Desarrollo de nuevas tecnolog??as de la informaci??n y la comunicaci??n (TIC) para la docencia pr??ctica en el ??rea de Conocimiento de Fisiolog??a Vegetal

Resumen basado en el de la publicaci??n

Aproximació a l'evolució del paisatge vegetal a les comarques de la Selva i del Vallès

L'objectiu d'aquest article és presentar les línies bàsiques de l'evolució del paisatge vegetal d'una part d'una àrea geogràfica que des de l'antiguitat ha estat un passadís històric d'assentaments i comunicacions i que comprèn les comarques de la Selva, del Vallès Oriental i del Vallès Occidental Biogeogràficament es tracta d'una zona de contacte entre el món mediterrani, representat a nivell climàtic per l'alzinar litoral, i l'eurosiberià, que té com a principals comunitats climàtiques la roureda de roure martinenc i la fageda amb el·lèbor verd

Efecto de la aplicación de altas presiones hidrostáticas en un producto de origen animal, el jamón curado y en un producto vegetal, el nabo

High pressure processing is a food preservation technique which can be an alternative to heat treatment. Pressurization, in theory, produces changes in organoleptic properties and antioxidant compounds to a lesser extent. The objective of the present dissertation has been to study the effect of high pressure processing on oxidative processes and their relation to the organoleptic qualities of diced swede and packaged sliced ham. The results have pointed to pressurization at 600 MPa, and produce an effective decontamination is that which causes less loss of compounds or antioxidant properties. For swede, this pressure level also caused a minor modification of the organoleptic qualities. This dissertation has also shown that depending on feed composition, the effect of pressurization on the organoleptic qualities can be diametrically opposite.

Utilização de materiais de origem vegetal em produtos farmacêuticos e cosméticos de aplicação cutânea

As plantas são importantes em dermatologia devido aos seus efeitos adversos ou benéficos na pele e em doenças da pele, respetivamente. Todos os países têm-se baseado nos conhecimentos passados, ou continuam a basear-se em plantas medicinais para os cuidados de saúde primários. A utilização de extratos de plantas medicinais para o tratamento de doenças cutâneas tem sido baseada principalmente em evidência histórica, por causa da falta de literatura científica no que diz respeito à eficácia dos extratos de plantas em ensaios clínicos controlados. Nesta monografia são abordados os aspetos benéficos da utilização de plantas medicinais na psoríase, celulite e na cicatrização de feridas, assim como o seu uso em medicamentos e cosméticos de aplicação cutânea.

Integração do elemento vegetal no edificado

Esta dissertação é muito mais do que um trabalho sobre ajardinamento de edifícios, pois pretende-se que seja uma ferramenta de ajuda em benefício da transformação de milhares de metros quadrados, das coberturas e das fachadas, muitas vezes negligenciados, em espaços verdes públicos beneficiando, não somente, os promotores imobiliários mas, acima de tudo os seus ocupantes e usufrutuários, que desta forma podem tirar partido de novos espaços de estar, ao ar livre. Enquanto a cidade, ao nível térreo, apresenta um aumento de tráfego rodoviário, com inegável poluição e confusão, é possível, desta forma, usufruir de um espaço aberto. Esta dissertação procura estudar os edifícios que já integram o elemento vegetal no seu conceito e que sejam um sucesso na forma como usam o elemento vegetal, de modo a divulgar as técnicas de construção, entender as decisões dos projectistas e o impacto nos utilizadores que habitam e usufruem dos espaços – Análise-Pós-Ocupação. Esta dissertação pretende demonstrar o quanto é importante que as cidades apresentem espaços verdes para uso da população. As zonas verdes existentes nas cidades são inequivocamente um importante indicador da qualidade ambiental existente nessas mesmas cidades. As coberturas e fachadas verdes arrefecem os edifícios, capturam e filtram as águas da chuva, proporcionam habitat à vida selvagem, reduzem o efeito de estufa das cidades, proporcionam uma preciosidade estética, uma experiência recreativa e por vezes comida, para os habitantes das cidades. Pretende-se assim, focar os benefícios humanos, sociais e naturais que se obtêm ao introduzir vegetação nas paredes, terraços, pátios e coberturas dos edifícios. Assim foi considerado útil usar uma metodologia para também analisar o tipo de espécies usadas nos estudos de caso, e determinar a necessidade de uma ferramenta para que a selecção vegetal respeite critérios de biodiversidade e melhor adaptabilidade aos ecossistemas locais, sabendo de antemão que não podem nem pretendem substituir os habitats naturais, que as cidades também podem e devem apresentar.

Lys-gamma3-MSH: a global regulator of hormone sensitive lipase activity?

Gamma-melanocyte stimulating hormone (gamma-MSH) is a peptide derived from the ACTH precursor, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and belongs to a family of peptides called the melanocortins that also comprises alpha- and beta-MSH. Although conserved in tetrapods, the biological role of gamma-MSH remains largely undefined. It has been demonstrated previously that gamma-MSH is involved in the regulating the activity of hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) activity in the adrenal and more recently, in the adipocyte. It has been shown also to have effects on the cardiovascular and renal systems. This short review will provide a brief overview of the role of gamma-MSH in the adrenal and the more recent report that it can also regulate HSL function in the adipocyte. We also present some preliminary data purporting a direct role for Lys-gamma(3)-MSH in the regulation of HSL phosphorylation in the heart. Taken together these data suggest that gamma-MSH peptides might play a more widespread role in lipid and cholesterol utilization.

Relationship between åström control and the kalman linear regulator — Caines revisited

The relationship between minimum variance and minimum expected quadratic loss feedback controllers for linear univariate discrete-time stochastic systems is reviewed by taking the approach used by Caines. It is shown how the two methods can be regarded as providing identical control actions as long as a noise-free measurement state-space model is employed.

An implicit pole-assignment self-tuning regulator

A new self-tuning implicit pole-assignment algorithm is presented which, through the use of a pole compression factor and different RLS model and control structures, overcomes stability and convergence problems encountered in previously available algorithms. Computational requirements of the technique are much reduced when compared to explicit pole-assignment schemes, whereas the inherent robustness of the strategy is retained.

Stable Nonlinear Receding Horizon Regulator Using RBF Neural Network Models

The general stability theory of nonlinear receding horizon controllers has attracted much attention over the last fifteen years, and many algorithms have been proposed to ensure closed-loop stability. On the other hand many reports exist regarding the use of artificial neural network models in nonlinear receding horizon control. However, little attention has been given to the stability issue of these specific controllers. This paper addresses this problem and proposes to cast the nonlinear receding horizon control based on neural network models within the framework of an existing stabilising algorithm.

Coping with delays for real-time gaze control (The Fall and Rise of the Smiths Regulator)

In this paper we describe how to cope with the delays inherent in a real time control system for a steerable stereo head/eye platform. A purposive and reactive system requires the use of fast vision algorithms to provide the controller with the error signals to drive the platform. The time-critical implementation of these algorithms is necessary, not only to enable short latency reaction to real world events, but also to provide sufficiently high frequency results with small enough delays that controller remain stable. However, even with precise knowledge of that delay, nonlinearities in the plant make modelling of that plant impossible, thus precluding the use of a Smith Regulator. Moreover, the major delay in the system is in the feedback (image capture and vision processing) rather than feed forward (controller) loop. Delays ranging between 40msecs and 80msecs are common for the simple 2D processes, but might extend to several hundred milliseconds for more sophisticated 3D processes. The strategy presented gives precise control over the gaze direction of the cameras despite the lack of a priori knowledge of the delays involved. The resulting controller is shown to have a similar structure to the Smith Regulator, but with essential modifications.

The CtsR regulator of Listeria monocytogenes contains a variant glycine repeat region that affects piezotolerance, stress resistance, motility and virulence

A spontaneous high hydrostatic pressure (HHP)-tolerant mutant of Listeria monocytogenes ScottA, named AK01, was isolated previously. This mutant was immotile and showed increased resistance to heat, acid and H2O2 compared with the wild type (wt) (Karatzas, K.A.G. and Bennik, M.H.J. 2002 Appl Environ Microbiol 68: 3183–3189). In this study, we conclusively linked the increased HHP and stress tolerance of strain AK01 to a single codon deletion in ctsR (class three stress gene repressor) in a region encoding a highly conserved glycine repeat. CtsR negatively regulates the expression of the clp genes, including clpP, clpE and the clpC operon (encompassing ctsR itself), which belong to the class III heat shock genes. Allelic replacement of the ctsR gene in the wt background with the mutant ctsR gene, designated ctsRΔGly, rendered mutants with phenotypes and protein expression profiles identical to those of strain AK01. The expression levels of CtsR, ClpC and ClpP proteins were significantly higher in ctsRΔGly mutants than in the wt strain, indicative of the CtsRΔGly protein being inactive. Further evidence that the CtsRΔGly protein lacks its repressor function came from the finding that the Clp proteins in the mutant were not further induced upon heat shock, and that HHP tolerance of a ctsR deletion strain was as high as that of a ctsRΔGly mutant. The high HHP tolerance possibly results from the increased expression of the clp genes in the absence of (active) CtsR repressor. Importantly, the strains expressing CtsRΔGly show significantly attenuated virulence compared with the wt strain; however, no indication of disregulation of PrfA in the mutant strains was found. Our data highlight an important regulatory role of the glycine-rich region of CtsR in stress resistance and virulence.

Role of the two-component regulator CpxAR in the virulence of Salmonella entetica serotype typhimurium

The CpxAR (Cpx) two-component regulator controls the expression of genes in response to a variety of environmental cues. The Cpx regulator has been implicated in the virulence of several gram-negative pathogens, although a role for Cpx in vivo has not been demonstrated directly. Here we investigate whether positive or negative control of gene expression by Cpx is important for the pathogenesis of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium. The Cpx signal pathway in serotype Typhimurium was disrupted by insertional inactivation of the cpxA and cpxR genes. We also constitutively activated the Cpx pathway by making an internal in-frame deletion in cpxA (a cpxA* mutation). Activation of the Cpx pathway inhibited induction of the envelope stress response pathway controlled by the alternative sigma factor sigma(E) (encoded by rpoE). Conversely, the Cpx pathway was highly up-regulated (>40-fold) in a serotype Typhimurium rpoE mutant. The cpxA* mutation, but not the cpxA or the cpxR mutation, significantly reduced the capacity of serotype Typhimurium to adhere to and invade eucaryotic cells, although intracellular replication was not affected. The cpxA and cpxA* mutations significantly impaired the ability of serotype Typhimurium to grow in vivo in mice. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that the Cpx system is important for a bacterial pathogen in vivo.

Endosomal endothelin-converting enzyme-1: a regulator of beta-arrestin-dependent ERK signaling

Neuropeptide signaling at the cell surface is regulated by metalloendopeptidases, which degrade peptides in the extracellular fluid, and beta-arrestins, which interact with G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to mediate desensitization. beta-Arrestins also recruit GPCRs and mitogen-activated protein kinases to endosomes to allow internalized receptors to continue signaling, but the mechanisms regulating endosomal signaling are unknown. We report that endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1) degrades substance P (SP) in early endosomes of epithelial cells and neurons to destabilize the endosomal mitogen-activated protein kinase signalosome and terminate signaling. ECE-1 inhibition caused endosomal retention of the SP neurokinin 1 receptor, beta-arrestins, and Src, resulting in markedly sustained ERK2 activation in the cytosol and nucleus, whereas ECE-1 overexpression attenuated ERK2 activation. ECE-1 inhibition also enhanced SP-induced expression and phosphorylation of the nuclear death receptor Nur77, resulting in cell death. Thus, endosomal ECE-1 attenuates ERK2-mediated SP signaling in the nucleus to prevent cell death. We propose that agonist availability in endosomes, here regulated by ECE-1, controls beta-arrestin-dependent signaling of endocytosed GPCRs.