Activation of violaxanthin cycle in darkness is a common response to different abiotic stresses : a case study in Pelvetia canaliculata

Background: In the violaxanthin (V) cycle, V is de-epoxidized to zeaxanthin (Z) when strong light or light combined with other stressors lead to an overexcitation of photosystems. However, plants can also suffer stress in darkness and recent reports have shown that dehydration triggers V-de-epoxidation in the absence of light. In this study, we used the highly stress-tolerant brown alga Pelvetia canaliculata as a model organism, due to its lack of lutein and its non-photochemical quenching independent of the transthylakoidal-ΔpH, to study the triggering of the V-cycle in darkness induced by abiotic stressors. Results: We have shown that besides desiccation, other factors such as immersion, anoxia and high temperature also induced V-de-epoxidation in darkness. This process was reversible once the treatments had ceased (with the exception of heat, which caused lethal damage). Irrespective of the stressor applied, the resulting de-epoxidised xanthophylls correlated with a decrease in Fv/Fm, suggesting a common function in the down-regulation of photosynthetical efficiency. The implication of the redox-state of the plastoquinone-pool and of the differential activity of V-cycle enzymes on V-de-epoxidation in darkness was also examined. Current results suggest that both violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) and zeaxanthin-epoxidase (ZE) have a basal constitutive activity even in darkness, being ZE inhibited under stress. This inhibition leads to Z accumulation. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that V-cycle activity is triggered by several abiotic stressors even when they occur in an absolute absence of light, leading to a decrease in Fv/Fm. This finding provides new insights into an understanding of the regulation mechanism of the V-cycle and of its ecophysiological roles.

Identification of a biomarker panel for colorectal cancer diagnosis

Background: Malignancies arising in the large bowel cause the second largest number of deaths from cancer in the Western World. Despite progresses made during the last decades, colorectal cancer remains one of the most frequent and deadly neoplasias in the western countries. Methods: A genomic study of human colorectal cancer has been carried out on a total of 31 tumoral samples, corresponding to different stages of the disease, and 33 non-tumoral samples. The study was carried out by hybridisation of the tumour samples against a reference pool of non-tumoral samples using Agilent Human 1A 60- mer oligo microarrays. The results obtained were validated by qRT-PCR. In the subsequent bioinformatics analysis, gene networks by means of Bayesian classifiers, variable selection and bootstrap resampling were built. The consensus among all the induced models produced a hierarchy of dependences and, thus, of variables. Results: After an exhaustive process of pre-processing to ensure data quality–lost values imputation, probes quality, data smoothing and intraclass variability filtering–the final dataset comprised a total of 8, 104 probes. Next, a supervised classification approach and data analysis was carried out to obtain the most relevant genes. Two of them are directly involved in cancer progression and in particular in colorectal cancer. Finally, a supervised classifier was induced to classify new unseen samples. Conclusions: We have developed a tentative model for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer based on a biomarker panel. Our results indicate that the gene profile described herein can discriminate between non-cancerous and cancerous samples with 94.45% accuracy using different supervised classifiers (AUC values in the range of 0.997 and 0.955).

Hydrologic aspects of freshening upper Old Tampa Bay, Florida

Upper Old Tampa Bay, a 17-square mile area of Old Tampa Bay, Florida, has been proposed for conversion to a fresh-water lake. The amount of runoff to the proposed lake and its chemical quality are both adequate to freshen and sustain a fresh-water lake in this part of the bay. During 1950-66 runoff to the proposed lake, including discharge from Lake Tarpon, would have averaged 134 mgd (million gallons per day) and would have displaced the volume of the proposed lake at normal pool stage (2.5 feet above mean sea level) about 1.7 times per year. Without discharge from Lake Tarpon, the volume of the proposed lake would have been displaced 1.2 times. If the lake level was initially at a normal pool stage during a critically dry year, such as 1956, the proposed lake would have declined 0.25 to 0.5 foot below the minimum design level, (1.5 feet above mean sea level). (44 page document)

双模态过渡池沸腾实验研究

利用控制加热电压和加热面平均温度两种方法，实验研究了常压（0．1MPa）、室温（16℃）条件下除气后的R113在直径60μm细铂丝表面的池沸腾传热现象，观测了单相对流、核态沸腾、双模态过渡沸腾和膜态沸腾4种传热模式中的汽相分布及其传热特征，发现充分发展的核态沸腾传热曲线、膜态沸腾传热曲线及临界热流的数值分别与文献中常用关联式的预测一致，而核态沸腾和膜态沸腾共存的稳定双模态过渡沸腾曲线被一极小值点分为两个连续分支，邻近膜态沸腾的右支上热流与过热度成正比，而邻近核态沸腾的左支上热流则随过热度增长而下降，并且只出现在加热面平均温度受控的实验中．

微重力池沸腾实验研究

本文利用我国第22颗返回式卫星开展了微重力条件下过冷池沸腾传热实验研究。实验中采用桥式自反馈电路控制加热面温度，加热元件为长30mm、直径60pm的铂丝，实验工质为0．1MPa压力下过冷度为26℃的R113。实验发现，沸腾起始温度不受重力水平影响，而微重力核态沸腾传热略有增强，汽泡脱落行为也有着不同的特征。

微重力池沸腾现象中的汽泡脱落直径

本文报道了空间微重力池沸腾过程中的汽泡脱落现象，观测到微重力条件下小汽泡行为与常重力时相似，但在中等尺寸范围内，汽泡往往粘附在加热丝上做横向振动，并不断合并所碰到的小汽泡，直到超过临界尺寸后脱落。本文在Lee模型（1992）的基础上引入热毛细作用力，成功地解释了实验观测到的独特的汽泡动力学行为特征。

微重力池沸腾现象中的汽泡行为特性

本文对准稳态加热条件下的微重力核态池沸腾中的汽泡行为特征进行了实验研究，分析了初始核化过程、汽泡数密度、汽泡尺寸及其运动速度等的变化趋势，探讨了过冷度及加热历史等因素对相关特性的影响。实验发现：微重力条件下汽泡生成后沿加热面不停地移动；原生汽泡会聚合形成大汽泡，大汽泡不断捕掠小汽泡而长大，直到大汽泡覆盖整个加热面；汽泡生长速度随过冷度增加而变慢。

Role of Monoubiquitylation on the Control of IκBα Degradation and NF-κB Activity

9 p.

Avances en algoritmos de estimación de distribuciones. Alternativas en el aprendizaje y representación de problemas

131 p.: graf.

Análisis de los factores determinantes del uso de mensajes SMS para participar en programas de televisión

[ES] El envío de mensajes cortos a programas, anuncios o concursos de televisión se ha convertido hoy en día en una fuente importante de ingresos tanto para los operadores de telefonía móvil como para las cadenas y productoras televisivas. El objetivo del presente trabajo es analizar cómo contribuye la actitud y la relación individuo-medio en que el telespectador utilice este servicio de mensajería para participar en los programas televisivos. Los resultados ponen de relieve que tanto la compatibilidad del individuo con el servicio como el entretenimiento percibido al participar en este tipo de programas y la actitud hacia el uso son factores determinantes de la utilización del servicio.

Is the Current Regulation of the VIII Division European Anchovy Optimal?

This paper sets out to assess the workability of the regulation currently in force in the European anchovy fishery of the VIII division. Particular attention is paid to the importance of the institutional regime in the allocation of natural resources. The study uses a bio-economic approach and takes into account the fact that, not only the European Union and the individual countries involved, but also some of the resource users or appropriators intervene in its management. In order to compare the effectiveness of the rules which, at the various levels, have been set up to restrict exploitation of the resource, the anchovy fishery is simulated in two extreme situations: open access and sole ownership. The results obtained by effective management will then be contrasted with those obtained from the maximum and zero profit objectives related with the two above-mentioned scenarios. Thus, if the real data come close to those derived from the sole ownership model it will have to be acknowledged that the rules at present in force are optimal. If, on the other hand, the situation more closely approach the results obtained from the open access model, we will endeavour in our conclusions to provide suggestions for economic policy measures that might improve the situation in the fishery.

Ancient DNA from Hunter-Gatherer and Farmer Groups from Northern Spain Supports a Random Dispersion Model for the Neolithic Expansion into Europe

10 p.

An Experimental Study of Kerosene Combustion in a Supersonic Model Combustor Using Effervescent Atomization

Investigation of kerosene combustion in a Mach 2.5 flow was carried out using a model supersonic combustor with cross-section area of 51 mm?70 mm, with special emphases on the characterization of effervescent atomization and the flameholdering mechanism using different integrated fuel injector/flameholder cavity modules. Direct photography, Schlieren imaging, and Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) imaging of OH were utilized to examine the cavity characteristics and spray structure, with and without gas barbotage. Schlieren images illustrate the effectiveness of gas barbotage in facilitating atomization and the importance of secondary atomization when kerosene sprays interacting with a supersonic crossflow. OH-PLIF images further substantiate our previous finding that there exists a local high temperature radical pool within the cavity flameholder and this radical pool plays a crucial role in promoting kerosene combustion in a supersonic combustor. The present results also demonstrate that the cavity characteristics can be different in non-reacting and reacting supersonic flows. As such, the conventional definition of cavity characteristics based on non-reacting flows needs to be revised.

Intranasal Delivery of Plasma and Platelet Growth Factors Using PRGF-Endoret System Enhances Neurogenesis in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

[EN] Neurodegeneration together with a reduction in neurogenesis are cardinal features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) induced by a combination of toxic amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and a loss of trophic factor support. Amelioration of these was assessed with diverse neurotrophins in experimental therapeutic approaches. The aim of this study was to investigate whether intranasal delivery of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF-Endoret), an autologous pool of morphogens and proteins, could enhance hippocampal neurogenesis and reduce neurodegeneration in an amyloid precursor protein/presenilin-1 (APP/PS1) mouse model. Neurotrophic and neuroprotective actions were firstly evident in primary neuronal cultures, where cell proliferation and survival were augmented by Endoret treatment. Translation of these effects in vivo was assessed in wild type and APP/PS1 mice, where neurogenesis was evaluated using 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BdrU), doublecortin (DCX), and NeuN immunostaining 5 weeks after Endoret administration. The number of BrdU, DCX, and NeuN positive cell was increased after chronic treatment. The number of degenerating neurons, detected with fluoro Jade-B staining was reduced in Endoret-treated APP/PS1 mice at 5 week after intranasal administration. In conclusion, Endoret was able to activate neuronal progenitor cells, enhancing hippocampal neurogenesis, and to reduce Aβ-induced neurodegeneration in a mouse model of AD.

丝状加热面池沸腾临界热流尺度效应研究

本文以丝状加热表面上的池沸腾传热现象为主要研究对象，利用地面常重力实验，研究了不同热丝直径、不同过冷度下（(0～40℃）的丝状加热片面FC-72液体和丙酮液体的池沸腾传热特性。 本文利用自主研发的一套可控过冷度池沸腾实验设备，使用纯度为99.99%的铂丝同时作为加热元件和测温元件，加热丝直径分别为0.06mm、0.025mm、0.1mm，长度为30mm。实验采用控制加热电压按阶梯形式增长或下降（时间常数约20s）的稳态加热方式。 实验所得单相自然对流传热数据同Kuehn-Goldstein（1976）换热公式预测结果具有较高的一致性，说明实验设备可靠、实验数据可信。 实验过程中发现，在相同压力条件下，随着过冷度的增加，沸腾传热强化；CHF值在低过冷度时呈线性增加，然后增加趋势变缓。丙酮实验中，0.06mm热丝和0.1mm热丝在低过冷度(2.5～10℃)情况下都出现了从自然对流直接进入双膜态现象，不过，当降低加热电压时，膜态沸腾仍转化为核态沸腾，此时继续增高加热电压，沸腾曲线仍沿常规核态沸腾曲线上升至CHF后，再转换为膜态沸腾。对于同等直径热丝，无论核态沸腾或双膜态沸腾，在丙酮中所产生汽泡尺寸明显偏大。 过冷沸腾中，临界热流随过冷度的增加呈现出非线性依赖关系。在低过冷度线性区，FC-72中实验结果与几种低过冷度线性模型较一致；丙酮中实验结果 随 变化斜率明显高于几种低过冷度线性模型的预测，显示出对尺度的依赖关系。这说明在小Bond数时存在尺度效应对过冷度的影响，即对于小Bond数情况过冷度和尺度效应的耦合作用是非常重要的。 饱和沸腾中，FC-72和丙酮的CHF值随热丝直径的减小而不断增加，其中，FC-72的CHF数值尽管比LD模型预测结果略低，但定性地依然可用LD模型进行描述，尽管相比于LD模型原始的适用范围 已扩大了1~2个数量级；但丙酮的实验数据却远小于LD模型预测结果。综合分析表明，尽管热丝直径相同，但物性的差异使得FC-72和丙酮实验中的数据点分别处于不同的尺度特征区域，反映了小Bond数情形下分区准则的物性依赖性。