Technological development from science, lights and shadows

Este trabajo propone algunas reflexiones en torno a los alcances y las consecuencias del creciente protagonismo de los científicos, las instituciones científicas y las universidades en general en la producción de bienes tecnológicos, generando innovación, participando en la creación de empresas y productos solicitados por privados o estatales. Estas actividades pueden generar puestos de trabajo de calidad, el aumento de la competitividad de la economía, y de la calidad de vida de los habitantes. Muchas universidades e institutos de investigación se han dedicado tradicionalmente a actividades relacionadas con la producción de conocimiento y la enseñanza; sin embargo, el modelo actual en muchos países incluye un desplazamiento de la actividad de los científicos hacia un perfil de científico-tecnólogo. Aquí presentaremos una mirada a este proceso de cambio.Este trabalho propõe algumas reflexões em torno dos alcances e consequências do crescente protagonismo dos científicos, instituições científicas e universidades em geral na produção de bens tecnológicos, gerando inovação, participando na criação de empresas e produtos solicitados por privados ou estatais. Estas atividades podem gerar postos de trabalho de qualidade, o aumento da competitividade da economia, e da qualidade de vida dos habitantes. Muitas universidades e institutos de pesquisa se têm dedicado tradicionalmente a atividades relacionadas com a produção de conhecimento e ao ensino; contudo o modelo atual em muitos países inclui um deslocamento da atividade dos cientistas, encaminhado a um perfil de cientistatecnólogo. Aqui apresentaremos um panorama desse processo de mudança.This paper offers some reflections on the scope and the consequences of the growing prominence of scientists, scientific institutions, and universities in general in the production of technological goods, the generation of innovation and the participation in the creation of companies and products requested by the private and the state sector. These activities can generate quality job openings, an increase in competitiveness in the economic sector, and in the citizens’ quality of life. Many universities and research institutes have traditionally focused on activities related to the production of knowledge and teaching. However, the current model applied in several countries involves a shift of scientists’ activities towards a scientifictechnological profile. This piece presents a look on this process of change.Fil: Corton, Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentin

Een Situationele en Epidemiologische Analyse van Belemmerende en Bevorderende Factoren bij de Inzet van de Docentcoach op de BES-eilanden

Pleuni Corton (2016).Een Situationele en Epidemiologische Analyse van Belemmerende en Bevorderende Factoren bij de Inzet van de Docentcoach op de BES-eilanden. Augustus, 16, 2016, Heerlen, Nederland: Open universiteit.Een Situationele en Epidemiologische Analyse van Belemmerende en Bevorderende Factoren bij de Inzet van de Docentcoach op de BES-eilanden Drs. P. Corton Achtergrond Sinds 2011 zijn er docentcoaches werkzaam op Bonaire, St. Eustatius en Saba (BES-eilanden) om docenten te helpen hun bekwaamheid in de klas te verbeteren en kunnen een belangrijke rol spelen in de professionalisering van docenten. Ze ervaren echter een wisselende medewerking vanuit de schoolleiding om hun taken te kunnen uitvoeren en gemaakte plannen voor het verzorgen van trainingen en het coachen van docenten komen geregeld niet tot uitvoering. Dit kan betekenen dat de docentcoaches minder impact hebben op de kwaliteitsverbetering van docenten dan er gewenst en nodig is. Doel Het onderzoek onderzoekt welke factoren een rol spelen bij de structurele inbedding van de docentcoach op de BES-eilanden en welke hiervan deze inbedding bevorderen dan wel belemmeren. Deelnemers, procedure en onderzoekontwerp Er zijn in totaal 44 participanten (21 mannen, 23 vrouwen, van 27 tot 70 jaar, met diverse culturele achtergronden en spreektalen) geïnterviewd, bestaande uit docenten, staffunctionarissen/leidinggevenden en docentcoaches. Ze zijn geselecteerd op functionaliteit, beschikbaarheid en bereidheid tot medewerking en met een mix van culturele achtergrond en ervaring met de docentcoach. Het betreft een kwalitatief onderzoek naar meningen en opvattingen. Meetinstrumenten Er is een semi-gestructureerde vragenlijst ontworpen met algemene vragen over de contacten, taken en verwachtingen van de docentcoach en specifieke vragen over een lijst met uit de literatuur bekende factoren zijnde van invloed op professionaliseringsinterventies en aangevuld met culturele en eiland specifieke aspecten. Resultaten Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat de positieve relatie met de docentcoach op alle drie eilanden als meest bevorderende factor wordt gezien. Participanten zijn daarbij zeer te spreken over het cultureel aanpassingsvermogen van de docentcoaches. De inzet vindt echter onvoldoende plaats en hiervoor worden belemmerende factoren als leiderschap, structuur in de school, schoolcultuur, motivatie bij docenten en opvattingen over effectiviteit genoemd. Daarnaast zijn er culturele en specifieke eiland aspecten aanwezig, zoals de wijze van communicatie en feedback geven, het grote verloop van docenten en leiding en in beperkte mate de machtsafstand, politieke invloeden en Nederlandse inmenging, die de inzet van de docentcoach belemmeren of minder effectief maken. Daarnaast blijkt dat een consistente, frequente of langdurige aanwezigheid, een sterk cultureel aanpassingsvermogen en bekendheid met de leerling populatie van belang wordt geacht. Tevens lijkt er een culturele component aanwezig te zijn in het vrijblijvend nakomen van afspraken, is er spanning tussen enerzijds privacy garanderen van de docenten en anderzijds informatie delen met leidinggevenden en verschilt men van mening in het verplichten van de inzet en voor welke docenten de docentcoach nodig is. Op Saba zijn minder belemmerende factoren genoemd en op Bonaire zijn meer culturele aspecten genoemd als zijnde belemmerend. Conclusie Het onderzoek heeft bevestigt dat randvoorwaarden die een rol spelen bij professionalisering ook een rol spelen bij de inzet van de docentcoach. Er lijken bovendien relaties te zijn tussen de verschillende factoren, aanvullende factoren mee te spelen en verschillen tussen de eilanden te zijn. Het onderzoek heeft daarom informatie opgeleverd voor een interventie volgens bijvoorbeeld het PRECEDE-PROCEED model

Genetic markers in s. Paratyphi c reveal primary adaptation to pigs

Salmonella enterica with the identical antigenic formula 6,7:c:1,5 can be differentiated biochemically and by disease syndrome. One grouping, Salmonella Paratyphi C, is currently considered a typhoidal serovar, responsible for enteric fever in humans. The human-restricted typhoidal serovars (S. Typhi and Paratyphi A, B and C) typically display high levels of genome degradation and are cited as an example of convergent evolution for host adaptation in humans. However, S. Paratyphi C presents a different clinical picture to S. Typhi/Paratyphi A, in a patient group with predisposition, raising the possibility that its natural history is different, and that infection is invasive salmonellosis rather than enteric fever. Using whole genome sequencing and metabolic pathway analysis, we compared the genomes of 17 S. Paratyphi C strains to other members of the 6,7:c:1,5 group and to two typhoidal serovars: S. Typhi and Paratyphi A. The genome degradation observed in S. Paratyphi C was much lower than S. Typhi/Paratyphi A, but similar to the other 6,7:c:1,5 strains. Genomic and metabolic comparisons revealed little to no overlap between S. Paratyphi C and the other typhoidal serovars, arguing against convergent evolution and instead providing evidence of a primary adaptation to pigs in accordance with the 6,7:c:1.5 strains

Microbial Fuel Cells Based in Photosynthetic Metabolism

Las celdas de combustible biológicas son dispositivos bio-electroquímicos, donde generalmente el ánodo (pero a veces el cátodo, o ambos) contiene microorganismos capaces de generar y mantener un gradiente electroquímico que se utiliza típicamente para generar energía eléctrica. En la configuración más estudiada, el ánodo contiene bacterias heterótrofas en condiciones anaerobias, capaces de oxidar moléculas orgánicas, liberando protones y electrones, así como otros subproductos. Los protones liberados pueden alcanzar el cátodo (típicamente a través de una membrana o un puente salino), mientras que los electrones viajan a través de un circuito externo, originando un flujo de corriente fácilmente medible. Se presentan aquí resultados obtenidos con distintas configuraciones de celdas de combustible, empleando organismos autótrofos, plantas y algas. Los resultados obtenidos indican que la producción de energía por estos dispositivos es aún muy baja para resultar competitivos con respecto a otros sistemas de acumulación/producción de energía eléctrica. La optimización tanto desde el punto de vista del diseño, materiales de electrodo y catalizadores, selección y/o modificación genética de los organismos utilizados, podría permitir en el futuro utilizar estos sistemas como una fuente de energía renovable adecuada para una variedad de aplicaciones de baja potencia.Biological fuel cells are electrochemical bio-devices, where usually the anode (but sometimes the cathode, or both) contains microorganisms capable of generate and maintain an electrochemical gradient, which is typically used to generate electricity. In the most studied configuration, the anode contain heterotrophic bacteria in anaerobic conditions, capable of oxidizing organic molecules, releasing protons and electrons as well as other by-products. Released protons can reach the cathode (typically through a membrane or a salt bridge), while electrons travel through an external circuit, producing an easily measurable current flow. Here we present results obtained with different configurations of fuel cells using autotrophic organisms, plants and algae. The results indicate that the production of energy by these devices is still too low to be competitive with other storage / power production systems. Optimization from the point of view of design, electrode materials and catalysts, selection and / or genetic modification of the organisms used could allow in the future the use of such systems as a renewable energy source, suitable for a variety of low power applications.Fil: Figueredo, Federico. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Saavedra Olaya, Albert Ulises. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Corton, Eduardo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentin

A simple laser-based device for simultaneous microbial culture and absorbance measurement

In this work we present a device specifically designed to study microbial growth with several applications related to environmental microbiology and other areas of research as astrobiology. The Automated Measuring and Cultivation device (AMC-d) enables semi-continuous absorbance measurements directly during cultivation. It can measure simultaneously up to 16 samples. Growth curves using low and fast growing microorganism were plotted, including Escherichia coli and Haloferax volcanii, a halophilic archaeon.Fil: Abrevaya, Ximena Celeste. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Corton, Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Areso, Omar Antonio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Mauas, Pablo Jacobo David. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; Argentin

Conservation of long-range synteny and microsynteny between the genomes of two distantly related nematodes

BACKGROUND: Comparisons between the genomes of the closely related nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans and Caenorhabditis briggsae reveal high rates of rearrangement, with a bias towards within-chromosome events. To assess whether this pattern is true of nematodes in general, we have used genome sequence to compare two nematode species that last shared a common ancestor approximately 300 million years ago: the model C. elegans and the filarial parasite Brugia malayi. RESULTS: An 83 kb region flanking the gene for Bm-mif-1 (macrophage migration inhibitory factor, a B. malayi homolog of a human cytokine) was sequenced. When compared to the complete genome of C. elegans, evidence for conservation of long-range synteny and microsynteny was found. Potential C. elegans orthologs for II of the 12 protein-coding genes predicted in the B. malayi sequence were identified. Ten of these orthologs were located on chromosome I, with eight clustered in a 2.3 Mb region. While several, relatively local, intrachromosomal rearrangements have occurred, the order, composition, and configuration of two gene clusters, each containing three genes, was conserved. Comparison of B. malayi BAC-end genome survey sequence to C. elegans also revealed a bias towards intrachromosome rearrangements. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that intrachromosomal rearrangement is a major force driving chromosomal organization in nematodes, but is constrained by the interdigitation of functional elements of neighboring genes

A gene-by-gene population genomics platform: de novo assembly, annotation and genealogical analysis of 108 representative Neisseria meningitidis genomes

Background: Highly parallel,‘second generation’ sequencing technologies have rapidly expanded the number of bacterial whole genome sequences available for study, permitting the emergence of the discipline of population genomics. Most of these data are publically available as unassembled short-read sequence files that require extensive processing before they can be used for analysis. The provision of data in a uniform format, which can be easily assessed for quality, linked to provenance and phenotype and used for analysis, is therefore necessary. Results: The performance of de novo short-read assembly followed by automatic annotation using the pubMLST. orgNeisseriadatabase was assessed and evaluated for 108 diverse, representative, and well-characterisedNeisseria meningitidisisolates. High-quality sequences were obtained for >99% of known meningococcal genes among the de novoassembled genomes and four resequenced genomes and less than 1% of reassembled genes had sequence discrepancies or misassembled sequences. A core genome of 1600 loci, present in at least 95% of the population, was determined using the Genome Comparator tool. Genealogical relationships compatible with, but at a higher resolution than, those identified by multilocus sequence typing were obtained with core genome comparisons and ribosomal protein gene analysis which revealed a genomic structure for a number of previously described phenotypes. This unified system for cataloguing Neisseria genetic variation in the genome was implemented and used for multiple analyses and the data are publically available in the PubMLST Neisseria database. Conclusions: The de novo assembly, combined with automated gene-by-gene annotation, generates high quality draft genomes in which the majority of protein-encoding genes are present with high accuracy. The approach catalogues diversity efficiently, permits analyses of a single genome or multiple genome comparisons, and is a practical approach to interpreting WGS data for large bacterial population samples. The method generates novel insights into the biology of the meningococcus and improves our understanding of the whole population structure, not just disease causing lineages.</p

Identification of two novel mutations in CDHR1 in consanguineous Spanish families with autosomal recessive retinal dystrophy.

Inherited retinal dystrophies present extensive phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity, posing a challenge for patients' molecular and clinical diagnoses. In this study, we wanted to clinically characterize and investigate the molecular etiology of an atypical form of autosomal recessive retinal dystrophy in two consanguineous Spanish families. Affected members of the respective families exhibited an array of clinical features including reduced visual acuity, photophobia, defective color vision, reduced or absent ERG responses, macular atrophy and pigmentary deposits in the peripheral retina. Genetic investigation included autozygosity mapping coupled with exome sequencing in the first family, whereas autozygome-guided candidate gene screening was performed by means of Sanger DNA sequencing in the second family. Our approach revealed nucleotide changes in CDHR1; a homozygous missense variant (c.1720C &gt; G, p.P574A) and a homozygous single base transition (c.1485 + 2T &gt; C) affecting the canonical 5' splice site of intron 13, respectively. Both changes co-segregated with the disease and were absent among cohorts of unrelated control individuals. To date, only five mutations in CDHR1 have been identified, all resulting in premature stop codons leading to mRNA nonsense mediated decay. Our work reports two previously unidentified homozygous mutations in CDHR1 further expanding the mutational spectrum of this gene

Material Remains: Photography, Death, and Transformation

This dissertation discusses photographic series by nine contemporary American photographers who picture the materials of death: belongings left behind, physical traces, dead bodies, and cremation ashes. In the series by Andrea Tese, Justin Kimball, and Jonathan Hollingsworth featured in Chapter One, belongings left behind—furniture, clothes, keepsakes, and personal effects—retain physical and psychic traces of the lives of the deceased. The blood- and fluid-stained fabrics and the decaying dead bodies themselves pictured in series by Sarah Sudhoff, Sally Mann, and Robert Shults, discussed in Chapter Two, serve as evidence of the physical and sociopolitical circumstances of death. In Chapter Three, series by Jacqueline Hayden, Jason Lazarus, and David Maisel feature cremation ashes, which suggest, through their resemblance to stars and other sublime vistas, an enduring afterlife.These photographs vacillate between emphasizing the “truth” and persistence of material remains and their literal and metaphorical transformation. Utilizing an array of photographic processes and artistic choices, the photographers lead the viewer through various levels of literal and metaphorical transformation, allowing the photographers to explore new ways to visualize that which otherwise may not be accessible, apparent, or knowable: the story of a life lived and lost, the underlying sociopolitical causes of a death, or the existence of an afterlife. These varied approaches to reading death through transformation suggest possibilities but ultimately accept the limitations of attempting to picture the unknowable. Despite their acknowledgement of such limitations, however, each photographer suggests that efforts to memorialize, understand, and envision remain meaningful and worthwhile.This dissertation primarily utilizes visual analysis and incorporates material from in-depth, firsthand interviews between the author and six of the discussed artists. The dissertation also draws on photography theory and interdisciplinary scholarship from the field of Death Studies. Contemplating the photographs discussed herein, singly and in series, and in conversation with each other and with trends in popular media and contemporary funerary options, allows viewers insight into individual experiences of dying and enables them to extrapolate broader patterns in attitudes, sociopolitical circumstances, and institutions that affect how people age, ail, and die, and mourn and remember today

Genome wide analysis of gene expression changes in skin from patients with type 2 diabetes

Non-healing chronic ulcers are a serious complication of diabetes and are a major healthcare problem. While a host of treatments have been explored to heal or prevent these ulcers from forming, these treatments have not been found to be consistently effective in clinical trials. An understanding of the changes in gene expression in the skin of diabetic patients may provide insight into the processes and mechanisms that precede the formation of non-healing ulcers. In this study, we investigated genome wide changes in gene expression in skin between patients with type 2 diabetes and non-diabetic patients using next generation sequencing. We compared the gene expression in skin samples taken from 27 patients (13 with type 2 diabetes and 14 non-diabetic). This information may be useful in identifying the causal factors and potential therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of diabetic related diseases