Sex-dependent differences in avian malaria prevalence and consequences of infections on nestling growth and adult condition in the Tawny pipit, Anthus campestris

[Background]: Parasites play pivotal roles in host population dynamics and can have strong ecological impacts on hosts. Knowledge of the effects of parasites on hosts is often limited by the general observation of a fraction of individuals (mostly adults) within a population. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of malaria parasites in adult (≥1 year old) and nestling (7-11 day old) Tawny pipits Anthus campestris, to evaluate the influence of the host sex on parasite prevalence in both groups of age, and explore the association between infections and body condition (adults) and growth (nestlings). [Methods]: Two hundred Tawny pipits (105 adults and 95 nestlings) from one Spanish population were screened for avian malaria parasites (Haemoproteus and Plasmodium) using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods. Body condition (body mass against a linear measure of size) was measured in adults and growth rate (daily mass gain) was calculated for nestlings. [Results]: The overall prevalence of infection was 46 %. Sixteen different mitochondrial cytochrome b haplotypes of Plasmodium spp. and one Haemoproteus spp. haplotype were found. Malaria parasites were equally prevalent in nestlings and adults (45 and 46 %, respectively). Males were more likely to be infected by parasites than females, and this sex-bias parasitism was evident in both adults and nestlings. Furthermore, a lower daily mass gain during nestling growth in males than in females following infections were found, whereas the effect of infections on body condition of adults was detrimental for females but not for males. [Conclusions]: Age-specific differences in physiological trade-offs and ecological factors, such as nest predation would explain, at least in part, the observed host sex and age-related patterns in Tawny pipits.The authors acknowledge the infrastructural support of the Institute of Research in Game Resources (IREC), the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM). This study was funded by Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (PAC06-0137 and PII1C090128-4724) and CSIC (PIE 201030I019). MC-R was funded by an I3P grant from CSIC. Thanks are also due to J.C.C.M. committee for approval the protocols (Refs: OAEN/SVSIA/avp_10_153 and DGPF/08031701).Peer Reviewe

Association of clusterin with the BRI2-derived amyloid molecules ABri and ADan

Familial British and Danish dementias (FBD and FDD) share striking neuropathological similarities with Alzheimer's disease (AD), including intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles as well as parenchymal and vascular amyloid deposits. Multiple amyloid associated proteins with still controversial role in amyloidogenesis colocalize with the structurally different amyloid peptides ABri in FBD, ADan in FDD, and Aβ in AD. Genetic variants and plasma levels of one of these associated proteins, clusterin, have been identified as risk factors for AD. Clusterin is known to bind soluble Aβ in biological fluids, facilitate its brain clearance, and prevent its aggregation. The current work identifies clusterin as the major ABri- and ADan-binding protein and provides insight into the biochemical mechanisms leading to the association of clusterin with ABri and ADan deposits. Mirroring findings in AD, the studies corroborate clusterin co-localization with cerebral parenchymal and vascular amyloid deposits in both disorders. Ligand affinity chromatography with downstream Western blot and amino acid sequence analyses unequivocally identified clusterin as the major ABri- and ADan-binding plasma protein. ELISA highlighted a specific saturable binding of clusterin to ABri and ADan with low nanomolar Kd values within the same range as those previously demonstrated for the clusterin-Aβ interaction. Consistent with its chaperone activity, thioflavin T binding assays clearly showed a modulatory effect of clusterin on ABri and ADan aggregation/fibrillization properties. Our findings, together with the known multifunctional activity of clusterin and its modulatory activity on the complex cellular pathways leading to oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and the induction of cell death mechanisms – all known pathogenic features of these protein folding disorders – suggests the likelihood of a more complex role and a translational potential for the apolipoprotein in the amelioration/prevention of these pathogenic mechanisms

Modelado de estudiante en resolución de problemas a través de la dinámica de sistemas

Nuestra intención es utilizar un sistema tutorial inteligente (Arnau, Arevalillo-Herráez, González-Calero, 2014) para realizar la recogida de datos ligados a la destreza inicial del estudiante como resolutor de problemas aritméticos y poder construir un modelo de estudiante siguiendo la Teoría General de Sistemas. Esta teoría propone el uso de metodologías de carácter transdisciplinar que permitan construir modelos matemáticos con los que resolver problemas en el ámbito de los sistemas dinámicos complejos

Resultados prácticos de la aplicación de estándares industriales a la interoperabilidad en el regadío: Proyecto Mega

La falta de estandarización en los sistemas de telecontrol de regadío dificulta enormemente la gestión y el mantenimiento de los mismos, pero no menos importante es reconocer que dificulta la explotación de las propias infraestructuras modernizadas. El proyecto MEGA define los criterios para establecer interoperabilidad entre los diferentes sistemas de control y gestión que se emplean en el regadío. Dicha interoperabilidad se basa en el establecimiento de una nueva arquitectura de control a través de la cual se comuniquen los diferentes sistemas mediante un lenguaje de modelización desarrollado exprofeso. El desarrollo teórico de la modelización y el diseño de la nueva arquitectura tienen un largo recorrido y son conocidos por todo el sector. Se pretende presentar a continuación cómo se ha procedido a la validación empírica de esas bases teóricas estableciéndose una interoperabilidad real entre diferentes sistemas, participando en las pruebas diferentes agentes del sector del regadío.The lack of standardization of telecontrol systems for irrigation complicates their management and maintenance as well as the exploitation of modernized infrastructures. The MEGA project defines the criteria for establishing interoperability between different control and management systems used in irrigation. Such interoperability is based on the establishment of a new control architecture enabling the communication of various systems by a modeling language developed for this purpose. The theoretical development of modeling and design of the new architecture have a long way and are known throughout the sector. In this work we present the procedure to empirical validation of these theoretical bases, establishing a real interoperability between different systems, participating different operators from the irrigation sector in the testing

Development of electric resistance sintering process for the fabrication of hard metals: Processing, microstructure and mechanical properties

This work presents the development of the Electrical Resistance Sintering (ERS) process for the fabrication of hard metals. The compositions of the materials produced were WC with 6 and 10 wt% of Co. In addition to the specific characteristics of the technology, the characterization of the produced parts is presented and compared to materials obtained by conventional processes. The parts produced by ERS present densities comparable to the ones obtained by conventional methods. The microstructural comparison shows a considerable grain size reduction in the ERS materials which consequently brings a hardness increase. ERS materials show similar fracture toughness to conventional ones. The very fast sintering allows performing the process without any protective atmosphere, therefore making this process very attractive for the production of materials that need to be sintered under non-oxidising environments. The total duration of the cycle, including heating, holding time and cooling is few seconds. Finally, some considerations about the scale up and possible industrialization of the technology are explained.This work is financially supported by the Seventh Framework Program of the Commission of the European Communities under project EFFIPRO contract no. NMP2-SL-2013-608729

Analisa Aliran Fluida Pada Pipa Spiral Dengan Variasi Diameter Menggunakan Metode Computational Fluid Dinamics (CFD)

Pipa merupakan alat transportasi fluida yang sangat murah, pipa memiliki berbagai ukuran dan bentuk penampang. Penurunan tekanan aliran didalam pipa sangat penting untuk diketahui guna merancang sistem perpipaan. Kekasaran pipa, panjang pipa, diameter pipa, jenis fluida, kecepatan dan bentuk aliran adalah hal yang sangat terkait dengan penurunan tekanan (Pressure Drop). Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk melihat efek dari perubahan diameter terhadap penurunan tekanan (pressure drop) pada pipa spiral. Simulasi dalam penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui secara teknis faktor penting pada penurunan tekanan (pressure drop) pada pipa spiral. Dengan bantuan aplikasi CFD dilakukan variasi diameter yang mempengaruhi penurunan tekanan

Injectable hydrogels based on pluronic/water systems filled with alginate microparticles: Rheological characterization

In this paper the rheological characterization of Pluronic/water systems filled with alginate microparticles is presented. The rheological characterization of the Pluronic/water systems allowed for the choice of the best Pluronic concentration taking into account its applications as injectable hydrogels for tissue repair. The effect on the rheological behavior of the addition of alginate microparticles, to be loaded with the drug, was analyzed and the maximum concentration of microparticles determined.Spanish Ministerio de Economia y CompetitividadV Plan Propio Universidad de SevillaEuropean Union (EU)Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology 288 UID/CTM/50025/201

Fish oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in sow diets modifies oxylipins and immune indicators in colostrum and milk

Colostrum and milk are the first nutrient sources for newborn piglets. In addition, n-3 fatty acids (FAs) and their oxygenated derivatives (oxylipins) have the capacity to modulate immune components. The aim of the current study was to include a fish oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in sow diets to promote an increase of anti-inflammatory molecules in colostrum and milk to benefit piglets. Thirty-six sows were randomly assigned from insemination to the end of lactation to either a control diet with animal fat (15 g/kg in gestation and 30 g/kg in lactation) or an n-3 diet in which animal fat was totally (gestation) or half (lactation) replaced by an equivalent amount of solid fish oil. Performance of sows and piglets was monitored during the study. Colostrum and milk samples were obtained after the birth of the first piglet and at weaning, respectively. From all samples (n = 18 per treatment), FAs were quantified by gas chromatography and immunoglobulins and cytokines by ELISA. Three samples per treatment were randomly selected to analyse oxylipin composition by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In colostrum and in milk, the n-3 FA (P = 0.020 and P < 0.001), particularly EPA (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001) and DHA (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001), and also their oxygenated derivatives were increased in samples from sows fed n-3 diet. Fish oil had no effect on immunoglobulin concentrations, but reduced tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) (P = 0.011) and a tendency to reduce interleukin 10 (IL10) (P = 0.059) were observed in milk. In conclusion, fish oil in sow diets increased n-3 FA, particularly EPA and DHA, and their oxygenated derivatives in colostrum and milk, reducing TNFα and IL10 in milk.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Oligomerization engineering of the fluorinase enzyme leads to an active trimer that supports synthesis of fluorometabolites in vitro

This work was funded by The Novo Nordisk Foundation grant to the Center for Biosustainability (NNF10CC1016517). P.I.N. was funded by grants from The Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF20CC0035580, and LiFe, NNF18OC0034818), the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement No. 814418 (SinFonia) and the Danish Council for Independent Research (SWEET, DFF-Research Project 8021-00039B). T.K. and M.N.D. were funded by fellowships from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under a Marie Skłodowska Curie project under grant agreement No. 713683 (COFUNDfellowsDTU).The fluorinase enzyme represents the only biological mechanism capable of forming stable C–F bonds characterized in nature thus far, offering a biotechnological route to the biosynthesis of value-added organofluorines. The fluorinase is known to operate in a hexameric form, but the consequence(s) of the oligomerization status on the enzyme activity and its catalytic properties remain largely unknown. In this work, this aspect was explored by rationally engineering trimeric fluorinase variants that retained the same catalytic rate as the wild-type enzyme. These results ruled out hexamerization as a requisite for the fluorination activity. The Michaelis constant (KM) for S-adenosyl-l-methionine, one of the substrates of the fluorinase, increased by two orders of magnitude upon hexamer disruption. Such a shift in S-adenosyl-l-methionine affinity points to a long-range effect of hexamerization on substrate binding – likely decreasing substrate dissociation and release from the active site. A practical application of trimeric fluorinase is illustrated by establishing in vitro fluorometabolite synthesis in a bacterial cell-free system.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe