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Purpose: The efficiency of an educational program on entrepreneurial competence, Training the Potential Entrepreneur. Generation of an Educational Model for Entrepreneurial Identify (PEIEO) is evaluated in this study. Design/methodology/approach: Pre and post intervention tests were administered to an Experimental Group (EG) and a Control Group (CG). Moreover, four hypotheses are proposed (H1, H2, H3, H4) and tested on a sample of 1036 Spanish students. The following instruments were applied: Attitude Towards Entrepreneurship-Spanish adaption; Measurement Scale of Personal Initiative in Educational Settings and Scale of General Self-Efficacy. ANCOVA and the Student's t-test were applied to the results. Findings: The results show that training in entrepreneurial identity increases the entrepreneurial potential of young people (H1). A notable increase in proactivity and being a self-starter was observed with regard to personal initiative within the EG, and for self-efficacy (H3) both of which were predictors of entrepreneurial identity. Gender was likewise a predictor (H4). Practical implications: Young people attending the PElEO training program in entrepreneurial potential increased their levels of entrepreneurial identity, thereby confirming the effectiveness of the program. Originality/value: The program (PEIEO) is based on the development of entrepreneurial potential, a dimension that generates entrepreneurial identity (creativity, leadership, achievement and personal control).

In recent years, Maker Education has gained popularity in formal education, but the perceptions of pre-service teachers after participating in a maker training program at a university-based makerspace remain to be explored. The purpose of this study is to analyze the acceptance level and the degree of motivation of pre-service teachers towards the maker educational approach. The research assesses attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction according to Keller's motivational model, as well as the acceptance of the maker approach using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The study focuses on Early Childhood Education pre-service teachers from UPV/EHU (University of the Basque Country) who have been involved in designing teaching and learning plans based on Maker Education. The results show a strong motivation among the pre-service teachers in terms of attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction towards the maker approach. The study also highlights a high level of technology acceptance. These findings underline the positive impact of maker-based learning methods and suggest that greater motivation correlates with the positive attitudes towards integrating this pedagogy in the future. In light of these findings, integrating innovative maker pedagogy into teacher training appears to be beneficial, as the high levels of acceptance and motivation indicate its potential to equip students with essential twenty-first century skills.

The educational transition between early childhood education and primary education is a complex moment of change with repercussions throughout the academic life of the students. For this reason, it is important to seek continuity between both educational stages. A successful transition produces for the social, cognitive and emotional well-being of the student. The aim of this study is to find out how transition-related factors apply in ten European Union (EU) countries. The factors analyzed are the age of onset of transition, the teacher-student ratio, types of clustering, financing of the stage, responsibility, and both initial and in-service teacher training. The methodology followed in this study is documentary analysis and the main source of data search has been the European Commission's Eurydice portal. The results show differences in stage change within each country, especially in the explicit consideration of a transition period. The main conclusion is that there is a great difference between the northern and southern countries. The main differences between countries in the transitions from early childhood education to primary education in the EU are in the years of compulsory education, the teacher/student/unit ratio, the initial teacher training, and the decentralization of education.

To date, several studies have investigated the potential benefits of using Quizlet and podcasts for vocabulary development. However, they have mainly focused on the use of available material, and its effects on receptive vocabulary acquisition and students' motivation. In contrast, relatively little has been done to study the effects of student-generated podcasts and Quizlet flashcards sets on second language vocabulary acquisition including productive skills. Hence, the present study seeks to analyze and compare how student-created podcasts and Quizlet flashcards affect vocabulary retention, taking into account both receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge. Twenty-three adults, aged 18-61, participated in the study. The instruments used were vocabulary tests as pre-tests to check students' prior knowledge, and as immediate post-tests to measure receptive and productive vocabulary acquisition, and a questionnaire to gauge students' perceptions of the two methods. Results showed that although there was no significant difference between the two methods regarding receptive or productive vocabulary acquisition, and both techniques helped students to retain new vocabulary, participants expressed a greater preference for the Quizlet methodology.

One of the main aims of diverse education systems is the development of key competences to improve citizens' capacity for lifelong learning. However, some authors have signalled the challenge their measurement entails, among them the Learning to Learn (LtL) competence, which has also been shown to be complex to define and is under research. With a pre-post-test design and a variety of assessment instruments, this study compares the effect having an educational technology course and using telecollaboration has on the development of the LtL competence in a content and language integrated (CLIL) learning environment. Four groups of teacher trainees at two different universities took initial and after treatment surveys on LtL. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis indicated that technology boosts LtL but that telecollaboration helps develop LtL reflective concepts further in the form of processes by constructing or accomplishing learning goals in similar contexts.

Research has shown that teaching second language (L2) learning strategies explicitly promotes an increase in strategy use and in oral proficiency. Consequently, a checklist based on the six types of strategies from Oxford's taxonomy (1990) was created to analyze strategic instruction in the most common textbooks used in the last year of Higher Secondary Education in Spain. The study considered whether there was explicit strategy instruction and its location (within the units [Internal] or in other sections [External]) in course books, and what specific strategies were explicitly taught for the two oral skills, listening and speaking. Results showed, first, that there was explicit internal and external instruction of L2 learning strategies both for listening and speaking, but not in all the books; second, that there was significantly more implicit use than explicit instruction, and less explicit instruction in the units of the textbooks than in specific extra sections in the textbook or in support material; and finally, that internal explicit instruction of strategies remains very limited; and thus, L2 learning strategy instruction, competence and use may not be sufficiently encouraged in those textbooks.

Background/Objectives: The prevalence of the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been increasing globally, necessitating updates to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders with respect to ASD diagnosis. It is now recognised that ASD is related to sensory processing disorder, and sensory integration is considered a suitable intervention for treating children diagnosed with ASD. Methods: This paper provides a systematic review on a timeline from 2013 to 2023, based on the PRISMA model. Evidence was sought in the academic search engines Pubmed, Scielo, Eric, Dialnet, Springer, Base Search and Google Scholar, which produced 16 articles according to the inclusion criteria. Results: According to the results of this review, intervention with sensory integration in infants with ASD meets the criteria to be considered an evidence-based practice. The studies reviewed focused mainly on clinical settings and, therefore, we highlight the urgent need for further research to evaluate the effectiveness of sensory integration interventions in naturalistic settings such as homes and schools. Conclusions: This will help to obtain more representative data on how these interventions affect the daily lives of children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The higher education regulation process in Europe, known as the Bologna Process, has involved many changes, mainly in relation to methodology and assessment. The paper given below relates to implementing the new EU study plans into the Teacher Training College of Vitoria-Gasteiz; it is the first interdisciplinary paper written involving teaching staff and related to the Teaching Profession module, the first contained in the structure of the new plans. The coordination of teaching staff is one of the main lines of work in the Bologna Process, which is also essential to develop the right skills and maximise the role of students as an active learning component. The use of active, interdisciplinary methodologies has opened up a new dimension in universities, requiring the elimination of the once componential, individual structure, making us look for new areas of exchange that make it possible for students' training to be developed jointly.

This study examines the suitability of telecollaboration practices to enhance ICT integration in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)-based units by analysing the number and type of episodes related to students' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) produced in a telecollaboration whose aim was the design of a technology-enhanced CLIL unit. Results revealed a high number of episodes focusing on the domains and intersections of the TPACK framework, that pedagogical content knowledge was the main focus of attention and prompted most of the suggestions for change in the unit and that telecollaboration promoted collaboration and made participation more equal. Consequently, telecollaboration showed a great potential for directing students' attention to their TPACK even though the scarcity of episodes focusing on the TPACK intersection also indicated there is ample room for more teacher training efforts to prepare pre-service teachers for technology integration.

Although the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 circulated intensely during the 2021–2022 season, many patients with severe acute respiratory disease tested negative for COVID-19. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of different respiratory viruses in deceased persons. The proportion of deceased persons with respiratory viral infections in the 2021–2022 season in Navarre, Spain, was estimated considering all deaths caused by confirmed COVID-19 according to the epidemiological surveillance and the results of multiplex PCR tests for respiratory viruses performed in a sample of deceased persons with a cause of death other than COVID-19. Of 3578 deaths, 324 (9.1%) were initially reported as caused by pre-mortem confirmed COVID-19. A sample of 242 persons who died by causes other than COVID-19 were tested post-mortem; 64 (26.4%) of them were positive for any respiratory virus: 11.2% for SARS-CoV-2, 5.8% for rhinovirus, 3.7% for human coronavirus, 2.5% for metapneumovirus, 1.7% for respiratory syncytial virus, 1.7% for parainfluenza, 1.2% for influenza, and less than 1% each for adenovirus and bocavirus. Combining both approaches, we estimated that 34.4% of all deceased persons during the study period had a respiratory viral infection and 19.2% had SARS-CoV-2. Only 33.3% (9/27) of SARS-CoV-2 and 5.0% (2/40) of other viruses detected post-mortem had previously been confirmed pre-mortem. In a period with very intense circulation of SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic, other respiratory viruses were also frequently present in deceased persons. Some SARS-CoV-2 infections and most other viral infections were not diagnosed pre-mortem. Several respiratory viruses may contribute to excess mortality in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a frequent cause of hospitalisation in the first few months of life; however, this risk rapidly decreases with age. Nirsevimab immunoprophylaxis was approved in the European Union for the prevention of RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease in infants during their first RSV season. We evaluated the effectiveness of nirsevimab in preventing hospitalisations for confirmed RSV infection and the impact of a strategy of immunisation at birth. A population-based cohort study was performed in Navarre, Spain, where nirsevimab was offered at birth to all children born from October to December 2023. Cox regression was used to estimate the hazard ratio of hospitalisation for PCR-confirmed RSV infection between infants who received and did not receive nirsevimab. Of 1177 infants studied, 1083 (92.0%) received nirsevimab. The risk of hospitalisation for RSV was 8.5% (8/94) among non-immunised infants versus 0.7% (8/1083) in those that were immunised. The estimated effectiveness of nirsevimab was 88.7% (95% confidence interval, 69.6–95.8). Immunisation at birth of infants born between October and December 2023 prevented one hospitalisation for every 15.3 immunised infants. Immunisation of children born from September to January might prevent 77.5% of preventable hospitalisations for RSV in infants born in 2023–2024. These results support the recommendation of nirsevimab immunisation at birth to children born during the RSV epidemic or in the months immediately before to prevent severe RSV infections and alleviate the overload of paediatric hospital resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Study the variation in the number of accidents across days of the workweek, from Monday to Friday. Data and Method. All occupational accidents of full-time workers in Spain from 2011 to 2018 are analyzed. A total amount of 2,873,872 accidents are representative and not heavily affected by underreporting bias. Chi-squared test ( χ 2 ) and z -value determine statistically significant differences in accident percentages from Monday to Friday, controlling personal (sex, age, nationality, and seniority), company (activity, size, and region), temporal (hour of the day and working hour) variables, and consequences (severity, injury type, and injured body part). Results. "Weekday effect" with a decrease in accidents of 29.4% from Monday to Friday, a decrease of 14.3% from Monday to Tuesday ("Monday effect"), 3.9% from Tuesday to Wednesday, 7.9% from Wednesday to Thursday, and 7% from Thursday to Friday. The "weekday effect" and the "Monday effect" occur across industries, for all company sizes, for all types of workers (both genders, different ages and seniority), for different types of injury, and across the day and the shift. "Monday effect" increases with age and seniority, for men, in small companies (10 to 49 workers), in the morning, at the beginning of the work shift hours, and for back injuries. "Weekday effect" decreases with age and increases with seniority, for men, in companies between 20 and 249 workers, in the morning and at the beginning of the work shift hours, and for back injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021–2022, most of the Spanish population received COVID-19 vaccines and a high proportion of them had SARS-CoV-2 infection. We estimated the rate of hospitalisations and deaths that were averted by risk reduction among vaccinated COVID-19 cases. Hospitalisations and deaths were analysed among COVID-19 cases confirmed in 2021 and 2022 in Navarre, Spain. To calculate the number of prevented outcomes by sex, age, comorbidities, and semester, the difference in the risk of each outcome between unvaccinated and vaccinated cases was multiplied by the number of vaccinated cases. COVID-19 vaccination coverage with any dose reached 88%, 86% with full vaccination, and 56% with a booster dose. The cumulative rates per 1000 inhabitants were 382 COVID-19 confirmed cases, 6.70 hospitalisations, and 1.15 deaths from COVID-19. The estimated rates of prevented events by vaccination were 16.33 hospitalisations and 3.39 deaths per 1000 inhabitants, which was 70.9% and 74.7% of expected events without vaccination, respectively. People aged 80 years and older or with major chronic conditions accounted for the majority of hospitalizations and deaths prevented by COVID-19 vaccination. One hospitalisation and death due to COVID-19 were averted for every 53 and 258 people vaccinated, respectively. The high COVID-19 vaccine effect in reducing the risk of severe outcomes and the high vaccination coverage in risk populations prevented three out of four hospitalisations and deaths due to COVID-19 during a period of intense circulation of SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial characteristics of propolis, a bioactive compound collected from hives, have prompted its use in the food sector in recent times. This study investigated the physicochemical characteristics, phenolic profile, and antioxidant capacity of 31 propolis extracts collected from Northern Spain. The physicochemical composition (resins, waxes, ashes mineral content, and heavy metals) was within the allowable regulatory limits. The analysis of bioactive compounds enabled the identification of 51 constituents: flavonoids (apigenin, catechin, chrysin, quercetin, and pinocembrin) and phenolic acids (caffeic, ferulic, and coumaric). The mean value of total polyphenols was 42.72 ± 13.19 Pinocembrin–Galangin Equivalents/100 g, whereas a range between 1.64 ± 0.04 and 4.95 ± 0.36 Quercetin Equivalents (QE) g/100 g was found for total flavonoids content. The determination of bioactivities revealed significant antioxidant capacity using DPPH (1114.28 ± 10.39 µM Trolox Equivalents and 3487.61 ± 318.66 µM Vitamin C Equivalents). Resin content in propolis samples was positively and significantly correlated with both polyphenols (rho = 0.365; p = 0.043) and flavonoid composition (rho = 0.615; p = 0.000) as well as the antioxidant capacity TEAC DPPH (rho = 0.415; p = 0.020). A multiple regression analysis modeled the correlation between resin composition, flavonoids, and TEAC DPPH values, yielding a significant regression equation (R2 = 0.618; F (2,28) = 22.629; p < 0.000; d = 2.299). Therefore, evaluating physicochemical parameters and biological activities provides a promising framework for predicting propolis' quality and antioxidant properties, thus suggesting its potential as a functional and bioactive compound for the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by the influenza virus which constitutes a significant public health issue associated with high morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in attitudes, perceptions, and practices regarding influenza vaccination in the Spanish adult population during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their vaccination intentions, with special attention paid to those over 65 years old and in high-risk groups. To this end, a cross-sectional study was conducted through 2219 telephone interviews, and the results were compared with results obtained a year earlier. Regarding the reasons for deciding to get vaccinated in the 2022/23 season, a significant increase was observed in vaccine confidence (36.7% vs. 42.8%), social responsibility (32.5% vs. 43.8%), and in awareness of the importance of vaccination due to COVID-19 (21.7% vs. 25.4%). Advanced age (OR 2.8, 95% CI 2.0–3.9), belonging to high-risk groups (OR 2.7, 95% CI 2.0–3.7), and prior vaccination (OR 25.3, 95% CI 19.5–32.7) emerged as significant predictors for the intent to receive the influenza vaccine in the 2022/23 season. Continuously observing shifts in perceptions and behaviors related to influenza immunization is crucial to pinpoint factors that may influence the willingness to receive the vaccine and, in this way, design public health strategies that achieve a greater acceptance of it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of word image vividness on the immediate and long-term recall (one-day interval) of words using either the rote repetition learning method or the keyword mnemonics method in a sample of adults aged 55 to 70 years. Subjects learned a list of concrete and abstract words using either rote repetition or keyword mnemonics. Individuals using keyword mnemonics recalled more concrete than abstract words both immediately after learning and after a one-day time interval. In contrast, subjects using the repetition method recalled more abstract than concrete words immediately after learning; however, no difference in the number of recalled concrete and abstract words were found after the one-day interval. These findings are discussed in the context of previous studies, and new lines of research are proposed. (Contains 2 tables.)

Communicative competence is the ultimate goal of most learners of a second language and intelligible pronunciation a fundamental part of it. Unfortunately, learners often lack the opportunity to explore how intelligible their speech is for different audiences. Our research investigates whether synchronous-voice computer-mediated communication could be an adequate tool both to promote more authentic interactions and to test the intelligibility of students' pronunciation with different audiences. We also study whether the kind of dyad (NNS sharing L1, NNS different L1, and NS) affects improvement in pronunciation and amount of phonetically modified output as a result of interactions and investigate whether teachers' considerations of the seriousness of phonetic errors are confirmed by interlocutors' incomprehension. (Contains 4 tables and 8 notes.)

The basic idea of service-oriented learning is that a learning environment should be conceived as a set of independent units of learning packaged as learning services. The design, development and deployment of a learning system based on integrating different learning services needs both a technological platform to support the system as well as a methodology that manages the development process. Such technological platform is provided by the Service Oriented Learning Architecture (SOLA). SOLA proposes an architecture style, which defines how to deploy several units of packeged-learning services. The purpose of this paper is to review the SOLA concept and to present a specific method based on specifying instructional domains, to complement the SOLA approach. Our method suggests the definition of a feature model, which represents the characteristics of the instructional domain, in order to address the identification and classification of candidate services. The approach here proposed facilitates the definition of candidate-learning services in order to enhance the integration of such services. (Contains 5 figures.)

We estimated influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) in preventing outpatient and hospitalized cases in the 2022–2023 season. A test-negative design included a representative sample of outpatients and all hospitalized patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) from October 2022 to May 2023 in Navarre, Spain. ILI patients were tested by PCR for influenza virus. Influenza vaccination status was compared between confirmed influenza cases and test-negative controls. Among 3321 ILI patients tested, IVE to prevent influenza cases was 34% (95% confidence interval (CI): 16 to 48) overall, 85% (95%CI: 63 to 94) against influenza B, and 28% (95%CI: 3 to 46) against A(H3N2). Among 558 outpatients, 222 (40%) were confirmed for influenza: 55% A(H3N2), 11% A(H1N1), and 31% B. Overall, IVE to prevent outpatient cases was 48% (95%CI: 8 to 70), 88% (95%CI: 3 to 98) against influenza B, and 50% (95%CI: −4 to 76) against A(H3N2). Of 2763 hospitalized patients, 349 (13%) were positive for influenza: 64% A(H3N2), 17% A(H1N1), and 8% B. IVE to prevent hospitalization was 24% (95%CI: −1 to 42) overall, 82% (95%CI: 49 to 93) against influenza B, and 16% (95%CI: −17 to 40) against A(H3N2). No IVE was observed in preventing influenza A(H1N1). IVE was high to prevent influenza B, moderate against A(H3N2) and null against A(H1N1). A lower proportion of influenza B cases may explain the smaller IVE in hospitalized patients than in outpatients. The null IVE against A(H1N1) was consistent with the observed antigenic drift and supports the new composition of the 2023–2024 influenza vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early prediction of crop production by remote sensing (RS) may help to plan the harvest and ensure food security. This study aims to improve the quantification of yield, grain protein concentration (GPC), and nitrogen (N) output in winter wheat with RS imagery. Ground-truth wheat traits were measured at flowering and harvest in a field experiment combining four N and two water levels in central Spain over 2 years. Hyperspectral and thermal airborne images coincident with Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 were acquired at flowering. A parametric linear model using all hyperspectral normalized difference spectral indices (NDSI) and two non-parametric models (artificial neural network and random forest) were used to assess their estimation ability combining NDSIs and other RS indicators. The feasibility of using freely available multispectral satellite was tested by applying the same methodology but using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 bands. Yield estimation obtained the highest R2 value, showing that the visible and short-wave infrared region (VSWIR) had similar accuracy to the hyperspectral and Sentinel-2 imagery (R2 ≈ 0.84). The SWIR bands were important in the GPC estimation with both sensors, whereas N output was better estimated using red-edge-based NDSIs, obtaining satisfactory results with the hyperspectral sensor (R2 = 0.74) and with the Sentinel-2 (R2 = 0.62). When including the Sentinel-2 SWIR index, the NDSI (B11, B3) improved the estimation of N output (R2 = 0.71). Ensemble models based on Sentinel were found to be as reliable as those based on hyperspectral imagery, and including SWIR information improved the quantification of N-related traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical downscaling (SD) of climate change projections is a key piece for impact and adaptation studies due to its low computational expense compared to dynamical downscaling, which allows exploration of uncertainties through the generation of large ensembles. SD has been extensively evaluated and applied in the extratropics, but few examples exist in tropical regions. In this study, several state-of-the-art methods belonging to different families have been evaluated for maximum/minimum daily temperature and daily accumulated precipitation (both from the ERA5 at 0.258) in two regions with very different climates: Spain (midlatitudes) and Central America (tropics). Some key assumptions of SD have been tested: the strength of the predictor–predictand links, the skill of different approaches, and the extrapolation capability of each method. It has been found that relevant predictors are different in both regions, as is the behavior of statistical methods. For temperature, most methods perform significantly better in Spain than in Central America, where transfer function (TF) methods present important extrapolation problems, probably due to the low variability of the training sample (present climate). In both regions, model output statistics (MOS) methods have achieved the best results for temperature. In Central America, TF methods have achieved better results than MOS methods in the evaluation in the present climate, but they do not preserve trends in the future. For precipitation, MOS methods and the extreme gradient boost machine learning method have achieved the best results in both regions. In addition, it has been found that, although the use of humidity indices as predictors improves results for the downscaling of precipitation, future trends given by statistical methods are very sensitive to the use of one or another index. Three indices have been compared: relative humidity, specific humidity, and dewpoint depression. The use of the specific humidity has been found to lead to trends given by the downscaled projections that deviate seriously from those given by raw global climate models in both regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreaks of Listeria associated with food consumption are increasing worldwide concurrently with public concern about the need for natural growth inhibitors. In this context, propolis seems to be a promising bioactive product collected by honeybees, due to its antimicrobial activity against different food pathogens. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of hydroalcoholic propolis extracts for controlling Listeria under several pH conditions. The physicochemical properties (wax, resins, ashes, impurities), the bioactive compounds (phenolic and flavonoid content), and the antimicrobial activity of 31 propolis samples collected from the half North of Spain were determined. Results showed similar trends in the physicochemical composition and bioactive properties, regardless of the harvesting area. Non-limiting pH conditions (7.04, 6.01, 5.01) in 11 Listeria strains (5 from collection and 6 wild strains from meat products) exhibited MICs (Minimum inhibition concentration) and MBCs (Minimum bactericidal concentration) ranging from 39.09 to 625 μg/mL. The antibacterial activity increased under acidic pH conditions, showing a synergistic effect at pH = 5.01 (p < 0.05). These findings suggest the potential of Spanish propolis as a natural antibacterial inhibitor to control Listeria growth in food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the first virtual reality (VR) photography application that incorporates elements on panoramic images to assess short-term spatial memory is presented. It also allows the interaction with these elements. A study was conducted (N = 50) to compare participants' performance outcomes and subjective experience when using a VR application with and without panoramic photography. The results show that both applications are effective in assessing short-term spatial memory. The results with panoramic photography include: 1) It was effective for short-term recall since, after using the application, the participants were able to verbally recall the objects and place them without significant differences with respect to the objects correctly placed; 2) The performance outcomes were independent of age and gender; 3) The perceived level of presence was directly related to experiencing less cybersickness when using the application; 4) The level of satisfaction was directly related to perceived enjoyment, concentration, usability, competence, calmness, and expertise; 5) The more the familiarity with VR applications, the less the perceived cybersickness. Finally, the application offers two main advantages: 1) The evaluators can customize the environment by adding as many elements as desired to the panoramic photograph; 2) It could be especially suitable for groups with reduced mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical downscaling of climate projections is an active field of research and numerous intercomparison exercises of different techniques exist. Most evaluation studies make use of perfect predictors from a reanalysis, but neglect the analysis of how imperfect predictors from global climate models (GCMs) affect statistical downscaling. In this paper we evaluate and intercompare five statistical downscaling methods: (a) Analog, (b) Regression, (c) Artificial Neural Networks, (d) Support Vector Machines and (e) Kernel Ridge Regression, over a large ensemble of 18 GCMs participants in the CMIP5 project. These methods have been used to downscale maximum/minimum daily temperatures and daily accumulated precipitation on a high‐resolution observational grid (0.05°) over mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands. Our analysis focuses on the marginal aspects (mean values and tails) of the distributions by season. Results when driven by reanalysis and by GCMs have been compared in order to analyse the sensitivity of statistical downscaling methods to the use of imperfect predictors. Both for temperature and for precipitation all methods achieve, as expected, better results when applied over reanalysis, although no method displays a clearly higher sensitivity to the use of imperfect predictors from GCMs. We have found the existence of outlier GCMs, showing significantly higher errors than the rest of the ensemble. And we have quantified errors over GCMs, so this experiment provides a more precise idea of the reliability and accuracy of the overall performance (i.e., simulations by GCMs plus statistical downscaling) than the perfect predictor experiment and reveals an important source of uncertainty coming from GCMs even in a historical period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous reports on the beneficial effects of olive oil in the cardiovascular context, very little is known about the olive tree's wild counterpart (Olea europaea, L. var. sylvestris), commonly known as acebuche (ACE) in Spain. The aim of this study was to analyse the possible beneficial effects of an extra virgin ACE oil on vascular function in a rodent model of arterial hypertension (AH) induced by NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). Four experimental groups of male Wistar rats were studied: (1) normotensive rats (Control group); (2) normotensive rats fed a commercial diet supplemented with 15 % (w/w) ACE oil (Acebuche group); (3) rats made hypertensive following administration of L-NAME (L-NAME group); and (4) rats treated with L-NAME and simultaneously supplemented with 15 % ACE oil (LN + ACE group). All treatments were maintained for 12 weeks. Besides a significant blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect, the ACE oil-enriched diet counteracted the alterations found in aortas from hypertensive rats in terms of morphology and responsiveness to vasoactive mediators. In addition, a decrease in hypertension-related fibrotic and oxidative stress processes was observed in L-NAME-treated rats subjected to ACE oil supplement. Therefore, using a model of AH via nitric oxide depletion, here we demonstrate the beneficial effects of a wild olive oil based upon its vasodilator, antihypertensive, antioxidant, antihypertrophic and antifibrotic properties. We postulate that regular inclusion of ACE oil in the diet can alleviate the vascular remodelling and endothelial dysfunction processes typically found in AH, thus resulting in a significant reduction of BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cephalopods have been considered enigmatic animals that have attracted the attention of scientists from different areas of expertise. However, there are still many questions to elucidate the way of life of these invertebrates. The aim of this study is to construct a reference transcriptome in Octopus vulgaris early life stages to enrich existing databases and provide a new dataset that can be reused by other researchers in the field. For that, samples from different developmental stages were combined including embryos, newly-hatched paralarvae, and paralarvae of 10, 20 and 40 days post-hatching. Additionally, different dietary and rearing conditions and pathogenic infections were tested. At least three biological replicates were analysed per condition and submitted to RNA-seq analysis. All sequencing reads from experimental conditions were combined in a single dataset to generate a reference transcriptome assembly that was functionally annotated. The number of reads aligned to this reference was counted to estimate the transcript abundance in each sample. This dataset compiled a complete reference for future transcriptomic studies in O. vulgaris. Measurement(s) Transcriptome sequencing assay Technology Type(s) RNA-seq assay (Illumina) Sample Characteristic - Organism Octopus vulgaris Sample Characteristic - Environment Ocean Sample Characteristic - Location NW Spain (Ría de Vigo, Galicia) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) is responsible for the elaboration of downscaled climate projections over Spain to feed the Second National Plan of Adaptation to Climate Change (PNACC‐2) and this is the last of three papers aimed to evaluate and intercompare five empirical/statistical downscaling (ESD) methods developed at AEMET: (a) Analog, (b) Regression, (c) Artificial Neural Networks, (d) Support Vector Machines and (e) Kernel Ridge Regression, in order to decide which methods and under what configurations are more suitable for that purpose. Following the framework established by the EU COST Action VALUE, in this experiment we test the transferability of these methods to future climate conditions with the use of regional climate models (RCMs) as pseudo observations. We evaluate the marginal aspects of the distributions of daily maximum/minimum temperatures and daily accumulated precipitation, over mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, analysed by season. For maximum/minimum temperatures all methods display certain transferability issues, being remarkable for Support Vector Machines and Kernel Ridge Regression. For precipitation all methods appear to suffer from transferability difficulties as well, although conclusions are not as clear as for temperature, probably due to the fact that precipitation does not present such a marked signal of change. This study has revealed how an analysis over a historical period is not enough to fully evaluate ESD methods, so we propose that some type of analysis of transferability should be added in a standard procedure of a complete evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction workers are getting older. In the European Union, the percentage of workers over 50 grew from 24.7% in 2011 to 31.5% in 2018, in Spain from 20.4% to 31.2%. Objective. Identify trends and detailed patterns of accidents of older construction workers compared to other age groups. Data and Method. We analyzed construction accidents in Spain from 2011 to 2018 (N = 455,491). The number of accidents and lost working days (LWD) were broken down by occupation, seniority, company size, temporal variables (weekday, hour), trigger, and body part injured and compared for different age groups. Results. Although older worker had fewer accidents, the consequences of accidents were more serious. Those over 50 years had 84% more lost working days (LWD) than those under 24 years, 48% more than those between 25 and 39 years, and 21% more than those between 40 and 49 years. (1) Occupation: the percentage of accidents grew with age for supervisors, lorry drivers, and bricklayers. (2) Seniority: the least experienced (less than 6 months) and the most experienced (more than 6 years) had the most LWD. (3) Company size: there are 24.5% of accidents in companies of less than four workers. (4) Trigger: older workers suffered more falls, both from height and at the same level. (5) Time: the percentage of accidents in those over 50 was higher on Thursdays and Fridays, in the afternoons from 4 to 7 p.m., and after four hours of work. (6) Injury: this shows the longest absences for shoulder injuries for those over 50 years, with an average of 70 LWD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many factors might affect SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but their relevance is not well established. The objectives were to assess the secondary attack rate (SAR) and the risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 transmission from confirmed index cases to their close contacts in household and non-household settings. This cohort study included the close contacts of SARS-CoV-2 infected cases confirmed between May and December 2020 in Navarre, Spain. Epidemiological and clinical variables of the index case and close contacts were collected. The SAR was calculated, and the independent effect of each variable on the transmission risk was evaluated by logistic regression. A total of 59,900 close contacts of 20,048 index cases were studied, and 53.6% were household contacts. SAR was 34.9% overall, 46.8% in household contacts and 21.1% in non-household contacts. The risk of transmission was higher in household setting (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.96, 95% CI 2.84–3.07), from symptomatic index cases (aOR 1.50, 95% CI 1.43–1.58), immigrants (aOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.36–1.52), and increased with age. A higher susceptibility of close contacts was associated with 5–14 years of age, immigrants (aOR 1.54), very low or low-income level (aOR 1.27, and aOR, 1.17, respectively), healthcare work (aOR 1.21), and diagnosis of diabetes (aOR 1.14, 95%CI 1.03–1.25), chronic kidney disease (aOR 1.18, 95%CI 1.04–1.35), hypertension (aOR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03–1.19), and severe obesity (aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.00–1.38). Transmission increased progressively from May to September 2020 as the B.1.177 variant became dominant. The risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection was considerable among close contacts of infected persons. The higher risk associated with household contacts, immigrants, older index cases, close contacts with lower income level and comorbidities should be considered to address preventive interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) is responsible for the elaboration of downscaled climate projections over Spain to feed the Second National Plan of Adaptation to Climate Change (PNACC‐2). The main objective of this article is to establish a comparison among five statistical downscaling methods developed at AEMET: (1) Analog, (2) Regression, (3) Artificial Neural Networks, (4) Support Vector Machines and (5) Kernel Ridge Regression. This comparison has been carried out under present conditions and with perfect predictors, based on the framework established by the VALUE network, in particular, on its perfect predictor experiment. In this experiment, we evaluate the marginal aspects of the distributions of daily maximum/minimum temperatures and daily accumulated precipitation analysed by seasons, on a high resolution observational grid (0.05°) over mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands. This is the first of a set of three experiments aimed to allow us to decide which methods, and under what configuration, is more appropriate for the generation of downscaled climate projections over our region. For maximum/minimum temperatures, all methods display a similar behaviour. They capture very satisfactorily the mean values although slight biases are detected on the extremes. In general, results for maximum temperature appear to be more accurate than for minimum temperature, and the nonlinear methods display certain added value. For precipitation, remarkable differences are found among all methods. Most of the methods are capable of reproducing the total precipitation amount quite satisfactorily, whereas other aspects such as intense precipitations and the precipitation occurrence are captured with more accuracy by the Analog method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intersectoral workshop held in December 2016 among the Ibero-American networks on water, climate change and meteorology, identified the need of downscaled climate change scenarios for Central America. Such scenarios would be developed by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in the region, based on a common methodology, allowing the assessment of climate change impacts on water resources and extreme hydro-meteorological events. This project was supported by the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies of Spain in the framework of the EUROCLIMA+ programme. One final outcome of the project has been a freely accessible web viewer, installed on the Centro Clima webpage (https://centroclima.org/escenarios-cambio-climatico/ , last access: 26 September 2022), managed by the Regional Committee on Hydraulic Resources of the Central American Integration System, where all information generated during the project is available for consultation and data downloading by the different sectors of users. A key element in this project has been to integrate many downscaled projections based on different methods (dynamical and statistical), totalizing 45 different projections, and aiming at estimating the uncertainty coming from different sources in the best possible way. Another essential element has been the strong involvement of the different user sectors through national workshops, first, at the beginning of the project for the identification and definition of viewer features, and then for the presentation of results and planning of its use by prioritized sectors. In a second phase of the project, a regional working group made up of experts from the participating National Meteorological and Hydrological Services will be in charge of viewer maintenance and upgrade, including new sectoral parameters, developed in collaboration with interested users, and computation and addition of new downscaled projections from CMIP6 in collaboration with the State Meteorological Agency of Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hemogram is a routine analysis for equine veterinary practitioners in the assessment of patient clinical status. Reference intervals (RIs) of hematologic constituents vary according to different horse populations and are often described for a particular breed or horse type. The aims of this study were to determine RIs for hematologic constituents in a mixed‐breed horse population residing in livery yards in central Spain and evaluate the associations between estimated RIs and multiple phenotypic and management characteristics. A total of 122 healthy horses from different breeds in central Spain were included in the study. RIs were calculated following the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology guidelines. Significant associations between red blood cell (RBC) counts, packed cell volumes (PCVs), hemoglobin (HGB) concentrations, white blood cell (WBC) counts, and phenotypic and management features were evaluated using a novel multiple linear regression model analysis. Reference intervals were 5.8‐10.0 × 1012/L for RBCs, 97‐164 g/L for HGB, 0.27‐0.46 L/L for PCVs, 37.1‐53.6 fL for MCVs, 3.8‐10.8 × 109/L for WBCs, and 76.1‐377.9 × 109/L for platelet counts. The season, discipline, and housing when and where the horses were sampled were factors significantly associated with WBC counts and/or red cell values (HGB, RBC, and PCV). Hematologic RIs for these horses were comparable to the RIs of warm‐blooded horses and influenced by husbandry. These location‐specific RIs should allow veterinary practitioners to make better‐informed decisions for their patients residing in livery yards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Jurídica de Castilla y León is the property of Junta de Castilla y Leon, Direccion de Servicios Juridicos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Most parasites and pathogens infect multiple hosts, but a great deal of variation exists in the role of those hosts in persistence of infection. Understanding which hosts are most important in maintaining parasites can provide a clearer target for infection control. Recently developed empirical and theoretical approaches provide a way to quantify the relative contribution of hosts within a community and place them in a multi‐host framework to better direct control efforts. Amphibians provide a framework for better understanding multi‐host–multi‐parasite dynamics. Two well‐studied amphibian parasites, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Ranavirus, infect multiple host species and exhibit a great deal of heterogeneity in how they affect hosts. We used these two parasites and a community of five amphibian species to investigate the relative importance of hosts in parasite persistence, and how any patterns varied spatially and temporally. At two sites (Lake Ercina and Lake Lloroza in the Picos de Europa National Park, Spain) we collected data on the prevalence and shedding rate of parasite infection for both Bd and Ranavirus, and the abundance of each species' life stages. We used these data to parameterize a recently developed modeling framework, which was used to quantify the relative contribution of each host to the community reproductive number, R0. By comparing each host‐category over time and between sites we were able to identify consistencies in which host was responsible for the maintenance of these two parasites. Within a site one species consistently contributed the most to the persistence of both parasites. This consistency did not transfer between sites, the maintenance host species being different for each. At one site (Ercina), life stages of the common midwife toad, Alytes obstetricans, acted as the maintenance host for both Bd and Ranavirus. In contrast, at the second site, Lloroza, the alpine newt, Ichthyosaura alpestris, fulfilled that role. A single host species was responsible for infection persistence of both parasites at each lake. Attempts to control the infection levels and impacts of multiple parasites can benefit from a community epidemiology approach, and provide clarity on which hosts are the foci of mitigation efforts. However, at a small spatial scale, the target host may vary according to the physical qualities of those sites and the demographics of the host community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective and cost-effective strategy for HIV prevention. Spain carried out an implementation study in order to assess the feasibility of implementing PrEP programmes within its heterogeneous health system. Methods: Observational longitudinal study conducted on four different types of health-care setting: a community centre (CC), a sexually transmitted infections clinic (STIC), a hospital-based HIV unit (HBHIVU) and a hospital-based STI unit (HBSTIU). We recruited gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBSM) and transgender women at risk of HIV infections, gave them PrEP and monitored clinical, behavioural PrEP-related and satisfaction information for 52 weeks. We collected perceptions on PrEP implementation feasibility from health-care professionals participating in the study. Results: A total of 321 participants were recruited, with 99.1% being GBMSM. Overall retention was 87.2% and it was highest at the CC (92.6%). Condom use decreased during the study period, while STIs did not increase consistently. The percentage of people who did not miss any doses of PrEP during the previous week remained at over 93%. No HIV seroconversions occurred. We observed overall decreases in GHB (32.5% to 21.8%), cocaine (27.5% to 21.4%), MDMA (25.7% to 14.3%), speed (11.4% to 5.7%) and mephedrone use (10.7% to 5.0%). The overall participant satisfaction with PrEP was 98.6%. Health-care professionals' perceptions of PrEP feasibility were positive, except for the lack of personnel. Conclusions: PrEP implementation is feasible in four types of health-care settings. Local specificities have to be taken into consideration while implementing PrEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We report the long-term outcomes, changes in laboratory parameters, the incidence of secondary nosocomial infections and treatment cost of a Spanish cohort of patients with severe COVID-19 that received tocilizumab (TCZ). Methods: Retrospective cohort of PCR confirmed adult patients who received TCZ from March 1 to 24, 2020 in a tertiary hospital was analyzed. Patients were followed up until 10 May 2020. Results: We included 162 patients (median age 64 years; 70.4% male). At time of TCZ administration, 48.1% of patients were on invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Over a median follow-up of 53 days, 46.9% of patients were discharge in good conditions and 19.8% were still hospitalized. The overall mortality was 33.3%, being higher in patients on IMV than those who did not (46.2% vs 26.7%, P < 0.001). A significant improvement in the lymphocyte count, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and D-dimer was observed. Overall, 43.2% patients presented nosocomial infections, causing death in 8%. Infections were more prevalent in ICU units (63.0% vs 17.1%, P < 0.001). The total cost of TCZ was €371,784. Conclusions: Among the patients who used TCZ, one third died, regardless the improvement in some inflammatory biomarkers. The incidence of secondary nosocomial infections was high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cadernos de Pesquisa is the property of Fundacao Carlos Chagas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Espacio, Tiempo y Forma: Serie V, Historia Contemporánea is the property of Editorial UNED and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cultural heritage often brings to mind elements like sculptures, paintings, monuments, and buildings as well as archeological objects. Today, underwater heritage and its surrounding environment are also considered part of cultural heritage because communities identify themselves with the natural landscape. This study is focused on a shipwreck belonging to the second half of the 15th century that was discovered in 1998 by chance in the sediments of the Urdaibai estuary, in Urbieta (Gernika, Basque Country), at 4 m underground. A scientific study presented in this work was performed, as this archeological site was absolutely out of context and in need of a preservation and conservation procedure. Therefore, our aim was to shed light on the origin of the shipwreck and to assess the conservation state to develop a precise conservation plan. Pursuing this objective, a first analysis on three selected groups of iron nails was performed, looking at the raw materials and degradation patterns through the knowledge of the alteration compounds. By means of nondestructive analytical techniques such as Raman spectroscopy and X‐ray fluorescence, the presence of iron, zinc, and silicon was detected in the outer layer of the iron samples. The analysis of the nails and wood of the shipwreck confirmed that the presence of zinc in the pieces indicates an important impact of the contaminated sediments deposited in the last 80 years on the upper part of the burial in which the shipwreck was located. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Monografies de la Societat ďHistòria Natural de les Balears is the property of Societat d'Historia Natural de les Balears and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Materiales para la Historia del Deporte is the property of Polytechnic University of Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arenal.Revista de Historia de las Mujeres is the property of Arenal. Revista de Historia de las Mujeres and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Beef preparations (meatballs, minced meat, hamburgers, white sausages, and red sausages) from northwest Spain were tested. Microbial counts ranged from 0.70 ± 0.00 log10 cfu/g (enterococci) to 9.57 ± 0.37 log10 cfu/g (psychrotrophs). In 73.3% of cases, total aerobic counts were higher than the microbiological limits set for the end of the manufacturing process in the European Union (EU Regulation 2073/2005). Forty Escherichia coli isolates were tested against thirteen clinically important antibiotics (disk diffusion method; CLSI). Three of the strains (7.5%) were susceptible to all the antibiotics, four (10.0%) showed resistance or reduced susceptibility to one antibiotic, and 33 (82.5%) were multiresistant (with resistance or reduced susceptibility to between two and eight antibiotics), with an average of 1.85 resistances per strain. The highest rates of resistance were observed for two antimicrobials widely used on cattle farms (cefalotin and tetracycline). The findings in this research emphasize the need to correctly handle beef preparations with the aim of reducing risks to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the impact of Triepi-45-a tool that enables an episiotomy angle of 45° to be marked on the perineum at rest-on the incidence of obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) during operative vaginal delivery (OVD).Method: A retrospective-prospective cohort study was performed among successive women who underwent OVD at Complejo Asistencial Universitario de de León, Spain, between 2011 and 2013 (preintervention cohort, n=986) and between 2014 and 2016 (intervention cohort, n=986) after implementation of an interventional programme in 2013 to improve the episiotomy angle, including use of Triepi-45, in OVD.Results: The intervention cohort had a lower incidence of OASIS than the preintervention cohort (70/986 [7.1%] vs 93/986 [9.4%]), but the difference was not significant, owing to the low use of Triepi-45 in the intervention cohort (n=375). However, the OASIS incidence was significantly lower in the Triepi-45 cohort than in the preintervention cohort (18/375 [4.8%] vs 93/986 [9.4%]; odds ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.26-0.86).Conclusion: Use of Triepi-45 had a positive impact on reducing OASIS in OVD. It remains essential to raise obstetricians' awareness of the importance of the episiotomy angle and to implement the systematic use of tools to reduce the incidence of OASIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Contaduría y Administración is the property of Facultad de Contaduria y Administracion-Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Remote sensing (RS) offers great possibilities to acquire data for early determination of crop performance, which is essential for water and nitrogen (N) management. The objective of this study was to assess the nutritional and water status of different wheat genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.) by means of vegetation indices (VIs) derived from ground-level hyperspectral measurements, plant traits retrieved by coupling a radiative transfer (RT) model with a 3-layer neural network, and thermal data. To this end, two field experiments were conducted in central Spain during 2018–2021, using two wheat genotypes (Cellule and Nogal) under three N and two irrigation doses. Pigment and polyphenolic compound measurements were carried out with a Dualex® device, canopy reflectance (400–900 nm) was measured with a handheld spectroradiometer, and thermal indicators were assessed using a thermal camera at different wheat growth stages. The nitrogen nutrition index (NNI) at flowering and the grain yield (GY) and grain N concentration (GNC) at harvest were determined. The spectral reflectance measurements were used to calculate VIs, and the PROSAIL-PRO radiative transfer model was used to retrieve chlorophyll (Chl) content and leaf area index (LAI). In addition, the water deficit index (WDI) and canopy–air temperature difference (T c -T a) were used to assess the water status of wheat. Our results show that predicted Chl and VIs built with red-edge bands obtained the best agreement with NNI (R2 ≥ 0.60 at flowering in Cellule and R2 = 0.60 at medium milk in Nogal) and GNC (R2 ≥ 0.45 and 0.38 in Cellule and Nogal respectively). The GY was best assessed with VIs combining near infrared (NIR) / visible bands and NIR / red-edge bands (R2 ≥ 0.74 and RMSE ≤ 903 kg ha-1 at watery ripe in Cellule; R2 ≥ 0.56 and RMSE ≤ 791 kg ha-1 at the end of stem elongation in Nogal) than by the predicted plant traits. The best differentiation between genotype performance was achieved by predicted Chl and LAI retrieved through PROSAIL-PRO and the canopy Chl content index, showing that the Cellule genotype had a stronger response than Nogal to N application. Similarly, the WDI and T c -T a proved that the more drought-resistant genotype (Cellule) suffered lower water stress than Nogal. This study highlights that the combination of optical and thermal data improved the assessment of the agronomic parameters studied (R2 increased by 23 % and RMSE decreased by 8 %), suggesting its potential for conducting irrigation and N fertilization management. • Grain yield was better assessed by VIs that combined NIR/visible or NIR/red-edge. • Combining optical and thermal sensors can improve the adjustment of N fertilization and irrigation. • Optical and thermal combination contributes to disentangle between N and water stress. • Chlorophyll and LAI derived from radiative transfer models show differences between genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging infectious diseases represent a key problem for the survival of amphibian populations. Declines related to infections of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Ranavirus have been described in several areas of Northern Spain, including protected areas. Co-infection—the simultaneous infection of a host by multiple pathogen species—can increase the susceptibility to subsequent infections. Here, we describe a case of triple dermocystid-ranavirus-chytrid fungus co-infection in a specimen of palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus) from a protected wetland of North-western Spain. Five palmate newts and one Bosca's newt (Lissotriton boscai) were found dead, and tissue samples were analysed by using qPCR methods. Ranavirus was detected in four out of five L. helveticus and in the L. boscai individual, whereas Bd was detected only in one of the five L. helveticus. Four out of six specimens tested positive for Dermocystidium. Sequencing was performed to double-check the presence of Dermocystidium in a qPCR-positive sample for that pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the S-ClimWaRe (Seasonal Climate prediction in support of Water Reservoirs management) initiative, a climate service to support decision-making process by water managers in Spanish reservoirs has been developed. It consists in a web-based toolbox jointly designed with stakeholders. The website is organized in two main areas. The first one allows the user to explore, for any water reservoir or grid point over continental Spain, the existing hydrological variability and risk linked to climate variability. This is performed through a set of indicators obtained from time series of hydrological and meteorological observations and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, identified as main climate driver in this geographical region. The second main area provides seasonal forecasts of NAO and both reservoir inflow and precipitation, complemented by information on probabilistic forecasts skill. Currently the NAO index is the only driver implemented for display, and forecasts come from a statistical forecasting system developed only for the extended winter NDJFM period. Through the MEDSCOPE (MEDiterranean Services Chain based On climate PrEdictions) project new sources of predictability and relationships with different climate drivers will be explored. Forecast skill improvement is expected after the combination and weighting of ensemble members of the Copernicus seasonal forecasting systems. These forecasts will feed more sophisticated hydrological models. The toolbox has been flexible designed with respect to sources of seasonal forecasts and extension to additional drivers, variables and seasons. In this way, user requirements and scientific progress will be easily incorporated to new versions of this climate service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]