Blockchain Technology Facing Socioeconomic Challenges. Promise versus Probability

This paper has the main purpose to make a critical and balanced analysis about the potential of blockchain technology to face some of the great current socioeconomic challenges, being focus on impact assessment point of view, analyzing the disruptive potential of blockchain to provide solutions at level of different challenges as example, climate change, migrant movements, gender equality, financial inclusion or the cost opportunity of the management of data science

Crossing the Vascular Wall: Common and Unique Mechanisms Exploited by Different Leukocyte Subsets during Extravasation

Leukocyte extravasation is one of the essential and first steps during the initiation of inflammation. Therefore, a better understanding of the key molecules that regulate this process may help to develop novel therapeutics for treatment of inflammation-based diseases such as atherosclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis. The endothelial adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 are known as the central mediators of leukocyte adhesion to and transmigration across the endothelium. Engagement of these molecules by their leukocyte integrin receptors initiates the activation of several signaling pathways within both leukocytes and endothelium. Several of such events have been described to occur during transendothelial migration of all leukocyte subsets, whereas other mechanisms are known only for a single leukocyte subset. Here, we summarize current knowledge on regulatory mechanisms of leukocyte extravasation from a leukocyte and endothelial point of view, respectively. Specifically, we will focus on highlighting common and unique mechanisms that specific leukocyte subsets exploit to succeed in crossing endothelial monolayers

Non-invasive monitoring of hypoxia-inducible factor activation by optical imaging during antiangiogenic treatment in a xenograft model of ovarian carcinoma

Open Access Article.Targeting the hypoxia response pathway and angiogenesis are two promising therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. Their use as single strategies has important limitations. Thus, development of combined regimens has become an important step toward improving therapeutic efficacy. Also, non-invasive monitoring of the response to targeted biological therapies, as well as determination of the optimal schedule for combination regimens has become an active field of research over the last five years, with relevance for both preclinical and clinical settings. Here, we used an optical imaging method to non-invasively monitor the functional changes in HIF activity in response to antiangiogenic treatment in a xenograft model of human ovarian carcinoma. A bioluminescent reporter construct containing nine copies of the hypoxia response element upstream of the luciferase gene (9xHRE-luciferase) was characterized in vitro in a panel of tumor cell lines and in vivo in a subcutaneous xenograft model of ovarian carcinoma by means of optical imaging. We showed that in OVCAR-3 subcutaneous xenografts, the most abrupt change in the HIF functional reporter occurs before the onset of massive tumor growth. However, this system failed to detect hypoxia induced upon antiangiogenic treatment due to the compensating effects of increased hypoxia and decreased tumor cell viability caused by imbalanced neovascularization vs. tumor expansion. Therefore, the readout based on HIF functional reporter could be conditioned by the dynamics of tumor growth and angiogenesis, which is highly variable depending on the tumor type, tumor model and stage of progression.This study was supported by grants from the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología/Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (SAF2008-03147 to LdP and SAF2010-19256 to BJ), Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (S-SAL-0311_2006) and the 7th Research Framework Programme of the European Union (METOXIA, project ref. HEALTH-F2-2009-222741). B.M.P. and V.G. have been supported by a grant from the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (S-SAL-0311_2006).Peer Reviewe

Resistance of Hybrid Citrus Rootstocks to a Mediterranean Biotype of Tylenchulus semipenetrans Cobb

The response of 52 citrus hybrid rootstocks to a Mediterranean biotype of Tylenchulus semipenetrans Cobb was determined in greenhouse tests. Seven selections of the cross ‘Cleopatra’ mandarin [Citrus reshni Hort. x Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf], and one of Citrus volkameriana Pasq. x P. trifoliata did not support nematode reproduction and were considered as highly resistant to the citrus nematode. The nematode showed very low infectivity and reproductive potential on seven additional selections of ‘Cleopatra’ mandarin x P. trifoliata, one of ‘King’ mandarin x P. trifoliata, and two C. volkameriana x P. trifoliata. These selections were considered as nematode resistant. All the selections with ‘Troyer’ citrange [Citrus sinensis (L). Osbeck x P. trifoliata (L.) Raf] in their parentage supported nematode reproduction but showed different levels of susceptibility

Seasonality of Tylenchulus semipenetrans Cobb and Pasteuria sp in citrus orchards in Spain

Population densities of the Mediterranean biotype of Tylenchulus semipenetrans were monitored in soil and citrus roots at 3-month intervals for 3 consecutive years in four citrus orchards in the provinces of Tarragona (Amposta and Xalamera) and Valencia (Moncada and Carcer). Nematode population densities in soil peaked once year in April or July depending on the orchard and year. Numbers of females per gram of root increased once or twice each year. The maximum density of eggs per gram of root was recorded in April at Xalamera and Carcer orchards, but there was no recognizable peak in the other two orchards. Numbers of nematodes in soil, females or eggs program of root, of eggs per female were correlated with either temperature or rainfall in the sampling month, 1 month before sampling, or in the second preceding month, depending on the orchard. Members of the Pasteuria group were present in the four citrus orchards, and a positive relationship occurred between nematodes in soil and bacterial parasitism (r(2) = 0.75) in the orchard at Amposta