Post-translational regulation of lipophorin receptors

Resumen del póster presentado al IX Meeting of the Spanish Society for Developmental Biology celebrado en Granada del 12 al 14 de noviembre de 2012.Peer Reviewe

Hydrogeological impact assessment by tunnelling at sites of high sensitivity

A tunnel for the High Speed Train (HST) was constructed in Barcelona with an Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). The tunnel crosses Barcelona and passes under some famous landmarks such as the Sagrada Familia and the Casa Mill Both monuments are UNESCO world heritage sites and a committee appointed by the UNESCO acted as external observers during the construction. Concerns about soil settlements and the hydrogeological impacts of the construction were raised. These concerns were addressed during the design stage to forestall any unexpected events. The methodology consisted of 1) characterising the geology in detail, 2) predicting the impacts caused in the aquifer, 3) predicting the soil displacements due to water table oscillations produced by the construction, and 4) monitoring the evolution of groundwater and soil settlements. The main estimated impact on groundwater was a moderate barrier effect. The barrier effect, the magnitude of which matched the predictions, was detected during construction. The monitoring of soil settlements revealed short and long term movements. The latter movements matched the analytical predictions of soil displacements caused by the groundwater oscillations. This paper proposes a realistic procedure to estimate impacts on groundwater during tunnel construction with an EPB. Our methodology will considerably improve the construction of tunnels in urban areas. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Global membrane protein interactome analysis using <i>in vivo</i> crosslinking and MS-based protein correlation profiling

We present a methodology using in vivo crosslinking combined with HPLC-MS for the global analysis of endogenous protein complexes by protein correlation profiling. Formaldehyde crosslinked protein complexes were extracted with high yield using denaturing buffers that maintained complex solubility during chromatographic separation. We show this efficiently detects both integral membrane and membrane-associated protein complexes,in addition to soluble complexes, allowing identification and analysis of complexes not accessible in native extracts. We compare the protein complexes detected by HPLC-MS protein correlation profiling in both native and formaldehyde crosslinked U2OS cell extracts. These proteome-wide data sets of both in vivo crosslinked and native protein complexes from U2OS cells are freely available via a searchable online database (www.peptracker.com/epd). Raw data are also available via ProteomeXchange (identifier PXD003754)

Managing the business operations of a travel agency

U ovome radu obavljeno je istraživanje tržišta za online korištenje usluga putničkih agencija. Navedene su neke od stranica za mrežnu kupovinu kao primjeri, alati u kojima su izrađene te je opisana njihova funkcionalnosti i nedostaci. Pojašnjeni su alati korišteni tijekom izrade rada: SQL Workbench i SQL Server u svrhu izrade i povezivanja s bazom i Visual Studio za izradu mrežne aplikacije. Temeljito je obrađena baza podataka s osvrtom na ER dijagram koja je implementirana u navedenu aplikaciju. Pojašnjene su namjene kreiranih tablica i njihovih atributa kao i vrste relacijskih veza među njima. Navedene su sve mogućnosti i ograničenja korištenja ovog relacijskog modela. Posebna se pažnja posvetila sigurnosti baze od namjernih ili slučajnih pristupa podacima. U teorijskome se dijelu opisuje najčešće korištena metoda za neovlašten pristup te su spomenuti načini na koje se to može spriječiti. Opisan je i postupak za provjeru sigurnosti vlastite baze. U praktičnom djelu rada pomoću ASP.NET MVC tehnologije je izrađena aplikacija pisana u programskom jeziku C#. Ona se sastoji od odvojenih sučelja za administratora i klijente. Pošto svaka agencija upravlja povjerljivim informacijama, navedena podjela ima ograničeni pristup podacima osobama koje za to nisu ovlaštene. Administrator ima dozvolu za potpuno upravljanje radom agencije: pregled ponude, klijentele, ostvarenih rezervacija i računa te dodavanje, promjenu ili brisanje navedenih stavki. Klijentima je dopušten pregled ponude i ostvarivanje rezervacija ili uplata za željen turistički aranžman. U radu su opisane korištene metode, postupci i načini funkcioniranja. Dati su osnovni elementi dizajna i funkcionalnosti svakog pripadajućeg segmenta za potrebe kvalitetnog vođenja putničke agencije. Grafičko sučelje je intuitivno i prilagodljivo svakom korisniku te bez gubitka funkcionalnosti što je prikazano na priloženim slikama u ovome radu

FACTORES DE RIESGO ASOCIADOS A MORBIMORTALIDAD PERINATAL PRECOZ EN EL HOSPITAL SAN JUAN DE DIOS. ANCASH, PERÚ

Objetivo: Identificar los factores de riesgo asociados a morbimortalidad perinatal precoz del Hospital San Juan de Dios,&nbsp;ubicado en la región Ancash, el año 2010.&nbsp;Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo, transversal y analítico, la&nbsp;población estuvo conformada de 625 gestantes, se tomó una muestra al azar de 100 gestantes, utilizando una ficha técnica.&nbsp;Para el análisis estadístico se halló el Odds Ratio (OR) y el chi cuadrado a través del programa SPSS versión 14, con&nbsp;intervalo de confianza al 95%.&nbsp;Resultados: Los recién nacidos con complicaciones fueron 33, el total de recién nacidos&nbsp;muertos fueron 12 por muerte fetal tardía y neonatal precoz de 945 g, a más y los controles 88 nacidos vivos, seleccionados&nbsp;al azar. La tasa de mortalidad precoz fue 12%. Los factores de riesgo fueron: Edad Materna 35 años a más (OR=4,54),&nbsp;Multiparidad (OR=3,77)&nbsp;, Control prenatal ausente o inadecuado (OR=3,87), Inicio de parto inducido o cesárea electiva (OR=21,5), Trabajo de parto precipitado o prolongado (OR=10,5), Depresión (OR=37,40) Prematuridad (OR=9,67). La presencia de depresión al nacer, inicio de parto inducido, trabajo de parto prolongado, bajo peso y prematuridad, tienen altos valores predictivos.&nbsp;Conclusiones: Los factores de riesgo del recién nacido tienen mayor asociación y alto valor predictivo para mortalidad perinatal precoz en el hospital San Juan de Dios de Ancash, Perú

Control of Neural Daughter Cell Proliferation by Multi-level Notch/Su(H)/E(spl)-HLH Signaling

The Notch pathway controls proliferation during development and in adulthood, and is frequently affected in many disorders. However, the genetic sensitivity and multi-layered transcriptional properties of the Notch pathway has made its molecular decoding challenging. Here, we address the complexity of Notch signaling with respect to proliferation, using the developing Drosophila CNS as model. We find that a Notch/Su(H)/E(spl)-HLH cascade specifically controls daughter, but not progenitor proliferation. Additionally, we find that different E(spl)-HLH genes are required in different neuroblast lineages. The Notch/Su(H)/E(spl)-HLH cascade alters daughter proliferation by regulating four key cell cycle factors: Cyclin E, String/Cdc25, E2f and Dacapo (mammalian p21CIP1/p27KIP1/p57Kip2). ChIP and DamID analysis of Su(H) and E(spl)-HLH indicates direct transcriptional regulation of the cell cycle genes, and of the Notch pathway itself. These results point to a multi-level signaling model and may help shed light on the dichotomous proliferative role of Notch signaling in many other systems

Adaptación de biomasa aerobia para lixiviación como medio utilizando etanol como sustrato en un reactor de mezcla completa

El relleno sanitario es una forma de disposición adecuada que minimiza los impactos ambientales, pero no ofrece una solución definitiva a este problema. Principalmente porque la zona del vertedero no puede ser utilizada para ningún otro fin, a lo que se suma el problema del tratamiento de lixiviados, que tiene características variables y complejas. El tratamiento de lixiviados se puede realizar de diferentes formas, tanto físico-químicas como biológicas, entre las que destaca el tratamiento aerobio con biomasa en suspensión. Se realiza mezclando el lixiviado con aguas residuales en diferentes proporciones, debido al alto nivel de toxicidad del lixiviado para los microorganismos. La adaptación de los microorganismos a los lixiviados permitiría mejorar la eficiencia del tratamiento de los lixiviados, como es el caso de los lodos activados. La presente investigación se centra en evaluar la adaptación de microorganismos aeróbios al lixiviado como medio líquido en un reactor de mezcla completo. La metodología se basó en 6 etapas con diferentes grados de dilución (10, 20, 40, 60, 80 y 100%) con 6 días de duración para cada etapa. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que en las pruebas finales la remoción de DQO en el reactor fue del 45% y el porcentaje de crecimiento de microorganismos fue de 3370 mg.L-1, inicialmente 40%, llegando a 7,220 mg.L-1 en la prueba 3. El lixiviado no fue completamente tóxico para los microorganismos a medida que crecieron y digirieron aún más la materia orgánica, esta biomasa puede usarse como inóculo en un reactor de lodos activados para tratar lixiviados con aguas residuales en mayor proporción

Determinação do potencial energético da fração orgânica dos resíduos sólidos produzidos na companhia de entrepostos e armazéns gerais de São Paulo, CEAGESP

Os resíduos sólidos possuem um potencial energético importante, e que normalmente é dissipado em aterros sanitários perdendo essa capacidade de gerar energia de forma sustentável. O CEAGESP gerou no ano 2015 uma quantidade de 60.195 t ano-1, e para o ano 2035 de acordo ao modelo linear será de 115.064,7 t ano-1. De essa quantidade de resíduos uma porcentagem é reciclada, para o ano 2015 a quantidade reciclada foi de 24,3%; o resto foi enviado para aterro sanitário. Entre os diversos tipos de tratamento para os resíduos sólidos se encontra a digestão anaeróbia, a qual permite gerar biogás, como resultado da ação metabólica dos microrganismos, que pode ser aproveitado para geração de calor ou eletricidade. Diversos tipos de tecnologia permitem tratar os resíduos por digestão anaeróbia, entre as quais destacam o processo DICOM, DRANCO, BIOCEL, BTA, VALORGA, SEBAC e KOMPOGAS. De acordo aos cálculos do potencial energético através dos diversos processos este oscila entre 3,1 MW (processo BioCEL) até 7,0 MW (DRANCO) para o ano 2015; e para o ano 2035, 5,9 MW (BioCEL) e 13,5 MW (DRANCO). A geração de biogás obtida em base aos dados de geração das diversos tecnologias foi entre 73.454 m3 de biogás (BioCEL) e 127.132 m3 de biogás (DRANCO) para o ano 2015; e para 2035 a geração seria de 140.410 m3 de biogás (BioCEL) e 243.017 m3 de biogás (DRANCO). O número de residências para abastecer de eletricidade estaria na média em 769 para o ano 2015 e 1469 para o ano 2035

AEBP2 as a potential targeting protein for Polycomb Repression Complex PRC2

AEBP2 is a zinc finger protein that has been shown to interact with the mammalian Polycomb Repression Complex 2 (PRC2). In the current study, we characterized this unknown protein and tested its potential targeting roles for the PRC2. AEBP2 is an evolutionarily well-conserved gene that is found in the animals ranging from flying insects to mammals. The transcription of mammalian AEBP2 is driven by two alternative promoters and produces at least two isoforms of the protein. These isoforms show developmental stage-specific expression patterns: the adult-specific larger form (51 kDa) and the embryo-specific smaller form (32 kDa). The AEBP2 protein binds to a DNA-binding motif with an unusual bipartite structure, CTT(N)15-23cagGCC with lower-case being less critical. A large fraction of AEBP2's target loci also map closely to the known target loci of the PRC2. In fact, many of these loci are co-occupied by the two proteins, AEBP2 and SUZ12. This suggests that AEBP2 is most likely a targeting protein for the mammalian PRC2 complex

Negative Regulation of EGFR/MAPK Pathway by Pumilio in Drosophila melanogaster

In Drosophila melanogaster, specification of wing vein cells and sensory organ precursor (SOP) cells, which later give rise to a bristle, requires EGFR signaling. Here, we show that Pumilio (Pum), an RNA-binding translational repressor, negatively regulates EGFR signaling in wing vein and bristle development. We observed that loss of Pum function yielded extra wing veins and additional bristles. Conversely, overexpression of Pum eliminated wing veins and bristles. Heterozygotes for Pum produced no phenotype on their own, but greatly enhanced phenotypes caused by the enhancement of EGFR signaling. Conversely, over-expression of Pum suppressed the effects of ectopic EGFR signaling. Components of the EGFR signaling pathway are encoded by mRNAs that have Nanos Response Element (NRE)–like sequences in their 3’UTRs; NREs are known to bind Pum to confer regulation in other mRNAs. We show that these NRE-like sequences bind Pum and confer repression on a luciferase reporter in heterologous cells. Taken together, our evidence suggests that Pum functions as a negative regulator of EGFR signaling by directly targeting components of the pathway in Drosophila