Laboratory Life:Twenty Years of Experimental Research with Locals and New Comers in Remote Rural Areas

Through the Latour concept of philosophy of science of laboratory life,the life course of a(geo)ethnographer researcher is analyzed,in order to establish the emotional or more personal dimensions that do not usually appear in research papers,but that have notable relevance in qualitative research.The text is structured in three large parts:A conceptual vision of the new experimental geography;the experimental geo-ethnography in old social,new social and place scenarios;and finally,the most personal and emotional dimension of the research.The first part establishes the geo-ethnographic experimental context and the assumptions in fieldwork,in addition to the geo-ethnographic reconciliation process.In the second part,the main qualitative research problems related to mobility,resistance and dynamics in place are established.Finally,in the third part the research perceptions,the personal experiences,and the emotional dimension of the research in remote rural areas are established.The laboratory life of a researcher,allows one to establish scalar conclusions and rigor in qualitative research.

Fault activation and induced seismicity in geological carbon storage--Lessons learned from recent modeling studies

In the light of current concerns related to induced seismicity associated with geological carbon sequestration(GCS),this paper summarizes lessons learned from recent modeling studies on fault activation,induced seismicity,and potential for leakage associated with deep underground carbon dioxide(CO2) injection.Model simulations demonstrate that seismic events large enough to be felt by humans require brittle fault properties and continuous fault permeability allowing pressure to be distributed over a large fault patch to be ruptured at once.Heterogeneous fault properties,which are commonly encountered in faults intersecting multilayered shale/sandstone sequences,effectively reduce the likelihood of inducing felt seismicity and also effectively impede upward CO2leakage.A number of simulations show that even a sizable seismic event that could be felt may not be capable of opening a new flow path across the entire thickness of an overlying caprock and it is very unlikely to cross a system of multiple overlying caprock units.Site-specific model simulations of the In Salah CO2storage demonstration site showed that deep fractured zone responses and associated microseismicity occurred in the brittle fractured sandstone reservoir,but at a very substantial reservoir overpressure close to the magnitude of the least principal stress.We conclude by emphasizing the importance of site investigation to characterize rock properties and if at all possible to avoid brittle rock such as proximity of crystalline basement or sites in hard and brittle sedimentary sequences that are more prone to injection-induced seismicity and permanent damage.

New transcriptomic insights in two RNAi wheat lines with the gliadins strongly down-regulated by two endosperm specific promoters

The gluten proteins of wheat grain are responsible for visco-elastic properties of flour,but they also trigger the immune-response of celiac disease.In this work,two low-gliadin RNA interference(RNAi)wheat lines that differ for the promoter driving the silencing(D-hordein andγ-gliadin promoters for D783 and D793 lines,respectively),were characterized at transcriptomic,and protein fraction levels in the grain.Silencing of gliadins provides a readjustment in the grain protein fractions that also affects to the nongluten proteins(NGP),which were increased in both RNAi lines.Determination of wheat gluten by means of the R5 monoclonal antibody also showed a strong reduction in the content of gluten in both RNAi lines.Moreover,fructans,an oligosaccharide linked with the development of non-celiac wheat sensitivity(NCWS)were also significantly decreased in RNAi lines.The down-regulation of gliadins fractions also impacts to other metabolic processes,particularly on carbohydrate metabolism,enzyme regulator activity and response to stress.Genes and transcription factors regulated by ABA were up-regulated,which could suggest the implication of this phytohormone on the stress response observed in the RNAi lines.

Calcium-signaling proteins mediate the plant transcriptomic response during a well-established Xanthomonas campestris pv.campestris infection

The plant immune system is divided into two branches;one branch is based on the recognition of pathogenassociated molecular patterns(PAMP-triggered immunity),and the other relies on pathogenic effector detection(effector-triggered immunity).Despite each branch being involved in different complex mechanisms,both lead to transcription reprogramming and,thus,changes in plant metabolism.To study the defense mechanisms involved in the Brassica oleracea–Xanthomonas campestris pv.campestris(Xcc)interaction,we analyzed the plant transcriptome dynamics at 3 and 12 days postinoculation(dpi)by using massive analysis of 3′-cDNA ends.We identified more induced than repressed transcripts at both 3 and 12 dpi,although the response was greater at 12 dpi.Changes in the expression of genes related to the early infection stages were only detected at 12 dpi,suggesting that the timing of triggered defenses is crucial to plant survival.qPCR analyses in susceptible and resistant plants allowed us to highlight the potential role of two calcium-signaling proteins,CBP60g and SARD1,in the resistance against Xcc.This role was subsequently confirmed using Arabidopsis knockout mutants.

Comparison of Air Pollution−Mortality Associations Using Observed Particulate Matter Concentrations and Reanalysis Data in 33 Spanish Cities

Air pollution poses a health hazard in all countries.However,complete data on ambient particulate matter(PM)concentrations are not available in all world regions.Reanalysis data is already a valuable source of exposure data in epidemiological studies examining the relationship between temperature and health.Nevertheless,the performance of reanalysis data in assessing the short-term health effects of particulate air pollution remains unclear.We assessed the performance of CAMS reanalysis(EAC4)data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts,compared with daily PM concentrations from field monitoring stations,to estimate short-term exposure to PM with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10μm(PM_(10))on daily mortality in 33 Spanish provincial capital cities using a two-stage time series regression design.The shape of the PM_(10)distribution varied substantially between PM observations and CAMS global reanalysis of atmospheric composition(EAC4)reanalysis data,with correlation ranging from 0.21 to 0.58.The pooled mortality risk for a 10μg/m^(3)increase in PM_(10)showed similar estimates using PM concentrations{relative risks(RR)=1.007,95%confidence intervals(95%CI)=[1.002,1.011]}and EAC4 reanalysis data(RR=1.011,95%CI=[1.006,1.015]).However,the city-specific PM_(10)beta coefficients estimated using PM concentrations and EAC4 reanalysis data showed a low correlation(r=0.22).The use of reanalysis data should be approached with caution when assessing the association between particulate matter air pollution and health outcomes,particularly in cities with small populations.

Bridging science,technology and policy in emerging contaminants control

Emerging contaminants refer to newly discovered or previously overlooked contaminants that pose potential risks to the ecological environment and human health.They have not been included in environmental management practices or are inadequately addressed by existing management measures.Main focuses of emerging contaminants include persistent organic pollutants,endocrine disrupting chemicals,antibiotics and microplastics,among others.These contaminants have been widely detected in the environment and are considered urgent concerns for environmental safety and human health.However,compared to traditional pollutants,emerging contaminants are generally not well regulated by law-enforcement agencies.