Infection causes childhood leukemia

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.-- Editorial.Peer Reviewe

Propuesta de mejora de programación de subvenciones económicas a CITE privados de artesanía y turismo

Dentro de las múltiples categorías que existen en la normativa de presupuesto público en el Perú, el concepto de «subvención» es uno de los que menos discusión normativa y procedimental ha suscitado. Más aun cuando dichas subvenciones se otorgan a distintas personas jurídicas y, como se muestra en la revisión de la literatura, cuenta con una rica discusión conceptual sobre lo que implica, el tratamiento económico que merece (a modo de subsidio) y sus impactos en la economía peruana

Fat-specific FUS-DDIT3-transgenic mice establish PPARgamma inactivation is required to liposarcoma development.

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Optimization of laser processes in n+Emitter formation for c-Si solar cells

Punctual phosphorus diffused emitters were achieved by laser patterning phosphorus doped a-SiCx:H films deposited by PECVD as a doping source. Two different lasers at wavelengths of 1064 nm and 532 nm were used. Phosphorus diffusion was confirmed by Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy. We explored the effect of pulse energy and number of pulses per diffused point. The results show that a fine tune of the energy pulse is critical while the number of pulses has minor effects. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) pictures and optical profilometry showed a laser affected area where the c-Si is melted, ejected and solidified quickly again. Typically, the diameter of the affected area for 1064 nm laser is between two and four times greater than for 532 nm laser. Optimum parameters for both lasers were determined to obtain best J-V curves nearly to ideal diode behavior. Comparing best J-V results, lower emitter saturation current density (Jo) and contact resistance are obtained with 532 nm laser. The improvement in Jo can be related mainly to the smaller affected areas observed by SEM while lower contact resistance can be attributed to that 532 nm laser has a more superficial action resulting in higher phosphorus concentration at the surface. The expected open voltage circuit for finished solar cells using these emitters is in the range of 640 mV for 532 nm laser and 620 mV for 1064 nm one.Postprint (published version

Early epigenetic cancer decisions

A cancer dogma states that inactivation of oncogene(s) can cause cancer remission, implying that oncogenes are the Achilles' heel of cancers. This current model of cancer has kept oncogenes firmly in focus as therapeutic targets and is in agreement with the fact that in human cancers all cancerous cells, with independence of the cellular heterogeneity existing within the tumour, carry the same oncogenic genetic lesions. However, recent studies of the interactions between an oncogene and its target cell have shown that oncogenes contribute to cancer development via developmental reprogramming of the epigenome within the target cell. These results provide the first evidence that carcinogenesis can be initiated by epigenetic stem cell reprogramming, and uncover a new role for oncogenes in the origin of cancer. Here we analyse these evidences and discuss how this vision offers new avenues for developing novel anti-cancer interventions.Research in our group is partially supported by FEDER and by MICINN (SAF2012-32810), by NIH grant (R01 CA109335-04A1), by the ARIMMORA project (FP7-ENV-2011, European Union Seventh Framework Program), by Junta de Castilla y Leon (BIO/SA06/13), and by the Deutsche José Carreras Leukämie-Stiftung (DJCLS project 13/26). All Spanish funding is co-sponsored by the European Union FEDER program. ISG is an API lab of the EuroSyStem project and a partner within the Marie Curie Initial Training Network DECIDE (Decision-making within cells and differentiation entity therapies) funded by the European Union’s Seventh Programme under grant agreement n° 315902.Peer Reviewe

Evolution of tyrosinemia type 1 disease in patients treated with nitisinone in Spain

Nephrocalcinosis; Phenotype; Severe liver dysfunctionNefrocalcinosis; Fenotipo; Disfunción hepática graveNefrocalcinosi; Fenotip; Disfunció hepàtica greuTreatment with nitisinone (NTBC) has brought about a drastic improvement in the treatment and prognosis of hereditary tyrosinemia type I (HT1). We conducted a retrospective observational multicentric study in Spanish HT1 patients treated with NTBC to assess clinical and biochemical long-term evolution.We evaluated 52 patients, 7 adults and 45 children, treated with NTBC considering: age at diagnosis, diagnosis by clinical symptoms, or by newborn screening (NBS); phenotype (acute/subacute/chronic), mutational analysis; symptoms at diagnosis and clinical course; biochemical markers; doses of NTBC; treatment adherence; anthropometric evolution; and neurocognitive outcome.The average follow-up period was 6.1 ± 4.9 and 10.6 ± 5.4 years in patients with early and late diagnosis respectively. All patients received NTBC from diagnosis with an average dose of 0.82 mg/kg/d. All NBS-patients (n = 8) were asymptomatic at diagnosis except 1 case with acute liver failure, and all remain free of liver and renal disease in follow-up. Liver and renal affectation was markedly more frequent at diagnosis in patients with late diagnosis (P T.After NTBC treatment a reduction in tyrosine and alpha-fetoprotein levels was observed in all the study groups, significant for alpha-fetoprotein in no NBS-group (P = .03), especially in subacute/chronic forms (P = .018).This series confirms that NTBC treatment had clearly improved the prognosis and quality of life of HT1 patients, but it also shows frequent cognitive dysfunctions and learning difficulties in medium-term follow-up, and, in a novel way, a high percentage of overweight/obesity

SLUG in cancer development

The SNAIL-related zinc-finger transcription factor, SLUG (SNAI2), is critical for the normal development of neural crest-derived cells and loss-of-function SLUG mutations have been proven to contribute to piebaldism and Waardenburg syndrome type 2 in a dose-dependent fashion. While aberrant induction of SLUG has been documented in cancer cells, relatively little is known about the consequences of SLUG overexpression in malignancy. To investigate the potential role of SLUG overexpression in development and in cancer, we generated mice carrying a tetracycline-repressible Slug transgene. These mice were morphologically normal at birth, and developed mesenchymal tumours (leukaemia and sarcomas) in almost all cases examined. Suppression of the Slug transgene did not rescue the malignant phenotype. Furthermore, the BCR–ABL oncogene, which induces Slug expression in leukaemic cells, did not induce leukaemia in Slug-deficient mice, implicating Slug in BCR–ABL leukaemogenesis in vivo. Overall, the findings indicate that while Slug overexpression is not sufficient to cause overt morphogenetic defects in mice, they demonstrate a specific and critical role for Slug in the pathogenesis of mesenchymal tumours.Research in our group is supported by MEyC (BIO2000-0453-P4-02, SAF2003- 01103and FIT-010000-2004-157), Junta de Castilla y León (CSI06/03), ADE de Castilla y León (04/04/SA/0001), FIS (PI020138, G03/179, and G03/136) and USALCIBASA project. MPC is a recipient of an MCyT fellowship and MSM is supported by Fundación Cientíica de la AECC.Peer reviewe

N-type emitters passivation through antireflective phosphorus doped a-SiCxNy:H(n) stacks

This paper studies the passivation of industrially textured deep silicon emitters using amorphous silicon carbonitride layers in stack configuration, deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. With this technique, emitter saturation current density can be decreased to values around 250 fA middot cm-2. As a consequence, open circuit voltages can be increased 25 mV achieving values around 640 mV.Postprint (published version

Low surface recombination in silicon-heterojunction solar cells with rear laser-fired contacts from aluminum foils

In this study, an approach to create laser-fired contacts from aluminum foils is studied on p-type silicon-heterojunction solar cells. This alternative approach consists of the use of aluminum foils instead of evaporated layers as a metal source and rear electrode for the laser-firing process. A q-switched infrared laser (1064 nm) was employed to create the local point contacts. Quasi-steady-state photoconductance measurements evidenced a limited degradation in the surface passivation quality during the laser-firing process. Heterojunction solar cells fabricated with these rear contacts reached a best conversion efficiency of 18% with a remarkable open-circuit voltage of 690 mV. These values were very close to those of reference devices fabricated with evaporated aluminum layers. This result suggests a similar effect on the rear surface passivation by both contact strategies. However, external quantum efficiency curves revealed a better response from devices with a rear aluminum foil in the near infrared. Optical measurements indicate that this effect can be related to a higher internal reflection at the back surface. Consequently, laser-fired contacts from aluminum foils appear to be a fast and convenient solution for the rear contact of high-efficiency silicon solar cells.Postprint (published version

Effects of red mud addition in the microstructure, durability and mechanical performance of cement mortars

Recently, there has been a great effort to incorporate industrial waste into cement-based materials to reach a more sustainable cement industry. In this regard, the Bayer process of obtaining alumina from bauxite generates huge amounts of waste called red mud. Few research articles have pointed out the possibility that red mud has pozzolanic activity. In view of that, the objective of this research is to analyse the short-term effects in the pore structure, mechanical performance and durability of mortars which incorporate up to 20% of red mud as a clinker replacement. As a reference, ordinary Portland cement and fly ash Portland cement mortars were also studied. The microstructure was characterised through mercury intrusion porosimetry and non-destructive impedance spectroscopy, which has not previously been used for studying the pore network evolution of red mud cement-based materials. The possible pozzolanic activity of red mud has been checked using differential scanning calorimetry. The non-steady state chloride migration coefficient and the mechanical properties were studied too. According to the results obtained, the addition of red mud entailed a greater microstructure refinement of the mortar, did not worsen the resistance against chloride ingress and reduced the compressive strength compared to control binders.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. BIA2016-80982-