In silico transitions to multicellularity

The emergence of multicellularity and developmental programs are among the major problems of evolutionary biology. Traditionally, research in this area has been based on the combination of data analysis and experimental work on one hand and theoretical approximations on the other. A third possibility is provided by computer simulation models, which allow to both simulate reality and explore alternative possibilities. These in silico models offer a powerful window to the possible and the actual by means of modeling how virtual cells and groups of cells can evolve complex interactions beyond a set of isolated entities. Here we present several examples of such models, each one illustrating the potential for artificial modeling of the transition to multicellularity.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figures. Book chapter of Evolutionary transitions to multicellular life (Springer

Efficient vasculature investment in tissues can be determined without global information

Cells are the fundamental building blocks of organs and tissues. Information and mass flow through cellular contacts in these structures is vital for the orchestration of organ function. Constraints imposed by packing and cell immobility limit intercellular communication, particularly as organs and organisms scale up to greater sizes. In order to transcend transport limitations, delivery systems including vascular and respiratory systems evolved to facilitate the movement of matter and information. The construction of these delivery systems has an associated cost, as vascular elements do not perform the metabolic functions of the organs they are part of. This study investigates a fundamental trade-off in vascularization in multicellular tissues: the reduction of path lengths for communication versus the cost associated with producing vasculature. Biologically realistic generative models, using multicellular templates of different dimensionalities, revealed a limited advantage to the vascularization of two-dimensional tissues. Strikingly, scale-free improvements in transport efficiency can be achieved even in the absence of global knowledge of tissue organization. A point of diminishing returns in the investment of additional vascular tissue to the increased reduction of path length in 2.5- and three-dimensional tissues was identified. Applying this theory to experimentally determined biological tissue structures, we show the possibility of a co-dependency between the method used to limit path length and the organization of cells it acts upon. These results provide insight as to why tissues are or are not vascularized in nature, the robustness of developmental generative mechanisms and the extent to which vasculature is advantageous in the support of organ function

City House – Mixet Use Architecture

Projekt se zabývá dostavbou bloku budov v Brně – Zábrdovicích, vymezenou místními komunikacemi. Pro návrh hmoty byl využitý princip poréznosti, kdy byl pozemek zastavěn maximální statickou hmotou prořezaný dynamickými komunikacemi – optimálními spojnicemi skrz objekt se zelení. Objekt má pět nadzemních podlaží a suterén s garážemi a technickým zázemím. V 1NP a části 2NP jsou obchodní prostory, na úrovni 2NP a 3NP jsou administrativní prostory. V části 3NP, ve 4NP a v 5.NP jsou byty. Založení objektu je na železobetonové desce, konstrukční systém domu je tvořen železobetonovými sloupy se zděnými vyzdívkami. Stropy a schodiště jsou monolitické železobetonové. Objekt je zastřešen rovnou střechou, část střech je pochozí se zelení.The project deals with completion a REC block buildings in Brno – Zábrdovice, defined by local roads. For the design of mass was used a porosity principle, when the site was covered with maximum static mass cutted by dynymic communication-optimal connections through the object. Object has five floors and a basement with garages and technical facilities. In the 1st floor and the part of 2nd floor are business premises, on the 2nd and 3rd level are administrative premises. On the part of a 3rd floor and in 4NP and 5th floor there are apartments. The foundations of an object is the reinforced concrete slab, the constuction systém is formed by reinforced-concrete columns with brick walls. Ceilings and staircases are monolithic reinforced concrete. Object is topped by a flat roof, part of the roof is greened.

Optimització del protocol de PCR per la selecció de varietats de meló (Cucumis melo) resistents a patògens.

Melon (Cucumis melo) is a highly valued crop in temperate and tropical climate regions. However, its production is limited by diseases that cause a decrease in productivity and the quality of the crop. Efforts to overcome these limitations do not stop growing and chemical treatments, despite being an accessible and economic resource, are control methods already known as dangerous for public health and for the conservation of the environment. Currently, these efforts are concentrating on developing varieties resistant to these diseases. The development of resistant varieties goes through the phenotypic and genetic analysis of these. The main objective of this work is the optimization of the parameters of PCR to determine the presence or absence of genetic regions linked to the resistance to pathogens in the cultivation of melon. In this work, three of the major pathologies in Cucumis melo culture are considered : Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis, MNSV (Spot Necrotic Melon Virus) and powdery mildew by Podosphaera xanthii and Golovinomyces cichoracearum. The genetic analysis of the varieties 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 provided by Rocalba S.A. through the use of molecular markers and the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) technique with 2,5% agarose gel electrophoresis. The molecular markers that have been used are SB17645, SV01574, Fom2-S342, Fom2-R408 and Marker F / f for Fusarium oxysporum; M29 for MNSV; CMBR120, CMBR8, MRGH5, MRGH63, Marker E, Marker D, SCAR0305 for powdery mildew. The primers are specific for each marker, as well as the annealing of the primers to the DNA is also specific and varies depending on the laboratory conditions. This work has optimized this temperature for each marker by comparing the results of the PCR with the results of the phenotypic analysis and the bibliography. The results of this work have shown that the Fom2-S342, Fom2-R408, MRGH5, MRGH63 and SCAR0305 markers will allow us to detect resistance to the corresponding pathogen in the studied melon varieties. The optimal annealing temperature for these markers has been established as well as the elongation time for some of them. This fact will allow the selection of resistant varieties for the following phases of the project.El meló (Cucumis melo) és un cultiu altament valorat en regions de clima temperat i tropical. No obstant, la seva producció es veu limitada per malalties que provoquen una disminució de la productivitat i de la qualitat del cultiu. Els esforços per superar aquestes limitacions no paren de créixer i els tractaments químics, a pesar de ser un recurs accessible i econòmic, són uns mètodes de control ja coneguts com perillosos per a la salut pública i per a la conservació del medi ambient. Actualment, aquests esforços s'estan concentrant en desenvolupar varietats resistents a aquestes malalties. El desenvolupament de varietats resistents passa per l'anàlisi fenotípica i genètica d'aquestes. L'objectiu principal d'aquest treball és l'optimització dels paràmetres de PCR per determinar la presència o absència de regions gèniques vinculades a la resistència a patògens en el cultiu del meló. En aquest treball es tenen en compte tres de les majors patologies en el cultiu de Cucumis melo causades per : Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis , MNSV (Melon Necrotic Spot Virus) i oïdi per Podosphaera xanthii i per Golovinomyces cichoracearum. S'ha realitzat l'anàlisi genètic de les varietats 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12 i 13 proveïdes per Rocalba S.A. mitjançant l'ús de marcadors moleculars i la tècnica PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) amb electroforesi en gel d'agarosa al 2,5%. Els marcadors moleculars utilitzats han sigut SB17645, SV01574, Fom2-S342 , Fom2-R408 i Marker F/f per Fusarium oxysporum; M29 per MNSV; CMBR120, CMBR8, MRGH5, MRGH63, Marker E , Marker D, SCAR0305 per oïdi. Els encebadors són específics per cada marcador, així com la temperatura d'anellament dels encebadors a l 'ADN és també específica i varia en funció de les condicions del laboratori. Aquest treball ha optimitzat aquesta temperatura per cada marcador comparant els resultats de les PCR amb els resultats de l'anàlisi fenotípic i amb la bibliografía. Els resultats d'aquest treball han demostrat que els marcadors Fom2-S342 , Fom2-R408 , MRGH5, MRGH63 i SCAR0305 ens permetran detectar resistència al patogen corresponent en les varietats de meló estudiades. S'ha pogut establir la temperatura d'anellament òptima per a aquests marcadors així com el temps d'elongació per a alguns, el que permetrà en un futur la selecció de varietats resistents per a les següents fases del projecte.El melón (Cucumis melo) es un cultivo altamente valorado en regiones de clima templado y tropical. Sin embargo, su producción se ve limitada por enfermedades que provocan una disminución de la productividad y de la calidad del cultivo. Los esfuerzos para superar estas limitaciones no paran de crecer y los tratamientos químicos, a pesar de ser un recurso accesible y económico, son unos métodos de control ya conocidos como peligrosos para la salud pública y para la conservación del medio ambiente. Actualmente, estos esfuerzos se están concentrando en desarrollar variedades resistentes a estas enfermedades. El desarrollo de variedades resistentes pasa por el análisis fenotípica y genética de estas. El objetivo principal de este trabajo es la optimización de los parámetros de PCR para determinar la presencia o ausencia de regiones génicas vinculadas a la resistencia a patógenos en el cultivo del melón. En este trabajo se tienen en cuenta tres de las mayores patologías en el cultivo de Cucumis melo causadas por: Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis, MNSV (Melon necrótico Spot Virus) y oidio por Podosphaera xanthii y por Golovinomyces cichoracearum. Se ha realizado el análisis genético de las variedades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12 y 13 provistas por Rocalba S.A. mediante el uso de marcadores moleculares y la técnica PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) con electroforesis en gel de agarosa al 2,5%. Los marcadores moleculares utilizados han sido SB17645, SV01574, Fom2-S342, Fom2-R408 y Marker F / f para Fusarium oxysporum; M29 para MNSV; CMBR120, CMBR8, MRGH5, MRGH63, Marker E, Marker D, SCAR0305 para oidio. Los cebadores son específicos para cada marcador, así como la temperatura de anillamiento de los cebadores al ADN es también específica y varía en función de las condiciones del laboratorio. En estetrabajo se ha optimizado la temperatura para cada marcador comparando los resultados de las PCR con los resultados del análisis fenotípico y con la bibliografía. Los resultados de este trabajo han demostrado que los marcadores Fom2-S342, Fom2-R408, MRGH5, MRGH63 y SCAR0305 nos permitirán detectar resistencia al patógeno correspondiente en las variedades de melón estudiadas. Se ha podido establecer la temperatura de anillamiento óptima para estos marcadores así como el tiempo de elongación para algunos, lo que permitirá en un futuro la selección de variedades resistentes para las siguientes fases del proyecto

Cardiovascular effects of non-cardiovascular drugs in heart failure

Heart Failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome that represents the final stage of most cardiac diseases, and the incidence of HF is approaching epidemic proportions. Despite improved pharmacologic and device management of patients with HF, we are still unable to restore cardiac function in most patients, nor can we rejuvenate the heart. Thus, clinical and preclinical investigations are still needed to establish innovative therapies that could tackle this problem. Furthermore, polypharmacy becomes prevalent in HF patients because HF can be complex and often accompanied with more than 1 comorbidity. As the number of comorbidities increases, the therapeutic regimens are also more complex. On the other hand, many drugs that are not used to treat HF may potentially affect the cardiovascular (CV) system. In this thesis, we have addressed the cardiovascular effects of non-cardiovascular drugs (i.e Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), Factor Xa (FXa) inhibitor and ketone ester) in HF. We also have described the potential benefits of SGLT2i in diabetic AF and the cardioprotective properties of ketone bodies. Our study provides molecular insights into the cardiovascular effects of SGLT2i, FXa inhibitor and KE in the failing heart

Are the immunomodulatory properties of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL1505 peptidoglycan common for all Lactobacilli during respiratory infection in malnourished mice?

Previously, we reported that Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL1505 peptidoglycan (PG05) improves the innate immune response in immunocompromised-malnourished mice after Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. This study extends those previous findings by demonstrating that the dietary recovery of malnourished mice with nasal administration of PG05 improves not only the innate immune response but the respiratory and systemic adaptive humoral response as well. PG05 enhanced the Th2 response, the recovery of B cells, and the concentration and opsonophagocytic activity of anti-pneumococcal antibodies. In addition, by performing comparative studies with the peptidoglycans from lactobacilli of the same species (L. rhamnosus CRL534) or with similar immunomodulatory properties (L. plantarum CRL1506), we demonstrated here that PG05 has unique immunomodulatory properties that cannot be extended to peptidoglycans from other probiotic strains. However, the knowledge of the molecular characteristics of PG05 is indispensable to understand immunomodulatory abilities of L. rhamnosus CRL1505.Fil: Kolling, Yanina Noralí. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos; ArgentinaFil: Salva, Maria Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos; ArgentinaFil: Villena, Julio Cesar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Gladis Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos; Argentin

Manual de laboratori per a tècniques en anàlisi criminal

El document forma part dels materials docents programats mitjançant l'ajut del Servei de Política Lingüística de la Universitat de València.Aquestes sessions pràctiques pretenen familiaritzar l’estudiant amb algunes de les tècniques bioquímiques i genètiques que permeten detectar la variabilitat en les poblacions humanes i la seva possible aplicació en la identificació de persones