Features associated to woody hosts in the bacterial pathogen of olive plants Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi

The causal agent of olive knot disease, Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi, belongs to the Pseudomonas syringae complex, a bacterial group causing diseases in a broad variety of both woody and herbaceous plant species. Here we summarize our results regarding a set of P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi features exclusively found in the genomes of bacteria from the P. syringae complex isolated from woody hosts. Comparative genomics and evolutionary studies allowed us to identify a 15 kb genomic island (WHOP, from woody host and Pseudomonas), carrying a set of genes involved in degradation of phenolic compounds and exclusively found in bacterial pathogens of woody hosts. Deletion of several WHOP-encoded genes in Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi NCPPB 3335 revealed that they play a role in the virulence of the strain in woody olive plants but not in in vitro-grown (nonwoody) plants. In addition, several type III secretion system effectors belonging to the HopAF, HopAO and HopBL families were shown to be clustered across the P. syringae complex according to the woody/herbaceous nature of their host of isolation. Further functional analyses of these virulence factors are needed to facilitate the design of novel strategies directed to control bacterial pathogens of woody hosts.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Large-Scale smart grids as system of systems

Smart Grids are advanced power networks that introduce intelligent management, control, and operation systems to address the new challenges generated by the growing energy demand and the appearance of renewal energies. In the literature, Smart Grids are presented as an exemplar SoS: systems composed of large heterogeneous and independent systems that leverage emergent behavior from their interaction. Smart Grids are currently scaling up the electricity service to millions of customers. These Smart Grids are known as Large-Scale Smart Grids. From the experience in several projects about Large-Scale Smart Grids, this paper defines Large-Scale Smart Grids as a SoS that integrate a set of SoS and conceptualizes the properties of this SoS. In addition, the paper defines the architectural framework for deploying the software architectures of Large-Scale Smart Grid SoS

Application of a robust QFT linear control method to the course changing manoeuvring of a ship

This paper describes in detail the design methodology of a robust QFT (Quantitative Feedback Theory) controller for the control of the course changing of a ship. A linear model is used with uncertainty in the parameters. The system is designed to fulfil the specifications of robust stability and robust tracking of a reference system

Recensiones [Revista de Historia Económica Año VII Primavera-Verano 1989 n. 2 pp. 489-536]

Alfred W. Crosby. Imperialismo ecológico. La expansión biológica de Europa, 900-1900 (Por Tomás Pérez Vejo).-- Pedro Pérez Herrero. Plata y libranzas: La articulación comercial del México borbónico (Por Carlos Marichal).-- Ramón Lanza García. Población y familia campesina en el Antiguo Régimen (Por Miguel Ángel Melón Jiménez).-- Fernando Cortés Cortés. Esclavos en la Extremadura Meridional en el Siglo XVII (Por Alfonso Rodríguez Grajera).-- Rafael Domínguez Martín. Actividades comerciales Y transformaciones agrarias en Cantabria: 1750-1850 (Por Patricio Pérez).-- Ll. Ferrer Alos. Pagesos, rebassaires i industriáisa la Catalunya central (Segles XVIII i XIX) (Por Josep Pujol Andreu).-- Ramón Garrabou (ed.). La crisis agraria de fines del Siglo XIX (Por Fausto Dopico).-- Actas del II Congreso sobre Archivos Económicos de entidades privadas; Fuentes para la historia de la banca y del comercio en España (Por Santiago M. López).-- Mario Rapoport (comp.). Economía e historia. Contribuciones a la Historia Económica Argentina (Por Carlos Rodríguez Braun).-- Vicente Pérez Moreda y David-Sven Reher (eds.). Demografía histórica en España (Por Josune Aguinaga Roustan).-- Leandro Prados de la Escosura. De Imperio a Nación: Crecimiento y atraso económico en España (1780-1930) (Por Eugene N. White).-- M. Teresa González Calbet. La Dictadura de Primo De Rivera. El directorio Militar (Por Eloy Fernández Clemente)Publicad

Hybrid harmony search for sustainable design of post-tensioned concrete box-girder pedestrian bridges

This paper aims to find sustainable designs of post-tensioned concrete box-girder pedestrian bridges. A hybrid harmony search algorithm combining threshold optimization is used to find the geometry and the materials for which the sum of the costs or the emissions are the lowest, yet satisfying the requirements for structural safety and durability. An experimental design method was used to adjust the algorithm parameters. The parametric study was applied to three-span deck bridges ranging from 90 m to 130 m. The findings indicated that both objectives lead to similar cost results. However, the variables presented some differences. Such deviations suggested greater depths, more strands and a lower concrete strength for CO2 target functions. Carbonation captured less than 1% of the deck emissions over 100 years. This methodology leads to a precise analysis of the practical rules to achieve an environmental design approach.This research was financially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Research Project BIA2011-23602).García Segura, T.; Yepes Piqueras, V.; Alcalá González, J.; Pérez López, E. (2015). Hybrid harmony search for sustainable design of post-tensioned concrete box-girder pedestrian bridges. Engineering Structures. 92:112-122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2015.03.015S1121229

Assessing the role of the TREM2 p.R47H variant as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia

4 páginas, 1 figura, a tabla. Los autores pertenecen a The dementia genetic Spanish consortium (DEGESCO).A non-synonymous genetic rare variant, rs75932628-T (p.R47H), in the TREM2 gene has recently been reported to be a strong genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Also, rare recessive mutations have been associated with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). We aimed to investigate the role of p.R47H variant in AD and FTD through a multi-center study comprising 3,172 AD and 682 FTD patients and 2,169 healthy controls from Spain. We found that 0.6% of AD cases carried this variant compared to 0.1% of controls (odds ratio [OR]=4.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-14.00, P=0.014). A meta-analysis comprising 32,598 subjects from four previous studies demonstrated the large effect of the p.R47H variant in AD risk (OR=4.11, 95% CI: 2.99-5.68, P=5.27x10-18). We did not find an association between p.R47H and age of onset of AD or family history of dementia. Finally, none of the FTD patients harbored this genetic variant. These data strongly support the important role of p.R47H in AD risk and suggest that this rare genetic variant is not related to FTD.This study was supported by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI12/01311 and 12/00013), grants from the Ministry of Science (SAF2010-15558, SAF2009-10434), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED, Spain), Consolider (CSD2010-00045), and the Department of Health of the Government of Navarra (refs. 13085 and 3/2008). CR held during the period 2009-2013 a “Torres Quevedo” fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology, co-financed by the European Social Fund. Fundació ACE researchers are indebted to Trinitat Port-Carbó and her family who are supporting Fundació ACE scientific programs.Peer reviewe