Genome–nuclear lamina interactions: from cell populations to single cells

Lamina-associated domains (LADs) are large genomic regions that interact with the nuclear lamina (NL) and help to guide the spatial folding of chromosomes in the interphase nucleus. LADs have been linked to gene repression and other functions. Recent studies have begun to uncover some of the molecular players that drive LAD–NL interactions. A picture emerges in which DNA sequence, chromatin components and nuclear lamina proteins play an important role. Complementary to this, imaging and single-cell genomics approaches have revealed that some LAD–NL interactions are variable from cell to cell, while others are very stable. Understanding LADs can provide a unique perspective into the general process of genome organization

Influence of Nutrients and pH on the Efficiency of Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands Treating Winery Wastewater

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG[Abstract] Winery wastewater is characterized by high organic content, low nutrient content and low pH at least during vintage periods. The effect of nutrient shortage and low pH on constructed wetlands (CWs) operation was scarcely studied, but early field studies indicate that some operational problems can arise. This work aims to determine the effect of nutrient shortage and acidic pH during the treatment of high organic load wastewater in one-step vertical subsurface flow (VF) CWs. Two lab scale VF units at hydraulic loading rates over 70 L/m2·d and surface loading rate in the range of 110−170 g COD/m2·d were operated for periods with and without nutrients in the influent as well as with influent pH of 7.0 and 4.5. The results showed that neither low nutrient nor low pH impair organic matter removal whilst low pH decreased nitrogen removal rates. At low pH, the effluent concentration of ammonia and nitrate increased, indicating deterioration in both nitrification and denitrification processes. The paper discuss the implications of these findings for a better strategy in the treatment of winery process wastewater, such as options for separate treatment or its combination with other nutrient-containing streams

Composición química y actividad antibacteriana del aceite esencial de las especies Eucalyptus globulus y E. camaldulensis de tres zonas de Pamplona (Colombia)

La utilización de aceites esenciales (AE) para combatir bacterias que pueden afectar al hombre resulta una alternativa eficaz, económica y de menor impacto ambiental que la utilización de compuestos químicos sintéticos. Por medio de este estudio se quiere determinar cuál de las dos especies en estudio y que método de extracción del aceite es el más adecuado para obtener un efecto antibacteriano que garantice la eliminación de las bacterias de interés alimentario seleccionadas. Con la finalidad de lograr este objetivo se procesaron hojas secas y hojas frescas de las especies de Eucalyptus seleccionadas en tres zonas delmunicipio de Pamplona y el AE se obtuvo por dos métodos de extracción: Arrastre con vapor (AV) e hidrodestilación asistida por radiación de microondas (HDMO), obteniendo el mejor rendimiento (4%) a partir de hojas secas de E. globulus recolectadas en la zona 2, por el método AV.  Al  evaluar el efecto antibacterial de los aceites de las especies E. globulus y E. camaldulensis se encontró actividad frente a  las cepas Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Bacillus subtilis y Enterococcus faecalis. Utilizando la técnica de Cromatografía de Gases de Alta Resolución (GCAR) se identificaron doce componentes mayoritarios: 1,8-Cineol o Eucaliptol (77-82%), α-Pineno, Limoneno, α-Terpineno, α-Copaeno, Guaiol, α-Felandreno, β-Terpinen-4-ol, Linalol, α-Terpineol, Mirceno y β-Selineno. Por medio de las técnicas de difusión en disco y microdilución en caldo se pudo evidenciar que el AE extraído a partir de hojas secas, Zona 2, de E. globulus es el que mayor efecto antibacterial presenta obteniéndose menores Concentraciones Mínimas Inhibitorias (CMI) frente a las bacterias Gram-positivas

cis-Regulatory Requirements for Tissue-Specific Programs of the Circadian Clock

SummaryBackgroundBroadly expressed transcriptions factors (TFs) control tissue-specific programs of gene expression through interactions with local TF networks. A prime example is the circadian clock: although the conserved TFs CLOCK (CLK) and CYCLE (CYC) control a transcriptional circuit throughout animal bodies, rhythms in behavior and physiology are generated tissue specifically. Yet, how CLK and CYC determine tissue-specific clock programs has remained unclear.ResultsHere, we use a functional genomics approach to determine the cis-regulatory requirements for clock specificity. We first determine CLK and CYC genome-wide binding targets in heads and bodies by ChIP-seq and show that they have distinct DNA targets in the two tissue contexts. Computational dissection of CLK/CYC context-specific binding sites reveals sequence motifs for putative partner factors, which are predictive for individual binding sites. Among them, we show that the opa and GATA motifs, differentially enriched in head and body binding sites respectively, can be bound by OPA and SERPENT (SRP). They act synergistically with CLK/CYC in the Drosophila feedback loop, suggesting that they help to determine their direct targets and therefore orchestrate tissue-specific clock outputs. In addition, using in vivo transgenic assays, we validate that GATA motifs are required for proper tissue-specific gene expression in the adult fat body, midgut, and Malpighian tubules, revealing a cis-regulatory signature for enhancers of the peripheral circadian clock.ConclusionsOur results reveal how universal clock circuits can regulate tissue-specific rhythms and, more generally, provide insights into the mechanism by which universal TFs can be modulated to drive tissue-specific programs of gene expression

Prevalence of Pediculus humanus capitis infestation among kindergarten children in Bahía Blanca city, Argentina

The human head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis De Geer (Anoplura: Pediculidae), is a worldwide public health concern. This human obligate ectoparasite usually infests school age children. The aim of this work was to investigate the prevalence of head lice in kindergarten children from Bahia Blanca. In addition, the influence of risk factors for pediculosis infestation, such as gender, hair characteristics, and socioeconomic class, was studied in relation to the prevalence of this ectoparasite. From a total of 220pupils examined (125 girls and 95 boys), 94 showed pediculosis. The overall prevalence of head lice infestation was 42.7 %.Pediculosis was more frequent in girls (53.6 %) than in boys (28.4 %) and in medium, long, and very long hairs. No differences were found between socioeconomic classes. This indicated that head lice are relatively common in kindergarten children from Bahía Blanca.Fil: Gutierrez, María Mercedes. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Werdin Gonzalez, Jorge Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Química del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Química. Instituto de Química del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Stefanazzi, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Serralunga, Gabriela. Universidad Nacional del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Yáñez, Loreto Eugenia. Universidad Nacional del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Ferrero, Adriana Alicia. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentin

Identical repeated backbone of the human genome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Identical sequences with a minimal length of about 300 base pairs (bp) have been involved in the generation of various meiotic/mitotic genomic rearrangements through non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR) events. Genomic disorders and structural variation, together with gene remodelling processes have been associated with many of these rearrangements. Based on these observations, we identified and integrated all the 100% identical repeats of at least 300 bp in the NCBI version 36.2 human genome reference assembly into non-overlapping regions, thus defining the Identical Repeated Backbone (IRB) of the reference human genome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The IRB sequences are distributed all over the genome in 66,600 regions, which correspond to ~2% of the total NCBI human genome reference assembly. Important structural and functional elements such as common repeats, segmental duplications, and genes are contained in the IRB. About 80% of the IRB bp overlap with known copy-number variants (CNVs). By analyzing the genes embedded in the IRB, we were able to detect some identical genes not previously included in the Ensembl release 50 annotation of human genes. In addition, we found evidence of IRB gene copy-number polymorphisms in raw sequence reads of two diploid sequenced genomes.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In general, the IRB offers new insight into the complex organization of the identical repeated sequences of the human genome. It provides an accurate map of potential NAHR sites which could be used in targeting the study of novel CNVs, predicting DNA copy-number variation in newly sequenced genomes, and improve genome annotation.</p

Implementación de un sistema MOOC para el aprendizaje de la geometría

El presente documento, como bien indica su título, aborda la temática de como aplicando el uso de la tecnología en la educación se pueden mejorar los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Cada vez es más notoria la necesidad de contar con nuevas herramientas que ofrezcan la posibilidad de aprender y desarrollar habilidades más allá de un aula de clases, un ejemplo muy claro son los sistemas MOOC, que a grandes rasgos son cursos abiertos de manera masiva por internet.En base a los sistemas MOOC se plantea cual es la situación actual del país en cuestión de la educación básica, principalmente en el tercer grado del nivel primaria, para así desarrollar una aplicación que se enfoque en presentar una serie de actividades que ayuden al desarrollo de las habilidades respecto a la geometría.De igual manera se plantea como se lleva a cabo el proceso de desarrollo del sistema, desde su etapa de análisis y definición de la temática, descripción de proceso de desarrollo, pasando por la fase de diseño y estructuración de la aplicación, las tecnologías que lo componen, el planteamiento de las actividades de aprendizaje, y los resultados que se obtienen tras una serie de pruebas.Palabras Clave: Curso Masivo Abierto en Línea (MOOC por sus siglas en inglés)

Induction of the cell survival kinase Sgk1: A possible novel mechanism for α-phenyl-N-tert-butyl nitrone in experimental stroke.

Nitrones (e.g. α-phenyl-N-tert-butyl nitrone; PBN) are cerebroprotective in experimental stroke. Free radical trapping is their proposed mechanism. As PBN has low radical trapping potency, we tested Sgk1 induction as another possible mechanism. PBN was injected (100 mg/kg, i.p.) into adult male rats and mice. Sgk1 was quantified in cerebral tissue by microarray, quantitative RT-PCR and western analyses. Sgk1+/+ and Sgk1-/- mice were randomized to receive PBN or saline immediately following transient (60 min) occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. Neurological deficit was measured at 24 h and 48 h and infarct volume at 48 h post-occlusion. Following systemic PBN administration, rapid induction of Sgk1 was detected by microarray (at 4 h) and confirmed by RT-PCR and phosphorylation of the Sgk1-specific substrate NDRG1 (at 6 h). PBN-treated Sgk1+/+ mice had lower neurological deficit ( p < 0.01) and infarct volume ( p < 0.01) than saline-treated Sgk1+/+ mice. PBN-treated Sgk1-/- mice did not differ from saline-treated Sgk1-/- mice. Saline-treated Sgk1-/- and Sgk1+/+ mice did not differ. Brain Sgk3:Sgk1 mRNA ratio was 1.0:10.6 in Sgk1+/+ mice. Sgk3 was not augmented in Sgk1-/- mice. We conclude that acute systemic treatment with PBN induces Sgk1 in brain tissue. Sgk1 may play a part in PBN-dependent actions in acute brain ischemia

La importancia del abordaje multisectorial en la adolescencia

Public health at the international level presents new challenges related to social, political and economic inequities that determine health and equitable access to health care. No social and health phenomenon can beaddressed without mentioning the demographic and epidemiological transition that places us in a period where the predominant population is adolescents, by 2050 it is estimated that they represent 90% of the world population.Given the increase in chronic degenerative diseases with the complications that they entail, it is necessary to have healthy adolescents today in order to have healthy generations in the future and mitigate the phenomena already described. For which, it is essential to implement multisectoral strategies and policies based on positive models that allow them to lead to the development of talents and skills in adolescents that allow them to make decisions based on knowledge.La salud pública a nivel internacional presenta nuevos desafíos relacionados con inequidades sociales, políticas y económicas que determinan la salud y el acceso equitativo a la atención de esta. Ningún fenómeno social y de salud puede ser abordado sin hablar de la transición demográfica y epidemiológica que nos ubica en un periodo dónde la población predominante son las y los adolescentes, para el 2050 se estima que representen el 90% de la población mundial.Ante el aumento de las enfermedades crónico degenerativas con las complicaciones que conllevan, es necesario contar con adolescentes sanos hoy para tener generaciones saludables en el futuro y mitigar los fenómenos ya descritos. Para lo cual, es fundamental instrumentar estrategias y políticas multisectoriales basadas en modelos positivos que permitanconducir al desarrollo de talentos y habilidades en las y los adolescentes que les permitan tomar decisiones basadas en conocimiento

Chiapas : entre el autoritarismo y la transición democrática, desde Acteal hasta el diálogo EZLN y sociedad civil

Obra cuya intención es dar cuenta de los diversos actores sociales involucrados en el conflicto de Chiapas, a nivel político, económico y sociocultural. El texto recupera un taller de análisis de coyuntura sobre el tema, realizado en agosto de 1998.ITESO, A.C