Anàlisi, disseny i implementació d'una eina de simulació per a l'estudi de la interoperabilitat mitjançant conversió d'atributs en entorns multi-domini

El present projecte part d’un estudi sobre el tractament de situacions d’emergència, on es considera que una infraestructura de comunicació, sobre aquest tipus d’escenaris, ha d’implementar la interoperabilitat i el control d’accés, entre els diferents elements que hi participen, utilitzant la conversió d’atributs. Per tal de materialitzar aquest estudi s’ha realitzat un anàlisi de les necessitats de l’aplicació i un disseny detallat dels mòduls que el formen. S’ha implementat d’aquesta manera una eina de simulació per entorns multi-domini. Finalment s’han realitzat un conjunt de proves per comprovar la seva fiabilitat respecte l’estudi original.

Gains from switching and evolutionary stability in multi-player matrix games.

In this paper we unify, simplify, and extend previous work on the evolutionary dynamics of symmetric N-player matrix games with two pure strategies. In such games, gains from switching strategies depend, in general, on how many other individuals in the group play a given strategy. As a consequence, the gain function determining the gradient of selection can be a polynomial of degree N-1. In order to deal with the intricacy of the resulting evolutionary dynamics, we make use of the theory of polynomials in Bernstein form. This theory implies a tight link between the sign pattern of the gains from switching on the one hand and the number and stability of the rest points of the replicator dynamics on the other hand. While this relationship is a general one, it is most informative if gains from switching have at most two sign changes, as is the case for most multi-player matrix games considered in the literature. We demonstrate that previous results for public goods games are easily recovered and extended using this observation. Further examples illustrate how focusing on the sign pattern of the gains from switching obviates the need for a more involved analysis.

Genome sequence of the metazoan plant-parasitic nematode Meloidogyne incognita.

Plant-parasitic nematodes are major agricultural pests worldwide and novel approaches to control them are sorely needed. We report the draft genome sequence of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita, a biotrophic parasite of many crops, including tomato, cotton and coffee. Most of the assembled sequence of this asexually reproducing nematode, totaling 86 Mb, exists in pairs of homologous but divergent segments. This suggests that ancient allelic regions in M. incognita are evolving toward effective haploidy, permitting new mechanisms of adaptation. The number and diversity of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes in M. incognita is unprecedented in any animal for which a genome sequence is available, and may derive from multiple horizontal gene transfers from bacterial sources. Our results provide insights into the adaptations required by metazoans to successfully parasitize immunocompetent plants, and open the way for discovering new antiparasitic strategies.

Oral insecticidal activity of root colonizing Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0: a biocontrol agent with potential to control plant pests and diseases

The application of microbial biocontrol agents for the control of fungal plant diseases and plant insect pests is a promising approach in the development of environmentally benign pest management strategies. The ideal biocontrol organism would be a bacterium or a fungus with activity against both, insect pests and fungal pathogens. Here we demonstrate the oral insecticidal activity of the root colonizing Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0, which is so far known for its capacity to efficiently suppress fungal plant pathogens. Feeding assays with CHA0-sprayed leaves showed that this strain displays oral insecticidal activity and is able to efficiently kill larvae of three important insect pests. We further show data indicating that the Fit insect toxin produced by CHA0 and also metabolites controlled by the global regulator GacA contribute to oral insect toxicity.

Interfaz de usuario de un sistema multi-robot de reconocimiento de superficies con Google Earth

Els sistemes multi-robot de reconeixement de superfícies es poden utilitzar tant per a l'exploració de llocs remots, de difícil accés o perillosos. Normalment, els robots no són autònoms, depenen d'operadors humans per dirigir-los. La informació que capten ha de ser processada i mostrada a l'usuari o usuària del sistema de forma intel·ligible. Un exemple d'aplicació seria el d'un sistema multirobot format per diversos helicòpters no tripulats que proporciona informació d'una àrea que ha patit algun desastre. El sistema informàtic recolliria la informació i la transmetria al coordinador de l'operatiu d'assistència de l'emergència. La idea del projecte és la de combinar la informació proporcionada pel sistema multi-robot amb la de la zona disponible a Google Earth i fer d'aquesta eina l'interfície d'usuari de l'aplicació.

Análisis de prestaciones de procesadores multi-core y multi-thread

Los procesadores multi-core y el multi-threading por hardware permiten aumentar el rendimiento de las aplicaciones. Por un lado, los procesadores multi-core combinan 2 o más procesadores en un mismo chip. Por otro lado, el multi-threading por hardware es una técnica que incrementa la utilización de los recursos del procesador. Este trabajo presenta un análisis de rendimiento de los resultados obtenidos en dos aplicaciones, multiplicación de matrices densas y transformada rápida de Fourier. Ambas aplicaciones se han ejecutado en arquitecturas multi-core que explotan el paralelismo a nivel de thread pero con un modelo de multi-threading diferente. Los resultados obtenidos muestran la importancia de entender y saber analizar el efecto del multi-core y multi-threading en el rendimiento.

Climatic niche shifts are rare among terrestrial plant invaders.

The assumption that climatic niche requirements of invasive species are conserved between their native and invaded ranges is key to predicting the risk of invasion. However, this assumption has been challenged recently by evidence of niche shifts in some species. Here, we report the first large-scale test of niche conservatism for 50 terrestrial plant invaders between Eurasia, North America, and Australia. We show that when analog climates are compared between regions, fewer than 15% of species have more than 10% of their invaded distribution outside their native climatic niche. These findings reveal that substantial niche shifts are rare in terrestrial plant invaders, providing support for an appropriate use of ecological niche models for the prediction of both biological invasions and responses to climate change.

The Multiple-partners assignment game with heterogeneous sales and multi-unit demands: competitive equilibria

A multiple-partners assignment game with heterogeneous sales and multiunit demands consists of a set of sellers that own a given number of indivisible units of (potentially many different) goods and a set of buyers who value those units and want to buy at most an exogenously fixed number of units. We define a competitive equilibrium for this generalized assignment game and prove its existence by using only linear programming. In particular, we show how to compute equilibrium price vectors from the solutions of the dual linear program associated to the primal linear program defined to find optimal assignments. Using only linear programming tools, we also show (i) that the set of competitive equilibria (pairs of price vectors and assignments) has a Cartesian product structure: each equilibrium price vector is part of a competitive equilibrium with all optimal assignments, and vice versa; (ii) that the set of (restricted) equilibrium price vectors has a natural lattice structure; and (iii) how this structure is translated into the set of agents' utilities that are attainable at equilibrium.

Análisis multi-región input-output (MRIO) de emisiones de gases efecto invernadero (GEI) incorporado en el comercio. Un modelo birregional aplicado a Cataluña y el resto de España

El siguiente trabajo realiza un análisis regional y sectorial para el estudio de la emisiones de gases efecto invernadero (GEI) incorporadas en el comercio entre las regiones de Cataluña y el resto de España para el año 2001, estimando así el Balance Neto en GEI incorporado. El objetivo es el desarrollo de un metodología que nos permita realizar esta estimación de forma rigurosa, con la intención de efectuar un análisis comparativo de ambas estructuras productivas territoriales, en cuanto a la intensidad de emisión y el impacto de la demanda final de las regiones consideradas. Para este propósito se utiliza el marco metodológico del análisis input-output, en particular se aplica dos tipologías de modelos: el modelo básico o single-región y el multi-región, lo que nos permite la comparabilidad entre ambos, demostrando como el modelo MRIO (multi-región input-output) es el método más apropiado para dicho propósito, permitiendo, entre otras ventajas, analizar los vínculos interregionales e intersectoriales de las regiones consideradas. La incorporación de la técnica de la integración vertical o subsistemas, nos permite un enfoque alternativo para el Balance Neto resultante, no tenemos constancia de que este enfoque haya sido utilizado con anterioridad en los análisis MRIO aplicados al estudio de los impactos medioambientales incorporados en el comercio. Tampoco la tenemos sobre la aplicación de los MRIO de forma general para estos impactos a nivel interregional de la economía española. El principal resultado obtenido nos indica que aún teniendo Cataluña un importante superávit comercial con el resto de España, hemos comprobado la existencia de un importante déficit para la primera en cuanto a la polución incorporada en este comercio.

Reduced peroxisomal citrate synthase activity increases substrate availability for polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis in plant peroxisomes.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are bacterial carbon storage polymers used as renewable, biodegradable plastics. PHA production in plants may be a way to reduce industrial PHA production costs. We recently demonstrated a promising level of peroxisomal PHA production in the high biomass crop species sugarcane. However, further production strategies are needed to boost PHA accumulation closer to commercial targets. Through exogenous fatty acid feeding of Arabidopsis thaliana plants that contain peroxisome-targeted PhaA, PhaB and PhaC enzymes from Cupriavidus necator, we show here that the availability of substrates derived from the β-oxidation cycle limits peroxisomal polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) biosynthesis. Knockdown of peroxisomal citrate synthase activity using artificial microRNA increased PHB production levels approximately threefold. This work demonstrates that reduction of peroxisomal citrate synthase activity may be a valid metabolic engineering strategy for increasing PHA production in other plant species.

Expression of a plant-derived peptide harboring water-cleaning and antimicrobial activities.

Drinking water is currently a scarce world resource, the preparation of which requires complex treatments that include clarification of suspended particles and disinfection. Seed extracts of Moringa oleifera Lam., a tropical tree, have been proposed as an environment-friendly alternative, due to their traditional use for the clarification of drinking water. However, the precise nature of the active components of the extract and whether they may be produced in recombinant form are unknown. Here we show that recombinant or synthetic forms of a cationic seed polypeptide mediate efficient sedimentation of suspended mineral particles and bacteria. Unexpectedly, the polypeptide was also found to possesses a bactericidal activity capable of disinfecting heavily contaminated water. Furthermore, the polypeptide has been shown to efficiently kill several pathogenic bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant isolates of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Legionella species. Thus, this polypeptide displays the unprecedented feature of combining water purification and disinfectant properties. Identification of an active principle derived from the seed extracts points to a range of potential for drinking water treatment or skin and mucosal disinfection in clinical settings.

Development of specific ITS markers for plant DNA identification within herbivorous insects

DNA based techniques have proved to be very useful methods to study trophic relationships 17 between pests and their natural enemies. However, most predators are best defined as omnivores, 18 and the identification of plant-specific DNA should also allow the identification of the plant 19 species the predators have been feeding on. In this study, a PCR approach based on the 20 development of specific primers was developed as a self-marking technique to detect plant DNA 21 within the gut of one heteropteran omnivorous predator (Macrolophus pygmaeus) and two 22 lepidopteran pest species (Helicoverpa armigera and Tuta absoluta). Specific tomato primers 23 were designed from the ITS 1-2 region, which allowed the amplification of a tomato DNA 24 fragment of 332 bp within the three insect species tested in all cases (100% of detection at t = 0) 25 and did not detect DNA of other plants nor of the starved insects. Plant DNA half-lives at 25ºC 26 ranged from 5.8h, to 27.7h and 28.7h within M. pygmaeus, H. armigera and T. absoluta, 27 respectively. Tomato DNA detection within field collected M. pygmaeus suggests dietary mixing 28 in this omnivorous predator and showed a higher detection of tomato DNA in females and 29 nymphs than males. This study provides a useful tool to detect and to identify plant food sources 30 of arthropods and to evaluate crop colonization from surrounding vegetation in conservation 31 biological control programs.