Thermal melting of density waves on the square lattice

We present the theory of the effect of thermal fluctuations on commensurate "p x p" density wave ordering on the square lattice (p >= 3, integer). For the case in which this order is lost by a second order transition, we argue that the adjacent state is generically an incommensurate striped state, with commensurate p-periodic long range order along one direction, and incommensurate quasi-long-range order along the orthogonal direction. We also present the routes by which the fully disordered high temperature state can be reached. For p=4, and at special commensurate densities, the "4 x 4" commensurate state can melt directly into the disordered state via a self-dual critical point with non-universal exponents.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

Sustainable Construction Model for Rehabilitation and Protection of environmentally fragile and degraded areas: Laciana Valley

Coal mining activity was the main source of income in the Laciana Valley region (León,Spain) from the 1950s to the 1980s. This mining activity has left fingerprints in the Laciana landscape, along with completely abandoned buildings and infrastructures. Within the framework of the R&D Spanish National Plan Program (2004-2007) and the Sustainable Construction principles, a research project has been addressed, aiming protection, management, and landscape and built environment planning for this area, as main targets. At the same time, the establishment of guidelines for suitable and sustainable management of future constructions, by promoting activities adapted to the economic development and the social revitalization of the territory, is another aim. By applying sustainable principles for regional planning to new activities, the region?s identity and culture will be reinforced. In other words, a model of sustainable construction for an environmentally deteriorated and fragile area is to be pursued in Laciana Valley

Standardization in sustainable construction. National and international scopes

Sustainable development term and how conscience of its profits contribute to quality of life and development in a country is relatively new, and it is taken into account as an important fact, once stability has been reached in a country in the more essential aspects considered. When that happens, sustainable development becomes one of the main political targets. Referring to Construction, efforts must be pointed out that are being developed all around the world to improve all aspects that are related within this sector, to start with Standardization Organisms, responsible for tasks such as organization and homogenisation of different standards in order to create a common working environment. There are diverse organisms of standardization at international, European and national scopes and they are classified according to sectors in which their main activities are developed. "The construction of Europe aimed at the emergence of a single big marketplace as well as the continuous increase in international exchanges have led to the setting up of European and international standardisation bodies in order to offer a common language lo the different players of the economy and society" (www.afnor.fr). This common language is developed by means of standards. Standards must be understood as necessary tools wruch "contribute to making the development, manufacturing and supply of products and services more efficient, safer and cleaner" (www.iso,org), In a wider context, they improve and make easier national and international free trade and provide governments with a technical base for health, safety and environmental legislation. They aid in transferring technology to developing countries. Standards also serve to "safeguard consumers, and users in general, o/ products and services - as well as 10 make their lives simpler" (www.iso.org)

Issues for rehabilitation of constructions and sites in mining landscapes

The frantic pace of technological development in all the fields of production, agricultural. forestry, industrial and mining, as well as in the area of regional and urban planning, infrastructures, tourism, leisure, etc., are promoting acceleration without control in the transformation of landscape. On the other hand, the growing concern for the environment and the conservation of its resources has provoked the search for alternatives to non-renewable energy resources. At the same time it has generated the appearance of numerous zones characterized by the abandonment of their traditional activity, and consequently depopulation of the area. The most immediate consequence is a landscape alteration proportional to the size of the abandoned activity, indirectly associated with a setback in the regional development. And when that activity is mining, consequences receive an exceptional dimension. Within the framework of the research project subsidized by the Ministry of Education and Science in Spain "Model of sustainable construction for the rehabilitation and protection of environmentally degraded or fragile zones: the Mining Valley of Laciana", it is tried to develop a model for constructions and existing infrastructures and their surroundings, from sustainability criteria. Mining activity was the main source of income in the region of Laciana (León, Spain) for its economy between 1950 and 1980, and it has left its fingerprints and scars in the Laciana landscape, as derelicted buildings and infrastructures. Through a text selection, an exhaustive revision has been made, analyzing all the aspects considered on the basis of performances and interventions on landscapes marked by mining activities or generically, as it is described in many of the bibliographical references consulted, of industrial type. The present work tries to reflect the state-of-the-art, exposing the followed criteria and the solutions adopted in the past so that they become recommendations in future management performances in the built landscape

Orcokinins contribute to the regulation of vitellogenin transcription in the cockroach Blattella germanica

Orcokinins (OKs) are neuropeptides that were first identified in crustacean through their myotropic activity. In insects, the OK gene gives rise to two mRNAs coding for two different families of conserved mature neuropeptides: OKA and OKB. Although OKs are conserved in many insect species, its physiological role in this animal class is not fully understood. Until now prothoracicotropic, regulatory of light entrainment to the circadian clock and >awakening> activities have been reported for these peptides in different insect species. Here we report the identification of OKA and OKB precursors in the cockroach Blattella germanica. OKA mRNA was detected in brain, whereas OKB mRNA was detected both in brain and midgut. In vivo silencing of OK precursors suggests the involvement of OK gene products in the regulation of vitellogenin expression in the fat body, an action that appears to be independent of juvenile hormone. This is the first time that a function of this kind has been reported for OKs.This work was supported by the Spanish MICINN (Grants CGL2008-03517/BOS to XB and BFU2010-15906 to JLM) and MINECO (Grant CGL2012-36251 to XB), and Catalan Government (2014 SGR 619). The research has also benefited from FEDER funds. SO was recipient of an external fellowship from National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET-Argentina) to work in the Institute of Evolutionary Biology, in Barcelona.Peer Reviewe

Target of rapamycin (TOR) mediates the transduction of nutritional signals into juvenile hormone production

Anautogeny is a reproductive strategy by which females do not reproduce until they feed. Therefore, nutritional signals must inform the reproductive tissues, and cells that the organism has reached a nutritional status suitable for triggering reproductive processes. One of the possible pathways involved in anautogeny is the >target of rapamycin> (TOR) pathway, which has been described as connecting the nutritional status with growth, proliferation, and cancer. The German cockroach, Blattella germanica, is an anautogenous species whose vitellogenesis is governed by juvenile hormone. In the present report, we describe the cloning of TOR cDNA from B. germanica (BgTOR). Expression studies showed that BgTOR is expressed in adult female corpora allata and fat body. BgTOR knockdown using systemic RNAi in vivo produced a severe inhibition of juvenile hormone synthesis in adult female corpora allata, together with a reduction of mRNA levels corresponding to 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) synthase-1, HMG-CoA synthase-2, and HMG-CoA reductase. In addition, there was a reduction of vitellogenin mRNA in the fat body, and ovaries did not grow. Analysis of TOR expression in corpora allata of fed and starved females suggested that TOR is not regulated at the transcriptional level. Nevertheless, there was a reduction in HMG-CoA synthases and reductase mRNA in corpora allata (but not in the fat body) of starved females, together with a dramatic reduction of juvenile hormone production and ovary development. Taken together, our results indicate that TOR knockdown mimics starvation in terms of corpora allata activity, and suggest that nutritional signals that activate juvenile hormone biosynthesis and vitellogenin production are mediated by the TOR pathway. © 2009 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (Projects BFU2006-01090 (to J. L. M.) and AGL2005-00773 and CGL2008-03517/BOS (to X. B.). The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.Peer Reviewe

Juvenile hormone biosynthesis in adult Blattella germanica requires nuclear receptors Seven-up and FTZ-F1

In insects, the transition from juvenile development to the adult stage is controlled by juvenile hormone (JH) synthesized from the corpora allata (CA) glands. Whereas a JH-free period during the last juvenile instar triggers metamorphosis and the end of the growth period, the reappearance of this hormone after the imaginal molt marks the onset of reproductive adulthood. Despite the importance of such transition, the regulatory mechanism that controls it remains mostly unknown. Here, using the hemimetabolous insect Blattella germanica, we show that nuclear hormone receptors Seven-up-B (BgSvp-B) and Fushi tarazu-factor 1 (BgFTZ-F1) have essential roles in the tissue-and stage-specific activation of adult CA JH-biosynthetic activity. Both factors are highly expressed in adult CA cells. Moreover, RNAi-knockdown of either BgSvp-B or BgFTZ-F1 results in adult animals with a complete block in two critical JH-dependent reproductive processes, vitellogenesis and oogenesis. We show that this reproductive blockage is the result of a dramatic impairment of JH biosynthesis, due to the CA-specific reduction in the expression of two key JH biosynthetic enzymes, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A synthase-1 (BgHMG-S1) and HMG-reductase (BgHMG-R). Our findings provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying the specific changes in the CA gland necessary for the proper transition to adulthood.Support for this research was provided by the Spanish MINECO (grants BFU2009-10571 and CGL2014-55786-P to D.M. and CGL2012-36251 and CGL2015-64727-P to X.B.) and by the Catalan Government (2014 SGR 619 to D.M., J.L.M. and X.B.). The research has also benefited from FEDER funds. F.B.-C. is a recipient of a pre-doctoral research Grant from the MICINN. C.N. is a recipient of a postdoctoral research grant from CSIC. O.M. is recipient of a pre-doctoral research grant from Generalitat de Catalunya.Peer Reviewe

Effects of myoinhibitory peptides on food intake in the German cockroach

Insect myoinhibitory peptides were discovered through their inhibitory activity on visceral muscle contraction. The present study tests the antimyotropic gut properties of three galanin-related myoinhibitory peptides (Mas-MIP II: GWQDLNSAW-NH2; Grb-AST-B1: GWQDLNGGW-NH2; and Grb-AST-B3: AWRDLSGGW-NH2) in adult females of the cockroach Blattella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera, Blattellidae). The three peptides elicit a strong inhibitory effect on both foregut and hindgut contractions, with ID50 values in all the cases within the nanomolar range. In addition, the modulatory effects of these three peptides on food intake are studied on previously starved female cockroaches. The results show that Grb-AST-B3 is the most active peptide, inhibiting food intake by 60-80% at doses between 15 and 50 μg, followed by Grb-AST-B1 (45% inhibition of food intake at the 50 μg dose), whereas Mas-MIP II is inactive even at the 50 μg dose. The differences between the three peptides may be due to a differential effect of their structure on activity or to a differential degradation. These results show that myomodulatory gut activity in vitro and antifeeding effects do not always correlate. © 2006 The Authors.Financial support from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Spain (project AGL2002-01169); and the Generalitat de Catalunya (2001 SGR 003245) is gratefully acknowledged.Peer Reviewe

Insulin receptor-mediated nutritional signalling regulates juvenile hormone biosynthesis and vitellogenin production in the German cockroach

Female reproductive processes, which comprise, amongst others, the synthesis of yolk proteins and the endocrine mechanisms which regulate this synthesis, need a considerable amount of energy and resources. The role of communicating that the required nutritional status has been attained is carried out by nutritional signalling pathways and, in particular, by the insulin receptor (InR) pathway. In the present study, using the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, as a model, we analysed the role of InR in different processes, but mainly those related to juvenile hormone (JH) synthesis and vitellogenin production. We first cloned the InR cDNA from B.germanica (BgInR) and then determined that its expression levels were constant in corpora allata and fat body during the first female gonadotrophic cycle. Results showed that the observed increase in BgInR mRNA in fat body from starved compared to fed females was abolished in those females treated with systemic RNAi invivo against the transcription factor BgFoxO. RNAi-mediated BgInR knockdown during the final two nymphal stages produced significant delays in the moults, together with smaller adult females which could not spread the fore- and hindwings properly. In addition, BgInR knockdown led to a severe inhibition of juvenile hormone synthesis in adult female corpora allata, with a concomitant reduction of mRNA levels corresponding to 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) synthase-1, HMG-CoA synthase-2, HMG-CoA reductase and methyl farnesoate epoxidase. BgInR RNAi treatment also reduced fat body vitellogenin mRNA and oocyte growth. Our results show that BgInR knockdown produces similar phenotypes to those obtained in starved females in terms of corpora allata activity and vitellogenin synthesis, and indicate that the InR pathway mediates the activation of JH biosynthesis and vitellogenin production elicited by nutrition signalling. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.This work was supported by grants BFU2006-01090/BFI (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) and FEDER) and BFU2010-15906/BFI (MICINN) to J.L.M. M.A. and S. S.-C. are recipients of a pre-doctoral fellowship (MICINN) and a post-doctoral contract (CSIC, JAE program co-funded by the European Social Fund), respectively.Peer Reviewe

Quantum-dot based nanothermometry in optical plasmonic recording media

We report on the direct experimental determination of the temperature increment caused by laser irradiation in a optical recording media constituted by a polymeric film in which gold nanorods have been incorporated. The incorporation of CdSe quantum dots in the recording media allowed for single beam thermal reading of the on-focus temperature from a simple analysis of the two-photon excited fluorescence of quantum dots. Experimental results have been compared with numerical simulations revealing an excellent agreement and opening a promising avenue for further understanding and optimization of optical writing processes and media