236 research outputs found
Identification of new sources of resistance to RHBV- rice hoja blanca virus
With the aim to find new sources of resistance to rice hoja blanca (white leaf) disease, transmitted by the insect Tagosodes orizicolus, 660 genotypes were evaluated under greenhouse and field conditions. Seven resistant genotypes were identified, and genomic studies were performed to demonstrate that the resistance in these sources is genetically different from that of Fedearroz 2000, which is currently the variety with the most resistance to hoja blanca. These new resistance sources constitute a resource that can be used to sustainably extend hoja blanca disease management throughout all of the rice-growing regions of tropical America. This is the first report of hoja blanca resistance in indica rice and different from that of Fedearroz 2000
Annual report on Sunspot Counting Program 2013
Este programa nació a fines del 2012 en la Universidad de Extremadura con el fin de ampliar aún más nuestra investigación en la reconstrucción de la actividad solar. Desde el 1 de Enero de 2013, nuestro recuento de manchas solares se han presentado al Real Observatorio de Bélgica (ROB) como contribución a los esfuerzos internacionales de mantener y actualizar el número internacional de Manchas Solares. Para ello, hemos utilizado un pequeño refractor apocromático de 80 mm de diámetro de objetivo y 550 mm de longitud focal, a fin de proyectar una imagen de 150 mm de diámetro en una plantilla.
Este informe proporciona un conjunto completo de los datos obtenidos durante el año 2013, con cuatro tablas que muestran nuestros datos. Por otra parte, el índice de referencia de las manchas solares se compara con nuestros resultados.
Esperamos que esta publicación sea de utilidad a la comunidad científica que estudia el número de manchas solares: la mayor serie de índices solares derivadas de la observación directa del Sol.This program was born in late 2012 at the University of Extremadura in order to further extend our research in the reconstruction of past solar activity. Since 1st January 2013, our sunspot counts have been submitted to the Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB) as a contribution to the international effort of maintaining and updating the International Sunspot Number. For this purpose, we have used a small apochromatic refractor –80mm of objective diameter and 550mm of focal length– to project a 150mm diameter image onto a template.
In this report, we provide a complete set of data obtained throughout the year 2013, with four Tables showing our data. Moreover, the reference sunspot index is compared with our results.
We hope that this publication be useful to the scientific community studying the sunspot number: the longest solar index series derived from direct observation of the Sun
Diseño del plan de incentivos y estímulos para los funcionarios de la contraloría departamental del Tolima
58 Páginas.Uno de los objetivos estratégicos establecidos en la Contraloría Departamental del Tolima para el periodo 2012 – 2015 es “Mejorar la Gestión del Talento humano” y una de las estrategias para lograrlo es el Diseño de un Plan de Incentivos y Estímulos. De allí surge la presente investigación, la cual tuvo como objetivo: diseñar el Plan de incentivos y estímulos para los funcionarios de la Contraloría Departamental del Tolima. Las entidades (públicas) cuentan con la normatividad que reglamenta la implementación de planes de incentivos y estímulos a los cuales puedan acceder los funcionarios que en ellas laboran al igual que sus familias. Con el fin de dar respuesta al objetivo, se realizó un Marco Teórico el cual contempla inicialmente las diferencias existentes entre las entidades de carácter privado con las entidades públicas a la hora de proyectar el tipo de incentivos y estímulos a sus empleados. Se examina el concepto de bienestar social de autores expertos y autoridades competentes en la materia y se hace la diferenciación entre programas de bienestar social y planes de incentivos, los cuales se encuentran enmarcados dentro del sistema de estímulos establecido por el Decreto 1567 de 1998, la Ley 909 de 2004 y el Decreto 1227 de 2005
Annual report on Sunspot Counting Program 2013
Este programa nació a fines del 2012 en la Universidad de Extremadura con el fin de ampliar aún más nuestra investigación en la reconstrucción de la actividad solar. Desde el 1 de Enero de 2013, nuestro recuento de manchas solares se han presentado al Real Observatorio de Bélgica (ROB) como contribución a los esfuerzos internacionales de mantener y actualizar el número internacional de Manchas Solares. Para ello, hemos utilizado un pequeño refractor apocromático de 80 mm de diámetro de objetivo y 550 mm de longitud focal, a fin de proyectar una imagen de 150 mm de diámetro en una plantilla.
Este informe proporciona un conjunto completo de los datos obtenidos durante el año 2013, con cuatro tablas que muestran nuestros datos. Por otra parte, el índice de referencia de las manchas solares se compara con nuestros resultados.
Esperamos que esta publicación sea de utilidad a la comunidad científica que estudia el número de manchas solares: la mayor serie de índices solares derivadas de la observación directa del Sol.This program was born in late 2012 at the University of Extremadura in order to further extend our research in the reconstruction of past solar activity. Since 1st January 2013, our sunspot counts have been submitted to the Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB) as a contribution to the international effort of maintaining and updating the International Sunspot Number. For this purpose, we have used a small apochromatic refractor –80mm of objective diameter and 550mm of focal length– to project a 150mm diameter image onto a template.
In this report, we provide a complete set of data obtained throughout the year 2013, with four Tables showing our data. Moreover, the reference sunspot index is compared with our results.
We hope that this publication be useful to the scientific community studying the sunspot number: the longest solar index series derived from direct observation of the Sun
Molecular characterization of autophagic and apoptotic signaling induced by sorafenib in liver cancer cells
Sorafenib is the unique accepted molecular targeted drug for the treatment of patients in advanced stage of hepatocellular carcinoma. The current study evaluated cell signaling regulation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK), Akt, and 5′AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) leading to autophagy and apoptosis induced by sorafenib. Sorafenib induced early (3–12 hr) ER stress characterized by an increase of Ser51P-eIF2α/eIF2α, C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), IRE1α, and sXBP1, but a decrease of activating transcription factor 6 expression, overall temporally associated with the increase of Thr183,Tyr185P-JNK1/2/JNK1/2, Thr172P-AMPKα, Ser413P-Foxo3a, Thr308P-AKt/AKt and Thr32P-Foxo3a/Foxo3a ratios, and reduction of Ser2481P-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/mTOR and protein translation. This pattern was related to a transient increase of tBid, Bim EL, Beclin-1, Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, autophagy markers, and reduction of myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) expression. The progressive increase of CHOP expression, and reduction of Thr308P-AKt/AKt and Ser473P-AKt/AKt ratios were associated with the reduction of autophagic flux and an additional upregulation of Bim EL expression and caspase-3 activity (24 hr). Small interfering-RNA (si-RNA) assays showed that Bim, but not Bak and Bax, was involved in the induction of caspase-3 in sorafenib-treated HepG2 cells. Sorafenib increased autophagic and apoptotic markers in tumor-derived xenograft model. In conclusion, the early sorafenib-induced ER stress and regulation of JNK and AMPK-dependent signaling were related to the induction of survival autophagic process. The sustained drug treatment induced a progressive increase of ER stress and PERK-CHOP-dependent rise of Bim EL, which was associated with the shift from autophagy to apoptosis. The kinetic of Bim EL expression profile might also be related to the tight balance between AKt- and AMPK-related signaling leading to Foxo3a-dependent BIM EL upregulation.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BFU2016‐75352‐PInstituto de Salud Carlos III PI15/00034, PI13/ 00021, PI16/00090, PI14/01349Ministerio de Educación FPU16/05127, FPU12/01433, FPU13/01237Junta de Andalucía CTS-6264, PI-00025-2013, PI-0127-2013, PI-0198-201
Gold Nanoparticles on Yttrium Modified Titania: Support Properties and Catalytic Activity
A series of titanium oxide catalysts modified with yttrium has been prepared by sol¿gel method and their structural properties have been studied. The incorporation of yttrium in the titania lattice favors the formation of oxygen vacancies while at low Y loadings the anatase structure is preserved. The catalytic activity of these solids for CO oxidation is found to be significantly dependent on their physical properties. In particular the amount of dopant controls the number of surface oxygen vacancies created as well as the gold particle size, which directly affects the catalytic activity. Also, a linear relationship between the catalytic activity and the band gap values, which depend on the Y loading, is observed. Density functional theory based calculations show that Y atoms are incorporated at the TiO2 surface at substitutional positions only, while the preferred oxygen vacancies arise by removing the bridge surface oxygen atoms. These O-vacancies are the preferential adsorption sites for Au atoms and nanoparticles, acting as nucleation centers that favor the dispersion of the catalyst active phase over the support surface. In agreement with experiment, Y doping is found to decrease the band gap of the support due to a destabilization of the valence band of the oxide.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación ENE2009-14522-C05-01, MAT2008-04918, CSD-00023Junta de Andalucía P08-FQM-0366
Validation of an experimental animal model for corneal additive surgery
Producción CientíficaPurpose: To assess the hen cornea as a model for training and future wound healing studies after implantation
of intrastromal corneal ring segments (ICRS) by clinical and optical outcomes.
Setting: University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.
Design: Experimental study.
Methods: One 90°, 150-μm thick polymethyl methacrylate Ferrara ICRS segment was manually implanted at
70-80% depth of 192 Gallus domesticus corneas. Clinical follow-up for 6 months included monitoring corneal
thickness, epithelial wound closure, edema, haze, and the location and severity of deposits. The refractive state was
also measured. After each animal was euthanized, corneas were processed for direct transmittance and histological
analysis.
Results: Complications were present in 16% of the eyes. Epithelial wound closure was completed at 3 ± 2 days.
A slight corneal edema in the channel site was present for the first 15 days. All corneas had deposits by 4 months
located along the inner, outer curvatures and under the segments. Corneal haze was present only at the incision
site. ICRS induced hyperopic changes in the refractive state without changes in direct transmitance of central
cornea. New cells and extracellular matrix were present around the segment where deposits were seen on clinical
follow-up.
Conclusions: With hen as an animal model, ICRS were implanted in a precise and reproducible way after a
learning curve. Similar to humans, the follow-up period during the first 6 months after implantation showed fast
wound closure, deposits, and haze at the incision site. ICRS in hens also reduced the refractive power withoutaffecting the central cornea
A Great Space Weather Event in February 1730
Aims. Historical records provide evidence of extreme magnetic storms with
equatorward auroral extensions before the epoch of systematic magnetic
observations. One significant magnetic storm occurred on February 15, 1730. We
scale this magnetic storm with auroral extension and contextualise it based on
contemporary solar activity. Methods. We examined historical records in East
Asia and computed the magnetic latitude (MLAT) of observational sites to scale
magnetic storms. We also compared them with auroral records in Southern Europe.
We examined contemporary sunspot observations to reconstruct detailed solar
activity between 1729 and 1731. Results. We show 29 auroral records in East
Asian historical documents and 37 sunspot observations. Conclusions. These
records show that the auroral displays were visible at least down to 25.8{\deg}
MLAT throughout East Asia. In comparison with contemporary European records, we
show that the boundary of the auroral display closest to the equator surpassed
45.1{\deg} MLAT and possibly came down to 31.5{\deg} MLAT in its maximum phase,
with considerable brightness. Contemporary sunspot records show an active phase
in the first half of 1730 during the declining phase of the solar cycle. This
magnetic storm was at least as intense as the magnetic storm in 1989, but less
intense than the Carrington event.Comment: 30 pages, 5 figures, and 2 tables, accepted for publication in
Astronomy & Astrophysics on 25 April 2018. The figures and
transcriptions/translations of historical documents are partially omitted in
this manuscript due to the condition of reproduction. They are available in
the publisher versio
Tissue reaction after intrastromal corneal ring implantation in an experimental animal model
Producción CientíficaPurpose To evaluate corneal wound healing in the hen animal
model after additive surgery with an intracorneal ring segment
(ICRS).
Methods We implanted one ICRS in each eye of 76 hens. In
control group 1 (n=22 hens), the stromal channel was prepared
but no ICRS was inserted. In control group 2 (n=2
hens), no surgery was performed. Animals were randomly
separated into groups and euthanized after clinical follow-up
of 4 and 12 hours, 1, 2, 3, and 7 days, and 1, 2, 3, 4, and
6 months. Corneas were stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Apoptosis
was measured by terminal uridine nick end-labeling
assays. Cell proliferation and myofibroblast-like differentiation
were assayed by BrdU and α-smooth muscle actin immunofluorescence
microscopy. Stromal matrix changes were
documented by electron microscopy.
Results Epithelial and stromal cell apoptosis around the
ICRS-implanted and control group 1 eyes peaked at
12 hours, but continued for 72 hours. In ICRSimplanted
eyes, epithelial and stromal proliferation was
present at 12 and 24 hours, respectively, and peaked at
7 days and 72 hours, respectively. Some proliferation in
the ICRS-implanted group continued through the 6-
month follow-up, and myofibroblast-like cells differentiated
one to three months after ICRS implantation. The
segments rotated within the stroma as the limbal inferior
angle approached the epithelium.
Conclusions Wound healing after ICRS implantation in hen
corneas was similar to that of other corneal surgical wounds in
stages. However, there were some specific features related to
the small size of the epithelial wound and the device permanently
implanted inside the cornea
Aurorae observed by Giuseppe Toaldo in Padua (1766–1797)
Se presenta un registro de las observaciones de auroras hechas por Giuseppe Toaldo y su asistente Vincenzo Chiminello en Padua, Italia, en la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII. Las fuentes históricas consultadas incluyen los manuscritos originales que contienen los registros meteorológicos realizados por esos dos observadores. Se construye un pequeño catálogo con las 148 observaciones aurorales. Las características de estas observaciones son analizadas. La principal característica de este conjunto de datos es que el número anual de observaciones aurorales presenta un pico intenso alrededor de 1779 y una disminución abrupta alrededor de 1790.A record is presented of the auroral observations made by Giuseppe Toaldo and his assistant Vincenzo Chiminello in Padua, Italy, in the second half of the 18th century. The historical sources consulted include the original manuscripts containing the meteorological records made by those two observers. A small catalogue is constructed with the 148 auroral observations. The characteristics of these observations are analysed. The main feature of this data set is that the annual number of auroral observations presents an intense peak at around 1779 and an abrupt decline at around 1790.• Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Proyectos AYA2008-04864/AYA y AYA2014-57556-P
• Junta de Extremadura. Ayuda para Grupos de Investigación GR15137
• Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas of Ecuador (ESPE). Proyecto 2015-PIC-014
• Gobierno de Ecuador. Secretaría de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación. Proyecto PROMETEO, para Fernando Domínguez CastropeerReviewe
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