Desigualdad

A lo largo de este trabajo se va a abordar el estudio de los tres tipos de desigualdad que se dan en el mundo, desde la más perceptible y reconocible por todos–desigualdad dentro de una misma nación- hasta la más abstracta, y no por ello menos importante, la desigualdad global. En el punto intermedio se tratará la desigualdad que se da entre los distintos países y que, como se verá, asume un importantísimo papel en la determinación del nivel final de desigualdad global. Este último tipo de desigualdad está comenzando a adquirir importancia debido a que el fenómeno de la globalización está cambiando nuestra forma de coexistir en el mundo, generándose con ello la necesidad de cambiar nuestra forma de estudiar la desigualdad, pues su análisis requiere de una ampliación de nuestra visión del mundo que trascienda más allá de las fronteras

Molecular signatures of silencing suppression degeneracy from a complex RNA virus

[EN] As genomic architectures become more complex, they begin to accumulate degenerate and redundant elements. However, analyses of the molecular mechanisms underlying these genetic architecture features remain scarce, especially in compact but sufficiently complex genomes. In the present study, we followed a proteomic approach together with a computational network analysis to reveal molecular signatures of protein function degeneracy from a plant virus (as virus-host protein-protein interactions). We employed affinity purification coupled to mass spectrometry to detect several host factors interacting with two proteins of Citrus tristeza virus (p20 and p25) that are known to function as RNA silencing suppressors, using an experimental system of transient expression in a model plant. The study was expanded by considering two different isolates of the virus, and some key interactions were confirmed by bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays. We found that p20 and p25 target a common set of plant proteins including chloroplastic proteins and translation factors. Moreover, we noted that even specific targets of each viral protein overlap in function. Notably, we identified argonaute proteins (key players in RNA silencing) as reliable targets of p20. Furthermore, we found that these viral proteins preferentially do not target hubs in the host protein interactome, but elements that can transfer information by bridging different parts of the interactome. Overall, our results demonstrate that two distinct proteins encoded in the same viral genome that overlap in function also overlap in their interactions with the cell proteome, thereby highlighting an overlooked connection from a degenerate viral system.This work was supported by the grants PROMETEO/2019/012 from the Valencian Regional Government (to SA), as well as grants AGL2010-20221/AGR, BIO2017-83184-R, and PGC2018-101410-B-I00 from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (to SA, JAD, and GR, respectively). The two latter grants were co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Ambrós, S.; Gómez-Muñoz, N.; Giménez-Santamarina, S.; Sánchez-Vicente, J.; Navarro-López, J.; Martínez, F.; Daròs, J.... (2021). Molecular signatures of silencing suppression degeneracy from a complex RNA virus. PLoS Computational Biology. 17(6):1-21. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009166S12117

El proceso de socialización de los adolescentes: entre la inclusión y el riesgo. Recomendaciones para una ciudadanía sostenible

El presente artículo refleja los intereses, opiniones e incertidumbres que envuelven a adolescentes residentes en entornos de fragilidad. Es un estudio que aborda estas circunstancias desde tres barrios del área metropolitana de Valencia. Se analiza el entorno en que socializan: sus relaciones familiares y comunitarias, sus hábitos y percepciones de la realidad sobre la que actúan. Centramos nuestra mirada en ellos y ellas, con la finalidad de identificar sus riesgos y establecer un diagnóstico que nos permita determinar los hándicaps que surgen en sus procesos de socialización. Desarrollamos una metodología de triangulación cuantitativa y cualitativa en función de los objetivos que hemos diseñado. Todo ello con intención de elaborar líneas estratégicas orientadas a la inclusión socioeducativa. Así, se toma la actual transformación de las estructuras sociales como eje estructural y en base a ello, los principales factores positivos y negativos que inciden en una socialización resistente o por el contrario sometida a riesgos. Los principales hallazgos que nos deja la presente investigación contemplan una alteración de las estructuras sociales que inciden en el sometimiento del adolescente hacia el consumo; ello incide en la pérdida gradual de actividades lúdicas grupales, con exiguas referencias a la vida y recursos comunitarios, una cosificación del juego con escaso margen para la creatividad, etc. Se observa cierta subversión del sistema de valores y desinterés en las administraciones sociales y educativas para la planificación y gestión de los tiempos de ocio. Se propone que las instituciones públicas locales lideren la creación de mecanismos generadores de una conciencia crítica, que colabore en el aprendizaje activo de los adolescentes

EL GACA DEL FUTURO: sustitución M-109 A-5E y estudio de futuro

Este trabajo pretende abordar el futuro de un Grupo de Artillería de Campaña en cuanto al material actual en dotación basado en cadenas. Para ello se ha realizado un estudio fundado en la recopilación de información técnica y de expertos en el uso del material mediante las técnicas de Focus Group y cuestionario en el GACA I/20 en Zaragoza. Todo ello con el objetivo de ofrecer una respuesta de sustitución al material actual con una prospectiva adecuada; además de ofrecer distintas posibilidades en cuanto a procedimientos y distintos tipos de municiones. Mediante esta propuesta se plantea la posibilidad de la proyección de Unidades de Artillería de Campaña de acuerdo a los nuevos materiales y al cambio en los procedimientos.<br /

Determination of the economically justifiable price of cenobamate in the treatment of focal-onset seizures in adult patients with drug-resistant epilepsy in Spain

Anti-seizure medications; Cenobamate; Economically justifiable priceMedicamentos anticonvulsivos; Cenobamato; Precio económicamente justificableMedicaments anticonvulsius; Cenobamat; Preu econòmicament justificableObjective To determine the economically justifiable price (EJP) of cenobamate to become a cost-effective alternative compared with third-generation anti-seizure medications in the treatment of focal-onset seizures (FOS) in adult patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) in Spain. Methods Cost-effectiveness analysis compared cenobamate with brivaracetam, perampanel, eslicarbazepine acetate, and lacosamide. Markov model simulation of treatment pathway over a 60-year time horizon is presented. We determined the effectiveness and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of health status and disutilities associated with treatment-related adverse events. Acquisition costs and use of medical resources were obtained from published literature and expert opinion. Base-case of cenobamate’s EJP calculated applying a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of €21,000/QALY. Analyses were performed at different thresholds, including dominant price scenario. Result robustness was assessed through sensitivity analyses. Results Base-case shows that cenobamate’s daily EJP of €7.30 is cost-effective for a threshold of €21,000/QALY. At a daily price of €5.45, cenobamate becomes dominant over all treatment alternatives producing cost-savings for the national health system (NHS). Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of base-case findings. Conclusions Treatment with cenobamate produces incremental clinical benefit over third-generation ASMs, and at the base-case, EJP could represent a cost-effective option for the adjunctive treatment of FOS in adult patients with DRE in Spain

Association between flower stalk elongation, an Arabidopsis developmental trait, and the subcellular location and movement dynamics of the viral non-structural protein P3.

[EN] Virus infections affect plant developmental traits but this aspect of the interaction has not been extensively studied so far. Two strains ofTurnip mosaic virusdifferentially affectArabidopsisdevelopment, especially flower stalk elongation, which allowed phenotypical, cellular, and molecular characterization of the viral determinant, the P3 protein. Transiently expressed wild-type green fluorescent protein-tagged P3 proteins of both strains and selected mutants of them revealed important differences in their behaviour as endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated peripheral proteins flowing along the reticulum, forming punctate accumulations. Three-dimensional (3D) model structures of all expressed P3 proteins were computationally constructed through I-TASSER protein structure predictions, which were used to compute protein surfaces and map electrostatic potentials to characterize the effect of amino acid changes on features related to protein interactions and to phenotypical and subcellular results. The amino acid at position 279 was the main determinant affecting stalk development. It also determined the speed of ER-flow of the expressed proteins and their final location. A marked change in the protein surface electrostatic potential correlated with changes in subcellular location. One single amino acid in the P3 viral protein determines all the analysed differential characteristics between strains differentially affecting flower stalk development. A model proposing a role of the protein in the intracellular movement of the viral replication complex, in association with the viral 6K2 protein, is proposed. The type of association between both viral proteins could differ between the strains.This work was funded by several INIA grants. Silvia Lopez-Gonzalez was funded by a predoctoral FPI-INIA fellowship/contract. P.S. was the recipient of an EU fellowship from an EU-India bilateral agreement (BRAVE Program). We thank Professor John Walsh (Warwick University, UK) for his generous gift of virus isolates. The great technical assistance of Lucia Zurita is also acknowledged. We thank the Spanish Ministry of Science for the Severo Ochoa Excellence Accreditations to the CBGP (SEV-2016-0672).López-González, S.; Navarro Bohigues, JA.; Pacios, LF.; Sardaru, P.; Pallás Benet, V.; Sánchez, F.; Ponz, F. (2020). Association between flower stalk elongation, an Arabidopsis developmental trait, and the subcellular location and movement dynamics of the viral non-structural protein P3. Molecular Plant Pathology. 21(10):1271-1286. https://doi.org/10.1111/mpp.12976S12711286211

Field robot to detect plants infected by Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum in horticultural crops using multispectral computer vision

A low cost field robot has been built capable of transporting a series of sensors through horticultural fields, with the aim of early detecting problems in the crop by means of proximal sensing techniques. The robot is operated by remote control and is driven by two electric motors coupled to the wheels and powered by batteries. The sensors include different thermal, colour and multispectral cameras in the visible and the near-infrared range that are synchronised with the advance of the robot by means of an encoder coupled to the axis of the motors. The position of each image is geolocated using a GPS. An industrial computer receives the encoder pulses and triggers the cameras, also receiving and storing the images and GPS information for further processing. The inspection area is located beneath the robot with the cameras focusing downwards (to the crop). To avoid the negative influence of direct sunlight, the area had been covered with a canvas and illuminated artificially with four-spot halogen lights. A telescopic extension system between 100 and 200 cm allows the robot to adapt to crops with different row widths. The first trials were carried out in a carrot test field located in Villena (Spain) to detect plants infected with Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum. The crop was inspected every month from sow to harvest. Labels were placed on 100 plants to guarantee their individual identification in the images. During the harvest, these plants were collected separately, identified and analysed in the laboratory using molecular techniques in order to determine whereas they were infected or not. Several maps of the field have been created using spectral indexes at a very high resolutions between 0.5 mm/pixel and 2.5 mm/pixel depending on the camera

Extraction of antibiotics identified in the EU Watch List 2020 from hospital wastewater using hydrophobic eutectic solvents and terpenoids

The increasing consumption of pharmaceuticals, along with the ineffectiveness of conventional wastewater treatment, has resulted in an increased presence of these pollutants in both drinking water supplies and aquatic environments. The potential adverse health effects and environmental impact of these chemicals are drawing the attention of several bodies around the world. For instance, some antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole have been included in the most recent European Surface Water Watch List under the EU Water Framework Directive (Decision 2020/1161). The present work proposes the use of terpenoids and eutectic solvents, as effective and green solvents with low toxicity, for multicomponent liquid-liquid extraction of ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole from ultrapure water and hospital wastewater. The COSMO-RS method was used for a predictive initial solvent screening. Thymol, carvacrol, eutectic solvents (thymol + fatty acids), and conventional solvents (methyl isobutyl ketone and ethyl acetate) were selected to be used in the experiments. The influence of the volume S/F ratio, aqueous matrix, and pH was analysed. Conventional solvents show significantly lower overall extraction yields than those observed for eutectic solvents and terpenoids at any pH and matrix. Carvacrol presented the most favourable conditions, reaching overall extraction yields above 98.0% (98.9% for trimethoprim, 99.5% for ciprofloxacin, and 97.0% for sulfamethoxazole) with hospital wastewater at pH 5.0 and S/F ratio of 1.00. Carvacrol showed a feasible operating in a continuous extraction column at room temperature, providing effective reuse and regeneration processes in this study.The increasing consumption of pharmaceuticals, along with the ineffectiveness of conventional wastewater treatment, has resulted in an increased presence of these pollutants in both drinking water supplies and aquatic environments. The potential adverse health effects and environmental impact of these chemicals are drawing the attention of several bodies around the world. For instance, some antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole have been included in the most recent European Surface Water Watch List under the EU Water Framework Directive (Decision 2020/1161). The present work proposes the use of terpenoids and eutectic solvents, as effective and green solvents with low toxicity, for multicomponent liquid-liquid extraction of ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole from ultrapure water and hospital wastewater. The COSMO-RS method was used for a predictive initial solvent screening. Thymol, carvacrol, eutectic solvents (thymol + fatty acids), and conventional solvents (methyl isobutyl ketone and ethyl acetate) were selected to be used in the experiments. The influence of the volume S/F ratio, aqueous matrix, and pH was analysed. Conventional solvents show significantly lower overall extraction yields than those observed for eutectic solvents and terpenoids at any pH and matrix. Carvacrol presented the most favourable conditions, reaching overall extraction yields above 98.0% (98.9% for trimethoprim, 99.5% for ciprofloxacin, and 97.0% for sulfamethoxazole) with hospital wastewater at pH 5.0 and S/F ratio of 1.00. Carvacrol showed a feasible operating in a continuous extraction column at room temperature, providing effective reuse and regeneration processes in this study

Robot de campo para detectar enfermedades en cultivos hortícolas mediante imágenes multiespectrales

Se ha construido un robot eléctrico asistido por control remoto para inspeccionar cultivos hortícolas mediante teledetección, embarcando tres cámaras réflex (dos modificadas para NIR y BNDVI), una térmica, otra multiespectral (ocho bandas entre 550 y 850 nm) y otra hiperespectral (400-1000 nm). Las cámaras están colocadas mirando al suelo (plantas) y para controlar la iluminación se utilizan cuatro focos halógenos en la zona de inspección que ha sido protegida de la luz exterior con una lona. Las imágenes se han georeferenciado utilizado un receptor GNSS (resolución de 3 cm). Para controlar el avance del robot y sincronizar la adquisición de imágenes, se ha desarrollado una placa electrónica a medida utilizando un sensor inductivo acoplado a las ruedas del robot y un software a medida instalado en un computador industrial.Se han realizado inspecciones mensuales en dos parcelas experimentales de zanahorias en Villena (España) para detectar plantas asintomáticas infectadas por Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum. Se han creado mapas del campo utilizando índices vegetativos a partir de los datos espectrales con resoluciones entre 1 y 2,5 mm por píxel. Durante el último ensayo, se etiquetaron 100 plantas que se recolectaron y analizaron utilizando PCR en tiempo real para comparar los resultados con el análisis de las imágenes