212 research outputs found
Modifications of Bordetella bronchiseptica core lipopolysaccharide influence immune response without affecting protective activity
Bordetella bronchiseptica produces respiratory disease primarily in mammals including humans. Although a considerably amount of research has been generated regarding lipopolysaccharide (LPS) role during infection and stimulating innate and adaptive immune response, mechanisms involved in LPS synthesis are still unknown. In this context we searched in B. bronchiseptica genome for putative glycosyltransferases. We found possible genes codifying for enzymes involved in sugar substitution of the LPS structure. We decided to analyse BB3394 to BB3400 genes, closed to a previously described LPS biosynthetic locus in B. pertussis. Particularly, conservation of BB3394 in sequenced B. bronchiseptica genomes suggests the importance of this gene for bacteria normal physiology. Deletion of BB3394 abolished resistance to naive serum as described for other LPS mutants. When purified LPS was analyzed, differences in the LPS core structure were found. Particularly, a GalNA branched sugar substitution in the core was absent in the LPS obtained from BB3394 deletion mutant. Absence of GalNA in core LPS alters immune response in vivo but is able to induce protective response against B. bronchiseptica infection.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta
Modifications of Bordetella bronchiseptica core lipopolysaccharide influence immune response without affecting protective activity
Bordetella bronchiseptica produces respiratory disease primarily in mammals including humans. Although a considerably amount of research has been generated regarding lipopolysaccharide (LPS) role during infection and stimulating innate and adaptive immune response, mechanisms involved in LPS synthesis are still unknown. In this context we searched in B. bronchiseptica genome for putative glycosyltransferases. We found possible genes codifying for enzymes involved in sugar substitution of the LPS structure. We decided to analyse BB3394 to BB3400 genes, closed to a previously described LPS biosynthetic locus in B. pertussis. Particularly, conservation of BB3394 in sequenced B. bronchiseptica genomes suggests the importance of this gene for bacteria normal physiology. Deletion of BB3394 abolished resistance to naive serum as described for other LPS mutants. When purified LPS was analyzed, differences in the LPS core structure were found. Particularly, a GalNA branched sugar substitution in the core was absent in the LPS obtained from BB3394 deletion mutant. Absence of GalNA in core LPS alters immune response in vivo but is able to induce protective response against B. bronchiseptica infection.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta
Modifications of Bordetella bronchiseptica core lipopolysaccharide influence immune response without affecting protective activity
Bordetella bronchiseptica produces respiratory disease primarily in mammals including humans. Although a considerably amount of research has been generated regarding lipopolysaccharide (LPS) role during infection and stimulating innate and adaptive immune response, mechanisms involved in LPS synthesis are still unknown. In this context we searched in B. bronchiseptica genome for putative glycosyltransferases. We found possible genes codifying for enzymes involved in sugar substitution of the LPS structure. We decided to analyse BB3394 to BB3400 genes, closed to a previously described LPS biosynthetic locus in B. pertussis. Particularly, conservation of BB3394 in sequenced B. bronchiseptica genomes suggests the importance of this gene for bacteria normal physiology. Deletion of BB3394 abolished resistance to naive serum as described for other LPS mutants. When purified LPS was analyzed, differences in the LPS core structure were found. Particularly, a GalNA branched sugar substitution in the core was absent in the LPS obtained from BB3394 deletion mutant. Absence of GalNA in core LPS alters immune response in vivo but is able to induce protective response against B. bronchiseptica infection.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta
Aprender a evaluar : una mirada al operativo APRENDER en Argentina
El artĂculo aborda el proceso de adopciĂłn del operativo de evaluaciĂłn estandarizada "Aprender" en Argentina, que se iniciĂł en el año 2016. Para ello se analizan los factores econĂłmicos, polĂticos, culturales, institucionales y sociales que fueron determinantes a lo largo de las distintas etapas de la adopciĂłn, a la vez que se identifican los actores -locales y globales- involucrados y se los vincula con las distintas teorĂas sobre transferencia y difusiĂłn de polĂticas. A travĂ©s del diĂĄlogo entre la teorĂa y el anĂĄlisis de las particularidades propias del caso argentino se busca comprender cĂłmo esta adopciĂłn se enmarca en la difusiĂłn global de este tipo de programas, a la vez que es utilizada redituablemente por el gobierno nacional con el fin de profundizar las lĂłgicas de mercado en la educaciĂłn. Finalmente, se pone en evidencia como la compleja interacciĂłn entre actores locales y globales se combinan con circunstancias coyunturales propias del paĂs, permitiendo la traducciĂłn e institucionalizaciĂłn de la polĂtica evaluativa en el sistema educativo argentino.L'article aborda el procĂ©s d'adopciĂł de l'operatiu d'avaluaciĂł estandarditzada "Aprendre" a Argentina, que es va iniciar l'any 2016. Per a aixĂČ s'analitzen els factors econĂČmics, polĂtics, culturals, institucionals i socials que van ser determinants al llarg de les diferents etapes de l'adopciĂł, alhora que s'identifiquen els actors -locals i globals- involucrats i se'ls vincula amb les diferents teories sobre transferĂšncia i difusiĂł de polĂtiques. A travĂ©s del diĂ leg entre la teoria i l'anĂ lisi de les particularitats prĂČpies del cas argentĂ es busca comprendre com aquesta adopciĂł s'emmarca en la difusiĂł global d'aquest tipus de programes, alhora que Ă©s utilitzada redituablemente pel govern nacional amb la finalitat de aprofundir les lĂČgiques de mercat en l'educaciĂł. Finalment, es posa en evidĂšncia com la complexa interacciĂł entre actors locals i globals es combinen amb circumstĂ ncies conjunturals prĂČpies del paĂs, permetent la traducciĂł i institucionalitzaciĂł de la polĂtica avaluativa en el sistema educatiu argentĂ.The article addresses the process of adopting the standardized evaluation operation "Aprender" in Argentina, which began in 2016. For this purpose, the economic, political, cultural, institutional and social factors that were determinant throughout the different stages of the adoption are analyzed, while the actors -local and global- involved are identified and linked to the different theories about transfer and dissemination of policies. Through dialogue between the theory and the analysis of the pecu-liarities of the Argentine case, it is sought to understand how this adoption is part of the global diffusion of this type of programs, at the same time that it is used profitably by the national government in order to deepen the market logic in education. Finally, it becomes evident how the complex interaction between local and global actors is combined with co-specific circumstances of the country, allowing the translation and institutionalization of the evaluation policy in the Argentine education system
WebSurvCa: web-based estimation of death and survival probabilities in a cohort
La supervivencia relativa se ha utilizado habitualmente como medida de la evoluciĂłn temporal del exceso de riesgo de mortalidad en cohortes de pacientes diagnosticados de cĂĄncer, teniendo en cuenta la mortalidad de una poblaciĂłn de referencia. Una vez estimado el exceso de riesgo de mortalidad pueden calcularse tres probabilidades acumuladas a un tiempo T: 1) la probabilidad de fallecer asociada a la causa de diagnĂłstico inicial (enfermedad en estudio), 2) la probabilidad de fallecer asociada a otras causas, y 3) la probabilidad de supervivencia absoluta en la cohorte a un tiempo T. Este trabajo presenta la aplicaciĂłn WebSurvCa (https://shiny.snpstats.net/WebSurvCa/), mediante la cual los registros de cĂĄncer de base hospitalaria y poblacional, y los registros de otras enfermedades, estiman dichas probabilidades en sus cohortes seleccionando como poblaciĂłn de referencia la mortalidad de la comunidad autĂłnoma que consideren
Biogeographical Survey Identifies Consistent Alternative Physiological Optima and a Minor Role for Environmental Drivers in Maintaining a Polymorphism
The contribution of adaptive mechanisms in maintaining genetic polymorphisms is still debated in many systems. To understand the contribution of selective factors in maintaining polymorphism, we investigated large-scale (>1000 km) geographic variation in morph frequencies and fitness-related physiological traits in the damselfly Nehalennia irene. As fitness-related physiological traits, we investigated investment in immune function (phenoloxidase activity), energy storage and fecundity (abdomen protein and lipid content), and flight muscles (thorax protein content). In the first part of the study, our aim was to identify selective agents maintaining the large-scale spatial variation in morph frequencies. Morph frequencies varied considerably among populations, but, in contrast to expectation, in a geographically unstructured way. Furthermore, frequencies co-varied only weakly with the numerous investigated ecological parameters. This suggests that spatial frequency patterns are driven by stochastic processes, or alternatively, are consequence of highly variable and currently unidentified ecological conditions. In line with this, the investigated ecological parameters did not affect the fitness-related physiological traits differently in both morphs. In the second part of the study, we aimed at identifying trade-offs between fitness-related physiological traits that may contribute to the local maintenance of both colour morphs by defining alternative phenotypic optima, and test the spatial consistency of such trade-off patterns. The female morph with higher levels of phenoloxidase activity had a lower thorax protein content, and vice versa, suggesting a trade-off between investments in immune function and in flight muscles. This physiological trade-off was consistent across the geographical scale studied and supports widespread correlational selection, possibly driven by male harassment, favouring alternative trait combinations in both female morphs
FamĂlies botĂ niques de plantes medicinals
Facultat de Farmà cia, Universitat de Barcelona. Ensenyament: Grau de Farmà cia, Assignatura: Botà nica FarmacÚutica, Curs: 2013-2014, Coordinadors: Joan Simon, CÚsar Blanché i
Maria Bosch.Els materials que aquĂ es presenten sĂłn els recull de 175 treballs dâuna famĂlia botĂ nica dâinterĂšs medicinal realitzats de manera individual. Els treballs han estat realitzat
per la totalitat dels estudiants dels grups M-2 i M-3 de lâassignatura BotĂ nica FarmacĂšutica
durant els mesos dâabril i maig del curs 2013-14. Tots els treballs sâhan dut a terme a travĂ©s de la plataforma de GoogleDocs i han estat tutoritzats pel professor de lâassignatura i revisats i finalment co-avaluats entre els propis estudiants. Lâobjectiu principal de lâactivitat ha estat fomentar lâaprenentatge autĂČnom i col·laboratiu en BotĂ nica farmacĂšutica
Virgo Detector Characterization and Data Quality during the O3 run
The Advanced Virgo detector has contributed with its data to the rapid growth
of the number of detected gravitational-wave signals in the past few years,
alongside the two LIGO instruments. First, during the last month of the
Observation Run 2 (O2) in August 2017 (with, most notably, the compact binary
mergers GW170814 and GW170817) and then during the full Observation Run 3 (O3):
an 11 months data taking period, between April 2019 and March 2020, that led to
the addition of about 80 events to the catalog of transient gravitational-wave
sources maintained by LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA. These discoveries and the manifold
exploitation of the detected waveforms require an accurate characterization of
the quality of the data, such as continuous study and monitoring of the
detector noise. These activities, collectively named {\em detector
characterization} or {\em DetChar}, span the whole workflow of the Virgo data,
from the instrument front-end to the final analysis. They are described in
details in the following article, with a focus on the associated tools, the
results achieved by the Virgo DetChar group during the O3 run and the main
prospects for future data-taking periods with an improved detector.Comment: 86 pages, 33 figures. This paper has been divided into two articles
which supercede it and have been posted to arXiv on October 2022. Please use
these new preprints as references: arXiv:2210.15634 (tools and methods) and
arXiv:2210.15633 (results from the O3 run
Virgo Detector Characterization and Data Quality: results from the O3 run
The Advanced Virgo detector has contributed with its data to the rapid growth
of the number of detected gravitational-wave (GW) signals in the past few
years, alongside the two Advanced LIGO instruments. First during the last month
of the Observation Run 2 (O2) in August 2017 (with, most notably, the compact
binary mergers GW170814 and GW170817), and then during the full Observation Run
3 (O3): an 11-months data taking period, between April 2019 and March 2020,
that led to the addition of about 80 events to the catalog of transient GW
sources maintained by LIGO, Virgo and now KAGRA. These discoveries and the
manifold exploitation of the detected waveforms require an accurate
characterization of the quality of the data, such as continuous study and
monitoring of the detector noise sources. These activities, collectively named
{\em detector characterization and data quality} or {\em DetChar}, span the
whole workflow of the Virgo data, from the instrument front-end hardware to the
final analyses. They are described in details in the following article, with a
focus on the results achieved by the Virgo DetChar group during the O3 run.
Concurrently, a companion article describes the tools that have been used by
the Virgo DetChar group to perform this work.Comment: 57 pages, 18 figures. To be submitted to Class. and Quantum Grav.
This is the "Results" part of preprint arXiv:2205.01555 [gr-qc] which has
been split into two companion articles: one about the tools and methods, the
other about the analyses of the O3 Virgo dat
Virgo Detector Characterization and Data Quality: tools
Detector characterization and data quality studies -- collectively referred
to as {\em DetChar} activities in this article -- are paramount to the
scientific exploitation of the joint dataset collected by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA
global network of ground-based gravitational-wave (GW) detectors. They take
place during each phase of the operation of the instruments (upgrade, tuning
and optimization, data taking), are required at all steps of the dataflow (from
data acquisition to the final list of GW events) and operate at various
latencies (from near real-time to vet the public alerts to offline analyses).
This work requires a wide set of tools which have been developed over the years
to fulfill the requirements of the various DetChar studies: data access and
bookkeeping; global monitoring of the instruments and of the different steps of
the data processing; studies of the global properties of the noise at the
detector outputs; identification and follow-up of noise peculiar features
(whether they be transient or continuously present in the data); quick
processing of the public alerts. The present article reviews all the tools used
by the Virgo DetChar group during the third LIGO-Virgo Observation Run (O3,
from April 2019 to March 2020), mainly to analyse the Virgo data acquired at
EGO. Concurrently, a companion article focuses on the results achieved by the
DetChar group during the O3 run using these tools.Comment: 44 pages, 16 figures. To be submitted to Class. and Quantum Grav.
This is the "Tools" part of preprint arXiv:2205.01555 [gr-qc] which has been
split into two companion articles: one about the tools and methods, the other
about the analyses of the O3 Virgo dat
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