Amplificación del efecto destructivo de los desprendimientos rocosos por deslizamiento sobre suelos volcánicos (Tenerife y Madeira)

This work provides geomorphological and geotechnical observations on the amplification of the destructive behaviour of rock falls developed in rocky slopes with a soil rich in organic matter, which are both exposed to high rainfall regimes. The determinant factor of this process would be related to the low geotechnical quality that the organic matter gives to the soil, which experience a sudden change in its fabric related to the dynamic load, similar to those observed in the quick clays in the fjords of Norway

SICAC: an information system for the Conjunto arqueológico de Carmona (Carmona Archaeological Ensemble) (Seville, Spain)

The Roman necropolis and amphitheater of Carmona (Seville, Spain) were excavated and opened to the public at the end of the Nineteenth century. Because of this long continuity, the Carmona Archaeological Ensemble boasts a special trait: a broad archaeological documentary archive. Efficient management of this store of information that is updated and added to on a daily basis required a computer application that could gather, integrate, conserve and facilitate the use of this volume of data from different sources. At the same time, it was considered necessary for researchers to have online access to the core substance of the information. Our information system for CAC was developed over the course of five years and is called SICAC. All of the graphic and alphanumerical data is organized in the same environment, thereby guaranteeing their integration, availability, quality and accessibility. SICAC has three platforms: desktop, online and mobile

Maximizing the Reliability of Genomic Selection by Optimizing the Calibration Set of Reference Individuals: Comparison of Methods in Two Diverse Groups of Maize Inbreds (Zea mays L.)

Genomic selection refers to the use of genotypic information for predicting breeding values of selection candidates. A prediction formula is calibrated with the genotypes and phenotypes of reference individuals constituting the calibration set. The size and the composition of this set are essential parameters affecting the prediction reliabilities. The objective of this study was to maximize reliabilities by optimizing the calibration set. Different criteria based on the diversity or on the prediction error variance (PEV) derived from the realized additive relationship matrix–best linear unbiased predictions model (RA–BLUP) were used to select the reference individuals. For the latter, we considered the mean of the PEV of the contrasts between each selection candidate and the mean of the population (PEVmean) and the mean of the expected reliabilities of the same contrasts (CDmean). These criteria were tested with phenotypic data collected on two diversity panels of maize (Zea mays L.) genotyped with a 50k SNPs array. In the two panels, samples chosen based on CDmean gave higher reliabilities than random samples for various calibration set sizes. CDmean also appeared superior to PEVmean, which can be explained by the fact that it takes into account the reduction of variance due to the relatedness between individuals. Selected samples were close to optimality for a wide range of trait heritabilities, which suggests that the strategy presented here can efficiently sample subsets in panels of inbred lines. A script to optimize reference samples based on CDmean is available on request.This research was jointly supported as “Cornfed project” by the French National Agency for Research (ANR), the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN). R. Rincent is jointly funded by Limagrain, Biogemma, Kleinwanzlebener Saatzucht AG (KWS), and the Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie (ANRT).ANRBMBFMICINNKWSANRTPeer reviewe

Maize (Zea mays L.) from the Saharan oasis: adaptation to temperate areas and agronomic performance

29 Pags., 6 Tabls. The definitive version is available at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/0925-9864/Saharan maize had been adapted to extreme conditions and could have developed resistance to different stresses. However, genebanks and breeding collections have poor representation from Saharan germplasm and, particularly, from Algeria. This is a preliminary approach to investigate the adaptation and agronomic performance of a representative sample of Saharan maize. We evaluated open-pollinated Saharan populations along with European and American cultivars during 2 years in humid and dry Spanish locations and in Algiers (Algeria). Saharan populations were able to grow in temperate environments, although results were not consistent over years and the genotype-by- environment interactions were very important. Some of the Algerian populations evaluated in 2010 showed promising yield and anthesis silking interval over environments, but none of the Algerian populations evaluated in 2009 were adequately adapted to Spanish conditions. These results suggest that there are wide ranges of variability within Saharan maize for adaptation to temperate conditions, and further evaluations of Saharan maize should identify potential base populations for breeding maize in either side of the Mediterranean Sea. However, this germplasm requires prebreeding for adaptation to temperate conditions in order to be adequate for breeding programs in temperate areas.This research was supported by the Agencia Española de Cooperación y Desarrollo (AECID), the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), and the École Nationale Supérieure Agronomique, El Harrach-Algiers. A. Djemel has a JAE Pre contract from CSIC.Peer reviewe

Genetic regulation of cold-induced albinism in the maize inbred line A661

11 páginas, 1 tabla, 4 figurasIn spite of multiple studies elucidating the regulatory pathways controlling chlorophyll biosynthesis and photosynthetic activity, little is known about the molecular mechanism regulating cold-induced chlorosis in higher plants. Herein the characterization of the maize inbred line A661 which shows a cold-induced albino phenotype is reported. The data show that exposure of seedlings to low temperatures during early leaf biogenesis led to chlorophyll losses in this inbred. A661 shows a high plasticity, recovering resting levels of photosynthesis activity when exposed to optimal temperatures. Biochemical and transcriptome data indicate that at suboptimal temperatures chlorophyll could not be fully accommodated in the photosynthetic antenna in A661, remaining free in the chloroplast. The accumulation of free chlorophyll activates the expression of an early light inducible protein (elip) gene which binds chlorophyll to avoid cross-reactions that could lead to the generation of harmful reactive oxygen species. Higher levels of the elip transcript were observed in plants showing a cold-induced albino phenotype. Forward genetic analysis reveals that a gene located on the short arm of chromosome 2 regulates this protective mechanism.This work was supported by the Spanish National Plan for Research and Development (grant no. AGL2010-22254). VMR acknowledges a contract from the Spanish National Research Council (JAE-Doc program, European Social Fund, ESF).Peer reviewe

Complementary Actions of BDNF and Neurotrophin-3 on the Firing Patterns and Synaptic Composition of Motoneurons

Neurotrophins, as target-derived factors, are essential for neuronal survival during development, but during adulthood, their scope of actions widens to become also mediators of synaptic and morphological plasticity. Target disconnection by axotomy produces an initial synaptic stripping ensued by synaptic rearrangement upon target reinnervation. Using abducens motoneurons of the oculomotor system as a model for axotomy, we report that trophic support by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) or a mixture of both, delivered to the stump of severed axons, results in either the prevention of synaptic stripping when administered immediately after lesion or in a promotion of reinnervation of afferents to abducens motoneurons once synaptic stripping had occurred, in concert with the recovery of synaptic potentials evoked from the vestibular nerve. Synaptotrophic effects, however, were larger when both neurotrophins were applied together. The axotomy-induced reduction in firing sensitivities related to eye movements were also restored to normal values when BDNF and NT-3 were administered, but discharge characteristics recovered in a complementary manner when only one neurotrophin was used. This is the first report to show selective retrograde trophic dependence of circuit-driven firing properties in vivo indicating that NT-3 restored the phasic firing, whereas BDNF supported the tonic firing of motoneurons during eye movement performance. Therefore, our data report a link between the synaptotrophic actions of neurotrophins, retrogradely delivered, and the alterations of neuronal firing patterns during motor behaviors. These trophic actions could be responsible, in part, for synaptic rearrangements that alter circuit stability and synaptic balance during plastic events of the brain