The use of GIS to evaluate and map extreme maximum and minimum temperatures in Spain

Spanish building legislation has recently changed and now requires an updated and restructured Technical Building Code which is in accordance with European directives. The norm contained in this Code is based on studies of extreme values for climatic elements such as temperature, precipitation and wind. Revised maps of extreme values for climatic elements with a 50-year recurrence interval are required. Here, extreme maximum and minimum temperature maps for Spain are evaluated and mapped by means of geographical information technology. The data are extracted from the historical database held by the Spanish Meteorological Institute. Daily extreme temperatures from 1,181 stations with records going back more than 30 years have been used. The maximum and minimum temperatures are determined as 50-year mean recurrence interval values. To obtain these values, a Gumbel distribution is fitted to the extreme annual values extracted from the database. Spatial interpolation in a regular 5 km×5 km grid of the annual maximum temperature is made by ordinary kriging. Meanwhile, for the annual minimum temperature a residual kriging has been applied due to its strong dependence on altitude

Efectos de calcimax® sobre la nutrición cálcica del manzano tipo Golden y su influencia sobre el bitter pit

4 Pags.- 2 Tabls.El bitter pit es un desorden fisiológico que aparece generalmente durante el almacenamiento del fruto. La aplicación de tratamientos foliares con calcio durante la estación es el método más utilizado para disminuir la incidencia de esta fisiopatía ya que su aparición se relaciona con una deficiencia de este nutriente en el fruto. Calcimax® es una nueva formulación con calcio para la prevención y control del bitter pit. En este trabajo se describen dos de los experimentos realizados para evaluar el Calcimax® como corrector de bitter en las condiciones de cultivo del Valle del Ebro. Los tratamientos realizados con Calcimax®, siguiendo distintas estrategias de aplicación, sobre dos variedades de manzano Tipo Golden incrementaron el contenido de calcio en fruto, en mayor medida, con aplicaciones tardías. La concentración de Calcimax® al 0,5 % mostró una ligera reducción o retraso en el nivel de afección de bitter pit, aunque tras varios meses de almacenamiento, su incidencia fue muy elevada en todos los casos.Trabajo realizado bajo el proyecto AGL2001-2260.Peer reviewe

Improving Catalyst Activity in Hydrocarbon Functionalization by Remote Pyrene–Graphene Stacking

A copper complex bearing an N‐heterocyclic carbene ligand with a pyrene “tail” attached to the backbone has been prepared and supported on reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The free and supported copper materials have been employed as homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts in the functionalization of hydrocarbons such as n‐hexane, cyclohexane, and benzene through incorporation of the CHCO2Et unit from ethyl diazoacetate. The graphene‐anchored complex displays higher reaction rates and induces higher yields than its soluble counterpart, features that can be rationalized in terms of a decrease in electron density at the metal center due to a remote net electronic flux from the supported copper complex to the graphene surface.The authors would like to thank the financial support of the MINECO (CTQ2017-82893-C2-1-R and CTQ2015-69153-C2-2- R), Junta de Andalucía (P12-FQM-1765) and Universitat Jaume I (UJI-B2018-23). D. V-E thanks the MINECO for a grant (FPU15/03011). The authors thank the ‘Servei Central d’Instrumentació Científica (SCIC)’ of the Universitat Jaume I

Sequential effects of spent coffee grounds on soil physical properties

Spent coffee grounds are a bio-residue studied as soil organic amendment and it has been proven that it has short-term effects on soil physical properties. However, its sequential effects on the cultivation of clayey soils are little studied. Therefore, an in vitro experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of increasing doses (1%, 2%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 12.5% and 15%) of spent coffee grounds on the physical properties of a clayey soil in the Spanish Mediterranean area which is rich in smectites. The addition of spent coffee grounds increased water retention at −33 and −1500 kPa proportionally to the added amounts, but the increase in the wilting point was much larger than the field water capacity, decreasing the plant available water content. A non-linear influence on the aggregate size is demonstrated. It increased total porosity and consequently reduced soil bulk density. This fact was reflected in the stereomicroscopy images where an increase in the pores analysed with image analysis was observed. Furthermore, SEM images corroborate that spent coffee grounds act intensely in the short-term due to the interaction between their particles and those of clay. The 5% dose acted as a threshold dose from which the greatest effects on soil physical properties occur. In general, the use of SCG as an organic amendment is a good sustainable solution because it supposes a reuse of this bio-residue (15 million tons per year), an increase in soil organic carbon (SCG contains ≈ 50% carbon) and an improvement of the soil physical and chemical properties.Andalusian Ministry of Economic Transformation, Knowledge Industry and Universitie

Nitro-oleic acid triggers ROS production via NADPH oxidase activation in plants: A pharmacological approach

Nitrated fatty acids (NO2-FAs) are important signaling molecules in mammals. NO2-FAs are formed by the addition reaction of nitric oxide- and nitrite-derived nitrogen dioxide with unsaturated fatty acid double bonds. The study of NO2-FAs in plant systems constitutes an interesting and emerging area. The presence of NO2-FA has been reported in olives, peas, rice and Arabidopsis. To gain a better understanding of the role of NO2-FA on plant physiology, we analyzed the effects of exogenous application of nitro-oleic acid (NO2-OA). In tomato cell suspensions we found that NO2-OA induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in a dose-dependent manner via activation of NADPH oxidases, a mechanism that requires calcium entry from the extracellular compartment and protein kinase activation. In tomato and Arabidopsis leaves, NO2-OA treatments induced two waves of ROS production, resembling plant defense responses. Arabidopsis NADPH oxidase mutants showed that NADPH isoform D (RBOHD) was required for NO2-OA-induced ROS production. In addition, on Arabidopsis isolated epidermis, NO2-OA induced stomatal closure via RBOHD and F. Altogether, these results indicate that NO2-OA triggers NADPH oxidase activation revealing a new signaling role in plants.Fil: Arruebarrena Di Palma, Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Di Fino, Luciano Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Salvatore, Sonia Rosana. University of Pittsburgh; Estados UnidosFil: D'Ambrosio, Juan Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Garcia-Mata, Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Schopfer, Francisco Jose. University of Pittsburgh; Estados UnidosFil: Laxalt, Ana Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentin

Short-term effects of spent coffee grounds on the physical properties of two Mediterranean agricultural soils

We investigated the short-term effects of spent coffee grounds on the physical properties of two Mediterranean agricultural soils (Calcisol and Luvisol). The in vitro assay was performed with two spent coffee grounds doses (60 and 240 Mg ha-1), two incubation times (30 and 60 days) and two modalities: with and without lettuce seedlings (Lactuca sativa var. longifolia). Spent coffee grounds addition increased water retention at -33 and -1500 kPa, and decreased bulk density and plant-available water content. With spent coffee grounds, the percentage of macroaggregates increased, the percentage of meso- and microaggregates decreased and the structural stability of all types of aggregates increased. The stereomicroscopy images showed that: the structural aggregates were rounded, the porosity increased by 316%, the structure was ordered into smaller aggregates, the incorporation of spent coffee grounds particles could occur in intraped cracks and spent coffee grounds particles could act as a binding agent. Scanning electron microscopy also showed that spent coffee grounds particles interacted with mineral particles and integrated into soil structure; moreover, fungal hyphae also developed on many spent coffee grounds particles. If spent coffee grounds effects are compared with those described in the literature for other organic amendments, the same trend was observed in most of the soil physical properties although with a different intensity, principally with regard to structural stability.This work was supported by project AGL2014-53895-R from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and by project CGL2016-80308-P from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (2015-2018)

Seeds as potential sources of phenolic compounds and minerals for the Indian population

Seeds are major sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds for human beings. In this work, the chemical composition and physicochemical properties of 155 Indian seeds (belonging to 49 families) are reported. Moisture and ash were measured with reference protocols from AOAC; total polyphenols and flavonoids were measured with spectrophotometric methods after extraction with organic solvents, and mineral elements were determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrophotometry. Total phenolic compounds, flavonoids and mineral contents (Al, Ba, Ca, Cl, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, P, Rb, S, Sr, Ti, V and Zn) were found to vary in the ranges 182–5000, 110–4465 and 687–7904 mg/100 g (DW), respectively. Noticeably, polyphenol contents higher than 2750 mg/100 g were observed in 18 seeds. In addition, mineral contents >5000 mg/100 g were detected in the seeds from Cuminum cyminum, Foeniculum vulgare, Commiphora wightii, Parkia javanica, Putranjiva roxburghii, Santalum album and Strychnos potatorum. Botanical and taxonomical variations in the proximate characteristics of the examined seeds are also discussed

STIM1 deficiency is linked to Alzheimer’s disease and triggers cell death in SH-SY5Y cells by upregulation of L-type voltage-operated Ca2+ entry

La STIM1 es una proteína del retículo endoplásmico con un papel en la movilización y señalización del Ca2+. Como sensor de los niveles intraluminales de Ca2+, STIM1 modula los canales de Ca2+ de la membrana plasmática para regular la entrada de Ca2+. En las células de neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y y en los fibroblastos cutáneos familiares de pacientes con la enfermedad de Alzheimer, STIM1 se divide en el dominio transmembrana por la presenilina-1-asociada a γ-secretase, lo que lleva a una desregulación de la homeostasis del Ca2+. En este informe, investigamos los niveles de expresión de STIM1 en los tejidos cerebrales (giro frontal medio) de pacientes con enfermedad de Alzheimer confirmada patológicamente, y observamos que el nivel de expresión de la proteína STIM1 disminuyó con la progresión de la neurodegeneración. Para estudiar el papel de STIM1 en la neurodegeneración, se diseñó una estrategia para eliminar la expresión del gen STIM1 en la línea de células de neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y mediante la edición del genoma mediado por CRISPR/Cas9, como un modelo in vitro para examinar el fenotipo de las células neuronales deficientes de STIM1. Se demostró que, si bien la STIM1 no es necesaria para la diferenciación de las células SH-SY5Y, es absolutamente esencial para la supervivencia de las células en la diferenciación. Las células STIM1-KO diferenciadas mostraron una disminución significativa de la actividad del complejo I de la cadena respiratoria mitocondrial, la despolarización de la membrana interna de la mitocondria, la reducción de la concentración de Ca2+ libre en la mitocondria y mayores niveles de senescencia en comparación con las células de tipo salvaje. En paralelo, las células STIM1-KO mostraron una entrada de Ca2+ potenciada en respuesta a la despolarización, que era sensible a la nifedipina, apuntando a los canales de Ca2+ operados por voltaje de tipo L como mediadores de la entrada de Ca2+ aumentada. El derribo estable de las transcripciones de CACNA1C restauró la función mitocondrial, aumentó los niveles mitocondriales de Ca2+ y redujo la senescencia a los niveles basales, demostrando el papel esencial de la regulación de la entrada de Ca2+ operada por voltaje a través de los canales Cav1.2 en la muerte celular deficiente de STIM1 SHSY5Y.STIM1 is an endoplasmic reticulum protein with a role in Ca2+ mobilization and signaling. As a sensor of intraluminal Ca2+ levels, STIM1 modulates plasma membrane Ca2+ channels to regulate Ca2+ entry. In neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and in familial Alzheimer’s disease patient skin fibroblasts, STIM1 is cleaved at the transmembrane domain by the presenilin-1-associated γ-secretase, leading to dysregulation of Ca2+ homeostasis. In this report, we investigated expression levels of STIM1 in brain tissues (medium frontal gyrus) of pathologically confirmed Alzheimer’s disease patients, and observed that STIM1 protein expression level decreased with the progression of neurodegeneration. To study the role of STIM1 in neurodegeneration, a strategy was designed to knock-out the expression of STIM1 gene in the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, as an in vitro model to examine the phenotype of STIM1-deficient neuronal cells. It was proved that, while STIM1 is not required for the differentiation of SH-SY5Y cells, it is absolutely essential for cell survival in differentiating cells. Differentiated STIM1-KO cells showed a significant decrease of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I activity, mitochondrial inner membrane depolarization, reduced mitochondrial free Ca2+ concentration, and higher levels of senescence as compared with wild-type cells. In parallel, STIM1-KO cells showed a potentiated Ca2+ entry in response to depolarization, which was sensitive to nifedipine, pointing to L-type voltage-operated Ca2+ channels as mediators of the upregulated Ca2+ entry. The stable knocking-down of CACNA1C transcripts restored mitocondrial function, increased mitochondrial Ca2+ levels, and dropped senescence to basal levels, emonstrating the essential role of the upregulation of voltage-operated Ca2+ entry through Cav1.2 channels in STIM1-deficient SHSY5Y cell death.• Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. Beca FPU13/03430 • The Company of Biologists. Ayuda JCSTF-170507 • Ministerio de Economía, y Competitividad. Proyectos BFU2014-52401-P y BFU2017-82716, para Francisco Javier Martín Romero • Ministerio de Economía, y Competitividad. Proyectos BFU2014-53641-P y BFU2017-85723-P, para Ana María Mata Durán y Carlos Gutiérrez Merino • Junta de Extremadura. Ayudas GRU15077 e IB16088, para Francisco Javier Martín Romero • Junta de Extremadura. Ayuda GRU15139, para Ana María Mata DuránpeerReviewe

Nitro-Oleic Acid Induced Reactive Oxygen Species Formation and Plant Defense Signaling in Tomato Cell Suspensions

Nitrated fatty acids (NO2-FAs) are formed by the addition reaction of nitric oxide- and nitrite-derived nitrogen dioxide with unsaturated fatty acids. Nitrated fatty acids act as signaling molecules in mammals through the formation of covalent adducts with cellular thiols. The study of NO2-FAs in plant systems constitutes an interesting and emerging area. The presence of NO2-FA has been reported in olives, peas, rice and in Arabidopsis. To gain a better understanding of the role of NO2-FA on plant physiology, we analyzed the effects of exogenous application of nitro-oleic acid (NO2-OA) to tomato cell cultures. We found that NO2-OA induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in a dose-dependent manner via activation of NADPH oxidases, which requires calcium entry from the extracellular compartment and protein kinase activation, a mechanism that resembles the plant defense responses. NO2-OA-induced ROS production, expression of plant defense genes and led to cell death. The mechanism of action of NO2-OA involves a reduction in the glutathione cellular pool and covalently addition reactions with protein thiols and reduced glutathione. Altogether, these results indicate that NO2-OA triggers responses associated with plant defense, revealing its possible role as a signal molecule in biotic stress.Fil: Arruebarrena Di Palma, Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Di Fino, Luciano Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Salvatore, Sonia Rosana. University of Pittsburgh; Estados UnidosFil: D'ambrosio, Juan Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Gergoff Grozeff, Gustavo Esteban. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Garcia-Mata, Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Schopfer, Francisco Jose. University of Pittsburgh; Estados UnidosFil: Laxalt, Ana Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentin

Anàlisi de l'espai públic al centre urbà de Terrassa : un estudi del seu ús, flux de vianants, qualitat i perfil del comerç

El TFM exposa, a partir de tècniques qualitatives com la observació, quin ús se'n fa de l'espai públic a un grup de carrers del centre urbà de Terrassa, considerant el flux de vianants apreciats en diverses franges horàries. A més, també s'analitza la qualitat de l'espai públic en termes d'elements físics i decoratius, per demostrar que compleixin o no les necessitats de la població. Amb aquests aspectes, un dels sectors que es veu més beneficiat és el comerç, el qual será investigat per mostrar si presenta o no una oferta variada pels consumidors