Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 RirA is required for oxidative stress resistance and efficient symbiosis with Soybean

Members of Rhizobiaceae contain a homologue of the iron-responsive regulatory protein RirA. In different bacteria, RirA acts as a repressor of iron uptake systems under iron-replete conditions and contributes to ameliorate cell damage during oxidative stress. In Rhizobium leguminosarum and Sinorhizobium meliloti, mutations in rirA do not impair symbiotic nitrogen fixation. In this study, a rirA mutant of broad host range S. fredii HH103 has been constructed (SVQ780) and its free-living and symbiotic phenotypes evaluated. No production of siderophores could be detected in either the wild-type or SVQ780. The rirA mutant exhibited a growth advantage under iron-deficient conditions and hypersensitivity to hydrogen peroxide in iron-rich medium. Transcription of rirA in HH103 is subject to autoregulation and inactivation of the gene upregulates fbpA, a gene putatively involved in iron transport. The S. fredii rirA mutant was able to nodulate soybean plants, but symbiotic nitrogen fixation was impaired. Nodules induced by the mutant were poorly infected compared to those induced by the wild-type. Genetic complementation reversed the mutant’s hypersensitivity to H2O2, expression of fbpA, and symbiotic deficiency in soybean plants. This is the first report that demonstrates a role for RirA in the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis.Andalucian Government Grant No. P11-CVI-7500Spanish Government Grant Nos. BIO2013-42801-P and BIO2016-78409-REuropean Regional Development Funds (ERDF)VPPI (V Plan Propio de Investigación) of University of Seville

Human resource management in Lean Production adoption and implementation processes: Success factors in the aeronautics industry

The purpose of this paper is to identify success factors in human resource management during the transition process to Lean Production. Using case study research in the aeronautics industry, the results show a series of explanatory factors that are then grouped into main factors depending on the phase of the transition process. Thus, in the pre-adoption phase, the setting up of joint management-trade unions committees is the main factor. Five main factors are found in the other three phases of the adoption and implementation process: training, communication, rewards, job design, and work organization. Moreover, a variety of explanatory elements are identified in each of the main factors found in each phase of the transition process to Lean Production. Finally, a model is developed to understand the sequence that leads to the cultural change associated with Lean Production

Sinorhizobium fredii Strains HH103 and NGR234 Form Nitrogen Fixing Nodules With Diverse Wild Soybeans (Glycine soja) From Central China but Are Ineffective on Northern China Accessions

Sinorhizobium fredii indigenous populations are prevalent in provinces of Central China whereas Bradyrhizobium species (Bradyrhizobium japonicum, B. diazoefficiens, B. elkanii, and others) are more abundant in northern and southern provinces. The symbiotic properties of different soybean rhizobia have been investigated with 40 different wild soybean (Glycine soja) accessions from China, Japan, Russia, and South Korea. Bradyrhizobial strains nodulated all the wild soybeans tested, albeit efficiency of nitrogen fixation varied considerably among accessions. The symbiotic capacity of S. fredii HH103 with wild soybeans from Central China was clearly better than with the accessions found elsewhere. S. fredii NGR234, the rhizobial strain showing the broadest host range ever described, also formed nitrogen-fixing nodules with different G. soja accessions from Central China. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing an effective symbiosis between S. fredii NGR234 and G. soja. Mobilization of the S. fredii HH103 symbiotic plasmid to a NGR234 pSym-cured derivative (strain NGR234C) yielded transconjugants that formed ineffective nodules with G. max cv. Williams 82 and G. soja accession CH4. By contrast, transfer of the symbiotic plasmid pNGR234a to a pSym-cured derivative of S. fredii USDA193 generated transconjugants that effectively nodulated G. soja accession CH4 but failed to nodulate with G. max cv. Williams 82. These results indicate that intra-specific transference of the S. fredii symbiotic plasmids generates new strains with unpredictable symbiotic properties, probably due to the occurrence of new combinations of symbiotic signals.España, Junta de Andalucía P11-CVI-7500España Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BIO2016-78409-

HR management during lean production adoption

This paper aims to identify the success factors linked to human resources management during the lean production (LP) adoption process. A model of these factors and their interrelationships is also to be built to understand the sequence that leads to the cultural change required in lean production adoption. A case study is carried out in selected same-industry companies that are on the same level in the supply chain and have recently completed LP adoption. Twelve first-tier production plants in the aeronautics industry were selected. Data were gathered from interviews with plant managers and the people in charge of LP in the plant. Data were analyzed using open and coaxial coding and triangulation both within cases and across cases. The results highlight a number of success factors that depend on the phase of the LP adoption process. In the phase prior to adoption, the success factors are the incorporation of external change agents and the management averting inertia, whereas in the other phases of the adoption process five main factors were found: training, communication, rewards, job design and work organization. The findings stress the importance of human resources being managed appropriately during LP adoption for LP to be accepted and adapted. There are a number of key aspects related to human resource management that should be taken into account during each of the phases that occur during the LP adoption process. Further developments include measuring the intensity of the relationships identified and combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies simultaneously to overcome problems with the limited generalization of the results. Practitioners in charge of LP adoption must be mindful of the key human resource management-related aspects before and during the LP adoption process and the guidelines to be followed in each of these aspects for the outcomes of LP to be achieved and maintained

Penitentiary System and old age: contributions of the forensic neuropsychological evaluation

Introducción: El envejecimiento poblacional ha impulsado a que su abordaje se convierta en un tema prioritario a nivel mundial, sobre la cual aún existen mitos y discriminación, siendo las personas adultas mayores en privación de libertad en un sistema penitenciario, una población con mayores riesgos de exclusión y que cuentan con características neuropsicológicas que ameritan su atención. Por lo tanto, se realizó en Costa Rica un primer abordaje en el Centro de Atención Institucional Adulto Mayor desde la neuropsicología forense, para mejorar los protocolos disponibles de evaluación de la población adulta mayor. Procedimiento: Se llevó a cabo un trabajo final de graduación en formato de práctica dirigida durante 858 horas tanto de forma presencial como a distancia, en el período de abril del 2017 a abril del 2018, participando de los procesos de evaluación neuropsicológica forense, elaboración de un protocolo de evaluación neuropsicológica forense y participación en procesos psicoeducativos sobre consumo de sustancias y violencia sexual. Resultados: En total se atendieron 40 personas hombres, entre 58 y 85 años de edad. Con variables sociodemográficas y de salud como una baja escolaridad (45%), con antecedentes de trauma craneoencefálico (67%) y en su mayoría cometieron abuso sexual (55%). Se elaboró un protocolo de evaluación neuropsicológica que incluye un módulo de entrevista y observación, evaluación del estado de ánimo y evaluación del funcionamiento cognitivo.Introduction: Population ageing has become a priority between the attention and care systems but still deals with myths and discrimination, being the older adults incarcerated in the prison system a population with a greater risk of exclusion and that have neuropsychological characteristics that need attention. Therefore, a first approach was carried out in Costa Rica in the Institutional Adult Care Center from the forensic neuropsychology, to improve the available protocols for the evaluation of the older adult population. Method: A final graduation work was carried out in a guided practice format for 858 hours both in person and remotely, in the period from April 2017 to April 2018, participating in the processes of forensic neuropsychological evaluation, preparation of a protocol of forensic neuropsychological evaluation and participation in psychoeducational processes on substance use and sexual violence. Results: In total 40 male people, between 58 and 85 years of age, were attended. With sociodemographic and health variables such as low schooling (45%), with a history of cranioencephalic trauma (67%) and most of them committed sexual abuse (55%). A neuropsychological evaluation protocol was elaborated that includes an interview and observation module, evaluation of mood and evaluation of cognitive functioning module.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Sociales::Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas (IIP)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular (CIBCM)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Sociales::Facultad de Ciencias Sociales::Escuela de Psicologí

The Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 double-edged sword

Rhizobia are soil proteobacteria able to stablish an efficient symbiosis with legume plants (Poole et al., 2018). In this interaction, bacteria infect the plant roots and penetrate inside through the root hairs. Simultaneously to the infection process, plant develop new organs called nodules, generally located on roots, which hosted the rhizobial cells. Once rhizobia are located in the nodules, they invade the plant cells and differentiate into bacteroids, a morphological and physiological state able to fix the atmospheric nitrogen to ammonium, which is supplied to the plant (Tsyganova et al., 2017). This interaction requires a complex and coordinated molecular signals interchange between two partners, since this event determine the susceptible plants to be nodulate by a specific rhizobium and therefore the success of the process (Oldroyd 2013). One of these signals are the molecules called Nod Factors, lipochitooligosaccharides secreted by the bacteria in response to the plant signals and detected by the plant receptors. Several bacterial regulators finely regulate these molecules; however, their overproduction produces changes in the host specificity and the effectiveness of the infection process.Motivation: Since the host specificity is determined by the bacterial and plant signals, the alteration of some of them could modify the bacterial host range and even increase the efficiency with other plants.Methods: All the experiments were carried out with Sinorhizobium fredii HH103, a rhizobial strain isolated from China and natural symbiont of soybean (Glycine max cv. Williams).Gene expression analysis were carried out by RNA-seq and validated by RT-qPCR.Nod Factors were extracted from the supernatant culture and analysed by HPLC-HRMS/MS.Plant assays with Glycine max cv. Williams, Lotus burttii and L. japonicus Gifu were carried out in Leonard jars.Infection mode analyses were carried out by epifluorescence microscopy.Results: The mutation of any regulator that finely regulates the Nod Factor production causes an increase of Nod Factor gene expression, among other changes in the gene expression pattern, and in consequence an overproduction of these molecules. These changes provoke a partial impairment in symbiosis with soybean, its natural host, but on the other hand improve the nodulation effectiveness with L. burttii and allow the gaining the nodulation capacity with L. japonicus Gifu, where the wild type strain is not able to stablish an effective symbiosis. The infection mode analysis revealed that these mutants switched the infection way from intercellular infection, a primitive mode, to infection threads formation, more evolved way.Conclusions: S. fredii HH103 has evolved with its natural host, soybean, to improve their symbiotic performance even though it could diminish or abolish the nodulation effectivity with other legume plants

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex field infections in cattle using fecal volatile organic compound analysis through gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry combined with chemometrics

Bovine tuberculosis is considered a re-emerging disease caused by different species from the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC), important not only for the livestock sector but also for public health due to its zoonotic character. Despite the numerous efforts that have been carried out to improve the performance of the current antemortem diagnostic procedures, nowadays, they still pose several drawbacks, such as moderate to low sensitivity, highlighting the necessity to develop alternative and innovative tools to complement control and surveillance frameworks. Volatilome analysis is considered an innovative approach which has been widely employed in animal science, including animal health field and diagnosis, due to the useful and interesting information provided by volatile metabolites. Therefore, this study assesses the potential of gas chromatography coupled to ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) to discriminate cattle naturally infected (field infections) by MTC from non-infected animals. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced from feces were analyzed, employing the subsequent information through chemometrics. After the evaluation of variable importance for the projection of compounds, the final discriminant models achieved a robust performance in cross-validation, as well as high percentages of correct classification (>90%) and optimal data of sensitivity (91.66%) and specificity (99.99%) in external validation. The tentative identification of some VOCs revealed some coincidences with previous studies, although potential new compounds associated with the discrimination of infected and non-infected subjects were also addressed. These results provide strong evidence that a volatilome analysis of feces through GC-IMS coupled to chemometrics could become a valuable methodology to discriminate the infection by MTC in cattle. IMPORTANCE Bovine tuberculosis is endemic in many countries worldwide and poses important concerns for public health because of their zoonotic condition. However, current diagnostic techniques present several hurdles, such as low sensitivity and complexity, among others. In this regard, the development of new approaches to improve the diagnosis and control of this disease is considered crucial. Volatile organic compounds are small molecular mass metabolites which compose volatilome, whose analysis has been widely employed with success in different areas of animal science including animal health. The present study seeks to evaluate the combination of fecal volatilome analysis with chemometrics to detect field infections by bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex) in cattle. The good robust performance of discriminant models as well as the optimal data of sensitivity and specificity achieved highlight volatilome analysis as an innovative approach with huge potential.European Commission GOP2I-CO-16-001

A transcriptomic analysis of the effect of genistein on Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 reveals novel rhizobial genes putatively involved in symbiosis

Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 is a rhizobial soybean symbiont that exhibits an extremely broad host-range. Flavonoids exuded by legume roots induce the expression of rhizobial symbiotic genes and activate the bacterial protein NodD, which binds to regulatory DNA sequences called nod boxes (NB). NB drive the expression of genes involved in the production of molecular signals (Nod factors) as well as the transcription of ttsI, whose encoded product binds to tts boxes (TB), inducing the secretion of proteins (effectors) through the type 3 secretion system (T3SS). In this work, a S. fredii HH103 global gene expression analysis in the presence of the flavonoid genistein was carried out, revealing a complex regulatory network. Three groups of genes differentially expressed were identified: i) genes controlled by NB, ii) genes regulated by TB, and iii) genes not preceded by a NB or a TB. Interestingly, we have found differentially expressed genes not previously studied in rhizobia, being some of them not related to Nod factors or the T3SS. Future characterization of these putative symbiotic-related genes could shed light on the understanding of the complex molecular dialogue established between rhizobia and legumes.España, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BIO2011-30229-C01España, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad AGL2012-38831Junta de Andalucía, P11-CVI-7050Junta de Andalucía P11-CVI-750

Uso de Google Calendar para la coordinación entre asignaturas del Grado en Ingeniería Química

Uno de los aspectos peor valorados por los estudiantes de las nuevas titulaciones de grado es la coordinación entre asignaturas del mismo curso en cuanto a la distribución de controles y otro tipo de pruebas objetivas a lo largo del cuatrimestre, que afecta a la carga de trabajo no presencial en determinados momentos. En la guía docente de cada asignatura aparece la información sobre las pruebas a realizar dentro de un cronograma aproximado por semanas, y está disponible antes del comienzo del curso. Sin embargo, esa distribución puede variar ligeramente una vez empezado el curso debido a diversos motivos, y no se dispone de la información para todas las asignaturas del cuatrimestre en un mismo documento, lo que facilitaría su visualización. En este trabajo se propone el uso de la herramienta Google Calendar con el objetivo de tener un mayor control de este aspecto y poder detectar y corregir conflictos que puedan surgir, aplicándolo al Grado en Ingeniería Química

Exopolysaccharide Production by Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 Is Repressed by Genistein in a NodD1-Dependent Manner

In the rhizobia-legume symbiotic interaction, bacterial surface polysaccharides, such as exopolysaccharide (EPS), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), K-antigen polysaccharide (KPS) or cyclic glucans (CG), appear to play crucial roles either acting as signals required for the progression of the interaction and/or preventing host defence mechanisms. The symbiotic significance of each of these polysaccharides varies depending on the specific rhizobialegume couple. In this work we show that the production of exopolysaccharide by Sinorhizobium fredii HH103, but not by other S. fredii strains such as USDA257 or NGR234, is repressed by nod gene inducing flavonoids such as genistein and that this repression is dependent on the presence of a functional NodD1 protein. In agreement with the importance of EPS for bacterial biofilms, this reduced EPS production upon treatment with flavonoids correlates with decreased biofilm formation ability. By using quantitative RT-PCR analysis we show that expression of the exoY2 and exoK genes is repressed in late stationary cultures of S. fredii HH103 upon treatment with genistein. Results presented in this work show that in S. fredii HH103 EPS production is regulated just in the opposite way than other bacterial signals such as Nod factors and type 3 secreted effectors: it is repressed by flavonoids and NodD1 and enhanced by the nod repressor NolR. These results are in agreement with our previous observations showing that lack of EPS production by S. fredii HH103 is not only non-detrimental but even beneficial for symbiosis with soybeanMinisterio de Ciencia e Investigación BIO2011-30229-C02-01Junta de Andalucía P11-CVI-750