Plant response to water stress of native and non-native Oenothera drummondii populations

Invasive plants can spread over climatically diverse areas. We explore the effects of drought on gas exchange and water relations on the invasive dune species Oenothera drummondii, using plants from four populations with different rainfall and temperatures regimes. Plant material was obtained germinating plants from one native and three non-native populations in a greenhouse. Drought stress was induced by withholding water. Responses to drought stressed plants were then compared to well-watered controls. Measurements of gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and leaf traits were taken initially and every 10 days after water was withheld, until day 36 when plants were re-watered and recover capacity was measured. The effect of water stress was more evident in Fv/Fm and gas exchange variables. The results suggest that this species possess a mechanism of thermal dissipation of energy. Leaf relative water content was significant lower in drought stressed than control plants. At the end of withholding water period, stressed plants are separated from control plants along the axis I of the ordination analysis evidencing differences in functional traits. All plants recovered well after re-watering. Our results provide evidence for permanent differences in morphological traits and functional responses to drought stress among native and invasive populations of O. drummondii. Although we have only studied four populations, these results may provide evidence for the role of plasticity in contributing to the invasion success of this species.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2015-65058-

Identification of new sources of resistance to RHBV- rice hoja blanca virus

With the aim to find new sources of resistance to rice hoja blanca (white leaf) disease, transmitted by the insect Tagosodes orizicolus, 660 genotypes were evaluated under greenhouse and field conditions. Seven resistant genotypes were identified, and genomic studies were performed to demonstrate that the resistance in these sources is genetically different from that of Fedearroz 2000, which is currently the variety with the most resistance to hoja blanca. These new resistance sources constitute a resource that can be used to sustainably extend hoja blanca disease management throughout all of the rice-growing regions of tropical America. This is the first report of hoja blanca resistance in indica rice and different from that of Fedearroz 2000

Different tolerance to salinity of two populations of Oenothera drummondii with contrasted biogeographical origin

Oenothera drummondii is a native species from the coastal dunes of the Gulf of Mexico that has nowadays extended to coastal areas in temperate zones all over the world, its invasion becoming a significant problem locally. The species grows on back beach and incipient dunes, where it can suffer flooding by seawater, and sea spray. We were interested in knowing how salinity affects this species and if invasive populations present morphological or functional traits that would provide greater tolerance to salinity than native ones. To this end, we conducted a greenhouse experiment where plants from one native and from one invading population were irrigated with five salinity treatments. We measured functional traits on photosynthetic, photochemical efficiency, water content, flowering, Na+ content, pigment content, and biomass. Although O. drummondii showed high resistance to salinity, the highest levels recorded high mortality, especially in the invasive population. Plants exhibited differences not only in response to time under salinity conditions, but also according to their biogeographic origin, the native population being more resistant to long exposure and high salt concentration than the invasive one. Native and invasive populations showed different response to salt stress in photosynthesis and transpiration rates, stomatal conductance, water use efficiency, carboxylation efficiency, electron transport rate, electron transport efficiency, energy used in photochemistry, among others. The increasing salinity levels resulted in a progressive reduction of photosynthesis rate due to both stomatal and biochemical limitations, and also in a reduction of biomass and number and size of flowers, compromising the reproductive capacity.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2015-65058-

Field comparison of ecophysiological traits between an invader and a native species in a Mediterranean coastal dune

Photochemical efficiency, gas exchange, leaf water potential, pigment content and free proline content of Oenothera drummondii subsp. drummondii Hook (an invasive non-native species) and Achillea maritima (L.) Ehrend. & Y.P. Guo, (an ecologically similar native species) were explored to understand the success of invasive non-native species in Mediterranean coastal dunes of southwest Spain. We have conducted a field study during a complete annual cycle, comparing both species. Fifteen pairs of neighbouring plants of the two study species of similar size were selected and measured seasonally. The results show that in spring and summer, assimilation rates of O. drummondii were significantly higher than those of the native, A. maritime, even though the native species had higher photochemical efficiency. Additionally, the non-native species presented better water content regulation than the native one, surely related to better water use efficiency and maybe linked to greater root development. The differences in leaf dry matter content values for both species might indicate a different strategy of resource use; with A. maritima displaying a more conservative strategy and O. drummondii presenting a rapid resources acquisition and use strategy as predictors of rapid growth and soil fertility. We conclude that O. drummondii utilizes light, water and probably nutrients more efficiently than the native A. maritima and suffers lower stress in Mediterranean coastal dunes where water availability is reduced (44 mm from May to October in the study area) and light radiation levels are high.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO Project CGL2015-65058-R cofounded by FEDER)

Annual report on Sunspot Counting Program 2013

Este programa nació a fines del 2012 en la Universidad de Extremadura con el fin de ampliar aún más nuestra investigación en la reconstrucción de la actividad solar. Desde el 1 de Enero de 2013, nuestro recuento de manchas solares se han presentado al Real Observatorio de Bélgica (ROB) como contribución a los esfuerzos internacionales de mantener y actualizar el número internacional de Manchas Solares. Para ello, hemos utilizado un pequeño refractor apocromático de 80 mm de diámetro de objetivo y 550 mm de longitud focal, a fin de proyectar una imagen de 150 mm de diámetro en una plantilla. Este informe proporciona un conjunto completo de los datos obtenidos durante el año 2013, con cuatro tablas que muestran nuestros datos. Por otra parte, el índice de referencia de las manchas solares se compara con nuestros resultados. Esperamos que esta publicación sea de utilidad a la comunidad científica que estudia el número de manchas solares: la mayor serie de índices solares derivadas de la observación directa del Sol.This program was born in late 2012 at the University of Extremadura in order to further extend our research in the reconstruction of past solar activity. Since 1st January 2013, our sunspot counts have been submitted to the Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB) as a contribution to the international effort of maintaining and updating the International Sunspot Number. For this purpose, we have used a small apochromatic refractor –80mm of objective diameter and 550mm of focal length– to project a 150mm diameter image onto a template. In this report, we provide a complete set of data obtained throughout the year 2013, with four Tables showing our data. Moreover, the reference sunspot index is compared with our results. We hope that this publication be useful to the scientific community studying the sunspot number: the longest solar index series derived from direct observation of the Sun

Diseño del plan de incentivos y estímulos para los funcionarios de la contraloría departamental del Tolima

58 Páginas.​Uno de los objetivos estratégicos establecidos en la Contraloría Departamental del Tolima para el periodo 2012 – 2015 es “Mejorar la Gestión del Talento humano” y una de las estrategias para lograrlo es el Diseño de un Plan de Incentivos y Estímulos. De allí surge la presente investigación, la cual tuvo como objetivo: diseñar el Plan de incentivos y estímulos para los funcionarios de la Contraloría Departamental del Tolima. Las entidades (públicas) cuentan con la normatividad que reglamenta la implementación de planes de incentivos y estímulos a los cuales puedan acceder los funcionarios que en ellas laboran al igual que sus familias. Con el fin de dar respuesta al objetivo, se realizó un Marco Teórico el cual contempla inicialmente las diferencias existentes entre las entidades de carácter privado con las entidades públicas a la hora de proyectar el tipo de incentivos y estímulos a sus empleados. Se examina el concepto de bienestar social de autores expertos y autoridades competentes en la materia y se hace la diferenciación entre programas de bienestar social y planes de incentivos, los cuales se encuentran enmarcados dentro del sistema de estímulos establecido por el Decreto 1567 de 1998, la Ley 909 de 2004 y el Decreto 1227 de 2005

Annual report on Sunspot Counting Program 2013

Este programa nació a fines del 2012 en la Universidad de Extremadura con el fin de ampliar aún más nuestra investigación en la reconstrucción de la actividad solar. Desde el 1 de Enero de 2013, nuestro recuento de manchas solares se han presentado al Real Observatorio de Bélgica (ROB) como contribución a los esfuerzos internacionales de mantener y actualizar el número internacional de Manchas Solares. Para ello, hemos utilizado un pequeño refractor apocromático de 80 mm de diámetro de objetivo y 550 mm de longitud focal, a fin de proyectar una imagen de 150 mm de diámetro en una plantilla. Este informe proporciona un conjunto completo de los datos obtenidos durante el año 2013, con cuatro tablas que muestran nuestros datos. Por otra parte, el índice de referencia de las manchas solares se compara con nuestros resultados. Esperamos que esta publicación sea de utilidad a la comunidad científica que estudia el número de manchas solares: la mayor serie de índices solares derivadas de la observación directa del Sol.This program was born in late 2012 at the University of Extremadura in order to further extend our research in the reconstruction of past solar activity. Since 1st January 2013, our sunspot counts have been submitted to the Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB) as a contribution to the international effort of maintaining and updating the International Sunspot Number. For this purpose, we have used a small apochromatic refractor –80mm of objective diameter and 550mm of focal length– to project a 150mm diameter image onto a template. In this report, we provide a complete set of data obtained throughout the year 2013, with four Tables showing our data. Moreover, the reference sunspot index is compared with our results. We hope that this publication be useful to the scientific community studying the sunspot number: the longest solar index series derived from direct observation of the Sun

Molecular characterization of autophagic and apoptotic signaling induced by sorafenib in liver cancer cells

Sorafenib is the unique accepted molecular targeted drug for the treatment of patients in advanced stage of hepatocellular carcinoma. The current study evaluated cell signaling regulation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK), Akt, and 5′AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) leading to autophagy and apoptosis induced by sorafenib. Sorafenib induced early (3–12 hr) ER stress characterized by an increase of Ser51P-eIF2α/eIF2α, C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), IRE1α, and sXBP1, but a decrease of activating transcription factor 6 expression, overall temporally associated with the increase of Thr183,Tyr185P-JNK1/2/JNK1/2, Thr172P-AMPKα, Ser413P-Foxo3a, Thr308P-AKt/AKt and Thr32P-Foxo3a/Foxo3a ratios, and reduction of Ser2481P-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/mTOR and protein translation. This pattern was related to a transient increase of tBid, Bim EL, Beclin-1, Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, autophagy markers, and reduction of myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) expression. The progressive increase of CHOP expression, and reduction of Thr308P-AKt/AKt and Ser473P-AKt/AKt ratios were associated with the reduction of autophagic flux and an additional upregulation of Bim EL expression and caspase-3 activity (24 hr). Small interfering-RNA (si-RNA) assays showed that Bim, but not Bak and Bax, was involved in the induction of caspase-3 in sorafenib-treated HepG2 cells. Sorafenib increased autophagic and apoptotic markers in tumor-derived xenograft model. In conclusion, the early sorafenib-induced ER stress and regulation of JNK and AMPK-dependent signaling were related to the induction of survival autophagic process. The sustained drug treatment induced a progressive increase of ER stress and PERK-CHOP-dependent rise of Bim EL, which was associated with the shift from autophagy to apoptosis. The kinetic of Bim EL expression profile might also be related to the tight balance between AKt- and AMPK-related signaling leading to Foxo3a-dependent BIM EL upregulation.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BFU2016‐75352‐PInstituto de Salud Carlos III PI15/00034, PI13/ 00021, PI16/00090, PI14/01349Ministerio de Educación FPU16/05127, FPU12/01433, FPU13/01237Junta de Andalucía CTS-6264, PI-00025-2013, PI-0127-2013, PI-0198-201

Gold Nanoparticles on Yttrium Modified Titania: Support Properties and Catalytic Activity

A series of titanium oxide catalysts modified with yttrium has been prepared by sol¿gel method and their structural properties have been studied. The incorporation of yttrium in the titania lattice favors the formation of oxygen vacancies while at low Y loadings the anatase structure is preserved. The catalytic activity of these solids for CO oxidation is found to be significantly dependent on their physical properties. In particular the amount of dopant controls the number of surface oxygen vacancies created as well as the gold particle size, which directly affects the catalytic activity. Also, a linear relationship between the catalytic activity and the band gap values, which depend on the Y loading, is observed. Density functional theory based calculations show that Y atoms are incorporated at the TiO2 surface at substitutional positions only, while the preferred oxygen vacancies arise by removing the bridge surface oxygen atoms. These O-vacancies are the preferential adsorption sites for Au atoms and nanoparticles, acting as nucleation centers that favor the dispersion of the catalyst active phase over the support surface. In agreement with experiment, Y doping is found to decrease the band gap of the support due to a destabilization of the valence band of the oxide.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación ENE2009-14522-C05-01, MAT2008-04918, CSD-00023Junta de Andalucía P08-FQM-0366

A Great Space Weather Event in February 1730

Aims. Historical records provide evidence of extreme magnetic storms with equatorward auroral extensions before the epoch of systematic magnetic observations. One significant magnetic storm occurred on February 15, 1730. We scale this magnetic storm with auroral extension and contextualise it based on contemporary solar activity. Methods. We examined historical records in East Asia and computed the magnetic latitude (MLAT) of observational sites to scale magnetic storms. We also compared them with auroral records in Southern Europe. We examined contemporary sunspot observations to reconstruct detailed solar activity between 1729 and 1731. Results. We show 29 auroral records in East Asian historical documents and 37 sunspot observations. Conclusions. These records show that the auroral displays were visible at least down to 25.8{\deg} MLAT throughout East Asia. In comparison with contemporary European records, we show that the boundary of the auroral display closest to the equator surpassed 45.1{\deg} MLAT and possibly came down to 31.5{\deg} MLAT in its maximum phase, with considerable brightness. Contemporary sunspot records show an active phase in the first half of 1730 during the declining phase of the solar cycle. This magnetic storm was at least as intense as the magnetic storm in 1989, but less intense than the Carrington event.Comment: 30 pages, 5 figures, and 2 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics on 25 April 2018. The figures and transcriptions/translations of historical documents are partially omitted in this manuscript due to the condition of reproduction. They are available in the publisher versio