa de extinción biológica actual

Ecological and economic sustainability in olivegroves with different irrigation management and levels of erosion: a case study

In the last 50 years, both the agricultural labour force and irrigated land area have increased almost eightfold in Spain. The main objective of irrigation, in the short term, is to increase agricultural production. However, in the long term, the environmental externalities of irrigation and its direct relationship with soil erosion processes are more uncertain and still poorly studied. In this study, in an olive-growing region of Andalusia, Spain, the variation of several soil parameters related to irrigation and erosion levels was analysed. The results showed that irrigation, while increasing the productive level of the olive groves, entails a progressive alteration of the soil, modifying physical aspects (greater compaction and humidity of the soil together with lower gravel content, porosity and soil weight) and chemical aspects (reduction of the organic matter of the soil and the content of nitrates) that can aggravate the consequences of the erosive processes. In the long term, the productive benefit attributed to irrigation could be unsustainable from an ecological and, consequently, economic point of view. In addition, the lack of sustainability of olive irrigation agroecosystems could be exacerbated by the future restrictive impacts of climate change on water resources in Mediterranean environments. This situation demands spatial planning and alternative management based on soil conservation and rational and efficient forms of irrigation to ensure the sustainability of olive groves and their economic viability

A Comparative Analysis of Soil Loss Tolerance and Productivity of the Olive Groves in the Protected Designation of Origin(PDO) Areas Norte Alentejano (Portugal) and Estepa (Andalusia, Spain)

Olive groves are Mediterranean systems that occupy more than 2.5 M ha in Spain and 0.352 M ha in Portugal. Assuming the differences between both countries in terms of olive grove regulation and considering their multifunctionality, it is useful to implement agronomic indices to estimate their sustainability. The Soil Loss Tolerance Index (SLTI) and the Soil Productivity Index (SPI) are two such indices. We calculated both indices in the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Norte Alentejano (Portugal). The SLTI index was adapted considering specific variables of the analysed olive groves (i.e., SLTIog). The values obtained were compared with those previously estimated for PDO Estepa (Spain). The negative impacts of erosion and the underlying agricultural practices on the sustainability of olive groves became evident, resulting in decreased soil productivity at the regional level. The SLTIog index showed higher values for crops, being a more realistic tool to analyse sustainability. A higher soil loss tolerance was detected for integrated groves in the PDO Norte Alentejano than for PDO Estepa due to the shorter age of olive cultivation in Portugal, with incipient soil impacts. These indices provide information on the degree of soil erosion, allowing farmers and decision-makers to apply practices to maximise the sustainability of olive groves.To the University Complutense of Madrid, for awarding the lead author a short-term fellowship through which this research could be carried out. To MED-Universidade de Évora (Portugal), for providing to the main author with the opportunity to jointly perform field work and analytical tasks in Portugal. The time devoted by J.M.-R. and T.P.-C. to retrieve and treat the data and to write and revise the article has received partial funding from the following sources: (a) FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology (Portugal) under the Project UIDB/05183/2020; (b) SUSTAINOLIVE research project (https://sustainolive.eu/?lang=en [accessed on: 29 March 2021]), funded by the PRIMA EU program. Lastly, we thank María Aurora Rodríguez Sousa for her support and advice

Examining potential environmental consequences of climate change and other driving forces on the sustainability of spanish olive groves under a socio-ecological approach

Olive groves form characteristic Mediterranean socio-ecological landscapes, occupying more than 5 M ha; 2.5 M ha in Spain. In recent decades, traditional extensive management of olive groves has shifted to an intensive regime, with some cases of abandonment. These situations triggered negative environmental and economic externalities that led farmers to adopt increasingly multifunctional management models. From a transdisciplinary perspective, the current state of Spanish olive groves was analyzed, assessing their vulnerability to climate change as one of the main threats to their sustainability. Based on our findings and assuming that by 2050, in the Mediterranean, there will be an increase in temperature of 0.8–2.3 ◦C and a decrease in rainfall of up to 200 mm per year, a displacement of the distribution area of olive groves is expected towards zones of lower temperature and higher moisture. The predicted climatic conditions would increase evapotranspiration of vegetation and atmospheric CO2 emissions. Moreover, climate change will reduce the chill accumulation in olive groves, altering its flowering, fructification and crop yields. Thus, it is necessary to adopt management models that promote olive grove resilience in face of climate change, ensuring their socio-ecological sustainability

Impacts of erosion on the sustainability of organic olive groves: a case study (Estepa Region, Southwestern Spain)

Spain has more than 2.5 M ha of olive groves, with 60% of this area (i.e., 1.5 M ha) concentrated in the region of Andalusia (Southern Spain). Assuming the socio-ecological characteristics of these crops, of which their contribution to ecosystemic services (ES) is fundamental for society, it is highly relevant to direct their management towards practices that guarantee their durability. Organic management of olive groves constitutes a multifunctional model that contributes to ensuring its sustainability and represents 2.4–3.5% of the olive grove area in Spain. Taking the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Estepa (Southwestern Spain) as a study model, where organic olive groves are novel, a study of the impacts of erosion on the economic, social, and environmental factors associated with this management was carried out in addition to estimating its impacts. The results showed how organic management promotes edaphic fertility, keeping the levels of diffuse pollution under the legislative limits. Although the increase in erosion has negative effects on the sustainability/durability of agricultural holdings, organic management consolidates a sustainable model that satisfies farmers’ demands. Therefore, organic farming is a model that focuses on the correct use of natural resources associated with the geographical region of study, and contributes to increasing the sustainability of olive groves

Prognostic stratification of adult primary glioblastoma multiforme patients based on their tumor gene amplification profiles

[EN]everal classification systems have been proposed to address genomic heterogeneity of glioblastoma multiforme, but they either showed limited prognostic value and/or are difficult to implement in routine diagnostics. Here we propose a prognostic stratification model for these primary tumors based on tumor gene amplification profiles, that might be easily implemented in routine diagnostics, and potentially improve the patients management. Gene amplification profiles were prospectively evaluated in 80 primary glioblastoma multiforme tumors using singlenucleotide polymorphism arrays and the results obtained validated in publicly available data from 267/347 cases. Gene amplification was detected in 45% of patients, and chromosome 7p11.2 including the EGFR gene, was the most frequently amplified chromosomal region - either alone (18%) or in combination with amplification of DNA sequences in other chromosomal regions (10% of cases). Other frequently amplified DNA sequences included regions in chromosomes 12q(10%), 4q12(7%) and 1q32.1(4%). Based on their gene amplification profiles, glioblastomas were subdivided into: i) tumors with no gene amplification (55%); ii) tumors with chromosome 7p/EGFR gene amplification (with or without amplification of other chromosomal regions) (38%); and iii) glioblastoma multiforme with a single (11%) or multiple (6%) amplified DNA sequences in chromosomal regions other than chromosome 7p

Risk Factors and Predictive Score for Bacteremic Biliary Tract Infections Due to Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium: a Multicenter Cohort Study from the PROBAC Project

Biliary-tract bloodstream infections (BT-BSI) caused by Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium are associated with inappropriate empirical treatment and worse outcomes compared to other etiologies. The objective of this study was to investigate the risk factors for enterococcal BT-BSI. Patients with BT-BSI from the PROBAC cohort, including consecutive patients with BSI in 26 Spanish hospitals between October 2016 and March 2017, were selected; episodes caused by E. faecalis or E. faecium and other causes were compared. Independent predictors for enterococci were identified by logistic regression, and a predictive score was developed. Eight hundred fifty episodes of BT-BSI were included; 73 (8.5%) were due to target Enterococcus spp. (48 [66%] were E. faecium and 25 [34%] E. faecalis). By multivariate analysis, the variables independently associated with Enterococcus spp. were (OR; 95% confidence interval): cholangiocarcinoma (4.48;1.32 to 15.25), hospital acquisition (3.58;2.11 to 6.07), use of carbapenems in the previous month (3.35;1.45 to 7.78), biliary prosthesis (2.19;1.24 to 3.90), and moderate or severe chronic kidney disease (1.55;1.07 to 2.26). The AUC of the model was 0.74 [95% CI0.67 to 0.80]. A score was developed, with 7, 6, 5, 4, and 2 points for these variables, respectively, with a negative predictive value of 95% for a score ? 6. A model, including cholangiocarcinoma, biliary prosthesis, hospital acquisition, previous carbapenems, and chronic kidney disease showed moderate prediction ability for enterococcal BT-BSI. Although the score will need to be validated, this information may be useful for deciding empirical therapy in biliary tract infections when bacteremia is suspected. IMPORTANCE Biliary tract infections are frequent, and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Bacteremia is common in these infections, particularly in the elderly and patients with cancer. Inappropriate empirical treatment has been associated with increased risk of mortality in bacteremic cholangitis, and the probability of receiving inactive empirical treatment is higher in episodes caused by enterococci. This is because many of the antimicrobial agents recommended in guidelines for biliary tract infections lack activity against these organisms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study analyzing the predictive factors for enterococcal BT-BSI and deriving a predictive score