Alberto Sols Biomedical Research Institute
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Range contractions of farmland and steppe birds over two decades in relation to agricultural management in Spain
No full textintensification. We assessed changes in the breeding-season distributions of farmland birds in Spain between
1998 and 2018, evaluating their responses to agricultural management at the scale of agricultural counties. Using
generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs), we quantified distribution shifts and species richness changes for
three bird guilds classified by their dependence on steppe-like farmland: strict steppe birds, farmland birds, and
extended-farmland birds.
We found consistent declines over this 20-year period in species richness across all three guilds and widespread
contractions in species' distribution ranges. Total utilized agricultural area and agricultural yields exerted
generalized negative effects, indicating that the expansion of intensive farming drives pervasive habitat loss for
multiple species. In contrast, herbaceous crops had positive effects on the distribution of many species, highlighting
the importance of these open habitats in supporting diverse bird communities.
As expected, steppe specialists—given their strict ecological requirements—showed the most pronounced
range declines. However, generalist farmland birds also exhibited substantial contractions, revealing that even
less specialized species are highly vulnerable to current levels of land-use intensification. These findings underscore
the urgent need to reconcile agricultural production with biodiversity conservation. Policies promoting
sustainable land management—such as those outlined in the EU Regulation 2024/1991 on nature restoration (i.
e. reestablishment of high diversity landscape features like fallows, rotational grazing or mowing, integrated pest
management and/or organic farming leading to pesticide and fertiliser reduction)—will be critical to halting
further biodiversity loss in agricultural landscapesRaw bird atlas data were kindly provided by SEO/BirdLife. We wish to thank the thousands of anonymous volunteers and local coordinators who made the surveys for the breeding bird atlases on which this work is based possible. Also, these projects would not have been achievable without the lead of Juan Carlos del Moral, Blas Molina, and the colleagues of the monitoring department at SEO/BirdLife. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food kindly provided ESYRCE dataset on agricultural descriptors. We are indebted to Mario Díaz and Elena Concepción for their help in accessing to non-published microdata from de Ministry of Agriculture. MM and JS belonged to the research network REMEDINAL4 (TE-CM S2018/EMT-4338) while preparing the script. RT was supported by the project ‘CLU-2019-01 – iuFOR Institute Unit of Excellence’ (University of Valladolid, funded by the Junta de Castilla y León and cofinance by the European Union, ERDF ‘Europe drives our growth’). This ms is a contribution to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture-CSIC PTI AGRIAMBIO. The authors did not have specific funding for this study. No permits were needed to carry out this work. We thank the Associate editor Bea Maas and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and valuable suggestion
Cultural heritage, cognitive accessibility and intellectual disabilities: creation and validation of a rubric for the design of accessible training courses
No full textLa inclusión social de las personas con discapacidad intelectual es un derecho fundamental y debe trascender el marco educativo y abarcar aspectos tan importantes como el acceso a diferentes actividades sociales y culturales vinculadas con el ámbito del ocio y tiempo libre. Esta investigación se enmarca en la educación patrimonial inclusiva, que proyecta la necesidad de crear espacios accesibles, también en términos cognitivos y sociales, para justificar y promover la inclusión efectiva de toda la ciudadanía en las instituciones y en el patrimonio cultural. Con el objetivo de diseñar una herramienta que sirva de orientación en la preparación de formaciones centradas en patrimonio dirigidas a personas con discapacidad, se elaboró y validó una rúbrica de autoaplicación. Realizada a partir de las necesidades y sugerencias generales de las personas con discapacidad intelectual, la rúbrica resultante supone una herramienta válida en la orientación a profesionales del ámbito del patrimonio cultural en el diseño e impartición de formaciones dirigidas a personas con discapacidad intelectualSocial inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities is a fundamental right and should transcend the educational framework and cover such important aspects as access to different social and cultural activities related to the field of leisure and free time. This research is framed in the inclusive heritage education, which reflects the need to create accessible spaces, also in cognitive and social terms, to justify and promote the effective inclusion of all citizens in institutions and cultural heritage. With the aim of designing a tool to guide the preparation of heritage training workshops for people with disabilities, a self-application rubric was developed and validated. Based on the general needs and suggestions of people with intellectual disabilities, the resulting rubric is a valid tool for guiding professionals in the field of cultural heritage in the design and delivery of training courses for people with intellectual disabilitie
Continuous glucose monitoring as an alternative for cystic fibrosis related diabetes screening and diagnosis
No full textBackground and aims: The data regarding the capacity of HbA1c and Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) to diagnose Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes (CFRD) are uncertain. We studied HbA1c, classical CGM indexes, and novel glucodensities CGM metrics’ ability to distinguish CFRD based on Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) results. Methods: We carried out a prospective observational study involving 38 patients who had had an OGTT test within the previous 6 months and who accepted wearing a CGM sensor for 14 days. Patients answered a questionnaire regarding preferences for CFRD screening. Results: Participants reported a preference for a simpler method for CFRD screening, such as HbA1c, but CGM was better accepted than OGTT. Regarding CGM metrics, time above 180 mg/dL over 6 % presented a sensitivity of 93 % (p = 0.042) and time above 140 mg/dL over 20 %, a specificity of 90 % (p = 0.032) for CFRD diagnosis. CGM metrics distinguished CFRD better than HbA1c, but glucodensities improved CGM diagnostic capacity with sensitivity and specificity over 85 %. Conclusion: In this exploratory study, glucodensities show better discriminatory capacity than HbA1c and CGM classic metrics in distinguishing early mild CFRD. This study supports the need for future larger prospective studies to define the most accepted screening method for CFRD, as well as the optimal cut-off point of CGM metrics and/or glucodensities for the diagnosis of CFR
History shapes regulatory and evolutionary responses to tigecycline in two reference strains of Acinetobacter baumannii
No full textEvolutionary history encompasses both genetic and phenotypic bacterial differences; however, the extent to which this history influences drug response and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) adaptation remains unclear. Historical contingencies arise when elements from an organism’s past leave lasting effects on the genome, altering the paths available for adaptation. Here, we compare two diverging reference strains of Acinetobacter baumannii, representative of archaic and contemporary infections, to study the impact of deep historical differences shaped by decades of adaptation in varying antibiotic and host pressures. We evaluated these effects by comparing immediate and adaptive responses to the last-resort antibiotic, tigecycline (TGC). The strains demonstrated divergent transcriptional responses, suggesting that baseline transcript levels may dictate global responses to antibiotics. Experimental evolution in TGC revealed clear differences in population dynamics, with hard sweeps in populations founded by one strain and no mutations reaching fixation in the other strain. AMR was acquired through predictable mechanisms of increased efflux and drug target modification; however, efflux targets were dictated by strain background. Genetic adaptation may outweigh historic differences in transcriptional networks, as evolved populations no longer show transcriptomic signatures of drug response. Importantly, fitness–resistance trade-offs were only observed in lineages evolved from the archaic strain, while the contemporary reference isolate suffered no fitness defects. This suggests that decades of adaptation to antibiotics resulted in pre-existing compensatory mechanisms in the more contemporary isolate, an important example of a beneficial effect of historical contingenciesThis work was supported by NIH U19AI158076 and, in part, by PA CURES Grant #4100085725. A.B.R. is also supported by NIH 1F31AI172279-01A1 as well as a Catalyst Award from the Pittsburgh Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine (CEBaM). A.S.-L. is currently supported by Grant RYC2022-037765-I funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by European Union NextGenerationEU/PRT
Magnesium-templated Fe-N doped carbon materials from biomass waste as electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media
No full textFe-N-C electrocatalysts derived from Posidonia oceanica biomass were synthesized using a dual-template approach with MgO nanoparticles and MgCl₂·6H₂O to enhance electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The electrocatalysts, designed as Fe-N-C (MgO) and Fe-N-C (MgO@MgCl2), were characterized by N2 sorption analysis, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDXS), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Fe-N-C (MgO@MgCl₂) exhibited a high specific surface area of 1075 m²/g and a micropore volume of 0.466 cm³/g, as well as a homogenous distribution of Fe species. Electrochemical analyses, including double-layer capacitance measurements, indicated that incorporating MgCl2·6H2O as a template in Fe-N-C (MgO@MgCl₂) synthesis significantly increased the electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) (177.5 cm2 vs. 127.5 cm2 for Fe-N-C (MgO)), which is essential for effective ion transport and ORR kinetics. Rotating disk electrode (RDE) tests revealed superior ORR performance of Fe-N-C (MgO@MgCl₂) in alkaline media (0.1 M KOH), with a kinetic current (ik) of -0.70 mA at 0.8 VRHE and mass activity of 13.7 A g-1, outperforming Fe-N-C (MgO) which showed values of -0.26 mA and 5.2 A g-1, respectively. Stability tests showed that Fe-N-C (MgO@MgCl₂) maintained 90.4 % of its kinetic current after 8000 cycles in RDE under O2-saturation, highlighting its robust durability. These results demonstrate that the hierarchical porous structure achieved by dual templating effectively enhances the electrocatalytic activity and stability of Fe-N-C materials for ORR, positioning biomass-derived electrocatalysts as a sustainable alternative to conventional electrocatalystsA.C.A. acknowledges the financial support provided by the APOSTD/ 2021/066 Grant, funded by the Generalitat Valenciana and the European Social Fund, as well as the MARSALAS22-06 Grant, funded by the European Union through the Next Generation EU program. A.P. acknowledges the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in the Advanced Characterization of Materials (grant number EP/L015277/1) and the EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship (EP/W524323/1). J.B. acknowledges f inancial support from Imperial College London via the Imperial College Research Fellowship scheme. M.T. acknowledges funding from the Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies. A.C.A., V.M., and J.S.G., also acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Research Agency (AEI) through project PID2022–138491OB-C32 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ERDF/E
Self-assembled nanoparticles of glycosylated AABB-type phthalocyanines for selective photodynamic therapy
No full textPhotodynamic therapy (PDT) is still hindered by limitations such as poor bioavailability and insufficient selectivity towards tumor cells. To overcome these drawbacks, nanostructured delivery systems have emerged as promising platforms due to their ability to enhance bioavailability and achieve efficient tumor targeting. In this context, nanoparticles (NPs) formed by the self-assembly of highly amphiphilic photosensitizers (PS) in aqueous media are particularly attractive. Among the various PS available, phthalocyanines (Pcs) are especially suitable for constructing nanoassemblies for PDT owing to their outstanding optical and photophysical properties, as well as their ability to form stable nanoaggregates in water through a combination of ππ stacking and hydrophobic interactions. In this work, we describe the design, synthesis, and evaluation of two amphiphilic, glucose- functionalized zinc(II) phthalocyanines (Zn(II)Pcs) as self-assembled PS for PDT. These derivatives are obtained from binaphthyloxy-linked AABB-type Zn(II)Pc synthons previously reported by our group, which are functionalized at the binaphthol ring with glucose units via Sonogashira coupling or copper-catalyzed click reaction. The resulting amphiphiles, GluPc-1 and GluPc-2, spontaneously self-assemble into stable NPs (15–30 nm) that undergo partial disassembly inside cells, which restores the photophysical properties required for efficient PDT. Notably, the glucose moieties exposed on the NP surface enhance selective uptake by tumor cells overexpressing glucose transporters (GLUT-1). Biological studies in cancerous (A549 and HT29) and non- cancerous (HEK293) cell lines confirmed preferential uptake in GLUT1-positive cells, while cytotoxicity assays demonstrated negligible dark toxicity and potent light-induced phototoxic effectsThis work has been supported by the Spanish MICIU/AEI/10.130 39/501100011033/FEDER, UE (PID2023-149483NB-C21, PID2023- 151167NB-I00), the Comunidad de Madrid and the Spanish State through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan [“Materiales Disruptivos Bidimensionales (2D)” (MAD2D-CM) (UAM1)-MRR Materiales Avanzados], and the European Union through the Next Generation EU funds. IMDEA Nanociencia acknowledges support from the “Severo Ochoa” Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (MINECO, CEX2020-001039-S). This work was also financially supported by the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region, China, through the Collaborative Research Fund (Ref. No. C4057-24GF
Microbial biomass carbon distribution under agroforestry practices and soil depth variations in Southern Ethiopia
No full textThe land-use change from agroforestry (AF) to monoculture-based agriculture has the potential to change soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC). The MBC has been used as an indicator of soil quality as well as to determine the microbial status of soil. The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution of soil MBC across different agroforestry practices (AFPs) at two depths in southern Ethiopia. Soil samples were collected from cropland/parkland, woodlots, home gardens, and trees on soil and water conservation-based agroforestry practices (AFPs). The MBC was determined using the difference in fumigated and non-fumigated extracted carbon contents. The MBC and soil microbial biomass quotient (MBQ) were significantly different among the different AFPs (P < 0.05). The highest contents of MBC were reported from homegarden on topsoil (505.36 ± 12.45 mg kg−1) and subsoil (401.88 ± 7.26 mg kg−1) soil depths (topsoil = 0–30 cm, subsoil = 30–60 cm), followed by woodlot (topsoil: 464.37 ± 9.19 mg kg−1) and (subsoil: 380.24 ± 6.88 mg kg−1), while the lowest result was registered from the subsoil of the croplands (153.10 ± 46.44 mg kg−1). The higher percentage of MBQ was recorded under the woodlots in topsoil layers (1.48%) and subsoil (1.37%), followed by homegarden (topsoil = 1.41%, subsoil = 1.25%), while the lowest was found under the cropland in subsoil (0.57%). The highest content of soil organic carbon was found under homegarden in topsoil (3.62%) and subsoil (3.23%) followed by woodlot (topsoil: 3.16%, subsoil: 2.87%) and trees on soil and water conservation structures (topsoil: 2.69%, subsoil: 2.51%), while the lowest value was registered under cropland/parkland AF practices (topsoil: 2.67%, subsoil: 2.46%). The distribution of MBC was significantly related to soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen, and soil pH in topsoil. Homegarden and woodlot AFPs were suitable for soil MBC improvement among the different AFPs studied, implying that tree-based systems are important for increasing of MBC and ecosystem stabilityThe laboratory work of this study has been financed by financial support from Comunidad de Madrid (Spain), specifically Structural Funds 2014–2020 (ERDF and ESF) project AGRISOST CM S2018/BAA-433
Sobre la autora y los relatos de esta antología
No full textEste trabajo ha sido realizado en el marco de una investigación del proyecto del Plan Estatal 2021-2023 «Recuerdo, olvido y cruce de fronteras» (PID2021-124485OB-I00), con el apoyo de la Agencia Estatal de Investigació
Innovation strategies and business networks: a PLS-SEM analysis in rural tourism entrepreneurship
No full textThis study examined how entrepreneurs in the tourism sector can develop competitive advantages in a highly competitive environment. The relationship between innovation strategies, business networks, and service innovation was investigated using a PLS-SEM analysis with a sample of 32 tourism enterprises in Ecuador, namely, Cotacachi, Otavalo, and Quiroga. A structured questionnaire was used to evaluate service innovation, strategic renewal, and the development of business networks. The results indicate that internal knowledge sharing, process optimization, and the creation of new services drive creative strategies. Simultaneously, innovation and strategic renewal are positively associated with participation in business networks. In addition, access to external financing was identified as a key factor in enhancing innovation. These findings underscore the importance of designing public policies that promote tourism innovation through comprehensive programs combining access to finance, strengthened business networks, and internal capacity
training. This paper offers strategic insights into the competitiveness and sustainability of tourism enterprises in emerging economie
Estrategia pedagógica para el fortalecimiento de las competencias de los profesionales en los centros de atención de adulto mayor: una mirada desde la interculturalidad
No full textTesis Doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Formación del Profesorado y Educación, Departamento de Pedagogía. Fecha de Lectura: 30-06-2025El propósito de la presente investigación es elaborar una estrategia pedagógica para fortalecer competencias, talentos y capacidades en los profesionales desde la interculturalidad y ancestralidad en los centros de atención al adulto mayor. El problema detectado es la falta de formación de los trabajadores en las residencias que fueron seleccionadas para la investigación-acción en esta tesis doctoral: Fundación Priego, Córdoba (España); Fundación Corazón de María, Quito (Ecuador); Fundación Amparo San José, Pasto, Nariño, (Colombia) y los Indígenas Cofanes del Valle del Guamuéz, Putumayo (Colombia).
Se realiza una revisión bibliográfica sobre la importancia de las etapas de desarrollo del ser humano, deteniéndose en la etapa del adulto mayor, y se profundiza en la trascendencia que tiene la formación pedagógica investigativa en los procesos de cualificación de los trabajadores y su beneficio para los adultos mayores. Para ello, se realiza el diseño metodológico con un paradigma cualitativo, con tipo de enfoque investigación-acción, en el cual se integran las fases denominadas: planificación, acción, observación y reflexión en sentido espiral que permite llevar a cabo ajustes y evidenciar los procesos de mejora en la aplicación de instrumentos y en la formulación de la estrategia pedagógica. Para la selección de la muestra, se focalizan los cuatro grupos de trabajadores en los lugares que se mencionó anteriormente para contemplar la interculturalidad y el pensamiento ancestral, como fundamento social, cultural y familiar para los miembros de los adultos mayores.
La obtención de la información y el análisis descriptivo inspiran un diseño de estrategia pedagógica con el propósito de fortalecer los talentos, las capacidades y las habilidades de los profesionales y trabajadores que prestan el servicio de atención al adulto mayor, en las residencias y los centros de atención.
Por lo tanto, la estrategia pedagógica busca brindar una formación pertinente, pedagógica y contextualizada que tenga en cuenta el pensamiento ancestral y la riqueza intercultural, desde la elaboración de los ejes temáticos de formación, las competencias, los saberes o los contenidos y estrategias de aprendizajes y los instrumentos de evaluación que surgieron como resultado de la investigació