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How the multiple facets of soil fungal diversity vary worldwide remains virtually unknown, hindering the management of this essential species-rich group. By sequencing high-resolution DNA markers in over 4000 topsoil samples from natural and human-altered ecosystems across all continents, we illustrate the distributions and drivers of different levels of taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of fungi and their ecological groups. We show the impact of precipitation and temperature interactions on local fungal species richness (alpha diversity) across different climates. Our findings reveal how temperature drives fungal compositional turnover (beta diversity) and phylogenetic diversity, linking them with regional species richness (gamma diversity). We integrate fungi into the principles of global biodiversity distribution and present detailed maps for biodiversity conservation and modeling of global ecological processes.

Spray drying is a well-known operation to formulate food powders. Usually, the dryer performance is evaluated through trial and error given the complexity of transport phenomena. Regarding the microencapsulation of functional chia oil by spray drying, the main contribution of this study was to compare the accuracy of fundamental models for predicting the values of process variables (drying-air outlet temperature, Toutlet and feed flow rate, Vfeed) and powder properties (size, d32 and moisture content, H), under a wide range of drying conditions at laboratory (Büchi B-290) and pilot scales (Niro Production Minor). First, the coarse-scale approach modeled the dryer's chamber as a well-mixed reactor. The experimental values for Toutlet were: 72–109 °C (laboratory scale) and 75, 90 °C (pilot scale); moreover, the experimental Vfeed values were in the following ranges: 2.8 and 5.6 mL.min−1 (laboratory scale) and 59–197 mL.min−1 (pilot scale). With the coarse-scale approach, absolute average deviations (AAD) below 7% between experimental and calculated values were observed for Toutlet and Vfeed. However, large prediction errors (>10%) were observed for H, for which the experimental values were in the range of 2.4–4.5% for both scales. On the contrary, the finer-scale approach consisted of a plug-flow model, with incorporated drying kinetics and spray droplet sizes. This model could accurately predict Toutlet, H and d32, with AAD values below 10%. Both simulation and experiments are useful tools not only for spray drying optimization, but also for improving the oxidative stability of microencapsulated oils by target-oriented design.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a multisystemic and multicellular pathology that is generally associated with high levels of atherogenic lipoproteins in circulation. These lipoproteins tend to be retained and modified, for example, aggregated low-density lipoprotein (aggLDL), in the extracellular matrix of different tissues, such as the vascular wall and heart. The uptake of aggLDL generates a significant increase in cholesteryl ester (CE) in these tissues. We previously found that the accumulation of CE generates alterations in the insulin response in the heart. Although the insulin response is mainly associated with the uptake and metabolism of glucose, other studies have shown that insulin would fulfill functions in this tissue, such as regulating the calcium cycle and cardiac contractility. Here, we found that aggLDL induced-lipid accumulation altered the gene expression profile involved in processes essential for cardiac functionality, including insulin response and glucose uptake (Insr, Ins1, Pik3ip1, Slc2a4 gene expression), calcium cycle (Cacna1s and Gjc2 gene expression) and calcium-dependent cardiac contractility (Myh3), and cholesterol efflux (Abca1), in HL-1 cardiomyocytes. These observations were recapitulated using an in vivo model of hypercholesterolemic ApoE-KO mice. Altogether, these results may explain the deleterious effect of lipid accumulation in the myocardium, with important implications for lipid-overloaded associated CVD, including impaired insulin response, disrupted lipid metabolism, altered cardiac structure, and increased susceptibility to cardiovascular events.

Invasive plants displaying disparate pollination environments and abiotic conditions in native and non-native ranges provide ideal systems to test the role of different ecological factors driving flower colour variation. We quantified corolla reflectance of the ornithophilous South American Nicotiana glauca in native populations, where plants are pollinated by hummingbirds, and in populations from two invaded regions: South Africa, where plants are pollinated by sunbirds, and the Balearic island of Mallorca, where plants reproduce by selfing. Using visual modelling we examined how corolla reflectance could be perceived by floral visitors present in each region. Through Mantel tests we assessed a possible association between flower colour and different abiotic factors. Corolla reflectance variation (mainly along medium to long wavelengths, i.e. human green-yellow to red colours) was greater among studied regions than within them. Flower colour was more similar between South America and South Africa, which share birds as pollinators. Within invaded regions, corolla reflectance variation was lower in South Africa, where populations could not be distinguished from each other by sunbirds, than in Spain, where populations could be distinguished from each other by their occasional visitors. Differences in corolla colour among populations were partially associated with differences in temperature. Our findings suggest that shifts in flower colour of N. glauca across native and invaded ranges could be shaped by changes in both pollination environment and climatic factors. This is the first study on plant invasions considering visual perception of different pollinators and abiotic drivers of flower colour variation.

Several important properties of rotation-powered millisecond pulsars (MSPs), such as their mass-radius ratio, equation of state and magnetic field topology, can be inferred from precise observations and modelling of their X-ray light curves. In the present study, we model the thermal X-ray signals originated in MSPs, all the way from numerically solving the surrounding magnetospheres up to the ray tracing of the emitted photons and the final computation of their light curves and spectra. The magnetosphere is solved by performing general relativistic force-free simulations of a rotating neutron star (NS) endowed with a simple centred dipolar magnetic field, for many different stellar compactness and pulsar misalignments. From these solutions, we derive an emissivity map over the surface of the star, based on the electric currents in the magnetosphere. In particular, the emission regions (ERs) are determined in this model by spacelike four-currents that reach the NS. We show that this assumption, together with the inclusion of the gravitational curvature on the force-free simulations, lead to non-standard ERs facing the closed-zone of the pulsar, in addition to other ERs within the polar caps. The combined X-ray signals from these two kinds of ERs (both antipodal) allow to approximate the non-trivial interpulses found in several MSPs light curves. Our modelled X-ray signals are compared against very accurate NICER observations of four target pulsars: PSR J043-4715, PSR J1231-1411, PSR J2124-3358, and PSR J0030 + 0451; achieving very good simultaneous fits for their light curves and spectral distributions.

[ES] La vertiente oriental de las Cumbres Calchaquíes, en la provincia de Tucumán, es un área donde se expandieron amplias y complejas ocupaciones humanas que dieron forma a paisajes aldeanos tempranos. Su estudio arqueológico se ha caracterizado por un heterogéneo conocimiento de distintas localidades. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de investigaciones realizadas por nuestro equipo desde el año 2014, abordando en clave comparativa las configuraciones materiales de la cuenca de Anfama y el valle de La Ciénega, datadas entre los siglos I y VII d.C. El objetivo principal es realizar una síntesis de las investigaciones llevadas a cabo hasta el momento y definir similitudes y particularidades en las maneras de habitar que desarrollaron las poblaciones de los sectores estudiados. Principalmente se analizan tres ejes articuladores: características generales de los paisajes, estructuración de los espacios domésticos y temporalidad., [EN] The eastern slopes of the Cumbres Calchaquíes, in the province of Tucumán, is an area where large and complex human occupations have expanded rising early villager landscapes. Their archaeological research has been characterized by a heterogeneous knowledge of different localities. This paper presents the results of research carried out by our team since 2014, addressing in comparative key the material configurations of the Anfama basin and the valley of La Ciénega, dating between the 1st and 7th century A.D. The main objective is to synthesize the researches carried out so far, in order to determine similarities and particularities of the ways of living developed by the populations of the studied sectors. We mainly address three articulating axes: general characteristics of the landscapes, structuring of domestic spaces, and temporality.

Achieving versatile routes to generate crystalline carbon-based nanostructures has become a fervent pursuit in photocatalysis-related fields. We demonstrate that the direct electrooxidation of ethanol, performed on Ni foam, yields ultra-small and highly crystalline graphene-like structures named carbon quantum dots (CQDs). We perform simulations of various sp2 and sp3 domains in order to understand the optical properties of CQDs by accounting their contribution as absorbance/luminescent centers in the overall optical response. Experiments and simulations reveal that absorbance bands for as-synthesized CQDs are dominated by small sp2 domains comprised of ≤7 aromatic-rings. After 48 h synthesis, the dispersion transition from yellow to red, exhibiting new and red shifted absorbance bands. Furthermore, fluorescence emission is governed by medium-sized sp2 domains (with aromatic ring counts ≤12) and oxygen-containing groups. These oxygen-rich groups within the CQDs, confirmed by FT-IR and XPS, are responsible for the fast photodegradation of organic dyes, with ∼90% of methylene blue (MB) being degraded within the first 5 min of light exposure. Our work provides crucial insights about the electrochemical synthesis and overall optical properties of carbon nanostructures, while being effective and reliable toward the degradation of contaminants in water.

Shape estimates that quantifying the halo anisotropic mass distribution are valuable parameters that provide information on their assembly process and evolution. Measurements of the mean shape estimates for a sample of cluster-sized haloes can be used to test halo formation scenarios, as well as improving the modelling of potential biases in constraining cosmological parameters using these systems. In this work, we test the recovery of halo cluster shapes and masses applying weak-lensing stacking techniques. To this end, we use lensing shear and a new dark-matter halo catalogue, derived from the light-cone output of the cosmological simulation MICE-GC. We perform this study by combining the lensing signals obtained for several samples of haloes, selected according to their mass and redshift, taking into account the main directions of the dark-matter distributions. In the analysis, we test the impact of several potential introduced systematics, such as the adopted modelling, the contribution of the neighbouring mass distribution, miscentring, and misalignment effects. Our results show that when some considerations regarding the halo relaxation state are taken into account, the lensing semi-axial ratio estimates are in agreement within a 5 per cent with the mean shapes of the projected dark-matter particle distribution of the stacked haloes. The presented methodology provides a useful tool to derive reliable shapes of galaxy clusters and to contrast them with those expected from numerical simulations. Furthermore, our proposed modelling, that takes into account the contribution of neighbouring haloes, allows to constraint the elongation of the surrounding mass distribution.

For many decades to date, neuroendocrinologists have delved into the key contribution of gonadal hormones to the generation of sex differences in the developing brain and the expression of sex-specific physiological and behavioral phenotypes in adulthood. However, it was not until recent years that the role of sex chromosomes in the matter started to be seriously explored and unveiled beyond gonadal determination. Now we know that the divergent evolutionary process suffered by X and Y chromosomes has determined that they now encode mostly dissimilar genetic information and are subject to different epigenetic regulations, characteristics that together contribute to generate sex differences between XX and XY cells/individuals from the zygote throughout life. Here we will review and discuss relevant data showing how particular X- and Y-linked genes and epigenetic mechanisms controlling their expression and inheritance are involved, along with or independently of gonadal hormones, in the generation of sex differences in the brain.

Argentina es un país productor agrícola cuya economía primaria se basa en cultivos de cereales y oleaginosas. La aplicación creciente de plaguicidas, particularmente asociados a cultivos extensivos, ha despertado la preocupación de la opinión pública, debido a que su uso puede generar problemas de salud pública. El principal motivo de conflicto entre vecinos de localidades agrícolas, productores y autoridades locales, es la preocupación por las potenciales consecuencias sobre la salud y el ambiente derivadas de las pulverizaciones con plaguicidas. Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron caracterizar la percepción de la población y actores claves de la localidad de Monte Buey, Provincia de Córdoba, durante el período 2014-2016, acerca de sitios y actividades que generan potencial exposición ambiental a plaguicidas de uso agrícola, y analizar estas percepciones a la luz de las normativas existentes en materia de protección ambiental y de salud de la población. Se llevó a cabo un estudio descriptivo de triangulación metodológica cuali-cuantitativa, adoptando un diseño principalmente cuantitativo que comienza con un estudio cualitativo. La información provista por informantes claves y el análisis de los registros municipales de denuncias fueron coincidentes respecto a las fuentes de exposición poblacional a plaguicidas. Los sitios de exposición ambiental a plaguicidas identificados en este trabajo, desde diferentes fuentes y actores, muestra un estrecho entramado de espacios de prácticas productivas con espacios de la vida cotidiana. Ello pone en evidencia que esta localidad, paradigmática de la situación de la zona agrícola núcleo de la Pampa Húmeda, está directamente implicada en el modelo productivo, y así sus habitantes., Argentina is an agricultural producing country whose primary economy is based on cereal and oilseed crops. The growing application of pesticides, particularly those associated with extensive crops, has raised public concern because their use can create public health problems. The main reason for conflict among residents of farming communities, producers, and local authorities is the concern about the potential consequences on human health and the environment of pesticide spraying. The objectives of this study were to characterize the perception of the population and key actors of the town of Monte Buey, Córdoba Province, during the 2014-2016 period of the sites and activities that lead to potential environmental exposure to agricultural pesticides and to analyze these notions in the light of existing regulations on environmental protection and population health. A descriptive study of qualitative-quantitative methodological triangulation, according to a mostly quantitative design starting with a qualitative study, was carried out. The information provided by key informants and the analysis of the municipal complaint records coincided regarding the sources of population exposure to pesticides. The sites of environmental exposure to pesticides identified in this study thanks to different sources and actors reveal there is a tight network of spaces where production practices take place and spaces where daily life goes on. This goes to show that this town—which is paradigmatic of the situation of the core agricultural area of the Humid Pampa—is directly involved in the production model, and hence its inhabitants., A Argentina é um país produtor agrícola cuja economia primária se baseia no cultivo de cereais e oleaginosas. A crescente aplicação de pesticidas, particularmente associada à agricultura extensiva, suscita preocupação na opinião pública, dado que o seu uso pode causar prolemas de saúde pública. A principal razão do conflito entre vizinhos de localidades agrícolas, produtores e autoridades locais é a preocupação com as possíveis consequências para a saúde e o ambiente derivadas de pulverizações de pesticidas. Os objetivos deste trabalho são caracterizar a perceção da população e dos principais atores da cidade de Monte Buey, na província de Córdoba, no período 2014-2016, sobre locais e atividades que geram potencial exposição ambiental a pesticidas para uso agrícola e analisar essas perceções à luz da regulamentação existente sobre proteção ambiental e saúde pública. Realizou-se um estudo descritivo de triangulação metodológica qualiquantitativa, adotando um desenho principalmente quantitativo que começa com um estudo qualitativo. A informação fornecida pelos informadores-chave e a análise dos registros municipais de queixas foram coincidentes quanto às fontes de exposição da população a pesticidas. Os locais de exposição ambiental a pesticidas identificados neste trabalho, através de diferentes fontes e atores, mostram uma rede estreita de espaços de práticas produtivas com espaços da vida cotidiana. Este facto coloca em evidência que esta localidade, paradigmática da situação da área agrícola da Pampa Húmida, está diretamente envolvida no modelo produtivo e, portanto, também os seus habitantes.

[EN] The attainment of transition-metal catalysis and photoredox catalysis has represented a great challenge over the last years. Herein, we have been able to merge both catalytic processes into what we have called "the light-triggered CuAAC reaction". Particularly, the CuAAC reaction reveals opposite outcomes depending on the nature of the photocatalyst (eosin Y disodium salt and riboflavin tetraacetate) and additives (DABCO, Et3N, and NaN3) employed. To get a better insight into the operating processes, steady-state, time-resolved emission, and laser flash photolysis experiments have been performed to determine reactivity and kinetic data. These results, in agreement with thermodynamic estimations based on reported data, support the proposed mechanisms. While for eosin Y (EY), Cu(II) was reduced by its triplet excited state; for riboflavin tetraacetate (RFTA), mainly triplet excited RFTA state photoreductions by electron donors as additives are mandatory, affording RFTA¿- (from DABCO and NaN3) or RFTAH¿ (from Et3N). Subsequently, these species are responsible for the reduction of Cu(II). For both photocatalysts, photogenerated Cu(I) finally renders 1,2,3-triazole as the final product. The determined kinetic rate constants allowed postulating plausible mechanisms in both cases, bringing to light the importance of kinetic studies to achieve a strong understanding of photoredox processes.

The inverted triangle shape of South America places Argentina territory as a geographical crossroads between the two principal peopling streams that followed either the Pacific or the Atlantic coasts, which could have then merged in Central Argentina (CA). Although the genetic diversity from this region is therefore crucial to decipher past population movements in South America, its characterization has been overlooked so far. We report 92 modern and 22 ancient mitogenomes spanning a temporal range of 5000 years, which were compared with a large set of previously reported data. Leveraging this dataset representative of the mitochondrial diversity of the subcontinent, we investigate the maternal history of CA populations within a wider geographical context. We describe a large number of novel clades within the mitochondrial DNA tree, thus providing new phylogenetic interpretations for South America. We also identify several local clades of great temporal depth with continuity until the present time, which stem directly from the founder haplotypes, suggesting that they originated in the region and expanded from there. Moreover, the presence of lineages characteristic of other South American regions reveals the existence of gene flow to CA. Finally, we report some lineages with discontinuous distribution across the Americas, which suggest the persistence of relic lineages likely linked to the first population arrivals. The present study represents to date the most exhaustive attempt to elaborate a Native American genetic map from modern and ancient complete mitochondrial genomes in Argentina and provides relevant information about the general process of settlement in South America.

Several X-linked genes are involved in neuronal differentiation and may contribute to the generation of sex dimorphisms in the brain. Previous results showed that XX hypothalamic neurons grow faster, have longer axons, and exhibit higher expression of the neuritogenic gene neurogenin 3 (Ngn3) than XY before perinatal masculinization. Here we evaluated the participation of candidate X-linked genes in the development of these sex differences, focusing mainly on Kdm6a, a gene encoding for an H3K27 demethylase with functions controlling gene expression genome-wide. We established hypothalamic neuronal cultures from wild-type or transgenic Four Core Genotypes mice, a model that allows evaluating the effect of sex chromosomes independently of gonadal type. X-linked genes Kdm6a, Eif2s3x and Ddx3x showed higher expression in XX compared to XY neurons, regardless of gonadal sex. Moreover, Kdm6a expression pattern with higher mRNA levels in XX than XY did not change with age at E14, P0, and P60 in hypothalamus or under 17ß-estradiol treatment in culture. Kdm6a pharmacological blockade by GSK-J4 reduced axonal length only in female neurons and decreased the expression of neuritogenic genes Neurod1, Neurod2 and Cdk5r1 in both sexes equally, while a sex-specific effect was observed in Ngn3. Finally, Kdm6a downregulation using siRNA reduced axonal length and Ngn3 expression only in female neurons, abolishing the sex differences observed in control conditions. Altogether, these results point to Kdm6a as a key mediator of the higher axogenesis and Ngn3 expression observed in XX neurons before the critical period of brain masculinization.

This work analyzes the optical properties of a localized surface plasmon (LSP) spaser made of a dielectric active wire coated with a graphene monolayer. Our theoretical results, obtained by using rigorous electromagnetic methods, illustrate the non-radiative transfer between the active medium and the LSPs of graphene. In particular, we focus on the lasing conditions and the tunability of the LSP spaser in two cases: when the wire is made of an infrared/terahertz transparent dielectric material and when it is made of a metal-like material. We analyze the results by comparing them with analytical expressions obtained by using the quasistatic approximation. We show that the studied systems present a high tunability of the spaser resonances with the geometrical parameters as well as with the chemical potential of graphene.

Deracemisation methods have demonstrated their importance in the preparation of chiral compounds in the last few years. In order to resolve a racemic mixture in a dynamic sense, one enantiomer of the starting material can be converted to the other through a deracemisation procedure, that can be achieved by different mechanisms based on stereoinversion or enantioconvergence, often involving two‐opposite half reactions, with at least one of the reactions being enantioselective enough to finally obtain an enantioenriched chiral compound. The focus of this comprehensive review is on the application of deracemisation procedures in the present century in order to obtain optically active valuable compounds when employing non‐metallic catalysts. Thus, the review will mainly focus on the use of different enzymatic preparations (purified enzymes, cell‐free extracts or whole cell systems) and organocatalysts for the deracemisation of racemic mixtures.

Due to drastic changes in pollinators between native and invaded habitats, we might expect that pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits of alien plants differ from that in their native ranges. Here, through geometric morphometric tools and phenotypic selection analyses, we examined whether adaptation in flower shape and length occurred in Nicotiana glauca as a response to pollinator selection in contrasting pollination environments. We assessed populations of this plant species in the native range (South America), where plants depend on hummingbird pollination, and in two invaded areas, one where sunbirds act as pollinators (South Africa), and another where nectar feeding birds are absent and reproduction is entirely by autonomous self-pollination (Mallorca, Spain). Corolla length and shape varied significantly among pollination environments. Non-native sites were less variable and their range of variation fell within the native range of variation. Flower length in native populations and in a South African population matched the bill length of their respective pollinators. In contrast with the straight floral tubes in the native range, both non-native areas had significantly curved tubes. Curvature may improve the fit with the curved bills of sunbirds in South Africa (versus straight beaks of hummingbirds) and may enhance self-pollination in Mallorca, but this similarity between invaded areas may equally be due to drift and a shared colonization route. We found spatial variation in selection acting on corolla length but not on corolla shape. Overall, selection patterns were not consistent with floral trait variation. Although some results are consistent with both drift and selection, our study suggests that population divergence in flower shape and length is more likely the result of long-term diversifying pollinator-driven selection, which is difficult to detect by studying a single selection event.

The aim of the present study was to analyze IL6 rs1800795 genetic variant in the susceptibility to Trypanosoma cruzi infection and in the development of chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC), in five independent Latin American cohorts. A total of 3,087 individuals from Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and two cohorts from Colombia) were studied. In all cohorts, patients were classified as seropositive for T. cruzi antigens (n= 1,963) and seronegative (n= 1,124). Based on clinical evaluation, the seropositive patients, were classified as CCC (n= 900) and asymptomatic (n= 1,063). No statistically significant differences in the frequency of IL6 rs1800795 between seropositive and seronegative, or between CCC and asymptomatic patients, were found. Furthermore, after the meta-analysis no statistically significant differences were observed. Our results do not support a contribution of IL6 rs1800795 genetic variant in the susceptibility to the infection and the development of chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy in the studied populations.

Hypothalamic neurons show sex differences in neuritogenesis, female neurons have longer axons and higher levels of the neuritogenic factor neurogenin 3 (Ngn3) than male neurons in vitro. Moreover, the effect of 17-ß-estradiol (E2) on axonal growth and Ngn3 expression is only found in male-derived neurons. To investigate whether sex chromosomes regulate these early sex differences in neuritogenesis by regulating the E2 effect on Ngn3, we evaluated the growth and differentiation of hypothalamic neurons derived from the "four core genotypes" mouse model, in which the factors of "gonadal sex" and "sex chromosome complement" are dissociated. We showed that sex differences in neurite outgrowth are determined by sex chromosome complement (XX > XY). Moreover, E2 increased the mRNA expression of Ngn3 and axonal length only in XY neurons. ER¿/ß expressions are regulated by sex chromosome complement; however, E2-effect on Ngn3 expression in XY neurons was only fully reproduced by PPT, a specific ligand of ER¿, and prevented by MPP, a specific antagonist of ER¿. Together our data indicate that sex chromosomes regulate early development of hypothalamic neurons by orchestrating not only sex differences in neuritogenesis, but also regulating the effect of E2 on Ngn3 expression through activation of ER¿ in hypothalamic neurons.

El estudio de la epigenética, cambios químicos estables que no suponen cambios en la secuencia de nucleótidos, ha avanzado considerablemente en los últimos años. Estos cambios son modulables por el ambiente, y pueden ser heredados por las generaciones siguientes. Hay una creciente evidencia de que la variación hereditaria en los rasgos ecológicamente relevantes se puede generar a través de un conjunto de mecanismos epigenéticos, incluso en ausencia de variación genética. Desde un punto de vista evolutivo, la variabilidad generada por mecanismos epigenéticos amplía la variabilidad de fenotipos al aparecer nuevos epialelos que pueden ser seleccionados en poblaciones naturales, reflejando la idea de que la herencia puede no ser tan rígida. Por medio de la regulación epigenética se puede observar cómo es la adaptación al medio ambiente dada por la plasticidad del genoma, la cual tiene como resultado la formación de distintos fenotipos según el medio ambiente al que sea expuesto el organismo. A pesar de la importancia de estos mecanismos aún hay pocos trabajos experimentales que desentrañen las preguntas básicas de ecología epigenética y menos aun los que se han centrado en plantas no modelo., The study of epigenetics, stable chemical changes that do not involve changes in the sequence of nucleotides, has greatly advanced in recent years. These changes can be shaped by the environment and can be inherited into the following generations. There is growing evidence that the inherited variation in ecologically relevant traits can be generated through a set of epigenetic mechanisms, even in the absence of genetic variation. From an evolutionary point of view, the variability generated by epigenetic mechanisms increases the variability of phenotypes when new epialleles appear that can be selected in natural populations, reflecting the idea that inheritance might be not so inflexible. By means of epigenetic regulation it can be observed how adaptation to the environment is given by the plasticity of the genome, which results in the formation of different phenotypes according to the environment to which the organism is exposed. Despite the importance of these mechanisms there are still few experimental studies that unravel the basic questions of epigenetic ecology and even less those that have focused on non-model plant species.

Host genetic factors have been suggested to play an important role in the susceptibility to Chagas disease. Given the influence of interleukin 18 (IL-18) in the development of the disease, in the present study, we analyzed three IL18 genetic variants (rs2043055, rs1946518, rs360719) regarding the predisposition to Trypanosoma cruzi infection and the development of chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC), in different Latin America populations. Genetic data of 3,608 patients from Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil were meta-analyzed to validate previous findings with increased statistical power. Seropositive and seronegative individuals were compared for T. cruzi infection susceptibility. In the Colombian cohort, the allelic frequencies of the three variants showed a significant association, with adjustment for sex and age, and also after applying multiple testing adjustments. Among the Colombian and Argentinean cohorts, rs360719 showed a significant genetic effect in a fixed-effects meta-analysis after a Bonferroni correction (OR: 0.76, CI: 0.66–0.89, P = 0.001). For CCC, the rs2043055 showed an association with protection from cardiomyopathy in the Colombian cohort (OR: 0.79, CI: 0.64–0.99, P = 0.037), with adjustment for sex and age, and after applying multiple testing adjustments. The meta-analysis of the CCC vs. asymptomatic patients from the four cohorts showed no evidence of association. In conclusion, our results validated the association found previously in the Colombian cohort suggesting that IL18 rs360719 plays an important role in the susceptibility to T. cruzi infection and no evidence of association was found between the IL18 genetic variants and CCC in the Latin American population studied.

Lung carcinoma is one of the most common cancers and has a high mortality. Recently, we showed that it produces neurological paraneoplastic syndrome, with Ilex paraguariensis (IP) extract exerting palliative effects due to its content of phenolic compounds. It is possible, therefore, that these diet agents can arrive at the brain and exert neuroprotection, after the oral intake of IP. Here, the aim was to investigate the protective role of bioavailable IP compounds on the telencephalon and diencephalon in lung adenocarcinoma-bearing BALB/cJ males. Mice aged 2 months were treated for 3 weeks with 0-100 IP mg·kg-1 ·day-1 . HPLC-UV revealed the presence of chlorogenic acid and quercetin in brain regions, liver, and tumour, in an IP dose-dependent manner. Brain was also evaluated histologically, and interleukin-6 was measured by ELISA. Chlorogenic acid was the major compound found in brain, whereas quercetin was observed at the diencephalon to a lesser extent. Both compounds were involved in IP dose-dependent diencephalic interleukin-6 reduction. Histology suggested cellular protection with less apoptosis in chlorogenic-exposed areas. Taken together, chlorogenic acid and quercetin from dietary IP were bioavailable and bioactive in brain, thereby attenuating lung cancer-related neuroinflammation and damage. These findings support plant-based strategies to improve prognosis.

Genetic approaches have been proposed for improving the understanding of the causes of differential susceptibility to Trypanosoma cruzi infection and Chagas disease outcome. Polymorphisms in genes involved in the immune/inflammatory response are being studied in order to clarify their possible role in the occurrence or severity of the cardiac and/or gastrointestinal complications. However still today, the number of significant associated genes is limited and the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this condition are unknown. This article review the information currently available from the published scientific literature regarding the genetic variants of molecules of the immune system and other variants that can contribute to the clinical presentation of the disease. Genomic medicine will improve our knowledge about the molecular basis of Chagas disease, will open new avenues for developing biomarkers of disease progression, new therapeutic strategies to suit the requirements of individual patients, and will contribute to the control of one of the infections with the greatest socio-economic impact in the Americas.

Sea-ice and coastal glacier loss in the Western Antarctic Peninsula open new ice-free areas. They allowing primary production and providing new seabed for colonisation, both acting as a negative feedback of climate change. However, the injection of sediment-laden runoff from the melting of land-terminating glaciers may reduce this feedback. Changes in particulate matter will affect nutrition and excretion (faeces stoichiometry and properties) of suspension feeders, reshaping coastal carbon dynamics and pelagic-benthic coupling. Absorption efficiency and biodeposition of Euphausia superba and Cnemidocarpa verrucosa were quantified for different food treatments and varying sediment concentrations. Both species showed high overall absorption efficiency for free-sediment diets, but were negatively affected by sediment addition. High sediment conditions increased krill biodeposition, while it decreased in ascidians. Energy balance estimation indicated high carbon sink potential in ascidians, but it is modulated by food characteristics and negatively affected by sediment inputs in the water column

[Aim] Understanding fire effects on pollinators is critical in the context of fire regime changes and the global pollination crisis. Through a systematic and quantitative review of the literature, we provide the first global assessment of pollinator responses to fire. We hypothesize that pollinators increase after fire and during the early postfire succession stages; however, high fire frequency has the opposite effect, decreasing pollinators. [Location] Terrestrial ecosystems, excluding Antarctica. [Time period] Data collected from 1973 to 2017. [Major taxa studied] Insects (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera) and a few bird species. [Methods] We first compiled available studies across the globe that assessed fire effects on pollinator communities. Then, by means of hierarchical meta‐analyses, we evaluated how different fire regime parameters (fire frequency, postfire time and fire type) and habitat characteristics affect the abundance and richness of animals that act as pollinators. We also explored to what extent the responses vary among taxa groups and life history traits of pollinators (sociality system, nest location and feeding specialization), and among biomes. [Results] The overall effect size of fire on pollinator abundance and richness across all studies was positive. Fire effect was especially clear and significant in early postfire communities, after wildfires, and for Hymenoptera. Taxonomic resolution influenced fire effects, where only studies at the species/genus and family levels showed significant effects. The main exceptions were recurrent fires that showed a negative effect, and especially wildfire effects on Lepidoptera abundance that showed a significant negative response. [Main conclusions] Pollinators tend to be promoted after a wildfire event. However, short fire intervals may threat pollinators, and especially lepidopterans. Given the current fire regime changes at the global scale, it is imperative to monitor postfire pollina

A method based on the refinement of atomic and experimental parameters developed for the description of PIXE spectra is presented and applied to standardless semi-quantitative PIXE analysis. This method was implemented in the sofware PAMPA (Parameter Assessment Method for PIXE Analysis) and consists in minimizing the quadratic differences between an experimental spectrum and an analytical function proposed to describe it. The first results of PAMPA are presented for the quantification of synthetic and mineral, thin and bulk samples, and they are compared with the results obtained with a commercial software.

Double perovskites BaLaMnSbOwere synthesized by traditional ceramic methods in air as polycrystalline powders. The 0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.2 compounds belong to the I 2/m monoclinic space group, while the perovskites with x ≥ 0.3 belong to the I 4/m tetragonal space group. The effective presence of mixtures of Mn/Mnhas been well established by X-ray Emission Spectroscopy. BaLaMnSbO(0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) oxides display signs of superparamagnetism in the 40–160 K range, which arises from 3D-nanoclusters formed in regions which are rich in Mn–O–Mnsuperexchange paths originated by the antisite disorder. The analysis of the M vs H hysteresis loops shows that, as x increases, the number of 3D-nanoclusters rises and the number of magnetic ions in the 3D-nanoclusters decreases. The small 3D-nanoclusters cannot sustain magnetic order inside them and this is the reason for the absence of superparamagnetism for x = 0.6 and 0.7. The analysis of the M vs H curves also shows the presence of a weak ferromagnetism which is generated by the canting of the spins in the antiferromagnetic matrix. Neutron Powder Diffraction data reveals that there is long range antiferromagnetic ordering below ≈20 K.

Objetivo. Esta investigación se propuso examinar las propiedades psicométricas de la escala Psychological Entitlement Scale (PES) en el contexto local desde la Teoría clásica de los tests (TCT) y la Teoría de respuesta al ítem (TRI). Método. Participaron 402 estudiantes universitarios con una media de edad de 22.77 años (DS = 4.85), de ambos géneros (61.9% mujeres) y de distintas carreras universitarias, y 324 personas de 18 a 65 años de edad (M = 32.77, DS = 10.71), de ambos géneros (56.2% mujeres) y de diferentes niveles socio-económicos, residentes en la ciudad de Córdoba, seleccionados de manera accidental. Todos ellos fueron evaluados con la PES y la Escala de dominancia triple. Resultados. Desde la TCT, análisis factoriales exploratorios y confirmatorios evidenciaron que ocho de los nueve ítems que comprendía la escala original mostraron una estructura unifactorial, con adecuadas cargas factoriales y/o pesos de regresión. Además, se observaron valores aceptables de consistencia interna. Las personas clasificadas como prosociales presentaron valores significativamente menores en la PES que las personas individualistas y competitivas (hp2 = 0.04). Desde la TRI, si bien se obtuvo un buen ajuste global al modelo de escalas de clasificación de un parámetro, el análisis de ítems evidenció índices inaceptables para un ítem, y categorías poco informativas. Conclusión. Aunque se obtuvo evidencia sobre adecuadas propiedades psicométricas desde la TCT, análisis desde la TRI sugieren realizar ajustes al instrumento, en particular, reagrupar categorías de respuesta que resultaron poco informativas., Escopo. Esta pesquisa propõe examinar as propriedades psicométricas desde a escada Psychological Entitlement Scale (PES) no contexto local desde a Teoria clássica dos testes (TCT) e a Teoria de resposta ao item (TRI). Metodologia. Participaram 402 estudantes universitários com uma media de idade de 22.77 anos (DS = 4.85), de ambos gêneros (61.9% mulheres) e de diferentes carreiras universitárias e 324 pessoas de 18 a 65 anos de idade (M = 32.77, DS = 10.71), de ambos géneros (61.9% mulheres) e de diferentes níveis sócio-económicos, residentes na cidade de Córdoba, selecionados de maneira acidental. Todos eles foram avaliados com a PES e a Escada de dominancia tripla. Resultados. Desde a TCT, análises fatoriais exploratórios e confirmatórios evidenciaram que oito dos nove itens que compreendia a escada original mostraram uma estrutura unifatorial, com adequadas cargas fatoriais e/ou peso de regressão. Além, foram observados valores aceitáveis, de consistência interna. As pessoas classificadas como prosociais presentaram valores significativamente menores na PES que as pessoas individualistas e competitivas (p 2 = 0.04). Desde a TRI, embora foi obtido um bom ajuste global ao modelo de escadas de classificação de um parâmetro o análises de itens evidenciou índices inaceitáveis para um item e categorias pouco informativas. Conclusão. Embora foi obtida evidencia sobre adequadas propriedades psicométricas desde a TCT, análises desde, Objective. The aim of this research was to examine the psychometric properties of the Psychological Entitlement Scale (PES) in the local context using Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT). Method. Participants were 402 university students with a mean age of 22.77 years (SD = 4.85), both genders (61.9% female), and from different university careers, and 324 residents of the city of Córdoba, aged 18 to 65 years (M = 32.77, SD = 10.71), both genders (56.2% women), with different socio-economic backgrounds. All participants were selected at random, and evaluated with PES and Triple Dominance Scale measures. Results. From the TCT, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that eight of the nine items comprising the original scale showed an unifactorial structure with adequate factor loadings and/or regression weights. Also, acceptable values of internal consistency were observed. Individuals classified as pro-social presented significantly lower values in the PES than individualistic and competitive people (small effect size). From the IRT, the rating scale model showed a good global fit to the scale model, although the item analysis indicated unacceptable indices for one item, and some categories which were not very informative. Conclusion. Although TCT results demonstrated good psychometric properties, analysis from the IRT suggested adjustments to the instrument, in particular, the regrouping of response categories which were not very informative alone.

This work reports the synthesis and characterization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) covalently functionalized with L-lysine (Lys) and the analytical performance of glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) modified with a dispersion of SWCNT-Lys (GCE/SWCNT-Lys) for the highly sensitive quantification of guanine, adenine and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine. Detection limits of 75, 195 and 97 nM were obtained for guanine, adenine and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, respectively by voltammetric adsorptive stripping with medium exchange. GCE/SWCNT-Lys was successfully used for the detection of adenine and guanine oxidation after adsorption of salmon sperm-double stranded DNA. A clear definition of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine oxidation signal is observed even in the presence of large excess of guanine, adenine or salmon sperm-double stranded DNA.

Ternary chalcogenides (ABX) based on the spinel structure are gaining a great deal of attention because of the possibility of tuning their magnetic and optoelectronic properties not only by changing chemical composition but also by altering their degree of inversion. Here we report a rapid high-pressure synthetic method for the synthesis of MInS powders starting from commercially available solid sulfides. We prove the versatility of our method by reporting the synthesis of six members of the MInS family (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, and Cd) under high-pressure conditions (3.5 GPa); these compounds show complete to moderate degrees of inversion. Furthermore, this family covers a spectral region that includes visible band gaps. Interestingly, the structural refinement carried out by X-ray and neutron diffraction allows one to establish positive correlations between the gap and different parameters, including the degree of inversion. Finally, as a proof-of-concept, these ternary chalcogenides show moderate photocatalytic hydrogen production from aqueous solutions.

El presente artículo trata sobre cómo la fenomenología del dolor físico puede entablar un dialogo con las ciencias médicas, brindando, por un lado, un marco teórico sobre la relación mente-cuerpo que no sea reduccionista y, por otro lado, algunos aspectos que mejoren la posibilidad de la cuantificación del dolor mediante test de evaluación del dolor, a partir del refinamiento de los reportes subjetivos -- El artículo que divide en tres secciones: (I) la consideración fenomenológica del dolor; (II) la consideración médica del dolor y la relación con la fenomenología; y por último, (III) el para qué de dicha relación., This article discusses how the phenomenology of physical pain can establish a dialogue with the medical sciences, providing, on the one hand, a theoretical framework of the mind-body relationship rather than a reductionist one and, on the other hand, some aspects that will help improve the possibility of the quantification of pain through a pain assessment test, on the basis of the refinement of subjective reports -- The article is divided into three sections: (I) the phenomenological conception of pain; (II) the medical conception of pain and its relationship with phenomenology; and lastly, (III) what the finality of this relationship actually is.

Revista oficial de la Asociación Española de Teledetección, [EN] Soil coverage and its modifications are critical variables in human-environmental sciences. Changes in land use are causes and consequences of climate change. This situation makes that detailed and updated information is needed for many applications. Remote sensing provides data of large areas periodically, so it becomes a useful input to soil classification. The objectives of this work were to determinate algorithm and images combination that produces the best results to classify agricultural land and, simultaneously, evaluate the need of making atmospheric corrections over them, when classifying multi-temporal/multi-sensor series. The two supervised classification algorithms used were neural networks and maximum likelihood. In the study area, agriculture is the main land use, predominantly summer crops, and the area sown with soybean, corn and sorghum account for over 90% of the total. Time series of Landsat 8 and SPOT 5 images were used, and 164 plots were registered to train and validate the models as ground truth. Maximum likelihood and neural networks models produce very good results when multi-temporal/multi-sensor series are used, with global accuracy between 79.17% to 90.14% and Kappa index between 60% to 82%. The radiometric correction at surface level did not improve the results when the reflectance was corrected at the top of the atmosphere. The time series that use images taken in more advanced phenological stages of crops produce better coverage classifications than time series that use images from early stages., [ES] La cobertura del suelo y sus modificaciones son variables críticas para el desarrollo humano y el medio ambiente. Los cambios en el uso del suelo son causas y consecuencias del cambio climático. Estas situaciones hacen necesario contar con información detallada y actualizada. La teledetección proporciona datos de grandes áreas periódicamente, lo que hace que sea una fuente de datos importante para la clasificación de suelos. Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron determinar los algoritmos y la combinación de imágenes que producen los mejores resultados para clasificar tierras agrícolas y, simultáneamente, evaluar la necesidad de hacer correcciones atmosféricas sobre las mismas, al clasificar series multi-temporales y multi-sensor. Los dos algoritmos de clasificación supervisada utilizados fueron redes neuronales y máxima verosimilitud. En el área de estudio, la agricultura es el principal uso de la tierra, predominando cultivos de verano, y la superficie sembrada con soja, maíz y sorgo representa más del 90% del total. Se utilizaron series temporales de imágenes provenientes de Landsat 8 y SPOT 5, y 164 parcelas fueron registradas, como terreno, para entrenar y validar los modelos. Los algoritmos basados en máxima verosimilitud y en redes neuronales producen muy buenos resultados cuando se utilizan series multi-temporales e imágenes de varios sensores, con una precisión global entre 79,17% y 90,14% y un índice de Kappa entre el 60% y el 82%. La corrección radiométrica a nivel de superficie no mejoró los resultados obtenidos cuando se corrigieron reflectancias medidas al tope de la atmósfera. Las series temporales que utilizan imágenes tomadas sobre cultivos con estados fenológicos más avanzados producen mejores clasificaciones de cobertura que aquellas que utilizan imágenes de etapas tempranas

We present a master equation approach to the study of the bulk-mediated surface diffusion mechanism in a three-dimensional confined domain. The proposed scheme allowed us to evaluate analytically a number of magnitudes that were used to characterize the efficiency of the bulk-mediated surface transport mechanism, for instance, the mean escape time from the domain, and the mean number of distinct visited sites on the confined domain boundary. © 2013 American Physical Society.

Floquet theory combined with a realistic description of the electronic structure of illuminated graphene and graphene nanoribbons is developed to assess the emergent non-adiabatic and non-perturbative effects on the electronic properties. Here we introduce an efficient computational scheme and illustrate its use by applying it to graphene nanoribbons in the presence of both linear and circular polarization. The interplay between confinement due to the finite sample size and laser-induced transitions is shown to lead to sharp features in the average conductance and density of states. Particular emphasis is given to the emergence of the bulk limit response. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Plant functional traits are the features (morphological, physiological, phenological) that represent ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels and influence ecosystem properties. Variation in plant functional traits, and trait syndromes, has proven useful for tackling many important ecological questions at a range of scales, giving rise to a demand for standardised ways to measure ecologically meaningful plant traits. This line of research has been among the most fruitful avenues for understanding ecological and evolutionary patterns and processes. It also has the potential both to build a predictive set of local, regional and global relationships between plants and environment and to quantify a wide range of natural and human-driven processes, including changes in biodiversity, the impacts of species invasions, alterations in biogeochemical processes and vegetation-atmosphere interactions. The importance of these topics dictates the urgent need for more and better data, and increases the value of standardised protocols for quantifying trait variation of different species, in particular for traits with power to predict plant-and ecosystem-level processes, and for traits that can be measured relatively easily. Updated and expanded from the widely used previous version, this handbook retains the focus on clearly presented, widely applicable, step-by-step recipes, with a minimum of text on theory, and not only includes updated methods for the traits previously covered, but also introduces many new protocols for further traits. This new handbook has a better balance between whole-plant traits, leaf traits, root and stem traits and regenerative traits, and puts particular emphasis on traits important for predicting species' effects on key ecosystem properties. We hope this new handbook becomes a standard companion in local and global efforts to learn about the responses and impacts of different plant spec

The intestinal epithelium regulates the transit of molecules from and into the organism. Several agents act as absorption enhancers inducing changes in both transcellular and paracellular routes. Chitosan is a non-toxic biocompatible polysaccharide widely used as dietary supplement and mucosal delivery. Chitosan triggers both the activation of intestinal epithelial cells and the release of regulatory factors relevant for its immunomodulatory activity. Yet, the interaction of chitosan with intestinal epithelial cells is poorly characterized. We studied the uptake of this polysaccharide, and we evaluated its effects in both the net water and ion movements across human and rat colon samples and the epithelial permeability. Herein, we demonstrate that chitosan increases the transcellular permeability to ions, water and protein markers in human and rat intestinal mucosa and decreases the water permeability across the paracellular pathway. These findings are relevant to understand the activity of the polysaccharide in the mucosal environment.

Chagas myocarditis, which is caused by infection with the intracellular parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, remains the major infectious heart disease worldwide. Innate recognition through toll-like receptors (TLRs) on immune cells has not only been revealed to be critical for defense against T. cruzi but has also been involved in triggering the pathology. Subsequent studies revealed that this parasite activates nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain- (NOD-)like receptors and several particular transcription factors in TLR-independent manner. In addition to professional immune cells, T. cruzi infects and resides in different parenchyma cells. The innate receptors in nonimmune target tissues could also have an impact on host response. Thus, the outcome of the myocarditis or the inflamed liver relies on an intricate network of inflammatory mediators and signals given by immune and nonimmune cells. In this paper, we discuss the evidence of innate immunity to the parasite developed by the host, with emphasis on the crosstalk between immune and nonimmune cell responses

The motion of a domain wall in a two-dimensional medium is studied by taking into account the internal elastic degrees of freedom of the wall and geometrical pinning produced by both holes and sample boundaries. This study is used to analyze the geometrical conditions needed for optimizing crossed-ratchet effects in periodic rectangular arrays of asymmetric holes, recently observed experimentally in patterned ferromagnetic films. Exact calculation as a function of the geometry of the sample and numerical simulations have been used to obtain the anisotropic critical fields for depinning flat and kinked walls in rectangular arrays of triangles. The aim is to show with a generic elastic model for interfaces how to build a rectifier able to display crossed-ratchet effects or effective potential landscapes for controlling the motion of interfaces or invasion fronts.

Could a laser field lead to the much sought-after tunable band gaps in graphene? By using Floquet theory combined with Green's functions techniques, we predict that a laser field in the mid-infrared range can produce observable band gaps in the electronic structure of graphene. Furthermore, we show how they can be tuned by using the laser polarization. Our results could serve as a guidance to design optoelectronic nanodevices.

This work is aimed at studying the adsorption mechanism of short chain 20-mer pyrimidinic homoss-DNA (oligodeoxyribonucleotide, ODN: polyC20 and polyT20) onto CNT by reflectometry. To analyze the experimental data, the effective-medium theory using the Bruggemann approximation represents a suitable optical model to account for the surface properties (roughness, thickness, and optical constants) and the size of the adsorbate. Systematic information about the involved interactions is obtained by changing the physicochemical properties of the system. Hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions are evaluated by comparing the adsorption on hydrophobic CNT and on hydrophilic silica and by modulating the ionic strength with and without Mg2+. The ODN adsorption process on CNT is driven by hydrophobic interactions only when the electrostatic repulsion is suppressed. The adsorption mode results in ODN molecules in a side-on orientation with the bases (nonpolar region) toward the surface. This unfavorable orientation is partially reverse by adding Mg2+. On the other hand, the adsorption on silica is dominated by the strong repulsive electrostatic interaction that is screened at high ionic strength or mediated by Mg2+. The cation-mediated process induces the interaction of the phosphate backbone (polar region) with the surface, leaving the bases free for hybridization. Although the general adsorption behavior of the pyrimidine bases is the same, polyC20 presents higher affinity for the CNT surface due to its acid-base properties.

An experimental and theoretical study of electronic excitations in MgB2 covering the domain of large energy and momentum transfers is reported. Energy-loss spectra for several values of momentum transfers were measured in a polycrystalline sample by means of inelastic X-ray scattering spectroscopy. Ab initio calculations of the dielectric function as well as the energy-loss function were performed in the frame of the time-dependent local density approximation with inclusion of crystal local-field effects. We obtained very good agreement between the experimental and the theoretical energy dispersion of the peak maximum of the loss function. We found that crystal local-field effects are responsible for this agreement at large momenta. Fine structure observed in the measured spectra was interpreted in terms of strong interband transitions predicted by the calculations in the and directions. The theoretical dispersion of these features is in good accordance with the experimental data. Further spectral features in the measured spectra due to Mg 2s and 2p core electron excitations are also discussed.

An experimental and theoretical study of collective electronic excitations in Be is presented. The plasmon energy and linewidth were measured by means of inelastic x-ray scattering spectroscopy. Measurements were performed on a polycrystalline sample and in a broad range of momentum transfers within the plasmon excitation regime. Theoretical plasmon dispersion and its linewidth in the whole Brillouin zone were derived from ab initio evaluations of the electron density response function. The calculations were performed with full inclusion of the electron band structure within the random-phase approximation. Good agreement of experimental plasmon energy and linewidth dispersions with direction-averaged theoretical results in all investigated q-range is obtained. We conclude that, in Be, the band structure effects alone can account for the observed finite plasmon lifetime at q = 0, as well as for the linewidth dispersion in the long-wavelength domain.

This study examines contemporary Political Psychology in Latin America, by means of a bibliometric approach, for the period 2000-2010. Results show a steady growth of the field in the region (especially in Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil). These countries coincide with the place to which the most productive institutions belong. In turn, the most productive authors of the period are Argentine. The most productive journals concentrate in Spain and Brazil. Finally, a tendency towards individual work, with low levels of collaboration among researchers, is observed. Based on these results, we analyze the current place that Political Psychology has as disciplinary field in Latin America.

International audience, The tools that are used to inject faults in FPGA based implementations are generally based in the modification of the VHDL code. In this work a new tool is presented. The main advantage of this new tool is that it is completely transparent to the programmer. The input of the tool is a VHDL description of the system under study and the output is the failure rate. All the steps required for the fault injection tests are performed in a completely automatic way, without the need of modifying the code. In this way, the VHDL programmer can concentrate in the design, and the final application can be tested with no extra effort.

ISBN : 978-1-4244-9485-9, International audience, The robustness with respect to SEUs (Single-Event Upset) of a self-converging algorithm is improved by fault-tolerance techniques implemented at software level. SEU-sensitivity evaluation was done by fault injection campaigns performed using a devoted test platform. Experimental results show that implementing fault-tolerance by modifying the assembly code leads to significant improvements of the fault tolerance.