Compounds produced by two robust Bacillus amyloliquefaciens biocontrol strains involved in antimicrobial activity and plant-growth promotion

Several members of the Bacillus genus are potential candidates to be used as biological control agents to combat pests or plant diseases. The bacterial attributes associated to Bacillus behaviour are mainly: the production of antimicrobial compounds, the plant-growth promotion capability and the induction of systemic resistance in plant host. In previous works, we have demonstrated this multifaceted biocontrol activity of B. amyloliquefaciens CECT8237 (UMAF6639) and CECT8238 (UMAF6614) strains, which contributes to plant protection against bacterial and fungal pathogens. In order to identify the bacterial features responsible for the outstanding biocontrol activity of these strains, their genomes were sequenced and analysed. Firstly, those features previously described for other Bacillus to be involved in the biocontrol activity were localized: i) Biosynthetic genes of secondary metabolites. Apart from the lipopeptides, formerly detected, we have demonstrated the production of other additional compounds that might participate in the antibiosis activity; ii) Biosynthetic genes of the volatile compounds 2,3-butanediol and acetoin, both involved in the induction of plant defence responses. Secondly, genetic singularities non-conserved within the Bacillus genus, which might contribute to the biocontrol ability of B. amyloliquefaciens CECT8237 and CECT8238 were identified in both genomes. Among them, we highlight two genomic regions hypothetically implicated in the production of non-characterized secondary metabolites. Ongoing studies are focused on elucidating the functionality of these uncharacterized regions, leading to a better understanding of the mechanisms of action involved in the robust biocontrol skills of these strains.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Study about the Problem of Dropping of Subjects by Students During an Academinc Year at the University.

In university studies, it is not unusual for students to drop some of the subjects they have enrolled in for the academic year. They start by not attending lectures, sometimes due to neglect or carelessness, or because they find the subject too difficult, this means that they lose the continuity in the topics that the professor follows. If they try to attend again they discover that they hardly understand anything and become discouraged and so decide to give up attending lectures and study on their own. However some fail to turn up to do their final exams and the failure rate of those who actually do the exams is high. The problem is that this is not only the case with one specific subject, but it is often the same with many subjects. The result is that students arent’s productive enough, wasting time and also prolonging their years of study which entails a great cost for families. Degree courses structured to be conducted and completed in three academic courses, it may in fact take up to an average of six or more academic courses. In this paper, we have studied this problem, which apart from the waste of money and time, produces frustration in the student, who finds that he has not been able to achieve what he had proposed at the beginning of the course. It is quite common, to find students who do not even pass nor 50% of the subjects they had enrolled in for the academic year. If this happens repeatedly to a student, it can be the point when he considers dropping out altogether. This is also a concern for the universities, especially in the early courses. In our experience as professors, we have found that students, who attend lectures regularly and follow the explanations, approach the final exams with confidence and rarely fail the subject. In this proposal we present some techniques and methods carried out to solve in possible, the problem of lack of attendance to lectures. This involves "rewarding students for their assistance and participation in lectures". Rewarding assistance with a "prize" that counts for the final mark on the subject and involving more participation in the development of lectures. We believe that we have to teach students to use the lectures as part of their learning in a non-passive way. We consider the professor's work as fundamental in terms of how to convey the usefulness of these topics explained and the applications that they will have for their professional life in the future. In this way the student see for himself the use and importance of what he is learning. When his participation is required, he will feel more involved and confident participating in the educational system. Finally we present statistical results of studies carried out on different degrees and on different subjects over two consecutive years. In the first year we assessed only the final exams without considering the students attendance, or participation. In the second year, we have applied the techniques and methods proposed here. In addition we have compared the two ways of assessing subjects

The expression profile of secondary metabolites in biofilms of B. amyloliquefaciens CECT 8237 biocontrol strain

The contribution of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CECT 8237 (UMAF6639) strain to the plant protection against bacterial and fungal pathogens is mainly based on: i) the production of antimicrobial compounds, ii) the plant-growth promotion capability and iii) the induction of systemic resistance in plant host. In previous works, we demonstrated the relevant implication of the three families of lipopeptides in the biocontrol activity and biofilm formation on melon leaves. The analysis of the genome sequence revealed features previously identified in other Bacillus strains, such as genes related to biofilm formation, phytostimulation and induction of systemic resistance in the host plant, and novel genomic regions non-conserved within the Bacillus genus, and therefore with potential genes implicated in the biocontrol activity. Considering the relevance of biofilm formation and production of secondary metabolites in biocontrol, we analyzed the expression profile of several secondary metabolites produced by CECT 8237 in biofilm inducing conditions. To do so, we optimized an in situ detection method based on MALDI-TOF analysis of secondary metabolites within the bacterial colony and in supernatants and pellicles of B. amyloliquefaciens biofilms. We found a major accumulation of these secondary metabolites in the core and middle area of the colony and in the spent medium compared to pellicle. Further studies will help elucidating the real implication of these molecules in the bacterial ecology or in its mechanisms of defence, against competitors, and/or offense, against pathogens and its possible relation with the niche they occupy. This work was supported by grants from the Plan Nacional I+D+I (AGL-2012-31968) and Incentivos a Proyectos de Excelencia de la Junta de Andalucía (P10-AGR-57-97), both cofinanced by FEDER funds (EU). This work was also supported by grant from Koppert B.V. (8.06/60.4086) and European Research Council-Starting Grant BacBio ERC637971.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

The purified colicin S8 is a multimeric protein

Bacteriocins have been isolated both as simple proteins and as proteins in association with carbohydrates, lipids, etc. Colicins are commonly inducible and extracellular. Their molecular masses range from 30 to 90 kDa. Pure colicin S8 was obtained in three steps from supernatant of induced cells: (i) Ammonium sulfate precipitation; (ii) anion exchange chromatography; and (iii) phenyl-Sepharose hydrophobic chromatography, either by preparative or fast performance liquid chromatography (FPLC) analytical purification procedure. In our hands, purified colicin S8 was an aggregation of extremely related polypeptides. Composition of those active fractions was the same: five polypeptides of molecular weight around 55 kDa. Behavior on molecular filtration indicated a molecular weight higher than 200 kDa. Similar results were obtained when purification was carried out through FPLC. Producing strains contain a single plasmid that encodes colicin S8; in minicells, this plasmid was shown to specify a 60 kDa polypeptide. We conclude that more than one form of colicin S8 exists. The forms are structurally related and can be recognized by antibodies raised against one of the polypeptides. Consistent with this conclusion, comparison of peptides produced after hydrolysis with chlorosuccinamide indicated that the active proteins contained both shared and unique components

Las mujeres como conductoras de programas de infoentretenimiento análisis de roles y de liderazgos desde una perspectiva de género

El infoentretenimiento es un macrogénero que tiene gran seguimiento entre las audiencias. Sin embargo, aunque es una tendencia que produce fórmulas innovadoras, con discurso crítico y a menudo comprometida con los problemas de la sociedad, se observa una distribución tradicional de roles en la conducción de los programas, asunto claramente apreciado por sus audiencias potenciales, las cuales tienden a cuestionar esta situación. Este estudio presenta las reflexiones derivadas de una investigación doctoral en proceso sobre audiencias de programas de infoentretenimiento. En esta fase de la investigación nos preguntamos si esas apreciaciones de desigualdad que tienen las audiencias responde a la realidad y si la asignación de roles y de liderazgo en los programas se realiza teniendo en cuenta el sexo de la figura mediática u otras variables. Para su exploración, realizamos entrevistas en profundidad a artífices de infotainment donde apreciamos esta disparidad de roles y que ya fue señalada por las personas espectadoras encuestadas en grupos de discusión previos. Efectuamos un total de ocho encuentros con profesionales de tres programas distintos: la directora Carmen Aguilera, el guionista Paco Páez, el presentador El Gran Wyoming y la copresentadora Sandra Sabatés, de El Intermedio; el subdirector Epi Martín y la presentadora María Gómez, de Ese programa del que usted me habla; y el colaborador Alberto Casado y la guionista Victoria Martín, de La Resistencia. Los resultados extraídos de las entrevistas enfatizaron que los hombres tienen mayor presencia como conductores, pero que en los programas más consolidados responde más a una cuestión de prestigio que a la selección por sexo, como es el caso de Wyoming en El Intermedio; por su parte, la fugacidad de Ese programa del que usted me habla, que justo alteraba la distribución de roles, se achacó a motivos de horario y al poco seguimiento de la cadena, según los responsables.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

The pivotal functionality of the amyloid protein TasA in bacillus physiology and fitness

Biofilms are complex bacterial communities formed on any virtual surface and composed of cells embedded in an extracellular matrix. Studies on Bacillus subtilis have demonstrated this tissue-like structure comprised of diverse exopolymeric substances (eps) including exopolysaccharides, the protein BslA, and TasA and TapA the two main components of the amyloid fibers that confer robustness to the architecture of the biofilm. It has been demonstrated that the genetic pathways involved in formation of biofilms are active in the interaction of B. subtilis with plant surfaces. Indeed, we previously showed that surfactin acts as a self-trigger of biofilm in the plant phylloplane, which connected with the suppressive activity of B. subtilis against phytopathogenic fungi. These findings led us to hypothesize a major contribution of the extracellular matrix in the ecology of B. subtilis in the poorly explore plant phylloplane. In this work, we show that the amyloid protein TasA has a meaningful role in adhesion and biofilm formation over the plant phylloplane, however, despite the inability of the tasA mutant to form a biofilm, it still retained a similar antagonistic activity compared to the wild type strain. An in-depth transcriptomic analysis of the mutant led us to find unexpected variations in the expression levels of over 300 genes, including the overexpression of: i) production of acetoin ii) secondary metabolites and non-ribosomal peptides iii) eps and other biofilm-related components and iv) general stress, among others. These findings suggested that besides the structural role, TasA might have a regulatory function on the physiological stage of the cells. Indeed, an allele of TasA unable to restore biofilm formation allowed us to separate both functions, supporting the importance of this functional amyloid in regulating bacterial physiology and fitness.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Spatial analysis of the competitiveness of the high-speed train and air transport: The role of access to terminals in the Madrid? Barcelona corridor

This paper analyzes the effect of access and egress time to transport terminals over the spatial competiveness of the high-speed train (HST) in the Madrid–Barcelona (Spain) corridor, one of the densest airline domestic markets in the world. Applying spatial data from 2010 provided by a geographical information system (GIS) to a mode choice model estimated with sample travelers in this corridor, the present study examines whether and how the level-of-service of transport terminals spatially affects the competitiveness or modal distribution of HST and air transport in the provinces of Madrid and Barcelona; and, in particular, the degree of competitiveness that can be accrued by the access time provided by private car and transit in different market segments, especially mandatory and leisure trips. In a number of urban zones near train stations and airports, terminal accessibility clearly favors one transport mode in comparison to the other. Improving terminal accessibility via private car or public transit not only affects the relative access to terminals, but also represents a key strategy for readjusting the market shares of the competing modes in the corridor

Isotopic study of the influence of oxygen interaction and surface species over different catalysts on the soot removal mechanism

In order to improve the catalytic formulations for soot removal in after-treatment emission control technologies for gasoline and diesel engine vehicle, an isotopic study was approached using transitory labeled oxygen response method over model catalysts that allows the unraveling of soot oxidation mechanism. Ce-based materials promote oxygen exchange associated with the high population of lattice oxygen species (O2-) denoted as OI type. The incorporation of praseodymium produces a Pr3+ enrichment that decrease the energy for oxygen release and increase oxygen mobility through surface and subsurface oxygen centers (OII type) depending on the synthesis procedure. For PtBaK catalyst, OIII species are responsible for oxygen exchange. Gas-solid reaction between soot and gas phase molecular oxygen is responsible for direct uncatalyzed soot oxidation. For ceria containing catalysts, low-temperature soot removal takes place through the intervention of lattice atomic species and superoxide species. For DPNR model catalyst, PtBaK/Al2O3, the soot elimination occurs with the intervention OIII type centers. In the presence NO, the assisted and cooperative mechanism due to NO2 and the intervention of the adsorbed nitrate species on the trimetallic catalyst enhances soot removal capacity.MCR acknowledges the postdoctoral fellowship obtained from the University of Malaga. MCR, CH, MAL and LJA want to thank the financial support of CTQ 2017-87909R project. MCR also want to thank the University of Alicante for the financial support for the internship (INV19-07). JCMM and AGG gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2018/076 project) and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (PID2019-105542RB-I00 project) and the UE-FEDER funding. JCMM also acknowledges Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for the financial support through a FPU grant (FPU17/00603)

ANÁLISIS DE LOS PROCEDIMIENTOS ADMINISTRATIVOS Y FINANCIEROS, APLICADOS EN EL CENTRO DE CAPACITACIÓN (CECAP) DE MATAGALPA, EN EL PERÍODO 2014

La temática abordada en este estudio trata sobre el análisis de los procedimientos administrativos y financieros, aplicados en el Centro de Capacitación (CECAP) de Matagalpa, en el periodo 2014, con el propósito de evaluar la aplicación de los procedimientos en las transacciones financieras y operativas que se realizan en el Centro. El desarrollo de este estudio se hizo tomando en cuenta el enfoque cuantitativo con implicaciones cualitativas, de tipo descriptivo. El universo fueron 14 funcionarios, (7 Miembros de la Comisión Económica del MCN y 7 personal administrativo del CECAP) y la documentación soporte de las transacciones contables, la muestra 2 trabajadores y los documentos contabilizados en el año 2014. Se aplicó la metodología, las técnicas e instrumentos necesarios para una adecuada investigación, siguiendo la normativa establecida por la UNAN Managua para este tipo de trabajo. Por las características de la investigación es de tipo Estudio de Casos. Los resultados obtenidos indican que los procedimientos administrativos son la autorización, control y supervisión en las áreas de ingresos; y los procedimientos financieros son los procesos de contabilización de operaciones y el llenado de los soportes contables de las transacciones realizadas en el Centro, aunque no existe un Manual de Procedimientos Administrativos y Financieros que conduzcan el desarrollo de las operaciones desarrolladas, estos procesos son realizados con base a la experiencia adquirida por los funcionarios. Es urgente la implementación del Manual por su importancia para el desarrollo institucional, además que sirve como un medio de control para prevenir errores y fraudes, el logro de los objetivos y metas propuestas, así como la salvaguarda de todos sus activos. PALABRAS CLAVE: Procedimientos administrativos y financieros, manual, transacciones, control intern