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Background: Children with a diagnosis of specific language impairment (SLI) present impaired oral comprehension. According to the simple view of reading, general amodal linguistic capacity accounts for both oral and reading comprehension. Considering this, we should expect SLI children to display a reading comprehension deficit. However, previous research regarding the association between reading disorders and SLI has yielded inconsistent results. Aims: To study the influence of prior oral comprehension competence over reading comprehension during the first years of reading acquisition of bilingual Catalan-Spanish children with SLI (ages 7-8). Methods & Procedures: We assessed groups of bilingual Catalan-Spanish SLI and matched control children at ages 7 and 8 with standardized reading comprehension tasks including grammatical structures, sentence and text comprehension. Early oral competence and prior non-verbal intelligence were also measured and introduced into regression analyses with the participants' reading results in order to state the relation between the comprehension of oral and written material. Outcomes & Results: Although we found no significant differences between the scores of our two participant groups in the reading tasks, data regarding their early oral competence, but not non-verbal intelligence measures, significantly influence their reading outcome. Conclusions & Implications: The results extend our knowledge regarding the course of literacy acquisition of children with SLI and provide evidence in support of the theories that assume common linguistic processes to be responsible for both oral and reading comprehension.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT1) deficiency (AAT1D) is an inherited disease with an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), liver disease, and skin and blood vessel problems. AAT1D is caused by mutations in the SERPINE1 gene (Serine Protease Inhibitor, group A, member 1). Numerous variants of this gene, the Pi system, have been identified. The most frequent allelic variants are Pi*M, Pi*S, and Pi*Z. The development of COPD requires both a genetic predisposition and the contribution of an environmental factor, smoking being the most important. Studies on this deficiency worldwide are very scarce, and it is currently considered a rare disease because it is underdiagnosed. The aim of this study was to analyze the genotypic frequencies of mutations associated with AAT1 deficiency in unrelated bone marrow donors from the donor registry of the Region of Murcia in southeastern Spain due to the high risk of presenting with different pathologies and underdiagnosis in the population. A total of 112 DNA-healthy voluntary unrelated bone marrow donors from different parts of the Region of Murcia were analyzed retrospectively. AAT1 deficiency patient testing involved an automated biochemical screening routine. The three main variants, Pi*M, Pi*Z, and Pi*S, were analyzed in the SERPINE1 gene. Our results showed a frequency of 3.12% of the Pi*Z (K342) mutation in over 224 alleles tested in the healthy population. The frequency of Pi*S (V264) was 11.1%. The frequency of the haplotype with the most dangerous mutation, EK342 EE264, was 4.46%, and the frequency of EK342 EV264 was 1.78% in the healthy population. Frequencies of other EE342 EV264-mutated haplotypes accounted for 18.7%. As for the EE342 VV264 haplotype, 0.89% of the total healthy population presented heterozygous for the EV264 mutation and one individual presented homozygous for the VV264 mutation. In conclusion, the frequencies of Pi mutations in the healthy population of the Region of Murcia were not remarkably different from the few studies reported in Spain. The genotype and haplotype frequencies followed the usual pattern. Health authorities should be aware of this high prevalence of the Pi*S allelic variant and pathological genotypes such as Pi*MZ and Pi*SZ in the healthy population if they consider screening the smoking population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigated verb argument structure effects in children with specific language impairment (SLI). Aims: A picture-naming paradigm was used to compare the response times and naming accuracy for nouns and verbs with differing argument structure between Spanish-speaking children with and without language impairment. Methods & Procedures: Twenty-four children with SLI (ages 5;3-8;2 [years;months]), 24 age-matched controls (ages 5;3-8;2), 24 MLU-w controls (ages 3;3-7;1 years), and 31 adults participated in a picture-naming study. Outcomes & Results: The results show all groups produced more correct responses and were faster for nouns than all verbs together. As regards verb type accuracy, there were no differences between groups in naming one-argument verbs. However, for both two- and three-argument verbs, children with SLI were less accurate than adults and age-matched controls, but similar to the MLU-matched controls. For verb type latency, children with SLI were slower than both the age-matched controls and adults for one- and two-argument verbs, while no differences were found in three-argument verbs. No differences were found between children with SLI and MLU-matched controls for any verb type. Conclusions & Implications: It has been shown that the naming of verbs is delayed in Spanish children with SLI. It is suggested that children with SLI may have problems encoding semantic representations. (Contains 7 tables, 3 figures, and 1 note.)

Background: sleep is a physiological process that is critical for physical and mental health in children. Childhood encompasses diverse developmental stages that may affect the impact of physical activity on sleep quality, which may also be influenced by sex. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediation effect of sex and, as well as maturational stage on the association between physical activity and sleep quality, among primary school children. Methods: this was a cross-sectional study of 954 Spanish primary school students (437 early childhood and 517 middle childhood) with a mean age of 10.5 ± 1.2 years. Participants reported their sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and their physical activity levels using the Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results: our study found that physical activity is associated with improved sleep quality in children, particularly during middle childhood. Higher physical activity was linked to better sleep quality and reduced sleep latency (p = 0.044). Sleep quality was generally better in males than in females (p = 0.002) and was also better in early than middle childhood (p = 0.000). Conclusions: especially in middle childhood, physical activity promotes children's sleep quality. Thus, educational institutions should promote or improve the implementation of physical activity in the school context in order to benefit children's sleep quality and, hence, improve their quality of life and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze differences in sleep quality and duration by athletic status and sex, and to examine the association between physical activity (PA) recommendation and sleep in adolescents. Methods: A total of 267 adolescents [13.9 (0.3) y] from Deporte, ADOlescencia y Salud (DADOS) study (129 girls) were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Athletes competed regularly in organized sport events and trained ≥3 days per week, but nonathletes did not compete. PA was assessed by GENEActiv accelerometer. PA values were dichotomized into inactive (<60 min/d of moderate and vigorous PA) and active (≥60 min/d of moderate and vigorous PA). Sleep quality was evaluated with the Spanish version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index values were dichotomized into >5 (poor quality) or ≤5 (good quality). Sleep duration was objectively measured by accelerometer. Results: Sleep quality and duration were not statistically different between athletes [median (Mdn) = 4.0, interquartile range (IQR) = 3.0-6.0 and Mdn = 8.0, IQR = 7.4-8.6 h, respectively] and nonathletes (Mdn = 5.0, IQR = 3.0-7.0 and Mdn = 7.9; IQR = 7.3-8.6 h, respectively), P > .05. Nonathlete or inactive adolescents did not show higher risk for poor sleep quality or short sleep duration than athletes [odds ratio (OR) = 1.17; 95%confidence interval (CI), 0.68-2.00 and OR = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.56-1.55, respectively] or active peers (OR = 1.39; 95% CI, 0.66-2.89 and OR = 1.62; 95% CI, 0.78--3.37, respectively). Conclusions: In our group of adolescents, competitive sport practice did not alter sleep patterns. PA recommendations for adolescents may not discriminate between good and poor sleepers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the present decade a large body of research has employed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the factor structure of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) across multiple languages and cultures. However, because CFA can produce strongly biased estimations when the population cross-loadings differ meaningfully from zero, it may not be the most appropriate framework to model the SDQ responses. With this in mind, the current study sought to assess the factorial structure of the SDQ using the more flexible exploratory structural equation modeling approach. Using a large-scale Spanish sample composed of 67,253 youths aged between 10 and 18 years (M = 14.16, SD = 1.07), the results showed that CFA provided a severely biased and overly optimistic assessment of the underlying structure of the SDQ. In contrast, exploratory structural equation modeling revealed a generally weak factorial structure, including questionable indicators with large cross-loadings, multiple error correlations, and significant wording variance. A subsequent Monte Carlo study showed that sample sizes greater than 4,000 would be needed to adequately recover the SDQ loading structure. The findings from this study prevent recommending the SDQ as a screening tool and suggest caution when interpreting previous results in the literature based on CFA modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since 2009, an increasing number of published cases of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) from isothiazolinones in Europe was observed, amounting to an epidemic. However, only few studies have assessed the current situation after changes in European regulation. Objectives: To analyze the incidence of isothiazolinone‐related ACD in our area in the last decade. Methods: A retrospective study analyzed all patients patch tested in the allergy unit in a tertiary hospital in Spain between January 2010 and June 2019. Positive patch‐test reactions to methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI)/methylisothiazolinone (MI) and/or MI alone were recorded. Results: A total of 243 patients (9.55%) with positive patch‐test reactions to MCI/MI and/or MI alone among 2544 consecutively patch‐tested patients were recorded. An initial increase in the prevalence of MCI/MI allergy was observed, from 4.5% in 2010 reaching a peak in 2015, which was followed by a significant decrease until July 2019 with 3.1% prevalence in 2019. Conclusions: As shown in our data, regulatory interventions have resulted in a dramatic decrease in the prevalence of MCI and MI ACD, reaching a pre‐epidemic level of 3.1% in 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with developmental language disorders (DLD) are especially characterised by morphosyntactic difficulties. Nevertheless, previous studies have also shown that children with DLD have phonological difficulties. This paper aims to describe the productive and perceptive phonological speech profile of Spanish-Catalan children with DLD at the age of six in order to characterise the underlying nature of their difficulties. Fourteen Spanish-Catalan six-year-old children with DLD and 14 control children without language difficulties who attended the same class were assessed with the screening and discrimination tasks of the A-RE-HA: Análisis del Retraso del Habla (Speech Delay Analysis – Catalan and Spanish version). We analysed the production of words, syllables and phonemes, phoneme discrimination and phonological simplification processes used by these children. The results showed that children with DLD have a lower percentile in correct word structures, syllabic structures and phonemes, and have more difficulty discriminating phonemes. Detailed analyses revealed more difficulties with the most complex word and syllabic templates, and with almost all phonemes. Furthermore, children with DLD applied more phonological simplification processes than the control group. An individual analysis showed that only ten of the children with DLD also had a speech delay (percentile < 25), while four had scores in line with their age. These results show that most of the six-year-old children with DLD maintain speech difficulties, which are mainly phonological and not (or not only) articulatory. Therefore, individual differences with respect to speech delay in DLD must be taken into consideration to better detect these children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Alcoholic cirrhosis ( AC) is a common cause of death among individuals abusing alcohol. In the last resort, liver transplantation ( LT) is considered the only solution to save the patient's life, generating socioeconomic and public health problems. Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, rejection frequency, and short- and long-term graft survival are not well known in end-term AC patients undergoing LT. The aim was to determine the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, their incidence in LT, main pre- and posttransplant complications, and short- and long-term post-transplant graft survival in AC patients in southeastern Spain. Methods The medical records of 1,026 patients who underwent LT over the last 23 years were retrospectively reviewed, and demographic data and posttransplant survivals were analyzed and compared. Biochemical characteristics, major pre- and posttransplant complications and short- and long-term survivals were analyzed in a total of 398 male patients with AC undergoing LT. Results AC and viral cirrhosis are the main indications for LT in our study. Mostly represented in our study are AC men without associated viral infections with a mean age of 53.06 years. Main pretransplant complications in AC patients are ascites (78.3%) and encephalopathy (43.5%), while acute graft rejection is the most common liver posttransplant complication (26.6%), nevertheless with low graft loss frequency (1.1%). AC and autoimmune cirrhosis show the best posttransplant survival in both the short and long term. Patients with AC included on the waiting list for LT were Child- Pugh class B (52.1%) and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score of 10 to 19 (71.2%). The highest percentage of AC patient survival was observed at 1 year posttransplant (81.2%) and progressively decreased over time up to 10 years posttransplant (69.6%). Pretransplant complications such as ascites and encephalopathy did not have an influence on the percentage of posttransplant survivals, although better survival rates were observed in nonviral AC patients. Conclusions AC without viral infections is the main indication for LT in southeastern Spain although its frequency has decreased in last decade. AC is a good indication for LT for its high survival rate and few posttransplant complications. Despite having a high percentage of pretransplant complications (ascites and encephalopathy) but does not appear to influence survivals being observed posttransplant survival rates above those expected. Conversely, viral infections in the patient with AC decrease patient survivals. The main future goals are design new strategies to detect, treat, and reduce AC frequency in our population and know alcoholic recidivism rate posttransplant in our population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the reading skills of 19 Spanish-Catalan children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and 16 age-matched control children. Children with SLI have difficulties with oral language comprehension, which may affect later reading acquisition. We conducted a longitudinal study examining reading acquisition in these children between 8 and 12 years old and we relate this data with early oral language acquisition at 6 years old. Compared to the control group, the SLI group presented impaired decoding and comprehension skills at age 8, as evidenced by poor scores in all the assessed tasks. Nevertheless, only text comprehension abilities appeared to be impaired at age 12. Individual analyses confirmed the presence of comprehension deficits in most of the SLI children. Furthermore, early semantic verbal fluency at age 6 appeared to significantly predict the reading comprehension capacity of SLI participants at age 12. Our results emphasize the importance of semantic capacity at early stages of oral language development over the consolidation of reading acquisition at later stages. Learning Outcomes: Readers will recognize the relevance of prior oral language impairment, especially semantic capacity, in children with a history of SLI as a risk factor for the development of later reading difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study had two objectives: ( i) to examine individual variation in the pattern of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) release in response to high-intensity rowing exercise, and ( ii) to establish whether individual heterogeneity in biomarker appearance was influenced by athletic status (elite vs. amateur). We examined cTnI and NT-proBNP in 18 elite and 14 amateur rowers before and 5 min, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h after a 30-min maximal rowing test. Compared with pre-exercise levels, peak postexercise cTnI (pre: 0.014 ± 0.030 μg·L-1; peak post: 0.058 ± 0.091 μg·L-1; p = 0.000) and NT-proBNP (pre: 15 ± 11 ng·L-1; peak post: 31 ± 19 ng·L-1; p = 0.000) were elevated. Substantial individual heterogeneity in peak and time-course data was noted for cTnI. Peak cTnI exceeded the upper reference limit (URL) in 9 elite and 3 amateur rowers. No rower exceeded the URL for NT-proBNP. Elite rowers had higher baseline (0.019 ± 0.038 vs. 0.008 ± 0.015 μg·L-1; p = 0.003) and peak postexercise cTnI (0.080 ± 0.115 vs. 0.030 ± 0.029 μg·L-1; p = 0.022) than amateur rowers, but the change with exercise was similar between groups. There were no significant differences in baseline and peak postexercise NT-proBNP between groups. In summary, marked individuality in the cTnI response to a short but high-intensity rowing bout was observed. Athletic status did not seem to affect the change in cardiac biomarkers in response to high-intensity exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the great significance attributed in recent years to flexible work arrangement practices the factors that determine their use are not clear. Drawing on data from a representative sample of workers in Spain, this article shed light on how personal, work, and firm characteristics explain the use of flexible work arrangement practices. Despite general similarity in terms of flexible work arrangement practices strategy, employee characteristics provide the most comprehensive account of the use of part-time work. People with more family responsibilities are those that use more this practice. However, work characteristics enable the most complete profile-description of workers using flexible work arrangement practices. Work characteristics, such as position or high-performance work practices, determine the use of timetable flexibility, timetable set by self, work from home and days off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the acute effects of two resistance exercises on 25 m freestyle swimming performance. Twenty-eight regional and national male swimmers volunteered and were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Resistance Swimming Group (RS): (n=9; 16.2 ± 3.8 yr), Elastic Band Group (EB): (n=9; 15.9 ± 4.0 yr.), and Control Group (C) (n=10; 15.7 ± 2.2 yr). Swimmers completed a 25 m swim trial at baseline. Subsequently, RS performed resisted crawl swimming with 30% of maximum load (1RM) in a power rack for 12 m and 30 seconds later a 25 m maximal swim trial. EB performed 10 seconds of arm freestyle strokes with elastic bands and 30 seconds later a 25 m maximal swim trial. C performed only the second 25 m maximal swim trial. Each group repeated this protocol four times, with two minutes of rest between repetitions. A two-way ANOVA revealed no significant differences in 25 m swimming times between groups for any of the repetitions performed, and there were no significant differences in 25 m swimming times between the repetitions within each group. The results showed that the resistance exercises performed in this study before the 25 m swim trials did not affect swimming times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Seventeen body measurements in a total of 341 adult individuals (61 males and 280 females) in addition to eight udder scores collected during the period of maximum levels of lactation in the 280 females were used to morphologically characterize the Assaf.E breed both in magnitude and variability. Sampling included the two main environmental areas to check if the native dairy sheep breeds, namely Churra and Manchega, leaded to differences in the male-mediated absorption. Standard morphology of the Assaf.E breed was assessed with a live weight of 110.47±12.51kg and 75.74±11.23kg respectively for males and females. The sexual dimorphism (m/f) was 1.13 as expected, with males being 46% heavier than females. The coefficient of variation of all traits ranged from 3.73% to 15.00%, showing high uniformity. Canonical analyses and Mahalanobis distances showed that differences in body measurements between regions existed but they were small as expected in a unique breed. The breed has shown itself to be slightly longer than others with deeper udders and more angled teat placement. Some peripheral traits such as ear and tail size, usually considered important in the breed definition, have been shown to have a low, or null, relationship with other morphological traits. Even when homogeneity is found in the breed, there are still some small differences found between geographical areas as a consequence of the short history of the breed in Spain. However, after a 30 year history in Spain, the homogeneity of the Assaf.E breed allows this population to be defined as an authentic breed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The impact of intermittent exercise on cardiac biomarker release has not been clearly established. In experienced athletes, we examined the acute effect of a heavy resistance training session (n = 18 males) and an indoor soccer match (n = 21, 11 males, 10 females) on the release of cTnI, cTnT, and NT-proBNP. Biomarkers were assayed from blood samples collected at rest, immediately post- and at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h post-exercise. The heavy resistance training session resulted in an increase in NT-proBNP (pre: 15 ± 17, peak post: 41 ± 56 ng L ? 1 ; p = 0.001) but not in cTnI (pre: 0.024 ± 0.009, peak post: 0.025 ± 0.011 ? g L ? 1 , p = 0.809) or cTnT (undetectable in all samples). The indoor soccer match led to an increase in the release of NT-proBNP (pre: 28 ± 32, peak post: 66 ± 56 ng L ? 1 ; p = 0.000) and cTnI (pre: 0.026 ± 0.047, peak post: 0.033 ± 0.051 ? g L ? 1 ; p = 0.008) in both males and females but not cTnT (detectable in only one subject). The current data suggest that intermittent bouts of exercise result in only modest perturbations of cardiac biomarkers with very limited evidence of myocyte injury / insult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus clementine cv. ‘Nules’ is a seedless mandarin with excellent quality for consumption as fresh fruit; however, its poor fruit set leads to an excess of small-sized fruits. Currently, the only available practice to increase fruit set is the use of the growth regulator gibberellic acid (GA3) as a foliar spray. A trial was conducted to compare an environmentally friendly new bioregulator (MX), containing methyl-xanthine, to GA3 in terms of increasing fruit set and yield of clementine cv. Nules mandarin trees. Fruit yield was significantly increased in treated trees from 17.4 to 25.7% for GA3 and MX treatments, respectively, compared to untreated control trees, without any significant differences between the growth regulators. At the tested doses, MX performed similarly to GA3 in terms of fruit quality and nutrient content, while colour index was not affected significantly by this new bioregulator. A single foliar application of MX was enough to increase fruit set. Spray application of MX on clementine mandarins at the end of the flowering period, when all petals have fallen showed a similar response to GA3 treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

lthough the participation of men in household activities has increased, this has not prompted an equitable division of household activities among men and women, since Spanish women continue to perform a greater share of these activities than Spanish men. This article explores the explanatory potential of three theoretical approaches (traditional gender division, role-strain and the resource-bargaining approach) to account for the emergence of different patterns in the division of unpaid work among Spanish dual earner couples. Using a representative sample of 2,877 Spanish workers and through logit ordered models, our study reveals that the three models contribute to the explanation of the different patterns of household labor and, therefore, may be regarded as complementary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examines the influence of race time, exercise intensity, and training status on cardiac biomarkers' appearance after a cycle-touring event. The study employs pre-post exercise measurements and 91 amateur cyclists at the University of Zaragoza in Zaragoza, Spain to assess their exercise intensity and perform the heart rate (HR) monitoring. Moreover, the study found that the cardiac troponin I (cTnI) increases due to exercise intensity.

The purpose of this article is to qualify the hypothesis that states that the presence of committed workers contributes to organizational success. So, it is necessary to clarify first of all what type of commitment and what kind of success is meant. The article then examines which variables the organization needs to act upon in order to influence it. A survey questionnaire was developed and distributed to academic staff at a public university in Spain. Data were analyzed using two ordered logit models, one for each type of commitment analyzed: affective commitment and continuance commitment. Analysis of the data shows that personal variables have a positive impact on affective commitment, and, while job-related characteristics do not appear to be significant, group variables such as working atmosphere have a positive impact. With respect to continuance commitment, age proved to be negatively significant and possession of a doctorate has a positive influence. The variables used to capture available opportunities to leave the organization are negatively significant. Points for practitioners The results that emerge can help educational managers to understand the predictors of the different types of commitment and design effective human resource policies. The empirical application is carried out in an organization within the services sector, specifically, a public university in Spain. A further contribution is the incorporation of variables from all categories or groups of antecedents, which permits a thorough diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To evaluate the effect of physical performance and extracurricular organized physical activities (EOPA) in normal- and overweight children. Methods: A random sample of 1,068 schoolchildren (7–12 years old) representative of the region of Aragon (Spain) was selected and divided into normal-, overweight and obese groups based on previously published body mass index reference standards. Physical performance was assessed by the European physical test battery. EOPA were estimated when children performed at least 3 h per week during the previous year in addition to school physical education. Results: Overweight and obese subjects had lower performances on all tests requiring propulsion or lifting of the body mass (standing-broad jump, sit-ups, bent-arm hangs, speed shuttle run and endurance shuttle run) when compared with normal-weight counterparts (p < 0.001). The overweight and obese children showed greater hand grip strength measures than the normal-weight ones (p < 0.001). Plate tapping and sit reach test scores were similar in both groups. The participation in EOPA was similar in normal- and overweight or obese groups; however, a significant increase with age was observed (p < 0.01). Conclusion: In this age group, overweight was not related to EOPA participation. Overweight children had poorer results on weight-bearing tasks. The good results in static strength, coordination and speed of limb movements in overweight children should be considered in the promotion of physical activity programs for overweight children. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aim To locate glacial refugia of thermophilous plant species in Spain. Location Two south-eastern Spanish Neanderthal man sites in Murcia; namely, the inland Cueva Negra del Estrecho del Río Quípar and the coastal Sima de las Palomas del Cabezo Gordo. Methods We use pollen found in cave sediments as a source of palaeobotanical and palaeoecological information. The findings are discussed with regard both to animal remains from both sites, and also to other refugia in south-eastern Spain and elsewhere in the Iberian Peninsula. Results Both sequences show persistence of abundant mesothermophilous trees during the last glacial stage, suggesting both localities were reservoirs of phytodiversity and woodland species. At both sites, deciduous and evergreen oaks are the most abundant components, followed by a wide variety of deciduous trees and sclerophyllous shrubs, including Ibero-North African xerothermic scrub near the coast. Conclusions Incomplete information underlies a common misapprehension that Iberian glacial refugia were confined to southernmost parts of the peninsula. A rather different picture of Quaternary refugia emerges from consideration of pollen sequences from caves (and other inputs such as macroscopic charcoal, spatial genetic structure of present-day populations, faunal remains, and present-day distribution of thermophilous species). This picture offers a view of numerous viable areas for woodland species in southern Spain, in addition to others in the mountain ranges, both in continental central Spain and those of northern Spain: these stretch from the Mediterranean coast of Catalonia to the westernmost extent of the Bay of Biscay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The carbon assimilation of representative citrus plantations in Eastern Spain was estimated. [•] Our plantation was responsible for a net carbon fixation rate of higher than 10MgCha−1 yr−1. [•] Leaf assimilatory processes mainly determined the annual pattern of C sequestration. [•] Under typical culture conditions, soil respiration rates accounted for low C losses. [•] The results of this study are relevant to climate change mitigation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: Catalonia (Spain) has a historically worse situation of mild iodine deficiency in the Pyrenees Mountains compared with the coastal region. The aim of this study was to evaluate the current iodine status in pregnant women living in these two areas. Methods: An epidemiologic prospective survey included 267 consecutive pregnancies in the Catalan mountains (n = 139) and coast (n = 128) studied during the first trimester; an additional subset of 135 women from the initial cohort was available for evaluation in the third trimester. Urinary iodine (UI) was measured, and questionnaires to determine iodized salt and sea fish consumption and potassium iodide supplementation were administered. Results: The median UI in the first trimester was 163 μg/L for the entire cohort, with differences between mountain and coastal regions (209 versus 142 μg/L, P = 0.007). The highest prevalence of iodized salt consumption was in the mountain area (58% versus 36.4%, P < 0.001). For the entire group, a higher median UI was found in iodized salt consumers compared with non-consumers (193 versus 134 μg/L, P < 0.001). In the third trimester, an increase of median UI was seen in those to whom iodine supplements were given during pregnancy (190 versus 154 μg/L, P = 0.015). Conclusion: A reversal in the historically iodine-deficient situation was observed in the Catalan Pyrenees compared with the coastal area, with a globally acceptable iodine status in pregnant women of the two geographic locations. Iodized salt consumption seems to have contributed to maintaining an acceptable iodine status in this population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]