Implications of the polymorphism of HLA-G on its function, regulation, evolution and disease association

The HLA-G gene displays several peculiarities that are distinct from those of classical HLA class I genes. The unique structure of the HLA-G molecule permits a restricted peptide presentation and allows the modulation of the cells of the immune system. Although polymorphic sites may potentially influence all biological functions of HLA-G, those present at the promoter and 3′ untranslated regions have been particularly studied in experimental and pathological conditions. The relatively low polymorphism observed in the MHC-G coding region both in humans and apes may represent a strong selective pressure for invariance, whereas, in regulatory regions several lines of evidence support the role of balancing selection. Since HLA-G has immunomodulatory properties, the understanding of gene regulation and the role of polymorphic sites on gene function may permit an individualized approach for the future use of HLA-G for therapeutic purposes

Evaluation of Meteorological Data-Based Models for Potential and Actual Evapotranspiration Losses Using Flux Measurements

Evapotranspiration is a key process within the hydrological cycle, so it requires an accurate assessment. This work aims at assessing monthly scale performances of six meteorological data-based methods to predict evapotranspiration by comparing model estimates with observations from six flux tower sites differing for land cover and climate. Three of the proposed methodologies use a potential evapotranspiration approach (Penman, Priestley-Taylor and Blaney- Criddle models) while the additional three an actual evapotranspiration approach (the Advection-Aridity, the Granger and Gray and the Antecedent Precipation Index method). The results show that models efficiency varies from site to site, even though land cover and climate features appear to have some influence. It is difficult to comment on a general accuracy, but an overall moderate better performance of the Advection-Aridity model can be reported within a context where model calibration is not accounted for. If model calibration is further taken into consideration, the Granger and Gray model appears the best performing method but, at the same time, it is also the approach which is mostly affected by the calibration process, and therefore less suited to evapotranspiration prediction tools dealing with a data scarcity context