Simultaneous Culture and Biomachining of Copper in MAC Medium: A Comparison between Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans

Biomachining will not be considered as a full-scale manufacturing technology until a stable, controlled, and continuous metal removal rate (MRR) is achieved. In this research work, a novel strategy that could promote its industrial implementation, namely simultaneous bacterial growth and machining of copper contained in oxygen-free copper (OFC) workpieces, was investigated. This proposal has the major advantage of being a single-stage process, thereby reducing total operating times and becoming more economical in comparison with conventional biomachining (downtime due to bacterial growth would disappear). The study was carried out using mesophilic (Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans) and thermophilic (Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans) extremophile bacteria in order to prevent the progressive decrease in the amount of metal removed per unit time. A constant MRR of 43 mg h-1 was achieved with A. ferrooxidans in the simultaneous process. Despite the accomplishment of a constant MRR, this value is lower than the maximum MRR obtained in conventional biomachining (109 mg h-1), probably due to the inability of ferric ions to come into contact with the metallic surface. With regard to the culture period in MAC medium, S. thermosulfidooxidans showed a slower growth rate (0.11 h-1) and lower ferrous ion oxidation level (0.12 g Fe2+ L-1 h-1) than A. ferrooxidans (0.17 h-1 and 0.22 g Fe2+ L-1 h-1, respectively) under optimal pH (1.5) and Fe2+ concentration (6 g L-1) conditions.Fil: Diaz Tena, E.. Universidad del País Vasco; España. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Gallastegui, G.. Universidad del País Vasco; EspañaFil: Hipperdinger, Marcela Liliana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Donati, Edgardo Ruben. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Rojo, N.. Universidad del País Vasco; EspañaFil: Santaolalla, A.. Universidad del País Vasco; EspañaFil: Ramirez, M.. Universidad del País Vasco; EspañaFil: Barona, A.. Universidad de Cádiz; EspañaFil: Elías, A.. Universidad del Pais Vasco - Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Campus Bizkaia

Late Pleistocene climate of the northern Iberian Peninsula: New insights from palaeoglaciers at Fuentes Carrionas (Cantabrian Mountains)

Producción CientíficaNew Be dates for glacial landforms in the Fuentes Carrionas area (Cantabrian Mountains, nothern Spain) are presented. Mapped and dated landforms in Fuentes Carrionas made possible a palaeoglacier reconstruction for four glacial stages. Results were compared to other nearby palaeoenvironmental proxies, so a final approximation on the mean annual temperature and annual precipitation that caused the four glacial advance stages is proposed. Glaciers reached their maximum extension at 36 ka, in a cold and dry environment. A second advance stage took place between 18.5 and 19.5 ka, during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), when glaciers advanced in a wet environment, with positive rainfall anomalies. A third glacial advance was dated during the Oldest Dryas, in which climate shifted to extremely cold and dry conditions. Finally, a last stage has been identified and proposed to the Younger Dryas, in which precipitation anomalies are negligible. Our results confirm some of the previously made palaeoglacial and palaeoenvironmental inferences for the Iberian Peninsula, as well as provide Q4 valuable and accurate anomalies, which are useful for climate modelling.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (project CGL2015-68144-R

Structure of the Homodimeric androgen receptor ligand-binding domain

The androgen receptor (AR) plays a crucial role in normal physiology, development and metabolism as well as in the aetiology and treatment of diverse pathologies such as androgen insensitivity syndromes (AIS), male infertility and prostate cancer (PCa). Here we show that dimerization of AR ligand-binding domain (LBD) is induced by receptor agonists but not by antagonists. The 2.15-Å crystal structure of homodimeric, agonist- and coactivator peptide-bound AR-LBD unveils a 1,000-Å2 large dimerization surface, which harbours over 40 previously unexplained AIS- and PCa-associated point mutations. An AIS mutation in the self-association interface (P767A) disrupts dimer formation in vivo, and has a detrimental effect on the transactivating properties of full-length AR, despite retained hormone-binding capacity. The conservation of essential residues suggests that the unveiled dimerization mechanism might be shared by other nuclear receptors. Our work defines AR-LBD homodimerization as an essential step in the proper functioning of this important transcription factor

Self-Organization and Regulation of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins with Folded N-Termini

How do mostly disordered proteins coordinate the specific assembly of very large signal transduction protein complexes? A newly emerging hypothesis may provide some clues towards a molecular mechanism

Cenozoic deformation of Iberia: a model for intraplate mountain building and basin development based on analogue modelling

Inferences from analogue models support lithospheric folding as the primary response to large-scale shortening manifested in the present day topography of Iberia. This process was active from the late Oligocene-early Miocene during the Alpine orogeny and was probably enhanced by reactivation of inherited Variscan faults. The modeling results confirm the dependence of fold wavelength on convergence rate and hence the strength of the layers of the lithosphere such that fold wavelength is longest for fast convergence rates favoring whole lithosphere folding. Folding is associated with the formation of dominantly pop-up type mountain ranges in the brittle crust and thickening of the ductile layers in the synforms of the buckle folds by flow. The mountain ranges are represented by upper crustal pop-ups forming the main topographic relief. The wavelengths of the topographic uplifts, both, in model and nature suggest mechanical decoupling between crust and mantle. Moreover, our modeling results suggest that buckling in Iberia took place under rheological conditions where the lithospheric mantle is stronger than the lower crust. The presence of an indenter, inducing oblique shortening in response to the opening of the King's Trough in the north western corner of the Atlantic Iberian margin controls the spacing and obliquity of structures. This leads to the transfer of the deformation from the moving walls towards the inner part of the model, creating oblique structures in both brittle and ductile layers. The effect of the indenter, together with an increase on the convergence rate produced more complex brittle structures. These results show close similarities to observations on the general shape and distribution of mountain ranges and basins in Iberia, including the Spanish Central System and Toledo Mountains.Peer reviewe

Protein complexes are under evolutionary selection to assemble via ordered pathways

Is the order in which proteins assemble into complexes important for biological function? Here, we seek to address this by searching for evidence of evolutionary selection for ordered protein complex assembly. First, we experimentally characterize the assembly pathways of several heteromeric complexes and show that they can be simply predicted from their three-dimensional structures. Then, by mapping gene fusion events identified from fully sequenced genomes onto protein complex assembly pathways, we demonstrate evolutionary selection for conservation of assembly order. Furthermore, using structural and high-throughput interaction data, we show that fusion tends to optimize assembly by simplifying protein complex topologies. Finally, we observe protein structural constraints on the gene order of fusion that impact the potential for fusion to affect assembly. Together, these results reveal the intimate relationships among protein assembly, quaternary structure, and evolution and demonstrate on a genome-wide scale the biological importance of ordered assembly pathways

Formation and deformation of hyperextended rift systems: Insights from rift domain mapping in the Bay of Biscay-Pyrenees

International audienceThe Bay of Biscay and the Pyrenees correspond to a Lower Cretaceous rift system including both oceanic and hyperextended rift domains. The transition from preserved oceanic and rift domains in the West to their complete inversion in the East enables us to study the progressive reactivation of a hyperextended rift system. We use seismic interpretation, gravity inversion, and field mapping to identify and map former rift domains and their subsequent reactivation. We propose a new map and sections across the system illustrating the progressive integration of the rift domains into the orogen. This study aims to provide insights on the formation of hyperextended rift systems and discuss their role during reactivation. Two spatially and temporally distinct rift systems can be distinguished: the Bay of Biscay-Parentis and the Pyrenean-Basque-Cantabrian rifts. While the offshore Bay of Biscay represent a former mature oceanic domain, the fossil remnants of hyperextended domains preserved onshore in the Pyrenean-Cantabrian orogen record distributed extensional deformation partitioned between strongly segmented rift basins. Reactivation initiated in the exhumed mantle domain before it affected the hyperthinned domain. Both domains accommodated most of the shortening. The final architecture of the orogen is acquired once the conjugate necking domains became involved in collisional processes. The complex 3-D architecture of the initial rift system may partly explain the heterogeneous reactivation of the overall system. These results have important implications for the formation and reactivation of hyperextended rift systems and for the restoration of the Bay of Biscay and Pyrenean domain

El área Matemática en primero de EGB : globalización y construcción de técnicas operatorias

Elaborar y llevar a la práctica programaciones globalizadas y cíclicas en las que los objetivos del área de expresión matemática en primero de EGB se vayan logrando, partiendo de actividades directamente relacionadas con los centros de interés elegidos según el área de experiencia. Conseguir que sean los niños quienes elaboren las técnicas operatorias habituales de la adición y sustracción partiendo de procedimientos provisionales para llegar al dominio de técnicas usuales. Grupo experimental de dos cursos de primero de EGB del Colegio Nacional de Contrueces (Gijón), con 28 y 32 alumnos. Grupo de control constituido por dos cursos de primero de EGB del Colegio Nacional de Las Palmeras (Gijón), con 25 y 24 alumnos que siguen una metodología tradicional. Se desarrollan 11 programaciones cíclicas centradas en otros tantos centros de interés: la familia, el cuerpo humano, el cuidado del cuerpo, el otoño, la escuela, la calle, la casa, el invierno, los alimentos, el movimiento, la primavera. Se controla la variable aptitudes cognoscitivas antes de aplicar las programaciones y se trata de comprobar la influencia de la aplicación de éstas en el razonamiento matemático y el rendimiento escolar en esta área. Test de aptitudes cognoscitivas, tres subtests de Primaria I. Una prueba objetiva de Matemática elaborada y aplicada en la investigación: diseño de un programa de Educación Compensatoria en función de los determinantes del rendimiento escolar en el primer ciclo de EGB. Por Mario de Miguel y col. Dos pruebas colectivas de 12 ítems cada una y una individual elaboradas por el Institut Romand de Recherches et Documentation Pedagogiques y adaptadas para esta investigación. Las diferencias de partida en el test de aptitudes cognoscitivas no son significativas. Los resultados en la prueba objetiva de Matemáticas y en las del Institut Romand, colectivas e individuales, son significativos a favor del grupo experimental, lo que sirve para validar la hipótesis de que el desarrollo del área de Matemática en primero de EGB de forma globalizada y cíclica incrementa la capacidad de razonamiento matemático del alumno, tanto en la utilización de nociones conjuntistas como en las numéricas y operacionales, así como en la utilización de nociones topológicas y geométricas. Se comprueba un mayor rendimiento del grupo experimental que no se puede achacar a diferencias previas ya que no eran significativas. Es posible desarrollar el área Matemática en este nivel partiendo de actividades relacionadas con centros de interés seleccionados desde el área de experiencias. La conveniencia de dicha globalización es resaltada por muchos autores, pero faltan modelos válidos para que puedan ser llevados a la práctica escolar. El que se presenta es uno de tantos que se pueden concebir y aplicar, pero en este sentido hay que desterrar enfoques parciales, que se suelen basar en cursos a base de asignaturas aisladas, para tratar de favorecer el proceso de construcción de conocimientos de los alumnos planteando actividades que les motiven a poner en juego sus recursos y a construir nociones siguiendo su ritmo individual.AsturiasES