Remote Camera and Trapping Survey of the Deep-water Shrimps Heterocarpus laevigatus and H. ensifer and the Geryonid Crab Chaceon granulatus in Palau

Time-lapse remote photo-sequences at 73-700 m depth off Palau, Western Caroline Islands, show that the caridean shrimp Heterocarpus laevigatus tends to be a solitary animal, occurring below ~350 m, that gradually accumulates around bait sites over a prolonged period. A smaller speies, H. ensifer, tends to move erratically in swarms, appearing in large numbers in the upper part of its range (<250 m) during the evening crepuscular period and disappearing at dawn. Trapping and photsequence data indicate the depth range of H. ensifer (during daylight) is ~250-550 M, while H. laevigatus ranges from 350 m to at least 800 m, along with the geryonid crab Chaceon granulatus. Combined trapping for Heterocarpus laevigatus and Chaceon granulatus, using a three-chamber box-trap and extended soak times (48-72 hr), may be an appropriate technique for small-scale deep-water fisheries along forereef slopes of Indo-Pacific archipelagoes.

Aquatic and fisheries survey of the upper Victoria Nile: a report prepared for AES Nile Power Bujagali hydropower project, final report

The aquatic ecosystem of the Upper Victoria Nile is part of a wider complex of water bodies (lakes and rivers) in Uganda that is of immense socioeconomic importance, especially the fisheries. A source of food, income, energy, irrigation and drinking water, the protection, sustainable use and management of the Upper Victoria Nile water resources are vital to Uganda's economy. The Upper Victoria Nile,due to its abundance of socio-economic benefits,provides a significant contribution to Uganda's economy. The fisheries contribute to the sector as a major source of the export earnings, second to coffee (NEMA,1996), sustain small fishing villages,provide income and generally improve nutrition. Apart from the socio-economic significance of the fisheries,the riverine features of the Upper Victoria Nile, especially its hydropower potential,distinguish this river from the rest of the aquatic ecosystems in the country.

Population genetic structure and geographical differentiation of the Chinese catfish Hemibagrus macropterus (Siluriformes, Bagridae): Evidence for altered drainage patterns

National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [2007CB411600, 30530120]

Genetic Variability and Geographical Diversity of the Main Chagas' Disease Vector Panstrongylus megistus (Hemiptera: Triatominae) in Brazil Based on Ribosomal DNA Intergenic Sequences

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Geological and Structural evolution of the Eurasia Africa plate boundary in the Gulf of Cadiz Central Eastern Atlantic Sea.

Iberia Africa plate boundary, cross, roughly W-E, connecting the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Azores triple junction to the Continental margin of Morocco. Relative movement between the two plate change along the boundary, from transtensive near the Azores archipelago, through trascurrent movement in the middle at the Gloria Fracture Zone, to transpressive in the Gulf of Cadiz area. This study presents the results of geophysical and geological analysis on the plate boundary area offshore Gibraltar. The main topic is to clarify the geodynamic evolution of this area from Oligocene to Quaternary. Recent studies have shown that the new plate boundary is represented by a 600 km long set of aligned, dextral trascurrent faults (the SWIM lineaments) connecting the Gloria fault to the Riff orogene. The western termination of these lineaments crosscuts the Gibraltar accretionary prism and seems to reach the Moroccan continental shelf. In the past two years newly acquired bathymetric data collected in the Moroccan offshore permit to enlighten the present position of the eastern portion of the plate boundary, previously thought to be a diffuse plate boundary. The plate boundary evolution, from the onset of compression in the Oligocene to the Late Pliocene activation of trascurrent structures, is not yet well constrained. The review of available seismics lines, gravity and bathymetric data, together with the analysis of new acquired bathymetric and high resolution seismic data offshore Morocco, allows to understand how the deformation acted at lithospheric scale under the compressive regime. Lithospheric folding in the area is suggested, and a new conceptual model is proposed for the propagation of the deformation acting in the brittle crust during this process. Our results show that lithospheric folding, both in oceanic and thinned continental crust, produced large wavelength synclines bounded by short wavelength, top thrust, anticlines. Two of these anticlines are located in the Gulf of Cadiz, and are represented by the Gorringe Ridge and Coral Patch seamounts. Lithospheric folding probably interacted with the Monchique – Madeira hotspot during the 72 Ma to Recent, NNE – SSW transit. Plume related volcanism is for the first time described on top of the Coral Patch seamount, where nine volcanoes are found by means of bathymetric data. 40Ar-39Ar age of 31.4±1.98 Ma are measured from one rock sample of one of these volcanoes. Analysis on biogenic samples show how the Coral Patch act as a starved offshore seamount since the Chattian. We proposed that compression stress formed lithospheric scale structures playing as a reserved lane for the upwelling of mantle material during the hotspot transit. The interaction between lithospheric folding and the hotspot emplacement can be also responsible for the irregularly spacing, and anomalous alignments, of individual islands and seamounts belonging to the Monchique - Madeira hotspot.

Taxonomic position and geographical distribution of the common sheep G1 and camel G6 strains of Echinococcus granulosus in three African countries

The taxonomic and phylogenetic status of Echinococcus granulosus strains are still controversial and under discussion. In the present study, we investigated the genetic polymorphism of E. granulosus isolates originating from three countries of Africa, including a region of Algeria, where the common G1 sheep and the camel G6 strains coexist sympatrically. Seventy-one hydatid cysts were collected from sheep, cattle, camels, and humans. Two mitochondrial markers (cox1 and nad1) were used for strain identification. Two nuclear markers (actII and hbx2) were used to study the possible occurrence of cross-fertilization. Despite the heterogeneity observed among the G1 isolates, they were all localized within one robust cluster. A second strong cluster was also observed containing all of the G6 isolates. Both strains appeared as two distinct groups, and no cases of interbreeding were found. Thus, the attribution of a species rank can be suggested. We also found the Tasmanian sheep G2 strain for the first time in Africa. Because of the slight variations observed between the common sheep and the Tasmanian sheep strains, further studies should be carried out to elucidate the epidemiological relevance of this genetic discrimination.

Clinical and inflammatory characteristics of the European U-BIOPRED adult severe asthma cohort

U-BIOPRED is a European Union consortium of 20 academic institutions, 11 pharmaceutical companies and six patient organisations with the objective of improving the understanding of asthma disease mechanisms using a systems biology approach.This cross-sectional assessment of adults with severe asthma, mild/moderate asthma and healthy controls from 11 European countries consisted of analyses of patient-reported outcomes, lung function, blood and airway inflammatory measurements.Patients with severe asthma (nonsmokers, n=311; smokers/ex-smokers, n=110) had more symptoms and exacerbations compared to patients with mild/moderate disease (n=88) (2.5 exacerbations versus 0.4 in the preceding 12 months; p<0.001), with worse quality of life, and higher levels of anxiety and depression. They also had a higher incidence of nasal polyps and gastro-oesophageal reflux with lower lung function. Sputum eosinophil count was higher in severe asthma compared to mild/moderate asthma (median count 2.99% versus 1.05%; p=0.004) despite treatment with higher doses of inhaled and/or oral corticosteroids.Consistent with other severe asthma cohorts, U-BIOPRED is characterised by poor symptom control, increased comorbidity and airway inflammation, despite high levels of treatment. It is well suited to identify asthma phenotypes using the array of "omic" datasets that are at the core of this systems medicine approach.

Geological and hydrological histories of the Argyre province, Mars

The geologic history of the multi-ringed Argyre impact basin and surroundings has been reconstructed on the basis of geologic mapping and relative-age dating of rock materials and structures. The impact formed a primary basin, rim materials, and a complex basement structural fabric including faults and valleys that are radial and concentric about the primary basin, as well as structurally-controlled local basins. Since its formation, the basin has been a regional catchment for volatiles and sedimentary materials as well as a dominant influence on the flow of surface ice, debris flows, and groundwater through and over its basement structures. The basin is interpreted to have been occupied by lakes, including a possible Mediterranean-sized sea that formed in the aftermath of the Argyre impact event The hypothesized lakes froze and diminished through time, though liquid water may have remained beneath the ice cover and sedimentation may have continued for some time. At its deepest, the main Argyre lake may have taken more than a hundred thousand years to freeze to the bottom even absent any heat source besides the Sun, but with impact-induced hydrothermal heat, geothermal heat flow due to long-lived radioactivities in early martian history, and concentration of solutes in sub-ice brine, liquid water may have persisted beneath thick ice for many millions of years. Existence of an ice-covered sea perhaps was long enough for life to originate and evolve with gradually colder and more hypersaline conditions. The Argyre rock materials, diverse in origin and emplacement mechanisms, have been modified by impact, magmatic, eolian, fluvial, lacustrine, glacial, periglacial, alluvial, colluvial, and tectonic processes. Post-impact adjustment of part of the impact-generated basement structural fabric such as concentric faults is apparent. Distinct basin-stratigraphic units are interpreted to be linked to large-scale geologic activity far from the basin, including growth of the Tharsis magmatic-tectonic complex and the growth into southern middle latitudes of south polar ice sheets. Along with the migration of surface and sub-surface volatiles towards the central part of the primaiy basin, the substantial difference in elevation with respect to the surrounding highlands and Tharsis and the Thaumasia highlands result in the trapping of atmospheric volatiles within the basin in the form of fog and regional or local precipitation, even today. In addition, the impact event caused long-term (millions of years) hydrothermal activity, as well as deep-seated basement structures that have tapped the internal heat of Mars, as conduits, for far greater time, possibly even today. This possibility is raised by the observation of putative open-system pingos and nearby gullies that occur in linear depressions with accompanying systems of faults and fractures. Long-term water and heat energy enrichment, complemented by the interaction of the nutrient-enriched primordial crustal and mantle materials favorable to life excavated to the surface and near-surface environs through the Argyre impact event, has not only resulted in distinct geomorphology, but also makes the Argyre basin a potential site of exceptional astrobiological significance. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Energy and economic survey of the renovation of a residential building wall in Madrid

La edificación es un sector de enorme influencia en la evolución del consumo de energía y las emisiones de CO2. Teniendo en cuenta que en estos momentos hay 3,5 millones de viviendas vacías y que los próximos años no va a haber un aumento en la demanda de vivienda nueva, la rehabilitación sostenible del parque residencial existente es una tarea prioritaria y sobre la que hay que prestar especial interés. Dado que aún queda mucho donde actuar, es necesario hacer una reflexión sobre cómo se está rehabilitando para poder mejorar en el futuro. Por ello, el objetivo del presente trabajo es analizar algunas estrategias adoptadas hasta ahora en el parque inmobiliario y su aplicación en un caso de estudio, mediante la mejora de la fachada de un edificio de viviendas situado en Madrid.