Precision Viticulture (PV) is a concept that is beginning to have an impact on the wine-growing sector. Its practical implementation is dependant on various technological developments: crop sensors and yield monitors, local and remote sensors, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), VRA (Variable-Rate Application) equipment and machinery, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and systems for data analysis and interpretation. This paper reviews a number of research lines related to PV. These areas of research have focused on four very specific fields: 1) quantification and evaluation of within-field variability, 2) delineation of zones of differential treatment at parcel level, based on the analysis and interpretation of this variability, 3) development of Variable-Rate Technologies (VRT) and, finally, 4) evaluation of the opportunities for site-specific vineyard management. Research in these fields should allow winegrowers and enologists to know and understand why yield variability exists within the same parcel, what the causes of this variability are, how the yield and its quality are interrelated and, if spatial variability exists, whether site-specific vineyard management is justifiable on a technical and economic basis.Additional key words: grape yield maps, local and remote sensors, selective vintage, within-field variability, yield monitor, zonal management. ResumenRevisión. Viticultura de precisión. Líneas de investigación, retos y oportunidades del manejo sitio-específico en viña La Viticultura de Precisión (VP) es un concepto que empieza a tener un cierto impacto en el sector vitivinícola. Su implementación práctica está ligada al desarrollo de cierta tecnología: sensores y monitores de cosecha, sensores locales y remotos, Sistemas de Posicionamiento Global (SPG), equipos y maquinaria de aplicación variable, Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG) y sistemas para el análisis y la interpretación de la información. En este trabajo se ha llevado a cabo una revisión de las diferentes líneas de investigación relacionadas con la VP. Dichas áreas de investigación se han centrado en cuatro ámbitos muy concretos: 1) cuantificación y evaluación de la variabilidad intraparcelaria, 2) delimitación a nivel de parcela de zonas de tratamiento diferencial, en base al análisis y la interpretación de dicha variabilidad, 3) desarrollo de tecnologías para la actuación variable en campo (variable-rate technologies, VRT) y, finalmente, 4) evaluación de la oportunidad del manejo sitio-específico en viticultura. La investigación en estos ám-bitos debe permitir a viticultores y enólogos conocer y comprender por qué la cosecha varía dentro de una misma parcela, cúales son las causas de dicha variación, cómo están interrelacionadas la cosecha y su calidad y, ante la existencia de variabilidad espacial, si está justificado técnica y económicamente el manejo diferencial de los viñedos.Palabras clave adicionales: manejo zonal, mapas de vendimia, monitor de cosecha, sensores locales y remotos, variabilidad intraparcelaria, vendimia...

Background: In addition to hypertension control, direct renin inhibition has been shown to exert direct beneficial effects on the heart in post-infarction cardiac remodeling. This study elucidates the possible contribution of mitochondria to the anti-hypertrophic effects of the direct renin inhibitor aliskiren in post-infarction heart failure complicated with diabetes in rats. Methods: Diabetes was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by a single injection of streptozotocin (IP, 65 mg/kg body weight). After 7 days, the animals were randomly assigned to 4 groups: sham, heart failure, sham+aliskiren, and heart failure+aliskiren. Post-infarction HF was induced by coronary artery ligation for 4 weeks. Results: showed that heart failure reduced ejection fraction and cardiac output by 41% (P<0.01) and 42% (P<0.05), respectively, compared to sham-operated hearts. Cardiac dysfunction was associated with suppressed state 3 respiration rates and respiratory control index in mitochondria, and increased mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) opening. In addition, heart failure reduced expression of the major mitochondrial sirtuin, SIRT3 and increased acetylation of cyclophilin D, a regulatory component of the PTP. Aliskiren significantly improved cardiac function and abrogated mitochondrial perturbations. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that aliskiren attenuates post-infarction remodeling which is associated with its beneficial effects on mitochondria.

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Este trabajo analiza la variabilidad espacial y temporal de la precipitación en la cuenca del río lsábena (Cuenca del Ebro, Prepirineo aragonés) durante los años 2000 y 2001. También estudia los errores en la estimación de la precipitación según la fuente de datos y el tipo de interpolación. El estudio se rea­lizó a partir de datos obtenidos mediante 26 pluviómetros totalizadores y 3 pluviógrafos registradores distribuidos en las distintas subcuencas. En la cabecera de la cuenca la precipitación anual fue mayor, pero en la parte media de la cuenca las tormentas fueron más intensas, y con un desfase temporal medio de -50 minutos. La precipitación por episodio siguió un gradiente positivo en sentido sur-norte ( 1,84% /km). Se presentan los polinomios derivados para estimar el valor integrado de precipitación para cada subcuenca a partir de un solo pluviómetro, con coeficientes de ajuste entre el 70% y el 90%. Asimismo se detectó una infraestimación media del 13% en la precipitación a partir de los pluvióme­tros de la red oficial I.N.M .. La estimación ele la precipitación por subcuencas mediante el método de polígonos de Thlessen indica también un error medio por defecto del -15%. Los distintos errores son importantes, especialmente si los datos de precipitación se utilizan en rutinas de modelización hidro­lógica. No obstante, se pueden subsanar mediante el uso de polinomios de ajuste y con la instalación estratégica de pluviógrafos registradores.

Journal of Endocrinology240:2 309-323 J Casasnovas, Y Jo et al. Fetal hyperglycemia induces islet hypofunction AbstractOffspring of diabetic mothers are susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes due to pancreatic islet dysfunction. However, the initiating molecular pathways leading to offspring pancreatic islet dysfunction are unknown. We hypothesized that maternal hyperglycemia alters offspring pancreatic islet transcriptome and negatively impacts offspring islet function. We employed an infusion model capable of inducing localized hyperglycemia in fetal rats residing in the left uterine horn, thus avoiding other factors involved in programming offspring pancreatic islet health. While maintaining euglycemia in maternal dams and right uterine horn control fetuses, hyperglycemic fetuses in the left uterine horn had higher serum insulin and pancreatic beta cell area. Upon completing infusion from GD20 to 22, RNA sequencing was performed on GD22 islets to identify the hyperglycemia-induced altered gene expression. Ingenuity pathway analysis of the altered transcriptome found that diabetes mellitus and inflammation/cell death pathways were enriched. Interestingly, the downregulated genes modulate more diverse biological processes, which includes responses to stimuli and developmental processes. Next, we performed ex and in vivo studies to evaluate islet cell viability and insulin secretory function in weanling and adult offspring. Pancreatic islets of weanlings exposed to late gestation hyperglycemia had decreased cell viability in basal state and glucose-induced insulin secretion. Lastly, adult offspring exposed to in utero hyperglycemia also exhibited glucose intolerance and insulin secretory dysfunction. Together, our results demonstrate that late gestational hyperglycemia alters the fetal pancreatic islet transcriptome and increases offspring susceptibility to developing pancreatic islet dysfunction.

A group of 572 young cadets from the General Military Academy in Zaragoza (AGEMZA) with a mean age of 19.9 years was studied in two different situations: on admission to the AGEMZA, when physical activity was very intensive (A) and after 8 months, by which time they had all received identical diets and physical activity was considerably reduced (B). On both occasions they were asked about their smoking habits and their personal and family histories. Their height and weight were recorded and a sample of venous blood was taken to determine the lipid, biochemical and haematological profiles. We found that more smokers had a family history of sudden death or acute myocardial infarction than the non-smokers. The smokers also showed a lower HDL cholesterol level (54.3 +/- 9.8 mg.dl-1 +/- SD) than the non-smokers (59.4 +/- 10.9) (P less than 0.0001) and a higher level of triglycerides (75.4 +/- 24.7 mg.dl-1) than the non-smokers (65.4 +/- 21.1 mg.dl-1). The smokers had a higher white cell count (8194 +/- 1981 vs 7332 +/- 1672 cells. 10mm-3) (P less than 0.001), a higher haemoglobin value (14.9 +/- 0.9 vs 14.6 +/- 0.9 g.dl-1) (P less than 0.004) and a higher haematocrit value (44.2 +/- 2.3 vs 43.6 +/- 2.7%) (P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)