Genes of different catabolic pathways are coordinately regulated by Dal81 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Yeast can use a wide variety of nitrogen compounds. However, the ability to synthesize enzymes and permeases for catabolism of poor nitrogen sources is limited in the presence of a rich one. This general mechanism of transcriptional control is called nitrogen catabolite repression. Poor nitrogen sources, such as leucine, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and allantoin, enable growth after the synthesis of pathway-specific catabolic enzymes and permeases. This synthesis occurs only under conditions of nitrogen limitation and in the presence of a pathway-specific signal. In this work we studied the temporal order in the induction of AGP1, BAP2, UGA4, and DAL7, genes that are involved in the catabolism and use of leucine, GABA, and allantoin, three poor nitrogen sources. We found that when these amino acids are available, cells will express AGP1 and BAP2 in the first place, then DAL7, and at last UGA4. Dal81, a general positive regulator of genes involved in nitrogen utilization related to the metabolisms of GABA, leucine, and allantoin, plays a central role in this coordinated regulation.Fil: Palavecino Ruiz, Marcos Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Correa Garcia, Susana Raquel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Bermudez Moretti, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentin

An overview on armor research for the laser fusion project HiPER

During the current preparatory phase of the European laser fusion project HiPER, an intensive effort has being placed to identify an armour material able to protect the internal walls of the chamber against the high thermal loads and high fluxes of x-rays and ions produced during the fusion explosions. This poster addresses the different threats and limitations of a poly-crystalline Tungsten armour. The analysis is carried out under the conditions of an experimental chamber hypothetically constructed to demonstrate laser fusion in a repetitive mode, subjected to a few thousand 48MJ shock ignition shots during its entire lifetime. If compared to the literature, an extrapolation of the thermomechanical and atomistic effects obtained from the simulations of the experimental chamber to the conditions of a Demo reactor (working 24/7 at hundreds of MW) or a future power plant (producing GW) suggests that “standard” tungsten will not be a suitable armour. Thus, new materials based on nano-structured W and C are being investigated as possible candidates. The research programme launched by the HiPER material team is introduced

Sustainable supply chain design under correlated uncertainty in energy and carbon prices

This paper aims to provide an improvement in the modeling of supply chain designs by incorporating correlated uncertainty among multiple parameters, resulting in a more resilient design. A new methodology to generate forecasts for historically correlated time series, regardless of their underlying probability distributions, is presented and applied to generate scenarios for energy and carbon prices, which historically proved to be correlated. These scenarios are then used in a stochastic computation to obtain a three-echelon supply chain design in Europe maximizing the economic performance. The emissions were monetarized through the incorporation of the European Union cap-and-trade emissions trading system into the model. The social impact of the supply chain network is measured in terms of the direct, indirect and induced jobs it creates, which are proportional to the economic performance. By combining the developed methodology with data mining algorithms, a reduction in the number of required scenarios by more than 90% was achieved. The numerical case study moreover shows that the stochastic design ensures an average reduction of emissions by more than 3 ktons compared to the use of a deterministic approach. In comparison, the computation of a stochastic supply chain design without parameter correlation takes 5 times longer.The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support to the Conselleria de Innovacion, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital of the Generalitat Valenciana, Spain, under project PROMETEO/2020/064 and project PID2021-124139NB-C21

Design of a Cooperative Sustainable Three-Echelon Supply Chain under Uncertainty in CO2 Allowance

Driven by the growing concern regarding greenhouse gas emissions, in this work, we provide a robust stochastic model for the design of a cooperative supply chain (SC) under uncertainty in CO2 allowance prices from the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). During the last years, CO2 allowance prices have undergone unexpected changes, having strong impact on the design and management of optimal SC. The consideration of uncertainty in the allowance prices has therefore become more important. We use an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model to predict future allowance prices. A full discretization of the underlying probability space leads to a number of scenarios far too large to be handled, so we compare two approaches to reduce the number of scenarios to a feasible maximum, the ScenRed algorithm and K-means clustering. The obtained results are compared with a deterministic approach that is widely studied in the literature, showing an increase in the benefits and a reduction of emissions.The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support to the Conselleria de Innovacion, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital of the Generalitat Valenciana, Spain, under project PROMETEO/2020/064

Tissue-Specific Decellularization Methods: Rationale and Strategies to Achieve Regenerative Compounds

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex network with multiple functions, including specific functions during tissue regeneration. Precisely, the properties of the ECM have been thoroughly used in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine research, aiming to restore the function of damaged or dysfunctional tissues. Tissue decellularization is gaining momentum as a technique to obtain potentially implantable decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) with well-preserved key components. Interestingly, the tissue-specific dECM is becoming a feasible option to carry out regenerative medicine research, with multiple advantages compared to other approaches. This review provides an overview of the most common methods used to obtain the dECM and summarizes the strategies adopted to decellularize specific tissues, aiming to provide a helpful guide for future research development.This work was supported by the Spanish “Programa Estatal de I+D+i Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad”, grant number RTI2018-101708-A-I00. S.R.-C. was supported by Fomento de San Sebastian innovative talent programme, grant number 0508/2019/0009. R.R.-H. was supported by Spanish State Training Subprogramme, grant number PRE2018-084542. A.A. was supported by Spanish State Subprogramme of Incorporation Ramón y Cajal, grant number RYC2018-025502-I, and 2019 Leonardo Grant for Researchers and Cultural Creators, BBVA Foundation, grant number IN[19]_CMA_BIO_0119

Precise enhancement quantification in post-operative MRI as an indicator of residual tumor impact is associated with survival in patients with glioblastoma

Matemàtiques i informàtica; Neurologia; OncologiaMatemáticas e informática; Neurología; OncologíaMathematics and computing; Neurology; OncologyGlioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor. Standard therapy consists of maximum safe resection combined with adjuvant radiochemotherapy followed by chemotherapy with temozolomide, however prognosis is extremely poor. Assessment of the residual tumor after surgery and patient stratification into prognostic groups (i.e., by tumor volume) is currently hindered by the subjective evaluation of residual enhancement in medical images (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]). Furthermore, objective evidence defining the optimal time to acquire the images is lacking. We analyzed 144 patients with glioblastoma, objectively quantified the enhancing residual tumor through computational image analysis and assessed the correlation with survival. Pathological enhancement thickness on post-surgical MRI correlated with survival (hazard ratio: 1.98, p < 0.001). The prognostic value of several imaging and clinical variables was analyzed individually and combined (radiomics AUC 0.71, p = 0.07; combined AUC 0.72, p < 0.001). Residual enhancement thickness and radiomics complemented clinical data for prognosis stratification in patients with glioblastoma. Significant results were only obtained for scans performed between 24 and 72 h after surgery, raising the possibility of confounding non-tumor enhancement in very early post-surgery MRI. Regarding the extent of resection, and in agreement with recent studies, the association between the measured tumor remnant and survival supports maximal safe resection whenever possible.This work was supported by the Fundacio La Caixa. R.P.L is supported by a Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award, CRIS Foundation Talent Award (TALENT-05), Fero Foundation, and the Spanish Ministry of Health FIS Program (Instituto de Salud Carlos III-Investigación en Salud PI18/01395). Mr Guillermo Villacampa Javierre kindly provided statistical advice for this manuscript

A specific loop in human DNA polymerase mu allows switching between creative and DNA-instructed synthesis

Human DNA polymerase mu (Polμ) is a family X member that has terminal transferase activity but, in spite of a non-orthodox selection of the template information, displays its maximal catalytic efficiency in DNA-templated reactions. As terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT), Polμ has a specific loop (loop1) that could provide this enzyme with its terminal transferase activity. When loop1 was deleted, human Polμ lacked TdT activity but improved DNA-binding and DNA template-dependent polymerization. Interestingly, when loop1 from TdT was inserted in Polμ (substituting its cognate loop1), the resulting chimaera displayed TdT activity, preferentially inserting dGTP residues, but had a strongly reduced template-dependent polymerization activity. Therefore, a specialized loop in Polμ, that could adopt alternative conformations, appears to provide this enzyme with a dual capacity: (i) template independency to create new DNA information, in which loop1 would have an active role by acting as a ‘pseudotemplate’; (ii) template-dependent polymerization, in which loop1 must allow binding of the template strand. Recent in vivo and in vitro data suggest that such a dual capacity could be advantageous to resolve microhomology-mediated end-joining reactions

El impacto en los nuevos productos de los derivados de la caña de azúcar: El caso de la panela en el Perú 2010- 2016

En la investigación el impacto de los nuevos productos de los derivados de la caña de azúcar: el caso de la panela en el Perú 2010-2016. El objetivo de la presente investigación fue determinar el impacto que puede ocasionar los nuevos productos que sirven para sustituir el azúcar bien sabemos que existen derivados como la panela que es un producto que al igual que el azúcar también endulza, pero este producto es natural y es del Perú. La investigación se desarrolló bajo un diseño descriptivo con enfoque cualitativo. Se utilizó el método descriptivo y la muestra lo conformaron 20 entrevistados de las diferentes empresas de panela. Para mejorar la información entrevistamos a los dueños de cada empresa donde se tiene la venta de los diferentes tipos de panela, previamente validamos aquellos datos y se demostró la validez y confiabilidad, mediante la opinión de cada entrevistado y sus experiencias económicas y sociales. Se utilizó la técnica de las entrevistas y sus instrumentos las preguntas. En la presente investigación se obtuvo la conclusión que existe un consumo responsable y un comercio justo en la distribución de las importaciones y exportación de la panela , además hoy en día se conoce que el azúcar, es uno de las fuentes de energía “más saludables”, pero verdaderamente no es así, puesto que en la actualidad existen muchos fenómenos que, de alguna forma, ya sea directa o indirecta perjudica los costes de producción, por esto es que las empresas tienen como única opción la de utilizar químicos en la elaboración del azúcar. (Rodríguez, 2015). Por lo tanto, se comprobó la hipótesis y el objetivo general del estudio

Diets high in corn oil or extra-virgin olive oil differentially modify the gene expression profile of the mammary gland and influence experimental breast cancer susceptibility

Altres ajuts: This work was supported by Grants from "Fundación Patrimonio Comunal Olivarero" (FPCO2008-165.396; FPCO2013-CF611.084), "Organización Interprofesional del Aceite de Oliva Español" (OIP2009-165.646, "Departament de Salut i d'Agricultura, Alimentació i Acció Rural de la Generalitat de Catalunya" (GC2010-165.000)Nutritional factors, especially dietary lipids, may have a role in the etiology of breast cancer. We aimed to analyze the effects of high-fat diets on the susceptibility of the mammary gland to experimental malignant transformation. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a low-fat, high-corn-oil, or high-extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) diet from weaning or from induction. Animals were induced with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene at 53 days and euthanized at 36, 51, 100 and 246 days. Gene expression profiles of mammary glands were determined by microarrays. Further molecular analyses were performed by real-time PCR, TUNEL and immunohistochemistry. Carcinogenesis parameters were determined at 105 and 246 days. High-corn-oil diet increased body weight and mass when administered from weaning. The EVOO diet did not modify these parameters and increased the hepatic expression of UCP2, suggesting a decrease in intake/expenditure balance. Both diets differentially modified the gene expression profile of the mammary gland, especially after short dietary intervention. Corn oil down-regulated the expression of genes related to immune system and apoptosis, whereas EVOO modified the expression of metabolism genes. Further analysis suggested an increase in proliferation and lower apoptosis in the mammary glands by effect of the high-corn-oil diet, which may be one of the mechanisms of its clear stimulating effect on carcinogenesis. The high-corn-oil diet strongly stimulates mammary tumorigenesis in association with modifications in the expression profile and an increased proliferation/apoptosis balance of the mammary gland. The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00394-015-0958-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

An Ultrahigh CO2-Loaded Silicalite-1 Zeolite: Structural Stability and Physical Properties at High Pressures and Temperatures

[EN] We report the formation of an ultrahigh CO2-loaded pure-SiO2, silicalite-1 structure at high pressure (0.7 GPa) from the interaction of empty zeolite and fluid CO, medium. The CO2-filled structure was characterized in situ by means of synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction. Rietveld refinements and Fourier recycling allowed the location of 16 guest carbon dioxide molecules per unit cell within the straight and sinusoidal channels of the porous framework to be analyzed. The complete filling of pores by CO, molecules favors structural stability under compression, avoiding pressure-induced amorphization below 20 GPa, and significantly reduces the compressibility of the system compared to that of the parental empty one. The structure of CO2-loaded silicalite-1 was also monitored at high pressures and temperatures, and its thermal expansivity was estimated.The authors thank the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO), the Spanish Research Agency (AEI), and the European Fund for Regional Development (FEDER) for their financial support (MAT2016-75586-C4-1-P, MAT2016-75586-C4-3-P, MAT2015-71842-P; Severo Ochoa SEV-2012-0267; and MAT2015-71070-REDC (MALTA Consolider)). D.S.-P. and J.R-F. acknowledge MINECO for a Ramon y Cajal (RyC-2014-15643) and a Juan de la Cierva (IJCI-2014-20513) contract, respectively. A.K. acknowledges the support of the University of Valencia through the Grant UV-INV-EPC17-548561. Portions of this work were performed at GeoSoilEnviroCARS (Sector 13), Advanced Photon Source (APS), and Argonne National Laboratory. GeoSoilEnviroCARS is supported by the National Science Foundation, Earth Sciences (EAR-1128799), and the Department of Energy, GeoSciences (DE-FG02-94ER14466). This research used resources from the Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory (DE-AC02-06CH11357). Use of the COMPRES-GSECARS gas loading system was supported by COMPRES under NSF Cooperative Agreement EAR 11-57758. CO2 gas was also loaded at Diamond Light Source. The authors thank the synchrotron facility ALBA-CELLS for beamtime allocation at MSPD line.Marqueno, T.; Santamaria-Perez, D.; Ruiz-Fuertes, J.; Chulia-Jordan, R.; Jorda Moret, JL.; Rey Garcia, F.; Mcguire, C.... (2018). An Ultrahigh CO2-Loaded Silicalite-1 Zeolite: Structural Stability and Physical Properties at High Pressures and Temperatures. Inorganic Chemistry. 57(11):6447-6455. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.8b00523S64476455571