Reconstruction of the Maërl habitat to better understand its ecological integrity.

Maërl habitats are composed of coralline red algae species that can live freely rolling on the seabed and forming nodules, the so-called rhodoliths, or incrusted forming coralligenous habitats. Maërl habitats are generally distributed in the Mediterranean at a depth of between 30 m and 70 m and are considered one of the most emblematic Mediterranean seabeds. In the present study, the complex structure of maërl habitats was investigated to i) characterise the relief features and classify the different sediments, ii) to estimate the abundance of the coralline red algae (both rhodoliths and encrusting ones) and iii) to analyse the biodiversity of the species inhabiting the habitat. Data were obtained from an approximately 11 km-long transect, using non-intrusive sampling methods, integrating information from video images collected using the Remotely Operated Vehicle LIROPUS (IEO_CSIC), and multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data. Video images were used to reconstruct (using GIS) the habitat structure and characteristics. Throughout the transect, a strong relationship between habitat characteristics and the effect of trawling activity and the geomorphology of the studied area was observed. The closed area to fishing activity showed a high abundance of rhodoliths in well-structured megaripples reliefs. Contrarily, the areas affected by fishing showed an important destructuring of the relief with a low density of rhodoliths. Last, the muddy bottoms showed areas with no characteristic features and no rhodoliths. All this information has allowed to reconstruct the maërl habitat in the Blanes continental shelf (NW Mediterranean) and analyse the fragmentation of the assemblages seen in the video to assess its good environmental status (GES), and finally to identify the level of ecological integrity of this vulnerable habitat.

Utilidad de factores pronósticos antenatales en pacientes con hernia diafragmática congénita aislada / Usefulness of antenatal prognostic factors in patients with hernia congenital diaphragmatic isolated

La Hernia Diafragmática Congénita (HDC) corresponde a una malformación del diafragma por la cual los órganos abdominales protruyen hacia la cavidad torácica durante el desarrollo intrauterino. Los recién nacidos afectados presentan grados variables de insuficiencia respiratoria e hipertensión pulmonar, asociándose a una alta morbilidad y mortalidad. Materiales y métodos: Se revisaron los casos de HDC controlados en los períodos pre y post-natal en el Hospital Clínico UC durante el período 2012-2016. Se analizaron los resultados perinatales según distintos factores pronósticos. Resultados: Fueron analizadas 26 embarazadas con diagnóstico de HDC. La sobrevida global fue de un 77% (20/26). La mortalidad global de las pacientes con herniación hepática fue de un 45% (5/11) versus 7% (1/15) en los fetos con hígado no herniado. La mortalidad neonatal fue de un 14% (3/21) en las pacientes con la relación pulmón cabeza (LHR), (observado/ esperado) o/e ≥ a 45% y 60% (3/5) cuando el LHR o/e es < 45%. De las pacientes con LHR o/e ≥ 45%, la necesidad de ECMO fue de un 33% (8/21) mientras que un LHR o/e < 45% fue de un 20% (1/5). Conclusión: La obtención antenatal de un LHR o/e ≥ 45% y ausencia de herniación hepática, son buenos predictores de sobrevida neonatal. La medición de LHR o/e no es capaz de discriminar que pacientes desarrollarán morbilidad respiratoria grave, por lo que debemos buscar nuevos y mejores modelos que permitan seleccionar que pacientes requerirán nacer en un centro con disponibilidad de terapias de soporte vital avanzado como el ECMO neonatal. (AU)

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) is a malformation of the diaphragm muscle in which the abdominal organs protrude into the thoracic cavity during intrauterine development. Affected newborns have varying degrees of respiratory failure and pulmonary hypertension, associated with high morbidity and mortality. Materials and methods: Controlled HDC cases were reviewed in the pre and post-natal periods at the Clinical Hospital UC during the period 2012-2016. Perinatal results were analyzed according to different prognostic factors. Results: During the 2012-2016 period, 26 pregnant women with a diagnosis of CDH were monitored. The overall mortality of patients with hepatic herniation was 45% (5/11) versus 7% (1/15) in fetuses with a non-herniated liver. Neonatal mortality was 14% (3/21) in patients with o/e (observed/expected) LHR ≥ 45% and 60% (3/5) when the o/e LHR <45%. Of the patients with o/e LHR ≥ 45%, the need for ECMO was 33% (8/21), while a LHR o/e <45% was 20% (1/5). Conclusion: An o/e LHR ≥ 45% and absence of hepatic herniation are good predictors of neonatal survival. The o/e LHR measurement is not capable of identifying which patients will develop severe respiratory morbidity, so we must explore new and better models that allow us to select patients who need to give birth in centers with available advanced life support therapies, such as neonatal ECMO. (AU)

Ligand-controlled divergent formation of alkenyl- or allylboronates catalyzed by Pd, and synthetic applications.

The use of different ligands allows the preparation of either allyl- or alkenylboronates by Pd-catalyzed borylation of allylic carbonates containing alkyne groups. Unprecedented borylative cyclisation to alkenylboronates takes place with PCy3. The difficult dissociation of NHC ligands allows borylation of carbonates in the presence of alkynes. Oxidation, regioselective Suzuki coupling, as well as Au-catalyzed cycloisomerisation of boronates illustrate the potential synthetic applications of these reactions.

Preparation of allylboronates by Pd-catalysed borylative cyclisation of dienynes.

Reaction of a variety of dienynes with bis(pinacolato)diboron catalysed by Pd bis(trifluoroacetate) affords allylic boronates containing five or six membered carbo- or heterocycles, by concomitant formation of one C-C and one C-B bonds. Resulting allylboronates can be employed for a variety of subsequent transformations.

Pd-catalyzed borylative polycyclization of enediynes to alkylboronates.

Pd-catalyzed bicyclization of 1-ene-6,11-diynes with bis(pinacolato)diboron smoothly affords synthetically useful homoallylic alkylboronates under mild conditions, avoiding the use of highly nucleophilic or basic reagents. One C-B bond and two new C-C bonds are created, and two new stereogenic centers are stereospecifically formed in a single tandem operation. The obtained products suggest a cascade reaction in which the last step is the transmetalation of bis(pinacolato)diboron, this being faster than a possible ß-hydride elimination process. The reaction is general and has been applied to enediynes with different substituents on the alkene unit, the bridging groups, and the alkyne moiety. The bicyclized alkylboronates thus obtained can be functionalized by oxidation to alcohols, formation of trifluoroborate salts, or by Suzuki coupling reactions.