Neutron features at the UPM neutronics hall

The neutronics hall of the Nuclear Engineering Department at the Polytechnical University of Madrid has been characterized. The neutron spectra and the ambient dose equivalent produced by an 241AmBe source were measured at various source-to-detector distances on the new bench. Using Monte Carlo methods a detailed model of the neutronics hall was designed, and neutron spectra and the ambient dose equivalent were calculated at the same locations where measurements were carried out. A good agreement between measured and calculated values was found

Direct and indirect effects of vertical mixing, nutrients and ultraviolet radiation on the bacterioplankton metabolism in high-mountain lakes from southern Europe

As a consequence of global change, modifications in the interaction among abiotic stressors on aquatic ecosystems have been predicted. Among other factors, UVR transparency, nutrient inputs and shallower epilimnetic layers could alter the trophic links in the microbial food web. Currently, there are some evidences of higher sensitiveness of aquatic microbial organisms to UVR in opaque lakes. Our aim was to assess the interactive direct and indirect effects of UVR (through the excretion of organic carbon – EOC – by algae), mixing regime and nutrient input on bacterial metabolism. We performed in situ short-term experiments under the following treatments: full sunlight (UVR + PAR, >280 nm) vs. UVR exclusion (PAR only, >400 nm); ambient vs. nutrient addition (phosphorus (P; 30 μg PL−1) and nitrogen (N; up to final N : P molar ratio of 31)); and static vs. mixed regime. The experiments were conducted in three high-mountain lakes of Spain: Enol [LE], Las Yeguas [LY] and La Caldera [LC] which had contrasting UVR transparency characteristics (opaque (LE) vs. clear lakes (LY and LC)). Under ambient nutrient conditions and static regimes, UVR exerted a stimulatory effect on heterotrophic bacterial production (HBP) in the opaque lake but not in the clear ones. Under UVR, vertical mixing and nutrient addition HBP values were lower than under the static and ambient nutrient conditions, and the stimulatory effect that UVR exerted on HBP in the opaque lake disappeared. By contrast, vertical mixing and nutrient addition increased HBP values in the clear lakes, highlighting for a photoinhibitory effect of UVR on HBP. Mixed regime and nutrient addition resulted in negative effects of UVR on HBP more in the opaque than in the clear lakes. Moreover, in the opaque lake, bacterial respiration (BR) increased and EOC did not support the bacterial carbon demand (BCD). In contrast, bacterial metabolic costs did not increase in the clear lakes and the increased nutrient availability even led to higher HBP. Consequently, EOC satisfied BCD in the clear lakes, particularly in the clearest one [LC]. Our results suggest that the higher vulnerability of bacteria to the damaging effects of UVR may be particularly accentuated in the opaque lakes and further recognizes the relevance of light exposure history and biotic interactions on bacterioplankton metabolism when coping with fluctuating radiation and nutrient inputs.Fil: Durán, C.. Universidad de Granada; EspañaFil: Medina Sánchez, J. M.. Universidad de Granada; EspañaFil: Herrera, G.. Universidad de Granada; EspañaFil: Villar Argaiz , M.. Universidad de Granada; EspañaFil: Villafañe, Virginia Estela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Helbling, Eduardo Walter. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Carrillo, P.. Universidad de Granada; Españ

Proposal for the integration of Web 2.0 components in an LMS platform

En el siguiente artículo se describen los conceptos, herramientas y tecnologías aplicadas en un proyecto de investigación, para permitir la integración de aspectos Web 2.0 y componentes, específicamente en una herramienta tipo Wiki, en el sistema LMS(LearningManagment System) G-knowledge Learning Tools de la compañía Maat. Para realizar el estudio del estado del arte de las herramientas tipoWeb 2.0 se revisaron productos de tipo libre comoMoodle y Sakai.In the following article are described the concepts, tools and technologiesapplied in a research project in order to integrate Web's 2.0 aspects andcomponents, specifically a Wiki tool in the LMS (Learning ManagementSystem) G-knowledge Learning Tools of the company Maat, by means of thestudy of the state of the art of the Web 2.0 tools of free distributed products likeMoodle and Sakai

Propuesta de integración de componentesWeb 2.0 en una plataforma LMS

En el siguiente artículo se describen los conceptos, herramientas y tecnologías aplicadas en un proyecto de investigación, para permitir la integración de aspectos Web 2.0 y componentes, específicamente en una herramienta tipo Wiki, en el sistema LMS(LearningManagment System) G-knowledge Learning Tools de la compañía Maat. Para realizar el estudio del estado del arte de las herramientas tipoWeb 2.0 se revisaron productos de tipo libre comoMoodle y Sakai

Exploring the socio-ecological factors behind the (in)active lifestyles of Spanish post-bariatric surgery patients

Purpose: Physical activity (PA) is considered essential for the treatment of morbid obesity and the optimization of bariatric surgery outcomes. The objective of this article was to identify the facilitators and barriers that bariatric patients perceived to do PA one year after finishing a PA programme for the promotion of a long-term active lifestyle. This objective was addressed from a socio-ecological and qualitative perspective. Methods: Nine patients (eight women and one man), aged between 31 and 59 years, participated in semi-structured interviews directly following the PA programme and one year after it. A content analysis was carried out to analyze the qualitative data. Results: Weight loss, improvement of physical fitness, perceived competence, and enjoyment were the main facilitators of PA. Complexes related to skin folds, osteoarthritis, perceived unfavourable weather conditions, lack of social support and economic resources, long workdays, lack of specific PA programmes, and other passive leisure preferences were the main barriers to participate in PA. Conclusions: Results highlight the important interplay between personal, social environmental, and physical environmental factors to explain (in)active behaviours of bariatric patients. The findings of this article could be useful for future research and interventions aimed at promoting PA in bariatric patients

Genome mining coupled with OSMAC-based cultivation reveal differential production of surugamide A by the marine sponge isolate Streptomyces sp. SM17 when compared to its terrestrial relative S. albidoflavus J1074

Much recent interest has arisen in investigating Streptomyces isolates derived from the marine environment in the search for new bioactive compounds, particularly those found in association with marine invertebrates, such as sponges. Among these new compounds recently identified from marine Streptomyces isolates are the octapeptidic surugamides, which have been shown to possess anticancer and antifungal activities. By employing genome mining followed by an one strain many compounds (OSMAC)-based approach, we have identified the previously unreported capability of a marine sponge-derived isolate, namely Streptomyces sp. SM17, to produce surugamide A. Phylogenomics analyses provided novel insights on the distribution and conservation of the surugamides biosynthetic gene cluster (sur BGC) and suggested a closer relatedness between marine-derived sur BGCs than their terrestrially derived counterparts. Subsequent analysis showed differential production of surugamide A when comparing the closely related marine and terrestrial isolates, namely Streptomyces sp. SM17 and Streptomyces albidoflavus J1074. SM17 produced higher levels of surugamide A than S. albidoflavus J1074 under all conditions tested, and in particular producing >13-fold higher levels when grown in YD and 3-fold higher levels in SYP-NaCl medium. In addition, surugamide A production was repressed in TSB and YD medium, suggesting that carbon catabolite repression (CCR) may influence the production of surugamides in these strains

Relationship of metabolic syndrome and its components with -844 G/A and HindIII C/G PAI-1 gene polymorphisms in Mexican children

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several association studies have shown that -844 G/A and <it>HindIII </it>C/G <it>PAI-1 </it>polymorphisms are related with increase of PAI-1 levels, obesity, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, hypertension and dyslipidemia, which are components of metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to analyze the allele and genotype frequencies of these polymorphisms in <it>PAI-1 </it>gene and its association with metabolic syndrome and its components in a sample of Mexican mestizo children.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study included 100 children with an age range between 6-11 years divided in two groups: a) 48 children diagnosed with metabolic syndrome and b) 52 children metabolically healthy without any clinical and biochemical alteration. Metabolic syndrome was defined as the presence of three or more of the following criteria: fasting glucose levels ≥ 100 mg/dL, triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dL, HDL-cholesterol < 40 mg/dL, obesity BMI ≥ 95^thpercentile, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 95^thpercentile and insulin resistance HOMA-IR ≥ 2.4. The -844 G/A and <it>HindIII </it>C/G <it>PAI-1 </it>polymorphisms were analyzed by PCR-RFLP.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>For the -844 G/A polymorphism, the G/A genotype (OR = 2.79; 95% CI, 1.11-7.08; <it>p </it>= 0.015) and the A allele (OR = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.10-4.43; <it>p </it>= 0.015) were associated with metabolic syndrome. The -844 G/A and A/A genotypes were associated with increase in plasma triglycerides levels (OR = 2.6; 95% CI, 1.16 to 6.04; <it>p </it>= 0.02), decrease in plasma HDL-cholesterol levels (OR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.06 to 5.42; <it>p </it>= 0.03) and obesity (OR = 2.6; 95% CI, 1.17-5.92; <it>p </it>= 0.01). The C/G and G/G genotypes of the <it>HindIII </it>C/G polymorphism contributed to a significant increase in plasma total cholesterol levels (179 vs. 165 mg/dL; <it>p </it>= 0.02) in comparison with C/C genotype.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The -844 G/A <it>PAI-1 </it>polymorphism is related with the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, obesity and atherogenic dyslipidemia, and the <it>HindIII </it>C/G <it>PAI-1 </it>polymorphism was associated with the increase of total cholesterol levels in Mexican children.</p

The Database of European Forest Insect and Disease Disturbances: DEFID2

[EN] Insect and disease outbreaks in forests are biotic disturbances that can profoundly alter ecosystem dynamics. In many parts of the world, these disturbance regimes are intensifying as the climate changes and shifts the distribution of species and biomes. As a result, key forest ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, regulation of water flows, wood production, protection of soils, and the conservation of bio-diversity, could be increasingly compromised. Despite the relevance of these detri-mental effects, there are currently no spatially detailed databases that record insect and disease disturbances on forests at the pan-European scale. Here, we present the new Database of European Forest Insect and Disease Disturbances (DEFID2). It comprises over 650,000 harmonized georeferenced records, mapped as polygons or points, of insects and disease disturbances that occurred between 1963 and 2021 in European forests. The records currently span eight different countries and were acquired through diverse methods (e.g., ground surveys, remote sensing techniques). The records in DEFID2 are described by a set of qualitative attributes, including se-verity and patterns of damage symptoms, agents, host tree species, climate-driven trigger factors, silvicultural practices, and eventual sanitary interventions. They are further complemented with a satellite- based quantitative characterization of the affected forest areas based on Landsat Normalized Burn Ratio time series, and dam-age metrics derived from them using the LandTrendr spectral–temporal segmentation algorithm (including onset, duration, magnitude, and rate of the disturbance), and pos-sible interactions with windthrow and wildfire events. The DEFID2 database is a novel resource for many large-scale applications dealing with biotic disturbances. It offers a unique contribution to design networks of experiments, improve our understanding of ecological processes underlying biotic forest disturbances, monitor their dynamics, and enhance their representation in land-climate models. Further data sharing is en-couraged to extend and improve the DEFID2 database continuously. The database is freely available at https://jeodpp.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ftp/jrc- opend ata/FOREST/DISTURBANCES/DEFID2/SIEC Joint Research Centre; European Commission, Grant/Award Number: 101059498; European Research Council, Grant/Award Number: 101039567; Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization of Romania; LifeWatch— POC project, Grant/Award Number: 327/390003/06-11-202

Adaptive Robotic Control Driven by a Versatile Spiking Cerebellar Network

The cerebellum is involved in a large number of different neural processes, especially in associative learning and in fine motor control. To develop a comprehensive theory of sensorimotor learning and control, it is crucial to determine the neural basis of coding and plasticity embedded into the cerebellar neural circuit and how they are translated into behavioral outcomes in learning paradigms. Learning has to be inferred from the interaction of an embodied system with its real environment, and the same cerebellar principles derived from cell physiology have to be able to drive a variety of tasks of different nature, calling for complex timing and movement patterns. We have coupled a realistic cerebellar spiking neural network (SNN) with a real robot and challenged it in multiple diverse sensorimotor tasks. Encoding and decoding strategies based on neuronal firing rates were applied. Adaptive motor control protocols with acquisition and extinction phases have been designed and tested, including an associative Pavlovian task (Eye blinking classical conditioning), a vestibulo-ocular task and a perturbed arm reaching task operating in closed-loop. The SNN processed in real-time mossy fiber inputs as arbitrary contextual signals, irrespective of whether they conveyed a tone, a vestibular stimulus or the position of a limb. A bidirectional long-term plasticity rule implemented at parallel fibers-Purkinje cell synapses modulated the output activity in the deep cerebellar nuclei. In all tasks, the neurorobot learned to adjust timing and gain of the motor responses by tuning its output discharge. It succeeded in reproducing how human biological systems acquire, extinguish and express knowledge of a noisy and changing world. By varying stimuli and perturbations patterns, real-time control robustness and generalizability were validated. The implicit spiking dynamics of the cerebellar model fulfill timing, prediction and learning functions.European Union (Human Brain Project) REALNET FP7-ICT270434 CEREBNET FP7-ITN238686 HBP-60410

Detection of kinase domain mutations in BCR::ABL1 leukemia by ultra-deep sequencing of genomic DNA

The screening of the BCR::ABL1 kinase domain (KD) mutation has become a routine analysis in case of warning/failure for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) Philadelphia (Ph)-positive patients. In this study, we present a novel DNA-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) methodology for KD ABL1 mutation detection and monitoring with a 1.0E−4 sensitivity. This approach was validated with a well-stablished RNA-based nested NGS method. The correlation of both techniques for the quantification of ABL1 mutations was high (Pearson r = 0.858, p < 0.001), offering DNA-DeepNGS a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 82%. The clinical impact was studied in a cohort of 129 patients (n = 67 for CML and n = 62 for B-ALL patients). A total of 162 samples (n = 86 CML and n = 76 B-ALL) were studied. Of them, 27 out of 86 harbored mutations (6 in warning and 21 in failure) for CML, and 13 out of 76 (2 diagnostic and 11 relapse samples) did in B-ALL patients. In addition, in four cases were detected mutation despite BCR::ABL1 < 1%. In conclusion, we were able to detect KD ABL1 mutations with a 1.0E−4 sensitivity by NGS using DNA as starting material even in patients with low levels of disease.Tis project was funded in part by CRIS CANCER FOUNDATION