Haloglomus irregulare gen. nov., sp. nov., a New Halophilic Archaeon Isolated from a Marine Saltern

A halophilic archaeal strain, designated F16-60T, was isolated from Isla Cristina marine saltern in Huelva, Spain. Cells were pleomorphic, irregular, non-motile, and Gram-stain-negative. It produced red-pigmented colonies on agar plates. Strain F16-60T was extremely halophilic (optimum at 30% (w/v) NaCl) and neutrophilic (optimum pH 7.5). Phylogenetic tree reconstructions based on 16S rRNA and rpoB´ gene sequences revealed that strain F16-60T was distinct from species of the related genera Natronomonas, Halomarina, and Halomicrobium, of the order Halobacteriales. The polar lipids are phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester (PGP-Me), phosphatidylglycerol sulfate (PGS), and one glycolipid chromatographically identical to sulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether (S-DGD-1). The DNA G+C content is 68.0 mol%. The taxonomic study, based on a combination of phylogenetic, genomic, chemotaxonomic, and phenotypic analyses, suggest that strain F16-60T (= CECT 9635T = JCM 33318T), represents a novel species of a new genus within the family Haloarculaceae and the order Halobacteriales, for which the name Haloglomus irregulare gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. Metagenomic fragment recruitment analysis revealed the worldwide distribution of members of this genus and suggested the existence of other closely related species to be isolated.España, MINECO project CGL2017-83385-PEspaña, Junta de Andalucía (BIO-213, US-1263771

Understanding User Behavioral Intention to Adopt a Search Engine that Promotes Sustainable Water Management

An increase in users’ online searches, the social concern for an efficient management of resources such as water, and the appearance of more and more digital platforms for sustainable purposes to conduct online searches lead us to reflect more on the users’ behavioral intention with respect to search engines that support sustainable projects like water management projects. Another issue to consider is the factors that determine the adoption of such search engines. In the present study, we aim to identify the factors that determine the intention to adopt a search engine, such as Lilo, that favors sustainable water management. To this end, a model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is proposed. The methodology used is the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis with the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS). The results demonstrate that individuals who intend to use a search engine are influenced by hedonic motivations, which drive their feeling of contentment with the search. Similarly, the success of search engines is found to be closely related to the ability a search engine grants to its users to generate a social or environmental impact, rather than users’ trust in what they do or in their results. However, according to our results, habit is also an important factor that has both a direct and an indirect impact on users’ behavioral intention to adopt different search engines

La traducción de referencias culturales en la obra de Manolito Gafotas (Lindo, 1994)

Este trabajo se centra en la traducción de las referencias culturales en la literatura infantil. Haremos una comparación de la obra de Manolito Gafotas (Lindo, 1994) con su traducción al inglés americano Manolito Four-Eyes (Lindo, 2008) publicada en 2008, prestando especial atención a la traducción de las referencias culturales. Para ello, tomaremos como base las obras de Göte Klinberg Children’s Fiction in the Hands of the Translators (1986), Esteban Torre Teoría de la Traducción Literaria (2001) y Gisela Marcelo Traducción de las referencias culturales en la Literatura Infantil y Juvenil (2007). El objetivo fundamental de nuestro trabajo es, por tanto, analizar cómo se han trasladado las referencias culturales de una obra de Literatura Infantil y Juvenil (en concreto, Manolito Gafotas) en su traducción a la lengua inglesa.Grado en Traducción e Interpretació

Análisis del mensaje informativo en China durante la primera etapa de Xi Jinping: aumento de la censura y refuerzo del discurso ideológico

La presente tesis doctoral analiza el aumento de la censura y de la propaganda que ha tenido lugar en China tras el ascenso de Xi Jinping a la presidencia del país, en marzo de 2013, como medio empleado por el Partido Comunista de China (PCCh) para controlar a la opinión pública y reforzar su autoridad ante el temor a que esta se vea menoscabada, como consecuencia de la creciente presencia de la nación asiática en el exterior. Estas cuestiones quedarán expuestas tanto en el apartado dedicado al objeto de la investigación como en las hipótesis, donde además se resalta, a la hora de valorar las posibilidades de éxito de la estrategia del PCCh, la complicidad de las empresas informativas en la salvaguarda de los intereses del poder político..

Basement membrane-rich Organoids with functional human blood vessels are permissive niches for human breast cancer metastasis

Metastasic breast cancer is the leading cause of death by malignancy in women worldwide. Tumor metastasis is a multistep process encompassing local invasion of cancer cells at primary tumor site, intravasation into the blood vessel, survival in systemic circulation, and extravasation across the endothelium to metastasize at a secondary site. However, only a small percentage of circulating cancer cells initiate metastatic colonies. This fact, together with the inaccessibility and structural complexity of target tissues has hampered the study of the later steps in cancer metastasis. In addition, most data are derived from in vivo models where critical steps such as intravasation/extravasation of human cancer cells are mediated by murine endothelial cells. Here, we developed a new mouse model to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying late steps of the metastatic cascade. We have shown that a network of functional human blood vessels can be formed by co-implantation of human endothelial cells and mesenchymal cells, embedded within a reconstituted basement membrane-like matrix and inoculated subcutaneously into immunodeficient mice. The ability of circulating cancer cells to colonize these human vascularized organoids was next assessed in an orthotopic model of human breast cancer by bioluminescent imaging, molecular techniques and immunohistological analysis. We demonstrate that disseminated human breast cancer cells efficiently colonize organoids containing a functional microvessel network composed of human endothelial cells, connected to the mouse circulatory system. Human breast cancer cells could be clearly detected at different stages of the metastatic process: initial arrest in the human microvasculature, extravasation, and growth into avascular micrometastases. This new mouse model may help us to map the extravasation process with unprecedented detail, opening the way for the identification of relevant targets for therapeutic intervention

Multi-objective optimization analysis of cutting parameters when drilling composite materials with special geometry drills

The cutting tool geometry is strongly influencing damage induced during drilling of composite materials. The searching of new and optimum geometries reducing the damage on the laminates is still a challenge for the scientific community and industry. This study focuses on drilling woven CFRP laminates with four different tool geometries, analyzing the influence of the cutting parameters on the cutting forces and delamination damage. The work is divided in three phases; the first phase carries out a full factorial design of experiments conducted to quantify the significance of each process parameter as well as its interaction, on the generation of delamination at the hole entry and exit as well as the thrust force and torque. The second phase uses the response surface methodology (RSM) to establish the relationships between each output variable and the input variables based on ANOVA results. Finally, a multi-objective optimization strategy has been presented using the fitting equations to select optimum ranges of design parameters that can minimize collectively the aforementioned output variables. Ultimate objective is the process improvement toward negligible defects during drilling of woven CFRP composites.The researchers are indebted to the Ministerio de Economía y Empresa de España (Projects DPI2017-89197-C2-1-R and DPI2017-89197-C2-2-R) for the financial support which permitted to conduct part of this work as well as the Ministerio the Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Juan de la Cierva program with the reference FJCI-2017-34910

Genomic Insights Into New Species of the Genus Halomicroarcula Reveals Potential for New Osmoadaptative Strategies in Halophilic Archaea

Metagenomic studies on prokaryotic diversity of hypersaline soils from the Odiel saltmarshes, South-west Spain, revealed a high proportion of genomic sequences not related to previously cultivated taxa, that might be related to haloarchaea with a high environmental and nutritional flexibility. In this study, we used a culturomics approach in order to isolate new haloarchaeal microorganisms from these hypersaline soils. Four haloarchaeal strains, designated strains F24AT, F28, F27T, and F13T, phylogenetically related to the genus Halomicroarcula, were isolated and characterized in detail. The phylogenomic tree based on the 100 orthologous single-copy genes present in the genomes of these four strains as well as those of the type strains of the species Halomicroarcula pellucida CECT 7537T, Halomicroarcula salina JCM 18369T and Halomicroarcula limicola JCM 18640T, that were determined in this study, revealed that these four new isolates clustered on three groups, with strains F24AT and F28 within a single cluster, and altogether with the species of Halomicroarcula. Additionally, Orthologous Average Nucleotide Identity (OrthoANI), digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) and Average Amino-acid Identity (AAI) values, likewise phenotypic characteristics, including their polar lipids profiles, permitted to determine that they represent three new species, for which we propose the names Halomicroarcula rubra sp. nov. (type strain F13T), Halomicroarcula nitratireducens sp. nov. (type strain F27T) and Halomicroarcula salinisoli sp. nov. (type strain F24AT). An in deep comparative genomic analysis of species of the genus Halomicroarcula, including their metabolism, their capability to biosynthesize secondary metabolites and their osmoregulatory adaptation mechanisms was carried out. Although they use a salt-in strategy, the identification of the complete pathways for the biosynthesis of the compatible solutes trehalose and glycine betaine, not identified before in any other haloarchaea, might suggest alternative osmoadaptation strategies for this group. This alternative osmoregulatory mechanism would allow this group of haloarchaea to be versatile and eco-physiologically successful in hypersaline environments and would justify the capability of the species of this genus to grow not only on environments with high salt concentrations [up to 30% (w/v) salts], but also under intermediate to low salinities.España Junta de Andalucía (grants US-1263771 [US/JUNTA/FEDER/UE], P20_01066 and BIO-213, which included FEDER funds)Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation-State Research Agency /FEDER (projects CGL2017-83385-P and PID2020-118136GB-I00

Natronomonas salsuginis sp. nov., a New Inhabitant of a Marine Solar Saltern

A halophilic archaeon, strain F20-122T, was isolated from a marine saltern of Isla Bacuta (Huelva, Spain). Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, and coccoid in morphology. It grew at 25-50 °C (optimum 37 °C), pH 6.5-9.0 (optimum pH 8.0), and 10-30% (w/v) total salts (optimum 25% salts). The phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA and rpoB' genes showed its affiliation with the genus Natronomonas and suggested its placement as a new species within this genus. The in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) analyses of this strain against closely related species supported its placement in a new taxon. The DNA G + C content of this isolate was 63.0 mol%. The polar lipids of strain F20-122T were phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester (PGP-Me), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and phosphatidylglycerol sulfate (PGS). Traces of biphosphatidylglycerol (BPG) and other minor phospholipids and unidentified glycolipids were also present. Based on the phylogenetic, genomic, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic characterization, we propose strain F20-122T (= CCM 8891T = CECT 9564T = JCM 33320T) as the type strain of a new species within the genus Natronomonas, with the name Natronomonas salsuginis sp. nov. Rhodopsin-like sequence analysis of strain F20-122T revealed the presence of haloarchaeal proton pumps, suggesting a lightmediated ATP synthesis for this strain and a maximum wavelength absorption in the green spectrum.España MINECO through project CGL2017-83385-PEspaña, Junta de Andalucía (BIO-213, US-1263771