High-Throughput System for the Early Quantification of Major Architectural Traits in Olive Breeding Trials Using UAV Images and OBIA Techniques

The need for the olive farm modernization have encouraged the research of more efficient crop management strategies through cross-breeding programs to release new olive cultivars more suitable for mechanization and use in intensive orchards, with high quality production and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The advancement of breeding programs are hampered by the lack of efficient phenotyping methods to quickly and accurately acquire crop traits such as morphological attributes (tree vigor and vegetative growth habits), which are key to identify desirable genotypes as early as possible. In this context, an UAV-based high-throughput system for olive breeding program applications was developed to extract tree traits in large-scale phenotyping studies under field conditions. The system consisted of UAV-flight configurations, in terms of flight altitude and image overlaps, and a novel, automatic, and accurate object-based image analysis (OBIA) algorithm based on point clouds, which was evaluated in two experimental trials in the framework of a table olive breeding program, with the aim to determine the earliest date for suitable quantifying of tree architectural traits. Two training systems (intensive and hedgerow) were evaluated at two very early stages of tree growth: 15 and 27 months after planting. Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) were automatically and accurately generated by the algorithm as well as every olive tree identified, independently of the training system and tree age. The architectural traits, specially tree height and crown area, were estimated with high accuracy in the second flight campaign, i.e. 27 months after planting. Differences in the quality of 3D crown reconstruction were found for the growth patterns derived from each training system. These key phenotyping traits could be used in several olive breeding programs, as well as to address some agronomical goals. In addition, this system is cost and time optimized, so that requested architectural traits could be provided in the same day as UAV flights. This high-throughput system may solve the actual bottleneck of plant phenotyping of "linking genotype and phenotype," considered a major challenge for crop research in the 21st century, and bring forward the crucial time of decision making for breeders

Activación alcalina de metacaolín. Efecto de la adición de silicato soluble y de la temperatura de curado

El objetivo del presente trabajo es determinar el efecto que la cantidad de sílice soluble presente en la disolución activadora (relación molar SiO2/Na2O entre 0 y 0.69) y la temperatura de curado (85ºC, 150ºC y 200ºC) ejercen sobre las propiedades físico-mecánicas y las características mineralógicas y microestructurales de los productos formados por activación alcalina de metacaolín. Para ello se determinaron los valores de resistencia mecánica a compresión de los materiales objeto de estudio y se realizó un estudio mineralógico y microestructural de los mismos por DRX, SEM-EDX, 29Si RMN-MAS y porosimetría de mercurio. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la resistencia mecánica del material guarda una estrecha relación con la naturaleza, microestructura y composición química de los productos de reacción así como con las condiciones de curado. En todos los casos se genera, como principal producto de reacción, un polímero inorgánico alcalino con propiedades cementantes (gel N-A-S-H) responsable, en mayor medida, de las propiedades mecánicas del material. Como productos secundarios se forman algunas zeolitas cuya proporción y tipo (sodalita, zeolita A, faujasita, …) dependen tanto de la naturaleza del activador como de las condiciones de curado. La presencia de sílice soluble en la disolución activadora conduce a la formación de geles con una mayor relación Si/Al y a la ralentización de la zeolitización, factores, ambos, con un efecto positivo sobre la resistencia mecánica. Con respecto a la temperatura de curado, existe un valor umbral, en función de la composición del material, a partir del cual un incremento en dicha temperatura deja de tener efectos positivos sobre la evolución de la resistencia mecánicaThis study has been undertaken to determine the effect that the soluble silica content in the activating solution (molar ratio SiO2/Na2O between 0 and 0.69) and curing temperature (85ºC, 150ºC, and 200ºC) have on the physico-mechanical properties and mineralogical and microstructural characteristics of products formed by alkaline activation of metakaolin. The compression strength of the materials obtained was determined and a mineralogical and microstructural study of these materials was conducted by XRD, SEM-EDX, 29Si MAS-NMR, and mercury porosimetry. The results show that the mechanical strength of the material is closely related to the nature, microstructure, and chemical composition of the reaction products, as well as to the curing conditions. In all cases, the main reaction product that forms is an inorganic alkaline polymer with cementing properties (N-A-S-H gel), which is largely responsible for the mechanical properties of the material. Some zeolites form as by-products, whose quantity and type (sodalite, zeolite A, faujasite, etc.) depend on the nature of the activator and the curing conditions. The presence of soluble silica in the activating solution leads to the formation of gels with a larger Si/Al ratio and slower zeolitisation, these both being factors with a positive effect on mechanical strength. The curing temperature exhibits a threshold value that depends on the composition of the material, beyond which an increase in curing temperature ceases to positively affect the evolution of the material’s mechanical strengt

Study of the language profile of young people who leave school early

En el abandono escolar temprano influyen muchos factores, entre ellos, la competencia comunicativa del alumnado. En Melilla2, ciudad con el índice de fracaso escolar más elevado de España, se realizó una investigación cuyo objetivo era definir el perfil personal y lingüístico del joven que abandona sus estudios antes de los 24 años. Se trabajó con una metodología mixta para unir los resultados de una encuesta realizada a estos jóvenes con la información aportada por un grupo de discusión. Los resultados atienden a: características personales, familiares, escolares y capacidades lingüísticas. Como conclusión, este perfil corresponde a una persona bereber, sin género definido, de entre 16 y 17 años, que usa el español y el “tamazight” en su vida diaria, y tiene un bajo rendimiento académico; además, el nivel de estudios y socioeconómico familiar es bajo. Respecto a sus capacidades lingüísticas, su hábito lector es muy escaso y tiene dificultades en comprensión oral.Early school-leaving is influenced by many factors, among which the communicative competence is included. In Melilla, where the rate of school failure is one of the highest in Spain, a research work was carried out to define the personal and language profile of young people who leave school before being 24. A mixed methodology was used to link the results of a survey with the information received from a discussion group. Data and results are arranged in three categories: personal and educational characteristics, family background and language skills. In conclusion, this profile corresponds to a young Berber person, with no defined gender, aged 16 and 17, who uses Spanish and Tamazight in daily life, and a poor academic performance; in addition, the family level of studies and socioeconomic status are low. Regarding the language skills, the reading habit is very limited and has difficulties in oral comprehension

Types and Distribution of Bioactive Polyunsaturated Aldehydes in a Gradient from Mesotrophic to OligotrophicWaters in the Alborán Sea (Western Mediterranean)

Polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUAs) are bioactive molecules suggested as chemical defenses and infochemicals. In marine coastal habitats, diatoms reach high PUA production levels during bloom episodes. Two fractions of PUA can usually be analyzed: pPUA obtained via artificial breakage of collected phytoplankton cells and dissolved PUA already released to the environment (dPUA). In nature, resource supply arises as a main environmental controlling factor of PUA production. In this work, we monitored the vertical distribution and daily variation of pPUA associated with large-size phytoplankton and dPUA, at three sites located in the Alboran Sea from mesotrophic to oligotrophic waters. The results corroborate the presence of large-size PUA producers in oligotrophic and mesotrophic waters with a significant (58%-85%) diatom biomass. In addition to diatoms, significant correlations between pPUA production and dinoflagellate and silicoflagellate abundance were observed. 2E,4E/Z-Heptadienal was the most abundant aldehyde at the three sites with higher values (17.1 fg center dot cell(-1)) at the most oligotrophic site. 2E,4E/Z-Decadienal was the least abundant aldehyde, decreasing toward the oligotrophic site. For the first time, we describe the daily fluctuation of pPUA attributable to cellular physiological state and not exclusively to taxonomical composition. Our results demonstrate the persistence of threshold levels of dPUA deep in the water column, as well as the different chromatographic profiles of dPUA compared with pPUA. We propose different isomerization processes that alter the chemical structure of the released PUAs with unknown effects on their stability, biological function, and potential bioactivity

Histological characterization of table olive fruit bruising cv. Manzanilla de Sevilla

Sin paginarActualmente el sector del olivar en España incluye dos subsectores claramente diferenciados por su aprovechamiento: el olivar de almazara y el de mesa o verdeo, cada uno con unas particularidades específicas que los diferencian, tales como variedades empleada s y técnicas de cultivo como la poda o la recolección. En los últimos años, la necesidad de optimizar los costes de producción ha generalizado la recolección mecanizada mediante brazos vibradores o máquinas cabalgadoras en explotaciones de olivar de aceite. Sin embargo, no se ha extendido de igual manera en plantaciones de aceituna de mesa, debido a los altos porcentajes de frutos dañados por los golpes que se producen durante la recolección mecanizada. El molestado, manchas oscuras en la parte externa del exocarpo de los frutos, hace referencia a los daños provocados en los frutos por los golpes durante la recolección, más notables en la recolección mecánica. Estas manchas deprecian el fruto a nivel comercial con el consecuente rechazo del consumidor. No todos los cultivares presentan la misma susceptibilidad al molestado. ‘Manzanilla de Sevilla’, variedad por excelencia de aceituna de mesa, es considerada sensible al molestado lo que dificulta su recolección por medios mecánicos. El Departamento de Ciencias Agroforestales de la Un iversidad de Sevilla empezó a trabajar en el año 2003 en un programa de mejora genética de olivo para mesa. Una de las líneas de trabajo dentro de este proyecto ha consistido en estudiar diferentes parámetros de calidad, entre los que se encuentra el molestado. En colaboración con el Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible-CSIC, se ha desarrollado una metodología para evaluar el mismo en aceituna de mesa. En este trabajo se describe anatómicamente el molestado en frutos frescos de ‘Manzanilla de Sevilla’, después de un golpe inducido, a los 30 minutos y 24 horas del impacto y fijados posteriormente con FAE (formalina, ácido acético, etanol del 95% y agua destilada (10:5:50:3 5 v/v/v/v)). Se han evaluado histológicamente los cambios (rupturas celulares y pérdida de grosor en paredes celulares) que se producen en el mesocarpo de las zonas dañadas. Las observaciones histológicas han revelad o diferencias en los daños para los dos momentos evaluados. La presencia de rupturas celulares y la pérdida de grosor de las paredes celulares, en las zonas dañadas, han sido más evidentes a las 24 horas tras el golpe.Currently olive growing in Spain includes two main industries: olive oil and table olives, each of which has its own peculiarities, such as different varieties and specific performance of cultivation techniques like pruning or harvesting. In recent years, due to the need of reducing production costs, mechanical harvesting using trunk shakers or straddle harvesters has become widespread in olive oil orchards. However, that is not the case in table olive plantations, due to the high percentage of fruit damaged by the impacts that take place during mechanical harvesting. The term fruit bruising, dark spots on the outside of the fruit exocarp, refers to the fruit damage caused by impacts during collection, most notably in mechanical harvesting. These spots decreases commercial fruit value, being rejected by the consumer. Not all cultivars have the same fruit bruise susceptibility. Manzanilla de Sevilla, Spanish leading table olive cultivar, is considered to be sensitive to bruising being therefore difficult to harvest by mechanical devices Researchers from the Departamento de Ciencias Agroforestales at the University of Seville, Spain, are working since 2003 on a table olive breeding program. One of the research lines within the program has been to study. different table olive quality parameters, including fruit bruising. An evaluation methodology is being developed to asses this phenomenon in collaboration with the Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible-CSIC. This paper describes anatomical changes related to fruit bruising in 'Manzanilla de Sevilla' fresh fruits after an induced impact. Bruised fruits were chemically fixed in FAE (formalin, acetic acid, 95% ethanol and distilled water (10:5:50:35 v/v/v/v)) 30 minutes and 24 hours after the impact. Histological changes (cell breakage, loss of cell wall thickness and higher colour intensity) produced in the mesocarp of the damaged areas have been evaluated. Histological observations revealed differences between the evaluated times. The presence of cell ruptures and the loss of thickness in the cell walls, in the damaged areas, has been most evident at 24 hours after the impact.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación y fondos FEDER, proyectos AGL2007-65184-C02-02 y AGL2009-0724

Estudio de puriscal II. Crecimiento fetal y su influencia sobre el crecimiento fisico posnatal

articulo -- Universidad de Costa Rica. Instituto de investigaciones en Salud, 1982. Segundo artículo de una serie de investigaciones llevadas a cabo en Puriscal.El Estudio de Puriscal gira alrededor del estudio longitudinal del crecimiento y desarrollo del niño desde su vida intrauterino. Para tal propósito es preciso establecer un contacto periódico con las familiares de los niños de las falanges, y medir con precisión el crecimiento del Mike, expresado por el peso y talla a diversos intervalos, desde el nacimiento y a través de su primera infancia. Dicho objetivo se ha logrado con bastante exit° gracias a la creaciOn de una infraestructura que se contra en Ia Estacion de Campo de Puriscal dotada do personal calificado, equipos y recursos necesarios pare lograr el objetivo propuesto. El estudio, iniciado en septiembre de 1979, no ha tenido tropiezos y continua haste el presente., y ha permitido integrar otros proyectos de investigacion, asi como realizar una intervencion en salud fructifera pare Ia comunidad. Con el fin de analizar el crecimiento intrauterine y su relecion con el crecimiento postnatal, se hizo un corte a septiembre de 1981 que incluyo todos los niños que tengan por lo menos once años de edad a esa fecha, hacienda un total de 247 varones y 256 hembras. Mediante un programa de computadora que separo a los niños en subfalanges man el sexo, peso al nacer, edad gestacional y madurez fetal. Para cada subfalange so calculo la curva promedio de crecimiento de el nacimiento hasta los nueve años de edad.Los resultados mostraron qua los varones tienen, en general, major peso qua las hembras desde su necimiento y durante la lactancia. Tanto los varones como les hembras crecieron en canales influenciados por caracteristicas antropometricas definibles al nacer. Los ninos con mayor peso al nacer crecieron major durante los priirieros nueve metes qua los ninos que nacieron con menos peso. La edad gestacional tarnbien se correlacion6 con el crecimiento postnatal. Las subfalanges definidas por madurez fetal (edad gestacional y peso al nacer combinados) crecieron en canales de crecimiento influenciados por el crecirniento antenatal. Asi los ninos nacidos a termini) con peso adecuado para su edad gestacional, crecieron en forma analoga al 50 percentilo de las curves del National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS); los nacidos a termino con peso mayor pars is edad gestacional crecieron por arriba del 50 percentilo de Ia curve NCHS. Los ninos a termini) pero pequerios para edad gestational crecieron por debajo de la curve de referencia. Contrario a to observado en paises donde is infeccion y desnutricion son prevalentes, los nilios de Puriscal crecieron paralelo a las curves del NCHS lo qua denote que la variable mas importante en esta poblacion as el crecimiento intrauterino. Tal observacion denote que los factores ambientales qua afectan el consumo y utilizaciOn de los nutrientes esten actuando con poca a igual intensidad sobre las diversas subfalanges. Asimismo, las observaciones indican que no puede establecarte claramente el estado nutricional sin conocerse el peso al nacer por lo que se hace necesario insistir de nuevo sabre los criterios pare evaluar el estado nutricional. Finalmente, este estudio ha permitido, mediante el "Carrie de Salud", robustecer la conciencia comunitaria sobre la importancia de le vigilancia del estado nutricional directamente por la madre.An analysis of physical growth of cohorts of infants was made with regard to antenatal characteristics (birth weight, gestational age and fetal growth. All Puriscal neonates belonging to the first yearly cohort were classed by computer into subcohorts definied by these variables. Mean grwoth curves of the subcohorts so arranged were then calculated for visual and statistical study. In general, infants grew in tracks definied by antenatal characteristics. Differences in growth velocity observed at birth were maintained throughout the study period (birth to nine months). Birth weight and fetal matueity were the best predictors of postnatal physical growth. Most Puriscal infants grew at a velocity comparable to that of infants from the United States. Infants born at term with adequate weight for gestational age grew according to the 50th percentile of the reference curves.Universidad de Costa Rica, Instituto de investigaciones en Salud.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias de la Salud::Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud (INISA

Nanoscale characterization of Co and Co-B catalytic coatings before and after catalytic tests for the sodium borohydride hydrolysis

Capítulo tomado de https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/9783527808465.EMC2016.5347Spanish MINECO (CTQ2012-32519 and CTQ2015-65918)CONSOLIDER FUNCOAT+ (MAT2015-69035-REDC)Junta de Andalucía (PE2012-TEP862)CSIC (PIE201460E018)Laboratory for Nanoscopies and Spectroscopies (LANE) at the ICMSTalent-Hub Program funded by the Junta de Andalucía and the European Commission under the Co-funding of the 7thFramework Program in the People Program (Marie Curie Special Action

Informe de seguimiento de la actividad de los Ministerios en relación con los Programas del Marco General para la Mejora de la Calidad de la Administración General del Estado durante 2011: Real Decreto 951/2005, de 29 de julio, por el que se establece el Marco General para la Mejora de la Calidad en la AGE

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In vivo genotoxicity evaluation of cylindrospermopsin in rats using a combined micronucleus and comet assay

Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a potent cyanotoxin recognized as an emerging human threat due to its cytotoxicity and potential carcinogenicity. Although the genotoxicity of CYN has been extensively studied in vitro, limited data are available on its in vivo genotoxicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo genotoxicity of pure CYN (7.5–75 μg/kg body weight) after oral exposure of rats through a combined assay of the micronucleus test (MN) in bone marrow, and the standard and modified comet assay in stomach, liver and blood. Also, histopathological changes in stomach and liver were evaluated. Positive results in the MN test were observed in bone marrow in the exposed rats at all the tested concentrations. However, the comet assay revealed that CYN did not induce DNA strand breaks nor oxidative DNA damage in any of the tissues investigated. Finally, histopathological changes were observed in stomach and liver (7.5–75 μg/kg) in intoxicated rats. These results could indicate that CYN is able to induce irritation in stomach before its biotransformation in rats orally exposed, and genotoxicity in bone marrow.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (AGL2015-64558-R, MINECO/FEDER, UE

Toward a clinical practice guide in pharmacogenomics testing for functional polymorphisms of drug-metabolizing enzymes. Gene/drug pairs and barriers perceived in Spain

The development of clinica lpractice recommendations or guidelines for the clinical use of biomarkers is an issue of great importance withr regard to adverse drug reactions.The poten-tial of pharmacogenomicbiomarkers has been extensively investigated in recent years.However,several barriers to implementing the use of pharmacogenomics testing exist.We conducted a survey among members of the Spanish Societies of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology to obtain information about the perception of such barriers and to compare the perceptions of participants about the relative importance of majorgene/drug pairs.Of 11 potential barriers,the highest importance was attributed to lack of institutional support for pharmacogenomic stesting,and to the issues related to the lack of guidelines.Of the proposed gene/drug pairs the highest importance was assigned to HLA-B/abacavir, UGT1A1/irinotecan, and CYP2D6/tamoxifen.In this perspective article,we compare the relative importance of 29 gene/drugpairs in the Spanish study with that of the same pairs in the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutic sstudy,and we provide suggestions and areas of focus to develop a guide for clinical practice in pharmacogenomics testingThe work in the author’s laboratory is financed by Grants PS09/00943, PS09/00469, RETICS RIRAAF RD07/0064/0016, and CIBERehd from Instituto de Salud CarlosIII,Madrid, Spain, and by Grants GR10068 from Junta de Extremadura, Spain. Financed in part with FEDER funds from the European Unio