Telecommunications and colonial rivalry: European telegraph cables to the Canary Islands and Northwest Africa, 1883-1914

'The first submarine telegraphic cable which linked the Canary Islands with the Spanish mainland was inaugurated in 1883. After only one year, the cable reached Senegal, and a decade later, the islands were already connected to Brazil. At a first stage the network was exploited by prestigious English and French companies which had been in charge of its construction and its technological aspects. Beyond the local socioeconomic significance this first telegraph cable had for the local society, the Canary Islands, given their geostrategical situation, became a stage for the rivalry between the European countries as regards the colonization of Africa. Part of the communications with Northwest Africa, and with South America, had a necessary intermediate landing site on the islands. Issues regarding the ownership of the network, the control of its functioning or the possibility of its interruption were vital for the imperialist projects of Western powers in their open competition with each other. Telegraph cables are a good example of the degree of intervention to which this geographical area was subjected by industrial capitalist countries. This article analyses the way in which this telecommunications system influenced the geopolitical situation of the Canary Islands and their African hinterland. Also, it deals with the hidden fights between the European powers in their quest to hold control of this system, as well as the resulting pressure the Spanish government experienced in the pre-First World War years.' (author's abstract

Miniaturized top-metallized rectangular dielectric resonator antenna

In this paper, a modal analysis of a rectangular dielectric resonator antenna (DRA), with unconventional boundary conditions, is carried out. Analytical equations of the fields inside the resonator and simulations are presented, showing that if a resonator is mounted over a ground plane and loaded by a top metallic sheet, there is a miniaturization of the electric size of the new antenna, without significant deterioration of performance. Furthermore, dual-band responses can be achieved with this configuration.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

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

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

Analysis of the impact of the Asset Health Index in a Maintenance Strategy

Hosted by the Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria. May 23-24, 2019 - European Safety, Reliability & Data Association (ESReDA)During many years, asset management methodologies used in industry were focused on knowing and analysing the operational control of the daily work and the impact of the maintenance on the availability. Later, the costs turn into the priority, and strategies were focused on assesses a longer lifecycle and optimizing processes and contracts. Finally, recent normative have included concepts as “knowing and managing the risks” and the target is to prioritize the maintenance tasks to the critical assets. However, taking a balanced asset management model for the operational environment, quite a lot of facilities of Oil & Gas sector are reaching the end of their initially estimated lifecycle. New challenges are related to extend the life of the main items of the facilities or at least, to find the optimal replacement moment that guarantees that the maintenance strategy is being optimized. Asset Health Index methodology considers a theoretical lifecycle of an item, in which depending on the proximity to the end of the useful life, the probability of failure increases. But take this theoretical lifecycle as a base, different operation location factors or O&M aspects can modify this period. All these factor are quantified and permit us to calculate a new theoretical profile. This paper is about assess the impact of the AHI into the maintenance strategy optimisation. AHI enables us to compare future alternative cost profiles and assess the impact in the failure probability of the item. As a result, we are able to know the risk that is taken when we enlarge the operation of an item, and the impact in the operational costs

La investigación de los crímenes cometidos en la Guerra Civil y el franquismo como delito de prevaricación. Análisis crítico del Auto del Tribunal Supremo de 3 de febrero de 2010 desde la perspectiva del Derecho internacional.

Este artículo ofrece algunas consideraciones de naturaleza jurídica en torno a los argumentos formulados en el Auto del Tribunal Supremo de 3 de febrero de 2010, en lo relativo al Derecho internacional aplicable, que vienen a rebatir que la imputación de un delito de prevaricación al Magistrado-Juez D. Baltasar Garzón pueda ser jurídicamente sostenible. En concreto, en él se exponen razonamientos relativos a la Ley 52/2007 y el derecho a interponer un recurso efectivo y la tutela judicial efectiva, la Ley de Amnistía de 1977 y su consideración desde el ordenamiento jurídico internacional, y los crímenes de lesa humanidad, incluida la desaparición forzada de personas, en el Derecho internacional