Comunicación política, partidos y nuevo entorno digital. Estudio de las campañas electorales catalanas de 2010 y 2012 en la red.

La presente investigación propone analizar el impacto de la introducción de las nuevas tecnologías sobre la comunicación electoral. El objetivo ha sido trasladar en el contexto catalán algunas de las preguntas que hasta ahora han animado los estudios, especialmente el ámbito académico anglosajón, acerca de los cambios producidos por las nuevas tecnologías de la comunicación en las relaciones entre ciudadanos y política y sobre la calidad de los mecanismos democráticos

Use of LuxA sequences for investigation on Luciferases kinetics and characterization of luminous bacteria

Known luminous bacteria belong to the genera Vibrio, Photobacterium, Shewanella, and Photorhabdus. The enzyme luciferase catalyzing the luminous reaction is composed by the α and β polypeptides and subunit α is responsible for substrate binding and catalytic activities. Luciferases are classified into slow of Vibrio harveyi and fast of Photobacterium sps. on the basis of enzyme kinetics. Shewanella woodyi has intermediate kinetics. This research has tested the hypothesis of existence of three kinetic classes by sequencing luxA gene (coding for c subunit) of new strains and comparing these clusters to phenotypic analysis and sequencing of 16S rRNA. Phenotypic analysis has shown strains distinct from the known. LuxA amino acids and nucleotides and 16S rRNA sequences have shown 5 major lineages corresponding to known species. A dlade distinct from the known species was present. Geographic location and fish habitat didn\u27t affect the distribution of strains

Impacto da pandemia do covid-19 sobre a balança comercial da indústria farmacêutica brasileira: uma análise de 2012 a 2021

Orientador: Profª. Dra. Larissa Naves de Deus DornelasMonografia (graduação) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Sociais Aplicadas, Curso de Ciências EconômicasInclui referênciasResumo : O trabalho analisa os resultados da balança comercial do setor farmacêutico brasileiro do ano de 2012 até 2021, afim de detectar possíveis mudanças nos fluxos de negociação do setor decorrentes da pandemia do Covid-19. Observa-se qual é a posição do Brasil no mercado farmacêutico internacional e quais seus principais parceiros comerciais. Para tal análise, encontra-se um estudo das principais características macroeconômicas brasileiras ao longo dos 10 anos abordados, escrito com o objetivo de contextualizar o ambiente econômico no qual o setor estudado está envolvido. No trabalho discute-se as principais características do setor farmacêutico no Brasil e no mundo, e sua relação com os investimentos em Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, evidenciando as principais indústrias no mercado e a forma como o investimento estratégico fez com que alguns países saísem na frente em suas respostas aos desafios da pandemia do Covid-19. Após a introdução ao setor é possível estudar o fluxo das importações e exportações entre o Brasil e outros países, identificando os produtos mais comercializados com o setor externo, mapeando a diferença na complexidade do que é produzido no Brasil e nos principais parceiros comerciais, mostrando que os déficits da balança comercial farmacêutica brasileira podem, em parte, ser justificados pela diferenças de valor agregado dos produtos comercializados. O método utilizado para elaboração do trabalho foi o referencial e estatístico, sendo as fontes listadas ao final do trabalho

Trace elements in soil pore water: a comparison of sampling methods

This thesis examined a range of methods for sampling soil pore water to investigate the chemistry of trace elements. In particular, the study assessed whether Rhizon samplers, centrifugation, high pressure squeezing and soil suspensions in simulated pore water can be viable approaches for obtaining representative samples of equilibrated soil pore water. Results for metal solubility and speciation were interpreted in terms of both soil morphological effects on trace metal dynamics and artefacts introduced at various stages during sample preparation and handling. The main soil used in the study was an organic-rich sandy silt from a site which has served as a sewage re-processing facility for almost a century. This soil was chosen because of its importance as a long-term repository for metal-enriched sludge applied to arable land, providing a suitable medium on which to study trace metal behaviour. Pore waters were extracted and analysed for major and trace cations and anions, pH, Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) and Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) at two different temperatures (5 degrees Celsius and 15 degrees Celsius), in order to evaluate the extent of bacterial activity, organic decomposition and their consequences on solute composition, during pore water extractions. Speciation was estimated from analysis of pore water chemistry using two software packages (PHREEQCi and WHAM-VI). Pore waters showed different ranges of concentration between the various methods. Different mechanisms and/or chemical reactions were involved during the different extractions; a range of processes was identified, mainly dominated by metal complexation by humus acids and redox reactions. Results revealed that the soil studied was able to partially buffer the free ion activities of the metal ions in pore water with increasing dilutions, but demonstrated virtually no ability to buffer DOC. Identification of the source (i.e. location of pore space) of water extracted was also investigated using water with different isotopic composition (18O/16O). Evidence showed that centrifugation was not able to differentiate between more and less mobile water at FC conditions, rather enhancing the mixing between the two pools of water (native and labelled) by and apparent process of 'infusion'. By contrast, Rhizon samplers appeared to sample water preferentially from the more accessible pool (extra-aggregate), which proved to have a composition showing incomplete mixing with the native water. The results also suggested that mixing of the two pools was rather fast and that was almost completely attained prior to pore water extraction. The study established that the most important factors affecting pore water chemistry during extraction are the conditions to which the samples are exposed during the extraction process. For these reasons Rhizon samplers should be used as a disposable device, and are only applicable for use in high soil moisture soil contents. In contrast, they present no 'side-effects' (providing enough equilibration time) if M2+ (free ion activity) were needed as opposed to Msol (total metal concentration in pore water), as often required in environmental studies. Centrifugation is optimal for bulk solution studies, or when homogenisation represents a key experimental point; targeted studies are also possible. Soil squeezing is subject to severe limitations in the case of prolonged extractions of biologically active soils, due to the effects of anaerobism. Squeezing should only be used for 'fast' extractions of soils. Finally, batch extractions are well suited to studies on M2+ equilibria, but more studies are needed to clarify the effect of soil: solution ratio on metal and DOC solubility

Amino-functionalized poly(l-lactide) lamellar single crystals as a valuable substrate for delivery of HPV16-E7 tumor antigen in vaccine development

Background: Poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) is a biodegradable polymer currently used in many biomedical applications, including the production of resorbable surgical devices, porous scaffolds for tissue engineering, nanoparticles and microparticles for the controlled release of drugs or antigens. The surfaces of lamellar PLLA single crystals (PLLAsc) were provided with amino groups by reaction with a multifunctional amine and used to adsorb an Escherichia coli-produced human papillomavirus (HPV)16-E7 protein to evaluate its possible use in antigen delivery for vaccine development. Methods: PLLA single crystals were made to react with tetraethylenepentamine to obtain amino-functionalized PLLA single crystals (APLLAsc). Pristine and amino-functionalized PLLAsc showed a two-dimensional microsized and one-dimensional nanosized lamellar morphology, with a lateral dimension of about 15–20 µm, a thickness of about 12 nm, and a surface specific area of about 130 m2/g. Both particles were characterized and loaded with HPV16-E7 before being administered to C57BL/6 mice for immunogenicity studies. The E7-specific humoral-mediated and cell-mediated immune response as well as tumor protective immunity were analyzed in mice challenged with TC-1 cancer cells. Results: Pristine and amino-functionalized PLLAsc adsorbed similar amounts of E7 protein, but in protein-release experiments E7-PLLAsc released a higher amount of protein than E7-APLLAsc. When the complexes were dried for observation by scanning electron microscopy, both samples showed a compact layer, but E7-APLLAsc showed greater roughness than E7-PLLAsc. Immunization experiments in mice showed that E7-APLLAsc induced a stronger E7-specific immune response when compared with E7-PLLAsc. Immunoglobulin G isotyping and interferon gamma analysis suggested a mixed Th1/Th2 immune response in both E7-PLLAsc-immunized and E7-APLLAsc-immunized mice. However, only the mice receiving E7-APLLAsc were fully protected from TC-1 tumor growth after three doses of vaccine. Conclusion: Our results show that APLLA single crystals improve the immunogenicity of HPV16-E7 and indicate that E7-APLLAsc could be used for development of an HPV16 therapeutic vaccine against HPV16-related tumors

Field sampling of soil pore water to evaluate the mobile fraction of trace elements in the Iglesiente area (SW Sardinia, Italy)

Field soil pore water monitoring was applied in a highly heavy-metal contaminated area in SW Sardinia, Italy, as a direct, realistic measure of heavy metal mobility. The main chemistry of pore waters well reflects the local characteristics of soils, ranging from Ca-SO4 to (Ca)Mg-HCO3 to Ca(Na)-SO4(Cl), with a wide range of conductivity. The mobility of Zn and Pb is apparently controlled by equilibrium with minerals such as hydrozincite or smithsonite, and cerussite, respectively. These results allow a correct estimate of the actual environmental risk associated with the presence of heavy metals in soils, and may serve as a supporting tool for phytoremediation planning

Assembly of the Auditory Circuitry by a Hox Genetic Network in the Mouse Brainstem

Rhombomeres (r) contribute to brainstem auditory nuclei during development. Hox genes are determinants of rhombomere-derived fate and neuronal connectivity. Little is known about the contribution of individual rhombomeres and their associated Hox codes to auditory sensorimotor circuitry. Here, we show that r4 contributes to functionally linked sensory and motor components, including the ventral nucleus of lateral lemniscus, posterior ventral cochlear nuclei (VCN), and motor olivocochlear neurons. Assembly of the r4-derived auditory components is involved in sound perception and depends on regulatory interactions between Hoxb1 and Hoxb2. Indeed, in Hoxb1 and Hoxb2 mutant mice the transmission of low-level auditory stimuli is lost, resulting in hearing impairments. On the other hand, Hoxa2 regulates the Rig1 axon guidance receptor and controls contralateral projections from the anterior VCN to the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body, a circuit involved in sound localization. Thus, individual rhombomeres and their associated Hox codes control the assembly of distinct functionally segregated sub-circuits in the developing auditory brainstem

Estrogen Induces Selective Transcription of Caveolin1 Variants in Human Breast Cancer through Estrogen Responsive Element-Dependent Mechanisms

The estrogen receptor (ER) signaling regulates numerous physiological processes mainly through activation of gene transcription (genomic pathways). Caveolin1 (CAV1) is a membrane-resident protein that behaves as platform to enable different signaling molecules and receptors for membrane-initiated pathways. CAV1 directly interacts with ERs and allows their localization on membrane with consequent activation of ER-non-genomic pathways. Loss of CAV1 function is a common feature of different types of cancers, including breast cancer. Two protein isoforms, CAV1α and CAV1β, derived from two alternative translation initiation sites, are commonly described for this gene. However, the exact transcriptional regulation underlying CAV1 expression pattern is poorly elucidated. In this study, we dissect the molecular mechanism involved in selective expression of CAV1β isoform, induced by estrogens and downregulated in breast cancer. Luciferase assays and Chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrate that transcriptional activation is triggered by estrogen-responsive elements embedded in CAV1 intragenic regions and DNA-binding of estrogen-ER complexes. This regulatory control is dynamically established by local chromatin changes, as proved by the occurrence of histone H3 methylation/demethylation events and association of modifier proteins as well as modification of H3 acetylation status. Thus, we demonstrate for the first time, an estrogen-ERs-dependent regulatory circuit sustaining selective CAV1β expression

Acne radar: A new intuitive graphic visualization of quality of life in acne patients

Background: There are many instruments available in literature to evaluate the influence of acne on Qualify of Life (QoL), but many of these questionnaires rarely are performed in daily clinical practice. Many of these instruments require a long time for the compilation, and often they are not self completed. There are no simple and intuitive instrument that can be completed by patients alone, with a graphical representation of the results. Objective: To develop a new, rapid and intuitive graphic instrument to a questionnaire allowing both a quick assessment of the impact of acne on patients and, at the same time, increase patient's compliance and self-esteem. Methods: In our study 50 patients were recruited and questionnaire was administered following the main items evaluated in the validated index of QoL from previous studies for acne patients. We have applied an intuitive graph representation, the "Radar Graph", and other statistical methods like the Decisional Map and the Principal Component Analysis, to this questionnaire allowing a quick assessment of the impact of acne on patients. Results: The questionnaire evaluated have 10 items regarding 3 different area: the objective symptoms such as negative perception of their image (imperfection), sting and insomnia; the subjective symptoms such as depression, perception of illness, lack of serenity and shame; and the relational difficulties such as social relationships, working relationships, and intimate relations. The answers are given on a 10-point visual analogue scale. Conclusion: Our survey can be a new, rapid and intuitive graphic instrument to use in clinical practice