Sustainable Irrigation Management of Ornamental Cordyline Fruticosa “Red Edge” Plants with Saline Water

The aim of this work was to analyze the influence of the salinity of the nutrient solution on the transpiration and growth of Cordyline fruticosa var. “Red Edge” plants. A specific irrigation management model was calibrated with the experimental data. An experiment was performed with four treatments. These treatments consisted of the application of four nutrient solutions with different electrical conductivity (ECw) levels ranging from 1.5 dS m−1 (control treatment) to 4.5 dS m−1. The results showed that day-time transpiration decreases when salt concentration in the nutrient solution increases. The transpiration of the plant in the control treatment was modelled by applying a combination method while the effect of the salinity of the nutrient solution was modelled by deriving a saline stress coefficient from the experimental data. The results showed that significant reductions in plant transpiration were observed for increasing values of ECw. The crop development and yield were also affected by the increasing salinity of the nutrient solution. A relationship between the ECw and the relative crop yield was derived

I, PokerBot

This is an automated system that asumes the role of a poker player in a no-limit Hold 'Em tournament. It works as a module that can be connected to any poker service. With combinational and probability theory, and analyzing the other player's behaviour, generates a decision tree of the current game

Forecasted datasets of electric vehicle consumption on the electricity grid of Spain

The information included in this study were calculated on the basis of data provided by the Spanish electricity grid, for thirteen years between 2007 and 2019. This data includes: the average consumption demand on the Spanish electricity grid at national level, and its availability. Subsequently, the report looks at the number of electric vehicles that could be supported in the years 2020–2023, depending on the consumption demand and availably of the electricity grid for those future years. The data presented in the article refers to the research study: ‘Electric vehicles in Spain: An overview of charging systems’ and ‘Analysis of charging stations for electric vehicles in Spain

Deciphering the suppressive effects of CBX8 on prostate cancer cell invasion

Objective·To elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of the chromobox protein homolog 8 (CBX8) in prostate cancer metastasis from transcriptome and epigenetic modification perspectives.Methods·The correlation between the expression of CBX proteins and prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was examined through an analysis based on cBioPortal database. A stable CBX8 knockdown DU145 prostate cancer cell line was established via short hairpin RNA (shRNA) transfection. Subsequently, the proliferation and invasion of the CBX8 knockdown cells were analyzed by CCK-8 assay and Transwell assay, respectively. Transcriptome changes of the CBX8 knockdown cells were investigated through RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) coupled with Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). To further evaluate the functional implications of these transcriptomic alterations, Gene Ontology (GO) for functional analysis was deployed. Moreover, to identify potentially affected signalling pathways, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) was utilized for pathway enrichment analysis. Lastly, the levels of H3K27me3, a key histone modification associated with CBX8, in the knockdown cells were determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq).Results·Bioinformatic analysis with cBioPortal database, based on TCGA-PRAD cohorts, unveiled a high CBX8 mRNA expression in PRAD. Knockdown of CBX8 did not significantly affect the proliferation of DU145 cells (P>0.05), but caused a a significant increase in their invasiveness (P<0.05). The RNA-seq analysis revealed that CBX8 knockdown led to the upregulation of 750 genes and the downregulation of 951 genes. Notably, branched-chain-amino-acid aminotransferase 1 (BCAT1), a gene implicated in the metastasis of various types of cancers, showed a significant increase in expression following CBX8 knockdown. GSEA showed that the expression levels were of the affected genes were related to the functions of the polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1). A further investigation using GO and KEGG analyses identified several enriched pathways in the CBX8 knockdown cells, including transfer RNA (tRNA) aminoacylation, DNA replication, changes in aminoacyl-tRNA ligase activity, and cadherin binding. Interestingly, in terms of cell component of GO functional analysis, cell-substrate junction-related genes associated with tumor metastasis appeared to be enriched. ChIP-seq results showed a global decrease in H3K27me3 levels. Significantly, 97 reduced H3K27me3 peaks were found located nearby genes that were upregulated upon CBX8 knockdown, including the transcriptional start site of BCAT1.Conclusion·CBX8 is highly expressed in prostate cancer. CBX8 suppresses prostate cancer cell invasion, possibly by recruiting the transcriptional repressive PRC1 complex to the transcription site of BCAT1, thereby inhibiting BCAT1 transcription and tumor metastasis

Validación de la variabilidad en la captación del SUV (Standarized Uptake Value) entre dos 18FDG-PETs (basal y tras primer ciclo de tratamiento) como factor predictivo de respuesta precoz al tratamiento quimioterápico, en pacientes con carcinoma ductal infiltrante de mama en estadios II y IIIA

INTRODUCCIÖN: El cáncer de mama es el tumor más frecuente en la mujer, y un importante problema de salud pública. España, se diagnostican anualmente unos 16.000 casos nuevos. La incidencia estimada en nuestro país es de 93´6 casos por 100.000 mujeres año. El tratamiento del carcinoma de mama es multimodal. La quimioterapia neoadyuvante ha demostrado ser al menos tan eficaz como la adyuvante en términos de supervivencia. La respuesta completa patológica (RCP) se ha confirmado como un marcador subrogado de supervivencia libre de enfermedad (SLE) y supervivencia global (SG). En vista de la importancia pronóstica de la RCP se ha intentado identificar a aquellas pacientes que van a obtener una mayor respuesta. Por ello, varios autores han evaluado el papel de la tomografía de emisión de Positrones como predictor de respuesta al tratamiento quimioterápico. HIPÓTESIS: La variación de la determinación del SUV (Standard Uptake Value) entre dos 18FDG-PET es capaz de predecir de forma precoz la RCP. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se incluyeron pacientes con carcinoma de mama estadios clínicos II-IIIA de > 3cm o con afectación axilar. Se llevó a cabo una determinación basal el día previo al inicio del tratamiento quimioterápico y otra el día + 8 del primer ciclo. Como objetivo principal se evaluó un punto de corte de reducción del SUV del 45 % entre dos determinaciones como predictivo de RCP. Como objetivo secundarios se evaluaron el mejor punto de corte para la predicción de respuesta precoz, la supervivencia en función de la respuesta patológica y metabólica, los factores predictivos de respuesta y la utilidad de la 18FDG-PET en el diagnóstico de la enfermedad axilar. RESULTADOS: La reducción de al menos un 45 % del SUV el día +8 del primer ciclo fue capaz de predecir el evento RPC con una sensibilidad del 70 % y una especificidad del 76 %. Por otro lado, el mejor punto de corte para la predicción de respuesta fue de 39,20. Éste se asoció a una sensibilidad del 80 % y una especificidad del 70 %. Las pacientes con una respuesta patológica grado 4-5 de Miller & Payne presentaron una mayor supervivencia libre de enfermedad y global. Sin embargo, no se observaron diferencias en supervivencia en función de la respuesta metabólica medida por PET. CONCLUSIONES: El estudio consigue demostrar que una reducción de al menos un 45 % del SUV el día + 8 del primer ciclo es capaz de predecir que pacientes van a obtener una RCP

A Chinese Herbal Formula to Improve General Psychological Status in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial on Sichuan Earthquake Survivors

Introduction. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is accompanied by poor general psychological status (GPS). In the present study, we investigated the effects of a Chinese herbal formula on GPS in earthquake survivors with PTSD. Methods. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial compared a Chinese herbal formula, Xiao-Tan-Jie-Yu-Fang (XTJYF), to placebo in 2008 Sichuan earthquake survivors with PTSD. Patients were randomized into XTJYF (n = 123) and placebo (n = 122) groups. Baseline-to-end-point score changes in the three global indices of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and rates of response in the SCL global severity index (GSI) were the primary endpoints. A subanalysis of the nine SCL factors and the sleep quality score were secondary endpoints. Results and Discussion. Compared to placebo, the XTJYF group was significantly improved in all three SCL global indices (P = 0.001~0.028). More patients in the XTJYF group reported “much improved” than the placebo group (P = 0.001). The XTJYF group performed significantly better than control in five out of nine SCL factors (somatization, obsessive-compulsive behavior, depression, anxiety, and hostility (P = 0.001~0.036)), and in sleep quality score (P < 0.001). XTJYF produced no serious adverse events. These findings suggest that XTJYF may be an effective and safe treatment option for improving GPS in patients with PTSD

Persistent Organic Pollutants and Mercury in Genetically Identified Inner Estuary Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Residents of the Guayaquil Gulf, Ecuador: Ecotoxicological Science in Support of Pollutant Management and Cetacean Conservation

The bottlenose dolphin is one of the most common cetaceans found in the coastal waters, estuaries, and mangroves of Ecuador. However, its population size is gradually declining in the Gulf of Guayaquil, and anthropogenic factors including habitat degradation, uncontrolled dolphin watching, dredging activities, increasing maritime traffic, underwater noise, bycatch, and marine pollution have been implicated in their decline. Very little is known about contamination by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury in bottlenose dolphins from the Pacific coast of South America. To address this research gap, the first assessment of total mercury (THg) and POPs, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins in mangroves (El Morro Mangrove Wildlife Refuge) of the Gulf of Guayaquil, was conducted in Ecuador in 2018. Dolphin samples (i.e., skin and blubber;&nbsp;n&nbsp;= 9), were obtained using dart biopsy field methods for contaminant analysis. POP concentrations ranged from 0.56 to 13.0 mg/kg in lipid weight, while THg ranged from 1.92 to 3.63 mg/kg in dry weight. The predominant POPs were OCPs (50% of ΣPOP), followed by PCBs (46%) and PBDEs (6.0%); particularly,&nbsp;p,p′-DDE, the main DDT metabolite and a potent anti-androgenic, accounting for 42% of ΣPOP, ranging from 0.12 to ∼7.0 mg/kg lw, followed by PCB 153 (8.0%) and PCB 180 (5.0%). PBDE 47 accounted for 2.0% of ΣPOP. While the POP concentrations are lower than those found in dolphins from many other regions of the world, some of the THg concentrations are within the concentration range found in dolphins from the southeastern coast of the United States. The ecotoxicological risk assessment showed that some of the sampled dolphins are exposed to immunotoxic and endocrine disruption effects by POPs and mercury. The low genetic diversity of this distinctive dolphin population, likely exhibiting genetic isolation and a unique evolutionary heritage, could be lost if the population continues to decline in the face of anthropogenic threats, including chemical pollution. Our finding shows that bottlenose dolphins in coastal Ecuador are exposed to environmental contaminants and can be used as sentinel species for ecosystem health to monitor pollution in the region and to support ecotoxicological risk assessment and regional pollutant management

Homínidos y hienas en el Calvero de la Higuera (Pinilla del Valle, Madrid) durante el Pleistoceno superior. Resultados preliminares.

Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

5G Mobile Phone Network Introduction in Colombia

The deployment of the 5G mobile network is currently booming, offering commercially available services that improve network performance metrics by minimizing network latency in countries such as the USA, China, and Korea. However, many countries around the world are still in the pilot phase promoted and regulated by government agencies. This is the case in Colombia, where the assignment of the first 5G band is planned for the third quarter of 2021. By analyzing the results of the pilot phase and the roadmap of the Colombian Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (MinTIC), we can determine the main issues, which contribute to the deployment of 5G mobile technology as well as the plans to achieve a 5G stand-alone network from 4G networks. This is applicable to other countries in Latin America and the world. Then, our objective is to synthesize and share the most important concepts of 5G mobile technology such as the MIMO (multiple input/multiple output) antenna, RAN (Radio Access Network), C-RAN (Centralised-RAN), and frequency bands, and evaluate the current stage of its introduction in Colombia

Mecanismo de fuerza constante

Número de publicación: ES2683962 A1 (28.09.2018) También publicado como: ES2683962 B2 (21.02.2019) Número de Solicitud: Consulta de Expedientes OEPM (C.E.O.) P201700551 (28.03.2017)Mecanismo de fuerza constante del tipo de los utilizados para mantener un nivel de fuerza constante sobre el eslabón de entrada. El mecanismo incorpora una guía curva (1), cuya cara exterior define dos pistas de rodadura laterales (3a, 3b) sobre las que ruedan sendas ruedas (5a, 5b). Ambas ruedas (5a, 5b) están montadas sobre un mismo eje (6), sobre el que actúa un resorte de extensión (8). El otro extremo de este resorte se articula a un eje fijo (7). Por acción de una cadena de rodillos (10) las ruedas (5a, 5b) se desplazan sobre sendas pistas de rodadura laterales (3a, 3b) mientras que el resorte de extensión (8) se opone al movimiento. La geometría de la curva definida por las pistas de rodadura laterales (3a, 3b) es tal que la fuerza aplicada sobre la cadena de rodillos (10) se mantiene constante para cualquier posición de las ruedas (5a, 5b).Universidad de Almería y Universidad de Sevill