Feasibility study of culture of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793) in different Galician rias (northwest Spain): First biological results

Batches of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793) have been experimentally cultivated in three rías from Galicia (northwest Spain) using two different techniques: raft and intertidal culture. Performance of these batches was assessed by analysing the growth, mortality and quality of the oysters produced. First results suggested a good growth in the majority of the raft-cultured batches and in the intertidal zone with commercial oysters after 14 months. Mortality was low ( 15 %), especially in intertidal culture. Oysters were affected by blisters and mud worms, but without impairment to their market acceptability.Los problemas que la producción ostrícola tradicional gallega tiene planteados han puesto en peligro la continuidad del sector. En el marco de exploración de una alternativa parcial que contribuya a superarlos, se ha llevado a cabo el cultivo experimental de varios lotes de ostra rizada Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793) en tres rías gallegas empleando dos técnicas diferentes: cultivo en batea y en zona intermareal. Se evaluó el rendimiento de los mismos mediante el análisis del crecimiento, la mortalidad y la calidad de las ostras producidas. Los primeros resultados mostraron un crecimiento adecuado en la mayor parte de los lotes cultivados, produciéndose ostras comerciales en 14 meses de cultivo, tanto en batea como en intermareal. La mortalidad fue baja en general (inferior al 15 %), especialmente en el cultivo intermareal. Las ostras se vieron afectadas por poliquetos perforadores y por anomalías de calcificación, pero sin llegar a condicionar su aceptabilidad comercial.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Imaging of Bubonic Plague Dynamics by In Vivo Tracking of Bioluminescent Yersinia pestis

Yersinia pestis dissemination in a host is usually studied by enumerating bacteria in the tissues of animals sacrificed at different times. This laborious methodology gives only snapshots of the infection, as the infectious process is not synchronized. In this work we used in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) to follow Y. pestis dissemination during bubonic plague. We first demonstrated that Y. pestis CO92 transformed with pGEN-luxCDABE stably emitted bioluminescence in vitro and in vivo, while retaining full virulence. The light produced from live animals allowed to delineate the infected organs and correlated with bacterial loads, thus validating the BLI tool. We then showed that the first step of the infectious process is a bacterial multiplication at the injection site (linea alba), followed by a colonization of the draining inguinal lymph node(s), and subsequently of the ipsilateral axillary lymph node through a direct connection between the two nodes. A mild bacteremia and an effective filtering of the blood stream by the liver and spleen probably accounted for the early bacterial blood clearance and the simultaneous development of bacterial foci within these organs. The saturation of the filtering capacity of the spleen and liver subsequently led to terminal septicemia. Our results also indicate that secondary lymphoid tissues are the main targets of Y. pestis multiplication and that colonization of other organs occurs essentially at the terminal phase of the disease. Finally, our analysis reveals that the high variability in the kinetics of infection is attributable to the time the bacteria remain confined at the injection site. However, once Y. pestis has reached the draining lymph nodes, the disease progresses extremely rapidly, leading to the invasion of the entire body within two days and to death of the animals. This highlights the extraordinary capacity of Y. pestis to annihilate the host innate immune response

Discovery of a new binding site on human choline kinase α1: Design, synthesis, crystallographic studies, and biological evaluation of asymmetrical bispyridinium derivatives

Human choline kinase α (CKα) is a validated drug target for the treatment of cancer. In recent years, a large number of CK inhibitors have been synthesized, and one of them is currently being evaluated in Phase I clinical trials as a treatment for solid tumors. Here we have evaluated a new series of asymmetrical biscationic CK inhibitors by means of enzymatic, crystallographic, and antitumor studies. We demonstrate that one of these structures adopts a completely new binding mode not observed before inducing the aperture of an adjacent binding site. This compound shows antiproliferative and apoptotic effects on cancer cells through activation of caspase-3. Therefore, this study not only provides fruitful insights into the design of more efficient compounds that may target different regions in CKα1 but also explains how these compounds induce apoptosis in cancer cells. © 2014 American Chemical Society.Peer Reviewe

Latinos, the Academic Ethic, and the Transition to College

Research on the academic ethic of Latino college students has not yet been conducted. In order to begin filling this gap in the literature, we surveyed Latino students at a state university to determine whether those who had an academic ethic in high school performed better in college. We also assessed the perceived helpfulness of a variety of factors (1st-year seminar, freshman orientation, parents, peers, high school teachers and guidance counselors, college professors, etc.) in students\u27 experience transitioning from high school to college. Implications of the findings for future research are discussed