National University of San Juan

Vineyards are intensively managed agroecosystems, which can reduce their soil functioning and biodiversity, with consequences for grape and wine quality. New regulations (e.g., Europe’s green policies) and market demand for environmentally respectful products are encouraging the adoption of a range of nature-based practices such as cover crops and microbial biostimulants, yet their combined effects remain poorly evaluated. We conducted a fully factorial field experiment in rainfed vineyards in southern Spain to assess the simultaneous effects of two sustainable management strategies: the use of winter cover crops, as opposed to year-round tillage, and the foliar application of a nitrogen-fixing microbial biostimulant at two doses (1x and 3x based on the recommendations of the manufacturer). Cover crops increased the activity of soil extracellular enzymes associated with the C, N and P cycles, indicating enhanced decomposition potential, whereas the biostimulant did not consistently alter soil enzyme activity. Across two seasons, cover crops slightly reduced yield, but this effect was non-significant, while the biostimulant increased production in the first vintage. Importantly, the combination of cover crops with a high biostimulant dose achieved yields comparable to, or even higher than, tilled controls. The combined treatments suggested potential synergistic responses in ºBrix (indicative of total soluble solids) and pH of musts. Using structural equation modelling, we provided additional mechanistic evidence that cover crops and microbial biostimulants are two compatible strategies that may enhance, through complementary mechanisms (i.e., promoting either soil or plant health), the sustainability of vineyards. Our findings support the combination of these practices as a viable pathway toward more resilient and environmentally respectful viticulture.

Although iterative development concepts predate the 2001 Agile Manifesto, the ideas outlined in the manifesto significantly transformed project management, introducing a renewed approach. However, challenges persist, particularly regarding the criteria for selecting both a suitable project management approach (traditional, agile, or hybrid) and a corresponding software development life cycle (SDLC) model. This Systematic Mapping Study (SMS) analyzes existing literature to identify evidence on complexity factors that guide the selection of project management strategies and, subsequently, the appropriate SDLC model. While several complexity factors are documented, a lack of integrated frameworks and guiding criteria remains. Different SDLC models can be applied within each approach, yet their selection often relies heavily on the project manager’s experience due to the absence of formal guidance. The study highlights the need for research efforts aimed at bridging this gap and informing decisions through evidence-based practices. The mapping identified 67 primary studies, with a predominance of agile-oriented research and limited presence of formal frameworks guiding the combined selection of project strategies and SDLC models. The analysis revealed a diverse set of technical and environmental complexity factors, and a lack of systematic guidance in the literature. Based on this evidence, the study proposes a preliminary taxonomy to support future framework development and improve decision-making in practice.

The knowledge of carrion insect diversity and succession patterns is fundamental to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI). However, environments like deserts, arid habitats, still lag behind. To tackle this problem, we carried out a study in Médanos Grandes, San Juan, Monte region of Argentina in 2021 (spring). We quantified and compared the diversity of carrion insects collected on pig carcasses and evaluated the temporal dynamics of carrion insect succession through decomposition stages. Nine carcasses were individually placed within metal cages and sampled daily (carcasses weighing 60-120 kg, with the exception of one specimen that weighed 40 kg). A total of 81,084 individuals from Diptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera (Formicidae), belonging to 33 families and 106 species were collected. Carcass 2 (40 kg) showed the lowest species richness and the highest diversity. Differences in carrion insect community were explained by decomposition stages (PERMANOVA; R² = 0.44, F = 7.17, p = 0.001), while diversity patterns were explained by carcass weight. Succession was characterized by dominance of native species such as Cochliomyia macellaria, Compsomyiops fulvicrura and Euspilotus lacordairei, and the cosmopolitan Dermestes maculatus. Solenopsis spp. dominated across all decomposition stages and injured one carcass. Five Coleoptera families are recorded for the first for Argentina in association with decomposition. The findings directly contribute to forensic practice for PMI estimation in arid environments of Argentina.

Just a handful of mite species are suspected inhabiting the dust of houses within arid areas of the Arabian Peninsula. In this study, we identified and compared the house dust mite diversity in three different climatic areas within Saudi Arabia. Sampling was carried out over one year and two months, with samples collected in the desert, the coast, and in the highlands. It reviews all known mites of house dust of Saudi Arabia. A total of 998 mites were collected belonging to 23 species in 14 families. Pyroglyphidae (Astigmata) were the most abundant. The interaction among pyroglyphid species in the climatic regions was analysed. While variation in abundance of Pyroglyphidae among regions was weak, there was a strong desert region Cheyletus eruditus–Dermatophagoides farinae association, perhaps explaining that D. farinae populations from the desert have become C. eruditus’ favourite prey. Another interesting association is that of Pyroglyphidae with Acaridae. D. pteronyssinus shows significant numerical dominance in the highlands. A newly discovered species of Dermatophagoides did not interact with any of the other 2 species and was restricted to the coastal region. Dermatophagoides n. sp. and Cheletopsis sp. can be used as markers of location in forensic analyses (provenance), based on their unique association with the coast and desert, respectively. A new species of Dermatophagoides has been identified. Five species are new to Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula including house dust, ten species are new to the house dust mite fauna of Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula but have been recorded as storage mites, totalling 15 new house dust mites for the Arabian Peninsula. Two species are new to house dust in Saudi Arabia, but already known from house dust in Kuwait. Of the fifteen new house dust mites for the Arabian Peninsula, five species are new to the dust mite fauna worldwide: Prostigmata: Cheletopsis sp. (Cheyletidae); Mesostigmata: Proctolaelaps pygmaeus (Melicharidae), Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Macrochelidae); and Oribatida: Oribatula tibialis (Oribatulidae), and Ceratozetes sp. (Ceratozetidae).

The increasing penetration of distributed and renewable generation has driven modern power systems closer to their technical limits, making voltage instability a key threat to grid reliability and reducing the operational margin for preventive control and generation redispatch. Traditional steady-state security tools, such as the Static Security Region (SSR), map feasible operating points under steady-state constraints but do not quantify proximity to voltage collapse. This paper proposes an enhanced SSR that integrates a fast, analytically derived Voltage Stability Index (VSI) based on a Thevenin equivalent and load-impedance characteristics, embedding stability-margin information directly into SSR nomograms. The resulting visualization jointly depicts feasibility and voltage-stability robustness, enabling screening and ranking of dispatch points beyond voltage-magnitude compliance. Case studies on the IEEE 9-bus and New England 39-bus systems show that the VSI-based SSR highlights dispatch-dependent low-margin regions that can occur before conventional thermal or voltage limits are reached. Overall, the method provides an efficient, interpretable tool for steady-state security assessment and preventive decision support.