Lower Cretaceous (Hauterivian-Albian) ammonite biostratigraphy in the Maestrat Basin (E Spain)

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

La zona norte de Formentera

Abstract not availabl

Are prices of new dwellings different? A spectral analysis of UK property vintages

The work makes two contributions to Hui’s (2011) dynamic house price classification. First, a house price ripple in cycles from Modern to Older dwellings is revealed and, second, as New housing is shown to have lower volatility than the other two. Using spectral analysis, it is argued that there is a 7½-year repeat buyer-second-hand cycle and a five year, first time buyer-New housing cycle, common to three house price vintages. These cycles reinforce each other every fifteen years, which corresponds with a Minsky super-cycle in housing finance. The equity of the owner-occupier is fortified by higher house prices whereas new builds extract embedded equity from the market. Government should support builders and facilitate access to market to first time buyers and through programmes like Help-to-Buy 1. However, to address the greater price instability that should follow, Government should impose a capital gains tax on the house seller

L’endocarst i les mines de la serra de na Burguesa (Mallorca, Illes Balears). 2. Estat actual del coneixement paleontològic, de la vegetació pteridofítica i briofítica de les entrades de les cavitats i biospeleològic

Es presenta l’estat de la qüestió sobre el coneixement paleontològic, biospeleològic i de la vegetació pteridofítica i briofítica de les cavitats de la serra de na Burguesa (serra de Tramuntana, Illa de Mallorca). En aquesta serra s’han trobat jaciments d’origen càrstic que han lliurat fòssils de vertebrats quaternaris molt importants com n’és el cas de Myotragus batei. La flora briofítica i pteridofítica de les entrades de les cavitats no presenta peculiaritats importants, a excepció del Clot des Cero on s’hi pot trobar: Homalia lusitanica i Asplenium scolopendrium. Referent a la fauna invertebrada, hi ha endemismes singulars com Entomobrya vadelli i pel que fa als vertebrats, remarcar la importància de les coves del Pilar com a estació de la ratapinyada Miniopterus schreibersii.The state of the art knowledge palaeontological biospeleològic and vegetation pteridofítica briofítica and the cavities of the Sierra Na Burguesa (Tramuntana, Majorca) are know. In this mountain karstic deposits we are found and studied Quaternary vertebrate fossil important how the case Myotragus batei. The briophytic and pteridophytic flora of entries cavities are not important, except Clot des Cero whit Homalia lusitanica and Asplenium scolopendrium. Regarding invertebrate fauna, there are endemic Entomobrya vadelli, only know from this cave, and vertebrate stressed the importance of caves as Pilar with the bat Miniopterus schreibersii station

Lower Cretaceous (Hauterivian-Albian) ammonite biostratigraphy in the Maestrat Basin (E Spain)

A review of the stratigraphic distribution of ammonoid species in the Lower Cretaceous (Hauterivian-Albian) of the Maestrat Basin (E Spain) was carried out. The specimens were mainly collected in the field by us and are stored in university or museum collections. Speci­mens from private collections and figured in the literature were also studied. We recognized 73 species that are distributed, in accordance with the latest version of the standard Mediterranean ammonite zonation for the Lower Cretaceous, in 14 ammonite zones: Acanthodiscus radiatus, Crioceratites loryi, Lyticoceras nodosoplicatum (Lower Hauterivian); Pseudothurmannia ohmi (Upper Hauterivian); Imerites giraudi (Upper Barremian); Deshayesites oglanlensis, Deshayesites forbesi, Deshayesites deshayesi, Dufrenoyia furcata (Lower Aptian); Epicheloniceras martini, Parahoplites melchioris, Acanthohoplites nolani (Upper Aptian); Leymeriella tardefurcata and Douvilleiceras mammillatum (Lower Albian). The recognition of these biozones allows a precise age calibration of the Maestrat Basin’s lithostatigraphic units that contain ammonoids as well as an associated indirect age calibration of the formations without ammonoids. Consequently, this report provides an updated, comprehensive and precise biostratigraphic framework, which aims to become a reference for the analysis of the Lower Cretaceous strata of the Maestrat Basin. The results are also relevant for the analysis of coeval ammonite-bearing sedimentary successions found in other Tethyan basins.En este trabajo se ha realizado una revisión detallada de la distribución estratigráfica de las especies de ammonoideos del Cretácico infe­rior de la Cuenca del Maestrazgo (Este de España). Los ejemplares recolectados, principalmente por los autores, han sido depositados en co­lecciones universitarias y museísticas. Además hemos estudiado los ejemplares de colecciones privadas y figurados en la literatura. Hemos reconocido 73 especies que se distribuyen, siguiendo la última versión de la biozonación de ammonites mediterránea estándar del Cretácico inferior, en 14 zonas de ammonoideos: Acanthodiscus radiatus, Crioceratites loryi, Lyticoceras nodosoplicatum (Hauteriviense inferior); Pseudothurmannia ohmi (Hauteriviense superior); Imerites giraudi (Barremiense superior); Deshayesites oglanlensis, Deshayesites forbesi, Deshayesites deshayesi, Dufrenoyia furcata (Aptiense inferior); Epicheloniceras martini, Parahoplites melchioris, Acanthohoplites nolani (Aptiense superior); Leymeriella tardefurcata y Douvilleiceras mammillatum (Albiense inferior). El reconocimiento de estas biozonas permite precisar la edad de las unidades litoestratigráficas que contienen ammonites y también una calibración indirecta de las formaciones que no contienen ammonites. En consecuencia este trabajo proporciona un marco bioestratigráfico actualizado, exhaustivo y preciso que pretende ser una referencia para el análisis estratigráfico del Cretácico inferior de la Cuenca del Maestrazgo. Los resultados obtenidos son también relevantes para el análisis de las sucesiones sedimentarias coetáneas con ammonites existentes en otras cuencas de Tetis

Public health risks associated with food‐borne parasites

Parasites are important food-borne pathogens. Their complex lifecycles, varied transmission routes, and prolonged periods between infection and symptoms mean that the public health burden and relative importance of different transmission routes are often difficult to assess. Furthermore, there are challenges in detection and diagnostics, and variations in reporting. A Europe-focused ranking exercise, using multicriteria decision analysis, identified potentially food-borne parasites of importance, and that are currently not routinely controlled in food. These are Cryptosporidium spp., Toxoplasma gondii and Echinococcus spp. Infection with these parasites in humans and animals, or their occurrence in food, is not notifiable in all Member States. This Opinion reviews current methods for detection, identification and tracing of these parasites in relevant foods, reviews literature on food-borne pathways, examines information on their occurrence and persistence in foods, and investigates possible control measures along the food chain. The differences between these three parasites are substantial, but for all there is a paucity of well-established, standardised, validated methods that can be applied across the range of relevant foods. Furthermore, the prolonged period between infection and clinical symptoms (from several days for Cryptosporidium to years for Echinococcus spp.) means that source attribution studies are very difficult. Nevertheless, our knowledge of the domestic animal lifecycle (involving dogs and livestock) for Echinoccocus granulosus means that this parasite is controllable. For Echinococcus multilocularis, for which the lifecycle involves wildlife (foxes and rodents), control would be expensive and complicated, but could be achieved in targeted areas with sufficient commitment and resources. Quantitative risk assessments have been described for Toxoplasma in meat. However, for T.gondii and Cryptosporidium as faecal contaminants, development of validated detection methods, including survival/infectivity assays and consensus molecular typing protocols, are required for the development of quantitative risk assessments and efficient control measures