Using accessible digital resources for teaching database design: towards an inclusive distance learning proposal

[Proceedings of] 13th Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE'08), Madrid, Spain, June 30-July 2, 2008This paper introduces a pilot experience in teaching database using accessible digital resources in 3er course of Computer Science degree at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. A platform containing learning material in different formats (video, audio, slides presentation) has been designed allowing students accessing resources as well as to be evaluated by means of tests. Preliminary results show that 46.81% of the students have already interacted with the system and 97.12% of the students passed the tests.Publicad

Análisis funcional de efectores candidatos de Podosphaera xanthii

Los oídios son patógenos biotrofos obligados que requieren células vivas para su desarrollo, por lo que deben eludir o inhibir las respuestas de defensa de la planta mediante la secreción de efectores para completar su ciclo de vida. El haustorio, estructura del hongo especializada en la toma de nutrientes, es también la vía de intercambio de factores con las células huésped. Hasta la fecha, son muy numerosos los efectores identificados en diversos hongos fitopatógenos, sin embargo, los efectores de los oídios están poco caracterizados todavía. En este trabajo hemos desarrollado un método para la identificación y el análisis de efectores candidatos de Podosphaera xanthii (ECP), el principal agente causal del oídio de las cucurbitáceas, mediante silenciamiento génico inducido por hospedador (HIGS) y la sobrexpresión de estos efectores en cotiledones de melón, utilizando para ello Agrobacterium tumefaciens. El silenciamiento de algunos de los ECP analizados provocó la acumulación en las células de la planta de compuestos relacionados con las respuestas de defensa como peróxido de hidrógeno (H2O2) y calosa, lo que sugiere un importante papel en el establecimiento de la infección. En concreto, ECPEc2 parece interferir específicamente con la formación de la papila, primera barrera de defensa de la planta que impide o ralentiza la penetración de la célula vegetal. En el caso de ECP5191, su silenciamiento se traduce un aumento del número de células que acumulaban H2O2 y calosa, así como una disminución en el número de puntos de penetración del hongo, observándose todo lo contrario cuando se sobrexpresa dicho efector. Además, la fusión traduccional CSEP5191-GFP ha permitido localizar este efector en los puntos de penetración y vesículas del haustorio del hongo.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por ayudas del Plan Nacional de I+D+I del anterior Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (AGL2010-21848-CO2-01), cofinanciado con fondos FEDER (UE)y una ayuda del Plan Propio de Investigación de la Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Expression of bacterial virulence factors and cytokines during in vitro macrophage infection by enteroinvasive Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri: a comparative study

Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) and Shigellaspp cause bacillary dysentery in humans by invading and multiplying within epithelial cells of the colonic mucosa. Although EIEC and Shigellashare many genetic and biochemical similarities, the illness caused by Shigellais more severe. Thus, genomic and structure-function molecular studies on the biological interactions of these invasive enterobacteria with eukaryotic cells have focused on Shigella rather than EIEC. Here we comparatively studied the interactions of EIEC and of Shigella flexneriwith cultured J774 macrophage-like cells. We evaluated several phenotypes: (i) bacterial escape from macrophages after phagocytosis, (ii) macrophage death induced by EIEC and S. flexneri, (iii) macrophage cytokine expression in response to infection and (iv) expression of plasmidial (pINV) virulence genes. The results showed thatS. flexneri caused macrophage killing earlier and more intensely than EIEC. Both pathogens induced significant macrophage production of TNF, IL-1 and IL-10 after 7 h of infection. Transcription levels of the gene invasion plasmid antigen-C were lower in EIEC than in S. flexneri throughout the course of the infection; this could explain the diminished virulence of EIEC compared to S. flexneri.FAPES

Obesidad, inflamación e insulino-resistencia: papel de los ligandos del receptor gp 130

Obesity can be considered as a low grade inflammatory disease, characterized by increased plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumoral necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), and acute phase reactant proteins like C-reactive protein. In this context, some cytokines of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) family have been involved in the inflammatory processes associated to obesity. In addition to IL-6, the IL-6 cytokine family includes IL-11, ciliary neurotrophic factor (cntf), cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1), cardiotrophin-like cytokine (CLC), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) y Oncostatin M (OsM). These proteins are also known as gp130 cytokines because all of them exert their action via the glycoprotein 130 (gp130) as a common transducer protein within their functional receptor complexes. However, their role in obesity and related disorders is controversial; thus, whereas some studies have described the involvement of gp130 cytokines in the development of obesity and its related cluster of pathophysiologic conditions like insulin-resistance, fatty liver and cardiovascular diseases, other trials have proposed the gp130 receptor ligands as therapeutic targets in the treatment of obesity and its related disorders. In fact, CNTF treatment has demonstrated to be effective in the reduction of body weight, by promoting the inhibition of food intake and the activation of the energy expenditure, together with an improvement of insulin sensitivity. This review analyzes the potential therapeutic role of some of the gp130 ligands in obesity and related diseases

Test results for the V0 detector in ALICE

ALIC

Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester on visfatin and apelin in lean and overweight (cafeteria diet-fed) rats

Previous studies have demonstrated that the n-3 fatty acid EPA improves insulin resistance induced by high-fat diets. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential role of visfatin and apelin in the insulin-sensitising effects of EPA ethyl ester. The effects of EPA on muscle and adipose GLUT mRNA, as well as on liver glucokinase (GK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) activity, were investigated. Male Wistar rats fed on a standard diet or a high-fat cafeteria diet were daily treated by oral administration with EPA ethyl ester (1 g/kg) for 5 weeks. A significant decrease (P,0·01) in white adipose tissue (WAT) visfatin mRNA levels was found in the cafeteria-fed rats, which was reversed by EPA administration (P,0·05). Moreover, a negative relationship was observed between homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) and the visfatin:total WAT ratio. In contrast, cafeteria-diet feeding caused a significant increase (P,0·01) in apelin mRNA in visceral WAT. EPA increased (P,0·01) apelin gene expression, and a negative relationship between HOMA index with visceral apelin mRNA and serum apelin:total WAT ratio was also observed. EPA treatment did not induce changes in skeletal muscle GLUT1, GLUT4 or insulin receptor mRNA levels. Neither liver GK and G6Pase activity nor the GK:G6Pase ratio was modified by EPA. These data suggest that somehow the insulin-sensitising effects of EPA could be related to its stimulatory action on both visfatin and apelin gene expression in visceral fat, while changes in skeletal muscle GLUT, as well as in hepatic glucose production, are not likely to be the main contributing factors in the improvement in insulin resistance induced by EPA

Characterization of Structures of Equivalent Tissue With a Pixel Detector

Research using hybrid pixel detectors in medical physics is on the rise. Timepix detectors have arrays of 256 × 256 pixels with a resolution of 55 μm. Here, and by using Timepix counts instead of Hounsfield units, we present a calibration curve of a Timepix detector analog to those used for CT calibration. Experimentation consisted of the characterization of electron density in 10 different kinds of tissue equivalent samples from a CIRS 062M phantom (lung, 3 kinds of bones, fat, breast, muscle, water and air). Radiation of the detector was performed using an orthodontic X-ray machine at 70 KeV and .06 second of tube current with a purpose-built aluminum collimator. Data acquisition was performed at 1 frame per second and taking 3 frames per phantom. We were able to find a curve whose behavior was similar to others already published. This will lead to the verification of the usage of Timepix for identification of different tissues in an organ