MicroRNAs are key regulators of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell dissemination—what we learned from microRNA-494

Producción CientíficaHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and it is well accepted that the poor outcome of HCC patients among others is caused by metastasis and tumor cell dissemination

Future of legal training. Special approach to the public examinations system

Tras una breve valoración de la evolución del sistema educativo español, este artículo trata de analizar cómo podría adaptarse la formación académica del jurista de mediados del siglo XXI para hacer frente a las exigencias de la sociedad moderna. Asimismo, se hace una aproximación al sistema de oposiciones para el acceso a la función pública, valorándose positivamente, sin perjuicio de la posibilidad de su mejora y adaptación. After a brief assessment of the evolution of the Spanish educational system, this article tries to analyze how the academic training of the jurist in the mid-21st century could be adapted to meet the demands of modern society. Likewise, an approximation is made to the public examination system for access to the public service, which is positively evaluated, notwithstanding the possibility of its improvement and adaptation

El Impacto de la Formación Permanente del Profesorado de Educación Secundaria en los Resultados Escolares.

Studies dealing with factors which have an influence on students outcomes are reviewed, teacher variables and teacher training are among their most common findings to influence school achievement. This study analyses the variable in-service teacher training on students? academic achievement. The analysis levels are departments and schools, being department the level where the relation among variables is more significative. There are significative correlations between the in-service teacher training in their own subject and the subject pedagogy in 50% of the analysed departments. In-service teacher training is recommended to be organized, taking into account these differences (context, teacher variables, in- service teacher training variables) among departments, schools and districts to compensate the unequal school variables.Existe evidencia sobre la influencia de algunos factores en el rendimiento escolar de los centros y entre ellos de manera consistente aparecen las características del profesorado y su formación. Este estudio analiza la formación del profesorado con los resultados escolares de los centros de educación secundaria en Asturias. De las variables de formación, es únicamente la formación en la asignatura y su didáctica la que se asocia a los resultados en la asignatura. Se realizan análisis en dos niveles de agregación, departamento y centro, observándose que es en los niveles de departamento donde existen las correlaciones más significativas. Se aporta evidencia para la organización de una formación del profesorado que asigne recursos de formación en los diferentes niveles en base a sus desigualdades de origen (contexto, variables del profesorado y de formación) y que garantice una efectiva igualdad de oportunidades para el conjunto de la población escolar de la Comunidad Autónoma

In-service secondary teacher training assocciated factors in Asturias

Este estudio se centra en la formación del profesorado y explora las relaciones existentes entre la formación permanente y diversas características del profesorado y de los centros de educación secundaria en Asturias. Como resultado de una investigación basada en el análisis de datos secundarios cuantitativos del profesorado, alumnado y municipios de Asturias, se obtiene una radiografía de la formación permanente de su profesorado (modalidad y materia de formación). Se realizan análisis a nivel de departamento y centro, observándose que es en los niveles de departamento donde existen las correlaciones más significativas. Se constata la existencia de diferencias significativas entre centros y departamentos en cuanto a la formación permanente de su profesorado. Existen correlaciones significativas entre estas variables, asociándose un contexto socio-económico más alto con una mayor edad y experiencia del profesorado y una menor formación permanente en los últimos 10 años. Se aporta evidencia para la organización de una formación del profesorado que asigne recursos de formación en los diferentes niveles en base a sus desigualdades de origen: contexto, variables del profesorado y de su formación.This study pretends to analyse the variable in-service teacher training and to explore the existing relationships between in-service teacher training and teacher and school variables. The present research offers a detailed picture of High School teacher in-service training variables (type of training activity and activity content) and the relationship between this in-service teacher training and teacher and context variables. The analysis levels are departments and schools being departments the level where the relation among variables is more significative. The conclusions are that there exist significative differences between departments and schools concerning in-service teacher training variables. There exists significative correlations among them, schools with a higher socio-economic status have the more experienced teachers and the lower in-service teacher training time in the last ten years. In-service teacher training is recommended to be organized taking into account these differences (context, teacher variables, in- service teacher training variables) among departments, schools and districts to compensate the unequal school variables.Grupo de Investigación FORCE (Formación Centrada en la Escuela) Universidad de Granad

Idade relativa e resultados escolares no ensino primário na Comunidade Autónoma da Cantábria

In this paper, we explore the impact of birth month on the academic achievement in Spanish Language and Mathematics of primary students in grades 2, 4, and 6 in Cantabria County, in the academic years of 2009-2014. The findings show that students born in late-autumn months scored lower than their classmates, suffering, therefore, from the disadvantage of being relative younger. In general, results show that students born at the end of the year have worse academic performance and an increased probability for low student achievement, after controlling gender, grade repetition, and average school results. We insist on the importance of modifying compulsory school age grouping as well as applying a flexible date exam policy (evaluation criteria) to ensure that relative outcomes for younger children are not impacted by birth month.Este trabajo analiza como el mes de nacimiento afecta a los resultados escolares en Lengua y Matemáticas del alumnado de la Comunidad Autónoma de Cantabria en los cursos de 2º, 4º y 6º de Educación Primaria en el periodo 2009-2014. Los resultados muestran que los estudiantes nacidos en los últimos meses del año obtuvieron notas más bajas que sus compañeros de clase. En conjunto, los resultados muestran que los nacidos a final de año tienen una mayor probabilidad de obtener calificaciones más bajas y una probabilidad aumentada de obtener peores notas, tras controlar el efecto del género, ser repetidor y la nota media de los centros docentes. La discusión valora la importancia de modificar los agrupamientos por edad en la enseñanza obligatoria así como la aplicación de políticas de flexibilización (criterial y temporal) de los procedimientos de evaluación del rendimiento de los estudiantes, con el objetivo de garantizar que las notas de los más jóvenes no se vean afectadas por las diferencias en edad relativa.Este artigo analisa como o mês de nascimento afeta aos resultados da escola em Línguas e Matemática dos alunos da Comunidade Autônoma da Cantábria nos anos 2º, 4º e 6º do ensino primário no período 2009-2014. Os resultados mostram que os alunos nascidos nos últimos meses do ano obtiveram pontuações menores do que os seus colegas de aulas. Em geral, os resultados mostram que aqueles que nasceram no final do ano têm uma maior probabilidade de obter piores pontuações escolares, depois de controlar o efeito do gênero, ser repetidor e a média dos centros de ensino. A discussão avalia a importância de modificar os agrupamentos por idade no ensino obrigatório, bem como a aplicação de políticas flexíveis (criteriais e temporais) para os procedimentos de avaliação do desempenho dos alunos, com o objetivo de garantir que  os resultados escolares dos mais jovens não são afetados pelas diferenças na idade relativa

Factores asociados a la formación permanente del profesorado de Educación Secundaria en Asturias

Este estudio se centra en la formación del profesorado y explora las relaciones existentes entre la formación permanente y diversas características del profesorado y de los centros de educación secundaria en Asturias. Como resultado de una investigación basada en el análisis de datos secundarios cuantitativos del profesorado, alumnado y municipios de Asturias, se obtiene una radiografía de la formación permanente de su profesorado (modalidad y materia de formación). Se realizan análisis a nivel de departamento y centro, observándose que es en los niveles de departamento donde existen las correlaciones más significativas. Se constata la existencia de diferencias significativas entre centros y departamentos en cuanto a la formación permanente de su profesorado. Existen correlaciones significativas entre estas variables, asociándose un contexto socio-económico más alto con una mayor edad y experiencia del profesorado y una menor formación permanente en los últimos 10 años. Se aporta evidencia para la organización de una formación del profesorado que asigne recursos de formación en los diferentes niveles en base a sus desigualdades de origen: contexto, variables del profesorado y de su formación

Preferential binding of a stable G3BP ribonucleoprotein complex to intron-retaining transcripts in mouse brain and modulation of their expression in the cerebellum.

Neuronal granules play an important role in the localization and transport of translationally silenced messenger ribonucleoproteins (mRNPs) in neurons. Among the factors associated with these granules, the RNA-binding protein G3BP1 (stress-granules assembly factor) is involved in neuronal plasticity and is induced in Alzheimer's disease. We immunopurified a stable complex containing G3BP1 from mouse brain and performed High-Throughput Sequencing and CrossLinking Immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP) to identify the associated RNAs. The G3BP-complex contained the deubiquitinating protease USP10, CtBP1 and the RNA binding proteins Caprin-1, G3BP2a and SFPQ (Splicing Factor Proline and Glutamine rich, or PSF). The G3BP-complex binds preferentially to transcripts that retain introns, and to non-coding sequences like 3'UTR and long non-coding RNAs. Specific transcripts with retained introns appear to be enriched in the cerebellum compared to the rest of the brain and G3BP1 depletion decreased this intron retention in the cerebellum of G3BP1 knockout mice. Among the enriched transcripts, we found an overrepresentation of genes involved in synaptic transmission, especially glutamate-related neuronal transmission. Notably, G3BP1 seems to repress the expression of the mature Grm5 (metabotropic glutamate receptor 5) transcript, by promoting the retention of an intron in the immature transcript in the cerebellum. Our results suggest that G3BP is involved in a new functional mechanism to regulate non-coding RNAs including intron-retaining transcripts, and thus have broad implications for neuronal gene regulation, where intron retention is widespread. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Tumor cell load and heterogeneity estimation from diffusion-weighted MRI calibrated with histological data: an example from lung cancer

Producción CientíficaDiffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) is a key non-invasive imaging technique for cancer diagnosis and tumor treatment assessment, reflecting Brownian movement of water molecules in tissues. Since densely packed cells restrict molecule mobility, tumor tissues produce usually higher signal (a.k.a. less attenuated signal) on isotropic maps compared with normal tissues. However, no general quantitative relation between DWI data and the cell density has been established. In order to link low-resolution clinical cross-sectional data with high-resolution histological information, we developed an image processing and analysis chain, which was used to study the correlation between the diffusion coefficient (D value) estimated from DWI and tumor cellularity from serial histological slides of a resected non-small cell lung cancer tumor. Color deconvolution followed by cell nuclei segmentation was performed on digitized histological images to determine local and cell-type specific 2d (two-dimensional) densities. From these, the 3d cell density was inferred by a model-based sampling technique, which is necessary for the calculation of local and global 3d tumor cell count. Next, DWI sequence information was overlaid with high-resolution CT data and the resected histology using prominent anatomical hallmarks for co-registration of histology tissue blocks and non-invasive imaging modalities' data. The integration of cell numbers information and DWI data derived from different tumor areas revealed a clear negative correlation between cell density and D value. Importantly, spatial tumor cell density can be calculated based on DWI data. In summary, our results demonstrate that tumor cell count and heterogeneity can be predicted from DWI data, which may open new opportunities for personalized diagnosis and therapy optimization

Genes associated with metabolic syndrome predict disease-free survival in stage II colorectal cancer patients. A novel link between metabolic dysregulation and colorectal cancer

Producción CientíficaStudies have recently suggested that metabolic syndrome and its components increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Both diseases are increasing in most countries, and the genetic association between them has not been fully elucidated. The objective of this study was to assess the association between genetic risk factors of metabolic syndrome or related conditions (obesity, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes mellitus type 2) and clinical outcome in stage II colorectal cancer patients. Expression levels of several genes related to metabolic syndrome and associated alterations were analysed by real-time qPCR in two equivalent but independent sets of stage II colorectal cancer patients. Using logistic regression models and cross-validation analysis with all tumour samples, we developed a metabolic syndrome-related gene expression profile to predict clinical outcome in stage II colorectal cancer patients. The results showed that a gene expression profile constituted by genes previously related to metabolic syndrome was significantly associated with clinical outcome of stage II colorectal cancer patients. This metabolic profile was able to identify patients with a low risk and high risk of relapse. Its predictive value was validated using an independent set of stage II colorectal cancer patients. The identification of a set of genes related to metabolic syndrome that predict survival in intermediate-stage colorectal cancer patients allows delineation of a high-risk group that may benefit from adjuvant therapy and avoid the toxic and unnecessary chemotherapy in patients classified as low risk. Our results also confirm the linkage between.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (AGL2010-21565, RyC 2008-03734, IPT-2011-1248-060000),y la Comunidad de Madrid (ALIBIRD, S2009/AGR-1469

AVISPA: a web tool for the prediction and analysis of alternative splicing

Transcriptome complexity and its relation to numerous diseases underpins the need to predict in silico splice variants and the regulatory elements that affect them. Building upon our recently described splicing code, we developed AVISPA, a Galaxy-based web tool for splicing prediction and analysis. Given an exon and its proximal sequence, the tool predicts whether the exon is alternatively spliced, displays tissue-dependent splicing patterns, and whether it has associated regulatory elements. We assess AVISPA's accuracy on an independent dataset of tissue-dependent exons, and illustrate how the tool can be applied to analyze a gene of interest. AVISPA is available at http://avispa.biociphers.org