Functional characterization of TasA and TapA in the formation of the amyloid fiber in Bacillus subtilis

Introduction Functional amyloids are a very heterogeneous family of amyloid proteins widespread in nature, from humans to bacteria. Unlike their “pathogenic” relatives, implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases, functional amyloids play important roles in several biological processes. In Bacillus subtilis, the protein TasA forms amyloid-like fibers that serve as a scaffold for the rest of the components of the extracellular matrix. Along with TasA, the auxiliary protein TapA promotes and accelerates TasA fiber assembly. Most amyloid proteins contain regions within their sequence in which their aminoacid composition make them prone to aggregation. However, the sequence determinants in TasA or TapA involved in the assembly of the amyloid fiber, its structure and function still remains elusive. Objectives To identify and characterize regions of TasA or TapA important for amyloid fiber assembly and functionality in Bacillus subtilis biofilms. Materials & methods An in silico study was performed in order to define amyloidogenic regions within TasA and TapA sequences. This analysis revealed several regions of interest and was followed by in vitro experiments using synthetic peptides corresponding to the analyzed regions. We used several biophysical techniques in combination with transmission electron microscopy to study their possible amyloid properties. Results Of the predicted amyloidogenic regions of TasA, only two polymerized with enrichment of beta-sheets, characteristic of amyloid proteins. A similar behavior was found in a sequence of the N-terminal half of TapA, which has been previously demonstrated to be determinant in the functionality of TapA. Conclusion Our findings support the utility of the in silico prediction for the search of amyloidogenic domains in proteins. The aggregative properties of all peptides and the additional amyloid-like features of some of them are suggestive of their relevance in the amyloid properties of TasA and suggest in some cases, their putative implication in the TasA-TapA interaction.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Implementación de teoría des restricciones (TOC) en la empresa HEMCO, Nicaragua, con énfasis en el proceso Desarrollo Horizontal y Vertical

Aborda la implementación de herramientas de mejoramiento como TOC por ejemplo permiten a las empresas a centralizar sus esfuerzos en las actividades que tienen incidencia directa sobre la eficiencia de la empresa como un todo, es decir, sobre los resultados globales, que traen beneficios como la formalización, el seguimiento, análisis y toma de acciones que incorporados dentro del ADN de la empresa impulsan al mejoramiento de sus procesos

Seasonal Analysis Comparison of Three Air-Cooling Systems in Terms of Thermal Comfort, Air Quality and Energy Consumption for School Buildings in Mediterranean Climates

Efficient air-cooling systems for hot climatic conditions, such as Southern Europe, are required in the context of nearly Zero Energy Buildings, nZEB. Innovative air-cooling systems such as regenerative indirect evaporative coolers, RIEC and desiccant regenerative indirect evaporative coolers, DRIEC, can be considered an interesting alternative to direct expansion air-cooling systems, DX. The main aim of the present work was to evaluate the seasonal performance of three air-cooling systems in terms of air quality, thermal comfort and energy consumption in a standard classroom. Several annual energy simulations were carried out to evaluate these indexes for four different climate zones in the Mediterranean area. The simulations were carried out with empirically validated models. The results showed that DRIEC and DX improved by 29.8% and 14.6% over RIEC regarding thermal comfort, for the warmest climatic conditions, Lampedusa and Seville. However, DX showed an energy consumption three and four times higher than DRIEC for these climatic conditions, respectively. RIEC provided the highest percentage of hours with favorable indoor air quality for all climate zones, between 46.3% and 67.5%. Therefore, the air-cooling systems DRIEC and RIEC have a significant potential to reduce energy consumption, achieving the user’s thermal comfort and improving indoor air quality

An example of adaptation: experience of virtual clinical skills circuits of internal medicine students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada (Spain) during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The state of alarm declared in Spain in response to the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has had far-reaching consequences in all areas of life. At the University of Granada’s (UGR) Faculty of Medicine, online teaching was implemented immediately without any preexisting plan. Second-year undergraduates in medicine, particularly those enrolled in the subject ‘Bases of Internal Medicine,’ would normally undergo clinical skills circuits in faceto- face group settings. Objective: To facilitate undergraduates’ acquisition of specific transversal skills by means of an integrated online working system. Design: Before the pandemic, teaching/learning methods consisted of 1) face-to-face group work; 2) teletutoring; 3) written work uploaded to the PRADO online platform for marking by the teletutor; and 4) presentation of written work to the group. As a result of the lockdown, presentations in class were suspended and replaced by online presentations. The means adopted by students in online presentations were freely chosen using various communication techniques: linear projection systems (6); acting/simulation (4); dramatization (1); and roleplaying (1). Results: The number of online clinical skills circuits developed was 12, one for each of the clinical skills circuits established for imparting this subject. A total of 12 presentations were made by the 10 groups, each lasting 15 minutes followed by a 5-minute discussion to settle any questions raised. The presentations were marked jointly by the teaching staff, coordinator, and students. Conclusions: The transference of classroom learning to the online environment proved an essential resource for teaching/learning clinical/practical skills during the lockdown, which have never before been imparted at distance

Band selection pipeline for maturity stage classification in bell peppers: From full spectrum to simulated camera data

This paper describes a workflow for classifying the maturity of bell peppers using hyperspectral imaging and machine learning. The approach involves using spectral reflectance to determine the number of maturity stages, followed by a classification task using the optimal bands for accurate classification. The study explores a realistic scenario using simulated camera responses and investigates the use of real sensors with their spectral sensitivities and noise. Four classifier algorithms (RBFNN, PLS-DA, SVM, and LDA) were employed to predict the maturity stage based on spectral reflectance. The best results were achieved with the LDA algorithm, which was used in the optimization process for band selection. The optimized bands in the VISNIR range (400–1000 nm) were found to be [783.5, 844.1, and 905.4] nm, with an accuracy of 90.67% for spectral data. For camera responses with intermediate-level noise, the best bands were [760, 820, and 900 nm], achieving an accuracy of 81%. Overall, using three bands yielded satisfactory and practical results for real-world implementation.Universidad de Granada/CBU

Seguimiento al programa de obra utilizando BIM 4D y cámaras Web

Durante la planeación y control de un proyecto de construcción, el programa de obra es un elemento clave en la administración del proyecto. Las representaciones visuales como los diagramas de Gantt o CPM son de utilidad en las reuniones periódicas en las que se le da seguimiento y se toman las decisiones para controlar el proyecto y conseguir su culminación exitosa. La tecnología emergente conocida como Modelación de la Información de Construcción (BIM por sus siglas en inglés), es la representación digital de las características físicas y funcionales de una construcción, y como tal sirve como una fuente de conocimiento compartido acerca de un proyecto de construcción, creando una base confiable para la toma de decisiones a lo largo del ciclo de vida del proyecto. Esta tecnología permite una nueva forma de visualizar el programa de obra utilizando un modelo BIM 4D, que es una simulación visual de la secuencia constructiva del proyecto. En este trabajo se exponen las ventajas y limitaciones, en base a la experiencia documentada, de un método alternativo para realizar el seguimiento del programa de obra utilizando un modelo BIM 4D y la información registrada en imágenes por cámaras web, situadas en diferentes ubicaciones del proyecto para su actualización periódica

Biological Control of Fusarium oxysporum in Tomato Seedling Production with Mexican Strains of Trichoderma

The problems and limitations of the control of diseases caused by phytopathogens through the use of fungicides, make the biological control present as an alternative method in the production of tomato plants in greenhouse, which is limited by the incidence of Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtend.:Fr., being the most worldwide destructive disease. The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the effect of three Mexican strains of the genus Trichoderma against F. oxysporum on the production of tomato seedlings under greenhouse conditions, as well as to determine the antagonistic effect of the strains used. The Trichoderma harzianum strain had the highest antagonistic activity (81.50%) and the highest growth rate (1.25 cm/day), proving to be the most aggressive strain to control F. oxysporum. in addition the results of the interaction of the dual cultures paired, presented a visible overgrowth zone with hyphae of Trichoderma spp. Seeds inoculated with T. harzianum showed a survival of 84% and a mortality of 16%, lower than the control group, which present a mortality of 58%; however, the treatment inoculated with F. oxysporum had the highest incidence of “disease” with 83%, the lowest survival (17%) and a decrease of the green biomass with respect to the control

Effectiveness of Unihemispheric Concurrent Dual-Site Stimulation over M1 and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Stimulation on Pain Processing: A Triple Blind Cross-Over Control Trial.

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the motor cortex (M1) produces short-term inhibition of pain. Unihemispheric concurrent dual-site tDCS (UHCDS-tDCS) over the M1 and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has greater effects on cortical excitability than when applied alone, although its effect on pain is unknown. The aim of this study was to test if anodal UHCDS-tDCS over the M1 and DLPFC in healthy participants could potentiate conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and diminish pain temporal summation (TS). Methods: Thirty participants were randomized to receive a sequence of UHCDS-tDCS, M1-tDCS and sham-tDCS. A 20 min 0.1 mA/cm2 anodal or sham-tDCS intervention was applied to each participant during three test sessions, according to a triple-blind cross-over trial design. For the assessment of pain processing before and after tDCS intervention, the following tests were performed: tourniquet conditioned pain modulation (CPM), pressure pain temporal summation (TS), pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), pressure pain tolerance, mechanosensitivity and cold hyperalgesia. Motor function before and after tDCS intervention was assessed with a dynamometer to measure maximal isometric grip strength. Results: No statistically significant differences were found between groups for CPM, pressure pain TS, PPT, pressure pain tolerance, neural mechanosensitivity, cold hyperalgesia or grip strength (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Neither UHCDS-tDCS nor M1-tDCS facilitated CPM or inhibited TS in healthy subjects following one intervention session.post-print3107 K

Burial taphonomy and megalithic ritual practices in Iberia: the Panoría cemetery

Supplementary Information The online version contains supplemen- tary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-023-01716-5.Our ability to build precise narratives regarding megalithic funerary rituals largely depends on an accurate understanding of bone assemblage formation. The cemetery of Panoría offers an excellent opportunity for exploring the ritual variability through the study of funerary taphonomy, as four of the nine recently excavated dolmens are remarkably well-preserved. Based on a multi-proxy approach that includes the contextual archaeological features, skeletal preservation and representation indexes, taphonomic processes, and radiocarbon chronology, three main ritual practices can be outlined: (i) primary sequential inhumations followed by the differential in situ decomposition of skeletal remains; (ii) the selective removal of crania and long bones; and (iii) the curation of subadult crania and probably long bones. The use-life of tombs, the intensity of mortuary depositions, and the intentional protection of specific bones appear as key aspects for understanding the variability in bone assemblage formation.Funding for open access publishing: Universidad de Granada/ CBUAEuropean Regional Development Fund FEDER–programme–University of Granada (A-HUM- 123-UGR18 and B-HUM-174-UGR20)Regional Government of Andalusia (P18-FR-4123)Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2020-114282 GB-I00

Smart Bioimpedance Spectroscopy Device for Body Composition Estimation

The purpose of this work is to describe a first approach to a smart bioimpedance spectroscopy device for its application to the estimation of body composition. The proposed device is capable of carrying out bioimpedance measurements in multiple configurable frequencies, processing the data to obtain the modulus and the bioimpedance phase in each of the frequencies, and transmitting the processed information wirelessly. Another novelty of this work is a new algorithm for the identification of Cole model parameters, which is the basis of body composition estimation through bioimpedance spectroscopy analysis. Against other proposals, the main advantages of the proposed method are its robustness against parasitic effects by employing an extended version of Cole model with phase delay and three dispersions, its simplicity and low computational load. The results obtained in a validation study with respiratory patients show the accuracy and feasibility of the proposed technology for bioimpedance measurements. The precision and validity of the algorithm was also proven in a validation study with peritoneal dialysis patients. The proposed method was the most accurate compared with other existing algorithms. Moreover, in those cases affected by parasitic effects the proposed algorithm provided better approximations to the bioimpedance values than a reference device.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Instituto de Salud Carlos III) PI15/00306Junta de Andalucía PIN-0394-2017Unión Europea "FRAIL