The Iberian Pyrite Belt contains one of the largest accumulations of massive sulphide deposits on Earth. Many of these deposits are hosted by latest Devonian black shales rich in terrestrial and marine palynomorphs. Among the marine fossils, the most abundantly reported species is Maranhites mosesii. By means of a multi-analytical methodology, including (1) biometry of specimens, (2) TOFSIMS imaging and spectral analysis of selected specimens and (3) host-rock geochemistry, we detected that cysts of M. mosesii are smaller and lighter in massive sulphide-generating environments than in coeval non-massive sulphide-generating environment. Cysts of M. mosesii sank after encystment and maturated in the seafloor of different subbasins affected by disparate anoxic conditions. The specimens that maturated in anoxic settings enriched in pollutants, like Arsenic (As) and Lead (Pb), were smaller and lighter than those from non-polluted anoxic environments. Their organic walls were also enriched in As. Neither the anoxia nor the pollutants prevented the proliferation of M. mosesii, as this was the most abundant phytoplanktonic species in all environments. To explain this, we suggest that this species developed a successful adaptive mechanism that might involve anaerobic metabolic interchange with the surrounding oxygen-depleted media and high levels of tolerance to stressors. Whatever the reason, it entails a causal relationship between cyst size and seafloor environmental conditions. In consequence, the biometry of M. mosesii can be envisaged as a promising vector for sulphide deposit exploration in the Iberian Pyrite Belt.

Haemosporidians constitute a monophyletic group of vector-borne parasites that infect a wide range of vertebrate hosts, including Neotropical lizards. The remarkable diversity of these host-parasite associations and inadequate research on certain parasite groups have resulted in controversial haemosporidian taxonomy. Herein, we rediscover erythrocytic and non-erythrocytic haemosporidians infecting golden tegus (Tupinambis teguixin) from Brazil and Colombia. The erythrocyte-inhabiting parasite belongs to Plasmodium sp., and the non-erythrocytic form was identified as Saurocytozoon tupinambi, previously attributed to the Family Leucocytozoidae. These non-pigmented haemosporidian parasites do not multiply in the blood. The relationships between the Saurocytozoon and Leucocytozoidae species were discussed for many years, especially during the 1970s. However, cytochrome b (cytb) sequences and the mitochondrial genomes recovered for this species strongly support classifying this parasite as a Plasmodium taxon. Therefore, we proposed a new combination for this parasite, Plasmodium (Saurocytozoon) tupinambi comb. nov., where Saurocytozoon is retained as a subgenus due to its distinct morphology. These results reinforce that a broader definition of Plasmodiidae must include saurian parasites that develop non-pigmented leucocytozoid-like gametocytes.

The Flexible Farrington Algorithm (FFA) is widely used to detect infectious disease outbreaks at national/regional levels on a weekly basis. The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 alongside the speed at which diagnostic and public health interventions were introduced made the FFA of limited use. We describe how the methodology was adapted to provide a daily alert system to support local health protection teams (HPTs) working in the 316 English lower-tier local authorities. To minimize the impact of a rapidly changing epidemiological situation, the FFA was altered to use 8 weeks of data. The adapted algorithm was based on reported positive counts using total tests as an offset. Performance was assessed using the root mean square error (RMSE) over a period. Graphical reports were sent to local teams enabling targeted public health action. From 1 July 2020, results were routinely reported. Adaptions accommodated the impact on reporting because of changes in diagnostic strategy (introduction of lateral flow devices). RMSE values were relatively small compared to observed counts, increased during periods of increased reporting, and were relatively higher in the northern and western areas of the country. The exceedance reports were well received. This presentation should be considered as a successful proof-of-concept.

Two new species in the genera Diploicia and Physcia are described from the tropical dry forest of Mexico. Both species are supported by morphological, chemical and molecular evidence. Diploicia edulis, a species heavily consumed by invertebrates, is characterized by lecanorine apothecia, a dull brown epihymenium not diffused by a green pigment (K−), a subhymenium conspicuously inspersed with oil droplets, and the diploicin chemosyndrome. We provide the first molecular evidence to support the inclusion of species with lecanorine apothecia in the genus Diploicia. Physcia ornamentalis, previously reported under the name Physcia undulata s. lat. as one of the main construction materials for the bags of a moth caterpillar species (Psychidae), is characterized by a frosted-pruinose thallus, soralia originating in the lobe sinuses, and by lacking soralia in the thalline margin of the apothecia.

The quest for social status is usually considered one of the main drivers of the demand for consumer credit. This article provides a nuanced take on consumer credit by exploring the interaction between consumption, borrowing, and class identity. To do so I pursue a cultural class analysis inspired by the work of Pierre Bourdieu. Drawing from 26 semi-structured interviews, the article has two main findings. First, it shows that people engage in borrowing not only to gain prestige, but also to assert their belongingness to symbolic groups, which embody the values of imagined communities. Second, against the idea that borrowing is undertaken mainly for conspicuous consumption, the article's findings show that middle-income families in Chile borrow to consume ‘ordinary’ goods. Through the consumption of these goods, the Chilean middle classes seek to stabilize their class identities through their life trajectories, thereby achieving a sense of place in a changing environment. These findings lead me to focus on the normalization of credit and the process through which borrowing practices turn consumer goods from wants into needs, ratcheting up the demand for credit. The article argues that this is an overlooked way in which competitive dynamics drive the demand for credit, which is a missing link in the explanation for the rise of household debt.

This article discusses the literature on music teacher education programmes for mainstream education in order to undertake critical reflection on what we are doing and why in our university classrooms, what theories are implicit and what could be done to improve our programmes. After analysis, mainly from European contexts, and considering the Spanish one in particular, we find an influence of the economic – and, ultimately, political – rationale on substantial aspects, manifested in apparent disjunctions between musical and educational features, as well as in formal issues, fundamentally due to the European Higher Education Area. In the end, it is concluded that, without renouncing the economic aspects, curricula should be more addressed towards the integration of pedagogical and musical knowledge, and the treatment of aspects related to social justice, if we do not want an uncritical reproduction of rationalities that are often obsolete in the training of pre-service music teachers.

Lolliguncula argus is a squid species endemic to the Tropical Eastern Pacific and caught incidentally by the artisanal fishery around Puerto Angel, Oaxaca (Mexico). Due to the low abundance of Argus brief squid, basic aspects of the species’ reproductive biology have not been adequately studied. Therefore, in this study, we assess size at maturity (L50), gonad maturation, ovarian development and spawning pattern by means of both histological and oocyte size–frequency analyses. Our results are based on 581 squid specimens: 534 females (11.9–82.4 mm dorsal mantle length, DML) and 47 males (16.0–68.2 mm DML) caught by artisanal fishery from May 2017 to April 2018. The L50 was 58.0 mm DML for females and 55.4 mm DML for males. The ovulation pattern in L. argus is asynchronous, with multiple-batch spawning in a relatively short period of time (intermittent spawning). Lolliguncula argus breed in the coastal waters off Puerto Angel, in the western margin of the Gulf of Tehuantepec, and exhibit gregarious behaviour during spawning events, which is associated with the regional oceanographic conditions. Based on these results, we determine that the opportunistic reproductive strategy of L. argus occurs in response to suitable regional environmental conditions.

The ichthyofauna of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts off the American continent is very rich. Consequently, a high biodiversity of nematodes parasitizing these vertebrates is also expected. Currently, data on nematode parasites of marine fish off the Americas are fragmented. A review of all adult nematode species reported parasitizing marine fish from off the American continent is herein presented, as well as comments on their patterns of diversity, life cycles and advances in the taxonomic and phylogenetic knowledge. A total of 209 valid species, 19 species inquirendae and 6 dubious records have been recorded, the majority from the fish taxa Eupercaria and Perciformes. The families Sciaenidae, Serranidae and Lutjanidae, as well as the tropical and temperate Atlantic waters, exhibited the highest records of parasitic nematodes. The Cucullanidae, Philometridae and Cystidicolidae were the most speciose families of nematodes, which may be related to technological advances and relatively recent efforts of taxonomists, resulting in description of new taxa and the resolution of taxonomic problems. Numerous taxonomic questions still need resolution and, even though genetic data have been important for this process, the database is very scarce. This is the first review on all currently known nematode species parasitizing marine fish off the Americas and may serve as an important basis of reference for future approaches on these organisms.

This study aimed to assess the impact of the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13 (PCV13) on the molecular epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children from Andalusia. A population-based prospective surveillance study was conducted on IPD in children aged <14 years from Andalusia (2018–2020). Pneumococcal invasive isolates collected between 2006 and 2009 in the two largest tertiary hospitals in Andalusia were used as pre-PCV13 controls for comparison of serotype/genotype distribution. Overall IPD incidence rate was 3.55 cases per 100 000 in 2018; increased non-significantly to 4.20 cases per 100 000 in 2019 and declined in 2020 to 1.69 cases per 100 000 (incidence rate ratio 2020 vs. 2019: 0.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20–0.89, P = 0.01). Proportion of IPD cases due to PCV13 serotypes in 2018–2020 was 28% (P = 0.0001 for comparison with 2006–2009). Serotypes 24F (15%) and 11A (8.3%) were the most frequently identified non-PCV13 serotypes (NVT) in 2018–2020. Penicillin- and/or ampicillin-resistant clones mostly belonged to clonal complex 156 (serotype 14-ST156 and ST2944 and serotype 11A-ST6521). The proportion of IPD cases caused by PCV13 serotypes declined significantly after the initiation of the PCV13 vaccination programme in 2016. Certain NVT, such as serotypes 24F and 11A, warrant future monitoring in IPD owing to invasive potential and/or antibiotic resistance rates.

Stable isotopes are a powerful tool for reconstructing the past. However, environmental factors not previously considered can lead to misinterpretations. Our study presents a novel analysis of the feeding behavior of the megafauna that inhabited the Pilauco ecosystem in south-central Chile during the last glacial termination. We analyzed a suite of modern plant and animal samples from closed-canopy forests to establish an isotopic baseline with which to compare stable isotope results from fossil megafauna. Using the modern samples as a reference, the δ13C results from the Pilauco megafauna indicate feeding behaviors in forested areas. These results were then calibrated with dental calculus samples and coprolites, which suggest the coexistence of graze- and grass-dominated mixed-feeder diets. The δ15N values found in Pilauco megafauna are not consistent with modern reference data sets or with the low δ15N values of extinct proboscideans from other contemporaneous and nearby sites. Probably, the δ15N values of the Pilauco ecosystem were not primarily affected by climate, but rather by disturbance factors (e.g., grazing effect). Our results indicate that the Pilauco megafauna fed mainly on arboreal vegetation; however, non-isotopic proxies indicate that they were also eating open vegetation (e.g., herbs and grasses).

In the early nineteenth century a centralized political entity, the Galinhas kingdom, emerged in southernmost Sierra Leone. Based on sources from Cuban, British, American, Spanish, and Sierra Leonean archives, this article examines the factors accounting for the emergence and consolidation of Galinhas. I argue that the postabolitionist (1808) redeployment of North Atlantic slave trading actors, networks, routes, and spaces, particularly the connection with Cuba and resources from the island, created the conditions for Galinhas's commercial growth and the centralization of its political power. I then problematize the relationship between warfare, the Atlantic slave trade, and state making. During the foundation of a predatory state, before a slaving and political frontier existed, wars were detrimental to trade. When warfare and commerce — or any social activity — coexisted in the same physical space, the interdependent balance between them, which supported the slave trade itself, was disrupted. After the end of the war, political stability boosted slave trading operations.

The Cold War triggered the appearance of U.S.-sponsored re-distributive policies in Latin America with the goal of decreasing the influence of the Soviet Union. We study how organized groups of workers increased the intensity of one of the largest programs of the time, Salvador Allende’s land reform in Chile (1970–1973). Using original data in an event study research design, we find that the local political actions of workers—proxied by land invasions—affected the intensity and location of expropriations. We argue this result can be explained by a threat of political unrest.