Overview of recent TJ-II stellarator results

The main results obtained in the TJ-II stellarator in the last two years are reported. The most important topics investigated have been modelling and validation of impurity transport, validation of gyrokinetic simulations, turbulence characterisation, effect of magnetic configuration on transport, fuelling with pellet injection, fast particles and liquid metal plasma facing components. As regards impurity transport research, a number of working lines exploring several recently discovered effects have been developed: the effect of tangential drifts on stellarator neoclassical transport, the impurity flux driven by electric fields tangent to magnetic surfaces and attempts of experimental validation with Doppler reflectometry of the variation of the radial electric field on the flux surface. Concerning gyrokinetic simulations, two validation activities have been performed, the comparison with measurements of zonal flow relaxation in pellet-induced fast transients and the comparison with experimental poloidal variation of fluctuations amplitude. The impact of radial electric fields on turbulence spreading in the edge and scrape-off layer has been also experimentally characterized using a 2D Langmuir probe array. Another remarkable piece of work has been the investigation of the radial propagation of small temperature perturbations using transfer entropy. Research on the physics and modelling of plasma core fuelling with pellet and tracer-encapsulated solid-pellet injection has produced also relevant results. Neutral beam injection driven Alfvénic activity and its possible control by electron cyclotron current drive has been examined as well in TJ-II. Finally, recent results on alternative plasma facing components based on liquid metals are also presentedThis work has been carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Consortium and has received funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014–2018 under Grant Agreement No. 633053. It has been partially funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Inovación y Universidades of Spain under projects ENE2013-48109-P, ENE2015-70142-P and FIS2017-88892-P. It has also received funds from the Spanish Government via mobility grant PRX17/00425. The authors thankfully acknowledge the computer resources at MareNostrum and the technical support provided by the Barcelona S.C. It has been supported as well by The Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU), Project P-507F

Extinction risk of Mesoamerican crop wild relatives

Ensuring food security is one of the world's most critical issues as agricultural systems are already being impacted by global change. Crop wild relatives (CWR)—wild plants related to crops—possess genetic variability that can help adapt agriculture to a changing environment and sustainably increase crop yields to meet the food security challenge. Here we report the results of an extinction risk assessment of 224 wild relatives of some of the world's most important crops (i.e. chilli pepper, maize, common bean, avocado, cotton, potato, squash, vanilla and husk tomato) in Mesoamerica—an area of global significance as a centre of crop origin, domestication and of high CWR diversity. We show that 35% of the selected CWR taxa are threatened with extinction according to The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List demonstrates that these valuable genetic resources are under high anthropogenic threat. The dominant threat processes are land use change for agriculture and farming, invasive and other problematic species (e.g. pests, genetically modified organisms) and use of biological resources, including overcollection and logging. The most significant drivers of extinction relate to smallholder agriculture—given its high incidence and ongoing shifts from traditional agriculture to modern practices (e.g. use of herbicides)—smallholder ranching and housing and urban development and introduced genetic material. There is an urgent need to increase knowledge and research around different aspects of CWR. Policies that support in situ and ex situ conservation of CWR and promote sustainable agriculture are pivotal to secure these resources for the benefit of current and future generations

Comparación de sistemas de cultivo de embriones de alpacas

Abstract The present study was carried out in a laboratory of Animal Reproduction of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of the National University of the Puno-Peru Highland. The main objective was to evaluate the effect of in vitro and in vivo culture of alpacas zygotes produced in vitro. We used 226 cumulus oocyte complexes (CCOs), which were obtained from the ovaries from animals that were beneficiated in the camal and transported in 0.9% saline and supplemented with antibiotics. CCOs were aspirated from follicles of 2 to 6 mm. The oocytes were matured in TCM 2520, supplemented with 2.2 mg/mL with sodium bicarbonate, 0.0028 mg/mL sodium pyruvate, 10% fetal serum, 2 IU/mL equine chorionic gonadotropin, 10 IU/mL chorionic gonadotropin Human plus 50 ug/mL gentamicin and were cultured at 38.5 ° C, under 5% CO2, and high humidity for 36 h. Fertilization was performed in FERT TALP (10 oocytes/drop). For the in vitro culture SOFaa was used. In vivo culture was used oviduct of females. The results were: At 120 h of culture in vitro post insemination, 19 (17.4%) morulae and 8 (7.3%) blastocytes were observed and at 168 h, 18 (16.5%) morulae and 7 (6.4%) blastocytes were observed. From the in vivo culture in the oviduct of the receiving alpacas 3 blastocytes hatched, 5 blastulas and 2 collapsed blastulas were recovered. Conclusion The in vitro and in vivo culture of the zygotes produced in vitro is possible to be used for the production of alpaca embryos.Resumen El presente estudio se llevó a cabo en laboratorio de Reproducción animal de la Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia de la Universidad Nacional del Altiplano Puno-Perú. El objetivo principal fue evaluar el efecto del cultivo in vitro e in vivo de los cigotos de alpacas producidos in vitro. Se utilizaron 226  Complejos cumulus ovocitos (CCOs), que fueron obtenidos de los ovarios procedentes de alpacas beneficiadas en el camal. Los ovarios fueron transportados en solución salina al 0.9% y suplementada con antibióticos. Los CCOs fueron aspirados de folículos de 2 a 6 mm. Los ovocitos fueron madurados en TCM 2520, suplementado con 2.2 mg/mL con bicarbonato de sodio, 0.0028 mg/mL de piruvato de sodio, 10% de suero fetal, 2 U.I./mL de gonadotropina coriónica equina, 10 U.I./mL de gonadotropina  humana más 50 ug/mL de gentamicina y fueron cultivados a 38.5oC, bajo 5% de CO2, y alta humedad por 36 h. La fertilización se realizó en FERT TALP (10 ovocitos/gota). Para el cultivo in vitro se utilizó el SOFaa. Para el cultivo in vivo se utilizó el oviducto de hembras. Los resultados fueron evaluados: A las 120 h de cultivo in vitro post inseminación se observaron 19(17.4%) mórulas y 8 (7.3%) blastocitos y a las 168 h se observaron 18 (16.5%) mórulas y 7(6.4%) blastocitos. Del cultivo in vivo en el oviducto de las alpacas receptoras se recuperaron 3 blastocitos eclosionados, 5 blástulas y 2 blástulas colapsadas. En conclusión, tanto el cultivo in vitro como in vivo de cigotos producidos in vitro pueden ser utilizados en la producción de embriones de alpacas. Palabras clave: Ovocitos, cigoto, cultivo, embriones, alpaca

Viabilidad in vitro e in vivo de los espermatozoides congelados/descongelados del conducto deferente de Alpacas (vicugna pacos)

El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la viabilidad in-vitro e in-vivo de los espermatozoides procedente de los conductos deferentes de alpacas. Se utilizaron 2 reproductores como donadores de espermatozoides con desviación del conducto deferente. Los espermatozoides colectados se sometieron a la congelación y descongelación con el dilutor Triladyl®. Durante el procesamiento de los espermatozoides se evaluaron la motilidad y la prueba hipo-osmotica. En la inseminación se evaluó la proporción de gestaciones producidas. Los resultados fueron los siguientes: La motilidad de los espermatozoides para los reproductores 1 y 2 fueron: a los 37°C 65.16 y 63.37% sin diferencia (P>0.05), al enfriamiento (5°C) 52.63 y 48.31% similares (P>0.05) ya la descongelación 24.51 y 33.18% mostraron diferencia (P0.05), Al enfriamiento (5°C) 46.67 y 55.93% mostraron diferencia (P0.05). En conclusión los espermatozoides procedentes de los conductos deferentes soportan el congelamiento y a la inseminación artificial producen gestaciones.Palabras claves: Alpaca, conducto deferente, espermatozoide, congelación, inseminación, gestación

Título: El arte de declamar

Tít. tomado da capaDatos del impresor: Prensa Popular traballa en Madrid ca. 1910-1930La princesa bebé : escenas de la vida moderna, divididas en cuatro actos / original de Jacinto Benavente. Don Gil de las Calzas verdes : comedia en tres actos / original de Tirso de Molina ; refundida por Tomás Luceño. Cristobalón : tragedia rústica, de ambiente gallego, en dos actos / original de Manuel Linares Rivas. Zazá : comedia en dos actos / original de Pierre Berton y Ch. Simon. El zapatero y el rey : drama en cuatro actos / original de José Zorrilla. Juventud de príncipe : comedia en cinco actos / original de G. Meyer Föerste. El gavilán : comedia en tres actos / arreglo de Salvador Aragón. Las vírgenes locas = (Les demi-vierges) : comedia moderna en tres actos / original del célebre novelista francés Marcelo Prevost. El duelo : obra en tres actos / original de Henri Lavedan. El arte de declama

Wide-Area RTK: high precision positioning on a continental scale

Real-time corrections at the decimeter level over an entire continent? The challenge lies in minimizing the ranging errors from signals propagating through the Earth’s atmosphere. European researchers describe how it can be done using a Wide Area Real-Time Kinematic concept that exploits the full geometry of the observations, a central processing facility, and undifferenced processing of measurements from widely space GNSS reference receivers to create a real-time ionospheric model of the signal slant delays.Postprint (published version