Assessing the impact of adaptive accessibility on the optimal transport policy implementation by using an integrated land-use/transport model for Madrid

Accessibility is an essential concept widely used to evaluate the impact of land-use and transport strategies in transport and urban planning. Accessibility is typically evaluated by using a transport model or a land-use model independently or successively without a feedback loop, thus neglecting the interaction effects between the two systems and the induced competition effects among opportunities due to accessibility improvements. More than a mere methodological curiosity, failure to account for land- use/transport interactions and the competition effect may result in large underestimation of the policy effects. With the recent development of land-use and transport interaction (LUTI) models, there is a growing interest in using these models to adequately measure accessibility and evaluate its impact. The current study joins this research stream by embedding an accessibility measure in a LUTI model with two main aims. The first aim is to account for adaptive accessibility, namely the adjustment of the potential accessibility due to the effect of competition among opportunities (e.g., workplaces) as a result of improved accessibility. LUTI models are particularly suitable for assessing adaptive accessibility because the competition factor is a function of the number of jobs, which is related to land-use attractiveness and the number of workers which is related, among other factors, to the transport demand. The second aim is to identify the optimal implementation scenario of policy measures on the basis of the potential and adaptive accessibility and analyse the results in terms of social welfare and accessibility. The metropolitan area of Madrid is used as a case-study and two transport policy instruments, namely a cordon toll and bus frequency increase, have been chosen for the simulation study in order to present the usefulness of the approach to urban planners and policy makers. The MARS model (Metropolitan Activity Relocation Simulator) calibrated for Madrid was employed as the analysis tool. The impact of accessibility is embedded in the model through a social welfare function that includes not only costs and benefits to both road users and transport operators, but also costs and benefits for the government and society in general (external costs). An optimisation procedure is performed by the MARS model for maximizing the value of objective function in order to find the best (optimal) policy imp lementations intensity (i.e., price, frequency). Last, the two policy strategies are evaluated in terms of their accessibility. Results show that the accessibility with competition factor influences the optimal policy implementation level and also generates different results in terms of social welfare. In addition, mapping the difference between the potential and the adaptive accessibility indicators shows that the main changes occur in areas where there is a strong competition among land-use opportunities.

Agent-based modeling and simulation for the design of the future european Air Traffic Management system: the experience of CASSIOPEIA

The SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) program is an ambitious re-search and development initiative to design the future European air traffic man-agement (ATM) system. The study of the behavior of ATM systems using agent-based modeling and simulation tools can help the development of new methods to improve their performance. This paper presents an overview of existing agent-based approaches in air transportation (paying special attention to the challenges that exist for the design of future ATM systems) and, subsequently, describes a new agent-based approach that we proposed in the CASSIOPEIA project, which was developed according to the goals of the SESAR program. In our approach, we use agent models for different ATM stakeholders, and, in contrast to previous work, our solution models new collaborative decision processes for flow traffic management, it uses an intermediate level of abstraction (useful for simulations at larger scales), and was designed to be a practical tool (open and reusable) for the development of different ATM studies. It was successfully applied in three stud-ies related to the design of future ATM systems in Europe.

Sistema de soporte al desarrollo de un planificador de misiones en un vehículo aéreo no tripulado

En esta memoria se describe el trabajo de construcción de una arquitectura software diseñada para facilitar el desarrollo un planificador de misión de un vehículo aéreo no tripulado (UAV), con el fin de que éste alcance los objetivos marcados en la competición internacional de robótica IARC (séptima edición). A lo largo de la memoria, se describe en primer lugar, una revisión de técnicas de robótica inteligente aplicadas a la construcción de vehículos aéreos no tripulados, en el que se ven los diferentes paradigmas de programación de la robótica inteligente y la clasificación de dichos robots aéreos, dependiendo de su autonomía. Este descripción finaliza con la presentación del problema correspondiente a la competición IARC. A continuación se describe el diseño realizado para soporte al desarrollo de un planificador de misiones de UAVs, con simulación de comportamiento de vehículos robóticos y visualización 3D con movimiento. Finalmente, se muestran las pruebas que se han realizado para validar la construcción de dicha arquitectura software. ---ABSTRACT---In this report it is presented the construction of a software architecture, designed to facilitate the development of a mission planner for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), so that it reaches the goals set in the International Aerial Robotics Competition - IARC (seventh edition). Throughout this report, it is described first, a review of intelligent robotics techniques applied to the construction of unmanned aerial vehicles, where different paradigms of intelligent robotics are seen, along with a classification of such aerial robots, depending on their autonomy. Description ends with the presentation of the problem corresponding to the IARC competition. Following, it is described the design made to satisfy the support to the development of a mission planner for UAV´s, with a simulation of the robotics vehicles’ behaviours and a 3D display with motion. Finally, we will deal with the tests that have been conducted to validate the construction of the software architecture.

Propuesta de integración de agentes software inteligentes sobre JADE con entornos virtuales en Unity3D

La unión de distintos sistemas software constituye un elemento principal de las nuevas Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación. La integración de entornos virtuales tridimensionales con agentes software inteligentes es el objetivo que persigue este trabajo de investigación. Para llevar a cabo esta integración se parte de la creación de un agente virtual, un personaje que es controlado por una mente desarrollada siguiendo un enfoque basado en agentes software. Se busca así dotar al sistema de cierto nivel de inteligencia, tomando como referencia el funcionamiento del cerebro humano. Lo que se consigue es que el agente capte los estímulos del entorno, los procese y genere comportamientos, tanto reactivos como deliberativos, que son ejecutados por el personaje. Los resultados obtenidos resaltan el dinamismo del sistema, a la vez que animan a seguir investigando en este campo lleno de aplicaciones directas y reales sobre el mundo. En conclusión, esta investigación busca y consigue un nuevo paso en el progreso de las nuevas tecnologías mediante una integración real de distintos sistemas software. ---ABSTRACT---The union of different software systems is a major element of Information and Communications Technology. The aim of this research is the integration of 3D virtual environments and intelligent software agents. This integration is based on the development of a virtual agent, a character that is controlled by a mind developed following a software agent approach. It is sought to provide the system with some intelligence level, taking the human brain function as a reference point. The consequence is that the agent captures environmental stimuli, processes them and creates reactive and deliberative behaviours that can be executed by the avatar. The findings emphasize the dynamism of the system as well as they encourage to research more in this field that has a lot of direct and real-life applications on the world. In conclusion, this research seeks and takes a new step in the progress of new technologies through a real integration of different software systems.

Monitorización y optimización de terapias de tele-neurorrehabilitación cognitiva

El Daño Cerebral Adquirido (DCA) se define como una lesión cerebral que ocurre después del nacimiento y que no guarda relación con defectos congénitos o enfermedades degenerativas. En el cerebro, se llevan a cabo las funciones mentales superiores como la atención, la memoria, las funciones ejecutivas y el lenguaje, consideradas pre-requisitos básicos de la inteligencia. Sea cual sea su causa, todo daño cerebral puede afectar a una o varias de estas funciones, de ahí la gravedad del problema. A pesar de los avances en nuevas técnicas de intervención precoz y el desarrollo de los cuidados intensivos, las afectaciones cerebrales aún no tienen tratamiento ni quirúrgico ni farmacológico que permita una restitución de las funciones perdidas. Los tratamientos de neurorrehabilitación cognitiva y funcional pretenden, por tanto, la minimización o compensación de las alteraciones ocasionadas por una lesión en el sistema nervioso. En concreto, la rehabilitación cognitiva se define como el proceso en el que personas que han sufrido un daño cerebral trabajan de manera conjunta con profesionales de la salud para remediar o aliviar los déficits cognitivos surgidos como consecuencia de un episodio neurológico. Esto se consigue gracias a la naturaleza plástica del sistema nervioso, donde el cerebro es capaz de reconfigurar sus conexiones neuronales, tanto creando nuevas como modificando las ya existentes. Durante los últimos años hemos visto una transformación de la sociedad, en lo que se ha denominado "sociedad de la información", cuyo pilar básico son las Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones (TIC). La aplicación de estas tecnologías en medicina ha revolucionado la manera en que se proveen los servicios sanitarios. Así, donde tecnología y medicina se mezclan, la telerrehabilitación se define como la rehabilitación a distancia, ayudando a extender los servicios de rehabilitación más allá de los centros hospitalarios, rompiendo las barreras geográficas, mejorando la eficiencia de los procesos y monitorizando en todo momento el estado y evolución del paciente. En este contexto, el objetivo general de la presente tesis es mejorar la rehabilitación neuropsicológica de pacientes que sufren alteraciones cognitivas, mediante el diseño, desarrollo y validación de un sistema de telemedicina que incorpora las TIC para avanzar hacia un nuevo paradigma personalizado, ubicuo y ecológico. Para conseguirlo, se han definido los siguientes objetivos específicos: • Analizar y modelar un sistema de telerrehabilitación, mediante la definición de objetivos y requisitos de usuario para diseñar las diferentes funcionalidades necesarias. • Definir una arquitectura de telerrehabilitación escalable para la prestación de diferentes servicios que agrupe las funcionalidades necesarias en módulos. • Diseñar y desarrollar la plataforma de telerrehabilitación, incluida la interfaz de usuario, creando diferentes roles de usuario con sus propias funcionalidades. • Desarrollar de un módulo de análisis de datos para extraer conocimiento basado en los resultados históricos de las sesiones de rehabilitación almacenadas en el sistema. • Evaluación de los resultados obtenidos por los pacientes después del programa de rehabilitación, obteniendo conclusiones sobre los beneficios del servicio implementado. • Evaluación técnica de la plataforma de telerrehabilitación, así como su usabilidad y la relación coste/beneficio. • Integración de un dispositivo de eye-tracking que permita la monitorización de la atención visual mientras los pacientes ejecutan tareas de neurorrehabilitación. •Diseño y desarrollo de un entorno de monitorización que permita obtener patrones de atención visual. Como resumen de los resultados obtenidos, se ha desarrollado y validado técnicamente la plataforma de telerrehabilitación cognitiva, demostrando la mejora en la eficiencia de los procesos, sin que esto resulte en una reducción de la eficacia del tratamiento. Además, se ha llevado a cabo una evaluación de la usabilidad del sistema, con muy buenos resultados. Respecto al módulo de análisis de datos, se ha diseñado y desarrollado un algoritmo que configura y planifica sesiones de rehabilitación para los pacientes, de manera automática, teniendo en cuenta las características específicas de cada paciente. Este algoritmo se ha denominado Intelligent Therapy Assistant (ITA). Los resultados obtenidos por el asistente muestran una mejora tanto en la eficiencia como en la eficacia de los procesos, comparado los resultados obtenidos con los de la planificación manual llevada a cabo por los terapeutas. Por último, se ha integrado con éxito el dispositivo de eye-tracking en la plataforma de telerrehabilitación, llevando a cabo una prueba con pacientes y sujetos control que ha demostrado la viabilidad técnica de la solución, así como la existencia de diferencias en los patrones de atención visual en pacientes con daño cerebral. ABSTRACT Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is defined as brain damage that suddenly and unexpectedly appears in people’s life, being the main cause of disability in developed countries. The brain is responsible of the higher cognitive functions such as attention, memory, executive functions or language, which are considered basic requirements of the intelligence. Whatever its cause is, every ABI may affects one or several functions, highlighting the severity of the problem. New techniques of early intervention and the development of intensive ABI care have noticeably improved the survival rate. However, despite these advances, brain injuries still have no surgical or pharmacological treatment to re-establish lost functions. Cognitive rehabilitation is defined as a process whereby people with brain injury work together with health service professionals and others to remediate or alleviate cognitive deficits arising from a neurological insult. This is achieved by taking advantage of the plastic nature of the nervous system, where the brain can reconfigure its connections, both creating new ones, and modifying the previously existing. Neuro-rehabilitation aims to optimize the plastic nature by inducing a reorganization of the neural network, based on specific experiences. Personalized interventions from individual impairment profile will be necessary to optimize the remaining resources by potentiating adaptive responses and inhibiting maladaptive changes. In the last years, some applications and software programs have been developed to train or stimulate cognitive functions of different neuropsychological disorders, such as ABI, Alzheimer, psychiatric disorders, attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The application of technologies into medicine has changed the paradigm. Telemedicine allows improving the quality of clinical services, providing better access to them and helping to break geographical barriers. Moreover, one of the main advantages of telemedicine is the possibility to extend the therapeutic processes beyond the hospital (e.g. patient's home). As a consequence, a reduction of unnecessary costs and a better costs/benefits ratio are achieved, making possible a more efficient use of the available resources In this context, the main objective of this work is to improve neuro-rehabilitation of patients suffering cognitive deficits, by designing, developing and validating a telemedicine system that incorporates ICTs to change this paradigm, making it more personalized, ubiquitous and ecologic. The following specific objectives have been defined: • To analyse and model a tele-rehabilitation system, defining objectives and user requirements to design the different needed functionalities. • To define a scalable tele-rehabilitation architecture to offer different services grouping functionalities into modules. • To design and develop the tele-rehabilitation platform, including the graphic user interface, creating different user roles and permissions. • To develop a data analysis module to extract knowledge based on the historic results from the rehabilitation sessions stored in the system. • To evaluate the obtained results by patients after the rehabilitation program, arising conclusions about the benefits of the implemented service. • To technically evaluate the tele-rehabilitation platform, and its usability and the costs/benefit ratio. • To integrate an eye-tracking device allowing the monitoring of the visual attention while patients execute rehabilitation tasks. •To design and develop a monitoring environment that allows to obtain visual attention patterns. Summarizing the obtained results, the cognitive tele-rehabilitation platform has been developed and evaluated technically, demonstrating the improvements on the efficiency without worsening the efficacy of the process. Besides, a usability evaluation has been carried out, with very good results. Regarding the data analysis module, an algorithm has been designed and developed to automatically select and configure rehabilitation sessions, taking into account the specific characteristics of each patient. This algorithm is called Intelligent Therapy Assistant (ITA). The obtained results show an improvement both in the efficiency and the efficacy of the process, comparing the results obtained by patients when they receive treatments scheduled manually by therapists. Finally, an eye-tracking device has been integrated in the tele-rehabilitation platform, carrying out a study with patients and control subjects demonstrating the technical viability of the developed monitoring environment. First results also show that there are differences between the visual attention patterns between ABI patients and control subjects.

Multi-UAV Coordination and Control Interface

The interest in missions with multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has increased significantly in last years. These missions take advantage of the use of fleets instead of single UAVs to ensure the success, reduce the duration or increase the goals of the mission. In addition, they allow performing tasks that require multiple agents and certain coordination (e.g. surveillance of large areas or transport of heavy loads). Nevertheless, these missions suppose a challenge in terms of control and monitoring. In fact, the workload of the operators rises with the utilization of multiple UAVs and payloads, since they have to analyze more information, make more decisions and generate more commands during the mission. This work addresses the operator workload problem in multi-UAV missions by reducing and selecting the information. Two approaches are considered: a first one that selects the information according to the mission state, and a second one that selects it according to the operator preferences. The result is an interface that is able to control the amount of information and show what is relevant for mission and operator at the time.

Msh2 status modulates both apoptosis and mutation frequency in the murine small intestine

Deficiency in genes involved in DNA mismatch repair increases susceptibility to cancer, particularly of the colorectal epithelium. Using Msh2 null mice, we demonstrate that this genetic defect renders normal intestinal epithelial cells susceptible to mutation in vivo at the Dlb-1 locus. Compared with wild-type mice, Msh2-deficient animals had higher basal levels of mutation and were more sensitive to the mutagenic effects of temozolomide. Experiments using Msh2-deficient cells in vitro suggest that an element of this effect is attributable to increased clonogenicity. Indeed, we show that Msh2 plays a role in the in vivo initiation of apoptosis after treatment with temozolomide, N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, and cisplatin. This was not influenced by the in vivo depletion of O6-alkylguanine-DNA-alkyltransferase after administration of O6-benzylguanine . By analyzing mice mutant for both Msh2 and p53, we found that the Msh2-dependent apoptotic response was primarily mediated through a p53-dependent pathway. Msh2 also was required to signal delayed p53-independent death. Taken together, these studies characterize an in vivo Msh2-dependent apoptotic response to methylating agents and raise the possibility that Msh2 deficiency may predispose to malignancy not only through failed repair of mismatch DNA lesions but also through the failure to engage apoptosis.

A DNA damage and stress inducible G protein-coupled receptor blocks cells in G2/M

Cell cycle progression is monitored by highly coordinated checkpoint machinery, which is activated to induce cell cycle arrest until defects like DNA damage are corrected. We have isolated an anti-proliferative cell cycle regulator named G2A (for G2 accumulation), which is predominantly expressed in immature T and B lymphocyte progenitors and is a member of the seven membrane-spanning G protein-coupled receptor family. G2A overexpression attenuates the transformation potential of BCR-ABL and other oncogenes, and leads to accumulation of cells at G2/M independently of p53 and c-Abl. G2A can be induced in lymphocytes and to a lesser extent in nonlymphocyte cell lines or tissues by multiple stimuli including different classes of DNA-damaging agents and serves as a response to damage and cellular stimulation which functions to slow cell cycle progression.

The human XRCC9 gene corrects chromosomal instability and mutagen sensitivities in CHO UV40 cells

The Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) mutant UV40 cell line is hypersensitive to UV and ionizing radiation, simple alkylating agents, and DNA cross-linking agents. The mutant cells also have a high level of spontaneous chromosomal aberrations and 3-fold elevated sister chromatid exchange. We cloned and sequenced a human cDNA, designated XRCC9, that partially corrected the hypersensitivity of UV40 to mitomycin C, cisplatin, ethyl methanesulfonate, UV, and γ-radiation. The spontaneous chromosomal aberrations in XRCC9 cDNA transformants were almost fully corrected whereas sister chromatid exchanges were unchanged. The XRCC9 genomic sequence was cloned and mapped to chromosome 9p13. The translated XRCC9 sequence of 622 amino acids has no similarity with known proteins. The 2.5-kb XRCC9 mRNA seen in the parental cells was undetectable in UV40 cells. The mRNA levels in testis were up to 10-fold higher compared with other human tissues and up to 100-fold higher compared with other baboon tissues. XRCC9 is a candidate tumor suppressor gene that might operate in a postreplication repair or a cell cycle checkpoint function.

UV-induced inhibition of transcription involves repression of transcription initiation and phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II

Cells from patients with Cockayne syndrome (CS) are hypersensitive to DNA-damaging agents and are unable to restore damage-inhibited RNA synthesis. On the basis of repair kinetics of different types of lesions in transcriptionally active genes, we hypothesized previously that impaired transcription in CS cells is a consequence of defective transcription initiation after DNA damage induction. Here, we investigated the effect of UV irradiation on transcription by using an in vitro transcription system that allowed uncoupling of initiation from elongation events. Nuclear extracts prepared from UV-irradiated or mock-treated normal human and CS cells were assayed for transcription activity on an undamaged β-globin template. Transcription activity in nuclear extracts closely mimicked kinetics of transcription in intact cells: extracts from normal cells prepared 1 h after UV exposure showed a strongly reduced activity, whereas transcription activity was fully restored in extracts prepared 6 h after treatment. Extracts from CS cells exhibited reduced transcription activity at any time after UV exposure. Reduced transcription activity in extracts coincided with a strong reduction of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) containing hypophosphorylated C-terminal domain, the form of RNAPII known to be recruited to the initiation complex. These results suggest that inhibition of transcription after UV irradiation is at least partially caused by repression of transcription initiation and not solely by blocked elongation at sites of lesions. Generation of hypophosphorylated RNAPII after DNA damage appears to play a crucial role in restoration of transcription. CS proteins may be required for this process in a yet unknown way.

Protective long-term antibody memory by antigen-driven and T help-dependent differentiation of long-lived memory B cells to short-lived plasma cells independent of secondary lymphoid organs

Memory is a hallmark of immunity. Memory carried by antibodies is largely responsible for protection against reinfection with most known acutely lethal infectious agents and is the basis for most clinically successful vaccines. However, the nature of long-term B cell and antibody memory is still unclear. B cell memory was studied here after infection of mice with the rabies-like cytopathic vesicular stomatitis virus, the noncytopathic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (Armstrong and WE), and after immunization with various inert viral antigens inducing naive B cells to differentiate either to plasma cells or memory B cells in germinal centers of secondary lymphoid organs. The results show that in contrast to very low background levels against internal viral antigens, no significant neutralizing antibody memory was observed in the absence of antigen and suggest that memory B cells (i) are long-lived in the absence of antigen, nondividing, and relatively resistant to irradiation, and (ii) must be stimulated by antigen to differentiate to short-lived antibody-secreting plasma cells, a process that is also efficient in the bone marrow and always depends on radiosensitive, specific T help. Therefore, for vaccines to induce long-term protective antibody titers, they need to repeatedly provide, or continuously maintain, antigen in minimal quantities over a prolonged time period in secondary lymphoid organs or the bone marrow for sufficient numbers of long-lived memory B cells to mature to short-lived plasma cells.

Apoptosis induced in Jurkat cells by several agents is preceded by intracellular acidification.

We have previously shown that in neutrophils deprived of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, apoptosis is preceded by acidification and that the protection against apoptosis conferred on neutrophils by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is dependent upon delay of this acidification. To test the hypothesis that acidification could be a general feature of apoptosis, we examined intracellular pH changes in another cell line. Jurkat cells, a T-lymphoblastoid line, were induced to undergo apoptosis with anti-Fas IgM, cycloheximide, or exposure to short-wavelength UV light. We found that acidification occurred in response to treatment with these agents and that acidification preceded DNA fragmentation. Jurkat cells were also found to possess an acid endonuclease that is active below pH 6.8, compatible with a possible role for this enzyme in chromatin digestion during apoptosis. Incubation of the cells with the bases imidazole or chloroquine during treatment with anti-Fas antibody or cycloheximide or after UV exposure decreased apoptosis as assessed by nuclear morphology and DNA content. The alkalinizing effect of imidazole and chloroquine was shown by the demonstration that the percentage of cells with an intracellular pH below 6.8 after treatment with anti-Fas antibody, cycloheximide, or UV was diminished in the presence of base as compared with similarly treated cells incubated in the absence of base. We conclude that acidification is an early event in programmed cell death and may be essential for genome destruction.

Fadiga cíclica flexural de instrumentos Hyflex CM e TF Adaptive em diferentes situações experimentais

O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a resistência à fadiga cíclica flexural dos instrumentos de níquel- titânio, Hyflex CM (Coltène, EUA) e TF Adaptive (SybronEndo, EUA) em diferentes situações experimentais. Todas as limas que foram selecionadas possuíam conicidade 0,04 e diâmetro de ponta 35. Utilizou-se um dispositivo desenvolvido especificamente para realizar o ensaio flexural dinâmico. Os instrumentos TF Adaptive foram divididos em 3 grupos de acordo com o ângulo de curvatura do ensaio: 45º, 60º e 90º e cada grupo subdividido em 2 subgrupos de acordo com o tipo de movimento: rotação contínua e Adaptive. Cada subgrupo era composto por 15 instrumentos TF Adaptive, totalizando 90 instrumentos. Quinze instrumentos Hyflex CM formavam o grupo 4, no ensaio com ângulo de curvatura 90 graus e rotação contínua. A simulação foi realizada em canais artificiais de aço com ângulo de 45, 60, 90 graus e raio 5m m. O número de ciclos e o tempo em segundos até a fratura foram tabulados e analisados. Entretanto, a fadiga cíclica flexural foi significante maior nos três grupos em movimento Adaptive. E as limas TF Adaptive em seu próprio movimento tiveram maior número de ciclos e tempo até a fratura quando comparadas as Hyflex CM no ensaio de 90 graus. Portanto, conclui-se que o sistema Adaptive (limas TF Adaptive + movimento Adaptive) foi mais seguro à resistência á fadiga flexural, e no ensaio de 90 graus o sistema Adaptive foi mais resistente quando comparado com as limas Hyflex CM no movimento de rotação contínua.

Question answering and multi-search engines in geo-temporal information retrieval

In this paper we present a complete system for the treatment of both geographical and temporal dimensions in text and its application to information retrieval. This system has been evaluated in both the GeoTime task of the 8th and 9th NTCIR workshop in the years 2010 and 2011 respectively, making it possible to compare the system to contemporary approaches to the topic. In order to participate in this task we have added the temporal dimension to our GIR system. The system proposed here has a modular architecture in order to add or modify features. In the development of this system, we have followed a QA-based approach as well as multi-search engines to improve the system performance.

Endophytic colonization of barley (Hordeum vulgare) roots by the nematophagous fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia reveals plant growth promotion and a general defense and stress transcriptomic response

Plant crop yields are negatively conditioned by a large set of biotic and abiotic factors. An alternative to mitigate these adverse effects is the use of fungal biological control agents and endophytes. The egg-parasitic fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia has been traditionally studied because of its potential as a biological control agent of plant-parasitic nematodes. This fungus can also act as an endophyte in monocot and dicot plants, and has been shown to promote plant growth in different agronomic crops. An Affymetrix 22K Barley GeneChip was used in this work to analyze the barley root transcriptomic response to P. chlamydosporia root colonization. Functional gene ontology (GO) and gene set enrichment analyses showed that genes involved in stress response were enriched in the barley transcriptome under endophytism. An 87.5 % of the probesets identified within the abiotic stress response group encoded heat shock proteins. Additionally, we found in our transcriptomic analysis an up-regulation of genes implicated in the biosynthesis of plant hormones, such as auxin, ethylene and jasmonic acid. Along with these, we detected induction of brassinosteroid insensitive 1-associated receptor kinase 1 (BR1) and other genes related to effector-triggered immunity (ETI) and pattern-triggered immunity (PTI). Our study supports at the molecular level the growth-promoting effect observed in plants endophytically colonized by P. chlamydosporia, which opens the door to further studies addressing the capacity of this fungus to mitigate the negative effects of biotic and abiotic factors on plant crops.