Gathering the limbs of the text in Shelley Jackson’s "Patchwork girl"

Shelley Jackson’s Patchwork Girl is not simply a new recreation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in hypertext format; it also tries to develop some of the implications in the original text from the paradigms of contemporary science and criticism. This study is an attempt to bring to light the ways in which these paradigms, characterized by their emphasis on fragmentariness, are made to interact dialogically with Shelley’s novel in order to produce a postmodern version of the old Promethean myth. Apart from exploring the filial connections that one might expect in any rewriting exercise, this essay focuses on the way Jackson questions the concept of authorship, origin(ality) and literary property, and related issues such as intertextuality and assemblage, all of which are indices of the theoretical concerns underlying Jackson's text and of the ways in which it follows, re-writes or invites us to re-read Shelley's “hideous progeny

Fast Forward to the Past: Revisiting Trauma after the Fall

The representation of traumatic experience usually brings to the surface an element that has been long repressed. To a great extent it also implies “breaking the silence” imposed by an authoritarian voice proposing a one-dimensional version of the historical Real. This paper analyses the way in which some recent films —which dramatize the collateral effects of the collapse of Communist regimes— offer new representations of actual historical events and address a common and, at the same time varied, European concern for coming to terms with a recent traumatic past. The films feature their protagonists trapped in a characteristic traumatic paradox as they have to reconcile testimonial accuracy with the essential ineffability of their experiences. However, guided by a common desire to rewrite the past and to heal personal and collective wounds, they resort to the materiality of objects which function as what Pierre Nora terms ‘lieux de mémoire’, that is, new signifiers for the (re)creation of a different History

Proteomic analysis of goat milk kefir: profiling the fermentation-time dependent protein digestion and identification of potential peptides with biological activity

Kefir is a fermented dairy product, associated to health benefits because of being a probiotic and due to the presence of molecules with biological activity. In this work, we have profiled the peptide composition of goat milk kefir at three different fermentation times using a peptidomics approach, in order to study changes in peptide concentrations and patterns of protein digestion throughout the fermentation time. We identified 2328 unique peptides corresponding to 22 protein annotations, with a maximum of peptides found after 24 h fermentation. We established different digestion patterns according to the nature of the proteins, and quantified the changes in the peptides appearing in all the fermentation times. We also identified 11 peptides that matched exactly to sequences with biological activity in databases, almost all of them belonging to caseins. This is the most comprehensive proteomic analysis of goat milk kefir to date

A multicenter case-control study comparing sun exposure habits and use of photoprotection measures in patients diagnosed with different types of skin cancer

Melanoma; Photoprotection measures; Squamous cell carcinomaMelanoma; Mesures de fotoprotecció; Carcinoma de cèl·lules escamosesMelanoma; Medidas de fotoprotección; Carcinoma de células escamosasBackground While skin cancer awareness programs have significantly furthered public understanding about the harmful effects of the sun, there is a disparity between photoprotection knowledge and protection practices. Objective To compare sun exposure habits and photoprotection measures in patients diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma versus controls. Methods Multicentre case–control observational study carried out by 13 Spanish dermatologists between April 2020 and August 2022. Patients diagnosed with BCC, SCC, or melanoma were considered cases. The control group consisted of individuals with no history of skin cancer. Results Of the 254 cases (56.2% female; mean age, 62.67 ± 15.65), 119 (31.2%) had BCC, 62 (16.27%) SCC, and 73 (19.1%) melanoma. The control group consisted of 127 (33.33%) individuals. Avoiding sun exposure between 12:00 and 16:00 was the most commonly used photoprotection measure (habitually/always: 63.1%), followed by the use of sunscreen (habitually/always: 58.9%). Patients with melanoma were less likely to use clothing and shade to avoid sun exposure (p  50. No differences were observed in photoprotection measures between people with and without a previous history of skin cancer. Conclusions We describe differences in photoprotection measures and sun exposure patterns among patients diagnosed with different skin tumor types. Whether these differences may influence the type of tumor each developed will require further investigation

The Influence of the Exposome in the Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma, a Multicenter Case–Control Study

Exposome; Squamous cell carcinomaExposoma; Carcinoma cutáneo de células escamosasExposoma; Carcinoma cutani de cèl·lules escamosesIntroduction: The concept of exposome refers to the total of harmful and beneficial environmental exposures that can help predict the organism’s biological responses over time. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from sun exposure has been recognized as the main etiological agent of skin cancer, and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one most commonly associated with chronic exposure. However, in recent years, evidence suggests that lifestyle, environmental pollution, and contaminants in water and food can have an influence. Objectives: To study the relationship between SCC and sun exposure, pollution, stress, and lifestyle in a Spanish cohort. Materials and Method: A multicenter case–control study was carried out in which 13 dermatologists from different regions of Spain recruited cases and controls between April 2020 and August 2022. The group of cases were patients diagnosed with SCC and, as a control group, people who attended Dermatology consultations as companions with no history of skin cancer. Results: A total of 62 patients with SCC and 126 controls were included (62.9% males, median age 76.46 (10.1) and 33.3%, median age 55.7 (15), respectively). The SCC group had experienced more outside work than the controls (75% vs. 22.4%, p < 0.001), less recreational exposure (sunbathing, p = 0.05, and outdoor sports, p = 0.01), and a lower annual income (p = 0.01), with an increase in tobacco exposure (p < 0.001), without differences in other carcinogens, such as ionizing radiation or chemical exposure. The control group had a higher daily screentime use (p < 0.001) and practiced more relaxation activities (p = 0.03). A higher linolenic acid intake and lower coffee consumption were the only dietary variables associated with SCC (p < 0.05). Some chronic medications (anxiolytics, antidepressants, beta-blockers, statins, hydrochlorothiazide, ACE inhibitors, metformin, and omeprazole) were also statistically associated with SCC. Statistical significance for all aforementioned variables was maintained in the multivariate analysis (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The study found a significant association between SCC and multiple exposome-related factors in addition to chronic sun exposure in the Spanish population. Primary prevention strategies should target specific populations, such as outdoor workers promoting sun-safe behaviors and stress-reducing activities, in addition to adequate skin photoprotection in patients under certain medications associated with SCC

HPLC-MS/MS Analyses Show That the Near-Starchless aps1 and pgm Leaves Accumulate Wild Type Levels of ADPglucose: Further Evidence for the Occurrence of Important ADPglucose Biosynthetic Pathway(s) Alternative to the pPGI-pPGM-AGP Pathway

In leaves, it is widely assumed that starch is the end-product of a metabolic pathway exclusively taking place in the chloroplast that (a) involves plastidic phosphoglucomutase (pPGM), ADPglucose (ADPG) pyrophosphorylase (AGP) and starch synthase (SS), and (b) is linked to the Calvin-Benson cycle by means of the plastidic phosphoglucose isomerase (pPGI). This view also implies that AGP is the sole enzyme producing the starch precursor molecule, ADPG. However, mounting evidence has been compiled pointing to the occurrence of important sources, other than the pPGI-pPGM-AGP pathway, of ADPG. To further explore this possibility, in this work two independent laboratories have carried out HPLC-MS/MS analyses of ADPG content in leaves of the near-starchless pgm and aps1 mutants impaired in pPGM and AGP, respectively, and in leaves of double aps1/pgm mutants grown under two different culture conditions. We also measured the ADPG content in wild type (WT) and aps1 leaves expressing in the plastid two different ADPG cleaving enzymes, and in aps1 leaves expressing in the plastid GlgC, a bacterial AGP. Furthermore, we measured the ADPG content in ss3/ss4/aps1 mutants impaired in starch granule initiation and chloroplastic ADPG synthesis. We found that, irrespective of their starch contents, pgm and aps1 leaves, WT and aps1 leaves expressing in the plastid ADPG cleaving enzymes, and aps1 leaves expressing in the plastid GlgC accumulate WT ADPG content. In clear contrast, ss3/ss4/aps1 leaves accumulated ca. 300 fold-more ADPG than WT leaves. The overall data showed that, in Arabidopsis leaves, (a) there are important ADPG biosynthetic pathways, other than the pPGI-pPGM-AGP pathway, (b) pPGM and AGP are not major determinants of intracellular ADPG content, and (c) the contribution of the chloroplastic ADPG pool to the total ADPG pool is low.This research was partially supported by the grants [BIO2010-18239] from the Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (Spain) and [IIM010491.RI1] from the Government of Navarra, and by Iden Biotechnology. This research was also supported by Scientific Research on Innovative Areas [22114507] and Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) [22380186] from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.Peer Reviewe

Quantitative proteomic analysis of Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes CECT5344 in response to industrial cyanide-contain ing wastewaters using Liquid Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry (LC- MS/MS)

Biological treatments to degrade cyanide are a powerful technology for cyanide removal from industrial wastewaters. It has been previously demonstrated that the alkaliphilic bacterium Pseudomonas pseudoalcali genes CECT5344 is able to use free cyanide and several metal − cyanide complexes as the sole nitrogen source. In this work, the strain CECT5344 has been used for detoxification of the different chemical forms of cyanide that are present in alkaline wastewaters from the jewelry industry. This liquid residue also contains large concentration s of metals like iron, copper and zinc, making this wastewater even more toxic. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the bioremediation process, a quantitative proteomic anal- ysis by LC-MS/MS has been carried out in P . pseudoalcaligene s CECT5344 cells grown with the jewelry residue as sole nitrogen source. Different proteins related to cyanide and cyanate assimilation, as well as other proteins involved in transport and resistance to metals were induced by the cyanide-cont aining jewelry residue. GntR-like regulatory proteins were also induced by this industrial residue and mutational analysis revealed that GntR-like regulatory proteins may play a role in the regulation of cyanide assimilation in P . pseudoalcaligene s CECT5344. The strain CECT5344 has been used in a batch reactor to remove at pH 9 the dif- ferent forms of cyanide present in industrial wastewaters from the jewelry industry (0.3 g/L, ca . 12 mM total cyanide, including both free cyanide and metal − cyanide complexes). This is the first report describing the biological removal at alkaline pH of such as elevated concentra- tion of cyanide present in a heterogeneou s mixture from an industrial source

Enhancing sucrose synthase activity results in increased levels of starch and ADP-glucose in maize (Zea mays L.) seed endosperms.

Póster presentado en el XIII Congresso Luso-Espanhol de Fisiologia Vegetal, celebrado en Lisboa del 24 al 28 de julio de 2013.Sucrose synthase (SuSy) is a highly regulated cytosolic enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of sucrose and a nucleoside diphosphate into the corresponding nucleoside diphosphate glucose and fructose. In cereal endosperms, it is widely assumed that the stepwise reactions of SuSy, UDPglucose pyrophosphorylase and ADPglucose (ADPG) pyrophosphorylase (AGP) take place in the cytosol to convert sucrose into ADPG necessary for starch biosynthesis, although it has been also suggested that SuSy may participate in the direct conversion of sucrose into ADPG. In this study, the levels of the major primary carbon metabolites, and the activities of starch metabolism related enzymes were assessed in endosperms of transgenic maize plants ectopically expressing StSUS4 , which encodes a potato SuSy isoform. A total of 29 fertile lines transformed with StSUS4 were obtained, 5 of them containing a single copy of the transgene that was still functional after five generations. The number of seeds per ear of the 5 transgenic lines containing a single StSUS4 copy was comparable to that of wild type (WT) control seeds. However, transgenic seeds accumulated 10-15% more starch at the mature stage, and contained a higher amylose/amylopectin balance than WT seeds. Endosperms of developing StSUS4-expressing seeds exhibited a significant increase in SuSy activity, and in starch and ADPG contents when compared with WT endosperms. No significant changes could be detected in the transgenic seeds in soluble sugars content, and in activities of starch metabolism related enzymes when compared to WT seeds. A suggested metabolic model is presented wherein both AGP and SuSy are involved in the production of ADPG linked to starch biosynthesis in maize endosperm cells.This research was partially supported by grant BIO2010-18239 from the Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (Spain), by Iden Biotechnology SL, and by the Government of Navarra (grant IIM01491.RI1).Peer Reviewe