An in-depth review of t-SNE with applications

In this project we have reviewed a dimension-reduction technique named t-Stochastic Neighbour Embedding (t-SNE). This technique has produced a huge impact in the machine learning community due to its capabilities and its flexibility to reduce the dimensionality of a dataset. It has become a direct competitor of classical, linear, dimensionreduction techniques such as principal component analysis and multidimensional scaling. Following the original paper of Van der Maaten and Hinton (2008) in Journal of Machine Learning Research we have implemented a pedagogic version of t-SNE algorithm that allowed us to explain the technique in detail. Our version gives outcomes that are comparable to the state-of-the-art implementation. We have studied t-SNE in synthetic data with different patterns and have applied t-SNE to a variety of real datasets. In this process, we have analysed the main benefits and drawbacks of t-SNE. All the code developed in this project is openly available in the following GitHub repository: https://github.com/100346868/TSNEIngeniería en Tecnologías de Telecomunicació

Risk of Leaching in Soils Amended by Compost and digestate from Municipal Solid Waste

New European directives have proposed the direct application of compost and digestate produced from municipal solid wastes as organic matter sources in agricultural soils. Therefore information about phosphorus leaching from these residues when they are applied to the soil is increasingly mportant. Leaching experiments were conducted to determine the P mobility in compost and digestate mixtures, supplying equivalent amounts to 100 kg P ha?1 to three different types of soils. The tests were performed in accordance with CEN/TS 14405:2004 analyzing the maximum dissolved reactive P and the kinetic rate in the leachate. P biowaste fractionation indicated that digestate has a higher level of available P than compost has. In contrast, P losses in leaching experiments with soil-compost mixtureswere higher than in soil-digestate mixtures. For bothwastes, therewas no correlation between disolved reactive P lost and the water soluble P.The interaction between soil and waste, the long experimentation time, and the volume of leachate obtained caused the waste?s wettability to become an influential parameter in P leaching behavior. The overall conclusion is that kinetic data analysis provides valuable information concerning the sorption mechanism that can be used for predicting the large-scale behavior of soil systems

Root-to-Shoot Hormonal Communication in Contrasting Rootstocks Suggests an Important Role for the Ethylene Precursor Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic Acid in Mediating Plant Growth under Low-Potassium Nutrition in Tomato

Selection and breeding of rootstocks that can tolerate low K supply may increase crop productivity in low fertility soils and reduce fertilizer application. However, the underlying physiological traits are still largely unknown. In this study, 16 contrasting recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between domestic and wild tomato species (Solanum lycopersicum × Solanum pimpinellifolium) have been used to analyse traits related to the rootstock-mediated induction of low (L, low shoot fresh weight) or high (H, high shoot fresh weight) vigor to a commercial F1 hybrid grown under control (6 mM, c) and low-K (1 mM, k). Based on hormonal and ionomic composition in the root xylem sap and the leaf nutritional status after long-term (7 weeks) exposure low-K supply, a model can be proposed to explain the rootstocks effects on shoot performance with the ethylene precursor aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) playing a pivotal negative role. The concentration of this hormone was higher in the low-vigor Lc and Lk rootstocks under both conditions, increased in the sensitive HcLk plants under low-K while it was reduced in the high-vigor Hk ones. Low ACC levels would promote the transport of K vs. Na in the vigorous Hk grafted plants. Along with K, Ca, and S, micronutrient uptake and transport were also activated in the tolerant Hk combinations under low-K. Additionally, an interconversion of trans-zeatin into trans-zeatin riboside would contribute to decrease ACC in the tolerant LcHk plants. The high vigor induced by the Hk plants can also be explained by an interaction of ACC with other hormones (cytokinins and salicylic, abscisic and jasmonic acids). Therefore, Hk rootstocks convert an elite tomato F1 cultivar into a (micro) nutrient-efficient phenotype, improving growth under reduced K fertilization.This research has received funding from the Spanish MINECO-FEDER (project AGL2014-59728-R) and from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no 289365 (project ROOTOPOWER).USD 2,116.5 APC fee funded by the EC FP7 Post-Grant Open Access PilotPeer reviewe

Instalación eléctrica de baja tensión e instalación de protección contra incendios en almacén de productos químicos

En este proyecto se llevará a cabo el cálculo de la instalación eléctrica, la clasificación y evaluación de las necesidades del sistema de protección contra incendios en un almacén destinado exclusivamente al almacenamiento de los productos químicos Acetamida y Dipropilenglicol. Este almacén, que almacena productos químicos, está sujeto a regulaciones altamente específicas, como el RD 656/17, de 23 de junio, que establece los requisitos y condiciones para el almacenamiento seguro de estos productos químicos. En lo que respecta a la instalación eléctrica, se ha tenido en cuenta el cumplimiento del Reglamento Electrotécnico para Baja Tensión y las Instrucciones Técnicas Complementarias (Real Decreto 842/2002 de 2 de agosto de 2002), con la consideración de que este almacén está clasificado. Por lo tanto, todos los equipos o sistemas eléctricos utilizados en su interior deben cumplir con las adecuadas normativas de protección ATEX. El proyecto se divide en siete secciones distintas. Comienza con una memoria que proporciona una visión general del almacén, la instalación eléctrica y las medidas de prevención de incendios. Luego se procede con cálculos que respaldan las decisiones tomadas, un pliego de condiciones, mediciones, presupuesto, planos y bibliográficas.In this project, the electrical installation calculation, classification and evaluation of the needs of the fire protection system in a warehouse intended exclusively for the storage of the chemical products Acetamide and Dipropylene glycol will be carried out. This chemical storage facility is subject to highly specific regulations, such as RD 656/17, dated June 23, which stipulates the requirements and conditions for the safe storage of chemical products. Regarding the electrical installation, compliance with the Low Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation and Complementary Technical Instructions (Royal Decree 842/2002 of August 2, 2002) has been taken into account, considering that this is a classified warehouse. Therefore, all electrical equipment or systems used inside must adhere to appropriate ATEX protection standards. The project is divided into seven sections. It begins with a report providing a general description of the warehouse, the electrical installation, and fire protection measures. It then proceeds with supporting calculations, a specification sheet, measurements, a budget, plans, and bibliography

Electrical installation of storage of chemical products equipped with photovoltaic solar panels on deck for self-consumption

El presente proyecto tiene por objeto el diseño y construcción de la instalación eléctrica de nave de almacenamiento de productos químicos dotado de placas solares fotovoltaicas en cubierta para autoconsumo, en el Polígono Industrial el Tiro, en Murcia. SotySolar ha elaborado el primer "Informe sobre la Situación del Auto-consumo Solar Residencial y Comercial en España". Las principales conclusiones del informe destacan que: Los costes de instalación solar se han reducido un 76% en el periodo 2010-2017. En el año 2017, los consumidores pagaron de media 2,6 euros por vatio de potencia instalada si hablamos de costes brutos y lograron una amortización promedio de tan solo 7,5 años. Los costes van desde 2,2 euros a 3,8 euros para las instalaciones realizadas con equipos de alta eficiencia. Estos datos reflejan que el consumidor ahorrará miles de euros empleando el sistema de autoconsumo solar, debido a que periodo de retorno de la inversión es muy inferior a la vida media de la instalación fotovoltaica. Esto justifica el que en aquellas industrias cuyos procesos no demanden gran cantidad de energía, éstas puedan optar por aprovechar las cubiertas de sus naves y demás espacios disponibles para poder ser electricamente auto-suficientes.Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería IndustrialUniversidad Politécnica de Cartagen

Electrical installation of storage of chemical products equipped with photovoltaic solar panels on deck for self-consumption

El presente proyecto tiene por objeto el diseño y construcción de la instalación eléctrica de nave de almacenamiento de productos químicos dotado de placas solares fotovoltaicas en cubierta para autoconsumo, en el Polígono Industrial el Tiro, en Murcia. SotySolar ha elaborado el primer "Informe sobre la Situación del Auto-consumo Solar Residencial y Comercial en España". Las principales conclusiones del informe destacan que: Los costes de instalación solar se han reducido un 76% en el periodo 2010-2017. En el año 2017, los consumidores pagaron de media 2,6 euros por vatio de potencia instalada si hablamos de costes brutos y lograron una amortización promedio de tan solo 7,5 años. Los costes van desde 2,2 euros a 3,8 euros para las instalaciones realizadas con equipos de alta eficiencia. Estos datos reflejan que el consumidor ahorrará miles de euros empleando el sistema de autoconsumo solar, debido a que periodo de retorno de la inversión es muy inferior a la vida media de la instalación fotovoltaica. Esto justifica el que en aquellas industrias cuyos procesos no demanden gran cantidad de energía, éstas puedan optar por aprovechar las cubiertas de sus naves y demás espacios disponibles para poder ser electricamente auto-suficientes.Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería IndustrialUniversidad Politécnica de Cartagen

Exploring the use of recombinant inbred lines in combination with beneficial microbial inoculants (AM fungus and PGPR) to improve drought stress tolerance in tomato

At a world scale, tomato is an important horticultural crop, but its productivity is highly reduced by drought stress. Combining the application of beneficial microbial inoculants with breeding and grafting techniques may be key to cope with reduced tomato yield under drought. This study aimed to investigate the growth responses and physiological mechanisms involved in the performance under drought stress of four tomato recombinant inbred lines (RIL) after inoculation with the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Rhizophagus irregularis and the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) Variovorax paradoxus 5C-2. Results showed a variation in the efficiency of the different tomato RILs under drought stress and a differential effect of the microbial inoculants, depending on the RIL involved. The inoculants affected plant parameters such as net photosynthetic capacity, oxidative damage to lipids, osmolyte accumulation, root hydraulic conductivity or aquaporin abundance and phosphorylation status. RIL66 was the one obtaining maximum benefit from the microbial inoculants under drought stress conditions, due likely to improved CO2-fixation capacity and root hydraulic conductivity. We propose that RIL66 could be selected as a good plant material to be used as rootstock to improve tomato growth and productivity under water limiting conditions. Since RIL66 is highly responsive to microbial inoculants, this grafting strategy should be combined with inoculation of R. irregularis and V. paradoxus in order to improve plant yield under conditions of drought stress

Ectopic overexpression of the cell wall invertase gene CIN1 leads to dehydration avoidance in tomato

Drought stress conditions modify source–sink relations, thereby influencing plant growth, adaptive responses, and consequently crop yield. Invertases are key metabolic enzymes regulating sink activity through the hydrolytic cleavage of sucrose into hexose monomers, thus playing a crucial role in plant growth and development. However, the physiological role of invertases during adaptation to abiotic stress conditions is not yet fully understood. Here it is shown that plant adaptation to drought stress can be markedly improved in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) by overexpression of the cell wall invertase (cwInv) gene CIN1 from Chenopodium rubrum. CIN1 overexpression limited stomatal conductance under normal watering regimes, leading to reduced water consumption during the drought period, while photosynthetic activity was maintained. This caused a strong increase in water use efficiency (up to 50%), markedly improving water stress adaptation through an efficient physiological strategy of dehydration avoidance. Drought stress strongly reduced cwInv activity and induced its proteinaceous inhibitor in the leaves of the wild-type plants. However, the CIN1-overexpressing plants registered 3- to 6-fold higher cwInv activity in all analysed conditions. Surprisingly, the enhanced invertase activity did not result in increased hexose concentrations due to the activation of the metabolic carbohydrate fluxes, as reflected by the maintenance of the activity of key enzymes of primary metabolism and increased levels of sugar-phosphate intermediates under water deprivation. The induced sink metabolism in the leaves explained the maintenance of photosynthetic activity, delayed senescence, and increased source activity under drought stress. Moreover, CIN1 plants also presented a better control of production of reactive oxygen species and sustained membrane protection. Those metabolic changes conferred by CIN1 overexpression were accompanied by increases in the concentrations of the senescence-delaying hormone trans-zeatin and decreases in the senescence-inducing ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) in the leaves. Thus, cwInv critically functions at the integration point of metabolic, hormonal, and stress signals, providing a novel strategy to overcome drought-induced limitations to crop yield, without negatively affecting plant fitness under optimal growth conditions.FPA and co-workers are funded by the Spanish MICINN-FEDER (projects AT2009-0038 and AGL2011-27996) and the European Commission (ROOTOPOWER Contract # 289365). TR and FPA were jointly funded by the Spanish–Austrian bilateral project AT2009-0038. AA was supported by post-doctoral fellowships from the Fundación Séneca (Comunidad Autónoma de la Región de Murcia) and the FWF (Austrian Science Fund), and currently by the JAE DOC Programme

Tolerance to cadmium toxicity and phytoremediation potential of three Brassica rapa CAX1a TILLING mutants

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic heavy metals that reduces crop productivity and is a threat to all the food chain including human health. Phytoremediation is an environmentally friendly strategy to clean up soil contaminated with heavy metals. Researchers are selecting new varieties with an enhanced capacity for phytoremediation purposes. Three Brassica rapa mutants for CAX1 transporter were obtained through TILLING. The objective of this work is to evaluate the tolerance of these mutants to Cd toxicity and its potential for Cd phytoremediation. For this, the mutants and the parental R-o-18 were grown under control and Cd toxicity conditions (100 µM CdCl2) and growth, Cd accumulation and physiological parameters were analyzed. The results show that BraA.cax1a mutation provides greater Cd uptake capacity although only BraA.cax1a-12 would be useful for phytoremediation because it registered more than three-fold the Cd content of R-o-18 and presented greater Cd tolerance. This tolerance could be due to the higher Ca and Mg accumulations, the maintaining of photosynthesis performance, the enhanced ROS detoxification and AsA/GSH and TCA cycles, the higher malate, and GA4 concentrations and the lower ethylene levels. Briefly, this study identifies BraA.cax1a-12 as a potential mutant for phytoremediation of Cd contaminated soil and identifies possible physiological elements that contribute to this capacity

Effect of CAX1a TILLING mutations and calcium concentration on some primary metabolism processes in Brassica rapa plants

This work was supported by the PAI programme (Plan Andaluz de Investigación, Grupo de Investigación AGR282) and by a Grant from the FPU of the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia awarded to ENL [FPU14/01858].Cation/H+ exchanger transporters (CAXs) are crucial in Ca homeostasis and in the generation of Ca profiles involved in signalling processes. Given the crucial role of CAX1 in Ca homeostasis, CAX1 modifications could have effects on plant metabolism. Three Brassica rapa mutants for CAX1 were obtained through TILLING. The aim of this work is to assess the effect of the different mutations and different Ca doses on plant metabolism. For this, the mutants and the parental line were grown under low, control and high Ca doses and parameters related to nitrogen (N) and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) metabolisms, and amino acid (AAs) and phytohormone profiles were measured. The results show that BraA.cax1a mutations affect to metabolism especially under high Ca dose. Thus, BraA.cax1a-7 inhibited some N metabolism enzymes and activated photorespiration activity. On the opposite side, BraA.cax1a-12 mutation provides a better tolerance to high Ca dose. This tolerance could be provided by an improved N and TCA metabolisms enzymes, and by a higher glutamate, malate, indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid concentrations. Therefore, BraA.cax1a-12 mutation could be useful in B. rapa improving and the metabolomics changes observed in this mutant could be key for a greater tolerance to high Ca doses.Plan Andaluz de Investigación AGR282Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia FPU14/0185