GREGOROVIUS, Ferdinand, Atenais, Herder Editorial, Barcelona, 2009, 228 p., ISBN: 978-84-254-2582-0

Siempre es motivo de gozo releer un clásico moderno. En esta ocasión se trata de Ferdinand Gregorovius, cuya Atenais ha publicado recientemente Herder en una magnífica traducción (la primera en lengua española) de José Antonio Molina Gómez, profesor de la Universidad de Murcia. Herder prosigue de esta manera la línea editorial, iniciada hace ya algunos años,de publicar las biografías de grandes figuras de la antigüedad, entre las que cabe contar las dedicadas a Aníbal, Cleopatra, Augusto, Calígula, Constantino I, Juliano o Teodosio I.

Chemical defenses in Sacoglossan Opisthobranchs: Taxonomic trends and evolutionary implications

Sacoglossan sea slugs (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia) are one of the few groups of specialist herbivores in the marine environment. Sacoglossans feed suctorially on the cell sap of macroalgae, from which they 'steal' chloroplasts (kleptoplasty) and deterrent substances (kleptochemistry), retaining intracellularly both host plastids and chemicals. The ingested chloroplasts continue to photosynthesize for periods ranging from a few hours or days up to 3 months in some species. Shelled, more primitive sacoglossans feed only on the siphonalean green algal genus Caulerpa, and they do not have functional kleptoplasty. The diet of sacoglossans has radiated out from this ancestral food. Among the shell-less Plakobranchidae (=Elysiidae), the more primitive species feed on other siphonales (families Derbesiaceae, Caulerpaceae, Bryopsidaceae and Codiaceae) and fix carbon, while the more 'advanced' species within the Plakobranchidae and Limapontioidae have a more broad dietary range. Most of these 'advanced' species are unable to fix carbon because the chloroplasts of their food algae are mechanically disrupted during ingestion. Mesoherbivores are likely to be eaten if they live on palatable seaweeds, their cryptic coloration and form not always keeping them safe from predators. Sacoglossans prefer to live on and eat chemically defended seaweeds, and they use ingested algal chemicals as deterrents of potential predators. The most ancestral shelled sacoglossans (Oxynoidae) and some Plakobranchidae such as Elysia translucens, Thuridilla hopei and Bosellia mimetica have developed a diet-derived chemical defense mechanism. Oxynoids and Thuridilla hopei are able to biomodify the algal metabolites. However, the Plakobranchidae Elysia timida and E. viridis, together with Limapontioidea species, are characterized by their ability to de novo synthesize polypropionate metabolites. A whole analysis of kleptoplasty and chemical defenses in sacoglossans may offer a better understanding of the ecology and evolution of these specialized opisthobranchs. In this paper we summarize some of the latest findings, related mainly to Mediterranean species, and offer a plausible evolutionary scenario based on the biological and chemical trends we can distinguish in them.

Delphinium L. subgen Delphinium: origin and evolutionary trends

Les caractéristiques avançades de Delphinium L. subgèn. Delphinium (taxons anuals) son comparades amb les del subgèn. Delphinastrum (DC.) Wang i del subgèn. Oligophyllon Dimitrova (taxons perennes). La morfología floral mostra un intercanvi de funcions entre els petals laterals i els petals superiors i restructura de la inflorescencia de molts taxons anuals afavoreix un augment de les taxes de geitonogàmia-autogàmia. L'evolució dels cariotips és basada en una disminució de la longitud total dels cromosomes i en un increment del grau d'asimetria; el nombre cromosómic roman constant per a totes les especies anuals (2n = 16). Leficàcia de la dispersió de les especies anuals és mes gran que no pas la de les especies perennes, per causa d'un increment en la producció de granes i per l'augment de la flotabilitat, tant a l'aire com a l'aigua. D'altres caractéristiques adaptatives avançades son l'adquisició de noves defenses químiques i l'aparició d'un nou tipus embriogènic. Els nínxols ecologies del subgèn. Delphinium corresponen a habitats oberts i alterats, en comparado amb els habitats estables i relativament tancats dels subgéneros Delphinastrum i Oligophyllon. Es presenta una hipótesi global de les tendencies évolutives observades en anuals vs. perennes en connexió amb consideracions biogeogràfiques, així corn un resum taxonomic final.

Advanced optical microscopies for materials: new trends

This article summarizes the new trends of Optical Microscopy applied to Materials, with examples of applications that illustrate the capabilities of thetechnique.

Are we living longer but less healthy? Trends in mortality and morbidity in Catalonia (Spain), 1994-2011

Evidence on trends in prevalence of disease and disability can clarify whether countries are experiencing a compression or expansion of morbidity. An expansion of morbidity as indicated by disease have appeared in Europe and other developed regions. It is likely that better treatment, preventive measures and increases in education levels have contributed to the declines in mortality and increments in life expectancy. This paper examines whether there has been an expansion of morbidity in Catalonia (Spain). It uses trends in mortality and morbidity from major causes of death and links of these with survival to provide estimates of life expectancy with and without diseases and functioning loss. We use a repeated cross-sectional health survey carried out in 1994 and 2011 for measures of morbidity; mortality information comes from the Spanish National Statistics Institute. Our findings show that at age 65 the percentage of life with disease increased from 52% to 70% for men, and from 56% to 72% for women; the expectation of life unable to function increased from 24% to 30% for men and 40% to 47% for women between 1994 and 2011. These changes were attributable to increases in the prevalences of diseases and moderate functional limitation. Overall, we find an expansion of morbidity along the period. Increasing survival among people with diseases can lead to a higher prevalence of diseases in the older population. Higher prevalence of health problems can lead to greater pressure on the health care system and a growing burden of disease for individuals.

'Making Science Understandable'. Divulgació científica i mediació editorial: el cas de The Wisdom of the Body de Walter B. Cannon (1871-1945)

The present paper aims at an historical reconstruction, in the framework of the publishing industry in the years between the two World Wars, of the role played by the publisher William W. Norton in the genesis, published in 1932, and new edition in 1938, of Walter B. Cannon"s book The Wisdom of the Body. With the analysis of this case study, we aimed at contributing to the current criticism of the «dominant view», which tries, in an uncritical manner, that scientific popularization follows an ineluctable, continuous and linear evolution.

Future trends of the World Wide Web in the food and beverage sector in Spain

Extended abstract.

'Making Science Understandable'. Divulgació científica i mediació editorial: el cas de The Wisdom of the Body de Walter B. Cannon (1871-1945)

The present paper aims at an historical reconstruction, in the framework of the publishing industry in the years between the two World Wars, of the role played by the publisher William W. Norton in the genesis, published in 1932, and new edition in 1938, of Walter B. Cannon"s book The Wisdom of the Body. With the analysis of this case study, we aimed at contributing to the current criticism of the «dominant view», which tries, in an uncritical manner, that scientific popularization follows an ineluctable, continuous and linear evolution.

Assessing trends in insured losses from floods in Spain 1971-2008

Economic impacts from floods have been increasing over recent decades, a fact often attributed to a changing climate. On the other hand, there is now a significant body of scientific scholarship all pointing towards increasing concentrations and values of assets as the principle cause of the increasing cost of natural disasters. This holds true for a variety of perils and across different jurisdictions. With this in mind, this paper examines the time history of insured losses from floods in Spain between 1971 and 2008. It as- sesses whether any discernible residual signal remains after adjusting the data for the increase in the number and value of insured assets over this period of time. Data on insured losses from floods were sourced from Consorcio de Com- pensacíon de Seguros (CCS). Although a public institution, CCS compensates homeowners for the damage produced by floods, and thus plays a role similar to that of a private insurance company. Insured losses were adjusted using two proxy measures: first, changes in the total amount of annual surcharges (premiums) paid by customers to CCS, and secondly, changes in the total value of dwellings per year. The adjusted data reveals no significant trend over the period 1971-2008 and serves again to confirm that at this juncture, societal in- fluences remain the prime factors driving insured and economic losses from natural disasters.

Germanes de Shakespeare. 20 del XX Pilar Godayol Barcelona, Eumo Editorial, 2003

No es esta la primera vez que Pilar Godayol cumple con el mandato solidario de “ donar veu a altri ”. Lo hizo, hace un par de años, a través de su espléndida traducción Veus xicanes. Contes (2001) y un año antes mediante el ensayo, Espais de frontera. Gènere i traducció (2000), un libro ya de referencia en el marco teórico de los estudios de género. Hoy, desde un enmarque nuevo, vuelve al empeño de visibilizar la personalidad y la obra de veinte voces de mujeres creadoras, Germanas de Shakespeare, y testigos de excepción de los cambios que convulsionaron la Europa de la primera mitad del siglo XX. Aunque en la contracubierta del libro podemos leer que se trata de “una selecció de vint apunts biogràfics ”, lo cierto es que la autora va mucho más allá del espacio estrictamente biográfico para adentrarse en el terreno de la crítica literaria, de la traducción y del ensayo creativo. Godayol describe, interpreta y valora, desde una perspectiva feminista, las circunstancias y avatares con los que tuvieron que enfrentarse estas veinte mujeres universales, dibujando su retrato psicológico, un tanto a la manera de Gertrude Stein, aunque con más corazón. Eso, unido a un estilo preciso, límpido y brillante, provoca inmediatamente la adhesión emocional de la lectora o lector virtual y hace que sintamos que esas mujeres son también, en lo esencial, hermanas nuestras

Regional Science trends through the analysis of the main facts of the 51st ERSA Conference

The 51st ERSA Conference held in Barcelona in 2011 was one of the largest ever. By examining the characteristics of the conference, this paper identifies the main trends in Regional Science and draws on a broad array of sources of information: the delegates" demographic details, the conference program itself, a satisfaction survey conducted among delegates, a quality survey addressed to those chairing the sessions and, finally, a bibliometric database including each author signing a paper presented at the conference. We finally run a regression analysis from which we show that for ERSA delegates what matters most is quality, and this must be the direction that future conferences should move toward. Ultimately, ERSA conferences are comprehensive, all-embracing occasions, representing an ideal opportunity for regional scientists to present their work to each other and to network.

Spatial and Temporal Trends in Sunshine Duration over Western Europe

This work analyzes sunshine duration variability in the western part of Europe (WEU) over the 1938– 2004 period. A principal component analysis is applied to cluster the original series from 79 sites into 6 regions, and then annual and seasonal mean series are constructed on regional and also for the whole WEU scales. Over the entire period studied here, the linear trend of annual sunshine duration is found to be nonsignificant. However, annual sunshine duration shows an overall decrease since the 1950s until the early 1980s, followed by a subsequent recovery during the last two decades. This behavior is in good agreement with the dimming and brightening phenomena described in previous literature. From the seasonal analysis, the most remarkable result is the similarity between spring and annual series, although the spring series has a negative trend; and the clear significant increase found for the whole WEU winter series, being especially large since the 1970s. The behavior of the major synoptic patterns for two seasons is investigated, resulting in some indications that sunshine duration evolution may be partially explained by changes in the frequency of some of them

Notes sobre l'editorial Maucci i les seves traduccions

Fundada a Barcelona el 1892 per un italià que havia après l’ofici a Llatinoamèrica, l’editorial Maucci esdevé ben aviat capdavantera en la difusió del llibre a gran escala i a preus molt econòmics. Un catàleg de 1908 ens permet deduir que publica sobretot literatura, tant d’autors cultes com d’autors de consum, i que difon una gran quantitat de traduccions, sovint primícies en espanyol (llengua que utilitza en exclusiva). Hi predomina de bon tros la literatura francesa, ja sigui d’escriptors de prestigi ja sigui de novel·listes de fulletó. La majoria dels pocs traductors mencionats són poc o no gens coneguts. Testimonis coetanis de l’expansió de l’editorial l’acusen de mutilar els originals i de pagar misèrrimament les traduccions, que solien ser molt deficients.

Esbós de les traduccions de l'Editorial Mentora i Llegiu-me: la literatura de consum

Edicions Mentora fou una breu aventura editorial en català a la Barcelona dels anys 1920. Tot i la seva curta existència, Mentora és un agraït objecte d’estudi per als historiadors de la traducció, atès que introduí, sovint amb la col·laboració d’escriptors notables de l’època com Josep Carner o Carles Soldevila, un tipus de novel·la estrangera adreçada a un ampli ventall de públic. Aquesta nova literatura popular, generalment de procedència francesa o anglosaxona, que es podria ja anomenar «de consum», es nodria de llibres d’aventures per a joves i de novel·les sentimentals per a un públic femení.