Working memory training improves episodic memory in older people: transfer based on controlled retrieval processes.

Introduction: The results of working memory (WM) training to improve episodic memory in older people are inconsistent. This inconsistency could be due to the fact that the episodic memory tests used do not share the same cognitive resources as the trained WM task. The aim of this study was to assess whether performance on an episodic memory test will improve only when this test requires controlled processes of retrieval of information from secondary memory or recollection, similar to the processes exercised during WM training.

Effects of Teacher Enthusiasm and Type of Text on the Motivation and Achievement of Schoolchildren.

This study aims to analyze the effects of teacher enthusiasm and type of text on student motivation and achievement. The participants were 369 elementary school students. We used four videos showing a teacher presenting two texts (narrative or descriptive) in two conditions of enthusiasm (high or neutral).

Biochemical and biophysical characterization of the RVB-1/RVB-2 protein complex, the RuvBL/RVB homologues in Neurospora crassa.

The RVB proteins, composed of the conservative paralogs, RVB1 and RVB2, belong to the AAA+ (ATPases Associated with various cellular Activities) protein superfamily and are present in archaea and eukaryotes. The most distinct structural features are their ability to interact with each other forming the RVB1/2 complex and their participation in several macromolecular protein complexes leading them to be involved in many biological processes. We report here the biochemical and biophysical characterization of the Neurospora crassa RVB-1/RVB-2 complex.

Metal Accumulation by L. Adult Plants Grown on Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil.

has the ability to phytoextract high amounts of heavy metals during its first months just after seeding. Notwithstanding, there is scarce information about metal uptake by adult . plants.

Legumes display common and host-specific responses to the rhizobial cellulase CelC2 during primary symbiotic infection.

Primary infection of legumes by rhizobia involves the controlled localized enzymatic breakdown of cell walls at root hair tips. Previous studies determined the role of rhizobial CelC2 cellulase in different steps of the symbiotic interaction Rhizobium leguminosarum-Trifolium repens. Recent findings also showed that CelC2 influences early signalling events in the Ensifer meliloti-Medicago truncatula interaction.

Genome Insights into the Novel Species , a Rapeseed Endophyte with Biotechnological Potential.

Plants harbor a diversity of microorganisms constituting the plant microbiome. Many bioinoculants for agricultural crops have been isolated from plants. Nevertheless, plants are an underexplored niche for the isolation of microorganisms with other biotechnological applications.

The N-fixing legume Periandra mediterranea constrains the invasion of an exotic grass (Melinis minutiflora P. Beauv) by altering soil N cycling.

Melinis minutiflora is an invasive species that threatens the biodiversity of the endemic vegetation of the campo rupestre biome in Brazil, displacing the native vegetation and favouring fire spread. As M. minutiflora invasion has been associated with a high nitrogen (N) demand, we assessed changes in N cycle under four treatments: two treatments with contrasting invasion levels (above and below 50%) and two un-invaded control treatments with native vegetation, in the presence or absence of the leguminous species Periandra mediterranea.

Nodal FDG-PET/CT uptake influences outcome and relapse location among esophageal cancer patients submitted to chemotherapy or radiochemotherapy.

Purpose: Our aim was investigate whether lymph node uptake is associated with survival and regional relapses, and relapse patterns with respect to the radiotherapy fields in esophageal cancer (EC).

Materials And Methods: The FDG-PET/CT image datasets of 56 patients were analyzed. All patients underwent definitive or neoadjuvant radio/chemotherapy (RCT).

Phaseolus vulgaris is nodulated by the symbiovar viciae of several genospecies of Rhizobium laguerreae complex in a Spanish region where Lens culinaris is the traditionally cultivated legume.

Phaseolus vulgaris and Lens culinaris are two legumes with different distribution centers that were introduced in Spain at different times, but in some regions L. culinaris has been traditionally cultivated and P. vulgaris did not.

Radiotherapy volume delineation using 18F-FDG-PET/CT modifies gross node volume in patients with oesophageal cancer.

Purpose: Evidence supporting the use of 18F-FDG-PET/CT in the segmentation process of oesophageal cancer for radiotherapy planning is limited. Our aim was to compare the volumes and tumour lengths defined by fused PET/CT vs. CT simulation.

Heterologous Expression of Rhizobial CelC2 Cellulase Impairs Symbiotic Signaling and Nodulation in Medicago truncatula.

The infection of legume plants by rhizobia is tightly regulated to ensure accurate bacterial penetration, infection, and development of functionally efficient nitrogen-fixing root nodules. Rhizobial Nod factors (NF) have key roles in the elicitation of nodulation signaling. Infection of white clover roots also involves the tightly regulated specific breakdown of the noncrystalline apex of cell walls in growing root hairs, which is mediated by Rhizobium leguminosarum bv.

Probiotic activities of Rhizobium laguerreae on growth and quality of spinach.

The growing interest in a healthy lifestyle and in environmental protection is changing habits regarding food consumption and agricultural practices. Good agricultural practice is indispensable, particularly for raw vegetables, and can include the use of plant probiotic bacteria for the purpose of biofertilization. In this work we analysed the probiotic potential of the rhizobial strain PEPV40, identified as Rhizobium laguerreae through the analysis of the recA and atpD genes, on the growth of spinach plants.

Alcohol Binge Drinking and Executive Functioning during Adolescent Brain Development.

Alcohol consumption in adolescents causes negative effects on familiar, social, academic life, as well as neurocognitive alterations. The binge drinking (BD) pattern of alcohol is characterized by the alternation of episodes of heavy drinking in a short interval of time, and periods of abstinence, a practice that can result in important brain alterations; even more than regular alcohol consumption. The prefrontal cortex, which acts as neural support for the executive processes, is particularly affected by alcohol; however, not all studies are in agreement about how BD alcohol consumption affects executive functioning.

Analysis and effect of the use of biofertilizers on L., a preferential attention species in Castile and Leon, Spain, with the aim of increasing the plants conservation status.

L. is a leguminous plant "Preferential Attention", according to the Catalog of Protected Flora of Castile and Leon (Spain). In this study we aimed to analyze the potential of three bacterial strains of the genus to improve the growth and development of this plant.

Mesorhizobium helmanticense sp. nov., isolated from Lotus corniculatus nodules.

In this study, three strains belonging to the genus Mesorhizobium, CSLC115NT, CSLC19N and CSLC37N, isolated from Lotus corniculatus nodules in Spain, were characterized. Their 16S rRNA gene sequences were closely related to those of Mesorhizobium metallidurans STM 2683T, Mesorhizobium tianshanense A-1BST, Mesorhizobium tarimense CCBAU 83306T, Mesorhizobium gobiense CCBAU 83330T and Mesorhizobium caraganae CCBAU 11299T with similarity values higher than 99.7 %.

Mesorhizobium bacterial strains isolated from the legume Lotus corniculatus are an alternative source for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) to obtain bioplastics.

Polyhydroxyalkanoic acids (PHAs) are natural polyesters that can be used to produce bioplastics which are biodegradable. Numerous microorganisms accumulate PHAs as energy reserves. Combinations of different PHAs monomers lead to the production of bioplastics with very different properties.

Tuneable hydrolytic degradation of poly(l-lactide) scaffolds triggered by ZnO nanoparticles.

In this work we fabricate porous PLLA and PLLA/ZnO scaffolds with porosities ranging from 10 to 90% and average pore diameter of 125-250μm by solvent casting/particulate leaching method. The structural evolution of PLLA/ZnO scaffolds during their in vitro degradation in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at physiological pH (7.4) has been studied as a function of porosity and obtained results were compared to plain PLLA scaffolds.

A conserved α-proteobacterial small RNA contributes to osmoadaptation and symbiotic efficiency of rhizobia on legume roots.

Small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) are expected to have pivotal roles in the adaptive responses underlying symbiosis of nitrogen-fixing rhizobia with legumes. Here, we provide primary insights into the function and activity mechanism of the Sinorhizobium meliloti trans-sRNA NfeR1 (Nodule Formation Efficiency RNA). Northern blot probing and transcription tracking with fluorescent promoter-reporter fusions unveiled high nfeR1 expression in response to salt stress and throughout the symbiotic interaction.

Bacillus terrae sp. nov. isolated from Cistus ladanifer rhizosphere soil.

A bacterial strain designated RA9T was isolated from a root of Cistus ladanifer in Spain. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed the isolate into the genus Bacillus with its closest relatives being Bacillus fortis R-6514T and Bacillus fordii R-7190T with 98.2 % similarity in both cases.

Invasion of the Brazilian campo rupestre by the exotic grass Melinis minutiflora is driven by the high soil N availability and changes in the N cycle.

The Serra do Rola Moça State Park (PESRM) in Minas Gerais State, Brazil is a preserved site representative of the campo rupestre biome over an ironstone outcrop that has a high level of plant diversity. Almost 60% of this grassy field has been invaded by the exotic molasses grass (Melinis minutiflora), which constitutes a severe threat to the biodiversity and survival of this biome, particularly due to the impacts of annual fires and inappropriate restoration interventions. Many invasive species exhibit a high demand for nitrogen (N).

Do Patients Feel Well Informed in a Radiation Oncology Service?

Information received by cancer patients has gained importance in recent decades. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of information received by oncological patients in a radiotherapy department and to measure the importance of the other information sources. A cross-sectional study was conducted, evaluating patients who received radiotherapy.

The Symbiotic Performance of Chickpea Rhizobia Can Be Improved by Additional Copies of the clpB Chaperone Gene.

The ClpB chaperone is known to be involved in bacterial stress response. Moreover, recent studies suggest that this protein has also a role in the chickpea-rhizobia symbiosis. In order to improve both stress tolerance and symbiotic performance of a chickpea microsymbiont, the Mesorhizobium mediterraneum UPM-Ca36T strain was genetically transformed with pPHU231 containing an extra-copy of the clpB gene.

Paenibacillus periandrae sp. nov., isolated from nodules of Periandra mediterranea.

A bacterial strain designated PM10T was isolated from root nodules of Periandra mediterranea in Brazil. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed the isolate in the genus Paenibacillus with its closest relatives being Paenibacillus vulneris CCUG 53270T and Paenibacillus yunnanensis YN2T with 95.6 and 95.

Cicer canariense, an endemic legume to the Canary Islands, is nodulated in mainland Spain by fast-growing strains from symbiovar trifolii phylogenetically related to Rhizobium leguminosarum.

Cicer canariense is a threatened endemic legume from the Canary Islands where it can be nodulated by mesorhizobial strains from the symbiovar ciceri, which is the common worldwide endosymbiont of Cicer arietinum linked to the genus Mesorhizobium. However, when C. canariense was cultivated in a soil from mainland Spain, where the symbiovar ciceri is present, only fast-growing rhizobial strains were unexpectedly isolated from its nodules.