Having the “Talk” with Healthcare Providers to Increase Awareness of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Older Adult (65+ Years) Patients: A Quality Improvement Project

Background: The number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among older adults (those 65 years and older) are increasing at a significant pace. Despite this healthcare providers face consistent challenges in initiating sexual health discussions and STI screening in this population. Objectives: The primary objective of this quality improvement project was to increase provider knowledge of sexual health and STI screening in older adults. Increases in knowledge should translate into changes in practice, resulting in better patient care. Methodology: This quality improvement project utilized a before/after design. Providers recruited from a primary care clinic had their knowledge of the topic assessed before and after an educational intervention. Knowledge test scores were compared before and following education to determine if provider knowledge increased. Results: A total of n = 10 providers from a primary care practice operating in South Florida with an average age of 39.4 years (SD 4.43) agreed to participate in the project. Mean knowledge scores increased from 9.85 (SD 5.48) at baseline to 19.62 post-intervention. A Mann-Whitney U-test to compare the scores indicated the following z = - 3.691, p \u3c 0.001, suggesting that the change was statistically significant. Conclusions: For primary care providers working with older adults in the community, provider education does increase knowledge of sexual health and STI screening in older adults. Implications: Increases in provider knowledge should translate into the ability of providers to change practice, leading to increased STI and sexual health screening for older adults. This should improve individual and population health over the long term

Desarrollo a Escala Humana, Planificación productiva familiar, comunitaria y Escuelas de Campo desde la Unión de Campesinos Organizados de la Cuenca San Dionisio (UCOSD), en las comunidades de Piedra Colorada y El Corozo durante el año, 2016

La presente investigación muestra el Desarrollo a Escala Humana y la Planificación productiva familiar de las parcelas en las familias asociadas a la unión de campesinos organizados de San Dionisio, UCOSD y las Escuelas de Campos del proyecto ASA. La metodología utilizada fue la investigación acción participativa (IAP). La población utilizada, fueron los socios de las comunidades Piedra colorada y El Corozo, de las cuales se seleccionaron 10 parcelas para trabajar con el proyecto ASA, en las cuales se usaron diferentes técnicas como asambleas, entrevistas, grupo focales y escuelas de campo( ECAS).El estudio se realizó en tres fases, la primera para la construcción de la matriz de necesidades y satisfactores propuesta por Max-Neef que tiene por objetivo, primero, conocer los cambios que se han experimentado entre el año 2014-2016, segundo el proceso de planificación económica familiar productiva comunitaria y tercero las escuelas de campo del proyecto ASA. En el desarrollo a escala humana una de las transformaciones importantes que se sufrió en este periodo fue el cambio climático que ha provocado que los productores obtuvieran bajos rendimientos en sus cosechas. En la planificación económica familiar se logró apreciar cual es el total de gastos de cada una de las familias en estas comunidades y como el cambio climático ha afectado la producción de sus parcelas, como algunos de sus productores tienen más gastos y no obtienen muchos ingresos en sus producciones. Y en las ECAS pudimos observar que los productores van implementando cada una de las obras de conservación de suelo para obtener mejores producciones en los próximos años. Al final fue una escuela tanto para los productores, como para nosotros como facilitadores porque obtuvimos aprendizajes. Palabras claves: Desarrollo humano, Planificación, Escuelas de Camp

A walk on the frontier of energy electronics with power ultra-wide bandgap oxides and ultra-thin neuromorphic 2D materials

Altres ajuts: the ICN2 is funded also by the CERCA programme / Generalitat de CatalunyaUltra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors and ultra-thin two-dimensional materials (2D) are at the very frontier of the electronics for energy management or energy electronics. A new generation of UWBG semiconductors will open new territories for higher power rated power electronics and deeper ultraviolet optoelectronics. Gallium oxide - GaO(4.5-4.9 eV), has recently emerged as a suitable platform for extending the limits which are set by conventional (-3 eV) WBG e.g. SiC and GaN and transparent conductive oxides (TCO) e.g. In2O3, ZnO, SnO2. Besides, GaO, the first efficient oxide semiconductor for energy electronics, is opening the door to many more semiconductor oxides (indeed, the largest family of UWBGs) to be investigated. Among these new power electronic materials, ZnGa2O4 (-5 eV) enables bipolar energy electronics, based on a spinel chemistry, for the first time. In the lower power rating end, power consumption also is also a main issue for modern computers and supercomputers. With the predicted end of the Moores law, the memory wall and the heat wall, new electronics materials and new computing paradigms are required to balance the big data (information) and energy requirements, just as the human brain does. Atomically thin 2D-materials, and the rich associated material systems (e.g. graphene (metal), MoS2 (semiconductor) and h-BN (insulator)), have also attracted a lot of attention recently for beyond-silicon neuromorphic computing with record ultra-low power consumption. Thus, energy nanoelectronics based on UWBG and 2D materials are simultaneously extending the current frontiers of electronics and addressing the issue of electricity consumption, a central theme in the actions against climate chang

Identification of ovule and seed genes from Citrus clementina

[EN] Seedlessness is a highly desirable trait in fresh fruit. Citrus varieties, such as Clementine mandarin and other related species, show parthenocarpic fruit development without seeds due to self-incompatibility. In spite of that, these fruits frequently contain seeds as a result of cross-pollination by insects with compatible pollen from other citrus cultivars grown nearby. To solve this problem using a biotechnological approach we aim at the destruction of ovules and/or seeds by directing the expression of a toxic gene using the promoter of an ovule and/or seed specific gene. With the purpose of isolating this kind of genes we constructed two cDNA libraries from ovules and seeds at different developmental stages of the Clementine mandarin (Citrus clementina cv. Clemenules). A total of 1,014 ESTs from the ovule library and 1,042 ESTs from the seed library were generated, with a novelty percentage of 27% and 36% among the Spanish Citrus Functional Genomic Project (CFGP) ESTs database, respectively. Quantitative PCR analysis confirmed nearly specific expression in ovule and/or seed of two genes, TRANSPARENT TESTA16 (CcTT16) and TRANSPARENT TESTA7 (CcTT7). Expression of these two genes is restricted to early seed development, and is localized in the embryo sac and endothelium. The promoters of those genes may be useful to genetically engineer citrus species to avoid seed formation in fruits of commercial varieties.The authors thank Dr. L. Navarro and J. Juarez, from the Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (Generalitat Valenciana), for the use of the Clementine orchard and Fortune pollen; Dr. J Forment and the Genomics Facility at the IBMCP for sequence analysis and maintenance of to the CFGP database; and Drs. F Tadeo and J Carbonell for critical reading of the manuscript. This work was supported by grants from the Conselleria de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentacion (Generalitat Valenciana) and Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia (research grant GEN2001-4885-C05). A.G-L. received a PhD fellowship from the Conselleria de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentacion.García Lor, A.; Garcia Martinez, JL.; Perez Amador, MA. (2012). Identification of ovule and seed genes from Citrus clementina. Tree Genetics and Genomes. 8(2):227-235. doi:10.1007/s11295-011-0435-xS22723582Al-Shahrour F, Diaz-Uriarte R, Dopazo J (2005) Discovering molecular functions significantly related to phenotypes by combining gene expression data and biological information. Bioinformatics 21:2988–2993Al-Shahrour F, Minguez P, Tarraga J, Montaner D, Alloza E, Vaquerizas JMM, Conde L, Blaschke C, Vera J, Dopazo J (2006) BABELOMICS: a systems biology perspective in the functional annotation of genome-scale experiments. Nucleic Acids Res 34:W472–W476Alos E, Cercos M, Rodrigo MJ, Zacarias L, Talon M (2006) Regulation of color break in citrus fruits. Changes in pigment profiling and gene expression induced by gibberellins and nitrate, two ripening retardants. J Agric Food Chem 54:4888–4895Bugos RC, Chiang VL, Zhang XH, Campbell ER, Podila GK, Campbell WH (1995) RNA isolation from plant tissues recalcitrant to extraction in guanidine. Biotechniques 19:734–737Costantini E, Landi L, Silvestroni O, Pandolfini T, Spena A, Mezzetti B (2007) Auxin synthesis-encoding transgene enhances grape fecundity. Plant Physiol 143:1689–1694Debeaujon I, Nesi N, Perez P, Devic M, Grandjean O, Caboche M, Lepiniec L (2003) Proanthocyanidin-accumulating cells in Arabidopsis testa: regulation of differentiation and role in seed development. Plant Cell 15:2514–2531Dorcey E, Urbez C, Blazquez MA, Carbonell J, Perez-Amador MA (2009) Fertilization-dependent auxin response in ovules triggers fruit development through the modulation of gibberellin metabolism in Arabidopsis. Plant J 58:318–332Debeaujon I, Peeters AJ, Léon-Kloosterziel KM, Koornneef M (2001) The TRANSPARENT TESTA12 gene of Arabidopsis encodes a multidrug secondary transporter-like protein required for flavonoid sequestration in vacuoles of the seed coat endothelium. Plant Cell 13:853–571Forment J, Gadea J, Huerta L, Abizanda L, Agusti J, Alamar S, Alos E, Andres F, Arribas R, Beltran JP, Berbel A, Blazquez MA, Brumos J, Canas LA, Cercos M, Colmenero-Flores JM, Conesa A, Estables B, Gandia M, Garcia-Martinez JL, Gimeno J, Gisbert A, Gomez G, Gonzalez-Candelas L, Granell A, Guerra J, Lafuente MT, Madueno F, Marcos JF, Marques MC, Martinez F, Martinez-Godoy MA, Miralles S, Moreno P, Navarro L, Pallas V, Perez-Amador MA, Perez-Valle J, Pons C, Rodrigo I, Rodriguez PL, Royo C, Serrano R, Soler G, Tadeo F, Talon M, Terol J, Trenor M, Vaello L, Vicente O, Vidal C, Zacarias L, Conejero V (2005) Development of a citrus genome-wide EST collection and cDNA microarray as resources for genomic studies. Plant Mol Biol 57:375–391Forment J, Gilabert F, Robles A, Conejero V, Nuez F, Blanca JM (2008) EST2uni: an open, parallel tool for automated EST analysis and database creation, with a data mining web interface and microarray expression data integration. BMC Bioinformatics 9:5Fos M, Nuez F, Garcia-Martinez JL (2000) The gene pat-2, which induces natural parthenocarpy, alters the gibberellin content in unpollinated tomato ovaries. Plant Physiol 122:471–480Fos M, Proaño K, Nuez F, Garcia-Martinez JL (2001) Role of gibberellins in parthenocarpic fruit development induced by the genetic system pat-3/pat-4 in tomato. Physiol Plant 111:545–550Hashimoto JG, Beadles-Bohling AS, Wiren KM (2004) Comparison of RiboGreen and 18S rRNA quantitation for normalizing real-time RT-PCR expression analysis. Biotechniques 36:54–60Haughn G, Chaudhury A (2005) Genetic analysis of seed coat development in Arabidopsis. Trends Plant Sci 10:472–477Hartley RW (1988) Barnase and barstar. Expression of its cloned inhibitor permits expression of a cloned ribonuclease. J Mol Biol 202:913–915Jackson DP (1992) In situ hybridization in plants. In: Bowles DJ, Gurr SJ, Pherenson M (eds) Molecular plant pathology: a practical approach. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, pp 163–174Koltunow AM (1993) Isolation and construction of genes to control seed production in Citrus. In: Hyashi T, Omura M, Scott NS (eds) Techniques on gene diagnosis and breeding. Fruit Tree Research Station, Tsukuba, Japan, pp 101–108Koltunow AM, Soltys K, Nito N, Mcclure S (1995) Anther, ovule, seed and nucellar embryo development in Citrus sinensis cv Valencia. Can J Bot 73:1567–1582Koltunow AM, Brennan P, Bond JE, Barker SJ (1998) Evaluation of genes to reduce seed size in Arabidopsis and tobacco and their application to Citrus. Mol Breeding 4:235–251Le BH, Cheng C, Bui AQ, Wagmaister JA, Henry KF, Pelletier J, Kwong L, Belmonte M, Kirkbride R, Horvath S, Drews GN, Fischer RL, Okamuro JK, Harada JJ, Goldberg RB (2010) Global analysis of gene activity during Arabidopsis seed development and identification of seed-specific transcription factors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107:8063–8070Li DD, Shi W, Deng XX (2002) Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of embryogenic calluses of Ponkan mandarin and the regeneration of plants containing the chimeric ribonuclease gene. Plant Cell Rep 21:153–156Marques MC, Alonso-Cantabrana H, Forment J, Arribas R, Alamar S, Conejero V, Perez-Amador MA (2009) A new set of ESTs and cDNA clones from full-length and normalized libraries for gene discovery and functional characterization in citrus. BMC Genomics 10:428Mezzetti B, Landi L, Pandolfini T, Spena A (2004) The DefH9-iaaM auxin-synthesizing gene increases plant fecundity and fruit production in strawberry and raspberry. BMC Biotechnology 4:4Nesi N, Debeaujon I, Jond C, Stewart AJ, Jenkins GI, Caboche M, Lepiniec L (2002) The TRANSPARENT TESTA16 locus encodes the ARABIDOPSIS BSISTER MADS domain protein and is required for proper development and pigmentation of the seed coat. 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Exposición al crimen violento y cambios en los arreglos residenciales de niñas y niños en México

Los efectos del homicidio en la esperanza de vida están bien documentados en la literatura; sin embargo, ha sido poca la atención sobre el impacto de la tasa de homicidio en las dinámicas familiares y en la estructura familiar. Para ayudar a cubrir este vacío en la literatura, vinculamos datos censales de 1990, 2000 y 2010 con tasas de homicidio a nivel municipal para investigar la relación entre el incremento en la tasa de homicidio y el cambio en los arreglos residenciales. Por medio de técnicas de modelación aptas para inferir su asociación, buscamos identificar el posible impacto de diferentes niveles en la tasa de homicidio en los arreglos residenciales de niñas y niños a nivel local. Nuestros resultados aportan evidencia sobre los efectos del crimen violento en el bienestar de las familias y de las niñas y niños en el país

On the way to ovules: The hormonal regulation of ovule development

[EN] This review focuses on the hormonal regulation of ovule development, especially on ovule initiation, patterning, and morphogenesis. Understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of ovule development is essential from both the scientific and economic perspective. The ovule represents an attractive system to study lateral organ development in plants, and, since ovules are the precursors of seeds, full comprehension of this process can be the key to the improvement of crops, especially those depending on high production of seeds and grains. Ovule initiation, patterning, and morphogenesis are governed by complex genetic and hormonal networks involving auxins, cytokinins, brassinosteroids, and gibberellins. These coordinate the determination of the ovule number, size, and shape through the regulation of the number of ovule primordia that arise from the placenta and/or ensuring their correct development into mature functional ovules. Here we summarize the current knowledge of how ovules are formed, paying special attention to the roles of these four plant hormones.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation-FEDER under [grant BIO2017-83138R].Barro-Trastoy, D.; Gómez, MD.; Tornero Feliciano, P.; Perez Amador, MA. (2020). On the way to ovules: The hormonal regulation of ovule development. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences. 39(5):431-456. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352689.2020.1820203S431456395Aida, M., & Tasaka, M. (2006). Genetic control of shoot organ boundaries. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 9(1), 72-77. doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2005.11.011Aida, M., Ishida, T., Fukaki, H., Fujisawa, H., & Tasaka, M. (1997). Genes involved in organ separation in Arabidopsis: an analysis of the cup-shaped cotyledon mutant. The Plant Cell, 9(6), 841-857. doi:10.1105/tpc.9.6.841Armenta-Medina, A., & Gillmor, C. S. (2019). Genetic, molecular and parent-of-origin regulation of early embryogenesis in flowering plants. Plant Development and Evolution, 497-543. doi:10.1016/bs.ctdb.2018.11.008Azhakanandam, S., Nole-Wilson, S., Bao, F., & Franks, R. G. (2008). SEUSSandAINTEGUMENTAMediate Patterning and Ovule Initiation during Gynoecium Medial Domain Development    . Plant Physiology, 146(3), 1165-1181. doi:10.1104/pp.107.114751Baker, C. C., Sieber, P., Wellmer, F., & Meyerowitz, E. M. (2005). The early extra petals1 Mutant Uncovers a Role for MicroRNA miR164c in Regulating Petal Number in Arabidopsis. Current Biology, 15(4), 303-315. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2005.02.017Balasubramanian, S., & Schneitz, K. (2000). NOZZLE regulates proximal-distal pattern formation, cell proliferation and early sporogenesis during ovule development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Development, 127(19), 4227-4238. doi:10.1242/dev.127.19.4227Balasubramanian, S., & Schneitz, K. (2002). NOZZLE links proximal-distal and adaxial-abaxial pattern formation during ovule development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Development, 129(18), 4291-4300. doi:10.1242/dev.129.18.4291Bao, F., Azhakanandam, S., & Franks, R. G. (2009). SEUSSandSEUSS-LIKETranscriptional Adaptors Regulate Floral and Embryonic Development in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology, 152(2), 821-836. doi:10.1104/pp.109.146183Barro‐Trastoy, D., Carrera, E., Baños, J., Palau‐Rodríguez, J., Ruiz‐Rivero, O., Tornero, P., … Pérez‐Amador, M. A. (2020). Regulation of ovule initiation by gibberellins and brassinosteroids in tomato and Arabidopsis: two plant species, two molecular mechanisms. The Plant Journal, 102(5), 1026-1041. doi:10.1111/tpj.14684Bartrina, I., Otto, E., Strnad, M., Werner, T., & Schmülling, T. (2011). Cytokinin Regulates the Activity of Reproductive Meristems, Flower Organ Size, Ovule Formation, and Thus Seed Yield in Arabidopsis thaliana      . The Plant Cell, 23(1), 69-80. doi:10.1105/tpc.110.079079Becker, A. (2020). A molecular update on the origin of the carpel. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 53, 15-22. doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2019.08.009Bencivenga, S., Simonini, S., Benková, E., & Colombo, L. (2012). The Transcription Factors BEL1 and SPL Are Required for Cytokinin and Auxin Signaling During Ovule Development in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell, 24(7), 2886-2897. doi:10.1105/tpc.112.100164Benková, E., Michniewicz, M., Sauer, M., Teichmann, T., Seifertová, D., Jürgens, G., & Friml, J. (2003). Local, Efflux-Dependent Auxin Gradients as a Common Module for Plant Organ Formation. Cell, 115(5), 591-602. doi:10.1016/s0092-8674(03)00924-3BERRY, P. M., & SPINK, J. H. (2009). Understanding the effect of a triazole with anti-gibberellin activity on the growth and yield of oilseed rape (Brassica napus). The Journal of Agricultural Science, 147(3), 273-285. doi:10.1017/s0021859609008491BOUTTIER, C., & MORGAN, D. G. (1992). Ovule Development and Determination of Seed Number Per Pod in Oilseed Rape (Brassica napusL.). Journal of Experimental Botany, 43(5), 709-714. doi:10.1093/jxb/43.5.709Bowman, J. L., Smyth, D. R., & Meyerowitz, E. M. (1991). Genetic interactions among floral homeotic genes of Arabidopsis. Development, 112(1), 1-20. doi:10.1242/dev.112.1.1Brambilla, V., Battaglia, R., Colombo, M., Masiero, S., Bencivenga, S., Kater, M. M., & Colombo, L. (2007). Genetic and Molecular Interactions between BELL1 and MADS Box Factors Support Ovule Development inArabidopsis. The Plant Cell, 19(8), 2544-2556. doi:10.1105/tpc.107.051797Broadhvest, J., Baker, S. C., & Gasser, C. S. (2000). SHORT INTEGUMENTS 2 Promotes Growth During Arabidopsis Reproductive Development. Genetics, 155(2), 899-907. doi:10.1093/genetics/155.2.899Brumos, J., Robles, L. M., Yun, J., Vu, T. C., Jackson, S., Alonso, J. M., & Stepanova, A. N. (2018). Local Auxin Biosynthesis Is a Key Regulator of Plant Development. Developmental Cell, 47(3), 306-318.e5. doi:10.1016/j.devcel.2018.09.022Carter, B., Henderson, J. T., Svedin, E., Fiers, M., McCarthy, K., Smith, A., … Ogas, J. (2016). Cross-Talk Between Sporophyte and Gametophyte Generations Is Promoted by CHD3 Chromatin Remodelers in Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetics, 203(2), 817-829. doi:10.1534/genetics.115.180141Ceccato, L., Masiero, S., Sinha Roy, D., Bencivenga, S., Roig-Villanova, I., Ditengou, F. A., … Colombo, L. (2013). Maternal Control of PIN1 Is Required for Female Gametophyte Development in Arabidopsis. PLoS ONE, 8(6), e66148. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066148Chevalier, D., Batoux, M., Fulton, L., Pfister, K., Yadav, R. K., Schellenberg, M., & Schneitz, K. (2005). STRUBBELIG defines a receptor kinase-mediated signaling pathway regulating organ development in Arabidopsis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102(25), 9074-9079. doi:10.1073/pnas.0503526102Christensen, C. A., King, E. J., Jordan, J. R., & Drews, G. N. (1997). Megagametogenesis in Arabidopsis wild type and the Gf mutant. Sexual Plant Reproduction, 10(1), 49-64. doi:10.1007/s004970050067Conner, J., & Liu, Z. (2000). LEUNIG, a putative transcriptional corepressor that regulates AGAMOUS expression during flower development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 97(23), 12902-12907. doi:10.1073/pnas.230352397Cucinotta, M., Colombo, L., & Roig-Villanova, I. (2014). Ovule development, a new model for lateral organ formation. Frontiers in Plant Science, 5. doi:10.3389/fpls.2014.00117Cucinotta, M., Di Marzo, M., Guazzotti, A., de Folter, S., Kater, M. M., & Colombo, L. (2020). Gynoecium size and ovule number are interconnected traits that impact seed yield. Journal of Experimental Botany, 71(9), 2479-2489. doi:10.1093/jxb/eraa050Cucinotta, M., Manrique, S., Cuesta, C., Benkova, E., Novak, O., & Colombo, L. (2018). CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON1 (CUC1) and CUC2 regulate cytokinin homeostasis to determine ovule number in Arabidopsis. Journal of Experimental Botany, 69(21), 5169-5176. doi:10.1093/jxb/ery281Cucinotta, M., Manrique, S., Guazzotti, A., Quadrelli, N. E., Mendes, M. A., Benkova, E., & Colombo, L. (2016). Cytokinin response factors integrate auxin and cytokinin pathways for female reproductive organ development. Development. doi:10.1242/dev.143545Davière, J.-M., & Achard, P. (2016). A Pivotal Role of DELLAs in Regulating Multiple Hormone Signals. Molecular Plant, 9(1), 10-20. doi:10.1016/j.molp.2015.09.011Denay, G., Chahtane, H., Tichtinsky, G., & Parcy, F. (2017). A flower is born: an update on Arabidopsis floral meristem formation. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 35, 15-22. doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2016.09.003Elliott, R. C., Betzner, A. S., Huttner, E., Oakes, M. P., Tucker, W. Q., Gerentes, D., … Smyth, D. R. (1996). AINTEGUMENTA, an APETALA2-like gene of Arabidopsis with pleiotropic roles in ovule development and floral organ growth. The Plant Cell, 8(2), 155-168. doi:10.1105/tpc.8.2.155Endress, P. K. 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Ethylene is involved in pistil fate by modulating the onset of ovule senescence and the GA-mediated fruit set in Arabidopsis

Background: Ovule lifespan is an important factor in determining the ability to set fruits and produce seeds. Once ovule senescence is established, fruit set capacity in response to gibberellins (GAs) is lost. We aimed to elucidate whether ethylene plays a role in controlling ovule senescence and the fruit set response in Arabidopsis. Results: Ethylene response inhibitors, silver thiosulphate (STS) and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), were able to delay the loss of pistil response to GA3 . In addition, ethylene insensitive mutants ein2-5 and ein3-1 showed delayed loss of pistil response, as in plants treated with STS and 1-MCP, while constitutive mutant ctr1-1 displayed premature loss of response. The analysis of the expression of ethylene biosynthesis genes suggests that ethylene is synthesised in ovules at the onset of ovule senescence, while a transcriptional meta-analysis also supports an activated ethylene-dependent senescence upon the establishment of ovule senescence. Finally, a SAG12:GUS reporter line proved useful to monitor ovule senescence and to directly demonstrate that ethylene specifically modulates ovule senescence. Conclusions: We have shown that ethylene is involved in both the control of the ovule lifespan and the determination of the pistil/fruit fate. Our data support a role of the ovule in modulating the GA response during fruit set in Arabidopsis. A possible mechanism that links the ethylene modulation of the ovule senescence and the GA3 -induced fruit set response is discussed.The authors wish to thank Drs. Alonso and Amasino for their gifts of seeds; Drs. Alonso, Alabadi, and Blazquez for critically reading the manuscript, and Ms. Argomaniz and Ms. Fuster for technical assistance in the lab. This work has been supported by grants BIO2005-07156-C02-01 and BIO2008-01039 from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Plan Nacional de I+D. PCB received a PhD fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.Carbonell Bejerano, P.; Urbez Lagunas, C.; Granell Richart, A.; Carbonell Gisbert, J.; Perez Amador, MA. (2011). Ethylene is involved in pistil fate by modulating the onset of ovule senescence and the GA-mediated fruit set in Arabidopsis. BMC Plant Biology. 11:84-84. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2229-11-84S84841

Gibberellins Regulate Ovule Integument Development by Interfering with the Transcription Factor ATS

[EN] Gibberellins (GAs) are plant hormones that regulate most plant life cycle aspects, including flowering and fruit development. Here, we demonstrate the implication of GAs in ovule development. DELLA proteins, negative GA response regulators, act as positive factors for ovule integument development in a mechanism that involves transcription factor ABERRANT TESTA SHAPE (ATS). The seeds of the della global mutant, a complete loss-of-function of DELLA, and the ats-1 mutant are remarkably similar, with a round shape, a disorganized testa, and viviparism. These defects are the result of an alteration in integuments that fail to fully develop and are shorter than in wild-type plants. ats-1 also shows some GA-related phenotypes, for example, higher germination rates and early flowering. In fact, ats-1 has elevated GA levels due to the activation of GA biosynthesis genes, which indicates that ATS inhibits GA biosynthesis. Moreover, DELLAs and ATS proteins interact, which suggests the formation of a transcriptional complex that regulates the expression of genes involved in integument growth. Therefore, the repression of GA biosynthesis by ATS would result in the stabilization of DELLAs to ensure correct ATS-DELLA complex formation. The requirement of both activities to coordinate proper ovule development strongly argues that the ATS-DELLA complex acts as a key molecular factor. This work provides the first evidence for a role of GAs in ovule and seed development.This work was supported by grants BIO2011-26302 and BIO2014-55946 from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, respectively, and ACOMP/2013/048 and ACOMP/2014/106 from the Generalitat Valenciana to M.A.P.-A. R.S. received a PhD fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.Gómez Jiménez, MD.; Ventimilla-Llora, D.; Sacristán Tarrazó, R.; Perez Amador, MA. (2016). Gibberellins Regulate Ovule Integument Development by Interfering with the Transcription Factor ATS. Plant Physiology. 172(4):2403-2415. doi:10.1104/pp.16.01231S24032415172

Above-Bandgap Photovoltages in Antiferroelectrics

Altres ajuts: COST Action StableNextSol project MP1307The closed circuit photocurrent and open circuit photovoltage of antiferroelectric thin films were characterized both in their ground (antipolar) state and in their polarized state. A sharp transition happens from near zero to large photovoltages as the polarization is switched on, consistent with the activation of the bulk photovoltaic effect. The AFE layers have been grown by a solution processing method (sol?gel synthesis followed by spin coating deposition) onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), a transparent conducting oxide with low sheet resistance and a higher resilience to high-temperature processing than indium tin oxide and a standard for solar cells such as organometal trihalide perovskites. Light absorption confirmed that the PZO films are, as expected, wide-band gap semiconductors with a gap of 3.7.8 eV and thus highly absorbing in the near-ultraviolet range. On a virgin sample, there is no shortcircuit photocurrent, consistent with the antipolar nature of the ground state. As an external bias voltage is applied, the current remains negligible until suddenly, at the coercive voltage, a spike is observed, corresponding to the transient displacement current caused by the onset of polarization