Assignació de recursos en Diplotaxis erucoides (L.) DC

Seeds of Diplotaxis erucoides collected un the fields of the ETSEA of Lleida in spring of 1989 were sown in pots in Mars of 1990 after their conservation at lab temperature and humidity. To estimate the biomass: allocation between different organs during the plant life and to know the reproductive effort at the end of this one, we have regularly determined the dry weight of the following plant parts: a) roots, b) stems and leaves, c) flowers, and d) fruits of 20 plants in each analysis. With the results obtnined we can confirm the following observations: a) a high and positive correlation between the biomass of different parts, b) the biornass destined to reproduction represents a 33% of the total plant biomass, c) there is an increase of the reproductive effort with the size of the plant, d) the correlation caefficient between the number of flowers and the vegetative biomass is better than those observed beetween the reproductive and vegetative biomass, and e) there is a decrease of the vegetative growth and radicular system in the last stages of the plant cycle.Les llavors de Diplotaxis erucoides recollides en el camp de practiques de I'ETSEA Lleida durant la primavera de 1989 foren sembrades en testos al març de 1990 després de ser conservades en sec en condicions d'humitat i temperatura de laboratori. Per tal d'avaluar l'assignació de biomassa entre diferents compartiments al llarg del cicle de la planta i determinar l'esforç reproductiu al final del mateix es determina periòdicament mitjançant quatre anàlisis el pes sec dels diferents compartiments considerats -arrels, tiges i fulles, flors i fruits- d'un grup de vint plantes per anàlisi. Els resultats obtinguts ens permeten confirmar les observacions següents: a) existència de correlacions positives i elevades entre la biomassa dels diferents compartiments, b) la biomassa destinada a la reproducció representa un 33% de la biomassa total de la planta, c) es produeix un augment de l'esforç reproductiu amb la mida de la planta, d) el coeficient de correlació entre el nombre de flors i la biomassa vegetativa és sensiblement més alt que entre la biomassa reproductiva i la biomassa vegetativa i e) l'existència d'una disminució del creixement vegetatiu i del sistema radicular en les etapes finals del cicle de la planta.Las sernillas de Diplotaxis erucoides recogidas en el campo de prácticas de la ETSEA Lleida durante la primavera de 1989, fueron sembradas en macetas en el mes de marzo de 1990 previa conservación en seco en condiciones de humedad y temperatura de laboratono. Para evaluar la asignación de biomasa entre distintos com-partimentos durante el ciclo de la planta y determinar el esfuerzo reproductivo al final del misrno, se determinó periódicamente mediante cuatro análisis el peso seco de los distintos compartimentos considerados -raices, tallos y hojas, flores y frutos- de una muestra de veinte plantas por análisis. Los resultados obtenidos nos pemiten confirmar las observaciones siguientes: a) la existencia de correlaciones positivas y elevadas entre la biomasa de los diferentes compartimentos,b) la biomasa destinada a la reproducción representa un 33% del total de la biomasa de la planta, c) se produce un incremento positivo del esfuerzo reproductivo con el peso de la planta, d) el coeficiente de correlación entre el número de flores y la biomasa vegetativa es sensiblemente más alto que el de la biomasa reproductiva con la biomasa vegetativa y e) la existencia de una disminución en el ritmo de crecimiento vegetativo y del sistema radicular en las etapas finales del ciclo de la planta

Retranslocament de nutrients en les fulles senescents de faig (Fagus sylvatica L.)

Nutrient (P. K. Ca and Mg) contents of leaves prior to senescence, nutrient return in leaf litterfall, and nutrient lcaching in throughfall were measured during October and November in a beech forest experimental plot in the Montseny Mountains (NE Spain). Only K was leached in significant amounts. Rctranslocation of P and K amounted to 46% and 13%. respectively. of the foliar nutrient contents before senescence. Calcium accumulated in the leaves during this period. while Mg showed no net retranslocation or accumulation. Retranslocated P can supply a large fraction of the annual P requirements of the trees. and contributes to keep a tight P cycle. However. the percentagc of P retranslocated in this forest lies in the lower range of literature values for forest ecosystems.Es mesuraren les mineralomasses foliars de P, K, Ca i Mg abans de la senescencia i el retorn de nutrients per la caiguda de fulles i per la lixiviació en el trascol durant octubre i novembre en una parcel4a experimental de la fageda de Santa Fe (Montseny, Barcelona). Només el K es lixivia en quantitats significatives. El retranslocament de P i K representi, respectivament, el 46% i el 13% de la mineralomassa foliar abans de la senescbncia. Les fulles acumularen Ca durant aquest període. mentre que el Mg no manifesta retranslocament ni acumulació nets. La quantitat de P retranslocada (1.4 kg ha-') pot subministrar una part important dels requeriments anuals de P del faig, i contribueix a mantenir un cicle tancat de P. No obstant, el percentatge de P retranslocat en aquest bosc es dels més baixos dels trobats a la bibliografia sobre ecosistemes forestals

A randomized split-mouth clinical trial comparing pain experienced during palatal injections with two different computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery systems

Several methods have been proposed to reduce pain during injection. The main aim to this study was to compare the pain perception in patients receiving palatal injections of local anesthesia using two different computer-controlled local anesthetic delive

Evidence for power-law frequency dependence of intrinsic dielectric response in the CaCu3_{3}Ti4_{4}O12_{12}

We investigated the dielectric response of CaCu$_3$Ti$_4$O$_{12}$ (CCTO) thin films grown epitaxially on LaAlO$_3$ (001) substrates by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD). The dielectric response of the films was found to be strongly dominated by a power-law in frequency, typical of materials with localized hopping charge carriers, in contrast to the Debye-like response of the bulk material. The film conductivity decreases with annealing in oxygen, and it suggests that oxygen deficit is a cause of the relatively high film conductivity. With increase of the oxygen content, the room temperature frequency response of the CCTO thin films changes from the response indicating the presence of some relatively low conducting capacitive layers to purely power law, and then towards frequency independent response with a relative dielectric constant $\epsilon'\sim10^2$. The film conductance and dielectric response decrease upon decrease of the temperature with dielectric response being dominated by the power law frequency dependence. Below $\sim$80 K, the dielectric response of the films is frequency independent with $\epsilon'$ close to $10^2$. The results provide another piece of evidence for an extrinsic, Maxwell-Wagner type, origin of the colossal dielectric response of the bulk CCTO material, connected with electrical inhomogeneity of the bulk material.Comment: v4: RevTeX, two-column, 9 pages, 7 figures; title modified, minor content change in p.7, reference adde

Testing the length limit of loop grafting in a helical repeat protein.

Alpha-helical repeat proteins such as consensus-designed tetratricopeptide repeats (CTPRs) are exceptionally stable molecules that are able to tolerate destabilizing sequence alterations and are therefore becoming increasingly valued as a modular platform for biotechnology and biotherapeutic applications. A simple approach to functionalize the CTPR scaffold that we are pioneering is the insertion of short linear motifs (SLiMs) into the loops between adjacent repeats. Here, we test the limits of the scaffold by inserting 17 highly diverse amino acid sequences of up to 58 amino acids in length into a two-repeat protein and examine the impact on protein folding, stability and solubility. The sequences include three SLiMs that bind oncoproteins and eleven naturally occurring linker sequences all predicted to be intrinsically disordered but with conformational preferences ranging from compact globules to expanded coils. We show that the loop-grafted proteins retain the native CTPR structure and are thermally stable with melting temperatures above 60 ​°C, despite the longest loop sequence being almost the same size as the CTPR scaffold itself (68 amino acids). Although the main determinant of the effect of stability was found to be loop length and was relatively insensitive to amino acid composition, the relationship between protein solubility and the loop sequences was more complex, with the presence of negatively charged amino acids enhancing the solubility. Our findings will help us to fully realize the potential of the repeat-protein scaffold, allowing a rational design approach to create artificial modular proteins with customized functional capabilities

Antropoestratigrafía: nuevas unidades litológicas del Cuaternario controladas por la actividad humana

Many areas around the world such as the Mediterranean region have been inhabited without interruption for thousands of years. This is the case of the city of Barcelona (Spain), where remains of human settlements dating from pre-Roman times until the present have been found. A detailed geological mapping of the area occupied by the city of Barcelona raises a number of questions about the Holocene stratigraphy affected by human activity. In the old urban and surrounding areas most of the sedimentary deposits accumulated during settlement result from human interactions. Thus, new anthropostratigraphic units are proposed. The sedimentary deposits and the infill of rock excavations due to human presence may be divided into three categories: Natural lithoanthropogenic units (NAU) when their formation is not directly affected by anthropogenic activity but these contain artefacts of human origin. Induced lithoanthropogenic units (IAU) when natural processes together with human actions produce sedimentation or erosion due to natural phenomena; Constructed lithoanthropogenic units (CAU) when sedimentary accumulations and sharp contacts result from direct human activity.A lo largo de todo el globo terrestre, existen muchas zonas como la región mediterránea que han sido habitadas ininterrumpidamente durante miles de años. Este es el caso de la ciudad de Barcelona donde se han encontrado restos de asentamientos humanos desde los tiempos pre-romanos hasta la actualidad. Un mapa geológico detallado de la zona ocupada por la ciudad de Barcelona plantea una serie de interrogantes sobre la estratigrafía del Holoceno influenciado por la actividad humana. En la zona urbana antigua y en áreas circundantes, la mayoría de los depósitos acumulados durante el asentamiento se han producido por las interacciones humanas. Por tanto, se proponen nuevas unidades antropoestratigráficas. Los depósitos sedimentarios así como los rellenos de lasexcavaciones debidos a la presencia humana pueden ser divididos en tres categorías: Unidades litoantropogénicas naturales (NAU) cuando su generación no ha sido afectada directamente por la actividad humana, pero contienen diversos artefactos artificiales. Unidades litoantropogénicas inducidas (IAU) cuando los procesos naturales junto a las acciones humanas producen sedimentación o erosión debido a los fenómenos naturales. Unidades litoantropogénicas construidas (CAU) cuando las acumulaciones sedimentarias y los contactos nítidos son el resultado de la actividad humana directa

Noradrenergic stimulation enhances human action monitoring

Noradrenergic neurotransmission has been associated with the modulation of higher cognitive functions mediated by the prefrontal cortex. In the present study, the impact of noradrenergic stimulation on the human action-monitoring system, as indexed by eventrelated brain potentials, was examined. After the administration of a placebo or the selective 2 -adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine, which stimulates firing in the locus ceruleus and noradrenaline release, electroencephalograpic recordings were obtained from healthy volunteers performing a letter flanker task. Yohimbine led to an increase in the amplitude of the error-related negativity in conjunction with a significant reduction of action errors. Reaction times were unchanged, and the drug did not modify the N2 in congruent versus incongruent trials, a measure of preresponse conflict, or posterror adjustments as measured by posterror slowing of reaction time. The present findings suggest that the locus ceruleusnoradrenaline system exerts a rather specific effect on human action monitoring

An fMRI Study on the Role of Serotonin in Reactive Aggression

Reactive aggression after interpersonal provocation is a common behavior in humans. Little is known, however, about brain regions and neurotransmitters critical for the decision-making and affective processes involved in aggressive interactions. With the present fMRI study, we wanted to examine the role of serotonin in reactive aggression by means of an acute tryptophan depletion (ATD). Participants performed in a competitive reaction time task (Taylor Aggression Paradigm, TAP) which entitled the winner to punish the loser. The TAP seeks to elicit aggression by provocation. The study followed a double-blind between-subject design including only male participants. Behavioral data showed an aggression diminishing effect of ATD in low trait-aggressive participants, whereas no ATD effect was detected in high trait-aggressive participants. ATD also led to reduced insula activity during the decision phase, independently of the level of provocation. Whereas previous reports have suggested an inverse relationship between serotonin level and aggressive behavior with low levels of serotonin leading to higher aggression and vice versa, such a simple relationship is inconsistent with the current data

Internet interventions for improving psychological well‐being in psycho‐oncology: review and recommendations

Objective Too few cancer patients and survivors receive evidence‐based interventions for mental health symptoms. This review examines the potential for Internet interventions to help fill treatment gaps in psychosocial oncology and presents evidence regarding the likely utility of Internet interventions for cancer patients. Methods The authors examined available literature regarding Internet interventions tailored to cancer patients' mental health needs and reviewed elements of Internet interventions for mental health relevant to advancing psycho‐oncology Internet intervention research. Results Few rigorous studies focusing on mental health of cancer patients have been conducted online. A growing body of evidence supports the efficacy, accessibility, and acceptability of mental health Internet interventions for a variety of general and medical patient populations. The authors present recommendations and guidelines to assist researchers in developing, testing, and disseminating Internet interventions for cancer patients and survivors, to manage and improve their mental health. Issues unique to Internet interventions—including intervention structure, customization, provider interaction, and privacy and confidentiality issues—are discussed. These guidelines are offered as a step toward establishing a set of “best practices” for Internet interventions in psycho‐oncology and to generate further discussion regarding the goals of such interventions and their place in cancer care. Conclusions Internet interventions have the potential to fill an important gap in quality cancer care by augmenting limited available mental health services. These interventions should be developed in a manner consistent with best practices and must be empirically tested and validated. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/93546/1/pon1993.pd

Reparative giant cell granuloma in a pediatric patient

Reparative giant cell granulomas are benign, infrequent tumors, of non-odontogenic origin, that develop at central or peripheral level. Peripherally located lesions are frequently denominated ?giant cell epulis?, and never correspond to true neoplasia, but rather to inflammatory reactions secondary to another lesion (hemorrhage, etc.). It should be taken into account, that in general, head and neck tumors of infancy usually demonstrate an atypical biological behaviour. Furthermore, the anatomicopathologic diagnosis is often compromised in this type of lesion. We present the case of a 6-year-old boy, who, three weeks after suffering a slight facial trauma, developed a painless, exophytic swelling of approximately 4 cm, with bleeding on palpation, in the ipsilateral hemimaxilla. The lesion demonstrated rapid, progressive and continuous growth. The facial CT and incisional biopsy confirmed the suspected diagnosis of reparative giant cell granuloma. The patient was surgically treated, carrying out a left marginal maxillectomy associated with the extirpation of the soft-tissue lesion. The resultant defect was reconstructed with a Bichat fat-pad providing the patient with optimal esthetic and functional results. The definitive anatomicopathologic report of the surgical piece is compatible with reparative giant cell granuloma