Galileo and EGNOS as an asset for UTM safety and security

GAUSS (Galileo-EGNOS as an Asset for UTM Safety and Security) is a H2020 project1 that aims at designing and developing high performance positioning systems for drones within the U-Space framework focusing on UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) VLL (Very Low Level) operations. The key element within GAUSS is the integration and exploitation of Galileo and EGNOS exceptional features in terms of accuracy, integrity and security, which will be key assets for the safety of current and future drone operations. More concretely, high accuracy, authentication, precise timing (among others) are key GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) enablers of future integrated drone operations under UTM (UAS Traffic Management) operations, which in Europe will be deployed under U-Space [1]. The U-Space concept helps control, manage and integrate all UAS in the VLL airspace to ensure the security and efficiency of UAS operations. GAUSS will enable not only safe, timely and efficient operations but also coordination among a higher number of RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) in the air with the appropriate levels of security, as it will improve anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities through a multi-frequency and multi-constellation approach and Galileo authentication operations. The GAUSS system will be validated with two field trials in two different UTM real scenarios (in-land and sea) with the operation of a minimum of four UTM coordinated UAS from different types (fixed and rotary wing), manoeuvrability and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) operational categories. The outcome of the project will consist of Galileo-EGNOS based technological solutions to enhance safety and security levels in both, current UAS and future UTM operations. Increased levels of efficiency, reliability, safety, and security in UAS operations are key enabling features to foster the EU UAS regulation, market development and full acceptance by the society.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

A role for antizyme inhibitor 2 in the biosynthesis and content of serotonin and histamine in mouse mast cells

Polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine; PAs) are essential for the majority of living cells. Antizymes and antizyme inhibitors are key regulatory proteins of PA levels by affecting ornithine decarboxylase and PA uptake. In addition to PAs, mast cells (MC) synthesize and store in their granules histamine (Hia) and serotonin (5-HT), which are critical for their function. Our previous studies have indicated a metabolic interplay among PAs, Hia and 5-HT in this cell type. For instance, we showed that PAs affect Hia synthesis during early stages of IL-3-induced bone marrow cell differentiation into bone marrow derived MCs (BMMCs) and demonstrated that PAs are present in MC secretory granules and are important for granule homeostasis, including Hia storage and 5-HT levels. A few years ago, a novel antizyme inhibitor (AZIN2) was described whose expression is restricted to a few tissues and cell types including brain, testis and MCs. In MCs, it was recently proposed that AZIN2 could act as a local regulator of PA biosynthesis in association with 5-HT-containing granules and with 5-HT release following MC activation. To gain insight into the role of AZIN2 in the biosynthesis and storage of 5-HT and also Hia, we have generated BMMCs from both wild-type and transgenic mice with severe Azin2 hypomorphism, and have analyzed the content of PAs, 5-HT and Hia, and some elements of their metabolisms. Spermine and 5-HT levels were reduced in Azin2 hypomorphic BMMCs compared with wild-type controls, whereas the amount of Hia was increased. Accordingly, the level of tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (the key enzyme for 5-HT biosynthesis) was reduced and the amount of enzymatic activity of histidine decarboxylase (the enzyme responsible for Hia biosynthesis) was increased in Azin2 hypomorphic BMMCs. Taken together, our results show evidence that AZIN2 has an important role in the regulation of 5-HT and Hia biosynthesis and storage in MCsUniversidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. This work was supported by SAF2011-26518 (MINECO, Spain) and P10-CVI-6585 and Bio-267 (Junta de Andalucia, Spain). CIBERER is an iniciative of Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spain)

Concentracion Industrial e intensidad de la competencia en el mercado chileno de vinos envasados.

71 p.El atractivo mercado exportador, así como las ventajosas condiciones agroclimáticas que tiene Chile para el desarrollo de la industria vitivinícola ha traído consigo un masivo aumento de viñas. Entre 1991 y 2005 la producción de vides para vinificación aumentó de 238 a 376 millones de litros, generando una gran diversidad de competidores tanto en la calidad de los vinos como en el tamaño de las plantaciones, teniendo como consecuencia la proliferación de marcas propias. La concentración de una industria no es tan simple como contar las empresas que están compitiendo, sino que ponderar un conjunto de variables como la participación de mercado, diferenciación del producto, la tecnología y la estabilidad en el tiempo de las empresas que forman la industria, en definitiva: el poder de mercado de las diferentes empresas; como una de las manifestaciones más potentes de las ventajas competitivas. Este estudio muestra como la industria chilena del vino esta experimentando un comportamiento que va de moderadamente concentrada a altamente concentrada. Con tres empresas que acaparan mas del 70% del mercado dejando el resto a un numero de viñas superior a 150. A su vez la inestabilidad no parece ser significativa dado que el índice de inestabilidad (I) entre un año y otro de 2001 a 2005 es cercano a cero. En consideración con el aumento de las empresas que forman parte de la industria vitivinícola chilena nos encontramos con una intensidad estable en la competencia. Un factor relevante en la evolución de esta industria es la comercialización y los canales que esta ocupa, teniendo en los supermercados la vía principal de llegada al consumidor con un 48% del volumen vendido. Agregado a esto un importante aumento del valor de las ventas en los locales de consumo a partir de 2004. En síntesis, los productores más pequeños optan por la diferenciación mientras que los gigantes afianzan su poder en las economías de escala; llevando a la industria a una concentración cada vez mas alta, lo que hace peligrar las características de competencia monopolística exhibidas por el mercado en el último tiempo. Palabras clave: Concentración, poder de mercado, tecnología, volumen, diferenciación

Structural and functional interaction between polyamine related molecules and biological membranes

La comunicación describe el conocimiento actual sobre las interacciones de biomoléculas relacionadas con el metabolismo de poliaminas con las estructuras y funciones de las membranas biológicasChanges induced by PA on nucleic acid (NA) conformation and synthesis is proven to be a major reason for PA essentiality (1-3). However, PA interactions with other polyanions, for instance polyanionic membrane lipid bilayers and glyosaminoglycans have received less attention (3-4). The functional importance of these interactions still is an obscure but interesting area of cell and molecular biology, especially in mammalian cells for which specific PA transport systems are not fully characterized (5). In mammals, activity and turnover of the polyamine (PA) synthesis key enzyme is controlled by a set of proteins: Antizymes (OAZ1-3) and antizyme inhibitors (AZIN1 and 2). It is demonstrated that AOZ modulate polyamine uptake (6), and that PA transport to mitochondria is linked to the respiratory chain state and modulates mitochondrial permeability transition (7). Antizyme expression variants have been located in mitochondria, being proposed as a proapoptotic factor (7-8). AZIN 2 is only expressed in a reduced set of tissues that includes mast cells, where it is associated to mast cell granules membrane (9). This fact, together to the abnormalities observed in bone marrow derived mast cell granules when they are differentiated under restricted PA synthesis conditions (10 and unpublished results), point out to important roles of PA and their related proteins in structure and function of mast cell granules. We will also present novel biophysical results on tripartite interactions of PA that remark the interest of the characterization of PA interactions with lipid bilayers for biomedicine and biotechnology. Thus, the information reported in this paper integrates previously reported information with our still unpublished results, all indicating that PA and their related proteins also are important factors for structure and dynamics of biological membranes and their associated functions essential in human physiology; for instance, solute interchange with the environment (uptake and secretion), oxidative metabolism and apoptosis. The importance of these involved processes for human homeostasis claim for further research efforts. 1. Ruiz-Chica J, Medina MA, Sánchez-Jiménez F and Ramírez FJ (2001) Fourier Transform Raman study of the structural specificities on the interaction between DNA and biogenic polyamines. Biophysical J. 80:443-454. 2. Lightfoot HL, Hall J (2014) Endogenous polyamine function--the RNA perspective. Nucleic Acids Res. 42:11275-11290. 3. Igarashi K, Kashiwagi K (2010) Modulation of cellular function by polyamines. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 42:39-51. 4. Finger S, Schwieger C, Arouri A, Kerth A, Blume A (2014) Interaction of linear polyamines with negatively charged phospholipids: the effect of polyamine charge distance. Biol Chem. 395:769-778. 5. Poulin R, Casero RA, Soulet D. (2012) Recent advances in the molecular biology of metazoan polyamine transport. Amino Acids. 42:711-723. 6. Kahana C (2009) Regulation of cellular polyamine levels and cellular proliferation by antizyme and antizyme inhibitor. Essays Biochem. 4:47-61. 7. Agostinelli E, Marques MP, Calheiros R, Gil FP, Tempera G, Viceconte N, Battaglia V, Grancara S, Toninello A (2010) Polyamines: fundamental characters in chemistry and biology. Amino Acids 38:393-403. 8. Liu GY, Liao YF, Hsu PC, Chang WH, Hsieh MC, Lin CY, Hour TC, Kao MC, Tsay GJ, Hung HC (2006) Antizyme, a natural ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor, induces apoptosis of haematopoietic cells through mitochondrial membrane depolarization and caspases' cascade. Apoptosis 11:1773-1788. 9. Kanerva K, Lappalainen J, Mäkitie LT, Virolainen S, Kovanen PT, Andersson LC (2009). Expression of antizyme inhibitor 2 in mast cells and role of polyamines as selective regulators of serotonin secretion. PLoS One 31:e6858. 10. García-Faroldi G, Rodríguez CE, Urdiales JL, Pérez-Pomares JM, Dávila JC, Pejler G, Sánchez-Jiménez F, Fajardo I (2010) Polyamines are present in mast cell secretory granules and are important for granule homeostasis. PLoS One 30:e15071.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Ultrassonografia duplex Doppler transcraniana em cães com hidrocefalia

Transcranial duplex Doppler ultrasound was performed in 32 conscious dogs presenting ventriculomegaly detected in B-mode, obtaining measures of lateral ventricles and resistance parameters of main cerebral arteries before and after 30 days of clinical treatment. The animals were distributed divided in two groups: group 1, dogs that presented remission or decrease of the neurological signs of the disease after clinical therapy; and group 2, dogs that displayed worsening of the neurological signs or clinical stability. The data were all presented in tables and were submitted to paired t test and to logistic regression models to evaluate the influence of the RI reduction on both groups. There was no significant influence of the variables in the B-mode. After the treatment, the mean resistive index (RI) was significantly lower for the group that presented clinical improvement. There was no significant difference of the mean RI reduction for the same artery when the right and left sides were compared. It could be concluded that transcranial duplex Doppler ultrasound is a method of cerebral hemodynamic assessment able to monitor more precisely the treatment of hydrocephalus in dogs and verify the responses.Foi realizada a ultrassonografia duplex Doppler transcraniana em 32 cães, conscientes, que apresentavam ventriculomegalia previamente detectada ao exame modo-B, para obter as medidas dos ventrículos laterais e os parâmetros de resistência das artérias cerebrais antes e depois de 30 dias de tratamento clínico. Os animais foram distribuídos em dois grupos: 1 - formado por cães que apresentaram remissão ou diminuição dos sinais clínicos após tratamento; 2 - por cães que apresentaram piora dos sinais neurológicos ou estabilidade do quadro clínico. Todos os dados foram dispostos em tabelas e submetidos ao teste t pareado e a modelos de regressão logística para avaliar a influência da redução do índice de resistividade (IR). Não foi observada influência das variáveis em modo-B. Após o tratamento, a média do IR foi significantemente menor para o grupo que apresentou melhora clínica; não houve diferença significativa da média de redução do IR para a mesma artéria quando comparados os lados direito e esquerdo. Concluiu-se que o duplex Doppler transcraniano é um métodos de avaliação hemodinâmica capaz de monitorar mais precisamente o tratamento da hidrocefalia em cães e verificar a resposta dos pacientes

A role for antizyme inhibitor 2 in the biosynthesis and content of histamine and serotonin in mouse mast cells

Polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine; PAs) are required for the survival of the majority of living cells. Antizymes and antizyme inhibitors are key regulatory proteins of PA levels by affecting ornithine decarboxylase, the rate-limiting biosynthetic enzyme, and PA uptake. In addition to PA, mast cells (MC) synthesize and store in their granules the biogenically active amines histamine (Hia) and serotonin (5-HT), which are of critical importance for their function. Previously, we have performed several studies in this cell type regarding the interplay between the metabolisms of PAs and Hia and 5-HT. Our results showed that PAs affect Hia synthesis during early stages of IL-3-induced bone marrow cell differentiation into bone marrow derived MCs (BMMCs) and demonstrated that PAs are present in MC secretory granules and are important for granule homeostasis, including Hia storage and 5-HT levels. A few years ago, a novel antizyme inhibitor (AZIN2) was described. In contrast to AZIN1, AZIN2 expression is restricted to a few tissues and cell types including brain, testis and MCs. In MCs, it was recently described that AZIN2 could act as a local regulator of PA biosynthesis in association with the 5-HT granule content and release. At present, our aim is to gain further insight into the role of AZIN2 in the biosynthesis, storage and release of both Hia and 5-HT. In this study, we have generated BMMCs from both wild-type and transgenic mice with severe Azin2 hypomorphism, and have analyzed the content of PAs, Hia and 5-HT, and some elements of their metabolisms. Both PAs and 5-HT levels were reduced in Azin2 hypomorphic BMMCs compared with wild-type controls, whereas the amount of Hia was increased. Accordingly, the level of tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (the key enzyme for 5-HT biosynthesis) was reduced and the amount of enzymatic activity of histidine decarboxylase (the enzyme responsible for histamine biosynthesis) was increased in Azin2 hypomorphic BMMCs. Taken together, our results show evidence that AZIN2 has an important role in the regulation of Hia and 5-HT biosynthesis and storage in MCs. Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBER-ER), Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, Málaga 29071, Spain. Corresponding author: I. Fajardo ([email protected]) This work was supported by SAF2011-26518 (MINECO, Spain) and P10-CVI-6585 and Bio-267 (Junta de Andalucia, Spain). CIBERER is an iniciative of Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spain).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía-Tech. SAF2011-26518 (MINECO, Spain) and P10-CVI-6585 and Bio-267 (Junta de Andalucia, Spain. CIBERER is an iniciative of Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spain)

The Visible Hand of Lawyers: Attorneys’ Selection, White-Collar Fraud, and Criminal Sentences

In the American white-collar fraud prosecution system, attorneys stand between fraudsters and criminal justice. Based on the theory of access literature, this manuscript explores whether attorneys’ selection moderates the relationship between severity of crime and criminal sentence. Collected data from 1,872 white-collar crimes between 2002 and 2020 prosecuted in San Antonio, Texas, test this hypothesis. Findings evidence that attorneys’ selection influences up to 10 percent of the criminal sentence (+,- 64 days). Socioeconomic control variables result in statistical significance, while demographics lack this condition. These findings suggest that fraudsters have incentives to maximize the defrauded amount to gain higher-quality legal access to maintain the ambiguity of the legitimacy of the sources while minimizing criminal sentences if any. A supplementary statistical analysis enhances the reliability of the findings

Capital Market Penalties and Corporate Violations of the Three Pillars (Operations, Reporting, and Compliance) after COSO 2013 Internal Controls: Integrated Framework

Current literature is somewhat unclear on how corporate violations under the new set of governance environments versed in the Internal Controls Integrated Framework issued by COSO (acronym of Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission) influence shareholders’ activism. Initially published in 1992, these guidelines faced a significant revision with proactive improvements in 2013. Since the first emission, this guidance has focused on providing safe-keeping basic standards for organizations to follow regarding the integrity of corporate governance and enterprise risk management by designing and implementing stable internal controls. The handbooks’ primary approach builds upon an environment of permanent improvement of self-regulatory governance in three main catalysts or pillars: (i) operational safety; (ii) financial statements reporting assurance; and (iii) regulatory compliance

Internal Controls for Reputational Threats: Organizational Governance Intelligence

Companies are exposed to reputational scandals derived from both their actions and the behavior of other parties. Even seemingly routine business interactions have the potential to generate scandals and threaten the reputations of major companies. This research addresses the question, “What is the experience of managerial officers attending to and mitigating reputational threats, whether attributable to themselves or to external parties which may or may not be affiliated with the organization?†The methodological approach used is grounded theory based on semi-structured interviews with managers of 27 major publicly traded organizations. Their responses document that not all reputational threats become scandals, and that an organization’s ability to prevent scandals lies in developing internal governance intelligence. This, in turn, relies on solid detection and monitoring control systems, the inclusiveness of the ethical control environment, and regulatory adherence. A scandal occurs when at least one of those elements fails and, once it does, the organization must invest additional resources in the design and implementation of a damage-controlling management plan to minimize the associated negative effects. Keywords: governance intelligence; internal controls; reputational scandals; reputational threat