The Plasmid Mobilome of the Model Plant-Symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti: Coming up with New Questions and Answers

Rhizobia are Gram-negative Alpha- andBetaproteobacteria living in the underground that have theability to associate with legumes for the establishment ofnitrogen-fixing symbioses.Sinorhizobium melilotiinparticular—the symbiont ofMedicago,Melilotus, andTrigonellaspp.—has for the past decades served as a model organism forinvestigating, at the molecular level, the biology, biochemistry,and genetics of a free-living and symbiotic soil bacterium ofagricultural relevance. To date, the genomes of seven differentS. melilotistrains have been fully sequenced and annotated,and several other draft genomic sequences are also available(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genome/genomes/1004).The vast amount of plasmid DNA thatS. melilotifrequently bears(up to 45% of its total genome), the conjugative ability of some ofthose plasmids, and the extent of the plasmid diversity hasprovided researchers with an extraordinary system to investigatefunctional and structural plasmid molecular biology within theevolutionary context surrounding a plant-associated modelbacterium. Current evidence indicates that the plasmidmobilome inS. melilotiis composed of replicons varying greatlyin size and having diverse conjugative systems and propertiesalong with different evolutionary stabilities and biological roles.While plasmids carrying symbiotic functions (pSyms) are knownto have high structural stability (approaching that ofchromosomes), the remaining plasmid mobilome (referred to asthe non-pSym,functionally cryptic,oraccessorycompartment)has been shown to possess remarkable diversity and to be highlyactive in conjugation. In light of the modern genomic andcurrent biochemical data on the plasmids ofS. meliloti,the current article revises their main structural components,their transfer and regulatory mechanisms, and their potentialas vehicles in shaping the evolution of the rhizobial genome.Fil: Lagares, Antonio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Sanjuán Pinilla, Juan. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Experimental del Zaidín; EspañaFil: Pistorio, Mariano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; Argentin

Can dead zones create structures like a transition disk?

[Abridged] Regions of low ionisation where the activity of the magneto-rotational instability is suppressed, the so-called dead zones, have been suggested to explain gaps and asymmetries of transition disks. We investigate the gas and dust evolution simultaneously assuming simplified prescriptions for a dead zone and a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wind acting on the disk. We explore whether the resulting gas and dust distribution can create signatures similar to those observed in transition disks. For the dust evolution, we included the transport, growth, and fragmentation of dust particles. To compare with observations, we produced synthetic images in scattered optical light and in thermal emission at mm wavelengths. In all models with a dead zone, a bump in the gas surface density is produced that is able to efficiently trap large particles ($\gtrsim 1$ mm) at the outer edge of the dead zone. The gas bump reaches an amplitude of a factor of $\sim5$, which can be enhanced by the presence of an MHD wind that removes mass from the inner disk. While our 1D simulations suggest that such a structure can be present only for $\sim$1 Myr, the structure may be maintained for a longer time when more realistic 2D/3D simulations are performed. In the synthetic images, gap-like low-emission regions are seen at scattered light and in thermal emission at mm wavelengths, as previously predicted in the case of planet-disk interaction. As a conclusion, main signatures of transition disks can be reproduced by assuming a dead zone in the disk, such as gap-like structure in scattered light and millimetre continuum emission, and a lower gas surface density within the dead zone. Previous studies showed that the Rossby wave instability can also develop at the edge of such dead zones, forming vortices and also creating asymmetries.Comment: Minor changes after language edition. Accepted for publication in A&

Reemplazo del uso del libro de texto por una unidad didáctica basada en herramientas digitales en la clase de inglés como lengua extranjera

La manera en la que el inglés como lengua extranjera se enseña usualmente es a través del uso de una sola herramienta de aprendizaje: el libro de texto y / o el libro de actividades. Normalmente, esto no es motivador ni suficientemente útil para los estudiantes debido la falta de actividades que incentiven la cooperación e interacción entre compañeros o que trabajen la competencia comunicativa de los alumnos. Por tanto, este trabajo va a estar basado en una posible solución para esta dinámica: reemplazar el uso del libro de texto en inglés por una unidad de aprendizaje basado en proyectos constituida de diferentes herramientas TIC y recursos digitales que puedan cubrir los defectos existentes al solo tener en cuenta los libros de texto y de actividades con fines didácticos. The way in which English as a Foreign Language is usually taught is through the use of only one teaching tool: the textbook and / or the workbook. This is normally neither motivating nor useful enough for the students to the extent that it lacks activities which encourage peer cooperation and interaction and work on the learners’ communicative competence. Thus, this work is going to be based on a possible solution for this dynamics: replacing the use of English textbook with a Project Based Language Learning unit constituted by different ICT tools and digital resources which can cover the existing flaws when only taking into consideration textbooks and workbooks for teaching processes.<br /

The Plasmid Mobilome of the Model Plant-Symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti: Coming up with New Questions and Answers

Rhizobia are Gram-negative Alpha- and Betaproteobacteria living in the underground that have the ability to associate with legumes for the establishment of nitrogen-fixing symbioses. Sinorhizobium meliloti in particular—the symbiont of Medicago, Melilotus, and Trigonella spp.—has for the past decades served as a model organism for investigating, at the molecular level, the biology, biochemistry, and genetics of a free-living and symbiotic soil bacterium of agricultural relevance. To date, the genomes of seven different S. meliloti strains have been fully sequenced and annotated, and several other draft genomic sequences are also available (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genome/genomes/1004). The vast amount of plasmid DNA that S. meliloti frequently bears (up to 45% of its total genome), the conjugative ability of some of those plasmids, and the extent of the plasmid diversity has provided researchers with an extraordinary system to investigate functional and structural plasmid molecular biology within the evolutionary context surrounding a plant-associated model bacterium. Current evidence indicates that the plasmid mobilome in S. meliloti is composed of replicons varying greatly in size and having diverse conjugative systems and properties along with different evolutionary stabilities and biological roles. While plasmids carrying symbiotic functions (pSyms) are known to have high structural stability (approaching that of chromosomes), the remaining plasmid mobilome (referred to as the non-pSym, functionally cryptic, or accessory compartment) has been shown to possess remarkable diversity and to be highly active in conjugation. In light of the modern genomic and current biochemical data on the plasmids of S. meliloti, the current article revises their main structural components, their transfer and regulatory mechanisms, and their potential as vehicles in shaping the evolution of the rhizobial genome.Instituto de Biotecnologia y Biologia Molecula

Nuevas tecnologías y sociedad de la información en España. Un estado de la cuestión

Depto. de Sociología: Metodología y TeoríaFac. de Ciencias Políticas y SociologíaTRUEpu

Think Tanks, saber experto y formación de agenda política en el Chile actual

El artículo indaga en los canales de influencia de los centros de estudio privados o think tanks en el proceso de formación de agenda política en Chile. Un esquema de clasificación para las organizaciones existentes en el país es propuesto, caracterizando los rasgos de centros académicos, centros de apoyo, centros partidarios y centros de gestión. Se busca describir el desenvolvimiento de las distintas organizaciones y determinar el rol de la gestión de saber experto en la definición de asuntos para la agenda política.Cet article analyse les canaux d’influence des centres d’étude privés think tanks dans le processus de formation de l’agenda politique au Chili. Un schéma de classement pour les organisations existantes dans le pays est proposé, caractérisant les particularités des centres académiques, centres de soutien, centres partisans et centres de gestion. Il s’agit de décrire le développement des différentes organisations et de déterminer le rôle de la gestion du savoir expert dans la définition des thèmes de l’agenda politique.The paper explores the channels of influence of think tanks in the process of political agenda setting in Chile. A classification scheme for organizations in the country is proposed, characterizing the features of academic think tanks, advocacy think tanks, party think tanks and contract think tanks. It seeks to describe the performance of different types of organizations, and determine the role of knowledge expert management in defining issues of the political agenda.O artigo explora os canais de influência dos think tanks no processo de definição de agenda política no Chile. Um esquema de classificação para as organizações no país é proposto, caracterizando as características de grupos de reflexão acadêmica, a defesa think tanks, grupos de reflexão e festa contrato think tanks. Pretende-se descrever o desempenho de diferentes tipos de organizações, e determinar o papel de especialista em gestão do conhecimento na definição de temas da agenda política

La evolución del constructivismo (desde una perspectiva constructivista)

This article discusses the evolutionary conditions of constructivism on society, from Luhmann's social systems theory. First, we review some of the basic notions of the theory of social and cultural evolution, focusing on the concepts of variation, selection and stabilization of semantics in expectation structures. We suggest that these elements find empirical scenarios suitable for observation in scientific and philosophical communications, as well as in cultural productions. Our discussion leads to the question regarding the likeliness of stabilization of constructivism in expectations that operate in everyday life. We conclude with the hypothesis that constructivism -on its expressions on several systems- constitutes an evolutionary acquisition, as it allows the coupling of new and more complex communications in contemporary society.El presente artículo reflexiona respecto de las condiciones de evolución del constructivismo en la sociedad, desde la perspectiva de la teoría de los sistemas sociales de Luhmann. Inicialmente se revisan algunas de las nociones básicas de la teoría de la evolución socio-cultural desde el constructivismo del autor, centrándonos en los conceptos de variación, selección y estabilización de semánticas en estructuras de expectativas. Se sugiere que estos elementos encuentran escenarios empíricos de observación en comunicaciones científicas y filosóficas, así como en producciones culturales. La discusión conduce a la pregunta por la probabilidad de re-estabilización del constructivismo en expectativas que operan en la vida cotidiana. Se concluye con la hipótesis de que el constructivismo -en sus expresiones en varios sistemas- constituye una adquisición evolutiva, en tanto permite el acoplamiento de nuevas comunicaciones progresivamente más complejas en la sociedad contemporánea

Estudio de las posibilidades de uso de energías renovables en una quesería ecológica

En este trabajo se estudia la viabilidad de un sistema de producción energética eléctrica fotovoltaica a largo plazo. Se toma como ejemplo una microquesería ecológica y su granja asociada, y se estudian las posibilidades que esta empresa tiene de satisfacer sus necesidades energéticas mediante esta tecnología. Se utiliza la Dinámica de Sistemas para construir un modelo de simulación matemática que permita calcular los balances energético y económico de la instalación, teniendo en cuenta el análisis de ciclo de vida, la tasa de retorno energético de la misma y el marco regulatorio actual.Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas y AutomáticaGrado en Ingeniería Mecánic

Multiserotype Protection Elicited by a Combinatorial Prime-Boost Vaccination Strategy against Bluetongue Virus

Bluetongue virus (BTV) belongs to the genus Orbivirus within the family Reoviridae. The development of vector-based vaccines expressing conserved protective antigens results in increased immune activation and could reduce the number of multiserotype vaccinations required, therefore providing a cost-effective product. Recent recombinant DNA technology has allowed the development of novel strategies to develop marker and safe vaccines against BTV. We have now engineered naked DNAs and recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (rMVA) expressing VP2, VP7 and NS1 proteins from BTV-4. IFNAR(−/−) mice inoculated with DNA/rMVA-VP2,-VP7-NS1 in an heterologous prime boost vaccination strategy generated significant levels of antibodies specific of VP2, VP7, and NS1, including those with neutralizing activity against BTV-4. In addition, vaccination stimulated specific CD8+ T cell responses against these three BTV proteins. Importantly, the vaccine combination expressing NS1, VP2 and VP7 proteins of BTV-4, elicited sterile protection against a lethal dose of homologous BTV-4 infection. Remarkably, the vaccine induced cross-protection against lethal doses of heterologous BTV-8 and BTV-1 suggesting that the DNA/rMVA-VP2,-VP7,-NS1 marker vaccine is a promising multiserotype vaccine against BTV

Pruebas de habilidades practicas CCNP

El contenido programático desarrollado durante la carrera, el diplomado de profundización y el trabajo en sí, nos preparó a los estudiantes para la instalación, configuración, transferencias de archivos, interconectividad, administración y para mí lo más importante la resolución de problemas en redes pequeñas y empresariales en el área de Networking, LAN y WAN, este trabajo se desarrolló en conjunto con el apoyo constante de especialistas del área, con el fin de mejorar las habilidades obtenidas y trabajar de manera independiente en el diseño de redes complejas de telecomunicaciones. Esa actividad afianzó los conocimientos sobre protocolos de enrutamiento avanzados como IGRP, RIP, OSPF, se utilizó tanto el direccionamiento IPV4 e IPV6, y sobre todo se hizo especial énfasis en la seguridad un tema que está tomando demasiada importancia y que cada día es relevante a momento del diseño de una red. El presente trabajo validad estas habilidades y nos da una visión más clara de lo que muy posiblemente nos vamos a enfrentar, además es la mejor manera de evaluar los conocimientos adquiridos a través del desarrollo de los módulos que componen el curso, así como la formación autodidacta que el curso demanda.The programmatic content developed during the race, the deepening diploma and the work itself, prepared the students for installation, configuration, file transfers, interconnectivity, administration and for me the most important problem solving in small networks and In the area of Networking, LAN and WAN, this work was developed together with the constant support of specialists in the area, in order to improve the skills obtained and work independently in the design of complex telecommunications networks. This activity strengthened knowledge about advanced routing protocols such as IGRP, RIP, OSPF, both IPV4 and IPV6 addressing were used, and above all, special emphasis was placed on security, an issue that is taking on too much importance and that every day is relevant to Design time of a network. The present work validates these skills and gives us a clearer vision of what we are likely to face, it is also the best way to evaluate the knowledge acquired through the development of the modules that make up the course, as well as self-taught training that the course demands