Diagnosis of the infection of sunflower by Orobanche cumana using multicolour fluorescence imaging

Orobanche cumana is an holoparasite and thus totally dependent on sunflower for fixed carbon. Initial stages of the infection occur in the first weeks after sowing and are critical for the establishment of a continuum between the host and the parasite vascular system. From that moment the parasite obtains its supply of water, mineral nutrients, and assimilates from the host plant. Alterations of plant metabolism can be detected using remote sensing techniques for detection of fluorescence emitted by plants. One of these indirect techniques is multicolour fluorescence imaging. In this work, we assessed the early infection of sunflower by O. cumana using multicolour fluorescence imaging and we inferred physiological processes affected in sunflower plants infected by the parasite. Ten germinated seeds of the inbred line NR5 were inoculated with population LP2013 of O. cumana. The same number of not inoculated seeds was used as control. Sunflower was planted in pots with soil mixture and grown in greenhouse at 12–22°C for 6 weeks. Multicolour fluorescence imaging was conducted 3, 4, and 5 weeks after inoculation. The two first pairs of fully expanded leaves of each sunflower plant were imaged, and, for each measure date, five fluorescence variables in inoculated plants were compared to those in the control. Three weeks after inoculation, when symptoms of infection were still not observed, decreased levels of blue and green fluorescence and increased far-red fluorescence were observed in leaves of the inoculated plants. At 4 and 5 weeks after inoculation, when inoculated plants displayed symptoms of infection by O. cumana, differences in fluorescence between inoculated plants and the controls were the same and statistically supported. These results are consistent with an increase in total chlorophyll content of sunflower plants infected by O. cumana, and a decrease in the accumulation of secondary metabolites, both related to the need of higher photosynthetic activity to supply the parasite with photosynthate. Biochemical mechanisms underlying alterations in photosynthesis must be further investigated. The results obtained showed that multicolour fluorescence imaging can be used to detect fluorescence differences in inoculated sunflower as early as 3 weeks after inoculation. Therefore, this technique can be used as a diagnostic tool for early detection of genotypes of sunflower which are susceptible or resistant to O. cumana.Financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (AGL2010-17909), Junta de Andalucía (P12-AGR370 and P12-AGR1281) and Spanish National Research Council (20134R060).Peer Reviewe

Permeation Protection by Waterproofing Mucosal Membranes

The permeability of the oral or nasal mucosa is higher than that of the skin. Mucosa permeability depends mainly on the thickness and keratinization degree of the tissues. Their permeability barrier is conditioned by the presence of certain lipids. This work has the main aim of reinforcing the barrier effect of oral mucosa with a series of formulations to reduce permeation. Transmembrane water loss of different formulations was evaluated, and three of them were selected to be tested on the sublingual mucosa permeation of drugs. Caffeine, ibuprofen, dexamethasone, and ivermectin were applied on porcine skin, mucosa, and modified mucosa in order to compare the effectiveness of the formulations. A similar permeation profile was obtained in the different membranes: caffeine > ibuprofen~dexamethasone > ivermectin. The most efficient formulation was a liposomal formulation composed of lipids that are present in the skin stratum corneum. Impermeability provided by this formulation was notable mainly for the low-molecular-weight compounds, decreasing their permeability coefficient by between 40 and 80%. The reinforcement of the barrier function of mucosa provides a reduction or prevention of the permeation of different actives, which could be extrapolated to toxic compounds such as viruses, contaminants, toxins, etc.Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas “Modificación de la mucosa como protección frente al SARS-CoV-2” (CSIC-COV19-130

PROCEDIMIENTO DE ANÁLISIS ECONÓMICO-FINANCIERO PARA EMPRESAS COMERCIALIZADORAS.

La contabilidad es una ciencia que se basa en un conjunto de principios, métodos y procedimientos que permite medir e informar los resultados económicos financieros con vistas a un  proceso correcto  de toma de decisiones. El presente trabajo titulado Procedimiento de Análisis Económico-Financiero tiene como objetivo general, diseñar un procedimiento integral de análisis, mediante métodos y herramientas que faciliten un mejor desempeño en la toma de decisiones por parte de los directivos en empresas comercializadoras. La validez de la herramienta presentada viene dada en que  conjuga de manera integrada técnicas del análisis financiero y del análisis económico permitiendo realizar una valoración más integral de la situación de la entidad en aras de facilitar la información requerida por los directivos para lograr un proceso de toma de decisiones encaminado a alcanzar los niveles de eficiencia que hoy se espera de las entidades. Para el logro de éstos fines el procedimiento establece la aplicación del  método horizontal y a partir de ello se efectúa el análisis del cumplimiento de las ventas,  partiendo de la determinación del punto de equilibrio se efectúa el análisis de la estructura y la ritmicidad  de las mismas, continuando con el método vertical con sus respectivas técnicas de porcientos integrales y razones financieras; análisis que finaliza identificando la posición financiera que alcanza la entidad, a través de la técnica del cuadrante de navegación. El cumplimiento del objetivo de este trabajo crea las bases necesarias para la realización del análisis económico-financiero de las entidades comercializadoras, sirviendo el mismo como herramienta indispensable para la toma de decisiones por parte de sus directivos

Los récords de la pintura: dos mercados paralelos dentro y fuera de nuestras fronteras

Este artículo analiza los distintos mercados de bienes artísticos y de colección generados por la existencia de factores externos a las obras de arte (legislación de Patrimonio Histórico de cada país, tradición coleccionista, conducta de la actividad comercial, gustos y modas de los compradores). Estos factores extrínsecos son los responsables de la gran diferencia de precio que observamos entre los récords alcanzados por el mercado pictórico internacional y el español. Resulta curioso que España, segundo país con mayor patrimonio cultural del mundo, sólo por detrás de Italia, tenga una relevancia tan escasa en el mercado del arte a nivel internacional, en cuanto a valoración económica de las obras vendidas, debido al gravamen que suponen las tasas de exportación, que limitan la competitividad del mercado nacional. Por otro lado, también observamos distintas pautas de actuación de los comerciantes profesionales del mercado del arte, según el mercado en que se encuentren, adaptando las características de las obras a los gustos y modas del cliente tipo de cada país para obtener la máxima rentabilidad en cada venta.This paper analyses different art and collectible markets, which are generated by external factors of Master pieces as: Cultural Laws, behaviour of collectors, commercial activity behaviour, taste or preferences of clients). Those external factors are responsible of the big difference of record prices between International and Spanish markets paintings. It is extremely curious that Spain, with the second Historic Heritage in the world, just after Italy, has so little importance in terms of economic valuation of the master pieces sold, in an international perspective. This low valuation is due to the fact of the exportation fee charged by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, which limits the Spanish competitiveness. At the same time, we find different behaviours of art professionals, searching finest places and sell procedures to obtain best results in the prices, adapting each master piece on each opportune market

PROCEDIMIENTO DE ANÁLISIS FINANCIERO INTEGRADO EN LA EMPRESA PORCINA DE CIEGO DE ÁVILA / INTEGRATED PROCEDURE OF FINANCIAL ANALYSIS IN THE PORCINE ENTERPRISE OF CIEGO DE ÁVILA

En la actualidad la empresa estatal socialista con su encargo social juega un papel determinante en la continuidad del proceso de actualización del modelo económico-social, por ende, cada etapa del proceso productivo se debe planificar y controlar eficientemente, teniendo los dirigentes que asumir comportamientos lógicos en la toma de decisiones. Teniendo en cuenta las consideraciones anteriores, el presente trabajo fue realizado en la Empresa Porcina de Ciego de Ávila, entidad que se dedica a la producción y comercialización de carne de cerdo y tiene como objetivo general, aplicar un procedimiento de análisis financiero integrado, sustentado en la combinación de técnicas para elevar la calidad del proceso de toma de decisiones en la empresa. En el trabajo se pretende mostrar a los directivos la importancia que reviste el saber interpretar los resultados que muestran los Estados Financieros, para ello tomando como base los estados de la entidad en el período comprendido 2015-2016 se aplicaron los métodos de análisis horizontal y vertical, así como los Estados de Cambio en la Posición Financiera por el método Capital de Trabajo y el de Efectivo. Con la aplicación de estos se pudo constatar que la empresa muestra una situación desfavorable de los cobros y pagos que determinan una incorrecta gestión de su capital de trabajo, teniendo que recurrir a la solicitud de préstamos bancarios a corto plazo, ocasionando un elevado nivel de endeudamiento que compromete la independencia financiera de la entidad

Social services for the elderly: a multivariate perspective study

[EN] Introduction: Today’s society is aware that healthy aging favors quality of life in the future, even more so as life expectancy increases in populations such as Europe. As in countries such as Japan, it is necessary for institutions to provide social services to support the elderly, with the aim of achieving an optimal quality of life for these people. The aim of this study is to analyze the different types of social services and activities that certain institutions provide to the elderly in order to find areas for improvement or to propose relationships between them that will benefit both users and institutions. Methods: Official data from Junta de Castilla y León (Spain) on social services for the elderly in the 9 provinces of the autonomous community of Castilla y León from 2007 to 2021 were analysed using multivariate statistical techniques. Results: Throughout the period under analysis, there is an association between the number of places in public and private non-profit residential centers for the elderly and the number of places in day-care centers or the number of students in the Inter-University Experience Programme. The variables associated with the telecare programme are related to the number of people under guardianship. On the other hand, three well-differentiated clusters of provinces of Castilla y León were observed. Discussion: Our findings have implications for the quality of life of the elderly, as the differences in social services in the areas analysed have a direct impact on the health of the elderly

Nanostructured supramolecular hydrogels: Towards the topical treatment of Psoriasis and other skin diseases

Supramolecular hydrogels were synthesized using a bis-imidazolium based amphiphile, and incorporating chemically diverse drugs, such as the cytostatics gemcitabine hydrochloride and methotrexate sodium salt, the immunosuppressive drug tacrolimus, as well as the corticoid drugs betamethasone 17-valerate and triamcinolone acetonide, and their potential as drug delivery agents in the dermal treatment of Psoriasis was evaluated. The rheological behavior of gels was studied, showing in all cases suitable viscoelastic properties for topical drug delivery. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that the drugs included have a great influence on the gel morphology at the microscopic level, as the incorporation of gemcitabine hydrochloride leads to slightly thicker fibers, the incorporation of tacrolimus induces flocculation and spherical precipitates, and the incorporation of methotrexate forms curled fibers. 1H NMR spectroscopy experiments show that these drugs not only remain dissolved at the interstitial space, but up to 72% of either gemcitabine or methotrexate, and up to 38% of tacrolimus, is retained within the gel fibers in gels formed with a 1:1 gelator:drug molar ratio. This unique fiber incorporation not only protects the drug from degradation, but also importantly induces a Two Phase Exponential drug release, where the first phase corresponds to the drug dissolved in the interstitial space, while the second phase corresponds to the drug exiting from the gel fibers, and where the speed in each phase is in accordance with the physicochemical properties of the drugs, opening perspectives for controlled delivery. Skin permeation ex vivo tests show how these gels successfully promote the drug permeation and retention inside the skin for reaching their therapeutic target, while in vivo experiments demonstrate that they decrease the hyperplasia and reduce the macroscopic tissue damage typically observed in psoriatic skin, significantly more than the drugs in solution. All these characteristics, beside the spontaneous and easy preparation (room temperature and soft stirring), make these gels a good alternative to other routes of administration for Psoriasis treatment, increasing the drug concentration at the target tissue, and minimizing side effects

Building resilience to water scarcity in Southern Spain: A case study of rice farming in Doñana protected wetlands

Agricultural water management needs to evolve in view of increased water scarcity, especially when farming and natural protected areas are closely linked. In the study site of Don?ana (southern Spain), water is shared by rice producers and a world heritage biodiversity ecosystem. Our aim is to contribute to defining adaptation strategies that may build resilience to increasing water scarcity and minimize water conflicts among agricultural and natural systems. The analytical framework links a participatory process with quantitative methods to prioritize the adaptation options. Bottom-up proposed adaptation measures are evaluated by a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) that includes both socioeconomic criteria and criteria of the ecosystem services affected by the adaptation options. Criteria weights are estimated by three different methods?analytic hierarchy process, Likert scale and equal weights?that are then compared. Finally, scores from an MCA are input into an optimization model used to determine the optimal land-use distribution in order to maximize utility and land-use diversification according to different scenarios of funds and water availability. While our results show a spectrum of perceptions of priorities among stakeholders, there is one overriding theme that is to define a way to restore part of the rice fields to natural wetlands. These results hold true under the current climate scenario and evenmore so under an increased water scarcity scenario

Design, Characterization, and Biopharmaceutical Behavior of Nanoparticles Loaded with an HIV‑1 Fusion Inhibitor Peptide

New therapeutic alternatives to fight against the spread of HIV-1 are based on peptides designed to inhibit the early steps of HIV-1 fusion in target cells. However, drawbacks, such as bioavailability, short half-life, rapid clearance, and poor ability to cross the physiological barriers, make such peptides unattractive for the pharmaceutical industry. Here we developed, optimized, and characterized polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) coated with glycol chitosan to incorporate and release an HIV-1 fusion inhibitor peptide (E1) inside the vaginal mucosa. The NPs were prepared by a modified double emulsion method, and optimization was carried out by a factorial design. In vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies were carried out to evaluate the optimized formulation. The results indicate that the physicochemical features of these NPs enable them to incorporate and release HIV fusion inhibitor peptides to the vaginal mucosa before the fusion step takes place. KEYWORDS: GB virus C, HIV-1, fusion inhibitor peptide of HIV-1, polymeric nanoparticles, factorial design, permeation studie

Género, ciencia y TIC : formación científica online con perspectiva de género

Este artículo presenta los resultados de un proyecto de innovación en la formación universitaria financiado por el Vicerrectorado de Docencia de la Universidad de Sevilla. Este proyecto surge con el propósito de elaborar y experimentar un modelo pedagógico blendedlearning para el aprendizaje universitario, ajustado a las orientaciones del Crédito Europeo. El estudio se lleva a cabo en la materia de “Bases Metodológicas de la Investigación Educativa”, que se imparte en la titulación de Pedagogía de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación. De forma complementaria, se contempla la inclusión de la perspectiva de género en el diseño de contenidos formativos online. Se realizan encuestas y entrevistas semiestructuradas para la evaluación de la experienciaThis paper presents the results of a research in the higher education, which is granted by the Vice-Chancellorship of the University of Seville. This project is proposed in order to design and implement a web based instructional model for universitary learning, according to recommendations of the European Credit Transfer System. This study has been carried out in the subject “Methodological foundations of Educational Research”, which is given the first year in the syllabus of Pedagogy in the Faculty of Education at University of Seville. Gender approach is included to design web based instructional contents. Scales and semi-structured interviews are carried out in order to value the innovative experience.Universidad de Sevilla. Vicerrectorado de Docenci