Background: Periodontitis, the most prevalent chronic inflammatory disease, has been related to cardiovascular diseases. Autophagy provides a mechanism for the turnover of cellular organelles and proteins through a lysosome-dependent degradation pathway. The aim of this research was to study the role of autophagy in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with periodontitis and gingival fibroblasts treated with a lipopolysaccharide of Porphyromonas gingivalis. Autophagy-dependent mechanisms have been proposed in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders and in other diseases related to periodontitis, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Thus it is important to study the role of autophagy in the pathophysiology of periodontitis. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with periodontitis (n = 38) and without periodontitis (n = 20) were used to study autophagy. To investigate the mechanism of autophagy, we evaluated the influence of a lipopolysaccharide from P. gingivalis in human gingival fibroblasts, and autophagy was monitored morphologically and biochemically. Autophagosomes were observed by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Results: We found increased levels of autophagy gene expression and high levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with periodontitis compared with controls. A significantly positive correlation between both was observed. In human gingival fibroblasts treated with lipopolysaccharide from P. gingivalis, there was an increase of protein and transcript of autophagy-related protein 12 (ATG12) and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 alpha LC3. A reduction of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species induced a decrease in autophagy whereas inhibition of autophagy in infected cells increased apoptosis, showing the protective role of autophagy. Conclusion: Results from the present study suggest that autophagy is an important and shared mechanism in other conditions related to inflammation or alterations of the immune system, such as periodontitis.

The temporal variability of precipitation in southern Spain was analysed to detect trends and cycles. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine whether there has been a decrease in precipitation in southern Spain and (2) to evaluate if any decrease is related to temporal cycles or is a well‐defined trend. The study was based on analysis of data series from nine monitoring stations in the Andalusia area of the Spanish Mediterranean. The Pettit test and temporal variability analyses were carried out using the temporal databases (1960–2006) from the selected stations. The results indicate that (1) there were significant differences in precipitation throughout the study period based on the location of the stations; (2) a negative trend in precipitation was observed for the east coast and inland stations, and an increasing trend in precipitation was observed for stations on the west coast; and (3) a general decreasing trend in seasonal precipitation, especially in winter, autumn, and spring, was observed for all stations except those on the west coast. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society

In southern Spain a longitudinal pluviometric gradient occurs under Mediterranean climatic conditions in an area that has at least two months of drought each year and very irregular rainfall. From the Strait of Gibraltar to the Cabo de Gata in Almería there is a reduction of more than 1,000 mm year⁻¹ in the mean annual rainfall. Analysis of the frequency and intensity of drought periods is necessary in regions where water resources are scarce and the ecosystem is highly dependent on water availability. Drought periods in the region described above were analysed using the DDSLR (Dry Days Since Last Rain) index to i) characterize trends in number of dry days and the amount of rainfall along the pluviometric gradient, ii) assess how the DDSLR index changes along the gradient from semiarid to humid Mediterranean regions, and iii) contribute to studies addressing the importance of climatic gradients in relation to the dynamics of various ecosystems. The DDSLR method enables calculation of the probability of the occurrence of dry days (days without rain) at any time of the year, assessment of the risk of water deficits for vegetation during plant growth periods, and evaluation of the temporal variability of hydrological/geomorphological processes that depend on soil moisture throughout the year. The results showed that there is a critical period of rainfall scarcity during September and October, which has implications for the availability of soil water resources for vegetation.In short‐term, the major problems are predicted for the Spanish Southern Mediterranean due to the increasing irregularity in precipitations: the number of days with no rains and drought periods are increased, but also a significant increment in the probabilities of extreme rainfalls exceeding 30 mm day⁻¹. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society

The scarcity of water in the Campo de Cartagena has limited its exploitation, which is why, historically, runoff water has been used through sustainable traditional practices which have been dismissed by technological advances. In order to demonstrate the potential of this resource at present, an analysis by interpolation of rainfall distribution in the sub-basin of the Rambla de Fuente Álamo-Albujón was carried out (for the intense rainfall episodes of 2012 and 2016) as well as hydraulic modelling of the estimation of surface runoff. In addition, taking into account the future climate scenarios, a projection of the total runoff in the study area was made up to the year 2100. The bibliographic review and the press analysis showed that the traditional use of runoff water has remained in disuse, although there are infrastructures to collect water from floods but with an eminently sanitary purpose. The current model of agricultural and touristic exploitation is giving rise to serious socio-environmental conflicts which manifest in obsolescence. Therefore, the increase in the availability of water with the use of a specific endogenous resource may lead to a decrease in the pressures exerted on the study area.