A 1973-2008 archive of climate surfaces for NW Maghreb

Climate archives are time series. They are used to assess temporal trends of a climate-dependent target variable, and to make climate atlases. A high-resolution gridded dataset with 1728 layers of monthly mean maximum, mean and mean minimum temperatures and precipitation for the NW Maghreb (28ºN-37.3ºN, 12ºW-12ºE, 1-km resolution) from 1973 through 2008 is presented. The surfaces were spatially interpolated by ANUSPLIN, a thin-plate smoothing spline technique approved by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), from georeferenced climate records drawn from the Global Surface Summary of the Day (GSOD) and the Global Historical Climatology Network-Monthly (GHCN-Monthly version 3) products. Absolute errors for surface temperatures are approximately 0.5ºC for mean and mean minimum temperatures, and peak up to 1.76ºC for mean maximum temperatures in summer months. For precipitation, the mean absolute error ranged from 1.2 to 2.5 mm, but very low summer precipitation caused relative errors of up to 40% in July. The archive successfully captures climate variations associated with large to medium geographic gradients. This includes the main aridity gradient which increases in the S and SE, as well as its breaking points, marked by the Atlas mountain range. It also conveys topographic effects linked to kilometric relief mesoforms.Focus on Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia North of 28ºNDeSurvey IP (European Commission FP6 contract No. 003950), MesoTopos (Junta de Andalucia PE P08-RNM-04023) and MELODIES (European Commission FP7, contract No. 603525)Ye

The European Union can afford greater ambition in the conservation of its threatened plants

The importance of Natura 2000 network for the conservation of natural habitats, wild flora and fauna at European level is undeniable. However, it may not have reached its full potential since the loss of biodiversity continues to increase year on year. Further on, a third of the plant species listed in the Habitats Directive to guide the declaration of European Union Natura 2000 network of protected areas is not threatened and there is broad agreement on the need to review and update the species list. Here, the effectiveness of Natura 2000 in the conservation of Spanish bryophytes and vascular plants included in the Habitats Directive Annex II is analysed and compared with the one offered to the species included in the Spanish Red Lists. Results show a remarkable coverage of Natura 2000 over the distribution areas of threatened species, thus providing an umbrella effect on these taxa. It confirms that the number of plant species in the Habitats Directive could be significantly extended without altering the current configuration of the network. This would allow the incorporation of scientific advances produced since the Habitats Directive was approved almost 30 years ago, and will contribute to the goals of the new European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, such as to consider impacts caused by alien species, land use or climate changesThe Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities supported J.C.M.S. through the Bioregions 2.0 project (CGL2017-86926-P

FtsZ of filamentous, heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria has a conserved N-Terminal peptide required for normal FtsZ polymerization and cell division

Filamentous cyanobacteria grow by intercalary cell division, which should involve distinct steps compared to those producing separate daughter cells. The N-terminal region of FtsZ is highly conserved in the clade of filamentous cyanobacteria capable of cell differentiation. A derivative of the model strain Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 expressing only an FtsZ lacking the amino acids 2-51 of the N-terminal peptide (1N-FtsZ) could not be segregated. Strain CSL110 expresses both 1N-FtsZ, from the endogenous ftsZ gene promoter, and the native FtsZ from a synthetic regulated promoter. Under conditions of 1N-FtsZ predominance, cells of strain CSL110 progressively enlarge, reflecting reduced cell division, and show instances of asymmetric cell division and aberrant Z-structures notably differing from the Z-ring formed by FtsZ in the wild type. In bacterial 2-hybrid assays FtsZ interacted with 1N-FtsZ. However, 1N-FtsZ-GFP appeared impaired for incorporation into Z-rings when expressed together with FtsZ. FtsZ, but not 1N-FtsZ, interacted with the essential protein SepF. Both FtsZ and 1N-FtsZ polymerize in vitro exhibiting comparable GTPase activities. However, filaments of FtsZ show a distinct curling forming toroids, whereas 1N-FtsZ form thick bundles of straight filaments. Thus, the N-terminal FtsZ sequence appears to contribute to a distinct FtsZ polymerization mode that is essential for cell division and division plane location in Anabaena.Agencia Estatal de Investigación BFU2013-44686-P BFU2016-77097-

The nucleotidohydrolases DCTPP1 and dUTPase are involved in the cellular response to decitabine

Decitabine (5-aza-2acute;-deoxycytidine, aza-dCyd) is an anticancer drug used clinically for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia that can act as a DNA-demethylating or genotoxic agent in a dose-dependent manner. On the other hand, DCTPP1 and dUTPase are two "house-cleaning" nucleotidohydrolases involved in the elimination of non-canonical nucleotides. Here we show that exposure of HeLa cells to decitabine up-regulates the expression of several pyrimidine metabolic enzymes including DCTPP1, dUTPase, dCMP deaminase and thymidylate synthase thus suggesting their contribution to the cellular response to this anticancer nucleoside. We present several lines of evidence supporting that, in addition to the formation of aza-dCTP, an alternative cytotoxic mechanism for decitabine may involve the formation of aza-dUMP, a potential thymidylate synthase inhibitor. Indeed, dUTPase or DCTPP1 down-regulation enhanced the cytotoxic effect of aza-dCyd producing an accumulation of nucleoside triphosphates containing uracil as well as uracil misincorporation and double-strand breaks in genomic DNA. Moreover, DCTPP1 hydrolyzes the triphosphate form of decitabine with similar kinetic efficiency than its natural substrate dCTP and prevents decitabine-induced global DNA demethylation. The data suggest that the nucleotidohydrolases DCTPP1 and dUTPase are factors involved in the mode of action of decitabine with potential value as enzymatic targets to improve decitabine-based chemotherapy

Academic competence, teacher–student relationship, and violence and victimisation in adolescents: The classroom climate as a mediator

School violence is a serious social and public health problem prevalent worldwide. Alt-hough the relevance of teacher and classroom factors is well established in the literature, few studies have focused on the role of teacher perceptions in school violence and victimisation and the poten-tial mediational role of classroom climate in this relationship. A total of 2399 adolescents (50% girls), aged between 11 and 18 years (M = 14.65, SD = 1.78) and enrolled in five Spanish Secondary Com-pulsory Education schools completed measures of classroom climate, school violence towards peers and perception of peer victimisation, and their teachers informed about their academic competence and the teacher–student relationship. Correlational analyses revealed that whereas academic competence perceived by the teacher was negatively related to overt violence and victimisation, its relationship with pure relational violence was positive. Structural equation modelling analyses showed that variables of classroom climate (involvement, affiliation, and teacher support) perceived by the students functioned as partial mediators between teacher perceptions of academic competence and of teacher–student relationship and violence and victimisation. In the mediational model, teacher perception of academic competence acted as a direct protective factor against violence and victimisation, and teacher perception of teacher–student relationship acted as a direct risk for violence, as well as an indirect protective factor through classroom climate for victimisation. The interpretation of these results points to the importance of the teacher’s subjective perceptions in the prevention of violence and victimisation problems and their practical implications for the classroom climate perceived by students

Land condition and management options in China drylands

Resumen del trabajo presentado al 4 Dragon Symposium, celebrado en Ljubljana (Slovenia) del 24 al 28 de junio de 2019.Peer reviewe

Steady state representation of the homogeneous cooling state of a granular gas

The properties of a dilute granular gas in the homogeneous cooling state are mapped to those of a stationary state by means of a change in the time scale that does not involve any internal property of the system. The new representation is closely related with a general property of the granular temperature in the long time limit. The physical and practical implications of the mapping are discussed. In particular, simulation results obtained by the direct simulation Monte Carlo method applied to the scaled dynamics are reported. This includes ensemble averages and also the velocity autocorrelation function, as well as the self-diffusion coefficient obtained from the latter by means of the Green-Kubo representation. In all cases, the obtained results are compared with theoretical predictions

Early Stepdown From Echinocandin to Fluconazole Treatment in Candidemia: A Post Hoc Analysis of Three Cohort Studies

Antifúngic; Candidèmia; DesescaladaAntifúngico; Candidemia; DesescaladaAntifungal; Candidemia; De-escalationBackground There are no clear criteria for antifungal de-escalation after initial empirical treatments. We hypothesized that early de-escalation (ED) (within 5 days) to fluconazole is safe in fluconazole-susceptible candidemia with controlled source of infection. Methods This is a multicenter post hoc study that included consecutive patients from 3 prospective candidemia cohorts (2007–2016). The impact of ED and factors associated with mortality were assessed. Results Of 1023 candidemia episodes, 235 met inclusion criteria. Of these, 54 (23%) were classified as the ED group and 181 (77%) were classified as the non-ED group. ED was more common in catheter-related candidemia (51.9% vs 31.5%; P = .006) and episodes caused by Candida parapsilosis, yet it was less frequent in patients in the intensive care unit (24.1% vs 39.2%; P = .043), infections caused by Nakaseomyces glabrata (0% vs 9.9%; P = .016), and candidemia from an unknown source (24.1% vs 47%; P = .003). In the ED and non-ED groups, 30-day mortality was 11.1% and 29.8% (P = .006), respectively. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (odds ratio [OR], 3.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48–10.61), Pitt score > 2 (OR, 4.39; 95% CI, 1.94–9.20), unknown source of candidemia (OR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.14–5.86), candidemia caused by Candida albicans (OR, 3.92; 95% CI, 1.48–10.61), and prior surgery (OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.08–0.97) were independent predictors of mortality. Similar results were found when a propensity score for receiving ED was incorporated into the model. ED had no significant impact on mortality (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.16–1.53). Conclusions Early de-escalation is a safe strategy in patients with candidemia caused by fluconazole-susceptible strains with controlled source of bloodstream infection and hemodynamic stability. These results are important to apply antifungal stewardship strategies.This research forms part of an activity that has received funding from EIT Health. EIT Health is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union that receives support from the European Union´s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program. This study has been cofunded by the European Regional Development Fund. E. M.-G. (PI18/01061), P. P.-A. (“Rio Hortega” contract CM18/00132), M. F.-R. (“Miguel Servet” contract CP18/00073), and C. G.-V. (FIS PI18/01061) have received research grants from the Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Instituto de Salud Carlos III