Optical spectroscopy of rare-earth ions doped KY(WO4)2 thin films

KY(WO4)2 thin films doped with Dy3+, Tb3+, Yb3+, were grown onto KY(WO4)2 substrates using liquid-phase epitaxy. Spectroscopic investigations of the grown layers were performed. Obtained results were compared with spectra given for bulk crystals. Upconversion experiments after direct Yb3+ excitation in Dy3+-Yb3+ and Tb3+-Yb3+ codoped layers will be also presented

The Social Appraisal of Techno-Experiments: Whirlpools and Mosaics of Smart Urbanism

Technology-driven experiments—techno-experiments—have become a central mode of spatial intervention in a paradigm of smart growth. They are often considered a manifestation of a techno-managerial approach to governance, built upon the increasing influence of IT corporations on urban politics. Yet, there is little evidence indicating how these interests articulate techno-experiments and shape their legacies over the long run. This paper questions the varied politics of techno-experiments by comparing four projects in Stockholm and Amsterdam: two smart energy grid pilots and two online community-based platforms. Mobilizing the notion of the “social appraisal of technology,” it argues that techno-experiments can take different forms depending on how the role of digital technology is defined and negotiated by actors throughout the process of experimentation. The paper empirically shows that experiments can evolve in two main ways, defined as “whirlpools” and “mosaics.” As whirlpools, they upscale self-referentially; as mosaics, they instead extend into a set of scattered spin-offs. The key factors producing such outcomes, these cases show, are the form of partnership established at the outset of techno-experiments, and the ability of research funding and governmental agencies to steer projects as they develop

Impact of the application of monosilicic acid to grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) on the chemical composition of young red Mencia wines

Impact of applying monosilicic acid to grapevines during ripening on chemical composition of Mencía red wines in an area where fungal diseases during summer are common was examined. The foliar application of monosilicic acid to grapevines led to a less oxidized wine, with lower levels of acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate and diacethyl; this should be considered as positive from a sensory point of view. Wines made with silicon-treated grapes also contained lower levels of gluconic acid and glycerol, which are chemical markers of wines made with botrytized grapes, as well as higher contents of total phenols, anthocyanins and tannins. Furthermore, the contents of several mid-chain alcohols were higher (p < 0.05) in wines made with grapes from silicon-treated plantsThe authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support by the FEDER/Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities Project: RTI2018-096268-B-I00. This work was partially supported by Comunidad de Madrid (Spain) and Structural Funds 2014–2020 (ERDF and ESF) (Project AGRISOST-CM S2018/BAA-4330

Evaluación de una técnica de RT-PCR específica para la detección del serotipo 8 del virus de la lengua azul en cabras

El virus de la lengua azul (vLA) es un Orbivirus transmitido por mosquitos hematófagos del género Culicoides. En el norte de España ha aparecido recientemente el serotipo 8, afectando a ovejas y vacas. Los serotipos de vLA son tan distintos entre sí, que las vacunas no ofrecen protección cruzada. Por tanto, es fundamental identificar cual afecta al animal para aplicar la vacuna correcta. En estudios recientes se ha desarrollado un ensayo de RT PCR para detectar el serotipo 8 de vLA en vacas y ovejas. En este estudio hemos evaluado dicha técnica para la detección específica del serotipo 8 en cabras. Se analizaron 15 sueros de cabras infectadas y sobrenadantes de cultivos celulares infectados con el serotipo 8. Las muestras de sueros analizados no dieron resultados positivos.Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an Orbivirus transmitted by haematophagous insects of the genus Culicoides. In the north of the Iberian Peninsula, BTV-8 has appeared recently, affecting sheep and cattle. Bluetongue serotypes are so different among them, that vaccines do not offer cross-protection. Thus, it is important to detect which serotype is affecting an animal, in order to apply the correct vaccine. An RT-PCR assay has been developed recently to detect BTV-8 in cattle and sheep. In this study we have evaluated this RT-PCR technique as a diagnostic tool for the specific detection of BTV- 8 in goats. Sera samples from 15 infected goats and supernatants from BTV-8 infected cell cultures were analyzed. No positive results were obtained for the analyzed samples

Self-assembly of Fmoc-tetrapeptides based on the RGDS cell adhesion motif

Self-assembly in aqueous solution has been investigated for two Fmoc [Fmoc ¼ N-(fluorenyl)-9-methoxycarbonyl] tetrapeptides comprising the RGDS cell adhesion motif from fibronectin or the scrambled sequence GRDS. The hydrophobic Fmoc unit confers amphiphilicity on the molecules, and introduces aromatic stacking interactions. Circular dichroism and FTIR spectroscopy show that the self-assembly of both peptides at low concentration is dominated by interactions among Fmoc units, although Fmoc-GRDS shows b-sheet features, at lower concentration than Fmoc-RGDS. Fibre X-ray diffraction indicates b-sheet formation by both peptides at sufficiently high concentration. Strong alignment effects are revealed by linear dichroism experiments for Fmoc-GRDS. Cryo-TEM and smallangle X-ray scattering (SAXS) reveal that both samples form fibrils with a diameter of approximately 10 nm. Both Fmoc-tetrapeptides form self-supporting hydrogels at sufficiently high concentration. Dynamic shear rheometry enabled measurements of the moduli for the Fmoc-GRDS hydrogel, however syneresis was observed for the Fmoc-RGDS hydrogel which was significantly less stable to shear. Molecular dynamics computer simulations were carried out considering parallel and antiparallel b-sheet configurations of systems containing 7 and 21 molecules of Fmoc-RGDS or Fmoc-GRDS, the results being analyzed in terms of both intermolecular structural parameters and energy contributions

Influence of some oenological practices on the aromatic and sensorial characteristics of white Verdejo wines

Changes in the aromatic composition as well as sensory characteristics in Verdejo white wines were analysed based on two factors: the winemaking methodology and the storing time of wine in bottles. The volatile components were determined by GLC-MS, and the sensory profile was designed and assessed according to the ISO 11035 standard. The results showed that when wines were made in oak barrels, either completely or partially, which means the wines were in contact with the lees, the levels of 1-octanol, ethyl heptanoate and ethyl decanoate were significantly affected (P menor que 0.05); the softness sensation was also influenced (P menor que 0.05). However, the amount of time the wines were stored in bottles significantly affected (P menor que 0.05) the levels of 1-hexanol, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, hexyl acetate, isoamyl acetate and isoamyl lactate and also an odour note (tropical fruit). The compounds with higher OAV values belong to the groups of esters and fatty acids. For these reasons, the composition and the quality of the aroma of Verdejo white wines appear to be significantly affected both by use of oak barrels in winemaking and the time the wines are stored in bottles

Rga6, una GAP de Cdc42, implicada en el control de la morfología celular de Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Memoria presentada por Mª Teresa Revilla Guarinos para optar al Grado de Doctor en Biología Funcional y Genómica, y que ha sido realizada en el Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, centro mixto de la Universidad de Salamanca (Departamento de Microbiología y Genética) y el Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas.La morfogénesis constituye junto con el crecimiento y la diferenciación celular, uno de los aspectos más importantes del desarrollo de un organismo. Muchas de las principales moléculas implicadas en el control del crecimiento polarizado y la morfogénesis, como las GTPasas Rho, están conservadas desde levaduras a mamíferos. En nuestro grupo estudiamos el papel de las GTPasas Rho en el crecimiento polarizado empleando como organismo modelo la levadura de fisión Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Esta levadura posee una morfología cilíndrica y crece por los polos. Su forma, tamaño y división a lo largo del ciclo son muy reproducibles en el laboratorio. Gracias a ello, es un buen organismo modelo para estudiar el control de la morfología celular. S. pombe contiene 6 genes que codifican GTPasas de la familia Rho, Rho1-Rho5 y Cdc42. Cdc42 es esencial para la viabilidad celular. Se localiza tanto en la membrana plasmática, como en las membranas internas y es la GTPasa implicada en el control del crecimiento celular polarizado. Como todas las GTPasas de la familia Rho, la señalización de Cdc42 está regulada por proteínas activadoras denominadas GEFs (del inglés “Guanine nucleotide Exchange Factors”) e inhibidoras denominadas GAPs (“GTPases Activating Proteins”). En la levadura de fisión, el control espacial de la activación de Cdc42 determina su morfología celular. Los GEFs, Scd1 y GEF1, se localizan en las zonas de crecimiento, polos y septo, donde Cdc42 está activa y la única proteína GAP descrita hasta la fecha, Rga4, se localiza en la membrana lateral de la célula, en las zonas sin crecimiento, donde Cdc42 está inactiva. Scd1 y Rga4 tienen papeles aditivos controlando la morfología celular. Gef1 por su parte, parece estar más implicado en los procesos de citocinesis y en la transición del crecimiento monopolar a bipolar denominada NETO (New End Take Off). En los polos, la dinámica de activación de Cdc42 presenta un comportamiento oscilatorio. Cdc42 controla el crecimiento celular polarizado mediante su proteína efectora For3. Esta formina promueve la formación de cables de actina en interfase, implicados, junto con las miosinas de clase V, en el movimiento de las vesículas secretoras, que contienen el nuevo material sintetizado, hacia las zonas de crecimiento activo. Además existe relación entre Cdc42 y el complejo proteico denominado exocisto, implicado en la fusión de las vesículas procedentes del Aparato de Golgi con la membrana plasmática. Aunque hasta la fecha no está claro como Cdc42 regula el exocisto, sí se sabe que la secreción polarizada llevada a cabo por For3 y el correcto funcionamiento del exocisto, son 2 procesos fundamentales para la correcta morfología de la célula.Esta tesis doctoral ha sido financiada por una beca predoctoral de Formación de Personal Investigador (FPI) del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad del Gobierno de España con referencia BES-2011-045514 y asociada al proyecto de investigación BFU2010-15641 en el Organismo Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC).Peer Reviewe