Aplicación de la solarización para el control de la Verticilosis del olivo en plantaciones establecidas

Se han realizado 4 experimentos de solarizacion en 3 plantaciones comerciales de olivo infestadas con Verticillium dahliae en Andalucía. En 3 de los experimentos la solarizacion se aplicó a filas de árboles y, en el cuarto, a árboles individuales. Las plantaciones mostraban inicialmente diferentes densidades de inoculo del patógeno en el suelo. Los estudios previos indicaron que en el Experimento I, localizado en Marinaleda, se hallaban presentes aislados del patógeno altamente virulentos (defoliantes), por lo que este estudio representa la primera cita de este tipo de aislados afectando olivares comerciales de Europa. Los tratamientos de solarizacion se aplicaron a las líneas de árboles durante un año (solarizacion única) o dos años consecutivos (solarizacion doble). La solarizacion redujo significativamente la población del patógeno en los primeros 20 cm del suelo durante los 3 años de estudio en relación con las parcelas testigo. La reducción del patógeno después de la solarizacion única enmascaró los efectos del tratamiento de solarizacion doble. La reducción de la densidad de inoculo en el suelo mediante solarizacion no se correspondió con una reducción similar de la enfermedad. No obstante, la severidad de la enfermedad se redujo significativamente en las plantaciones con medias o altas densidades de inoculo iniciales. El segundo tratamiento de solarizacion no mejoró el efecto de la solarizacion única en el control de la verticilosis. En plantaciones con bajas densidades de inoculo, la solarizacion no resultó en diferencias significativas en la incidencia y severidad de la enfermedad, pero mejoró la recuperación de los árboles frente a la enfermedad. Las parcelas solarizadas se mantuvieron libres de malas hierbas y los árboles solarizados no mostraron un incremento significativo en su crecimiento medido en función del perímetro de tronco

Aislamiento de Verticillium dahliae de suelo y caracterización morfológica de sus microesclerocios

En este trabajo se describe una metodología que facilita el aislamiento directo de V. dahliae del suelo. Tras procesar la muestra por Tamizado Húmedo, se siembran alícuotas de la suspensión resultante en placas del medio Agar Polipectato Sódico Modificado (APSM) sobre las que se ha extendido una lámina de celofán. Las colonias de microesclerocios de V. dahliae formadas sobre el celofán se recuperan retirando la cuadrícula de la lámina que las contiene. Las colonias adheridas al celofán se tratan en un baño de ultrasonidos, se lavan y se filtran utilizando una bomba de vacío. Tras el filtrado, el residuo resultante se siembra en nuevas placas de APSM, PDA o PDA acidificado, donde las colonias de Vi dahliae crecen libres de contaminantes, y se pueden transferir para obtener el cultivo puro. Se ha obtenido así una colección de aislados de suelo de V. dahliae, cuyos microesclerocios producidos sobre APSM se han caracterizado morfológicamente. Los valores de la relación longitud/anchura de los microesclerocios de los aislados obtenidos mostraron una amplia variabilidad comparados con los microesclerocios de los aislados de referencia, VI17 (defolíante) y V4 (no defolíante) de V. dahliae. Las características morfológicas de los microesclerocios en APSM podrían estar relacionadas con el patotipo del aislado de este agente, como ha sido descrito por otros autores en otros medios de cultivo. Por ello, este método de aislamiento podría facilitar en el futuro estudios de ecología y virulencia del patógeno. Adicionalmente, la metodología desarrollada podría aplicarse de forma simultánea para la determinación de la densidad de inoculo de V. dahlia

Deconstructing the Tower of Babel: a design method to improve empathy and teamwork competences of informatics students

The competence-based education recently launched in Spanish universities presents a set of abilities and skills that are difficult to teach to students in higher and more technologically-oriented grades. In this paper, a teaching intervention that is based on design methodologies is proposed, to upgrade the competitive capacities of computer engineering students. In particular, this intervention targets those aspects relating to working in multidisciplinary teams and to defining requirements based on the user’s empathy and knowledge. The main idea inspiring this technique is that the underlying challenge is a communication problem. As Brooks (1995) states in his book The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering, even a project having all of the prerequisites for success (a clear mission, manpower, materials, time and adequate technology) could fail as a Tower of Babel. The proposed technique through mixed methods has been evaluated with students enrolled in different courses, confirming the repeatability and validity of this method from quantitative measurement, from observation of the results, and from ascertaining the value perceived by students and their attitudes

Are local action groups, under LEADER approach, a good way to support resilience in rural areas?

The LEADER approach is a tool of governance in rural areas in Spain since its launch as a Community initiative, more than two decades ago. Its contribution to the development of rural areas, and their adaptation to the changes that have occurred in the last twenty years, are decisive. For local action groups (LAGs), the existence of networks that grouped them, is essential for the development of the methodology, the transmission of information and the relationship with governments, at regional, national and European level. Both, LAGs and networks can play an important role to analyze the effects of the economic crisis in rural areas and the capacity of resilience. This paper analyzes the role of LAGs and the existing rural development networks in Spain, their functioning, how LAGs adapt themselves to the crisis, how they are supported by the mentioned networks, and how they can contribute to the resilience in rural areas

A bacterial acetyltransferase targets the protein kinase ZIP1, a positive regulator of plant immunity

Pseudomonas syringae is a model bacterial pathogen that penetrates the leaf to reach the plant apoplast, where it replicates causing disease. In order to do that, the pathogen must interfere and suppress a two-tiered plant defense response: PTI (PAMP-Triggered Immunity, or basal resistance) and ETI (Effector-Triggered Immunity). P. syringae uses a type III secretion system to directly deliver effector proteins inside the plant cell cytosol, many of which are known to suppress PTI, some of which are known to trigger ETI, and a handful of which are known to suppress ETI. Bacterial infection can also trigger a systemic plant defense response that protects the plant against additional pathogen attacks known as SAR (Systemic Acquired Resistance). We are particularly interested in the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in effector-mediated defense evasion by P. syringae, in particular those involved in the suppression of ETI and SAR, and/or mediation of hormone signaling. Here we present data describing effector-mediated interference with plant immunity, by means of acetylation of a key positive regulator of local and systemic responses. Our work identifies a novel plant target for effector function, and characterizes its function. This work illustrates how analyzing the means by which a given effector interferes with its target can provide novel information regarding eukaryotic molecular mechanisms.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. MINECO BIO2015-64391R y FEDE

Medio de carga para máquinas de musculación

ES2617959 A1 (20.06.2017) ES2617959 B2 (03.11.2017) P201700130 (30.01.2017)Medio de carga del tipo de los utilizados en máquinas de musculación. El medio de carga incorpora dos guías curvas (1a, 1b) colocadas de forma simétrica y cuyas caras exteriores definen sendas pistas de rodadura (11a, 11b) sobre las que pueden desplazarse sendos rodillos (3a, 3b). Los ejes (4a, 4b) de dichos rodillos (3a, 3b) están unidos entre sí mediante un resorte de extensión (5). Dos tirantes (6a, 6b) unen los ejes (4a, 4b) de sendos rodillos (3a, 3b) con un cable de carga (8). La geometría de la curva definida por las pistas de rodadura (11a, 11b) es tal que la fuerza exterior aplicada sobre el cable de carga (8) es la misma independientemente de la posición en la que se encuentren los rodillos (3a, 3b).UNIVERSIDAD DE ALMERÍ

A simple, repeated rTMS protocol effectively removes auditory verbal hallucinations in a single patient study

Letter to the Edito

The bacterial effector HopZ1a acetylates ZIP1 kinase to suppress Arabidopsis defence responses

During the plant-pathogen interaction, disease or resistance are determined in the plant by a series of molecular events. The plant detects Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs), such as flagellin, triggering a defence response called PTI (PAMP-Triggered Immunity). Bacterial pathogens can in turn suppress such defence response through the translocation into the plant cell cytosol of virulence proteins, called effectors, via a Type Three Secretion System (T3SS). In resistant plants, intracellular receptors known as R proteins recognize these effectors, triggering a second line of defence, more specific and intense, called ETI (Effector-Triggered Immunity), which usually leads to programmed cell death known as HR (Hypersensitive Response). Pseudomonas syringae is a phytopathogenic bacterium whose virulence depends on a T3SS and its effector repertoire. Some strains include HopZ1a, an unusual effector which is able to suppress in Arabidopsis both local (PTI and ETI), and systemic (SAR, for Systemic Acquired Resistance) defences, by means of its acetyltransferase activity. In resistant Arabidopsis plants, HopZ1a acetylates the ZED1 pseudokinase, which is proposed to function as a decoy mimicking HopZ1a target in the plant: ZED1 modification activates an R-protein (ZAR1) to trigger HopZ1a-dependent ETI. None of the Arabidopsis proteins proposed to date as HopZ1a targets is a kinase, nor fully explains the effector´s defence suppression abilities. In this work we identify an Arabidopsis kinase that functions as a positive regulator of PTI, ETI and SAR, which interacts with HopZ1a and is acetylated by this effector in lysine residues essential for its kinase activity. Further, HopZ1a can specifically suppress the defence phenotypes resulting from ZIP1 expression in Arabidopsis. We propose that ZIP1 acetylation by HopZ1a interferes with its kinase activity, and consequently with positive defence signalling.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Condición física, adiposidad y autoconcepto en adolescentes. Estudio piloto

Un alto índice de masa corporal y una baja capacidad aeróbica se asocia con un peor autoconcepto. Se ha observado también que personas obesas pero con buena forma física están físicamente sanos, fenómeno conocido como "fat but fit". El presente estudio pretende: 1) determinar la relación entre cantidad de grasa corporal y principales componentes de la condición física con el autoconcepto en adolescentes; 2) testar si el fenómeno fat but fit se asocia con un mejor autoconcepto. Un total de 69 adolescentes (14.68 ± 1.36 años) participaron en la evaluación de la composición corporal y la condición física (Batería ALPHA-Fitness). La capacidad aeróbica (forma vs. no en forma) e índice de masa corporal (normo-peso vs. sobrepeso-obesidad) fueron categorizadas usando criterios estándar. Cinco dimensiones del autoconcepto fueron evaluadas mediante el Cuestionario de Autoconcepto Forma 5. La grasa total y central se correlacionó negativamente con el autoconcepto físico, mientras que la condición física (fuerza, velocidad-agilidad y capa- cidad aeróbica) se correlacionó positivamente (p .3). Los resultados confirman la paradoja fat but fit, el sobrepeso se asocia a un peor autoconcepto físico, pero si se tiene una buena forma física los valores de autoconcepto se igualan a los de los adolescentes con normo-peso.A high body mass index and low level of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a poor self-concept. It has also been noted that obese people who are fit are physically healthy, a fact which is known as 'fat but fit'. The present study aims to: 1) determine the association between body fat and the main components of physical fitness and adolescents' self-concept; 2) test whether the phenomenon called 'fat but fit' is related to a better selfconcept. A total of 69 adolescents (14.68 ± 1.36 years old) took part in the body composition and physical fitness evaluation (ALPHA-Fitness Test Battery). Cardiorespiratory fitness (fit vs. not fit) and the body mass index (normal-weight vs. overweight-obesity) were classified using standard criteria. Five dimensions of self-concept were evaluated by means of the Self-Concept Form 5 Questionnaire. Total and central fat was negatively correlated with physical self-concept, whereas physical condition (strength, speed-agility and aerobic capacity) was positively correlated (p < .05 to .001). High levels of fat mass and little speed-agility were correlated with a worse social self-concept (p < .05). The adolescents who were overweight-obese but in good physical condition (fat but fit) showed a higher self-concept than those who were overweight-obese/not fit (p = .006), with similar figures to adolescents with a normal weight