Alberto Sols Biomedical Research Institute
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Vegetation cover in outdoor enclosures reduces feather pecking in farm-reared red-legged partridges ( Alectoris rufa )
Get PDFFeather pecking is a major problem in intensively reared birds, leading to welfare issues, chronic stress and economic losses. Despite the ample literature on how to improve the living conditions in the poultry industry, very little attention has been paid to gamebird species. The red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) plays a crucial role in the ecosystems of the Iberian Peninsula and also holds significant socio-economic importance in rural areas, as it is the primary species for small game hunting. Our aim was to experimentally test whether improved housing conditions with abundant natural vegetation cover reduce feather pecking and enhance body condition and growth in red-legged partridges. For two years, we compared the degree of feather pecking in red-legged partridges raised in two types of enclosures: a) in the absence of vegetation and b) with abundant natural vegetation. We also took morphometric measures (body weight and tarsus length) of the birds. We found that feather pecking varied both according to vegetation cover and bird age. Chicks aged between 42 and 67 days old exhibited a higher degree of feather pecking than adults. Vegetation cover reduced feather pecking in adults in one of the years of study and in chicks in the other. Additionally, we also found partial support that the presence of vegetation can improve body condition, as during one year, chicks raised in enclosures with vegetation were marginally heavier than those raised without vegetation. These findings suggest that the presence of vegetation might be a contributing factor in mitigating the development of abnormal behaviours in captive red-legged partridges. Future studies are necessary to evaluate what additional measures can be implemented to enhance the effectiveness of a vegetation enriched environment. Additionally, future studies should aim to investigate the effects vegetation cover in aviaries on other parameters relevant to the welfare of these birds, such as the physiological stress response and other specific behavioural traitsFinancial support during data collection was provided by the research project ref. PAI-02–006 awarded by Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha to Javier Viñuela. Partial support during data analysis was provided by the research project Ref. SBPLY/21/ 180501/000266 awarded by Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha & Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) to Lorenzo Pérez-Rodríguez. We also thank Emiliano, Fernando Sobrino and Salvador J. Luna for their help in bird maintenance and bird sampling, and Raquel Crespo for her collaboration in data curation and picture analyse
Images in motion: Fourth century BC Athenian pottery from the Iberian Peninsula: Workshops and iconography
No full textReformulating the meta-analytical random effects model of the standardized mean difference as a mixture model
Get PDFThe classical meta-analytical random effects model (REM) has some weaknesses when applied to the standardized mean difference, g. Essentially, the variance of the studies involved is taken as the conditional variance, given a δ value, instead of the unconditional variance. As a consequence, the estimators of the variances involve a dependency between the g values and their variances that distorts the estimates. The classical REM is expressed as a linear model and the variance of g is obtained through a framework of components of variance. Although the weaknesses of the REM are negligible in practical terms in a wide range of realistic scenarios, all together, they make up an approximate, simplified version of the meta-analytical random effects model. We present an alternative formulation, as a mixture model, and provide formulas for the expected value, variance and skewness of the marginal distribution of g. A Monte Carlo simulation supports the accuracy of the formulas. Then, unbiased estimators of both the mean and the variance of the true effects are proposed, and assessed through Monte Carlo simulations. The advantages of the mixture model formulation over the “classical” formulation are discussedThis work was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion of Spain. [project reference: PID2021-122404NB-I00
Trypanosoma cruzi: genomic diversity and structure
Get PDFTrypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease, and one of the most important parasitic diseases worldwide. The first genome of T. cruzi was sequenced in 2005, and its complexity made assembly and annotation challenging. Nowadays, new sequencing methods have improved some strains’ genome sequence and annotation, revealing this parasite’s extensive genetic diversity and complexity. In this review, we examine the genetic diversity, the genomic structure, and the principal multi-gene families involved in the pathogenicity of T. cruzi. The T. cruzi genome sequence is divided into two compartments: the core (conserved) and the disruptive (variable in length and multicopy gene families among strains). The disruptive region has also been described as genome plasticity and plays a key role in the parasite survival and infection process. This region comprises several multi-gene families, including trans-sialidases, mucins, and mucin-associated surface proteins (MASPs). Trans-sialidases are the most prevalent genes in the genome with a key role in the infection process, while mucins and MASPs are also significant glycosylated proteins expressed on the parasite surface, essential for its biological functions, as host–parasite interaction, host cell invasion or protection against the host immune system, in both insect and mammalian stages. Collectively, in this review, some of the most recent advances in the structure and composition of the T. cruzi genome are reviewe
Euclid preparation: LV. Exploring the properties of proto-clusters in the Simulated Euclid Wide Survey
Get PDFArtículo escrito por un elevado número de autores, solo se referencian el que aparece en primer lugar, el nombre del grupo de colaboración, si le hubiere, y los autores pertenecientes a la UAMGalaxy proto-clusters are receiving increased interest since most of the processes shaping the structure of clusters of galaxies and their galaxy population happen at the early stages of their formation. The Euclid Survey will provide a unique opportunity to discover a large number of proto-clusters over a large fraction of the sky (14 500 deg2). In this paper, we explore the expected observational properties of proto-clusters in the Euclid Wide Survey by means of theoretical models and simulations. We provide an overview of the predicted proto-cluster extent, galaxy density profiles, mass-richness relations, abundance, and sky-filling as a function of redshift. Useful analytical approximations for the functions of these properties are provided. The focus is on the redshift range z = 1.5-4. In particular we discuss the density contrast with which proto-clusters can be observed against the background in the galaxy distribution if photometric galaxy redshifts are used as supplied by the ESA Euclid mission together with the ground-based photometric surveys. We show that the obtainable detection significance is sufficient to find large numbers of interesting proto-cluster candidates. For quantitative studies, additional spectroscopic follow-up is required to confirm the proto-clusters and establish their richnes
Phase-field modeling of fracture under compression and confinement in anisotropic geomaterials
Get PDFStrongly anisotropic geomaterials, such as layered shales, have been observed to undergo fracture under compressive loading. This paper applies a phase-field fracture model to study this fracture process. While phase-field fracture models have several advantages—primarily that the fracture path is not predetermined but arises naturally from the evolution of a smooth non-singular damage field—they provide unphysical predictions when the stress state is complex and includes compression that can cause crack faces to contact. Building on a recently developed phase-field model that accounts for compressive traction across the crack face, this paper extends the model to the setting of anisotropic fracture. The key features of the model include the following: (1) a homogenized anisotropic elastic response and strongly anisotropic model for the work to fracture; (2) an effective damage response that accounts consistently for compressive traction across the crack face, that is derived from the anisotropic elastic response; (3) a regularized crack normal field that overcomes the shortcomings of the isotropic setting, and enables the correct crack response, both across and transverse to the crack face. To test the model, we first compare the predictions to phase-field fracture evolution calculations in a fully resolved layered specimen with spatial inhomogeneity, and show that it captures the overall patterns of crack growth. We then apply the model to previously reported experimental observations of fracture evolution in laboratory specimens of shales under compression with confinement, and find that it predicts well the observed crack patterns in a broad range of loading conditions. We further apply the model to predict the growth of wing cracks under compression and confinement. Prior approaches to simulate wing cracks have treated the initial cracks as an external boundary, which makes them difficult to apply to general settings. Here, the effective crack response model enables us to treat the initial crack simply as a nonsingular damaged zone within the computational domain, thereby allowing for easy and general computationsWe acknowledge financial support from NSF (2108784, 2012259), ARO (MURI W911NF\u201019\u20101\u20100245, W911NF\u201024\u20102\u20100184), AEI (PID2021\u2010124195NB\u2010C32, CEX2019\u2010000904\u2010S), ERC (834728), and PRICIT; and NSF for XSEDE computing resources provided by Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
CRISPR-associated Plasmonic Colorimeter Method (Ca-PCM): A real-time RGB detection system for gold nanoparticles-based nucleic acid biosensors
Get PDFBackground: The detection of genetic sequences represents the gold standard procedure for species discrimination, genetic characterisation of tumours, and identification of pathogens. The development of new molecular detection methods, accessible and cost effective, is of great relevance. Biosensors based on plasmonic nanoparticles, such as gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), provide a powerful and versatile platform for highly sensitive, economic, user-friendly and label-free sensing. However, the readout techniques typically employed with such sensors lack temporal and kinetic information, which hampers the ability to perform quantitative detection. Results: In this study, a novel methodology designated the ‘CRISPR-associated Plasmonic Colorimeter Method’ (Ca-PCM), has been developed. This method combines RNA target recognition by CRISPR LwaCas13a, AuNPs' aggregation, and real-time colorimetric Red-Green-Blue (RGB) analysis. The system registers the AuNP's plasmonic signatures in real-time using a RGB colour sensor with 3-channel silicon photodiodes having blue, green and red sensitivities. The acquired signals are automatically analysed by an algorithm designed to distinguish between positive and negative samples and to correlate the temporal spectral patterns of aggregation with dose-dependent molecular detection of the RNA target. In addition, the combination of Ca-PCM with a previous isothermal amplification allows the target efficient detection in real clinical applications. Significance: We have shown that the combination of RGB analysis and continuous temporal measurements is a novel and promising method to characterise the behaviour of gold nanoparticle-based biosensors and to achieve dose-dependent target detection. In addition, the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of this new approach expand the possibilities of other plasmonic-based biosensors and their applicability in low-resources clinical environmentsThis work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (PID2020-119352RB-I00), Spanish Ministry of science, innovation and universities (PID2023-146982OB-I00) and Madrid Regional Government (NANOCOV-CM). RBG thanks \u201CAyuda de Atracci\u00F3n de Talento de la Comunidad de Madrid (2019-T2/IND-13367)\u201D. IMDEA Nanociencia acknowledges support from the \u2018Severo Ochoa\u2019 Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (MINECO, Grant SEV-2016-0686, CEX2020-001039-S)
Geometric antibunching and directional shaping of photon anticorrelations
No full textWe investigate the directional characteristics of photon statistics in dimers of quantum emitters. For their analysis, we construct a two-point second-order correlation function that allows us to find an alternative mechanism for photon anticorrelation, termed as geometric antibunching. This phenomenon is completely agnostic to the quantum state of the emitters and emerges from quantum interference effects due to the indistinguishability of different two-photon optical pathways. Finally, we explore its occurrence in emitters placed in the vicinity of a flat substrate and a nanosphere, demonstrating its tunability through the different material and geometric parameters of these devicesThis work has been generously supported by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER, EU under Projects No. PID2021-126964OB-I00 and No. PID2022-137569NB-C42. B.D.A. and A.I.F.D. also thank the support from the European Union's Horizon Program through Grant No. 10107070
Characterization and Valuation of the Ecosystem Services of the Coastal Cantabrian Holm Oak Forest in Spain: The Example of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve (Bizkaia, Basque Country)
No full textHolm oak groves of Quercus ilex subsp. ilex are one of the most characteristic environmental
elements of the Cantabrian strip of the Iberian Peninsula. The Cantabrian holm oak forest
does not have a clear origin. There is a possibility that it has a relict character, and it could
also respond more to human activity over the last 10,000 years. Nowadays, it is a rare, scarce,
and finicultural forest in this demarcation, but it provides many ecosystem services. To carry
out a comparative analysis and assessment of its potential as Green Infrastructure and of
its coastal facies (Urdaibai, Bizkaia), 10 random and stratified inventories were carried out.
These plots were monitored regularly for more than 2 years and in seasonal visits to avoid
phenological bias. The resulting synthetic syninventories were then assessed according
to the LANBIOEVA (Landscape Biogeographical Evaluation) Methodology, which has
been applied for more than 35 years in different ecosystems and landscapes at a global
scale. Scores for various parameters related to ecosystem services are of high conservation
interest, and the cultural services are medium to high. Concerning conservation priority,
the low records of the three threat parameters result in mean values that are in the first
quartile for this parameter, which attests to a good level of conservation. The conclusion is
clear: the Biosphere Reserve status has had a positive influence on the proper management
and conservation of the Cantabrian holm oak forest and its associated ecosystem services.
However, certain threats that still weigh on this ecosystem need to be addresse
Directional flow of confined polaritons in CrSBr
No full textNanoscale control of energy transport is a central challenge in modern photonics. Utilization of exciton–polaritons—hybrid light-matter quasiparticles—is one viable approach, but it typically demands complex device engineering to enable directional transport. Here, it is demonstrated that the van der Waals magnet CrSBr offers an inherent avenue for steering polariton transport leveraging a unique combination of intrinsic optical anisotropy, high refractive index, and excitons dressed by photons. This combination enables low-loss guided modes that propagate over 50 μm along the crystal a-axis, while simultaneously inducing strong 1D confinement by forbidding transport along the orthogonal b-axis. By embedding CrSBr flakes in a microcavity, the confinement is further enhanced, as evidenced by energy modes that are discretized along the b axis but continuous along the a axis. Moreover, the magneto-exciton coupling characteristic of CrSBr allows unprecedented control over both unidirectional propagation and confinement. The results establish CrSBr as a versatile polaritonic platform for integrated
optoelectronic device applications, including energy-efficient optical modulators and switchesP.C.A. was supported by the Army Research Office grant W911NF-23-1-0394, S.Y. was supported by the NSF grant 2216838. B.D. was supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (Grant No. 12764). A. C and V.M.M were supported by the Department of Energy’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences award: DE-SC0025302. Z.S. was supported byproject LUAUS25268 from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS), ERC-CZ program (project LL2101) from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) and by the project Advanced Functional Nanorobots (reg. No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000444 financed by the EFRR). K.M. were supported from the grant of Specific university research – grant No A1_FCHT_2025_013. J.A.A., A.I.F.D, and F.J.G.V were supported by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER, EU under grants PID2021-126964OB-I00 and PID2021-125894NB-I00. AIFD also acknowledges financial support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme through agreement 101070700 (MIRAQL