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Seed dispersal by frugivorous bird species involves a fine temporal tuning between fruiting plants and birds. However, this interaction may be severely threatened by anthropogenic climate and land‐use change, which may result in phenological mismatches and pervasive ecological consequences for avian communities. In this study, we evaluate changes at long (~40 years) and short‐time (seasonal) spans in an avian frugivore community using a snapshot resampling. Particularly, we focus on changes in composition, abundance, migratory timing (i.e. phenology) and physical condition in relation to variations in fruit supply. We used bird and fruit data collected during 1981–1983 and 2019–2021 in a Mediterranean scrubland site in Doñana Natural Area, SW Spain. Our findings indicate a profound transformation of species composition, bird phenology and body condition: in ~40 years, the avian community showed a 66% and 18.4% decrease of the abundance of wintering and seed‐disperser species, respectively. Seasonal abundance peaks were advanced for at least one month in the 9 out of 11 frugivorous bird species included in the analyses. Avian body condition during the migratory passage has worsened, with fewer individuals showing a high‐fat percentage now than in the past. Finally, we report a fruit production decrease of almost half in 2019–2021 compared to 1981–1983, probably linked to habitat encroachment by pine trees and replacement of fleshy‐fruited shrubs. Vegetation encroachment and climate change are the most plausible explanations for the observed changes in the avian community, but the relative importance of these factors is yet unknown. Our results at a local scale mirror the dramatic consequences of global change affecting the diversity, phenology and physical condition of frugivorous bird species reported in multiple studies across the globe. The loss of frugivores may trigger feedback mechanisms in which seed dispersal is disrupted, leading to impaired recruitment of fruiting plants and hence less food availability for the avian community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Study Question: Is there a relationship between serum and endometrial progesterone (P4) levels, including P4 and metabolites (oestrone, oestradiol and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone), and endometrial receptivity?Summary Answer: Serum P4 levels were not correlated with endometrial P4, nor associated with endometrial receptivity as determined by the ERA® test; however, endometrial P4 and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone levels were positively correlated and related to endometrial receptivity by ERA.What Is Known Already: Acquisition of endometrial receptivity is governed by P4, which induces secretory transformation. A close relationship between serum P4 and pregnancy outcome is reported for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) cycles. However, the relationship between serum and uterine P4 levels has not been described, and it is unknown whether uterine receptivity depends more on serum or uterine P4 levels.Study Design, Size, Duration: A prospective cohort study was performed during March 2018-2019 in 85 IVF patients undergoing an evaluation-only HRT cycle with oestradiol valerate (6 mg/day) and micronised vaginal progesterone (400 mg/12 h).Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: Patients were under 50 years of age, had undergone at least one failed IVF cycle, had no uterine pathology, and had adequate endometrial thickness (> 6.5 mm). The study was conducted at IVI Valencia and IVI Foundation. An endometrial biopsy and a blood sample were collected after 5 days of P4 vaginal treatment. Measures included serum P4 levels, ERA®-based evaluation of endometrial receptivity, and endometrial P4 levels along with metabolites (oestrone, oestradiol and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone) measured by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: Seventy-nine women were included (mean age: 39.9 ± 4.6, BMI: 24.2 ± 3.9 kg/m2, endometrial thickness: 8.2 ± 1.4 mm). The percentage of endometria indicated as receptive by ERA® was 40.5%. When comparing receptive versus non-receptive groups, no differences were observed in baseline characteristics nor in steroid hormones levels in serum or endometrium. No association between serum P4 and endometrial steroid levels or ERA result was found (P < 0.05). When the population was stratified according to metabolite concentration levels, endometrial P4 and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone were significantly associated with endometrial receptivity (P < 0.05). A higher proportion of receptive endometria by ERA was observed when endometrial P4 levels were higher than 40.07 µg/ml (relative maximum) and a lower proportion of receptive endometria was associated with endometrial 17α-hydroxyprogesterone lower than 0.35 ng/ml (first quartile). A positive correlation R2 = 0.67, P < 0.001 was observed between endometrial P4 and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone levels.Limitations, Reasons For Caution: This study did not analyse pregnancy outcomes. Further, the findings can only be extrapolated to HRT cycles with micronised vaginal progesterone for luteal phase support.Wider Implications Of the Findings: Our findings suggest that the combined benefits of different routes of progesterone administration for luteal phase support could be leveraged to ensure an adequate concentration of progesterone both in the uterus and in the bloodstream. Further studies will confirm whether this method can optimise both endometrial receptivity and live birth rate. Additionally, targeted treatment to increase P4 endometrial levels may normalise the timing of the window of implantation without needing to modify the progesterone administration day.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): This research was supported by the IVI-RMA Valencia (1706-VLC-051-EL) and Consellería d'Educació, Investigació, Cultura, i esport Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian Government, Spain, GV/2018//151). Almudena Devesa-Peiro (FPU/15/01398) and Cristina Rodriguez-Varela (FPU18/01657) were supported by the FPU program fellowship from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Spanish Government). P.D.-G. is co-inventor on the ERA patent, with non-economic benefits. The other authors have no competing interests.Trial Registration Number: NCT03456375. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 5 October 2015, Law 41/2015 amending the Criminal Procedure for the acceleration of criminal justice and the strengthening of procedural safeguards was passed. Among other measures, Law 41/2015 introduces maximum time limits for the investigation stage of criminal proceedings. This paper sets out an initial approach to the way these time limits are expected to apply in practice and assesses their impact on the way criminal proceedings are conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To study the effect of modified frankfurters and pâtés: (a) reduced-fat products (RF) (15.3 and 15.2 % fat, respectively); (b) n-3-enriched reduced-fat products (n-3 RF) (15.1 and 15.5 % fat, respectively); and (c) normal-fat products (NF) (18 and 30.8 % fat, respectively) on lipids, lipoproteins, atherogenic ratios, oxidized LDL, and blood pressure of volunteers at high CVD risk. Methods: Twenty-two volunteers were enrolled in a sequential study of 3 consecutive 4-week periods separated by 4-week washout periods. Results: LDL-cholesterol ( p < 0.01), oxidized LDL, LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol (both p < 0.05) were significantly affected by the overall intervention. Compared to baseline, LDL-cholesterol decreased significantly ( p = 0.012) during the RF period; the LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio ( p = 0.08) and the diastolic blood pressure ( p = 0.06) also decreased, although non-significantly, after RF consumption. LDL-cholesterol ( p = 0.040) and oxidized LDL ( p = 0.016) increased significantly after NF product consumption; systolic blood pressure did not show significant variations after this period. No significant differences, in absolute or relative changes, were observed between RF and n-3 RF consumption for any parameter tested. However, LDL-cholesterol, oxidized LDL, and the LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio were lower (12, 15 and 10 %, respectively) after n-3 RF versus NF product consumption. Oxidized LDL was approximately 15 % lower after RF versus NF product consumption. Conclusions: The regular consumption of RF meat products, enriched in n-3 fatty acids or not, positively affects the lipoprotein profile of volunteers, decreasing LDL-cholesterol and oxidized LDL levels and, thus, future risk of cardiovascular accident. On comparison with the effects of NF product intake, the responses to n-3 RF and RF products differ, and while n-3 RF intake induces a reduction in LDL-cholesterol, oxidized LDL-cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio, the intake of RF products modifies only the oxidized LDL level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article attempts to expose and debunk some myths of the participation of the English-speaking volunteers in the XV International Brigade that have frequently been overlooked. Our assumptions are based on a wide range of archival and well documented sources. From the very beginning there were many elements that merged together to offer all kinds of exaggerations, legends and self-aggrandizing images. Journal reports, scholarly articles, posters, poems and symbols have been exploited with the purpose of turning a very harsh reality into an idealized, over-fantasized experience. Ernest Hemingway (a war correspondent) was perhaps the most conspicuous case, and Esmond Romilly and John Sommerfield (both fighting in the defence of Madrid) were the first to give a romantic vision of their war experiences. In contrast, George Orwell, Laurie Lee, Jason Gurney, William Herrick or Alvah Bessie are examples of volunteers who denounce the lack of organization, the scarce military training they received or even the excessive, in their opinion, control by their officers on their daily lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main limiting factors in the use of artificial incubation techniques on crayfish farms has been the widespread belief that eggs should be stripped from females in the late stages of embryogenesis. In order to disprove this idea, three different times for egg removal were tested in white-clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet): (1) just before the gastrulation process (mean degree days = 335, 34 days after spawning); (2) when the embryo was between the closing of the blastopore and the appearance of mandibular rudiments (mean degree days = 524, 56 days after spawning); and (3) when the embryo had thoracic appendage rudiments (mean degree days = 810, 92 days after spawning). The results showed that it is possible to attain acceptable survival rates up to juvenile stage 2 (51%), even when eggs have been detached at the earliest time (34 days after spawning), in such a way that artificial incubation is used for more than three-quarters (75.7%) of the total duration of the embryonic development. Factors such as the incubation device, water quality and incubation conditions have a major influence on the success of the process. Finally, a critical period was observed during the last stages of development in the present study, particularly between the eyed stage and juvenile stage 2, with mortality rates of between 26.7% and 56%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide is one of the most important public health problems. The implementation of suicide prevention strategies depends on the region, available resources, willingness of stakeholders, and policies. This study considers the strategy of Castilla y León (CyL) in Spain designing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to aid suicide prevention. Evaluating these technologies will allow us to explore the needs of patients with suicidal behavior and with their feedback to improve the proposed technological design oriented to be a complement within clinical practice. A qualitative study has been chosen using a focus group of patients who used this tool during 2022. Applying ICT in a simple, transparent, and safe way to the daily life of patients with suicidal behavior is a challenge and a continuous evolution when facing a follow-up by means of a complementary tool. For this reason, it was necessary to carry out an evaluation with the target users telling us—“Because we (users) know what we feel”—in this type of tools. The evaluation results indicate that patients are satisfied, the application is easy to use (when they are not in crisis), and they make suggestions to improve the proposed design. The main recommendations for patients with suicidal behavior are as follows: (1) a mood tracker that allows them to write down why they feel this way; (2) friendly language; (3) suggest more activities for when they feel bad, such as mindfulness, talking to other people, doing sports activities, and other activities that can motivate them; (4) the need for the application to be more attractive to the user; (5) sociability option (creating a community to share and build support network among them). E-health solutions to prevent suicide are challenging and promising. Setting clear and realistic aims as well as improving user interface (UI), user experience (UX), and acceptability are critical for adoption of such applications. Involving patients in its development and design is an important aspect. We believe that it is possible to develop innovative apps that improve treatment adherence in this field, despite the stigma surrounding suicide. Crisis management is important in this type of patients and its accompaniment, and more attention should be paid to this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: to determine the viability and utility of fecal occult blood (FOB) screening (Hemoccult II) as a method for the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer in a well-controlled health area., Methods: between February 1994 and September 1996, personal letters were sent to all persons in the Casas Ibáñez health area (Albacete) aged between 50 and 75 years (4986 persons). All the tests were read by the same team member. A clinical history was taken of persons with positive test results, and they were offered colonoscopy. If a growth was found which was suitable for endoscopic resection, this was done. If the growth was totally resected an annual check-up was advised. Malignant and partially resected premalignant growths were referred for surgical treatment. We analyzed percent participation, attendance for testing, negative and positive tests, growths diagnosed, false-positive tests and positive predictive value., Results: the a participation rate was 56.25%. In the 157 colonoscopies performed, 39 neoplasic polyps and 9 cancers were found (7 of which were Dukes stage A and 2 of which were Dukes stage C-D). Sensitivity was 97% and specificity was 96%. The positive predictive value was 30.37%. The positivity rate was 6.08%, while the predictive value for cancer was 5.38% and the predictive value for adenoma was 23.35%., Conclusions: FOB screening, in our setting, proved to have a high recruitment capacity with a positive predictive value for colorectal carcinoma which was slightly higher than the value obtained in other countries of similar socioeconomic status. Furthermore, we found a significant improvement in the diagnostic stage of colorectal carcinoma at the time of resection.

Liver samples were collected at autopsy from 70 aged (33 males and 37 females) and 22 young (13 males and nine females) individuals. The liver iron stores of young males (327.00 +/- 50.57 micrograms/g) (mean +/- SEM) are higher than young females (143.48 +/- 32.94 micrograms/g; P < 0.02). There is no difference between the values found for old males (301.72 +/- 31.70 microgram/g) and old females (258.61 +/- 24.14 micrograms/g) or between young and old males. The incidence of low iron stores (less than 50 microgram/g) in males and females of the aged group is similar to that found in the group of young males. It is concluded that in the aged Spanish population studied iron stores are not diminished.