175 research outputs found
Exploitation of nuclear and cytoplasm variability in Hordeum chilense for wheat breeding
Hordeum chilense Roem. et Schultz. is a diploid wild barley native to Chile and Argentina. The high crossability of this species with other members of the Triticeae tribe promoted the development of the new species × Tritordeum Ascherson et Graebner. Hexaploid tritordeum was developed from the hybrid derived from the cross between H. chilense (used as female parent) and durum wheat. The interest of H. chilense is based on the presence of traits potentially useful for wheat breeding, including high endosperm carotenoid content, septoria tritici blotch resistance and abiotic stress tolerance. Besides, the variability at cytoplasm level is also important in this species. The development of common wheat-H. chilense alloplasmic lines (nucleus from wheat and cytoplasm from H. chilense) results in fertile or male sterile genotypes, depending on the accession donating the cytoplasm. Furthermore, these alloplasmic lines constitute an ideal system for deepening our knowledge on nuclear-cytoplasm interactions. In conclusion, H. chilense is an interesting source of variability for wheat breeding. © 2011 NIAB.Our work in this area is supported by grants (to S. G. A.) AGL2008-03720, and P09-AGR-4817 from Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Junta de Andalucía and FEDER. C. R.-S. acknowledges financial support from CSIC (JAE-Doc program).Peer Reviewe
Synergistic assembly of gold and copper-iron oxide nanocatalysts to promote the simultaneous depletion of glucose and glutathione
Glucose and glutathione (GSH) are key biomolecules for the regulation and growth of tumor cells. The use of inorganic nanocatalysts in biomedicine to target and deplete such specific molecules represents a novel and promising strategy against cancer. In this work, we present a ternary assembled nanohybrid based on Au and CuFe2O4 with the capability to simultaneously deplete glucose and GSH and generate reactive oxidative species (ROS) in a cascade process. We describe an example of a synergistic heterogeneous nanoarchitecture able to maintain the glucose oxidase-like activity of Au while preventing its deactivation in the presence of GSH. Au sites remain active due to the rapid response of the Cu–Fe co-catalyst to deplete GSH levels. This example of hybrid heterostructure represents an appealing alternative with dual-activity within the tumor microenvironment (TME) for potential anticancer therapy
Comparison of visual and optical quality of monofocal versus multifocal intraocular lenses
Postprint (author's final draft
Accurate masses and radii of normal stars: modern results and applications
This paper presents and discusses a critical compilation of accurate,
fundamental determinations of stellar masses and radii. We have identified 95
detached binary systems containing 190 stars (94 eclipsing systems, and alpha
Centauri) that satisfy our criterion that the mass and radius of both stars be
known to 3% or better. To these we add interstellar reddening, effective
temperature, metal abundance, rotational velocity and apsidal motion
determinations when available, and we compute a number of other physical
parameters, notably luminosity and distance. We discuss the use of this
information for testing models of stellar evolution. The amount and quality of
the data also allow us to analyse the tidal evolution of the systems in
considerable depth, testing prescriptions of rotational synchronisation and
orbital circularisation in greater detail than possible before. The new data
also enable us to derive empirical calibrations of M and R for single (post-)
main-sequence stars above 0.6 M(Sun). Simple, polynomial functions of T(eff),
log g and [Fe/H] yield M and R with errors of 6% and 3%, respectively.
Excellent agreement is found with independent determinations for host stars of
transiting extrasolar planets, and good agreement with determinations of M and
R from stellar models as constrained by trigonometric parallaxes and
spectroscopic values of T(eff) and [Fe/H]. Finally, we list a set of 23
interferometric binaries with masses known to better than 3%, but without
fundamental radius determinations (except alpha Aur). We discuss the prospects
for improving these and other stellar parameters in the near future.Comment: 56 pages including figures and tables. To appear in The Astronomy and
Astrophysics Review. Ascii versions of the tables will appear in the online
version of the articl
Soy protein modulates the effects of intoxication with cadmiun in rat mammary gland
We studied the effects of different diets at molecular, biochemical and cellular levels on rat mammary gland (MG). We looked at the potential protective outcome of those diets under exposure to Cadmiun (Cd), which is an important environmental contaminant. For this purpose, 4 female lots Wistar rats were used: 2 lots received casein and 2 lots soybean (Soy) as protein source. Within each group, 1 lot received regular water (control) and the other, 15 ppm of Cd in the drinking water for 60 days (6 animal in each experimental condition, 3 independent experiments).Facultad de Ciencias Médica
Clinical factors associated with a Candida albicans Germ Tube Antibody positive test in Intensive Care Unit patients
Background: Poor outcomes of invasive candidiasis (IC) are associated with the difficulty in establishing the microbiological diagnosis at an early stage. New scores and laboratory tests have been developed in order to make an early therapeutic intervention in an attempt to reduce the high mortality associated with invasive fungal infections. Candida albicans IFA IgG has been recently commercialized for germ tube antibody detection (CAGTA). This test provides a rapid and simple diagnosis of IC (84.4% sensitivity and 94.7% specificity). The aim of this study is to identify the patients who could be benefited by the use of CAGTA test in critical care setting.
Methods: A prospective, cohort, observational multicentre study was carried out in six medical/surgical Intensive care units (ICU) of tertiary-care Spanish hospitals. Candida albicans Germ Tube Antibody test was performed twice a week if predetermined risk factors were present, and serologically demonstrated candidiasis was considered if the testing serum dilution was >= 1: 160 in at least one sample and no other microbiological evidence of invasive candidiasis was found.
Results: Fifty-three critically ill non-neutropenic patients (37.7% post surgery) were included. Twenty-two patients (41.5%) had CAGTA-positive results, none of them with positive blood culture for Candida. Neither corrected colonization index nor antifungal treatment had influence on CAGTA results. This finding could corroborate that the CAGTA may be an important biomarker to distinguish between colonization and infection in these patients. The presence of acute renal failure at the beginning of the study was more frequent in CAGTA-negative patients. Previous surgery was statistically more frequent in CAGTA-positive patients.
Conclusions: This study identified previous surgery as the principal clinical factor associated with CAGTA-positive results and emphasises the utility of this promising technique, which was not influenced by high Candida colonization or antifungal treatment. Our results suggest that detection of CAGTA may be important for the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis in surgical patients admitted in ICU.This study has been supported by a Pfizer research gran
Early-Career Coordinated Distributed Experiments: Empowerment Through Collaboration
Este artículo contiene 7 páginas, 1 tabla, 3 figuras.Coordinated distributed experiments (CDEs) enable the study of large-scale ecological
patterns in geographically dispersed areas, while simultaneously providing broad
academic and personal benefits for the participants. However, the effective involvement
of early-career researchers (ECRs) presents major challenges. Here, we analyze the
benefits and challenges of the first CDE exclusively led and conducted by ECRs (i.e.
ECR-CDE), which sets a baseline for similar CDEs, and we provide recommendations
for successful CDE execution. ECR-CDEs achieve most of the outcomes identified in
conventional CDEs as well as extensive benefits for the young cohort of researchers,
including: (i) receiving scientific credit, (ii) peer-training in new concepts and methods, (iii)
developing leadership and communication skills, (iv) promoting a peer network among
ECRs, and (v) building on individual engagement and independence. We also discuss
the challenges of ECR-CDEs, which are mainly derived from the lack of independence
and instability of the participants, and we suggest mechanisms to address them, such
as resource re-allocation and communication strategies. We conclude that ECR-CDEs
can be a relevant tool to empower ECRs across disciplines by fostering their training,
networking and personal well-being.The authors were supported by the following founding: NC
the support of the Beatriu de Pinós postdoctoral program of
the Government of Catalonia’s Secretariat for Universities and
Research of the Ministry of Economy and Knowledge (BP2016-
00215), EE by a predoctoral grant from the Basque Government
(2014-2017), AB by a Generalitat de Catalunya—Beatriu de
Pinós (BP-00385-2016), AMG-F by a predoctoral research grant
(BES-2013-065770) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and
Competitiveness, MAr by a postdoctoral grant from the Basque
Government, MIA by a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral grant
(FJCI-2015-26192), PR-L by a Margalida Comas postdoctoral
contract (PD/031/2018) funded by the Government of the
Balearic Islands and the European Social Fund, AP by a Ramón
Areces Foundation Postdoctoral Scholarship, and AL by a Kempe
Foundation stipend. DOMIPEX project was founded by the First
Call of Collaborative Projects among Young Researchers of the
Iberian Association of Limnology (AIL; 2013-2015).Peer reviewe
- …