Ethical issues and GenomEUtwin

The post-genomic era is witnessing a proliferation of large-scale and population based genetic and genomic research projects. Many countries have or are establishing research biobanks and, as with GenomEUtwin, there is great interest in building multinational projects that link genotypic and phenotypic information from different centers. Clearly, the conduct of these projects raises multiple ethical issues, and the knowledge generated will continually recast the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of such research. Maximising the scientific profit from this work while minimizing the risks to the participants requires full integration of ethics components into the structure and functioning of these projects. GenomEUtwin is organized around five intellectual cores, including an Ethics Core which operates across the entire project. This paper describes the role of the Ethics Core and presents an overview of the guidelines on which the principles followed in GenomEUtwin are based. We outline the major ethical concerns of our project and highlight complexities arising from diverse national legislations. Finally, the role of empirically based ethics research is discussed for understanding the ethical, legal, social and economic implications of human genetics and genomics research

Chiral rings, anomalies and loop equations in N=1* gauge theories

We examine the equivalence between the Konishi anomaly equations and the matrix model loop equations in N=1* gauge theories, the mass deformation of N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills. We perform the superfunctional integral of two adjoint chiral superfields to obtain an effective N=1 theory of the third adjoint chiral superfield. By choosing an appropriate holomorphic variation, the Konishi anomaly equations correctly reproduce the loop equations in the corresponding three-matrix model. We write down the field theory loop equations explicitly by using a noncommutative product of resolvents peculiar to N=1* theories. The field theory resolvents are identified with those in the matrix model in the same manner as for the generic N=1 gauge theories. We cover all the classical gauge groups. In SO/Sp cases, both the one-loop holomorphic potential and the Konishi anomaly term involve twisting of index loops to change a one-loop oriented diagram to an unoriented diagram. The field theory loop equations for these cases show certain inhomogeneous terms suggesting the matrix model loop equations for the RP2 resolvent.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figures, latex2e, v4: minor changes in introduction and conclusions, 4 references are added, version to appear in JHE

Sodium tungstate modulates ATM function upon DNA damage

[EN] Both radiotherapy and most effective chemotherapeutic agents induce different types of DNA damage. Here we show that tungstate modulates cell response to DNA damaging agents. Cells treated with tungstate were more sensitive to etoposide, phleomycin and ionizing radiation (IR), all of which induce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Tungstate also modulated the activation of the central DSB signalling kinase, ATM, in response to these agents. These effects required the functionality of the Mre11-Nbs1-Rad50 (MRN) complex and were mimicked by the inhibition of PP2A phosphatase. Therefore, tungstate may have adjuvant activity when combined with DNA-damaging agents in the treatment of several malignancies. (C) 2013 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.Rodríguez Hernández, CJ.; Llorens Agost, M.; Calbó, J.; Murguía, JR.; Guinovart, J. (2013). Sodium tungstate modulates ATM function upon DNA damage. FEBS Letters. 587(10):1579-1586. doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2013.04.003S157915865871