3D MODELLING OF THE NEGRO TOWER FOR ITS COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS AND A CONSERVATION PROPOSAL

Abstract. The Negro Tower, in El Algar, Cartagena (Region of Murcia, Spain), is a building which dates to 1585. It is a tower built in a rural environment, inland from the coast, to alert and protect the population from pirate attacks. It was part of the network of watchtowers and defense posts along the coast of Murcia built between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The tower is protected as a historical monument, but its state of conservation is very poor. For this reason, a comprehensive study has been carried out to ensure its correct restoration and future conservation. Historical and constructive analysis has allowed us to discover the social, cultural and architectural characteristics of the tower. Digital photogrammetry and 3D laser scanning compatible with classic topography have been used for the graphic survey of the tower. All this information has permitted the elaboration of thorough three-dimensional modelling and the proposal of a volumetric recomposition of the tower. The presentation will set out the working methodology followed as well as the important results achieved. This research work aims to contribute to the recognition and correct conservation of the Tower. The graphic survey and the three-dimensional model obtained will allow the recovery of the tower and its integration into the natural environment

Numerical modelling of oocytes partially covered by magnetic nanoparticles in external magnetic fields

Nanorep® is a novel device based on the magnetic tweezer concept that has been developed for precise, fast, and non-aggressive oocytes and embryos manipulation. To operate the reproductive cells, they are first immersed in a standard host medium with ferrite containing nanoparticles. The magnetic particles are attached to the external matrix of the oocytes/embryos thanks to a linked protein making possible to control them by using external magnetic fields. Electron microscope photographs show magnetic particle aggregates around the oocyte. The total mass and distribution of the attached magnetic particles per oocyte show a wide range of variability, which strongly affects their magnetic response. Despite the uncertainties on the attachment of magnetic nanoparticles, the set formed by the oocyte and the nanoparticles can be caught and transported by using standard neodymium magnets. Here we present an initial study of the interaction between the set oocyte/nanoparticles and the external magnetic field in aqueous environment. We are going to discuss several relevant topics of the model such us the characterization of magnetic field produced by cylindrical neodymium magnets, the model of the ferrite magnetization as an effective spherical dipole or a magnetized spherical shell, the measurement processes to obtain the temporal evolution of the particle position and the different observed dynamic behaviours

Biological pathway analysis by ArrayUnlock and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Once a list of differentially expressed genes has been identified from a microarray experiment, a subsequent post-analysis task is required in order to find the main biological processes associated to the experimental system. This paper describes two pathways analysis tools, ArrayUnlock and Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (IPA) to deal with the post-analyses of microarray data, in the context of the EADGENE and SABRE post-analysis workshop. Dataset employed in this study proceeded from an experimental chicken infection performed to study the host reactions after a homologous or heterologous secondary challenge with two species of <it>Eimeria</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Analysis of the same microarray data source employing both commercial pathway analysis tools in parallel let to identify several biological and/or molecular functions altered in the chicken <it>Eimeria maxima </it>infection model, including several immune system related pathways. Biological functions differentially altered in the homologous and heterologous second infection were identified. Similarly, the effect of the timing in a homologous second infection was characterized by several biological functions.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Functional analysis with ArrayUnlock and IPA provided information related to functional differences with the three comparisons of the chicken infection leading to similar conclusions. ArrayUnlock let an improvement of the annotations of the chicken genome adding InterPro annotations to the data set file. IPA provides two powerful tools to understand the pathway analysis results: the networks and canonical pathways that showed several pathways related to an adaptative immune response.</p

Biodiversity and ecosystem services in quarries

Although covering less than 1% of the land surface, extraction activities have long‐lasting impacts on local ecosystems, inevitably damaging biological diversity and depleting ecosystem services. Many extractive companies are now aware of their impacts and, while pressured by society, demand concrete solutions from researchers to reverse the effects of exploitation and restore biodiversity and ecosystems services. In this article, we compile and synthesize the contributions of the latest available research on quarry restoration. We depict and discuss some of the most pressing issues regarding (1) the challenges of restoring quarries; (2) the opportunities for biodiversity and ecosystem services delivery; and (3) outline further research addressing current gaps. We conclude that quarries pose different abiotic and biotic constraints that act interdependently, hampering the attainment of effective restoration if considered solely. Such constraints need to be addressed holistically to lastly encourage the self‐sustainability of the system by reinstating ecological processes. However, a restored site does not have to specifically mimic the pristine situation, as under certain conditions alternative approaches may uphold valuable natural assets contributing to the conservation of rare, restricted, or protected species and habitats.Czech Grant Agency by the project no. 20-06065Sinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Transcriptional analysis of porcine intestinal mucosa infected with Salmonella Typhimurium revealed a massive inflammatory response and disruption of bile acid absorption in ileum

Infected pork meat is an important source of non-typhoidal human salmonellosis. Understanding of molecular mechanisms involved in disease pathogenesis is important for the development of therapeutic and preventive strategies. Thus, hereby we study the transcriptional profiles along the porcine intestine during infection with Salmonella Typhimurium, as well as post-transcriptional gene modulation by microRNAs (miRNA). Sixteen piglets were orally challenged with S. Typhimurium. Samples from jejunum, ileum and colon, collected 1, 2 and 6 days post infection (dpi) were hybridized to mRNA and miRNA expression microarrays and analyzed. Jejunum showed a reduced transcriptional response indicating mild inflammation only at 2 dpi. In ileum inflammatory genes were overexpressed (e.g., IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, IL1RAP, TNFα), indicating a strong immune response at all times of infection. Infection also down-regulated genes of the FXR pathway (e.g., NR1H4, FABP6, APOA1, SLC10A2), indicating disruption of the bile acid absorption in ileum. This result was confirmed by decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum of infected pigs. Ileal inflammatory gene expression changes peaked at 2 dpi and tended to resolve at 6 dpi. Furthermore, miRNA analysis of ileum at 2 dpi revealed 62 miRNAs potentially regulating target genes involved in this inflammatory process (e.g., miR-374 and miR-451). In colon, genes involved in epithelial adherence, proliferation and cellular reorganization were down-regulated at 2 and 6 dpi. In summary, here we show the transcriptional changes occurring at the intestine at different time points of the infection, which are mainly related to inflammation and disruption of the bile acid metabolism. © 2016 Uribe et al. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated

Continuity of Nursing Care in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and patient continuity of care is essential. Health professionals can help in the transition stage by providing resources to achieve pharmacological treatment adherence, as well as social and emotional support. The objective was to analyse the effects of nursing interventions based on continuity of care in patients with coronary artery disease after hospital discharge. A systematic review of randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies was carried out. Cochrane, CINAHL, Health & medical collection, Medline, and Scopus databases were consulted in January 2022. PRISMA guidelines were followed with no time limits. In total, 16 articles were included with a total of 2950 patients. Nurse-led continuity of care programs improved the monitoring and control of the disease. Positive effects were found in the quality of life of patients, and in mental health, self-efficacy, and self-care capacity dimensions. Clinical parameters such as blood pressure and lipid levels decreased. The continuity of care provided by nurses had a positive influence on the quality of life of patients with coronary artery disease. Nurse-led care focused on the needs and resources, including continuity of care, plays a key role

Establecimiento in vitro de Morera

Apical buds like explantes were used which were established in the culture medium proposed by Murashige and Skoog. In the disinfection sodium hypoclorite was used to the 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% during 10, 15 and 20 minutes and the combination of sodium hypoclorite and ethanol 70%, evaluating microbial contamination (%) and survival (%). In the establishment it evaluated the Influence of the 6-BAP and kinetin using 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg.l-1 in each one of them, culture medium semisolid as liquid and the sprouted explants was evaluated (%), height of buds (cm) and survival (%). With the combination of sodium hypoclorite 1% and ethanol 70% (p0.05) it decreased to 0.9% the microbial contamination and to improve to 98.4% the survival of explants. In the establishment better results were observed with 6-BAP compared with kinetin and the best treatment was using 0.5 mg.l-1 6-BAP the 97.4 and 98.2% of the explantes sprouted respectively in the culture medium semisolid and liquid being obtained, being statistically different (p 0.05) with the other treatments; in the same way for height of buds which was of 4.91 and 5.06 cm and, the lowest value in 2.42 and 2.8 cm were observed in the control.Key words: apical buds, cytokinin, Morus alba L, sproutingSe utilizaron yemas apicales como explantes los cuales fueron establecidos en el medio de cultivo propuesto por Murashige y Skoog. En la desinfección se utilizó Hipoclorito de Sodio al 0.5, 1.0 y 1.5% durante 10, 15 y 20 minutos y la combinación de Hipoclorito de Sodio y etanol al 70%. Se determinó el porcentaje de contaminación microbiana y de supervivencia. En el establecimiento in vitro se evalúo la Influencia del 6-BAP y la kinetina en concentraciones de 0.5, 1.0 y 2.0 mg l-1 en cada una de ellas, tanto en medio de cultivo semisólido como líquido y se evaluaron los porcentajes de explantes brotados y de supervivencia así como la longitud de los brotes (cm). Con la combinación de Hipoclorito de Sodio al 1% y etanol al 70% (p0.05) se redujo a 0.9% la contaminación microbiana y se mejoró la supervivencia de los explantes hasta 98.4%. En el establecimiento in vitro se observaron los mejores resultados con 6-BAP comparado con kinetina y el mejor tratamiento fue al utilizar 0.5 mg l-1 de 6-BAP con el cual se obtuvo el 97.4 y 98.2% de los explantes brotados en el medio de cultivo semisólido y líquido respectivamente con diferencias estadísticas (p0.05) con los demás tratamientos. De la misma manera para la variable longitud de brotes la cual fue de 4.91 y 5.06 cm y el valor más bajo de 2.42 y 2.8 cm se observó en el control.Palabras clave: citoquinina, brotación, Morus alba L, yemas apicale

Propagación de plantas de Morus alba var. Criolla con el uso de sistemas de inmersión temporal

The mulberry (Morus alba L.) it is a forage plant of great economic importance. The present work was carried out with the purpose of to in vitro propagate the variety ‘Criolla’ via organogenesis with the use of Temporary Immersion Systems. It were defined the media and culture conditions for the temporary immersion systems. The results demonstrated that it was possible to obtain a high multiplication coefficient of 15.5. The immersion frequency had a significant influence on the evaluated variables. Maximum values were observed in the number of buds, the longitude of the buds and the multiplication coefficient with four immersions per day. The plants in vitro cultivated in temporary immersion systems were established in the acclimatization phase in a substrate compound for 85% worm humus and 15% zeolita. It were superior in the morphological variables evaluated regarding those propagated by the conventional method of stakes.Key words: multiplication coefficient, in vitro plants, morphologic variationsLa morera (Morus alba L.) es una planta forrajera de gran importancia económica. El presente trabajo se realizó con la finalidad de propagar in vitro la variedad ‘Criolla’ vía organogénesis con el uso de Sistemas de Inmersión Temporal. Se definieron los medios y condiciones de cultivo para los sistemas de inmersión temporal y los resultados demostraron que fue posible obtener un coeficiente de multiplicación elevado de 15.5. La frecuencia de inmersión tuvo una influencia significativa sobre las variables evaluadas. Se observaron valores máximos en el número de brotes, la longitud de los brotes y el coeficiente de multiplicación con cuatro inmersiones por día. Las plantas cultivadas in vitro mediante sistemas de inmersión temporal se establecieron en la fase de aclimatización en un sustrato compuesto por 85% humus de lombriz y 15% de zeolita y fueron superiores en las variables morfológicas evaluadas respecto a las propagadas por el método convencional de estacas.Palabras clave: coeficiente de multiplicación, plantas in vitro, variaciones morfológica

Quantitative proteomics and bioinformatic analysis provide new insight into the dynamic response of porcine intestine to Salmonella Typhimurium

The enteropathogen Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is the most commonly non-typhoideal serotype isolated in pig worldwide. Currently, one of the main sources of human infection is by consumption of pork meat. Therefore, prevention and control of salmonellosis in pigs is crucial for minimizing risks to public health. The aim of the present study was to use isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) to explore differences in the response to Salmonella in two segment of the porcine gut (ileum and colon) along a time course of 1, 2, and 6 days post infection (dpi) with S. Typhimurium. A total of 298 proteins were identified in the infected ileum samples of which, 112 displayed significant expression differences due to Salmonella infection. In colon, 184 proteins were detected in the infected samples of which 46 resulted differentially expressed with respect to the controls. The higher number of changes in protein expression was quantified in ileum at 2 dpi. Further biological interpretation of proteomics data using bioinformatics tools demonstrated that the expression changes in colon were found in proteins involved in cell death and survival, tissue morphology or molecular transport at the early stages and tissue regeneration at 6 dpi. In ileum, however, changes in protein expression were mainly related to immunological and infection diseases, inflammatory response or connective tissue disorders at 1 and 2 dpi. iTRAQ has proved to be a proteomic robust approach allowing us to identify ileum as the earliest response focus upon S. Typhimurium in the porcine gut. In addition, new functions involved in the response to bacteria such as eIF2 signaling, free radical scavengers or antimicrobial peptides (AMP) expression have been identified. Finally, the impairment at of the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids and lipid metabolism by means the under regulation of FABP6 protein and FXR/RXR and LXR/RXR signaling pathway in ileum has been established for the first time in pigs. Taken together, our results provide a better understanding of the porcine response to Salmonella infection and the molecular mechanisms underlying Salmonella-host interactions

Phlebotomine sand fly survey in the focus of leishmaniasis in Madrid, Spain (2012-2014): seasonal dynamics, Leishmania infantum infection rates and blood meal preferences

BACKGROUND: An unusual increase of human leishmaniasis cases due to Leishmania infantum is occurring in an urban area of southwestern Madrid, Spain, since 2010. Entomological surveys have shown that Phlebotomus perniciosus is the only potential vector. Direct xenodiagnosis in hares (Lepus granatensis) and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) collected in the focus area proved that they can transmit parasites to colonized P. perniciosus. Isolates were characterized as L. infantum. The aim of the present work was to conduct a comprehensive study of sand flies in the outbreak area, with special emphasis on P. perniciosus. METHODS: Entomological surveys were done from June to October 2012-2014 in 4 stations located close to the affected area. Twenty sticky traps (ST) and two CDC light traps (LT) were monthly placed during two consecutive days in every station. LT were replaced every morning. Sand fly infection rates were determined by dissecting females collected with LT. Molecular procedures applied to study blood meal preferences and to detect L. infantum were performed for a better understanding of the epidemiology of the outbreak. RESULTS: A total of 45,127 specimens belonging to 4 sand fly species were collected: P. perniciosus (75.34%), Sergentomyia minuta (24.65%), Phlebotomus sergenti (0.005%) and Phlebotomus papatasi (0.005%). No Phlebotomus ariasi were captured. From 3203 P. perniciosus female dissected, 117 were infected with flagellates (3.7%). Furthermore, 13.31% and 7.78% of blood-fed and unfed female sand flies, respectively, were found infected with L. infantum by PCR. The highest rates of infected P. perniciosus were detected at the end of the transmission periods. Regarding to blood meal preferences, hares and rabbits were preferred, although human, cat and dog blood were also found. CONCLUSIONS: This entomological study highlights the exceptional nature of the Leishmania outbreak occurring in southwestern Madrid, Spain. It is confirmed that P. perniciosus is the only vector in the affected area, with high densities and infection rates. Rabbits and hares were the main blood meal sources of this species. These results reinforce the need for an extensive and permanent surveillance in this region, and others of similar characteristics, in order to control the vector and regulate the populations of wild reservoirs.This study was partially sponsored and funded by: Dirección General de Salud Pública, Consejería de Sanidad, Comunidad de Madrid; Colegio de Veterinarios de Madrid; Colegio de Biólogos de Madrid and EU grant FP7-261504 EDENext (http://www.edenext.eu).S