An assessment of bottom current controlled sedimentation in Pacific Ocean abyssal environments

The effect of the circulation of polar-sourced dense waters on the deep seafloor is still largely unknown. This paper presents multibeam bathymetric evidence for the existence of present-day contourite drifts on the central Pacific ocean at depths ranging between 4000 and 5000 m, based on the identification of their diagnostic erosive (moats, linear moats, furrows and abyssal sinuous channels) and depositional (plastered, elongated separated and abyssal contourite-fan drifts) contourite morphological features. These contourite drifts display a patchy distribution, sculpted by the secondary flows of the Lower Circumpolar Water (LCPW) and the North Pacific Deep Waters (NPDW), as well as local dynamics of the flow in the form of internal waves and bottom currents modulated by tides, which are capable of accelerating the typically sluggish bottom currents and contribute to the erosion, transport and deposition of sediments. The formation of contourites is also predominantly controlled by the presence of large-scale tectonic and volcanic features (ridges, seamounts and deep elongated valleys), which affect the morphology and distribution of the basins and induce the acceleration of bottom currents. Overall, this study allows to re-assess the effects, distribution and significance of bottom-current controlled sedimentation in abyssal environments, where examples of contourite features are still rather scarce in part because of the technical challenges and their remote location, but also because the effect of bottom currents is not well known in the central oceanic basins and only capable of marginally affecting their sedimentological record

Ressenyes

Obra ressenyada: Roberto MAYORAL ASENSIO, Translating official documents. Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing, 2003

Generation and analysis of expressed sequence tags from Botrytis cinerea

http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0716-97602006000200018&lng=es&nrm=isoBotrytis cinerea is a filamentous plant pathogen of a wide range of plant species, and its infection may cause enormous damage both during plant growth and in the post-harvest phase. We have constructed a cDNA library from an isolate of B. cinerea and have sequenced 11,482 expressed sequence tags that were assembled into 1,003 contigs sequences and 3,032 singletons. Approximately 81% of the unigenes showed significant similarity to genes coding for proteins with known functions: more than 50% of the sequences code for genes involved in cellular metabolism, 12% for transport of metabolites, and approximately 10% for cellular organization. Other functional categories include responses to biotic and abiotic stimuli, cell communication, cell homeostasis, and cell development. We carried out pair-wise comparisons with fungal databases to determine the B. cinerea unisequence set with relevant similarity to genes in other fungal pathogenic counterparts. Among the 4,035 non-redundant B. cinerea unigenes, 1,338 (23%) have significant homology with Fusarium verticillioides unigenes. Similar values were obtained for Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus nidulans (22% and 24%, respectively). The lower percentages of homology were with Magnaporthe grisae and Neurospora crassa (13% and 19%, respectively). Several genes involved in putative and known fungal virulence and general pathogenicity were identified. The results provide important information for future research on this fungal pathogen

Identifying and tracking physical objects with hyperledger decentralized applications

El paso del tiempo ha dejado clara la tendencia a la descentralización. Las Distributed Ledger Technologies, como el Blockchain han aportado un abanico completo de nuevas posibilidades para mejorar, en este caso, la gestión de la confianza y la identidad en Internet, como lo hace la Self Sovereign Identity (SSI) . Esta tesis ha analizado el impacto del Blockchain para IoT con el proyecto Linux Foundation llamado Hyperledger, concretamente, con su solución Identity Stack. Aunque es un proyecto realmente sin madurar, tiene algunas herramientas útiles para empezar a entender y probar las capacidades de esta tecnología. Para aclarar las cosas, el proyecto consiste en una simulación de escenario práctico de comunicación y de envío credenciales verificadas entre una Raspberry Pi con un sensor RFID, que realizará el seguimiento del estado de entrega de un objeto, y una aplicación gráfica Java. Todo a través del Hyperledger SSI Stack, formado por una instancia pública de Indy Ledger y agentes Aries.El pas del temps ha deixat clara la tendència a la descentralització. Les Distributed Ledger Technologies, com el Blockchain han aportat un ventall complet de noves possibilitats per millorar, en aquest cas, la gestió de la confiança i la identitat a Internet, com ho fa la Self Sovereign Identity (SSI). Aquesta tesi ha analitzat l'impacte del Blockchain per a IoT amb el projecte Linux Foundation anomenat Hyperledger, concretament, amb la seva solució Identity Stack. Tot i que és un projecte realment sense madurar, té algunes eines útils per començar a entendre i provar les capacitats d'aquesta tecnologia. Per aclarir les coses, el projecte consisteix en una simulació d'escenari pràctic de communicació i d'enviament credencials verificades entre una Raspberry Pi amb un sensor RFID, que farà el seguiment de l'estat de lliurament d'un objecte, i una aplicació gràfica Java. Tot a través de l'Hyperledger SSI Stack, format per una instància pública d'Indy Ledger i agents Aries.The passing of time has made clear the trend of decentralization. Distributed ledger technologies like Blockchain have brought a full range of new possibilities to improve, in this case, trust and identity management on the internet as Self Sovereign Identity (SSI) does. This thesis has analyzed the Blockchain impact for IoT with the Linux Foundation Project called Hyperledger, concretely, with its Identity Stack solution. Even though it is a really unmatured project, it has some useful tools to start understanding and testing the capabilities of this technology. To make things clear, the project consists in a practical scenario simulation of communication and verified credentials sending between a Raspberry Pi with an RFID sensor, which will be tracking an object's state of delivery, and a graphical Java Application. Everything through the Hyperledger SSI Stack, formed by a public Indy network instance and Aries agents