The redshift and broad band spectral energy distribution of NRAO 150

Context. NRAO 150 is one of the brightest radio and mm AGN sources on the northern sky. It has been revealed as an interesting source where to study extreme relativistic jet phenomena. However, its cosmological distance has not been reported so far, because of its optical faintness produced by strong Galactic extinction. Aims. Aiming at measuring the redshift of NRAO 150, and hence to start making possible quantitative studies from the source. Methods. We have conducted spectroscopic and photometric observations of the source in the near-IR, as well as in the optical. Results. All such observations have been successful in detecting the source. The near-IR spectroscopic observations reveal strong H$\alpha$ and H$\beta$ emission lines from which the cosmological redshift of NRAO 150 ($z=1.517\pm0.002$) has been determined for the first time. We classify the source as a flat-spectrum radio-loud quasar, for which we estimate a large super-massive black-hole mass $\sim5\times 10^{9} \mathrm{M_\odot}$. After extinction correction, the new near-IR and optical data have revealed a high-luminosity continuum-emission excess in the optical (peaking at $\sim2000$\,\AA, rest frame) that we attribute to thermal emission from the accretion disk for which we estimate a high accretion rate, $\sim30$\,% of the Eddington limit. Conclusions. Comparison of these source properties, and its broad-band spectral-energy distribution, with those of Fermi blazars allow us to predict that NRAO 150 is among the most powerful blazars, and hence a high luminosity -although not detected yet- $\gamma$-ray emitter.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Thiol-based redox regulation in sexual plant reproduction: new insights and perspectives

The success of sexual reproduction in plants involves (i) the proper formation of the plant gametophytes (pollen and embryo sac) containing the gametes, (ii) the accomplishment of specific interactions between pollen grains and the stigma, which subsequently lead to (iii) the fusion of the gametes and eventually to (iv) the seed setting. Owing to the lack of mobility, plants have developed specific regulatory mechanisms to control all developmental events underlying the sexual plant reproduction according to environmental challenges. Over the last decade, redox regulation and signaling have come into sight as crucial mechanisms able to manage critical stages during sexual plant reproduction. This regulation involves a complex redox network which includes reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), glutathione and other classic buffer molecules or antioxidant proteins, and some thiol/disulphide-containing proteins belonging to the thioredoxin superfamily, like glutaredoxins (GRXs) or thioredoxins (TRXs). These proteins participate as critical elements not only in the switch between the mitotic to the meiotic cycle but also at further developmental stages of microsporogenesis. They are also implicated in the regulation of pollen rejection as the result of self-incompatibility. In addition, they display precise space-temporal patterns of expression and are present in specific localizations like the stigmatic papillae or the mature pollen, although their functions and subcellular localizations are not clear yet. In this review we summarize insights and perspectives about the presence of thiol/disulphide-containing proteins in plant reproduction, taking into account the general context of the cell redox network. [EN]European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the projects BFU2011-22779, P2010-AGR6274, P2010-CVI5767 and P2011-CVI-7487. Jose A. Traverso thanks Spanish CSIC funding within the frame of JAE-DOC program.Peer reviewe

Electricity microgeneration in pressure hydraulic networks

The aim of this study is to analyze and evaluate the installation of microturbines placed at selected points of water distribution systems to generating electricity from excess and unused hydraulic energy. In order to achieve this objective, we have considered some alternatives to installation in hydraulic pressurized networks of two municipalities in the province of Huelva: Cañaveral de León and Aracena. These water distribution systems are managed by the public company Giahsa. An economic feasibility analysis of the proposed installation alternatives as well as a proposal for amortization of the investment were shown in this work

El acceso a la dirección escolar : dificultades y necesidades

En esta investigación nos centramos en el acceso a la dirección de los centros con el propósito de realizar un análisis en profundidad basado, no solo en el conocimiento de los factores mentales (elaboración del proyecto de dirección, presentación y debate del proyecto ante la comunidad educativa, etc.), sino en las dificultades, las necesidades formativas, y las incidencias percibidas por los candidatos al cargo en los centros educativos de la Comunidad Autónoma de Canarias. En este caso, hemos optado por hacer un análisis factorial (SPSS 19) para poder explicar el máximo de información contenida en los datos obtenidos en el cuestionario sobre el acceso a la dirección escolar (Teixidó, 2007), de una muestra de 170 centros, lo que significa que hemos conseguido la participación del 20% de los centros del Archipiélago.En aquesta recerca ens centrem en l'accés a la direcció dels centres, amb la intenció de fer una anàlisi en profunditat basada, no només en el coneixement dels factors mentals (elaboració del projecte de direcció, presentació i debat del projecte davant la comunitat educativa, etc.), sinó també en les dificultats, les necessitats formatives i les incidències percebudes pels candidats al càrrec en els centres educatius de la Comunitat Autònoma de Canàries. En aquest cas, hem optat per fer una anàlisi factorial (SPSS 19) per poder explicar el màxim d'informació continguda en les dades obtingudes en el qüestionari sobre l'accés a la direcció escolar (Teixidó, 2007), d'una mostra de 170 centres, el que significa que hem aconseguit la participació del 20% dels centres de l'Arxipèlag.This research is focused on the access to school principalship with the aim of carrying out an in-depth analysis based not only on the knowledge of mental factors (development of school principalship project, presentation and discussion around that project with the educational community, etc.), but also on difficulties, training needs and impact perceived by those candidates who want to become school principal in the Canary Islands. We have opted to do a factor analysis in SPSS 19 gathered from the questionnaire on access to school principalship (Teixidó, 2007). The study included 170 education centers; in other words, the percentage of centers in Canary Islands that participate was 20%

Determinación de la función de beneficio en explotaciones ovinas de carne de Extremadura mediante regresión por mínimos cuadrados parciales (PLRS)

publishedTomo I . Sección: Sistemas Ganaderos-Economía y Gestión. Sesión: Economía I. Ponencia nº 1

Solving the Location Area Problem by Using Differential Evolution

In mobile networks, one of the hard tasks is to determine the best partitioning in the Location Area problem, but it is also an important strategy to try to reduce all the involved management costs. In this paper we present a new approach to solve the location management problem based on the Location Area partitioning, as a cost optimization problem. We use a Differential Evolution based algorithm to find the best configuration to the Location Areas in a mobile network. We try to find the best values for the Differential Evolution parameters as well as define the scheme that enables us to obtain better results, when compared to classical strategies and to other authors’ results. To obtain the best solution we develop four distinct experiments, each one applied to one Differential Evolution parameter. This is a new approach to this problem that has given us good results

Advances in Sensors-Centric Microprocessors and System-on-Chip

sensor

Plasmodium vivax Cell Traversal Protein for Ookinetes and Sporozoites (CelTOS) Functionally Restricted Regions Are Involved in Specific Host-Pathogen Interactions

Following the injection of Plasmodium sporozoites by a female Anopheles mosquito into the dermis, they become engaged on a long journey to hepatic tissue where they must migrate through different types of cell to become established in parasitophorous vacuoles in hepatocytes. Studies have shown that proteins such as cell traversal protein for Plasmodium ookinetes and sporozoites (CelTOS) play a crucial role in cell-traversal ability. Although CelTOS has been extensively studied in various species and included in pre-clinical assays it remains unknown which P. vivax CelTOS (PvCelTOS) regions are key in its interaction with traversed or target cells (Kupffer or hepatocytes) and what type of pressure, association and polymorphism these important regions could have to improve their candidacy as important vaccine antigens. This work has described producing a recombinant PvCelTOS which was recognized by ~30% P. vivax-infected individuals, thereby confirming its ability for inducing a natural immune response. PvCelTOS' genetic diversity in Colombia and its ability to interact with HeLa (traversal cell) and/or HepG2 cell (target cell) external membrane have been assessed. One region in the PvCelTOS amino-terminal region and another in its C-terminus were seen to be participating in host-pathogen interactions. These regions had important functional constraint signals (? less than 0.3 and several sites under negative selection) and were able to inhibit specific rPvCelTOS binding to HeLa cells. This led to suggesting that sequences between aa 41–60 (40833) and 141–160 (40838) represent promising candidates for an anti-P. vivax subunit-based vaccine. © Copyright © 2020 Arévalo-Pinzón, Garzón-Ospina, Pulido, Bermúdez, Forero-Rodríguez, Rodríguez-Mesa, Reyes-Guarín, Suárez and Patarroyo