Controllability of protein-protein interaction phosphorylation-based networks: Participation of the hub 14-3-3 protein family

Posttranslational regulation of protein function is an ubiquitous mechanism in eukaryotic cells. Here, we analyzed biological properties of nodes and edges of a human protein-protein interaction phosphorylation-based network, especially of those nodes critical for the network controllability. We found that the minimal number of critical nodes needed to control the whole network is 29%, which is considerably lower compared to other real networks. These critical nodes are more regulated by posttranslational modifications and contain more binding domains to these modifications than other kinds of nodes in the network, suggesting an intra-group fast regulation. Also, when we analyzed the edges characteristics that connect critical and non-critical nodes, we found that the former are enriched in domain-to-eukaryotic linear motif interactions, whereas the later are enriched in domain-domain interactions. Our findings suggest a possible structure for protein-protein interaction networks with a densely interconnected and self-regulated central core, composed of critical nodes with a high participation in the controllability of the full network, and less regulated peripheral nodes. Our study offers a deeper understanding of complex network control and bridges the controllability theorems for complex networks and biological protein-protein interaction phosphorylation-based networked systems.Fil: Uhart, Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Cienicas Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Flores, Gabriel. Eventioz/eventbrite Company; ArgentinaFil: Bustos, Diego Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Cienicas Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; Argentin

High efficient solar photocatalytic carbon nanoparticles

In the present study, the photocatalytic activity of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) using sunlight was analyzed. The CNPs were synthesized by solvent-assisted hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques: TEM and SEM microscopy, UV-Vis, FTIR, Fluorescence, and XPS. By changing the conditions of the HTC process, the surface chemistry of CNPs was functionalized, thus a great quantity of oxygenated functional groups was generated, which eventually influenced the photocatalytic process. Next, tests were carried out with different types of nanoparticles, varying the concentration of the dye and the type of light used in the irradiation. As a result of this, more than 93% of MB degradation was achieved in 20 min of irradiation using sunlight. This result is promising since it has not been achieved by other nanomaterial. This research can be a potential starting point for the development of new solar photocatalysts.This work has been carried out with the financial support of Universidad Central del Ecuador

SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AND FOOD HABITS OF THE ACORN WOODPECKER (MELANERPES FORMICIVORUS) IN THE NEOTROPICS INCLUDING OBSERVATIONS IN CENTRAL HONDURAS

Abstract ∙ Acorn Woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus) have been widely studied in North America, mainly due to their complex social system. As a resident bird, Acorn Woodpeckers in much of North America hoard acorns for use during the winter and following spring. The importance of this resource, along with geographic differences in the woodpecker’s ecology, has not been as widely studied elsewhere in its range, which extends all the way through Middle America to northern Colombia. This review summarizes published research from five different countries and adds information gathered for a new locality, central Honduras. The results show a gradual change in the importance of acorn storage and a greater variety of foraging behaviors, but with little or no change in social organization. The review highlights the many geographical voids and the need for more thorough studies in most locations to further understand the variation in social and foraging behaviors present throughout this bird’s wide geographical range. Resumen ∙ Organización social y hábitos alimenticios del Carpintero Bellotero (Melanerpes formicivorus) en el Neotrópico incluyendo observaciones del centro de Honduras El Carpintero Bellotero (Melanerpes formicivorus) ha sido ampliamente estudiado en Norteamérica, principalmente debido a su complejo sistema social. Como ave residente, el Carpintero Bellotero en gran parte de Norteamérica acumula bellotas de roble para utilizarlas durante el invierno, y la primavera siguiente. La importancia de este recurso, junto con las diferencias geográficas en la ecología del Carpintero Bellotero, no han sido estudiadas tan ampliamente en el resto de su rango que se extiende a lo largo de Centroamérica hasta el norte de Colombia. Esta revisión resume resultados de investigaciones publicadas de cinco países diferentes y agrega información recopilada para una nueva localidad, el centro de Honduras. Los resultados muestran una diferencia gradual en la importancia del almacenamiento de bellotas y una gran variedad de comportamientos de forrajeo, pero patrones similares en la organización social. La revisión resalta los grandes vacíos geográficos y la necesidad de estudios más exhaustivos en la mayoría de las localidades en orden de comprender las variaciones en comportamiento social y de forrajeo presentes en el amplio rango de esta ave

Modeling Web Service Selection for Composition as a Distributed Constraint Optimization Problem (DCOP)

During development of a Service-oriented Application, some software pieces could be fulfilled by the connection to Web Services. A list of candidate Web Services could be obtained by making use of any service discovery registry, which are then selected and integrated into the application. However, when it comes to a distributed system, multiple functional and non-functional constraints arise from the interaction between several service requesters and providers, particularly when composing different services. To overcome with such constraints, in this work we propose to model service selection and composition scenarios as Distributed Constraints Optimization Problems (DCOP).We propose different modeling approaches and develop representative examples to be solved through different DCOP algorithms. Also, we analyze the impact of possible extensions to the model in the computability of the problem.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativa (SADIO

No rastro da prática tradutória de Machado de Assis

RESUMO: O presente artigo divide-se em dois momentos: primeiramente, procura-se apontar que duas teses sobre Machado de Assis enquanto tradutor necessitam de revisão devido ao que julgamos falta de precisão nos procedimentos adotados. Em seguida, procura-se oferecer, com dados da dissertação de mestrado Machado de Assis, tradutor de Hugo, uma alternativa de trabalho para conhecer o Machado de Assis tradutor através de suas traduções, e de como podemos relacionar sua produção tradutória com sua obra autoral

Effects of a Histone Methyltransferase Inhibitor on Fertility on a Rat Model of Endometriosis

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent, inflammatory disease that affects 5-10% of women of reproductive age. It is defined as the growth of functioning endometrium outside the uterus that results in severe pelvic pain and often infertility. Currently, endometriosis has no cure, and available treatments have limited efficacy and side effects. Epigenetics play a key role in the etiology of this disease, and we have previously shown that treatment with histone methyltransferase inhibitors (HMTi) in an animal model of endometriosis significantly decreases vesicle development, suggesting the potential use of epigenetic drugs for endometriosis. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of HMTi on fertility by analyzing the effects of the drug on expression of fertility genes in this model. Endometriosis induction was performed in female Sprague Dawley rats. Two weeks after, rats were treated intraperitoneally with HMTi for four weeks. At sacrifice, uterine tissues were collected and mRNA extracted to study fertility gene expression using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT2 Profiler PCR Array). HMTi treatment modified the expression of a limited number of genes (2 out of 84), and increased the expression of key genes related to embryonic implantation and development of the ovary. These observations suggest that HTMi has a positive effect on fertility, a possibility that requires additional investigations in vivo

Primary aluminum-air flow battery for high-power applications: Optimization of power and self-discharge

Aluminum-air batteries are a front-runner technology in applications requiring a primary energy source. Aluminum-air flow batteries have many advantages, such as high energy density, low price, and recyclability. One of the main challenges with aluminum-air batteries is achieving high power while parasitic corrosion and self-discharge are minimized. In this study, the optimization of an aluminum-air flow cell by multiple-parameters analysis and integration of a four-cell stack are shown. We also studied the incorporation of ammonium metavanadate (NH4VO3) as anticorrosive in 4 mol L-1 KOH electrolyte by discharge and polarization plots. It was concluded that NH4VO3 is an efficient anticorrosive at low currents, but it limits the battery reaction at high-current and high-power applications. Nevertheless, high currents inhibit the corrosion reaction using 4 mol L-1 KOH electrolyte, allowing high power and capacity without anticorrosive additives. The flow in the stack also plays a significant role, and parallel flow is suggested over cascade flow since the latter results in the progressive accumulation of hydrogen as the electrolyte flows through the stack

Risk Allocation in Unsolicited and Solicited Road Public-Private Partnerships: Sustainability and Management Implications

Risk allocation plays a crucial role in the successful development of public-private partnership (PPP) projects. However, despite being an important topic for scholars and practitioners, the existing literature does not provide sufficient evidence on how managing risks in solicited (SP) and unsolicited (USP) road PPP projects, and subsequently, on what the sustainability implications are for such managerial processes. This study aims to extend risk allocation studies by analyzing contracts in Chilean highway PPPs over the last decade based on a systematic content analysis framework and case study data. The framework was developed through line-by-line coding of contract provisions associated with risk-related issues, and data were collected from semi-structured interviews with Chilean PPP practitioners. Results show that, although the majority of risks are either shared or transferred to the private party in most contracts, there are important variations in the way allocation procedures are implemented for SPs and USPs. Contracts analyzed revealed that risk arrangement mechanisms have usually focused on the economic dimension of sustainability without fully incorporating social and environmental considerations, increasing protests in the long-term. Conclusions indicate that risk allocation procedures and sustainability considerations are highly dependent on project-specific features and contextual factors. Overall, the analysis uncovers that the level of autonomy given to the private sector in both SPs and USPs has contributed to properly manage technical and economic risks, but has failed to successfully allocate social and environmental concerns

Consulting report – Agencia B12 – launching of comparatodo in Perú

Agencia B12 is a Spanish company specialized in digital marketing with offices in Spain, Mexico, Colombia and Peru. The firm has innovation at its core, and constantly develops tailor-made digital and traditional marketing strategies for its clients based on four values: innovation, passion, integrity and trust. Agencia B12 works primarily with clients in the telecommunications industry, and most of its revenue come from large players in their respective regions (such as Movistar, Claro and Entel in Peru). Given its highly concentrated client portfolio, Agencia B12 constantly seeks new business ventures to diversify their sources of revenue. As part of the firm’s diversification efforts, Comparatodo, a Price Comparison Website (PCW), was developed internally to benefit from such a growing and attractive industry (PCW). Comparatodo is currently operating in Spain, and Agencia B12 is planning to expand the website’s presence in other Latin American countries, starting in Peru. This report conducts an extensive research about Peru’s most promising industries and products for Comparatodo based on market size, pricing, and complexity of sales. Additionally, an analysis of direct and indirect competitors in Peru was conducted. As a result, the proposed solution is to first position Comparatodo as a PCW player in the telecommunications and financial services industry in Peru. The implementation plan is to be executed in 17 weeks and it involves different business units and personnel in the organization responsible for launching and maintaining Comparatodo. The key enablers supporting Comparatodo’s expansion in Peru are: already developed platform in Spain, internal IT department, experienced staff, extensive knowledge of digital marketing, few competitors, and opportunities in multiple industries.Agencia B12 es una compañía española especializada en marketing digital con oficinas en España, México, Colombia y Perú. La empresa tiene como enfoque principal la innovación y desarrolla constantemente estrategias de marketing digital y tradicional a la medida para sus clientes en base a cuatro valores: innovación, pasión, integridad y confianza. Agencia B12 trabaja principalmente con clientes de la industria de telecomunicaciones y la mayoría de sus ingresos provienen de los jugadores más grandes en las regiones donde opera (como Movistar, Claro y Entel en Perú). Dada su cartera de clientes altamente concentrada, Agencia B12 se encuentra en la búsqueda de nuevos negocios para diversificar sus fuentes de ingresos. Como parte de los esfuerzos de diversificación de la empresa se ha desarrollado de manera interna Comparatodo, un sitio web de comparación de precios, con el fin de beneficiarse de esta industria tan atractiva y en crecimiento. Comparatodo opera actualmente en España y la empresa planea expandir su presencia en otros países de Latinoamérica, iniciando en Perú. Este reporte realiza una extensa investigación de las industrias y productos con mayor promesa en el Perú para Comparatodo en función a su tamaño del mercado, precios y complejidad de ventas. Además, se realizó un análisis de competidores directos e indirectos en el mercado peruano. Como resultado, la solución propuesta es posicionar a Comparatodo como un sitio web de comparación de precios en la industria de servicios financieros y telecomunicaciones en Perú. El plan de implementación consta de 17 semanas e involucra a diferentes unidades de negocio y personal de la empresa responsable del lanzamiento y mantenimiento de Comparatodo. Los habilitadores claves que respaldan la expansión de Comparatodo en Perú son: contar con la plataforma ya desarrollada en España, departamento de TI interno, personal experimentado, amplio conocimiento de marketing digital, poca competencia y oportunidades en diversas industrias.Tesi