Managing and Planning Water Resources for Irrigation: Smart-Irrigation Systems for Providing Sustainable Agriculture and Maintaining Ecosystem Services

Smart-irrigation systems are a hot topic in irrigation management. Satellite imaging, sensors and controls, communication technologies and irrigation decision models are readily available. The price of the required technology is being reduced year after year, and its implementation in agriculture gives real-time information that allows for more accurate management of water resources. Even so, the adaptation of existing technologies to particular situations that the irrigation management is facing in different agro-environmental contexts is needed. This Special Issue addresses the application of different smart-irrigation technologies in four different research areas: (1) remote sensing-based estimates of crop evapotranspiration, (2) Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for smart-irrigation, (3) precision irrigation models and controls, and (4) the price of natural resources. The nine papers presented in this special issue cover a wide range of practical applications, and this editorial summarizes each of them

MicroRNA deregulation and chemotaxis and phagocytosis impairment in Alzheimer's disease

AbstractIntroductionMononuclear phagocytes play a critical role during Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis due to their contribution to innate immune responses and amyloid beta (Aβ) clearance mechanisms.MethodsBlood-derived monocytes (BDMs) and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) were isolated from blood of AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, and age-matched healthy controls for molecular and phenotypic comparisons.ResultsThe chemokine/chemokine receptor CCL2/CCR2 axis was impaired in BDMs from AD and MCI patients, causing a deficit in cell migration. Changes were also observed in MDM-mediated phagocytosis of Aβ fibrils, correlating with alterations in the expression and processing of the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2). Finally, immune-related microRNAs (miRNAs), including miR-155, -154, -200b, -27b, and -128, were found to be differentially expressed in these cells.DiscussionThis work provides evidence that chemotaxis and phagocytosis, two crucial innate immune functions, are impaired in AD and MCI patients. Correlations with miRNA levels suggest an epigenetic contribution to systemic immune dysfunction in AD

Improved Survival, Vascular Differentiation and Wound Healing Potential of Stem Cells Co-Cultured with Endothelial Cells

In this study, we developed a methodology to improve the survival, vascular differentiation and regenerative potential of umbilical cord blood (UCB)-derived hematopoietic stem cells (CD34+ cells), by co-culturing the stem cells in a 3D fibrin gel with CD34+-derived endothelial cells (ECs). ECs differentiated from CD34+ cells appear to have superior angiogenic properties to fully differentiated ECs, such as human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Our results indicate that the pro-survival effect of CD34+-derived ECs on CD34+ cells is mediated, at least in part, by bioactive factors released from ECs. This effect likely involves the secretion of novel cytokines, including interleukin-17 (IL-17) and interleukin-10 (IL-10), and the activation of the ERK 1/2 pathway in CD34+ cells. We also show that the endothelial differentiation of CD34+ cells in co-culture with CD34+-derived ECs is mediated by a combination of soluble and insoluble factors. The regenerative potential of this co-culture system was demonstrated in a chronic wound diabetic animal model. The co-transplantation of CD34+ cells with CD34+-derived ECs improved the wound healing relatively to controls, by decreasing the inflammatory reaction and increasing the neovascularization of the wound

Remote Sensing Monitoring of Rice Fields: Towards Assessing Water Saving Irrigation Management Practices

Rice cultivation is one of the largest users of the world’s freshwater resources. The contribution of remote sensing observations for identifying the conditions under which rice is cultivated, particularly throughout the growing season, can be instrumental for water, and crop management. Data from different remote sensing platforms are being used in agriculture, namely to detecting anomalies in crops. This is attempted by calculating vegetation indices (VI) that are based on different vegetation reflectance bands, especially those that rely on the Red, Green, and near-infrared bands, such as the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) or the Green Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (GNDVI). However, particular features of different crops and growing conditions justify that some indices are more adequate than others on a case-to-case basis, according to the different vegetation’s spectral signatures. In recent years, a vegetation index related to the Red Edge reflectance band, the Normalised Difference Red Edge (NDRE) has shown potential to be used as a tool to support agricultural management practices; this edge band, by taking a transition position, is very sensitive to changes in vegetation properties. This work, focusing on the rice crop and the application of different irrigation practices, explores the capability of several VIs calculated from different reflectance bands to detect variability, at the plot scale, in rice cultivation in the Lower Mondego region (Portugal). The remote sensing data were obtained from satellite Sentinel-2A imagery and using a multispectral camera mounted on an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). By comparing several vegetation indices, we found that NDRE is particularly useful for identifying non-homogeneities in irrigation and crop growth in rice fields. Since few satellite sensors are sensible in the Red Edge band and none has the spatial resolution offered by UAS, this study explores the potential of UAS to be used as a useful support information tool in rice farming and precision agriculture, regarding irrigation, and agronomic management

Nuclear export of African swine fever virus p37 protein occurs through two distinct pathways and is mediated by three independent signals

Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling activity of the African swine fever virus p37 protein, a major structural protein of this highly complex virus, has been recently reported. The systematic characterization of the nuclear export ability of this protein constituted the major purpose of the present study. We report that both the N- and C-terminal regions of p37 protein are actively exported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm of yeast and mammalian cells. Moreover, experiments using leptomycin B and small interfering RNAs targeting the CRM1 receptor have demonstrated that the export of p37 protein is mediated by both the CRM1-dependent and CRM1-independent nuclear export pathways. Two signals responsible for the CRM1-mediated nuclear export of p37 protein were identified at the N terminus of the protein, and an additional signal was identified at the C-terminal region, which mediates the CRM1-independent nuclear export. Interestingly, site-directed mutagenesis revealed that hydrophobic amino acids are critical to the function of these three nuclear export signals. Overall, our results demonstrate that two distinct pathways contribute to the strong nuclear export of full-length p37 protein, which is mediated by three independent nuclear export signals. The existence of overlapping nuclear export mechanisms, together with our observation that p37 protein is localized in the nucleus at early stages of infection and exclusively in the cytoplasm at later stages, suggests that the nuclear transport ability of this protein may be critical to the African swine fever virus replication cycl

Technologies for the study of hydropeaking impacts on fish populations : Applications, advantages, outcomes, and future developments

Dam construction and streamflow regulation are increasing throughout the world, with impacts in impounded aquatic ecosystems. Hydropower dams, some of them causing a phenomenon called “hydropeaking” during their operation, are known for having a variety of impacts on downstream aquatic biota, particularly fish, and respective habitat. This can result in significant changes, from the community (e.g., fish assemblage structure) to the individual level (e.g., physiological and behavioural adjustments). Researchers and managers involved in the assessment of hydropeaking impacts must be resourceful and use methods that allow their precise evaluation, from large to fine-scale habitat and biological responses. In the last decades, technological advances allowed for the development of techniques and instrumentations that are increasingly being used in hydropeaking impact and mitigation assessments. This paper aims to provide a review, to researchers and managers interested in this field, of some of the most innovative methods and techniques, involving technology, that are available to study hydropeaking effects on downstream ecosystem, particularly from a fish perspective. We discuss the fundamentals behind such techniques, their advantages, and disadvantages, while also providing practical examples of their application and of the type of results that can be obtained. We finish by discussing some of the shortcomings of these methods and how related technology can evolve to solve current limitations

African swine fever virus p37 structural protein is localized in nuclear foci containing the viral DNA at early post-infection times

The replication of African swine fever virus DNA is initiated inside the nucleus of host cells, being followed by a longer cytoplasmic replication stage. In face of previous results demonstrating the nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling activity of ASFV p37 structural protein when considered isolated from the virus infection, we performed a systematic analysis of the subcellular localization of p37 protein in ASFV-infected cells, aiming at identifying the role of the nuclear transport mediated by this protein in the viral replication cycle. We report that the p37 protein of the incoming virions is localized throughout the cell at early times post-infection, concentrated in distinct nuclear regions, while at later times the newly synthesized protein is detected exclusively in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Experiments using leptomycin B and siRNAs targeting the CRM1 receptor demonstrate that the subcellular localization of p37 protein is not affected by inhibition of the CRM1-mediated nuclear export pathway. Finally, results from in situ hybridization experiments show a co-localization of the ASFV DNA and p37 protein in specific nuclear regions at early times post-infection, and in viral factories at later times. Overall, these results support the involvement of p37 protein in the nuclear transport of the viral DNA during ASFV replication cycle.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T32-4P0NC0D-1/1/1a737ed7f5af7316597252783e8d690

African swine fever virus p10 protein exhibits nuclear import capacity and accumulates in the nucleus during viral infection

African swine fever virus (ASFV), a large enveloped DNA-containing virus, infects domestic and wild pigs, and multiplies in soft ticks, causing an economically relevant hemorrhagic disease. Evaluation of the nuclear import ability of ASFV p10 protein was the major purpose of the present work. Two approaches were used to determine if p10 protein is imported into the nucleus by an active process: a yeast-based nuclear import assay and the determination of the subcellular localization of p10 protein in mammalian cells by fluorescence microscopy. The results obtained clearly demonstrate that p10 protein is actively imported into the nucleus, both in yeast and mammalian cells. Experiments aiming at identifying the critical residues responsible for the nuclear import of ASFV p10 protein indicate that the amino acids comprised between the positions 71 and 77 are important, although not sufficient, for the protein active nuclear import. In ASFV-infected cells, the p10 protein strongly accumulates in the nucleus at late times post-infection, indicating that p10 protein may accomplish an important function inside the nucleus during the late phase of the viral replication cycle.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TD6-4RFSCVW-3/1/241779afe46e1988d4a2f22934572d9

Avaliação neurológica pelo método Dubowitz em recém-nascidos prematuros com idade corrigida de termo comparada a de nascidos a termo Neonatal neurological assessment by the Dubowitz method in preterm infants at term corrected age compared with term infants

OBJETIVO: Comparar a avaliação neurológica de recém-nascidos pré-termo em idade de termo com a de recém-nascidos a termo e verificar a presença de associação entre alterações na avaliação neurológica e características e intercorrências clínicas nos prematuros. MÉTODO: Estudo transversal de 60 nascidos a termo e 30 prematuros do Hospital Estadual Mário Covas, em Santo André (SP), avaliados pelo método Dubowitz. Os pontos de corte da pontuação total foram 30,5 e 26 para comparar recém-nascidos pré-termo e a termo, respectivamente. Os prematuros foram avaliados com idade correspondente ao termo, na 37ª semana, e os do grupo controle, 48 horas após o nascimento. Todos os neonatos foram avaliados pela mesma examinadora, entre as mamadas, nos estágios 4 e 5 de sono e vigília. Para análise estatística, utilizaram-se testes de associação. RESULTADOS: 90% dos nascidos pré-termo não atingiram a pontuação esperada para a idade de termo (p<0,0001), com alterações mais evidentes nas dimensões: tônus, tipo de tônus e movimentos. Dentre os prematuros, 57% não atingiram pontuação total igual ou superior a 26. A sepse neonatal foi a única intercorrência associada de maneira significante, com pontuações abaixo da normalidade em recém-nascidos pré-termo (p=0,009). CONCLUSÃO: Os recém-nascidos pré-termo avaliados com 37 semanas de idade corrigida, quando comparados aos nascidos a termo, apresentaram menor pontuação no exame neurológico e apenas a sepse se associou a alterações neurológicas.<br>OBJECTIVE: To compare neonatal neurological assessment of preterm newborn infants at term corrected age with term infants, and to identify the presence of association between neurologic abnormalities in preterm infants and demographic characteristics and neonatal clinical conditions. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 60 term and 30 preterm infants born at the Mario Covas State Hospital in Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil. The Dubowitz method was applied to assess neurobehavior. The total score cut-offs of 30.5 and 26 were used to compare respectively preterm and term infants and to analyze the variables related to performance in the preterm group. Preterm newborns were evaluated at 37 post-conceptual weeks and the control group was evaluated 48 hours after birth. All newborns were evaluated by the same neurologist, between feedings and at sleep-awake stages 4 or 5. Statistical analysis was performed by association tests. RESULTS: 90% of the preterm infants did not reach the expected score for term age. Underachievement was seen mainly in the domains of muscle tonus, type of muscle tonus and movements. Among the 30 preterm infants included in the study, 57% did not reach a total score > 26. Sepsis was the only complication significantly associated with neurological impairment (p=0.009). CONCLUSION: Preterm newborn infants at 37 weeks corrected age do not accomplish the neurologic performance of term infants. Sepsis was the only clinical variable associated with neurological disabilities