Ecological niche modeling, cytogenetics and phylogeography of the genera Geomalacus and Letourneuxia (Gastropoda, Pulmonata) from the Iberian-Moroccan region

First described more that 150 years ago, the systematics of the genera Geomalacus and Letourneuxia (Arionidae, Gastropoda, Pulmonata) is still challenging. The taxonomic classification of arionid species is based on extremely labile characters such as body size or color that depends both on diet and environment, as well as age. Moreover, there is little information on the genetic diversity and population structure of the Iberian slugs that could provide extra clues to disentangle their problematic classification. The present work uses different analytical tools such as habitat suitability (Ecological Niche Modeling - ENM), cytogenetic analysis and phylogeography to establish the geographical distribution and evolutionary history of these pulmonate slugs. The potential distribution of the four Geomalacus species was modeled using ENM, which allowed the identification of new locations for G. malagensis, including a first report in Portugal. Also, it was predicted a much wider distribution for G. malagensis and G. oliveirae than previously known. Classical cytogenetic analyses were assayed with reproductive and a novel use of somatic tissues (mouth and tentacles) returning the number of chromosomes for the four Geomalacus species and L. numidica (n = 31, 2n = 62) and the respective karyotypes. G. malagensis and L. numidica present similar chromosome morphologies and karyotypic formulae, being more similar to each other than the Geomalacus among themselves. We further reconstructed the phylogeny of the genera Geomalacus and Letourneuxia using partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and the nuclear ribosomal small subunit (18S rRNA), and applied an independent evolutionary rate method, the indicator vectors correlation, to evaluate the existence of cryptic diversity within species. The five nominal species of Geomalacus and Letourneuxia comprise 14 well-supported cryptic lineages. Letourneuxia numidica was retrieved as a sister group of G. malagensis. G. oliveirae is paraphyletic with respect to G. anguiformis. According to our dating estimates, the most recent common ancestor of Geomalacus dates back to the Middle Miocene (end of the Serravallian stage). The major lineage splitting events within Geomalacus occurred during the dry periods of the Zanclean stage (5.3-3.6 million years) and some lineages were confined to more humid mountain areas of the Iberian Peninsula, which lead to a highly geographically structured mitochondrial genetic diversity. The major findings of this are the following: (1) provides updated species distribution maps for the Iberian Geomalacus expanding the known geographic distribution of the concerned species, (2) unravels the cryptic diversity within the genera Geomalacus and Letourneuxia, (3) Geomalacus oliveirae is paraphyletic with G. anguiformis and (4) Letourneuxia numidica is sister group of G. malagensis.

Rhetoric and Realities of London 2012 Olympic Education and Participation ‘Legacies’: Voices from the Core and Periphery

A legacy emphasis was one of the fundamental pillars of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The notion of an Olympic legacy was predicated on assumptions that the event’s value would not purely derive from the sporting spectacle, but rather, from the ‘success’ of enduring effects met out in London and across the country. For physical education students and practitioners, Olympic legacy agendas translated into persistent pressure to increase inspiration, engagement, participation and performance in the subject, sport and physical activity. Responding to this context, and cogniscent of significant disciplinary scholarship, this paper reports initial data from the first phase of a longitudinal study involving Key Stage Three (students aged 11-13) cohorts in two comparable United Kingdom schools: the first an inner-city (core) London school adjacent to the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London (n=150); the second, a (peripheral) school in the Midlands (n=198). The research involved the use of themed questionnaires focusing on self-reported attitudes toward the Olympic Games, and, experiences of physical education, sport and physical activity. Students from both schools demonstrated a wide variety of attitudes toward physical education and sport; yet, minor variances emerged regarding extreme enthusiasm levels. Both cohorts also expressed considerably mixed feelings toward the impending Olympic Games. Strong and variable responses were also reported regarding inspiration levels, ticketing acquisition and engagement levels. Consequently, this investigation can be read within the broader context of legacy debates, and, aligns well with physical educationalists’ on-going discomfort regarding legacy imperatives being enforced upon the discipline and its practitioners. Our work reiterates a shared disciplinary scepticism that while an Olympic Games may temporarily affect young peoples’ affectations for sport (and maybe physical education and physical activity), it may not provide the best, or most appropriate, mechanism for sustained attitudinal and/or social changes en masse.

Mental health and neuroscience. A perspective from the magazine market

Mental health awareness has been rising worldwide, motivated by its social and economic costs. Despite the investment in research in neuroscience in the recent years, little is known about the underlying mechanisms in the brain that are correlated with psychiatric conditions. This project, through two feature articles suitable to be published in magazines, provides perspectives onto mental health research. First it presents an example where psychiatry joins forces with neuroscience and computer science in an interdisciplinary effort to improve the life of those affected by mental disorders. The second article gathers opinions which claim that mental health research priorities should be set by patients themselves, or even that people with lived experience of mental health issues should have an active role in that research. This project was planned and researched while I was an Erasmus student at Nottingham Trent University, in the United Kingdom.

CEO overconfidence and leverage ratio: Evidence from the founder members of Mila

The study investigates the impact of the managerial overconfidence bias on the capital structure of a sample of 78 firms from Chile, Peru and Colombia, during the years 1996-2014. We infer that there is a positive relation between the leverage ratio and a) the overconfidence; b) the experience and c) the male gender of the executive. Overconfidence is measured according to the status of the CEO (entrepreneur or not-entrepreneur) and the hypotheses are tested through dynamic panel data model. The empirical results show a highly significant positive correlation between overconfidence and leverage ratio and between gender and leverage ratio while, in contrast, the relation between experience and leverage ratio is negative.

Report of the Committee to whom was Referred the Correspondence between Mr. Monroe and Mr. Canning, and between Mr. Madison and Mr. Rose, relative to the attacked of Chesapeake : and also a communication from the President of the United States of the 30 March last, with a letter from Mr. Erskine to the Secretary of State, and a letter from M. Champagny to Gen. Armstrong.--

April 16, 1808. Printed by Order of the Senate.

A pronouncing dictionary of the Spanish and English languages composed from the Spanish dictionaires of the Spanish Academy, Terreros and Salvá, upon the basis of Seoane's aedition of Neuman and Barretti and from the English dictionairres of Webster, Worcester, and Walker... [by] Mariano Velázquez de la Cadena.

UANL

Trade Creation, Trade Diversion and Investment Flows: Evidence from the Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement.

Rapport de recherche

Taxonomy, Bionomics and Biofouling of Bryozoans from the Coasts of India and the Antarctic Waters

The study of bryozoans, an important group of coelomates in the marine environment is an integral part of faunistic investigations. Bryozones are an ancient, aberrant phylum of microscopic but fascinating and often beautiful animals that build intricate colonies sometimes resembling minicolonies. In this study taxonomy, bionomics and biofouling of bryozoans from the coasts of India and the Antarctic waters. The marine biofouling is found to be hazardous. Bryozoans are microscopic , sessile,colonical coelomates that are permanently fastened in exoskeletal cases or gelatinous material of their own secretion.It is hoped that this work would help the future researchers to devote attention on microbenthos of the continental shelf of India when samples are made available through collections conducted by any ocean going vessel. In the present work an extensive study on the bryozoan foulers that occur at five selected sites of the cochin estury had to be examined and since the hydrographic parameters such as salinity, temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen in the estury,vary greatly from that in the open ocean, a frequent monitoring of these parameters was essential.

Texture Mineralogy and Geochemistry Of Sediments From The Coastal Plains Between Kodungallur And Chellanam Central Kerala India

The present study addresses to understand the sedimentological properties of the coasts of kodungallur and chellanam, central Kerala to bring out the relationship between the textural, mineralogical and geochemical characters with that of the respective environment. The grain size study of the beach ridge sediments from different pits has been investigated at close intervals, which enables to understand the grain size variations with depth. The sediment samples from various pits of the beach ridges indicate that the sediments range primarily from medium to very fine sand, well to moderately sorted, fine to coarse skewed and leptokurtic to platykurtic. The study area is considered as a prograding coast. Variations in grain size down the pit give three phases of beach building activities i.e.; a coarsening upward sequence in the bottom layers, a fining upward in the middle and coarsening upward in the top. Beach ridges are formed by swash built sediments with cross bedding and setting lag type sediments with seaward dipping/horizontal units. Geochemical signatures in the study area have been brought out through the analysis of major and trace elements. Iron is significantly enriched and its control over many trace elements is evident. Copper, chromium, cobalt, lithium, lead and zinc show decreasing trend with depth, while sodium, potassium,strontium,nickel and organic carbon increases. The association of many trace elements with organic carbon has also been established. Dissolution of trace elements in anoxic environment, at depth and reprecipitation in the oxic layers, at near or subsurface, are the major mechanism that brought out the variation of certain environmentally sensitive elements

Studies on isolation, purification and properties of Endoglucanase from the hepatopancreas of Perna viridis

In the attempt to find out catalytic potency and properties of the endoglucanase of green mussel, it could be highlighted that the enzyme is efficient in degrading carboxymethylcellulose to reducing sugars. The immobilized enzyme will find applications in the food industry, paper and pulp industry, wood preservation, alcohol and pharmaceutical industry.The purification method employed i.e. Sephadex G100 chromatography employing affinity and exclusion principles simplify the purification procedure.Addition of Mg2+ and Co2+ at 10mM concentrations enhances endoglucanase activity of green mussel.The immobilized endoglucanase can be used for deinking mixed office waste paper. The endoglucanase if supplemented with exoglucanase and B-glucosidase under appropriate conditions would help in the recycling of paper.

Studies on taxonomy and ecology of Mysidacea from the EEZ of India

Members of the order Mysidacea are important component in marine and estuarine plankton inhabiting all regions of the oceans. There are many brackish water species and few species occur in fresh water, some have become adapted to the specialized environments of caves and wells. They are omnivores, responsible for remineralisation of a substantial portion of the detritus in the water column. They form an important link in the food chain (between microbial producers and secondary consumers) and therefore play a major role in the cycling of energy within the aquatic ecosystem. In tropical and subtropical waters, swarms of mysids are exploited commercially and marketed as preserved cooked food. Mysids have been used in fish farming as live feed resource. They are also excellent experimental organism, extremely useful in the studies of potential impact of various pollutants in the aquatic environment. Mysids are also used in wood pulp effluent plants.Considering the significant role of mysids in the productivity of tropical and coastal ecosystems,the present study has been undertaken to extend our knowledge on the systematics, species composition, distribution,abundance and ecology of mysid fauna of the Indian EEZ and adjoining areas. The present study therefore will undoubtedly fumish valuable information on Mysidacea of the Indian waters.

El plan para la lengua y la cohesión social (Plan LIC) del gobierno de Cataluña = The language and social cohesion plan from the Government of Catalonia

El Plan para la Lengua y la Cohesión Social es un proyecto estratégico del gobierno de Cataluña para la mejora de la educación. Sus tres objetivos fundamentales son: consolidar la lengua catalana, fomentar la educación intercultural y promover la igualdad de oportunidades. Este artículo explica el origen y las finalidades del Plan, sus ejes estratégicos y emblemáticos, y los contextos socioculturales y políticos en los que se plantea y desarrolla