Espacios de gobernanza para la adaptación al cambio global en ríos mediterráneos: el proyecto REDAPTA en las cuencas de los ríos Tordera y Serpis

[EN] The REDAPTA project, "Spaces of Governance for the Adaptation to Global Change in Mediterranean Rivers", developed its activities simultaneously in the Tordera (Catalonia) and Serpis (Valencia Region) river basins. The project worked in collaboration with two "spaces of governance" in the two basins: the "Taula del Delta i de la Baixa Tordera" and the "Plataforma Ciutadana per a la Defensa del Riu Serpis". The methodology used aimed at fostering knowledge exchange and deliberation, delivering an adaptation strategy for the basins including ten measures co-produced with stakeholders. The second result of the REDAPTA project is a handbook describing the concepts and approach used, the main methodological steps of the co-design process and the lessons learned during its implementation. To raise awareness and showcase the importance of public engagement in river monitoring, field visits were organised in the Tordera and the Serpis rivers, including capacity building activities. The participants were able to get to know a river stretch and, by using digital tools developed by the project teams, they could record some observations and indicators for a basic characterisation. Finally, aiming to promote this innovative approach, the project encouraged the exchange of experiences between different organisations in a specific seminar and explored their interest in creating an "Iberian Network of Spaces of Governance for Water Management".[ES] El proyecto REDAPTA, "Espacios de Gobernanza para la Adaptación al Cambio Global en Ríos Mediterráneos", desarrolló sus actividades de forma simultánea en las cuencas de los ríos Tordera (Cataluña) y Serpis (Comunidad Valenciana). El proyecto trabajó en colaboración con dos "espacios de gobernanza": la "Taula del Delta i de la Baixa Tordera" y la "Plataforma Ciutadana per a la Defensa del Riu Serpis". Se siguió una metodología para el proceso de co-diseño, con el objetivo de intercambiar conocimientos y fomentar la deliberación, y el resultado fue un documento estratégico de adaptación, para cada cuenca, que incluye diez medidas concretas de adaptación co-producidas con los actores. El segundo resultado del REDAPTA fue un manual que describe los conceptos y el enfoque aplicados, las principales etapas metodológicas del proceso de co-diseño y las lecciones aprendidas durante su aplicación. Con el objetivo de concienciar a la ciudadanía y visibilizar la importancia del seguimiento participativo de actuaciones de mejora fluvial, se realizó una actividad en campo en ambos ríos, con una primera parte de capacitación y una segunda de toma de información. Los participantes pudieron conocer un tramo del río y, utilizando las herramientas digitales desarrolladas por el proyecto, pudieron registrar diferentes observaciones e indicadores para su caracterización básica. Por último, con el fin de promover el enfoque innovador del proyecto, se llevó a cabo una jornada de intercambio de experiencias entre diferentes organizaciones, explorando su interés en crear una "Red Ibérica de Espacios de Gobernanza para la Gestión del Agua".Broekman, A.; Garófano-Gómez, V.; Martinez-Capel, F.; Sanchez-Plaza, A. (2021). Espacios de gobernanza para la adaptación al cambio global en ríos mediterráneos: el proyecto REDAPTA en las cuencas de los ríos Tordera y Serpis. RestauraRíos. 1:1-16. https://doi.org/10.51443/RestauraRios.2021.01S116

Optical Absorption and Emission Properties of End-capped Oligothienoacenes: A Joint Theoretical and Experimental Study

The electron–vibration coupling in a family of silyl end-capped oligothienoacenes is investigated on the basis of a joint experimental and theoretical study using UV–vis absorption and emission spectroscopies and density functional theory calculations. Well-resolved vibronic progressions are found in the low-temperature absorption and emission profiles of these silyl-functionalized organic molecules. As the size of the oligomer lengthens a bathochromic shift is observed in the near-UV–vis range, indicative of the extension of the effective π-conjugation. The absorption and emission bands are practically mirror-symmetric. The combination of two normal modes with frequencies of $\sim 1500 cm^{−1}$ and $\sim 500 cm^{−1}$ determines the main vibronic progression in absorption and emission for all the series, although for larger oligomers (n = 6, 7, and 8) the presence of low-frequency normal modes ($\sim100 cm^{−1}$) is also evident. The spacing of the vibrational features is slightly larger in absorption than in emission; this agrees with the predicted shifting of the C−C stretching modes of the inner-most ring toward the high-frequency region as a result of the reversal of the single–double C−C pattern in the electronic excited-state. Our calculations indicate that the contributions of the end-capping groups to the total relaxation energy of the $S_0 \rightarrow S_1$ and $S_1 \rightarrow S_0$ transitions are almost negligible. This result suggest that the vibronic structure and to a large extent the spectral profiles of the silyl end-capped oligothienoacenes are mainly determined by their respective oligothienyl core.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Approaching the genetic dissection of indirect adventitious organogenesis process in tomato explants

[EN] The screening of 862 T-DNA lines was carried out to approach the genetic dissection of indirect adventitious organogenesis in tomato. Several mutants defective in different phases of adventitious organogenesis, namely callus growth (tdc-1), bud differentiation (tdb-1,-2,-3) and shoot-bud development (tds-1) were identified and characterized. The alteration of the TDC-1 gene blocked callus proliferation depending on the composition of growth regulators in the culture medium. Calli from tds-1 explants differentiated buds but did not develop normal shoots. Histological analysis showed that their abnormal development is due to failure in the organization of normal adventitious shoot meristems. Interestingly, tdc-1 and tds-1 mutant plants were indistinguishable from WT ones, indicating that the respective altered genes play specific roles in cell proliferation from explant cut zones (TDC-1 gene) or in the organization of adventitious shoot meristems (TDS-1 gene). Unlike the previous, plants of the three mutants defective in the differentiation of adventitious shoot-buds (tdb-1,-2,-3) showed multiple changes in vegetative and reproductive traits. Cosegregation analyses revealed the existence of an association between the phenotype of the tdb-3 mutant and a T-DNA insert, which led to the discovery that the SlMAPKKK17 gene is involved in the shoot-bud differentiation process.Vicente Moreno and Rafael Lozano thank the Ministry of Science and Innovation (State Innovation Agency) for granting the projects PID2019-110833RB-C32 and PID2019-110833RB-C31. Benito Pineda's work in the context of this article has been funded by 'Aid for First Research Projects (PAID-06-18)' by the Vicerrectorado de Investigacion, Innovacion y Transferencia de la Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV), Valencia, Spain'. The PhD fellowship for Jorge Sanchez-Lopez and Marybel Jaquez-Gutierrez were funded by the Universidad de Sinaloa and the CONACYT of Mexico.Sanchez-Lopez, J.; Atarés Huerta, A.; Jaquez-Gutierrez, M.; Ortiz-Atienza, A.; Capel, C.; Pineda Chaza, BJ.; García Sogo, B.... (2021). Approaching the genetic dissection of indirect adventitious organogenesis process in tomato explants. Plant Science. 302:1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2020.110721S11430

Aromatic polyamides and acrylic polymers as solid sensory materials and smart coated fibres for high acidity colorimetric sensing

We synthesized a solid sensory material for the extraction, detection and quantification of iron(III) in aqueous media. The material is a film-shaped colorless polymer membrane that exhibits gel behavior. The Fe(III) extraction and sensing characteristics are imparted by a new monomer derived from a natural product (i.e., Kojic acid), which exhibits chelating properties toward Fe(III). The sorption of Fe(III) on the membrane in water has been thoroughly characterized, including the sorption kinetics, sorption isotherms and profiles as a function of the pH. Fe(III) sorption followed pseudo first-order kinetics and required approximately 30 min to reach equilibrium. The maximum sorption capacity was approximately 0.04 mmol/g, and the sorption isotherms are well modeled by the Langmuir equation. The complexes that were found in the solid phase are in good agreement with those previously identified in the aqueous phase. Moreover, the sorption is highly specific (i.e., a recognition process) and results from the formation of a colored complex (iron(III)-Kojic acid derivative moieties). Therefore, the colorless sensory membrane turns red upon immersion in aqueous solutions containing Fe(III). The color output allows for both the qualitative visual determination of the Fe(III) concentration as well as also titration of Fe(III) using a) a UV/vis technique (limit of detection of 3.6 × 10−5 M; dynamic range of five decades, lower concentration = 1.65 × 10−6 M) and b) a computer vision-based analytical chemistry approach via color definition of the sensory membrane (RGB parameters) obtained from an image recorded with a handy device (e.g., a smartphone) (limit of detection of 2.0 × 10−5 M).Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad-Feder (MAT2011-22544 and MAT2014-54137-R) and by the Consejería de Educación – Junta de Castilla y León (BU232U13

A review on the molecular diagnostics of Lynch syndrome: A central role for the pathology laboratory

Lynch syndrome (LS) is caused by mutations in mismatch repair genes and is characterized by a high cumulative risk for the development of mainly colorectal carcinoma and endometrial carcinoma. Early detection of LS is important since surveillance can reduce morbidity and mortality. However, the diagnosis of LS is complicated by the absence of a pre-morbid phenotype and germline mutation analysis is expensive and time consuming. Therefore it is standard practice to precede germline mutation analysis by a molecular diagnostic work-up of tumours, guided by clinical and pathological criteria, to select patients for germline mutation analysis. In this review we address these molecular analyses, the central role for the pathologist in the selection of patients for germline diagnostics of LS, as well as the molecular basis of LS

Observation of ELVES with Mini-EUSO telescope on board the International Space Station

Mini-EUSO is a detector observing the Earth in the ultraviolet band from the International Space Station through a nadir-facing window, transparent to the UV radiation, in the Russian Zvezda module. Mini-EUSO main detector consists in an optical system with two Fresnel lenses and a focal surface composed of an array of 36 Hamamatsu Multi-Anode Photo-Multiplier tubes, for a total of 2304 pixels, with single photon counting sensitivity. The telescope also contains two ancillary cameras, in the near infrared and visible ranges, to complement measurements in these bandwidths. The instrument has a field of view of 44 degrees, a spatial resolution of about 6.3 km on the Earth surface and of about 4.7 km on the ionosphere. The telescope detects UV emissions of cosmic, atmospheric and terrestrial origin on different time scales, from a few s upwards. On the fastest timescale of 2.5 s, Mini EUSO is able to observe atmospheric phenomena as Transient Luminous Events and in particular the ELVES, which take place when an electromagnetic wave generated by intra-cloud lightning interacts with the ionosphere, ionizing it and producing apparently superluminal expanding rings of several 100 km and lasting about 100 s. These highly energetic fast events have been observed to be produced in conjunction also with Terrestrial Gamma-Ray Flashes and therefore a detailed study of their characteristics (speed, radius, energy ...) is of crucial importance for the understanding of these phenomena. In this paper we present the observational capabilities of ELVE detection by Mini-EUSO and specifically the reconstruction and study of ELVE characteristics

EUSO-SPB1 mission and science

The Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a Super Pressure Balloon 1 (EUSO-SPB1) was launched in 2017 April from Wanaka, New Zealand. The plan of this mission of opportunity on a NASA super pressure balloon test flight was to circle the southern hemisphere. The primary scientific goal was to make the first observations of ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray extensive air showers (EASs) by looking down on the atmosphere with an ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence telescope from suborbital altitude (33 km). After 12 days and 4 h aloft, the flight was terminated prematurely in the Pacific Ocean. Before the flight, the instrument was tested extensively in the West Desert of Utah, USA, with UV point sources and lasers. The test results indicated that the instrument had sensitivity to EASs of ⪆ 3 EeV. Simulations of the telescope system, telescope on time, and realized flight trajectory predicted an observation of about 1 event assuming clear sky conditions. The effects of high clouds were estimated to reduce this value by approximately a factor of 2. A manual search and a machine-learning-based search did not find any EAS signals in these data. Here we review the EUSO-SPB1 instrument and flight and the EAS search

Measurement of UV light emission of the nighttime Earth by Mini-EUSO for space-based UHECR observations

The JEM-EUSO (Joint Experiment Missions for Extreme Universe Space Observatory) program aims at the realization of the ultra-high energy cosmic ray (UHECR) observation using wide field of view fluorescence detectors in orbit. Ultra-violet (UV) light emission from the atmosphere such as airglow and anthropogenic light on the Earth\u27s surface are the main background for the space-based UHECR observations. The Mini-EUSO mission has been operated on the International Space Station (ISS) since 2019 which is the first space-based experiment for the program. The Mini-EUSO instrument consists of a 25 cm refractive optics and the photo-detector module with the 2304-pixel array of the multi-anode photomultiplier tubes. On the nadir-looking window of the ISS, the instrument is capable of continuously monitoring a ~300 km x 300 km area. In the present work, we report the preliminary result of the measurement of the UV light in the nighttime Earth using the Mini-EUSO data downlinked to the ground. We mapped UV light distribution both locally and globally below the ISS obit. Simulations were also made to characterize the instrument response to diffuse background light. We discuss the impact of such light on space-based UHECR observations and the Mini-EUSO science objectives

EUSO-SPB2 Telescope Optics and Testing

The Extreme Universe Space Observatory - Super Pressure Balloon (EUSO-SPB2) mission will fly two custom telescopes that feature Schmidt optics to measure Cherenkov- and fluorescence emission of extensive air showers from cosmic rays at the PeV and EeV-scale, and search for τ-neutrinos. Both telescopes have 1-meter diameter apertures and UV/UV-visible sensitivity. The Cherenkov telescope uses a bifocal mirror segment alignment, to distinguish between a direct cosmic ray that hits the camera versus the Cherenkov light from outside the telescope. Telescope integration and laboratory calibration will be performed in Colorado. To estimate the point spread function and efficiency of the integrated telescopes, a test beam system that delivers a 1-meter diameter parallel beam of light is being fabricated. End-to-end tests of the fully integrated instruments will be carried out in a field campaign at dark sites in the Utah desert using cosmic rays, stars, and artificial light sources. Laser tracks have long been used to characterize the performance of fluorescence detectors in the field. For EUSO-SPB2 an improvement in the method that includes a correction for aerosol attenuation is anticipated by using a bi-dynamic Lidar configuration in which both the laser and the telescope are steerable. We plan to conduct these field tests in Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 to accommodate the scheduled launch of EUSO-SPB2 in 2023 from Wanaka, New Zealand