Comparación de tres métodos de extracción de ADN de restos óseos.

Proyecto de Graduación (Bachillerato en Ingeniería en Biotecnología). Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Escuela de Biología, 2002.La extracción de ADN amplificable es un problema frecuente en las muestras degradadas de tipo forense, especialmente en los huesos. El poder obtener la mayor cantidad de información posible de estas muestras es muy importante a nivel legal. El presente estudio trata de encontrar el método que proporcionó las mejores condiciones de extracción de ADN amplificable a partir de restos óseos. Se compararon tres métodos de extracción fenólica en seis huesos de diferente procedencia. Los tres métodos utilizados son: el usado por la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, el usado en el OIJ y el del FBI. En la comparación se tomó en cuenta la cantidad de ácidos nucleicos extraídos, la amplificación de STR’s y Amelogenina por la Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa (PCR), el contexto ambiental en el que se encontraba la muestra y la presencia de inhibidores de PCR. Se encontró pequeñas diferencias entre los métodos, pero es el contexto de las muestras lo que afecta la cantidad y calidad del ADN. Se obtuvo mejores resultados de amplificación de Amelogenina que de STR’s en todos los métodos. El método del FBI es el que presentó las mejores las mejores condiciones de ADN amplificable aún cuando no fue el método que extrajo la mayor cantidad de ADN. El método usado en la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela es el que presentó la mayor cantidad de contaminantes y los resultados más pobres de amplificación. El éxito de amplificación depende de una remoción efectiva de los contaminantes inhibidores de PCR

Flow, mobility and levels of accesibility in the city centre of Chillan: Proposals for improvement through SIG

La ciudad de Chillán posee una red vial estructurada en base a la infraestructura física que la ciudad ha desarrollado desde su fundación, organizándose el tráfico vehicular colectivo en torno a ésta, generando así rutas de transporte desde la periferia hasta el centro de la ciudad.La investigación analizará cómo el tráfico vehicular que circula en la red céntrica de la ciudad de Chillán, afecta los índices de accesibilidad. En este contexto, la investigación toma como objeto de estudio la red vial céntrica de Chillán y el flujo vehicular desde la periferia al centro, enmarcándola en el análisis de las redes, su accesibilidad y en el sistema de ordenación de locomoción colectiva. La herramienta más idónea para establecer dicho análisis lo constituyen los Sistemas de Información Geográfica, que permiten modelar la realidad existente y además generar propuestas de flujo vehicular que aumenten los niveles de accesibilidad al centro de la ciudad de Chillán.The city of Chillan has a structured road network based on the physical infrastructure that the city has developed since its fundations, organising collective vehicle traffic around it, generating therefore transport routes from the periphery into the core area of the city.The present investigation will analise how vehicular traffic that circulates within the city centre limits aff ects accessibility rates. In this context, the investigation will take the red céntrica of Chillan as the object of study, as well as the vehicular influx from the periphery into the core part of the city, bearing in mind networks’ analysis, their accessibilty and also in the distribution system of collective transport. The most appropiate tool to establish such analysis is GIS, that allows to create an existing reality while at the same time it generates proposals of vehicular influx that will increase the rates of accessibilty into the core of the city of Chillán

Nucleation and growth mechanism of polycarbazole deposited by electrochemistry

Polycarbazole (PCz) thin films have been deposited by electro-oxidation of carbazole in LiClO4 + anhydrous acetonitrile onto SnO2 coated glass substrates, by potentiostatic method and the nucleation and growth mechanism (NGM) were studied. The obtained current time transients (j-t) were fitted using a mathematical equation with three contributions: instantaneous nucleation with two-dimensional (IN2D) or three-dimensional (IN3D) growth, and also a progressive nucleation with three dimensional (PN3D) growth. At the beginning, the IN2D contribution is predominant but, quickly the IN3D processes become more important. At a deposition time t > 17 s the IN3D corresponds to 80 % of the total current. The visualization by scanning electron microscopy of the surface morphology of the PCz films is in agreement with the NGM proposed by the mathematical method. The film covers very rapidly the SnO2 under layer related to the 2D process, even if some heterogeneities randomly distributed in the films, issued from the 3D processes, are also visible. After two minutes of deposition, the roughness of the whole surface of the films corroborates the 3D processes domination. Therefore, the information directly obtained from the (j-t) transients is a suitable and very useful tool to predict the working conditions in order to control the type of morphology of the film prepared by electropolymerization

Evaluation of Silica Sol-Gel Microcapsule for the Controlled Release of Insect Repellent, N,N-Diethyl-2-methoxybenzamide, on Cotton

N,N-diethyl-2-methoxybenzamide, an insect repellent compound, was incorporated into cotton textile using the sol-gel method. Evaluation of the results of four different sol-gel formulations showed that a lower condensation rate resulted in significantly better encapsulation. Also investigated was the encapsulation in the presence of other polymers like polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) that prolong the release of the repellent. The sol-gel formulation, SiO2 : polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) (1:0.8), gave smooth fabric and good encapsulation of the insect repellent compound. PS and PVA resulted in cloths which are aesthetically undesirable. Cloths coated with sol-gel PVA gave the best repellent release profile

New Compounds Measured by Fluorescence Spectroscopy. Amino-Fluorene-Thiophene Derivatives to Be Proposed as Polarity Indicators.

The solvatochromic effect is high in conjugate compounds and easy to observe by the colour change emitted when the solutions are exposed to UV light. It was found in a series of aminofluorene thiophene derivatives, previously synthesized, that irradiating at different wavelengths, the same pattern is obtained, i.e. a dual behaviour in the solvatochromism of the studied compounds. For each one, a bathochromic and hypsochromic effect exists, in polar and nonpolar solvents, respectively. Wavelength vs. polarity index plots clearly showed the abovementioned dual behaviour as well as the improved linearity in its plots. Amidst the wavelengths at which each compound is excited in each solvent, 280 nm was selected as the fixed wavelength for the measurements; (E)-9,9-diethyl-N-hexyl-N-phenyl-7-(2-(thiofen-2-yl)vinyl)-9H-fluoren-2-amine (M6-6) exhibits better linearity as compared to the other studied compounds, being the best to be proposed as polarity sensor or indicator

Catecolaminas síntesis metabolismo: receptores adrenérgicos y dopaminérgicos

El sistema nervioso autónomo representa uno de los principales mecanismos del organismo en la regulación a corto plazo de la presión arterial. El cambio, en el tono simpático y parasimpático inducido por diferentes estímulos detectados por las aferencias simpáticas barorreceptores arteriales, receptores de baja presión, quimiorreceptores periféricos, entre otros permite la regulación de la hemodinamia en el corto plazo a través de la modificación de la actividad neuronal simpática que inerva el corazón, el riñón o el músculo liso arterial y venoso y del sistema nervioso parasimpático cardíaco.Fil: Taira, Carlos Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Carranza, Andrea del Valle. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Bertera, Facundo Martin. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Höcht, Christian. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; Argentin

Design and validation of a tool for prognosis of the energy consumption and performance in electric vehicles

This work develops a software tool to calculate and predict the energy consumption of an electric vehicle (EV) for any desired route. The software tool is based on a mathematical model of an electric vehicle, which relates the energy consumption of the vehicle with factors such as the speed and the terrain slope. In addition, factors such as driving style, weather conditions and traffic congestion can be taken into account. The model has been validated with real data from an electric vehicle. On the other hand, this work proposes a methodology to use this tool with any other EV, as long as its basic characteristics are known. The results obtained in this work are applied in automated testing systems, specific for EV storage systems at laboratory level. The main advantage lies in the use of more realistic power profiles than those commonly used and proposed in the specialized literature (eg, FUDS). In addition, the proposed methodology can be applied to any EV, in different scenarios of orography, traffic, climatology, etc.This work was supported by the Science of Innovation Spanish Ministry and FEDER funds under the Project TEC2016-80700-R (AEI/FEDER, UE), by the Principality of Asturias Government under project FC-15GRUPIN14-073 and the University Institute of Industrial Technology of Asturias (IUTA) under project SV-15GIJON-1.13

Neuroprotective role of trans-resveratrol in a murine model of familial Alzheimer's disease

The amyloid-β protein precursor/presenilin 1 (AβPP/PS1) mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has provided robust neuropathological hallmarks of familial AD-like pattern. AD is a neurodegenerative process that causes severe cognitive impairment; it is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau forms and by oxidative and inflammatory processes in brain. Currently, efforts are made to understand biochemical pathways because there is no effective therapy for AD. Resveratrol is a polyphenol that induces expression and activation of several neuroprotective pathways involving Sirtuin1 and AMPK. The objective of this work was to assess the effect of oral resveratrol administration on AβPP/PS1 mice. Long-term resveratrol treatment significantly prevented memory loss as measured by the object recognition test. Moreover, resveratrol reduced the amyloid burden and increased mitochondrial complex IV protein levels in mouse brain. These protective effects of resveratrol were mainly mediated by increased activation of Sirtuin 1 and AMPK pathways in mice. However, an increase has been observed in IL1β and TNF gene expression, indicating that resveratrol promoted changes in inflammatory processes, although no changes were detected in other key actors of the oxidative stress pathway. Taken together, our findings suggest that resveratrol is able to reduce the harmful process that occurs in AβPP/PS1 mouse hippocampus, preventing memory loss

Amyloid and tau pathology of familial Alzheimer's disease APP/PS1 mouse model in a senescence phenotype background (SAMP8)

The amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has provided robust neuropathological hallmarks of familial AD-like pattern at early ages, whereas senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) has a remarkable early senescence phenotype with pathological similarities to AD. The aim of this study was the investigation and characterization of cognitive and neuropathological AD markers in a novel mouse model that combines the characteristics of the APP/PS1 transgenic mouse model with a senescence-accelerated background of SAMP8 mice. Initially, significant differences were found regarding amyloid plaque formation and cognitive abnormalities. Bearing these facts in mind, we determined a general characterization of the main AD brain molecular markers, such as alterations in amyloid pathway, neuroinflammation, and hyperphosphorylation of tau in these mice along their lifetimes. Results from this analysis revealed that APP/PS1 in SAMP8 background mice showed alterations in the pathways studied in comparison with SAMP8 and APP/PS1, demonstrating that a senescence-accelerated background exacerbated the amyloid pathology and maintained the cognitive dysfunction present in APP/PS1 mice. Changes in tau pathology, including the activity of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) and glycogen synthase kinase 3 β (GSK3β), differs, but not in a parallel manner, with amyloid disturbances

VLTI status update: a decade of operations and beyond

We present the latest update of the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope interferometer (VLTI). The operations of VLTI have greatly improved in the past years: reduction of the execution time; better offering of telescopes configurations; improvements on AMBER limiting magnitudes; study of polarization effects and control for single mode fibres; fringe tracking real time data, etc. We present some of these improvements and also quantify the operational improvements using a performance metric. We take the opportunity of the first decade of operations to reflect on the VLTI community which is analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Finally, we present briefly the preparatory work for the arrival of the second generation instruments GRAVITY and MATISSE.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, Proceedings of the SPIE, 9146-1