El Sistema UPOV de protección de variedades vegetales. El caso de la fresa

El sistema UPOV de protecci&oacute;n de variedades vegetales surgi&oacute; con la adopci&oacute;n del Convenio Internacional para la Protecci&oacute;n de las Obtenciones Vegetales por la Conferencia Diplom&aacute;tica de 2 de diciembre de 1961, en Par&iacute;s (Acta UPOV 1961). &nbsp; A partir de ese momento comenzaron a reconocerse en todo el mundo los derechos de propiedad intelectual de los obtentores sobre sus variedades.</p

Ratchet universality in the bidirectional escape from a symmetric potential well

The present work discusses symmetry-breaking-induced bidirectional escape from a symmetric metastable potential well by the application of zero-average periodic forces in the presence of dissipation. We characterized the interplay between heteroclinic instabilities leading to chaotic escape and breaking of a generalized parity symmetry leading to directed ratchet escape to an attractor either at infinity or at -infinity. Optimal enhancement of directed ratchet escape is found to occur when the wave form of the zero-average periodic force acting on the damped driven oscillator matches as closely as possible to a universal wave form, as predicted by the theory of ratchet universality. Specifically, the optimal approximation to the universal force triggers the almost complete destruction of the nonescaping basin for driving amplitudes which are systematically lower than those corresponding to a symmetric periodic force having the same period. We expect that this work could be potentially useful in the control of elementary dynamic processes characterized by multidirectional escape from a potential well, such as forced chaotic scattering and laser-induced dissociation of molecular systems, among others

Análisis multivariante de los horizontes orgánico-minerales de los suelos del Parque Natural de Sierra Mágina (Jaén)

Soils are described normally using a great number of properties (variables). This generates a great quantity of data not easily understandable in a direct way. Consequently, multivariate analysis is necessary to support and confirm impressions and interpretations of investigations in field and laboratory. In the present work we quantify, through multivariate analysis, the relative influence of the different factors of soil formation that act on the soil system. We have studied 203 organo-mineral horizons, sampled to a depth between 0 and 25 cm of soils in the Sierra Mágina natural park (Jaén, Spain). The studied soils are from calcareous rocks. Five factors were found to be significant and showed that the organic carbon accumulation, decarbonatation and the argillization/rubefacction, as internal variables, and the hill slope, as external variable, they are those which explain a greater percentage of the natural variability of the soil system

Unusual twinning features in large primary gypsum crystals formed in salt lake conditions, Middle Miocene, Madrid Basin, Spain: palaeoenvironmental implications reply

Depto. de Mineralogía y PetrologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

Shared apical sorting of anion exchanger isoforms AE2a, AE2b1, and AE2b2 in primary hepatocytes

AE2 (SLC4A2) is the member of the Na(+)-independent anion exchanger (AE) family putatively involved in the secretion of bicarbonate to bile. In humans, three variants of AE2 mRNA have been described: the full-length transcript AE2a (expressed from the upstream promoter in most tissues), and alternative transcripts AE2b(1) and AE2b(2) (driven from alternate promoter sequences in a tissue-restricted manner, mainly in liver and kidney). These transcripts would result in AE protein isoforms with short N-terminal differences. To ascertain their translation, functionality, and membrane sorting, we constructed expression vectors encoding each AE2 isoform fused to GFP at the C-terminus. Transfected HEK293 cells showed expression of functional GFP-tagged AE2 proteins, all three isoforms displaying comparable AE activities. Primary rat hepatocytes transfected with expression vectors and repolarized in a collagen-sandwich configuration showed a microtubule-dependent apical sorting of each AE2 isoform. This shared apical sorting is liver-cell specific, as sorting of AE2 isoforms was basolateral in control experiments on polarized kidney MDCK cells. Hepatocytic apical targeting of AE2 isoforms suggests that they all may participate in the canalicular secretion of bicarbonate to bile

Feasibility and Reliability of a Questionnaire to Assess the Mode, Frequency, Distance and Time of Commuting to and from School: The PACO Study

Active commuting to and from school has several health implications. Self-reporting is the most common assessment tool, but there is a high heterogeneity of questionnaires in the scientific literature. The purpose of this study was to analyse the feasibility and reliability of the Spanish “New Version of Mode and Frequency of Commuting To and From School” questionnaire in children and adolescents. A total of 635 children (5–12 years old) and 362 adolescents (12–18 years old) filled out the questionnaire twice (14 days apart). Feasibility was evaluated using an observational checklist. The test-retest reliability of the “New Version of Mode and Frequency of Commuting To and From School” questionnaire and the distance and time to school were examined using the kappa and weight kappa coefficient (κ). No misunderstanding of questions was reported. The time to complete the questionnaire was 15 ± 3.62 and 9 ± 2.26 min for children and adolescents, respectively. The questionnaire showed substantial and almost perfect kappa coefficients for the overall six items (k = 0.61–0.94) in children and adolescents. The “New Version of Mode and Frequency of Commuting To and From School” questionnaire is a feasible and reliable questionnaire in Spanish children and adolescents.Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and CompetitivenessEuropean Union (EU) DEP2016-75598-RUniversity of Granada, Plan Propio de Investigacion 2016, excellence actions: Units of ExcellenceUnit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES)Junta de AndaluciaConsejeria de Conocimiento, Investigacion y UniversidadesEuropean Union (EU) SOMM17/6107/UGREuropean Social Fund (ESF

Psychometric characteristics of a commuting-to-school behaviour questionnaire for families

The purposes of this study were: (a) to describe the patterns of modes of commuting to school (children) and to work (parents) separated by gender and age, (b) to validate the questions on children’s mode of commuting to and from school according to their parents, and (c) to analyse the reliability of a family questionnaire focused on commuting to school behaviours. A total of 611 parents (mean age: 43.28 ± 6.25 years old) from Granada (Spain) completed “Family commuting-to-school behaviour” questionnaire in two sessions separated by 14 days, (2016 and 2018). The validation between family and children’s questions was assessed using the Kappa and Spearman correlation coefficients, and the test–retest reliability within the family questions was assessed using the Kappa and the weighted Kappa. The children’s modes of commuting to school (mean age: 11.44 ± 2.77 years old) were mainly passive (57.7% to school) while parents’ modes of commuting to work were mainly active (71.6%). The validity of the mode of commuting was significant with high Kappa and Spearman coefficients. The test–retest reliability presented a good agreement for the mode of commuting to school in children, distance and time to school, and the mode of commuting to work in parents, while the questions on acceptable distance to walk or cycle to school showed a moderate to good agreement. The “Family commuting-to-school behaviour” questionnaire could be a useful tool to assess the mode of commuting of children, distance and time to school for researchers and practitioners

Alternatives to Methyl bromide in Strawberry Production in the United States of America and the Mediterranean Region

Methyl bromide (MB) is a broad-spectrum soil fumigant, which has been critical in strawberry production for forty years. Strawberry and other high-value cash crops benefit from pre-plant soil fumigation with MB and chloropicrin (Pic). Mixtures of these two fumigants work synergistically in controlling a wide range of plant pathogens and pests, including fungi, nematodes, insects, mites, rodents, weeds, and some bacteria. Methyl bromide was listed in 1993 by the Parties of the Montreal Protocol as an ozone-depleting compound. According to the Montreal Protocol, the import and manufacture of MB in the United States of America (USA) and other developed countries will be banned by 2005, after stepwise reductions in 1999, 2001, and 2003. Currently, there is no single registered alternative fumigant for all of the MB uses and there is a need for environmentally sound and economically feasible alternatives. The fumigants 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and Pic in combination with methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) generators have shown to be the most promising alternatives to methyl bromide for strawberry production. Studies with the experimental fumigants methyl iodide and propargyl bromide suggested that these compounds have higher reactivity than MB as stand-alone fumigants. This review evaluates the commercially available and experimental alternatives to MB soil fumigation for strawberry production based on relevant scientific publications, proceedings, and personal communications

Alternatives to Methyl bromide in Strawberry Production in the United States of America and the Mediterranean Region

Methyl bromide (MB) is a broad-spectrum soil fumigant, which has been critical in strawberry production for forty years. Strawberry and other high-value cash crops benefit from pre-plant soil fumigation with MB and chloropicrin (Pic). Mixtures of these two fumigants work synergistically in controlling a wide range of plant pathogens and pests, including fungi, nematodes, insects, mites, rodents, weeds, and some bacteria. Methyl bromide was listed in 1993 by the Parties of the Montreal Protocol as an ozone-depleting compound. According to the Montreal Protocol, the import and manufacture of MB in the United States of America (USA) and other developed countries will be banned by 2005, after stepwise reductions in 1999, 2001, and 2003. Currently, there is no single registered alternative fumigant for all of the MB uses and there is a need for environmentally sound and economically feasible alternatives. The fumigants 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and Pic in combination with methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) generators have shown to be the most promising alternatives to methyl bromide for strawberry production. Studies with the experimental fumigants methyl iodide and propargyl bromide suggested that these compounds have higher reactivity than MB as stand-alone fumigants. This review evaluates the commercially available and experimental alternatives to MB soil fumigation for strawberry production based on relevant scientific publications, proceedings, and personal communications