New estimates of total factor productivity, technical and efficiency changes for the global agricultural economy

Aim of study: The accuracy of international and intertemporal comparisons of total factor productivity (TFP) growth requires the use of indicators that satisfy transitive and multiplicative properties, such as the Färe-Primont index (FPI). This paper compares the evolution of TFP in global agriculture.Area of study: Worldwide.Material and methods: The evolution of TFP in global agriculture was measured by the traditional Malmquist index (MI) and by the FPI, with alternative measurements of input capital.Main results: We found a significantly lower TFP growth with the FPI. New estimates of TFP growth for 1961-2015 show that output oriented scale-mix efficiency drives TFP growth, with an important technological change between 1996 and 2000 and another in 2014. Regional comparisons reveal heterogeneous trends in efficiency, linked to institutional reforms and agricultural R&D.Research highlights: More realistic figures and global comparisons of agricultural productivity provide a better understanding to implement better policies. Available measures of capital stock do not yield significant differences in TFP estimations, but the precise identification and estimation of the heterogeneous drivers and burdens is fundamental for boosting agricultural productivity and its benefits on global food security

El papel de los herbívoros en la conservación de los pastos

9 páginas, 1 figura, 1 tabla.Tradicionalmente, las áreas pastorales del Pirineo han constituido la base de la economía local, albergando además una parte importante de su valor paisajístico y de su riqueza biológica. Los cambios de uso de muchas de estas áreas, a veces amparadas por figuras de protección, dan lugar a numerosos interrogantes. Ello se debe a que, a diferencia de otro tipo de ambientes, la conservación de los pastos está vinculada al mantenimiento del pastoreo. Algunos estudios parecen haber demostrado que existe una relación estrecha entre el cese o declive paulatino del pastoreo y la pérdida de diversidad vegetal en las comunidades utilizadas, concluyendo que la mayor diversidad se obtendría en niveles moderados de pastoreo. La utilización espacial y temporal de las unidades pastorales y su efecto sobre el pasto, la alimentación de los herbívoros en función de la oferta vegetal, así como las relaciones entre los diferentes manejos y cargas ganaderas con la diversidad, configuran un sistema complejo. El conocimiento de este sistema resulta imprescindible para la gestión razonable de la montaña.Peer reviewe

Application of Pastoralists\u27 Knowledge to Natural Resource Management in Spain

Extensive livestock rearing has been acknowledged as an important tool for sustainable management of social-ecological systems and biodiversity conservation. In the Mediterranean Basin this relationship has been highlighted in mountainous and rural areas, where the co-evolved assemblages and dynamics of plant communities and grazing practices and patterns are mutually reinforcing. Among extensive livestock rearing systems, mobile pastoralism is a typical adaptation in semi-arid areas and mountainous regions where pasture availability is especially variable in time and space. In Spain, mobile pastoralism dates back to Neolithic and has survived until our days in different ways. An outstanding example of mobility is transhumance, an ancient pastoralist practice consisting of the seasonal migration of livestock between ecological regions following peaks in pasture productivity. Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) can provide valuable information that complements scientific studies to improve understanding and stewardship of ecosystems. In particular, transhumance depends on the preservation, use, and transmission of TEK and the integration of TEK into land use and management policies. In this paper, we: (1) provide examples of traditional ecological knowledge related to extensive livestock rearing, and transhumance in particular, that could be useful for grasslands management; (2) explore the current challenges to the integration of this knowledge for Spanish grasslands’ management; and (3) provide insights on how these barriers might be overcome. The evidence is based on two case studies: one in the two westernmost central Pyrenean valleys of Ansó and Hecho (Aragón), where shepherds carry out short valley-mountain and middle-distance transhumance (ca. 200 km); and the other on the summer pasturelands of Montes Universales (Aragón, Guadalajara and Cuenca) from where a long-distance transhumance through the Conquense Drove Road departs (ca. 500 km). In-depth semi-structured interviews, focus groups and participant observation where applied in both cases. We conclude that much of mobile extensive stockmen’s ecological knowledge is threaten due to a lack of generational turnover, endangering the survival of a valuable source of sustainable grassland management knowledge and practices. Social and institutional barriers, including lack of profitability, dependence on EU subsidies, competition with other land-uses such as biodiversity conservation or hunting, and neglect by governments and society, negatively affect the continuity of TEK at different scales. However, some strategies, such as pastoralists’ cooperation in making their voices heard in regional and European policy decisions, or their involvement in monitoring ecological conditions of ecosystems, may foster a modest recovery of transhumance in Spain

Mesoscopic model and free energy landscape for protein-DNA binding sites: Analysis of cyanobacterial promoters

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.The identification of protein binding sites in promoter sequences is a key problem to understand and control regulation in biochemistry and biotechnological processes. We use a computational method to analyze promoters from a given genome. Our approach is based on a physical model at the mesoscopic level of protein-DNA interaction based on the influence of DNA local conformation on the dynamics of a general particle along the chain. Following the proposed model, the joined dynamics of the protein particle and the DNA portion of interest, only characterized by its base pair sequence, is simulated. The simulation output is analyzed by generating and analyzing the Free Energy Landscape of the system. In order to prove the capacity of prediction of our computational method we have analyzed nine promoters of Anabaena PCC 7120. We are able to identify the transcription starting site of each of the promoters as the most populated macrostate in the dynamics. The developed procedure allows also to characterize promoter macrostates in terms of thermo-statistical magnitudes (free energy and entropy), with valuable biological implications. Our results agree with independent previous experimental results. Thus, our methods appear as a powerful complementary tool for identifying protein binding sites in promoter sequences.This work was supported by the Spanish Goverment under DGICYT Projects No. FIS2011-25167, BFU2009-07424, BFU2012-31458 cofinanced by FEDER funds, Gobierno de Aragon (projects B18 and E19), “Proyecto Intramural” (BIFI) and Spanish government fellowship FPU-2012-2608 (RTR).Peer Reviewe

Berberine Overcomes Gemcitabine-Associated Chemoresistance through Regulation of Rap1/PI3K-Akt Signaling in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Gemcitabine (Gem)-based chemotherapy is one of the first-line treatments for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, its clinical effect is limited due to development of chemoresistance. Various naturally occurring compounds, including Berberine (BBR), provide an anti-cancer efficacy with time-tested safety, individually and in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs. Accordingly, we hypothesized that BBR might enhance the chemosensitivity to Gem in PDAC. In this study, cell culture studies using MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3 cells, followed by analysis in patient-derived organoids were performed to evaluate the anti-cancer effects of BBR in PDAC. Considering that cancer is a significant manifestation of increased chronic inflammatory stress, systems biology approaches are prudent for the identification of molecular pathways and networks responsible for phytochemical-induced anti-cancer activity, we used these approaches for BBR-mediated chemosensitization to Gem. Firstly, Gem-resistant (Gem-R) PDAC cells were established, and the combination of BBR and Gem revealed superior anti-cancer efficacy in Gem-R cells. Furthermore, the combination treatment induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in Gem-R PDAC cells. Transcriptomic profiling investigated the Rap1 and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway as a key regulator of Gem-resistance and was a key mediator for BBR-mediated chemosensitization in PDAC cells. All cell culture-based findings were successfully validated in patient-derived organoids. In conclusion, we demonstrate that BBR-mediated reversal of chemoresistance to Gem manifests through Rap1/PI3K-Akt signaling in PDAC

Optical constants of Cu2ZnGeS4 bulk crystals

The dielectric functions of Cu2 ZnGeS4 bulk crystals grown by the Bridgman method were measured over the energy range 1.4 to 4.7 eV at room temperature using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry. The observed structures in the dielectric functions were adjusted using the Adachi's model and attributed to interband transitions E0, E1A, and E1B at :(000), N (A):2π /a (0.5 0.5 0.5), and T (Z):2π /a (0 0 0.5) points of the first Brillouin zone, respectively. The model parameters (threshold energy, strength, and broadening) have been determined using the simulated annealing algorithm. The decrease in the first gap, E0, has been attributed to a higher Ge-S hybridization. The spectral dependence of the complex refractive index, the absorption coefficient, and the normal-incidence reflectivity were also derived. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.Peer Reviewe

Terapias avanzadas en enfermedades raras

Advanced therapies are a group of medicines for human use based on gene therapy, somatic cell therapy or tissue-engineering. In this paper we present some general basic concepts, describe the most promising strategies and summarize the results of a variety of clinical trials for a significant group of monogenic inherited diseases. Major emphasis is placed on ex vivo gene therapy approaches for diseases of the hematopoietic system, since these corresponded to pioneering treatments that have guided research in this field. We also highlight some examples of successful in vivo gene therapy and point out the contribution of somatic cell therapy and tissue engineering to the group of rare skin diseases. We aim to provide an overview of the state of the art of advanced therapies in rare diseases and highlight some of the cutting-edge technologies under development that can provide more effective and safer treatments in the future.Las terapias avanzadas comprenden un grupo de medicamentos biológicos basados en la terapia génica, la terapia celular y la ingeniería de tejidos. En este artículo se presentan algunos conceptos básicos, se describen las estrategias más prometedoras y se detallan los resultados de diferentes ensayos clínicos para un grupo significativo de enfermedades, especialmente las enfermedades hereditarias monogénicas. Se hace un mayor hincapié en la terapia génica ex vivo en enfermedades del sistema hematopoyético, al ser el grupo de enfermedades pioneras que además han orientado la investigación en el campo. Destacamos también algunos ejemplos de éxito de terapia génica in vivo y señalamos la contribución de la terapia celular y de la ingeniería de tejidos al grupo de enfermedades raras de la piel. Pretendemos con ello dar una visión de la situación de las terapias avanzadas en enfermedades raras y señalamos algunas de las vías de futuro orientadas al desarrollo de tratamientos más eficaces y seguros