Search

The rapid advances of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) have marked a milestone in the Natural Language Processing (NLP) field. Specifically, Transformer models have revolutionized the state-of-the-art due to their great effectiveness and efficiency in several tasks, both general and specific. Thus, this work explores the Transformer architecture and its application to Large Language Models (LLMs) through Parameter-Efficient Fine Tunning (PEFT) techniques, aiming to create a conversational model for mental health counseling. The study provides a detailed explanation of the architecture, including its theoretical and mathematical foundations. The fine-tuning process uses a novel state-ofthe-art technique known as Low Rank Adapters (LoRA). Subsequently, the performance is evaluated by comparing the original with the fine-tuned model to verify the adaptation performance. Some conclusions are extracted at the end of the document, highlighting the most important advantages and disadvantages of the applied methodology., Los rápidos avances en Inteligencia Artificial (IA) generativa ha supuesto un hito en el campo del Procesamiento del Lenguaje Natural (PLN). Concretamente, los modelos Transformer han revolucionado el estado del arte a través de su gran eficacia y eficiencia en gran variedad de tareas, tanto generales como específicas. Así, este trabajo explora la arquitectura Transformador y su aplicación a Modelos del Lenguaje Grandes (MLG) a través de técnicas de sobre-entrenamiento, para crear una herramienta que sirva para asesorar y aconsejar en el ámbito de la salud mental. El estudio explica detalladamente la arquitectura, incluyendo los fundamentos teóricos y matemáticos. El proceso de sobreentrenamiento hace uso de una técnica novedosa en el estado del arte, conocida como LoRA (Low Rank Adapters). Posteriormente, se evalúa el rendimiento de este modelo con respecto al original, comprobando la efectividad de la adaptación. Algunas conclusiones son extraídas al final del documento, destacando las ventajas e inconvenientes de la metodología aplicada, así como futuras posibles líneas de investigación del proyecto.

The novel process reported here described the manufacture of monolithic molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) using a terminally functionalized block copolymer as the imprinting template and pore-forming agent. The MIPs were prepared through a step-growth polymerization process using a melamine-formaldehyde precondensate in a biphasic solvent system. Despite having a relatively low imprinting factor, the use of MIP monolith in liquid chromatography demonstrated the ability to selectively target desired analytes. An MIP capillary column was able to separate monophosphorylated peptides from a tryptic digest of bovine serum albumin. Multivariate data analysis and modeling of the phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated peptide retention times revealed that the number of phosphorylations was the strongest retention contributor for peptide retention on the monolithic MIP capillary column.

Experiment performed in the lab, following details described in the publication: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2023.105259; http://hdl.handle.net/10261/333898

The pathogen Botrytis cinerea (Helotiales: Sclerotiniaceae) is a wound necrotrophic fungus that causes significant losses in fruits and vegetables worldwide. The entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) symbiotic bacteria, Xenorhabdus spp. and Photorhabdus spp., are well-known associated biological control agents that produce a diverse range of natural antifungal compounds. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of different control strategies against B. cinerea using: (i) EPN symbiotic bacterial cell-free supernatants, (ii) unfiltered ferments and (iii) crude bacteria isolates. The antifungal efficacy of X. bovienii, X. nematophila, X. kozodoii and P. laumondii subsp. laumondii cell-free supernatants obtained after the bacterial fermentations were tested in vitro at two different concentrations (10% and 20%). Furthermore, the antifungal effect of X. nematophila and P. laumondii unfiltered ferments were tested in vitro, and their dissuasive effect was also tested over tomato leaves. Finally, the antifungal capacity of the crude X. nematophila and P. laumondii isolate was tested comparing their effect with the fungicide effect of the commercial Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (Serenade® ASO fungicide). The results showed that employing the bacterial cell-free supernatants or the unfiltered ferments could have different antifungal efficacy against this pathogen. Applying X. nematophila cell-free supernatant and unfiltered ferments at 20% concentration resulted in the highest inhibition effect compared with the control (distilled water), 82% and 100%, respectively. Furthermore, P. laumondii-isolate can control the growth of Botrytis in in vitro conditions, showing no significant differences with the efficacy of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in a four-day experiment. Overall, this study builds on a better understanding of the effects of these novel biocontrol agents against B. cinerea and helps to develop an innovative formulation of these bacterial products as an efficient biocontro

Post-harvest fruit and vegetable rot produced by Botrytis cinerea (Helotiales: Sclerotiniaceae) causes significant reductions in food availability and drastically increases economic losses. The use of microbial-based tools for pathogen management holds promise. In particular, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by microbes (e.g., bacterial compounds) are becoming increasingly more frequent as an alternative to chemical and physical treatments. In this study, we performed three laboratory experiments to investigate the effects of VOCs emitted by two gram-negative entomopathogenic bacteria, Xenorhabdus nematophila, and Photorhabdus laumondii subsp. laumondii, on the infection and growth of the pathogenic mold B. cinerea on post-harvest red grapes and tomatoes. In addition, we evaluated the preventive effects of these bacterial VOCs against pathogens in post-harvest wounded and intact grapes. Overall, VOCs emitted by X. nematophila and P. laumondii limited the lesion area of B. cinerea to 0.5% and 2.2%, respectively, on the grapes. Similarly, VOCs emitted by X. nematophila and P. laumondii limited the lesion area of B. cinerea to 0.5% and 0.02%, respectively, in tomatoes. In addition, the emission of VOCs by both bacteria showed strong preventive fungal effects. In particular, VOCs emitted by P. laumondii reduced to 13% B. cinerea incidence in damaged grapes exposed to VOCs. Moreover, intact grapes exposed to VOCs emitted by X. nematophila and P. laumondii decreased B. cinerea incidence by 33%. This study provides insightful information about a potential novel bacteria-based tool that can be used as an alternative in the integrated control of post-harvest diseases.

Experiment performed in the lab, following details described in the publication https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-023-10212-7

Experiment performed in the lab, following details described in the publication: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2023.106392. http://hdl.handle.net/10261/334329

Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a crucial grapevine pest worldwide. Expanding the available biocontrol agents can provide new management strategies compatible with organic viticulture. Entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) potential as a biocontrol agent was demonstrated against various developmental stages of L. botrana. For its field application, we hypothesised that by selecting the best combination of EPN-adjuvant and identifying the best area/timing for their application, we will secure their effective implementation against L. botrana. The aim of this study was to determine the best ecological scenarios for their use against L. botrana. We investigate three EPN species naturally occurring in Riojan vineyards: Steinernema feltiae, S. carpocapsae, and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. We evaluated (i) EPN viability, infectivity, and adherence on leaves combined with adjuvants (Multi-Us, Maximix, Dash HC, Nu-Film-17, and Adrex), (ii) EPN biocontrol against L. botrana larva on leaves and grapes and damage reduction, and (iii) EPN efficacy against L. botrana at 22°, 15°, and 10 °C. Overall, all the adjuvants were compatible with the EPN, except Adrex with Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. Compared with the no application, EPNs (steinernematids) alone or with Maximix increased L. botrana L3 mortality on grapes and leaves, thereby reducing the damage. Pupal mortality caused by steinernematids EPN (alone or with Maximix) decreased with temperature, from ∼60% at 22 °C to <30% at 10 °C. Overall, steinernematids EPN (alone or with Maximix) applied against L. botrana on leaves, grapes, or trunks reduced the damage and increased insect mortality. This study suggests the best-case scenario for the application of EPNs is at sunset during late spring/early autumn at mid-temperatures (22 °C-15 °C). Further field validation is necessary for their full implementation.

The grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a critical pest for vineyards and causes significant economic losses in wine-growing areas worldwide. Identifying and developing novel semiochemical cues (e.g. volatile bacterial compounds) which modify the ovipositional and trophic behaviour of L. botrana in vineyard fields could be a novel control alternative in viticulture. Xenorhabdus spp. and Photorhabdus spp. are becoming one of the best-studied bacterial species due to their potential interest in producing toxins and deterrent factors. In this study, we investigated the effect of the deterrent compounds produced by Xenorhabdus nematophila and Photorhabdus laumondii on the ovipositional moth behaviour and the larval feeding preference of L. botrana. Along with the in-vitro bioassays performed, we screened the potential use of 3 d cell-free bacterial supernatants and 3 and 5 d unfiltered bacterial ferments. In addition, we tested two application systems: (i) contact application of the bacterial compounds and (ii) volatile bacterial compounds application. Our findings indicate that the deterrent effectiveness varied with bacterial species, the use of bacterial cell-free supernatants or unfiltered fermentation product, and the culture times. Grapes soaked in the 3 d X. nematophila and P. laumondii ferments had ∼ 55% and ∼ 95% fewer eggs laid than the control, respectively. Likewise, the volatile compounds emitted by the 5 d P. laumondii fermentations resulted in ∼ 100% avoidance of L. botrana ovipositional activity for three days. Furthermore, both bacterial fermentation products have larval feeding deterrent effects (∼65% of the larva chose the control grapes), and they significantly reduced the severity of damage caused by third instar larva in treated grapes. This study provides insightful information about a novel bacteria-based tool which can be used as an eco-friendly and economical alternative in both organic and integrated control of L. bo

Experiment performed in the lab, following details described in the publication: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2023.107911; http://hdl.handle.net/10261/304637

Ensuring global food security requires innovative tools for crop pest/diseases management. Beneficial microorganisms can protect plants from pests, enhancing disease resistance, and abiotic stress tolerance. Entomopathogenic bacteria are beneficial microorganisms with an obligate or facultative action against arthropods. Entomopathogenic bacteria perform on different host ranges and are well-known biological control agents. Their direct agricultural application requires a fine-tuned adjustment for several biotic and abiotic factors and a more profound knowledge of their infective mechanisms. The search for new natural products generated by entomopathogenic bacteria is an alternative for producing new antibiotic compounds with the potential for plant protection. The discovery and characterization of these new natural products can significantly contribute to advances in novel biotools that can cope with the urgent need for alternatives for farmers. This chapter summarizes the forefront research in these new areas and discusses the array of agricultural crop benefits and potential scopes produced by Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus entomopathogenic bacteria.

CRUE-CSIC (Acuerdos Transformativos 2022), In this work we show that, given a linear map from a general operator space into the dual of a C∗ -algebra, its completely bounded norm is upper bounded by a universal constant times its (1, cb)-summing norm. This problem is motivated by the study of quantum XOR games in the field of quantum information theory. In particular, our results imply that for such games entangled strategies cannot be arbitrarily better than those strategies using one-way classical communication., Unión Europea, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Comunidad de Madrid, National Science Foundation, Depto. de Análisis Matemático y Matemática Aplicada, Instituto de Ciencias Matemáticas (ICMAT), Fac. de Ciencias Matemáticas, TRUE, pub

The entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are biological control agents that are widespread in crop soils. However, traditional agricultural management practices such as cultivation and agrochemical usage can alter the soil balance that enables their occurrence and activity. Alternative strategies like mulching are commonly employed to prevent weed growth, enhance below-ground biodiversity by improving soil, organic matter content, fertility, and moisture. We hypothesized that organic mulches would favor biotic conditions for nematofauna development in crop soil, including EPNs, compared to herbicide application or tillage. Traditional (insect baits) and molecular (qPCR analysis) tools were used in this study to assess the abundance and activity of native EPNs, and the abundance of potential natural enemies, such as free-living nematode (FLN) competitors, nematophagous fungi (NF), and ectoparasitic bacteria, in soils managed with different organic mulches or traditional practices. As a model agroecosystem, we selected the vineyard, one of the most intensively managed crop systems. We compared mulches of grape pruning debris (GPD-M), straw (Str-M), and spent mushroom compost (SMC-M) in two commercial vineyards, which employed either integrated or organic pest and disease management. Following a completely randomized design, we retrieved two composite samples per plot (n = 3 per treatment in each vineyard) in April, June, and October 2020. Numbers of EPNs and selected members of their soil food web were higher in the organic than the integrated managed vineyard. Supporting our hypothesis, organic mulching overall favored nematode occurrence in both vineyards. We found higher NF abundance for Str-M, and GPD-M in the organic vineyard, which plausibly explained the lower EPN activity and occurrence compared to SMC-M in both vineyards. We conclude that the organic mulches can provide appropriate conditions for increasing nematofauna numbers but, depending on the mulch type, m

Experiment performed in the lab, following details described in the publication: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2021.107620 / http://hdl.handle.net/10261/261936

Experiment performed in the lab, following details described in the publication (http://hdl.handle.net/10261/240920 / https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12050448)

The data were generated by the authors in independent experiments, all performed in the same conditions and installations. All the experiments were performed twice and the data corresponding with trials 1 and 2 of the same set was compared to allow combination in the statistical analysis. Each trial was performed with new and fresh nematodes and insects, Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) are excellent biocontrol agents against various insect pests. Novel biotechnological approaches can enhance their utility against insects above-ground, opening a new venue for selecting superior EPN against certain insects. We hypothesize that different populations of the same species but from different origins (habitat, ecoregion) will differ in their virulence. This study aimed to evaluate the virulence of various EPN populations against two pests of worldwide incidence and damage to high value crops: Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). We tested 10 EPN populations belonging to three EPN species: Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Koppert, MG-618b, AM-203, RM-102), Steinernema feltiae (Koppert, RS-5, AM-25, RM-107), and Steinernema carpocapsae (Koppert, MG-596a). Each EPN population was tested at two concentrations. Frankliniella occidentalis was tested at 160 and 80 IJs/cm2 and T. absoluta at 21 and 4 IJs/cm2. Control treatments followed the same experimental procedure but only adding distilled water. Overall, whenever different, higher IJs concentration resulted in lower adult emergence, higher larval mortality, and shorter time to kill the insects. Considering the low concentration, S. feltiae provided the best results for both insects and instars investigated, while H. bacteriophora and S. carpocapsae required a high concentration to reach similar or slightly better results. Differences among populations of each of the species were detected, but only the native populations of H. bacteriophora populations showed consistently higher control values against both insects/instar compared with the commercial one. Differences among S. feltiae and S. carpocapsae populations depended on the IJs concentration, insect, and instar. We consider S. feltiae a very promising species for their application against F. occidentalis and T. absoluta, with the Koppert population as the most co

Vineyards and their associated socio-economic activities are relevant sectors worldwide. Still, this agroecosystem is one of the most intensely managed crops and erosion-prone land areas. The conventional viticulture practices to control pests, diseases, and weeds, like tillage and agrochemical applications, accelerate the loss of soil biodiversity and compromise the presence of beneficial soil organisms such as the entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs). Such human disturbances in the agroecosystems can strongly affect abiotic (e.g., soil texture and properties) and biotic factors (natural enemies and potential competitors) that modulate the EPN activity as biological control agents. For the first time in viticulture, this study aimed to investigate the impact of differentiating management on the EPN community and associated soil organisms and if their assemblage will provide indicators of better practices for sustainable farming. We hypothesized that organic pest management and alternative strategies to tillage might enhance the abundance and activity of the native EPN community in vineyard soils. In autumn 2019, we collected two composite soil samples from 80 vineyards distributed across the Guaranteed Designation of Origin (denominated DOCa) Rioja region. The sites belonged to one category of each of the two factors: pest management (integrated vs. organic, 40 plots each) and soil managing (tillage vs. cover cropping, 48 and 32 vineyards, respectively). Isolated through sucrose-gradient centrifugation and employing species-specific primers/probe qPCR sets, we investigated the presence of ten EPN species and associated soil organisms: four free-living nematodes (FLNs), six nematophagous fungi (NF), and two ectoparasitic bacteria (EcPB). Besides, we estimated the EPN activity using the traditional insect-bait method. We included in the analysis twenty soil variables to characterize the evaluated treatments and assess their impact on soil organism distribution. Our resu