B cell epitopes in fish nodavirus

Three epitope-mapping procedures were used to identify B-cell epitopes on Betanodaviruses: neutralisation escape mutant sequence analysis, phage display, and pepscan. Betanodaviruses have emerged as major pathogens of marine fish. These viruses are the aetiological agents of a disease referred to as viral nervous necrosis (VNN), which affects many species of fish that are economically valuable to the aquaculture industry. The identification of betanodavirus B-cell epitopes will facilitate the rational development of vaccines to counter VNN. A panel of mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) was produced using hybridoma methodology for use in each of the epitope mapping procedures. These antibodies were characterised in Western blotting, ELISA, and virus neutralisation tests. Rabbit polyclonal sera, and serum samples from nodavirus-infected fish were also used for pepscan analyses. Attempts to produce betanodavirus neutralisation escape mutants, using plaque assay or limiting dilution based methods, were not successful. Two phage libraries expressing random peptides of seven (Ph.D.7™) or twelve (Ph.D.12™) amino acids in length as fusions to the coat protein were used to identify the ligands recognised by MAbs directed against betanodavirus. Neither of these phage libraries yielded conclusive results. Phage clones containing tandem inserts were obtained after MAb selection from library Ph.D.7™. Extensive screening and nucleotide sequence analysis of MAb-selected clones from library Ph.D.12™) failed to yield a consensus sequence. Pepscan analyses were performed using the recently developed suspension array technology (SAT). This was used to map the recognition sites of MAbs and serum samples onto a panel of overlapping synthetic peptides (12mers) that mimicked the betanodavirus coat protein. The results of pepscan analyses required careful interpretation due to the binding of antibodies and serum samples to multiple peptides. However, three regions of the nodavirus coat protein were identified as containing B-cell epitopes: amino acids 1-50, 141-162, and 181-212. These results are discussed in relation to previous studies of immune responses to betanodaviruses, and to the future development of betanodavirus vaccines and diagnostic reagents

Digital twins

Today 580 million people in Internet have a profile in virtual worlds. In a virtual world the player represents an individual and takes on a role. Your digital alter ego interacts with other people online and live. It is a lasting world because it will still exist even if you abandon it. One prediction is that in 2012 one billion Internet users will be connected to virtual social nets. This perspective for the future has shown a new business niche. This niche is orientated to satisfy the basic requirements of the cybernetic population: To generate a characterised Digital Twin for every user. There are two common methodologies to create your Digital Twin. The first one is by choosing preset configurations like hair colour, sex, high and weight. This originates a similar pattern of your real person. The second one is by 'pasting' a dimensional picture in to a generic 3D model, whose movements are limited by the incongruity between face and body. NUUME, a company located in Barcelona, has was the first one to propose the creation of an avatar which photo-realistic in order to identify yourself in your virtual relationships.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Cal Royo

Primer premiPostprint (published version

Tomàs Colomer

Primer premiPostprint (published version

Alternative cell line for the isolation of salmonid alphavirus-1

Salmonid alphavirus (SAV) has recently become an economically important pathogen in salmonid aquaculture in Europe. Subtype SAV-1 causes salmon pancreas disease (SPD) in Atlantic salmon in Scotland and Ireland, and was first isolated on Chinook salmon embryo-214 (CHSE-214) cells in 1995 in Ireland; several established cell lines have since been tested for viral growth, although the ability of these cell lines to support primary virus isolation has not being examined. In the present study, CHSE-214, Chum salmon heart -1 (CHH-1) and Salmon head kidney -1 (SHK-1) cell lines were evaluated for isolation of SAV-1 from kidney samples of experimentally infected Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). The presence of infection in these samples was confirmed both by cell culture and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Homogenates of kidney from fish 3 days post-infection (p.i.) were inoculated onto the three cell lines and the development of a cytopathic effect (CPE) recorded. The CHH-1 cells produced a rapid CPE from Day 6 p.i., while the CHSE-214 cells showed the presence of a CPE from Day 10 p.i. In comparison, a CPE developed much later in the SHK-1 cells, from Day 20 p.i. The virus was successfully isolated on all three cell lines in subsequent passages, indicating that CHSE-214, CHH-1, and SHK-1 cells can be used for the isolation and culture of SAV-1. The CHH-1 cell line, however, has proven the most useful, since the CPE developed the quickest in this cell line

Agile training to help enable standardisation of phytoplankton sampling and gross gill terminology across the Scottish sector

Current aquaculture operations in the UK are dominated by finfish farming in Scotland, contributing over £1.8 billion to the Scottish economy with the ambition to double this value by 2030. Finfish health is the top priority across the sector as healthy fish enjoy higher survival rates. One of the most important threats is the occurrence of gill disease, e.g. due to HABs, with potentially devastating impacts on fish health resulting in mortality, reduced welfare, and associated losses in profit on the rise. To understand this threat better, high-quality data generation for reporting is essential. For example, a significant body of work – catalysed by the Scottish Government’s Farmed Fish Health Framework and involving SAIC, agencies, regulators, and a large representation from producers within the sector – acknowledged the need for procedures for sustained and standardised surveillance and reporting of algal blooms, and a standardised operating procedure was developed. The sector representatives are unanimous in the need for developing specific skills to operate under the HABs SOP and in fish health generally. Two courses have been funded by Defra, UK, in the area of aquaculture operators’ skills development. The first course aims for standardisation of HABs sampling and classification, and understanding of the data and modelling associated with mitigation and management of HABs events, and will be delivered through a partnership between SAIC, the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) and Lantra. The second course is under the health framework and aims to improve the skills and knowledge of technicians and veterinary professionals currently working in, or interested in diversifying into, the seafood sector. An initial aim of the latter course, a partnership between SRUC and SSF, is to standardise salmon gross gill health monitoring terminology

Agile training to help enable standardisation of phytoplankton sampling and gross gill terminology across the Scottish sector

Current aquaculture operations in the UK are dominated by finfish farming in Scotland, contributing over £1.8 billion to the Scottish economy with the ambition to double this value by 2030. Finfish health is the top priority across the sector as healthy fish enjoy higher survival rates. One of the most important threats is the occurrence of gill disease, e.g. due to HABs, with potentially devastating impacts on fish health resulting in mortality, reduced welfare, and associated losses in profit on the rise. To understand this threat better, high-quality data generation for reporting is essential. For example, a significant body of work – catalysed by the Scottish Government’s Farmed Fish Health Framework and involving SAIC, agencies, regulators, and a large representation from producers within the sector – acknowledged the need for procedures for sustained and standardised surveillance and reporting of algal blooms, and a standardised operating procedure was developed. The sector representatives are unanimous in the need for developing specific skills to operate under the HABs SOP and in fish health generally. Two courses have been funded by Defra, UK, in the area of aquaculture operators’ skills development. The first course aims for standardisation of HABs sampling and classification, and understanding of the data and modelling associated with mitigation and management of HABs events, and will be delivered through a partnership between SAIC, the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) and Lantra. The second course is under the health framework and aims to improve the skills and knowledge of technicians and veterinary professionals currently working in, or interested in diversifying into, the seafood sector. An initial aim of the latter course, a partnership between SRUC and SSF, is to standardise salmon gross gill health monitoring terminology

Projecte executiu per a la adequació dels passos de mitjana de la Ronda de Dalt de Barcelona

Primer premiAward-winningPostprint (published version

Influência de uma piscicultura de gaiolas na qualidade da água da zona envolvente

Dissertação de mest., Aquacultura, Faculdade de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Univ. do Algarve, 2003Neste trabalho avaliou-se a influência de uma piscicultura marinha de gaiolas na qualidade da água da zona envolvente através da monitorização e modelação do sistema com o modelo Mohid. Determinaram-se vários parâmetros ambientais em cinco estações na zona da piscicultura e numa estação de referência. Neste estudo, apesar de se observar para a maioria dos parâmetros valores na zona da piscicultura significativamente diferentes dos observados na referência, estes valores não se revelam preocupantes uma vez que não são substancialmente diferentes dos considerados típicos de zonas costeiras, encontrando-se abaixo dos valores estipulados e aconselhados por várias organizações. Através da análise de componentes principais verificou-se que 38 % da variância dos resultados pode ser explicada pelo consumo de nutrientes pelo fitoplâncton, 34 % pela presença de diatomáceas e 16 % resultante da decomposição da matéria orgânica. Dos parâmetros determinados, verificou-se que os compostos azotados, em especial a amónia registaram valores mais elevados à superfície enquanto os fosfatos e os sólidos em suspensão registaram valores mais elevados no fundo. A aplicação do índice de eutrofização de nutrientes proposto por KARYDIS et al. (1983), para águas marinhas costeiras, permitiu classificar as estações da zona da piscicultura e a referência como oligotróficas ou mesotróficas. Este facto permite confirmar que a actividade da piscicultura neste local não causa um impacto negativo muito significativo, o que pode ficar a dever-se à dispersão e diluição dos resíduos gerados pela piscicultura, associadas ao hidrodinamismo do local. Este forte efeito de diluição, dispersão e hidrodinamismo foi também confirmado pela aplicação do modelo Mohid

Diagramas Informáticos Aplicados a Diseño y Arquitectura

Este artículo pretende ofrecer argumentos reflexivos acerca del impacto producido por el incipiente uso de diagramas informáticos en los procesos de diseño y el carácter retroactivo de los mismos con el producto acabado. En este análisis acerca de metodologías de trabajo basadas en imágenes de producción electrónica, es de vital importancia entender el funcionamiento de los softwares paramétricos, así como las limitaciones y virtudes que hacen de nuestra era, la era digital.Postprint (published version