Reversible Oxidation of a Conserved Methionine in the Nuclear Export Sequence Determines Subcellular Distribution and Activity of the Fungal Nitrate Regulator NirA

The assimilation of nitrate, a most important soil nitrogen source, is tightly regulated in microorganisms and plants. In Aspergillus nidulans, during the transcriptional activation process of nitrate assimilatory genes, the interaction between the pathway-specific transcription factor NirA and the exportin KapK/CRM1 is disrupted, and this leads to rapid nuclear accumulation and transcriptional activity of NirA. In this work by mass spectrometry, we found that in the absence of nitrate, when NirA is inactive and predominantly cytosolic, methionine 169 in the nuclear export sequence (NES) is oxidized to methionine sulfoxide (Metox169). This oxidation depends on FmoB, a flavin-containing monooxygenase which in vitro uses methionine and cysteine, but not glutathione, as oxidation substrates. The function of FmoB cannot be replaced by alternative Fmo proteins present in A. nidulans. Exposure of A. nidulans cells to nitrate led to rapid reduction of NirA-Metox169 to Met169; this reduction being independent from thioredoxin and classical methionine sulfoxide reductases. Replacement of Met169 by isoleucine, a sterically similar but not oxidizable residue, led to partial loss of NirA activity and insensitivity to FmoB-mediated nuclear export. In contrast, replacement of Met169 by alanine transformed the protein into a permanently nuclear and active transcription factor. Co-immunoprecipitation analysis of NirA-KapK interactions and subcellular localization studies of NirA mutants lacking different parts of the protein provided evidence that Met169 oxidation leads to a change in NirA conformation. Based on these results we propose that in the presence of nitrate the activation domain is exposed, but the NES is masked by a central portion of the protein (termed nitrate responsive domain, NiRD), thus restricting active NirA molecules to the nucleus. In the absence of nitrate, Met169 in the NES is oxidized by an FmoB-dependent process leading to loss of protection by the NiRD, NES exposure, and relocation of the inactive NirA to the cytosol

Análisis de la implementación de la industria 4.0 en el territorio español.

La industria 4.0 está relacionada con el uso e implementación de las nuevas tecnologías para una mejora continua de los procesos industriales. Una sociedad con elevada adopción de estas tecnologías tendrá una mejor organización y, en consecuencia, un mejor nivel de vida. Esta implementación se da de un modo gradual en la industria española. Algunas de las medidas que están realizando las empresas son la incorporación de equipos autónomos, robótica, simuladores de procesos, impresoras 3D, inteligencia artificial y equipos que están en constante comunicación entre sí y con otros equipos externos a la organización. Es importante conocer en qué medida las empresas españolas conocen y participan en esta revolución industrial, así como ver el alcance que tendrá en los años venideros. También es importante conocer en qué situación se encuentra España respecto al resto de países con los que compite. Es por ello por lo que en este trabajo se pretende abordar los fundamentos teóricos que conforman la industria 4.0 y las limitaciones que España presenta ante el mercado global. También se realiza un estudio estadístico sobre el nivel de madurez digital que tienen las empresas españolas en la actualidad, dependiendo de factores como el sector de actividad económica a la que pertenecen, la comunidad autónoma donde se sitúan y el tamaño de la empresa según número de empleados y según el valor de facturación anual.<br /

Análisis químicos no destructivos sobre cinco mangos de marfil de Época Ibérica

Presentamos los análisis químicos realizados sobre un conjunto de cinco mangos de marfil época ibérica (s. VI – s. I a. C.). Son objetos con características técnicas, formales y decorativas muy similares entre sí, lo que que permite plantear una relación entre ellos en su proceso de producción. Sin embargo, fueron recuperados en cuatro yacimientos diferentes del área ibérica: los poblados de Turó de Montgròs (El Brull, Barcelona) y La Serreta (Alcoi, Alicante) y las necrópolis de El Cigarralejo (Mula, Murcia) y Coimbra del Barranco Ancho (Jumilla, Murcia), en esta última, se recuperaron dos de ellos. Todas las piezas, por sus contextos arqueológicos se datan entre el s. IV y principios del s. II a. C. Los análisis se llevaron a cabo con el objetivo de identificar la naturaleza y procedencia de las incrustaciones de carácter decorativo y la sustancia adherente todavía presentes en estos mangos. Si bien, en algunos de ellos, debido a su deteriorado estado de conservación, únicamente quedaban las improntas de las incrustaciones y no había restos aparentes de la sustancia de tono gris-negro que, presumiblemente, serviría para adherir las incrustaciones. Las piezas mejor conservadas son las recuperadas en lugares de hábitat. Los estudios se han realizado mediante técnicas no destructivas que no comprometiesen la integridad de las piezas. Así, se llevaron a cabo análisis por Fluorescencia de Rayos X (XRF), y por Espectrofotometría de Infrarrojo Cercano por Transformada de Fourier (FT-NIR). Todo ello se complementó mediante la revisión de los mangos con un microscopio electrónico de barrido equipado con un Sistema de Rayos X de Energía Dispersiva (SEM-EDAX-Sapphire), un microscopio óptico SMZ (NIKON) y un microscopio digital Dino-lite mod. AM7115MZT EDGE de 10x a 200x con una luz incidente por medio de un iluminador de fibra óptica y dotado de un software con funciones de medición integrales, para obtener imágenes de alta precisión. El análisis de XRF ha permitido identificar como estaño la sustancia empleada para adherir las incrustaciones decorativas en la pieza, empleando una técnica de tipo soldadura blanda. El FTNIR, por su parte, ha revelado que dichas incrustaciones fueron realizadas sobre resinas fósiles, muy probablemente ámbar. Estos resultados resultan totalmente novedosos dentro del mundo artesanal de época ibérica y, por tanto, de gran interés, evidenciando el valor de estas piezas en las que materias primas de presencia escasa en el mundo ibérico como son el marfil y el ámbar aparecen combinadas; así como el uso del estaño a modo de soldadura blanda nos revela procesos de manufactura no atestiguados hasta el momento en las industrias sobre materias duras de origen animal de la Edad del Hierro en la Península Ibérica. Cabe destacar que la realización de análisis químicos sobre piezas arqueológicas aporta datos específicos, prácticamente imposibles de obtener en un estudio macro o microscópico de los artefactos. Por ello, desde el proyecto proyecto “Madera, hueso, marfil, asta, concha ¿Artesanías marginales o marginadas?” (HAR2013-45770-P y ACOMP/2015/256) (financiado por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad y la Generalitat Valenciana) dirigido por la Dra. Consuelo Mata, se ha apostado por desarrollar estudios interdisciplinares, que impliquen el contacto y la comunicación entre distintos especialistas con la finalidad de conseguir resultados más sólidos y transversales

Representaciones sociales del rol de género masculino y sus implicancias en la restricción emocional en un grupo de adolescentes de un colegio de hombres de Lima

La presente investigación abordó la problemática relacionada con el proceso de socialización de rol de género masculino y sus implicancias en la restricción emocional en un grupo de adolescentes de un colegio de hombres de Lima, a través del enfoque cualitativo. Se realizaron entrevistas semi estructuradas a 12 adolescentes (cuyas edades fluctúan entre 15 a 16 años). A partir de las respuestas obtenidas se realizó un análisis temático reflexivo (ATR), con el cual se identificó y analizó patrones dentro de los datos. Los resultados reflejaron que las principales representaciones sociales del rol de género de los adolescentes estuvieron enfocadas en los componentes de esforzarse en base a sus éxitos, status y respeto; y no ser afeminado ni mostrar emociones. Dichas representaciones se construyen mediante la socialización de agentes como los padres y los pares. De este modo, los mensajes proporcionados por el entorno limitaron el desarrollo emocional, lo cual conllevó a una restricción emocional.The present research approached the problem related to the process of male gender role socialization and its implications in the emotional restriction in a group of adolescents from an all-male school in Lima, through a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve adolescents (aged between fifteen and sixteen years). From the responses obtained, a reflexive thematic analysis (TA) was carried out to identify and analyze patterns within the data. The results reflected that the main social representations of gender of the adolescents were focused on the components of striving for success, status and respect; and not being effeminate or showing emotions. Thus, the messages provided by the environment limited emotional development, which led to emotional restraint

Gene dysregulation in acute HIV-1 infection – early transcriptomic analysis reveals the crucial biological functions affected

IntroductionTranscriptomic analyses from early human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have the potential to reveal how HIV causes widespread and lasting damage to biological functions, especially in the immune system. Previous studies have been limited by difficulties in obtaining early specimens.MethodsA hospital symptom-based screening approach was applied in a rural Mozambican setting to enrol patients with suspected acute HIV infection (Fiebig stage I-IV). Blood samples were collected from all those recruited, so that acute cases and contemporaneously recruited, uninfected controls were included. PBMC were isolated and sequenced using RNA-seq. Sample cellular composition was estimated from gene expression data. Differential gene expression analysis was completed, and correlations were determined between viral load and differential gene expression. Biological implications were examined using Cytoscape, gene set enrichment analysis, and enrichment mapping.ResultsTwenty-nine HIV infected subjects one month from presentation and 46 uninfected controls were included in this study. Subjects with acute HIV infection demonstrated profound gene dysregulation, with 6131 (almost 13% of the genome mapped in this study) significantly differentially expressed. Viral load was correlated with 1.6% of dysregulated genes, in particular, highly upregulated genes involved in key cell cycle functions, were correlated with viremia. The most profoundly upregulated biological functions related to cell cycle regulation, in particular, CDCA7 may drive aberrant cell division, promoted by overexpressed E2F family proteins. Also upregulated were DNA repair and replication, microtubule and spindle organization, and immune activation and response. The interferome of acute HIV was characterized by broad activation of interferon-stimulated genes with antiviral functions, most notably IFI27 and OTOF. BCL2 downregulation alongside upregulation of several apoptotic trigger genes and downstream effectors may contribute to cycle arrest and apoptosis. Transmembrane protein 155 (TMEM155) was consistently highly overexpressed during acute infection, with roles hitherto unknown.DiscussionOur study contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms of early HIV-induced immune damage. These findings have the potential to lead to new earlier interventions that improve outcomes

A fine-grained requirement traceability evolutionary algorithm: Kromaia, a commercial video game case study

[EN] Context:Commercial video games usually feature an extensive source code and requirements that are related to code lines from multiple methods. Traceability is vital in terms of maintenance and content update, so it is necessary to explore such search spaces properly. Objective:This work presents and evaluates CODFREL (Code Fragment-based Requirement Location), our approach to fine-grained requirement traceability, which lies in an evolutionary algorithm and includes encoding and genetic operators to manipulate code fragments that are built from source code lines. We compare it with a baseline approach (Regular-LSI) by configuring both approaches with different granularities (code lines / complete methods). Method:We evaluated our approach and Regular-LSI in the Kromaia video game case study, which is a commercial video game released on PC and PlayStation 4. The approaches are configured with method and code line granularity and work on 20 requirements that are provided by the development company. Our approach and Regular-LSI calculate similarities between requirements and code fragments or methods to propose possible solutions and, in the case of CODFREL, to guide the evolutionary algorithm. Results:The results, which compare code line and method granularity configurations of CODFREL with different granularity configurations of Regular-LSI, show that our approach outperforms Regular-LSI in precision and recall, with values that are 26 and 8 times better, respectively, even though it does not achieve the optimal solutions. We make an open-source implementation of CODFREL available. Conclusions:Since our approach takes into consideration key issues like the source code size in commercial video games and the requirement dispersion, it provides better starting points than Regular-LSI in the search for solution candidates for the requirements. However, the results and the influence of domain-specific language on them show that more explicit knowledge is required to improve such results.This work has been partially supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through the Spanish National R + D + i Plan and ERDF funds under the Project ALPS (RTI2018-096411-B-I00).Blasco, D.; Cetina, C.; Pastor López, O. (2020). A fine-grained requirement traceability evolutionary algorithm: Kromaia, a commercial video game case study. Information and Software Technology. 119:1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2019.106235S112119Watkins, R., & Neal, M. (1994). Why and how of requirements tracing. IEEE Software, 11(4), 104-106. doi:10.1109/52.300100Rempel, P., & Mader, P. (2017). Preventing Defects: The Impact of Requirements Traceability Completeness on Software Quality. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 43(8), 777-797. doi:10.1109/tse.2016.2622264Borg, M., Runeson, P., & Ardö, A. (2013). Recovering from a decade: a systematic mapping of information retrieval approaches to software traceability. Empirical Software Engineering, 19(6), 1565-1616. doi:10.1007/s10664-013-9255-yLandauer, T. K., Foltz, P. W., & Laham, D. (1998). An introduction to latent semantic analysis. Discourse Processes, 25(2-3), 259-284. doi:10.1080/01638539809545028Poshyvanyk, D., Gueheneuc, Y.-G., Marcus, A., Antoniol, G., & Rajlich, V. (2007). Feature Location Using Probabilistic Ranking of Methods Based on Execution Scenarios and Information Retrieval. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 33(6), 420-432. doi:10.1109/tse.2007.1016Dit, B., Revelle, M., Gethers, M., & Poshyvanyk, D. (2011). Feature location in source code: a taxonomy and survey. Journal of Software: Evolution and Process, 25(1), 53-95. doi:10.1002/smr.567Arcuri, A., & Fraser, G. (2013). Parameter tuning or default values? An empirical investigation in search-based software engineering. Empirical Software Engineering, 18(3), 594-623. doi:10.1007/s10664-013-9249-9Stehman, S. V. (1997). Selecting and interpreting measures of thematic classification accuracy. Remote Sensing of Environment, 62(1), 77-89. doi:10.1016/s0034-4257(97)00083-7Apache opennlp: Toolkit for the processing of natural language text, 2017, (https://opennlp.apache.org/). [Online; accessed 12-November-2017].P. Abeles, Efficient java matrix library, 2017, (http://ejml.org/). [Online; accessed 9-November-2017].IGDA, International Game Developers Association, 2018.Lucia, A. D., Fasano, F., Oliveto, R., & Tortora, G. (2007). Recovering traceability links in software artifact management systems using information retrieval methods. ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology, 16(4), 13. doi:10.1145/1276933.1276934De Lucia, A., Oliveto, R., & Tortora, G. (2008). Assessing IR-based traceability recovery tools through controlled experiments. Empirical Software Engineering, 14(1), 57-92. doi:10.1007/s10664-008-9090-8Zou, X., Settimi, R., & Cleland-Huang, J. (2009). Improving automated requirements trace retrieval: a study of term-based enhancement methods. Empirical Software Engineering, 15(2), 119-146. doi:10.1007/s10664-009-9114-zUnterkalmsteiner, M., Gorschek, T., Feldt, R., & Lavesson, N. (2015). Large-scale information retrieval in software engineering - an experience report from industrial application. Empirical Software Engineering, 21(6), 2324-2365. doi:10.1007/s10664-015-9410-8Bavota, G., De Lucia, A., Oliveto, R., & Tortora, G. (2014). Enhancing software artefact traceability recovery processes with link count information. Information and Software Technology, 56(2), 163-182. doi:10.1016/j.infsof.2013.08.00

Ética y cuidado desde el currículo

Objetivo: Realizar un análisis curricular a partir de la reflexión crítica sobre su pertinencia con el fin de aportar a la formación de los futuros profesionales en enfermería. Material y métodos: Metodología cualitativa a través del método de revisión documental que partió del análisis de documentos institucionales y literatura internacional. Resultados: Se evidenció que el currículo se guía bajo un paradigma disciplinar-técnico y un enfoque de cumplimiento institucional, por lo cual, pensar en un plan de área de Ética y cuidado basado en las experiencias de aprendizaje y de investigación docente exige una mirada amplia del contexto cultural y social, dentro del cual se llevan a cabo situaciones de cuidado de enfermería. Conclusión: Nos encontramos en un sistema educativo en el cual hay un conocimiento técnico preestablecido que obedece a unos objetivos institucionales, pero se requiere crear una alternativa basada en el paradigma crítico investigativo del currículo que permee el plan de curso de “Ética y cuidado”

A internacionalização da educação superior na Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná – UNIOESTE

A Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná - UNIOESTE caracteriza-se como uma universidade multicampi, situada numa região de tríplice fronteira formada pelo Brasil, Argentina e Paraguai, abrangendo 94 municípios das regiões Oeste e Sudoeste do Estado do Paraná. Instituída como Universidade desde 1994, a Unioeste tem buscado instituir uma política de internacionalização. Embora possua em sua estrutura organizacional uma Assessoria de Relações Internacionais e Interinstitucionais desde a sua implantação, somente nos últimos dois anos é que foi regulamentada na universidade, uma política institucional de Internacionalização, por intermédio de uma Resolução do Conselho Universitário, aprovada em 2017. Durante os vinte anos anteriores, o que ocorreu na Unioeste, foram ações isoladas de atividades internacionais ou participação em Programas de Mobilidade. O objetivo do presente artigo é apresentar a realidade institucional da nossa universidade em relação ao processo de internacionalização nos últimos 22 anos, em que passa de uma condição passiva de internacionalização para o início de uma consolidação de sua política institucional. Na apresentação e discussão buscar-se-á consubstanciar o conceito de internacionalização que mediatiza os trabalhos e intencionalidades da Unioeste no âmbito da política de mobilidade estudantil, de docentes e servidores e o percurso para se chegar a uma política institucional de internacionalização. Para alcançar esse objetivo, utiliza-se uma metodologia analítica de dados sobre mobilidade, leitura de bibliografia acerca do tema e uma qualificação das informações, a partir dos conceitos trabalhados

MBE growth and study of low-density InAs/GaAs quantum dots and wetting layer

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) prepared with Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) represent an interesting approach to the development of single-photon sources at telecom wavelengths [1]. Structures with low QD density can be successfully prepared by using growth conditions that lead to increased cation migration length, such as relatively high QD growth temperature and/or low QD growth rate [2]; long-wavelength emission, on the other hand, may be obtained by inserting an InGaAs upper con&#64257;ning layer (UCL) on top of the QDs [3]. A complete picture of the properties not only of QDs but also of the wetting layer (WL) in these structures is particularly interesting since WL states have important effects on QD carriers dynamics. We present here the study of morphological, structural and optical properties of MBE-grown structures in which QDs were deposited at low growth rate (0.01 ML/s) and high growth temperature (520 ?C) and capped with InGaAs UCLs [4]. Owing to these particular design and growth parameters, the structures have QD densities of 4-5x109 cm-2 and emission wavelengths ranging from 1.20 to 1.33 ?m at 10 K. The WL properties were investigated with low temperature photoluminescence (PL) and high resolution X-Ray diffraction (XRD); the experimental WL transition energies were compared to simple model calculations of quantum energy levels. Our results show that the structural parameters extracted by XRD spectra simulations deviate from nominal values, as probably due to the growth parameters used to obtain low QD density [5]. The optical and structural properties of QDs were studied by means of PL, time-resolved PL (TRPL), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). TEM characterization was used to analyze the composition profiles in QDs, WL and UCLs; the results were related to the particular growth conditions used to prepare the structures. AFM measurements clearly evidenced on all samples bimodal distributions of QD heights that have been related to the observed double-peaked PL spectra. Optical characterization has been carried out as a function of temperature. Arrhenius plots of the integrated PL show two activation energies implying two decay processes. The first one is associated to thermal escape of carriers from the QDs to the WL states; the second one could be due to the presence of dark states, as suggested by TRPL measurements. The results of this comprehensive characterization are useful to reach an in-depth understanding of the quantum system and its potential as a source of single photons. [1] Intallura P.M., Ward M.B., et al., J Opt A-Pure Appl Op 2009, 11, 05400509. [2] Joyce P.B., Krzyzewski T.J., et al., Phys Rev B 2000, 62, 10891. [3] Alloing B., Zinoni C et al., Appl Phys Lett 2005, 86, 101908. [4] Trevisi G., Seravalli L., et al., Nanotechnology 2009, 20, 415607. [5] Seravalli L., Bocchi C., et al., submitted to J Appl Phys