Of all the known pillared layered clays (PILC), Al-PILC is the most studied. In spite of that, its use on a commercial scale is not yet possible due to the large amount of water required for its synthesis. The aim of the present work was to take advantage of the beneficial effects of ultrasound radiation for reducing intercalation time, and to optimize the synthesis parameters in order to find a viable industrial means of preparing Al-PILC.

A comprehensive study of the effect of ultrasonic radiation on the parameters which have a direct effect on the amount of water used in the synthesis was conducted, specifically on the effects of: (1) mmol of Al/g of clay ratio (R) by decreasing the volume of A1 solution and keeping the amount of clay constant, (2) the concentration of clay in the initial suspension (or not suspending the clay at all), and (3) the concentration of the A1 precursor solution. The use of ultrasonic radiation produced the expected reduction in exchange time which was attributed to a decrease of the clay-particle size. This decrease of particle size gave rise to an improvement in the diffusion of the A1 precursor towards the core of the clay grain leading to solids with increased surface areas, basal spacing and X-ray diffraction peak definition. By optimizing the synthesis parameters directly involved in the consumption of water, it was possible to decrease the amount used by >60%.

This new project studies the diversity of socioecological niches across the agropastoral transition in the Andes, utilising a multi-isotope approach to track human territories and allocate subsistence tasks. During the agropastoral period, we discriminate different diachronic niches with varying extents of maize farming and altitudinal mobility.

The energetic costs of animal movement change with body condition, although the consequences of this for foraging efficiency are rarely considered. We deployed externally attached devices to Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus), known to increase the costs of swimming via increased drag in a consistent manner, and noted, however, that foraging behaviour and efficiency varied dramatically between years. We used our results to construct an energetics-based model and found that small increases in drag due to the attachment of externally attached tags predicted accelerating harm as prey availability decreased, which accorded with our observations. This explains earlier observations of differential breeding success in tagged versus untagged penguins in particular years, highlights the importance of understanding how animal body condition may affect population processes in general and advocates caution in interpretations of tag-derived data over variable environmental conditions.

We have studied the validity of the historical Cygnus OB associations and have found that many do not show the kinematic coherence expected for true OB associations. We have revisited these groups by photometrically identifying thousands of OB stars across the region with an SED fitting process which combines photometry, astrometry, spectral and evolutionary models. We applied a flexible clustering method and identified seven kinematically-coherent new OB associations. We observe a distinct correlation between position and velocity for two sets of these associations that suggests an expansion pattern. Tracing the motion of the stars back in the past we find that the sets were at their closest around 7.9 and 8.5 Myr ago. We discuss whether this expansion is a natural by-product of the commonly observed size - velocity dispersion relation of molecular clouds, or requires feedback to initiate the dispersal.

Pinaverium bromide (C26H41Br2NO4) is an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) usually prescribed for the relief of spasm and functional gastrointestinal disorders. This work reports its powder diffraction data, Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy and thermal characterization. Indexing of the powder diffraction pattern showed this material crystallizes in a monoclinic unit cell with a = 16.00(4) Å, b = 8.901(2) Å, c = 19.225(4) Å, β = 98.68(3)°, and V = 2808.2(6) Å3.

Host–microbial co-metabolism products are being increasingly recognised to play important roles in physiological processes. However, studies undertaking a comprehensive approach to consider host–microbial metabolic relationships remain scarce. Metabolomic analysis yielding detailed information regarding metabolites found in a given biological compartment holds promise for such an approach. This work aimed to explore the associations between host plasma metabolomic signatures and gut microbiota composition in healthy adults of the Milieu Intérieur study. For 846 subjects, gut microbiota composition was profiled through sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene in stools. Metabolomic signatures were generated through proton NMR analysis of plasma. The associations between metabolomic variables and α- and β-diversity indexes and relative taxa abundances were tested using multi-adjusted partial Spearman correlations, permutational ANOVA and multivariate associations with linear models, respectively. A multiple testing correction was applied (Benjamini–Hochberg, 10 % false discovery rate). Microbial richness was negatively associated with lipid-related signals and positively associated with amino acids, choline, creatinine, glucose and citrate (−0·133 ≤ Spearman’s ρ ≤ 0·126). Specific associations between metabolomic signals and abundances of taxa were detected (twenty-five at the genus level and nineteen at the species level): notably, numerous associations were observed for creatinine (positively associated with eleven species and negatively associated with Faecalibacterium prausnitzii). This large-scale population-based study highlights metabolites associated with gut microbial features and provides new insights into the understanding of complex host–gut microbiota metabolic relationships. In particular, our results support the implication of a ‘gut–kidney axis’. More studies providing a detailed exploration of these complex interactions and their implications for host health are needed.

We present interferometric continuum and molecular line emission maps obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) of OH231.8+4.2, a well studied bipolar nebula around an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star that is key to understand the remarkable changes in nebular morphology and kinematics during the short transition from the AGB to the Planetary Nebula (PN) phase. The excellent angular resolution of our maps (∼20 mas ∼30 AU) allows us to scrutinize the central nebular regions of OH231.8+4.2, which hold the clues to understanding how this iconic object assembled its complex nebular architecture. We report, for the first time in this object and others of its kind (i.e. pre-PNe with massive bipolar outflows), the discovery of a rotating circumbinary disk of radius ∼30 AU traced by NaCl, KCl, and H2O emission lines. The disk lies at the base of a young bipolar wind with signs of rotation as well. A compact spatially resolved dust disk is found perpendicular to the bipolar outflow. We also identify a point-like continuum source, which likely represents the central Mira star enshrouded by a ∼3 R* shell or disk of hot (∼1400 K) freshly formed dust. The point source is slightly off-centre from the disk centroid, enabling us for the first time to place constraints to the orbital separation of the central binary system.

Apis mellifera is infected by more than 24 virus species worldwide, mainly positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses of the Dicistroviridae and Iflaviridae families. Among the viruses that infect honey bees, Deformed wing virus is the most prevalent and is present as three master variants DWV-A, B, and C. Given that the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor vectors these virus variants, recombination events between them are expected, and variants and their recombinants can co-exist in mites and honeybees at the same time. In this study, we detect, through RT-qPCR, the presence of DWV-A and B in the same samples of adult bees from colonies of Argentina. Total RNA was extracted from pools of ten adult bees from 45 apiaries distributed across the main beekeeping Provinces of Argentina (Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Santiago del Estero, Río Negro, and Mendoza); then RT-qPCR reactions were performed to detect DWV-A and B, with specific primer pairs. After the amplifications, PCR products (204 and 660 bp amplicons for DWV-B, and ~250 bp for DWV-A) were purified and sequenced to verify that they corresponded to reported sequences, analyzing them using the Blast software. Of the 45 samples analyzed by RT-qPCR, over 90% were infected with DWV-A and 47% were also positive for DWV-B, where it was found in high prevalence specifically in colonies of A. mellifera of the Buenos Aires Province. Future studies will determine the impact of this type of the virus and its ability to recombine with the other DWV types in the apiaries of our country.

The development of human brain imaging has resulted in a number of techniques that allow unprecedented insights into the in vivo metabolic and neurochemical processes of the brain. Single positron emission cerebral tomography (SPECT) is a nuclear medicine technique that can be used for measuring perfusion and blood flow in patients affected with psychopathology. The aim of the study was to compare sole depressed patients and those with comorbid alcohol dependence in terms of the functional alterations detected by single positron emission scan (SPECT). For this, 27 SPECT imaging studies performed at Hospital Clínico Pontificia Universidad Católica, of selected patients, were collected and categorized by group. First group composed by depressed patients and second group of patients having alcohol dependence in addition to depression. Selected studies were corregistered, normalized and smoothed for standarization before statistic analysis was performed using MatLan7.1 software with SPM5 module. Mean blood flow in brain areas were compared between groups, with significant statistical difference at p<0.01.

Results show significantly less blood flow in the group with alcohol dependence in Brodmann Areas 4,6,8,9,45and46 of the frontal lobe and BrodmannAreas 2,3,4,5,7and40 of the parietal lobe (p<0.01). Furthermore, the group with alcohol dependence showed increased blood flow in frontal lobe's Brodmann Area 10, temporal lobe's Brodmann Areas 13,20,22, cerebellum, uncus and thalamus.(p<0.01). We conclude that alcohol dependence as comorbid condition in depressed patients determines an additional decrease in the mean blood flow of prefrontal and temporal lobes.

Tourists approaching wild animals can potentially cause disturbance as a result of the perceived predation risk. Risk effects arise when prey alter their behaviour in response to predators. This response may carry costs through its impact on fitness-related activities such as foraging. We recorded behavioural responses of whale sharks Rhincodon typus to experimental vessel and swimmer approaches. We simulated the disturbance caused by ecotourism in the foraging site of this planktivorous fish in Bahia de Los Angeles, Gulf of Baja California, Mexico. Stress-related behaviours (vigilance, change of direction, diving and acceleration) were more common directly after both types of disturbance than before, in particular after approach by a swimmer. Individuals were more likely to be vigilant when they were new to the bay, but we did not find evidence of within-season behavioural habituation. Sharks were 24% more likely to forage before human stimuli than after. Our study highlights negative effects of vessel and swimmer approaches on whale shark behaviour, with a short-term increase in stress-related behaviours potentially carrying energetic costs, combined with a decrease in food intake following the disturbance. Our results indicate concerns about the impact of ecotourism on large fish species. An important next step would be to determine whether these short-term behavioural responses to the perception of predation risk negatively affect fitness. Among other guidelines, we recommend preventing swimmers from approaching if whale sharks stop feeding when a vessel approaches.