María Beatriz de Austria-Este, escritora desconocida: aproximación bio-bibliográfica a su obra anónima

No one disputes that humility is a virtue, but sometimes excessive humility leads to anonymity. This is the case with the writings of Maria Beatrix of Austria-Este, Princess of Modena, who chose to spend thirty-four years of her life in cloistered convents in Austria and Italy where she devoted herself to writing. Her prolific literary output on religious subjects has not yet been systematically collected nor has its authorship been recognized in any of the libraries that hold it. This article sheds light on a 19th century Italian writer who has gone unnoticed by history.Nadie discute que la humildad es una virtud, pero en ocasiones el exceso de humildad conduce al anonimato. Este es el camino que ha seguido la producción literaria de María Beatriz de Austria-Este, princesa de Módena, quien, confinada voluntariamente en conventos de clausura de Austria e Italia durante treinta y cuatro años de su vida, dedicó su tiempo a escribir. Su prolífica obra literaria de carácter religioso, aún hoy, no ha sido recopilada sistemáticamente y su autoría no se reconoce en ninguna de las bibliotecas que la custodian. Este artículo busca dar luz a una escritora italiana del siglo XIX que ha pasado desapercibida para la historia

Assessment of determinants of high nature value (HNV) farmland at plot scale in Western Pyrenees

The concept of High Nature Value (HNV) farming hinges on the causality between agroecosystems with low intensity of management and the corresponding environmental outcomes, including high levels of biodiversity and the presence of semi-natural habitats. Although European strategies for rural development and biodiversity conservation have long recognized the importance of HNV farmlands, many of those areas are currently threatened by intensification and land abandonment. A variety of approaches have been developed for identifying HNV areas and measuring changes in their distribution and extent at landscape scales. In contrast, quantitative approaches for evaluating differences in HNV among the most basic units of management (farms and farm plots) are scarce and almost exclusively based on biodiversity indicators. This gap limits our ability to derive existing gradients of HNV at fine scale and the underlying cause conducive to HNV. Hence, we implemented an index to capture multiple facets of HNV based on expert knowledge criteria and field surveys performed at the finest scale of management (plot). First, we computed this index for hundreds of grasslands located across the Western Pyrenees. Then, we analysed the relationship between the nature value of plots and environmental, management and socio-economic variables. Our results evidence a gradient between low diversity and intensively used agricultural plots and HNV grasslands in the Western Pyrenees. Highest nature values were significantly related to the occurrence of plots in meadows located in steep areas within the Natura 2000 network, whereas lowest values were related to recently opened areas and the number of treatments per year. Importantly, this index, which could be adapted to other farming areas, provides quantitative information to support the implementation of result-based schemes, including eco-schemes and agri-environment-climate interventions of the new CAP (2023–2027).This work was funded by the CAP Planning Section – Department of Rural Development and Environment (Government of Navarre). I.P. was also supported by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) (ESPDOC18/43)

A escola que teño, a escola que quero. Un achegamento ás prácticas educativas e ás necesidades nos CRA de Ourense

O estudo presentado forma parte dun proxecto financiado nunha convocatoria competitiva froito dunha colaboración entre a Deputación de Ourense e a Universidade de Vigo. O seu obxectivo é coñecer as necesidades educativas dos centros rurais agrupados (CRA) ourensáns orixinadas a partir da súa particular organización, así como estudar as barreiras e as fortalezas do ensino no rural desde a perspectiva dos axentes educativos (alumnado, familias e profesorado). Para darlles voz, a metodoloxía empregada foi de corte cualitativo, co uso de instrumentos e de ferramentas combinadas como as asembleas temáticas, fotovoz, ou debuxo-conversación e as frases incompletas. O tratamento dos datos apoiouse no software ATLAS.ti 22 empregando categorías emerxentes para analizar o contido. Os resultados amosan o mantemento da matrícula e a itinerancia do profesorado como unha das maiores barreiras ás que se enfrontan estas institucións. Pola contra, o medio rural e as relacións de proximidade entre toda a comunidade, que se producen grazas en gran medida ás contornas nas que se sitúan as escolas, preséntanse como as grandes fortalezas. Deste estudo despréndese unha forte necesidade de crer na prosperidade da escola rural como un espazo no que é posible combinar innovación e tradición a prol dunha aprendizaxe válida e de calidade

Early survival and growth plasticity of 33 species planted in 38 arboreta across the European Atlantic area

To anticipate European climate scenarios for the end of the century, we explored the climate gradient within the REINFFORCE (RÉseau INFrastructure de recherche pour le suivi et l’adaptation des FORêts au Changement climatiquE) arboreta network, established in 38 sites between latitudes 37 and 57 , where 33 tree species are represented. We aim to determine which climatic variables best explain their survival and growth, and identify those species that are more tolerant of climate variation and those of which the growth and survival future climate might constrain. We used empirical models to determine the best climatic predictor variables that explain tree survival and growth. Precipitation-transfer distance was most important for the survival of broadleaved species, whereas growing-season-degree days best explained conifer-tree survival. Growth (annual height increment) was mainly explained by a derived annual dryness index (ADI) for both conifers and broadleaved trees. Species that showed the greatest variation in survival and growth in response to climatic variation included Betula pendula Roth, Pinus elliottii Engelm., and Thuja plicata Donn ex D.Don, and those that were least affected included Quercus shumardii Buckland and Pinus nigra J.F.Arnold. We also demonstrated that provenance differences were significant for Pinus pinea L., Quercus robur L., and Ceratonia siliqua L. Here, we demonstrate the usefulness of infrastructures along a climatic gradient like REINFFORCE to determine major tendencies of tree species responding to climate changesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Changes in Mitochondrial Electron Partitioning in Response to Herbicides Inhibiting Branched-Chain Amino Acid Biosynthesis in Soybean

The adaptation of the respiratory metabolism in roots of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr. cv Ransom) treated with herbicides that inhibit the enzyme acetolactate synthase (ALS) was analyzed. A new gas phase dual-inlet mass spectrometry system for simultaneous measurement of (34)O(2) to (32)O(2) and O(2) to N(2) ratios has been developed. This system is more accurate than previously described systems, allows measurements of much smaller oxygen gradients, and, as a consequence, works with tissues that have lower respiration rates. ALS inhibition caused an increase of the alternative oxidase (AOX) protein and an accumulation of pyruvate. The combination of these two effects is likely to induce the activation of the alternative pathway and its participation in the total respiration. Moreover, the start of the alternative pathway activation and the increase of AOX protein were before the decline in the activity of cytochrome pathway. The possible role of AOX under ALS inhibition is discussed

Use of small ruminant lentivirus-infected rams for artificial insemination

The presence of proviral DNA, mRNA transcripts and/or viral proteins in small ruminant lentiviral infections may be intermittent. The aim of this study was to identify methods of avoiding small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) transmission to ewes when using infected rams in artificial insemination (AI). Semen from rams, seropositive and PCR-positive in blood but consistently negative for both proviral DNA and viral protein expression in semen, was used to artificially inseminate 19 ewes. Follow-up investigation of these ewes and of two of their offspring indicated that under the study conditions virus transmission through insemination did not occur. These preliminary findings suggest that semen from SRLV-infected rams could be used for AI without the risk of transmitting virus to susceptible ewes or their lambs. Further larger studies will be required to confirm this finding. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.Peer Reviewe

Incorporación y trayectoria de niñas gitanas en la ESO

Resumen basado en el de la publicaciónSe presentan los resultados y las conclusiones de un estudio descriptivo realizado por la Fundación Secretariado Gitano, en colaboración con el CIDE y el Instituto de la Mujer, que ha tenido como fin la obtención de un diagnóstico sobre la situación educativa de las niñas y niños gitanos en la etapa de ESO, y la identificación de las variables que están facilitando o dificultando un proceso normalizado de este alumnado en igualdad de condiciones con el resto de alumnos no gitanos. Si bien este informe analiza al alumnado gitano en su conjunto, la atención se dirige con mayor detalle a las alumnas gitanas.Ministerio Educación CIDEBiblioteca de Educación del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte; Calle San Agustín 5 -3 Planta; 28014 Madrid; Tel. +34917748000; [email protected]

Antibody-based diagnosis of small ruminant lentivirus infection in seminal fluid

Ramírez, Hugo et al.Antibody-based diagnosis of small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) has been efficiently achieved using serum and milk, but not semen, for which polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been proposed as a confirmatory technique. This work, involving 296 ovine (Ovis aries) and caprine (Capra hircus) semen donors, investigates whether seminal fluid (SF) can be reliably used in antibody-based SRLV diagnosis. First, a gold standard was established to assess the infection status and determine the sensitivity and specificity of three commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) in serum testing using Western blot and PCR as confirmatory tests. For SF testing, both gold standard and serum testing results were used as reference. The performance of SF testing was affected not only by the ELISA assay sensitivity (related to antigen spectrum) compared with that of the gold standard (as it occurred in serum testing) but also by SF sample quality and SF working dilution. Nonturbid SF samples, commonly collected in artificial insemination centers (AICs), were required. Compared with serum, SF testing had a decreased sensitivity in two of the ELISA assays (with original serum working dilutions ≤1/20 in serum testing) but reached a similar sensitivity (and specificity) in the assay designed to work at the highest serum dilution (1/500). A SF concentration of about 1/2 (250-fold that used in serum testing) was found optimal in this assay, yielding highly repeatable results that were in almost perfect agreement with those of serum testing (κ ± SE, 0.91 ± 0.81). Thus, SF ELISA can be reliably applied in antibody-based SRLV diagnosis. This information may be useful to control infection in AICs and animal and semen trade programs requiring health-certified quality of semen donors. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.This study was supported by grants from Spanish CICYT (AGL2006-13410-C06-01/GAN) and the Government of Navarra Department of Agriculture (2003-2005). H. Ramírez was supported by the PASPA program, UNAM, and the Public University of Navarra. I. Glaria was supported by the Government of Navarra, Department of Agriculture. We are thankful to P. Lana, C. Santamaría (ITG-Ganadero), the Government of Navarra, and to AICs and farmers, particularly from Navarra and Aragon, as well as CAPRIGAN Breeder Association for kindly providing samples involved this study.Peer Reviewe