Bias correction of global irradiance modelled with the Weather Research and Forecasting model over Paraguay

In this contribution, we present a post-process analysis of Weather and Research Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model which combines a Kalman Filter with Model Output Statistics (MOS) for bias correction in order to improve the overall predicted values of GHI simulations over Paraguay.CONACYT - Consejo Nacional de Ciencias y TecnologíaPROCIENCI

Redox-dependent and redox-independent functions of Caenorhabditis elegans thioredoxin 1

Thioredoxins (TRX) are traditionally considered as enzymes catalyzing redox reactions. However, redox-independent functions of thioredoxins have been described in different organisms, although the underlying molecular mechanisms are yet unknown. We report here the characterization of the first generated endogenous redox-inactive thioredoxin in an animal model, the TRX-1 in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We find that TRX-1 dually regulates the formation of an endurance larval stage (dauer) by interacting with the insulin pathway in a redox-independent manner and the cGMP pathway in a redox-dependent manner. Moreover, the requirement of TRX-1 for the extended longevity of worms with compromised insulin signalling or under calorie restriction relies on TRX-1 redox activity. In contrast, the nuclear translocation of the SKN-1 transcription factor and increased LIPS-6 protein levels in the intestine upon trx-1 deficiency are strictly redox-independent. Finally, we identify a novel function of C. elegans TRX-1 in male food-leaving behaviour that is redox-dependent. Taken together, our results position C. elegans as an ideal model to gain mechanistic insight into the redox-independent functions of metazoan thioredoxins, overcoming the limitations imposed by the embryonic lethal phenotypes of thioredoxin mutants in higher organisms

EL RIEGO DE PRECISIÓN EN EL CULTIVO DE FRESA EN LA PROVINCIA DE HUELVA

[ES] El cultivo de fresa es el cultivo con mayor repercusión económica y social de la provincia de Huelva, ya que España es el principal productor de fresa fresca de Europa y el segundo del mundo, situándose el 95% de esa producción en la provincia de Huelva. Sin embargo, la zona donde se desarrolla el cultivo, el entorno del Parque Nacional de Doñana, es una de las zonas de mayor sensibilidad ambiental de Europa y cualquier actividad que se desarrolle debe evitar impactos negativos en el mismo. De lo anterior se deduce la necesidad de buscar un equilibrio para que agricultura y medio ambiente puedan convivir en el entorno de Doñana. Este trabajo se centra precisamente en eso, en optimizar el uso del agua en la zona mediante la implantación del riego de precisión en el cultivo de fresa, que consiste en dar a la planta el agua que necesita en el momento adecuado. La implantación de un sistema de riego de precisión se ha llevado a cabo en la campaña 2013/2014 en una finca comercial de la zona Almonte-El Rocío, provincia de Huelva. Para ello se ha implantado un ensayo en 5 sectores distintos, cada uno con un tipo de emisor diferente, en el que se realizó una programación óptima del riego basada en el cálculo de las necesidades teóricas del cultivo, el análisis hidráulico del sector y el movimiento del agua en el suelo, y cuyo comportamiento se comparó con un sector testigo manejado por el agricultor. Estas técnicas permitieron ahorrar un 43% de agua, en las condiciones particulares de suelo, variedad y configuración de la red riego de la finca de ensayo, obteniéndose un ligero aumento de producción respecto al manejo tradicional del agricultor, lo que se tradujo en un incremento de la rentabilidad del cultivo y de una mejora de la sostenibilidad en la producción intensiva de fresas.Martín Arroyo, M.; Fernandez García, I.; Gonzalez Perea, R.; García Morillo, J.; Rodríguez Díaz, J.; Camacho Poyato, E.; Montesinos Barrios, P. (2015). EL RIEGO DE PRECISIÓN EN EL CULTIVO DE FRESA EN LA PROVINCIA DE HUELVA. En XXXIII CONGRESO NACIONAL DE RIEGOS. Valencia 16-18 junio de 2015. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/CNRiegos.2015.1462OC

Líneas de investigación experimentales del grupo de dinámica no lineal y fibras ópticas del Instituto de Óptica "Daza de Valdes del CSIC"

Se presenta y describen las líneas de trabajo experimentales que se vienen cultivando en el Grupo de investigación en Dinámica no Lineal y Fibras ópticas, recientemente creado en el Instituto de Óptica del CSIC. We present the experimental lines developed in last years in the Nonlinear Dynamics and Fiber Optics Group (NDFO) of the Optics Institute "Daza de Valdés" (IO-CSIC)

A systematic analysis of host factors reveals a Med23-interferon-λ regulatory axis against herpes simplex virus type 1 replication

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a neurotropic virus causing vesicular oral or genital skin lesions, meningitis and other diseases particularly harmful in immunocompromised individuals. To comprehensively investigate the complex interaction between HSV-1 and its host we combined two genome-scale screens for host factors (HFs) involved in virus replication. A yeast two-hybrid screen for protein interactions and a RNA interference (RNAi) screen with a druggable genome small interfering RNA (siRNA) library confirmed existing and identified novel HFs which functionally influence HSV-1 infection. Bioinformatic analyses found the 358 HFs were enriched for several pathways and multi-protein complexes. Of particular interest was the identification of Med23 as a strongly anti-viral component of the largely pro-viral Mediator complex, which links specific transcription factors to RNA polymerase II. The anti-viral effect of Med23 on HSV-1 replication was confirmed in gain-of-function gene overexpression experiments, and this inhibitory effect was specific to HSV-1, as a range of other viruses including Vaccinia virus and Semliki Forest virus were unaffected by Med23 depletion. We found Med23 significantly upregulated expression of the type III interferon family (IFN-λ) at the mRNA and protein level by directly interacting with the transcription factor IRF7. The synergistic effect of Med23 and IRF7 on IFN-λ induction suggests this is the major transcription factor for IFN-λ expression. Genotypic analysis of patients suffering recurrent orofacial HSV-1 outbreaks, previously shown to be deficient in IFN-λ secretion, found a significant correlation with a single nucleotide polymorphism in the IFN-λ3 (IL28b) promoter strongly linked to Hepatitis C disease and treatment outcome. This paper describes a link between Med23 and IFN-λ, provides evidence for the crucial role of IFN-λ in HSV-1 immune control, and highlights the power of integrative genome-scale approaches to identify HFs critical for disease progression and outcome

Neurotensin Receptor 1 Is Expressed in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors but Not in Interstitial Cells of Cajal

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are thought to derive from the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) or an ICC precursor. Oncogenic mutations of the KIT or PDGFRA receptor tyrosine kinases are present in the majority of GIST, leading to ligand-independent activation of the intracellular signal transduction pathways. We previously investigated the gene expression profile in the murine KitK641E GIST model and identified Ntsr1 mRNA, encoding the Neurotensin receptor 1, amongst the upregulated genes. Here we characterized Ntsr1 mRNA and protein expression in the murine KitK641E GIST model and in tissue microarrays of human GIST. Ntsr1 mRNA upregulation in KitK641E animals was confirmed by quantitative PCR. Ntsr1 immunoreactivity was not detected in the Kit positive ICC of WT mice, but was present in the Kit positive hyperplasia of KitK641E mice. In the normal human gut, NTSR1 immunoreactivity was detected in myenteric neurons but not in KIT positive ICC. Two independent tissue microarrays, including a total of 97 GIST, revealed NTSR1 immunoreactivity in all specimens, including the KIT negative GIST with PDGFRA mutation. NTSR1 immunoreactivity exhibited nuclear, cytoplasmic or mixed patterns, which might relate to variable levels of NTSR1 activation. As studies using radio-labeled NTSR1 ligand analogues for whole body tumor imaging and for targeted therapeutic interventions have already been reported, this study opens new perspectives for similar approaches in GIST

Differential Expression of Fungal Genes Determines the Lifestyle of Plectosphaerella Strains During Arabidopsis thaliana Colonization

16 Päg.The fungal genus Plectosphaerella comprises species and strains with different lifestyles on plants, such as P. cucumerina, which has served as model for the characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana basal and nonhost resistance to necrotrophic fungi. We have sequenced, annotated, and compared the genomes and transcriptomes of three Plectosphaerella strains with different lifestyles on A. thaliana, namely, PcBMM, a natural pathogen of wild-type plants (Col-0), Pc2127, a nonpathogenic strain on Col-0 but pathogenic on the immunocompromised cyp79B2 cyp79B3 mutant, and P0831, which was isolated from a natural population of A. thaliana and is shown here to be nonpathogenic and to grow epiphytically on Col-0 and cyp79B2 cyp79B3 plants. The genomes of these Plectosphaerella strains are very similar and do not differ in the number of genes with pathogenesis-related functions, with the exception of secreted carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), which are up to five times more abundant in the pathogenic strain PcBMM. Analysis of the fungal transcriptomes in inoculated Col-0 and cyp79B2 cyp79B3 plants at initial colonization stages confirm the key role of secreted CAZymes in the necrotrophic interaction, since PcBMM expresses more genes encoding secreted CAZymes than Pc2127 and P0831. We also show that P0831 epiphytic growth on A. thaliana involves the transcription of specific repertoires of fungal genes, which might be necessary for epiphytic growth adaptation. Overall, these results suggest that in-planta expression of specific sets of fungal genes at early stages of colonization determine the diverse lifestyles and pathogenicity of Plectosphaerella strains.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) grant BIO2015-64077-R and the Spanish Research Agency (AEI) grant RTI2018-096975-B-I00 to A. Molina and by the “Severo Ochoa Programme for Centers of Excellence in R&D” grant SEV-2016-0672 (2017-2021) to the CBGP (UPM-INIA). In the frame of SEV-2016-0672 program, H. Mélida was supported with a postdoctoral contract. A. Muñoz-Barrios was financially supported by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) Ph.D. students PIF program, I. del Hierro was a FPU fellow (Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports grant FPU16/07118), V. Fernández-Calleja was supported by the Consejería de Educacíon e Investigacíon of Comunidad de Madrid YEI program for postdoctoral researchers (PEJD-2016/BIO-3327), and the work was further supported through a Comunidad de Madrid YEI program for laboratory technicians grant (PEJ16/BIO/TL-1570).Peer reviewe

A Proteomic and Cellular Analysis of Uropods in the Pathogen Entamoeba histolytica

Exposure of Entamoeba histolytica to specific ligands induces cell polarization via the activation of signalling pathways and cytoskeletal elements. The process leads to formation of a protruding pseudopod at the front of the cell and a retracting uropod at the rear. In the present study, we show that the uropod forms during the exposure of trophozoites to serum isolated from humans suffering of amoebiasis. To investigate uropod assembly, we used LC-MS/MS technology to identify protein components in isolated uropod fractions. The galactose/N-acetylgalactosamine lectin, the immunodominant antigen M17 (which is specifically recognized by serum from amoeba-infected persons) and a few other cells adhesion-related molecules were primarily involved. Actin-rich cytoskeleton components, GTPases from the Rac and Rab families, filamin, α-actinin and a newly identified ezrin-moesin-radixin protein were the main factors found to potentially interact with capped receptors. A set of specific cysteine proteases and a serine protease were enriched in isolated uropod fractions. However, biological assays indicated that cysteine proteases are not involved in uropod formation in E. histolytica, a fact in contrast to the situation in human motile immune cells. The surface proteins identified here are testable biomarkers which may be either recognized by the immune system and/or released into the circulation during amoebiasis

The biology of sexual development of Plasmodium: the design and implementation of transmission-blocking strategies

A meeting to discuss the latest developments in the biology of sexual development of Plasmodium and transmission-control was held April 5-6, 2011, in Bethesda, MD. The meeting was sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH/NIAID) in response to the challenge issued at the Malaria Forum in October 2007 that the malaria community should re-engage with the objective of global eradication. The consequent rebalancing of research priorities has brought to the forefront of the research agenda the essential need to reduce parasite transmission. A key component of any transmission reduction strategy must be methods to attack the parasite as it passes from man to the mosquito (and vice versa). Such methods must be rationally based on a secure understanding of transmission from the molecular-, cellular-, population- to the evolutionary-levels. The meeting represented a first attempt to draw together scientists with expertise in these multiple layers of understanding to discuss the scientific foundations and resources that will be required to provide secure progress toward the design and successful implementation of effective interventions

Application of the ANP to the prioritization of project stakeholders in the context of responsible research and innovation

[EN] This paper presents a methodology to assess the stakeholders¿ influence in a research project within the context of responsible research and innovation. The methodology is based on a combination of the multicriteria decision making technique analytic network process and the key areas of responsible research. The method allows ranking and ordering the project¿s stakeholders based on their influence upon its responsibility. The purpose of such an assessment is to help research teams to more efficiently devote their limited resources to stakeholder management. The procedure is applied to a case study of the Information and Communication Technology business sector. It is an ongoing project at an early phase of development. Influential stakeholders have been identified first, and have been further classified into groups based on their relative importance. The assessment of their influence has been based on up to 16 different criteria, mainly belonging to the framework of responsible research and innovation. In the case study, the most influential criterion was the Capability to promote public engagement, while Developers were found to be the stakeholders most contributing to the research project responsibility. However, as explained, this is a temporary situation, valid for the current project development situation. It may vary over time as criteria vary in weight and stakeholders vary in influence.The authors would like to thank to our anonymous referees for their constructive comments and suggestions that helped us to improve the quality of the paper. Also, to the “Bolívar Gana con Ciencia” program from the Gobernación de Bolívar (Colombia) for the financial support. For the same reason, the authors are grateful to the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación for its support of the project Propuesta de Indicadores para Impulsar el Diseño de Una Política Orientada al Desarrollo de Investigación e Innovación Responsable en España (CSO2016-76828-R)Ligardo-Herrera, I.; Gómez-Navarro, T.; Gonzalez-Urango, H. (2018). Application of the ANP to the prioritization of project stakeholders in the context of responsible research and innovation. Central European Journal of Operations Research. 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10100-018-0573-4S123Akbari N, Irawan CA, Jones DF, Menachof D (2017) A multi-criteria port suitability assessment for developments in the offshore wind industry. Renew Energy 102:118–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2016.10.035Aragonés-Beltrán P, García-Melón M, Montesinos-Valera J (2017) How to assess stakeholders’ influence in project management? A proposal based on the analytic network process. 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