Genome-wide profiling of uncapped mRNA

Gene transcripts are under extensive posttranscriptional regulation, including the regulation of their stability. A major route for mRNA degradation produces uncapped mRNAs, which can be generated by decapping enzymes, endonucleases, and small RNAs. Profiling uncapped mRNA molecules is important for the understanding of the transcriptome, whose composition is determined by a balance between mRNA synthesis and degradation. In this chapter, we describe a method to profile these uncapped mRNAs at the genome scale

How primary school students perform multiplicative structure problems with natural and rational numbers

This paper is part of a larger study focuses on a teaching experiment (pre-test, instruction, post-test) that aims to analyse primary school students' features on the transition from natural to rational numbers when solving multiplicative structure problems. Here, we analysed 61 6th graders responses to nine multiplicative structure problems with natural numbers and fractions (pre-test). We analysed students’ performance and strategies. Results showed differences in students' performance considering the numerical set, indicating difficulties in identifying the problem structure's invariance. The most used strategy was the algorithm in both correct and incorrect answers. Results suggest that specific instruction is needed to help students focus on the problem structure invariance when the numerical set changes.This research was support by FPU grant FPU19/02965 from Ministerio de Universidades (Spain) and with the collaboration of the project with reference PID2020-113601GB-I00

Estudio faunístico del macizo de Quinto Real. I. Acaros Oribátidos (Acari, Oribatei)

Se han estudiado 3.995 ejemplares de ácaros oribátidos (Acari, Òribatei) de 65 muestras pertenecientes a dos hayedos de Quinto Real (Pirineos Occidentales), correspondientes a 69 especies de 43 géneros. Diez especies son nuevas para la Fauna de España Damaeus verticillipes (Nicolet) , Cepheus tuberoulosus Strenzke, Liaoarus tremella (Linneo), Cara bodes femoralis (Nicolet) , Carabodes retioulatus Berlese, Oppia translamellata~ (Willmann) , Oribella paolii Oudemans, Phauloppia luoorum (Linneo) , Bdwardzetes edwardsii (Nicolet) y Ophidiotrichus aonexus borussica (Sellnick) . Se dan las características climatológicas, geológicas, edafológicas y florísticas del biotopo

El interés superior del menor en las últimas reformas llevadas a cabo por el legislador estatal en el sistema de protección a la infancia y a la adolescencia

La Ley Orgánica 1/1996, de 15 de enero, de Protección Jurídica del Menor, de modificación parcial del Código Civil y de la Ley de Enjuiciamiento Civil, estableció un marco regulador que garantizaba a los menores una protección uniforme en todo el territorio del Estado, y que sirvió de referencia a las Comunidades Autónomas. Pero transcurridos ya 20 años desde la aprobación de la misma, se han producido importantes cambios sociales que afectan a la situación de los menores, que demandan una mejora en sus instrumentos de protección jurídica. Desde el ámbito jurídico, se ha producido una evolución y un cambio sustancial en la forma de concebir la capacidad del niño, que pasa a ser contemplado como un individuo con opiniones propias que habrán de ser atendidas en consonancia con su capacidad y madurez. En este nuevo entorno se modela un nuevo concepto del interés superior del menor, que ha variado en su metodología de interpretación y de aplicación, para adaptarse a las nuevas circunstancias y necesidades sociales. Resultado de este proceso de reforma han sido la entrada en vigor de dos leyes que se han ido tramitando en paralelo: - la Ley Orgánica 8/2015, de 22 de julio, de modificación del sistema de protección a la infancia y a la adolescencia, y – la Ley 26/2015, de 28 de julio, de modificación del sistema de protección a la infancia y a la adolescencia.The Organic Law 1/1996 of 15 January, Legal Protection of Minors, partially amending the Civil Code and the Civil Procedure Act, established a regulatory framework guaranteeing minors uniform protection throughout the territory of the State and served as a reference to the Autonomous Communities. But after 20 years since its adoption, there have been major social changes affecting the situation of minors, who demand an improvement in their instruments of legal protection. From the legal field, there has been an evolution and a substantial change in the way of conceiving the child's capacity which becomes regarded as an individual with opinions of his/her own to be met in line with their ability and maturity. In this new environment a new concept of the best interests of the child, which has changed its methodology of interpretation and application, to adapt to new circumstances and social needs is modeled. Result of this process of reform have been the entry into force of two laws that have been processed in parallel: - Organic Law 8/2015, of July 22, modifying the system of protection of children and adolescents, and - Law 26/2015, of July 28, modifying the system of protection of children and adolescents

Muerte de un lince ibérico. Establecimiento de la causa y la autoría

Las ciencias forenses se aplican desde hace poco tiempo como herramientas en las investigaciones de delitos contra el medio ambiente. En este trabajo se expone un caso pionero en cuanto a la utilización de estas técnicas en un caso de un delit o contra la fauna silvestre. La investigación se inicia tras la apari ción de un lince ibérico muerto en el interior de una finca, donde se encontraron también varios pollos supuestamente utilizados como cebos envenenados y otro cadáver, el de un zorro. El lince ib érico es uno de los mamíferos más amenazados del planeta. Se llevaron a cabo distintos análisis a partir de la necropsia de los cadáveres en el Centro de Análisis y Diagnóstico de la Fauna Silvestre (CAD), el laboratorio de referencia para la fauna silvestre pertene ciente a la Junta de Andalucía. Los resultados fuer on concluyentes, ambas muertes se produjeron como consecuencia de la ingestión de cebos envenenados con un plaguicida extremadamente tóxico, el aldicarb. También se encontró esta sustancia en los pollos recogidos en el interior de la finca. Con el fin de e stablecer la culpabilidad de los propietarios de la finca, que negaron tener nada que ver con las muertes y la colocación de los cebos, se utilizó una herramienta novedosa en este tipo de investigaciones, la genética forens e. En base a los resultados se co nsiguió establecer una relación de parentesco entre los pollos utilizados como cebos envenenados y los pollos propiedad reconocida de los sospechosos, que permitió demostrar que todos tenían el mismo origen. Gracias al trabajo conjunto y coordinado durante toda la investigación y el informe pericial elaborado por el laboratorio del CAD, la Consejería de Medio Ambiente y Organización del Territorio de la Junta de Andalucía consiguió una sentencia ejemplar contra los envenenador es.The application of forensic science as a research tool to resolve crimes against the environment is relatively rec ent. To our knowledge this is the first instance in which the forensic genetic have been used as a definitive evidence to find out guilty in crimes against the wildlife. Our research starts when an Iberian lynx was found dead into a farm; very close to sev eral chickens used as poisoned baits and a fox carcass. Iberian lynx is one of the most endangered mammals in the planet. A comprehensive investigation from the carcasses was performed in the Analysis and Diagnostic Center for Wildlife in Andalucia (CAD), the reference laboratory for wildlife of the Andalusian Government (Spain). The results determined that the deaths occurred as a result of ingestion o f baits poisoned with an extremely toxic pesticide, aldicarb. This substance was also found in chickens ga thered inside the farm. In order to establish the guilt of the owners of the farm, who refused to be related to the deaths and the placement of the b aits, an innovative tool was used in this kind of research, the forensic genetic. Based on the results we got, we established a relationship between the chickens used as poisoned baits and the chickens from the farmer, all of them had the same origin. Thanks to the coordinated actuation during the complete investigation and the official report by the CAD labor atory used in the trial, the Ministry of Environmental and Territorial Organization got an exemplary sentence against the poisoners

How do roots respond to osmotic stress? A transcriptomic approach to address this question in a non-model crop

Drought is a complex phenomenon that is relevant for many crops. Performing high-throughput transcriptomics in non-model crops is challenging. The non-model crop where our workflow has been tested on is banana (Musa spp.), which ranks among the top ten staple foods (total production over 145 million tons in 2013 (FAOstat)[1]). Bananas need vast amounts of water and even mild-drought conditions are responsible for considerable yield losses[2]. To characterize drought in the roots of different banana genotypes, we designed a lab model based on osmotic stress (5% PEG treatment for 3 days) and performed mRNA-seq analysis[3]. Using Illumina technology, 18 cDNA libraries were sequenced producing around 568 million high quality reads, of which 70-84% were mapped to the diploid reference genome[4]. We show that the applied stress leads to a drop in energy levels inducing a metabolic shift towards (i) higher oxidative respiration, (ii) alternative respiration and (iii) fermentation. We also analyzed the expression patterns of paralogous genes belonging to the same gene families and detected possible cases of sub-functionalization

Presynaptic CRF1 Receptors Mediate the Ethanol Enhancement of GABAergic Transmission in the Mouse Central Amygdala

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a 41-amino-acid neuropeptide involved in stress responses initiated from several brain areas, including the amygdala formation. Research shows a strong relationship between stress, brain CRF, and excessive alcohol consumption. Behavioral studies suggest that the central amygdala (CeA) is significantly involved in alcohol reward and dependence. We recently reported that the ethanol augmentation of GABAergic synaptic transmission in rat CeA involves CRF1 receptors, because both CRF and ethanol significantly enhanced the amplitude of evoked GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in CeA neurons from wild-type (WT) and CRF2 knockout (KO) mice, but not in neurons of CRF1 KO mice. The present study extends these findings using selective CRF receptor ligands, gene KO models, and miniature IPSC (mIPSC) analysis to assess further a presynaptic role for the CRF receptors in mediating ethanol effects in the CeA. In whole-cell patch recordings of pharmacologically isolated GABAAergic IPSCs from slices of mouse CeA, both CRF and ethanol augmented evoked IPSCs in a concentration-dependent manner, with low EC50s. A CRF1 (but not CRF2) KO construct and the CRF1-selective nonpeptide antagonist NIH-3 (LWH-63) blocked the augmenting effect of both CRF and ethanol on evoked IPSCs. Furthermore, the new selective CRF1 agonist stressin1, but not the CRF2 agonist urocortin 3, also increased evoked IPSC amplitudes. Both CRF and ethanol decreased paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) of evoked IPSCs and significantly enhanced the frequency, but not the amplitude, of spontaneous miniature GABAergic mIPSCs in CeA neurons of WT mice, suggesting a presynaptic site of action. The PPF effect of ethanol was abolished in CeA neurons of CRF1 KO mice. The CRF1 antagonist NIH-3 blocked the CRF- and ethanol-induced enhancement of mIPSC frequency in CeA neurons. These data indicate that presynaptic CRF1 receptors play a critical role in permitting or mediating ethanol enhancement of GABAergic synaptic transmission in CeA, via increased vesicular GABA release, and thus may be a rational target for the treatment of alcohol abuse and alcoholism

Assessing Depression-Related Mental Health Literacy among Young Adults

Background and Purpose: Young adults who are 18 to 25 years old have the highest prevalence of depression (10.9%). Depression is a risk factor for suicide. Mental health literacy (MHL) is a key component in assessing recognition and help-seeking for depression with suicidal ideation. This study investigated MHL as it relates to help-seeking for depression with suicidal ideation. Methods: A crosssectional survey design was used. Participants were young adults (n= 430, ages 18 to 24 years old) who lived, worked, and/or attended school in San Francisco, California. Reavley and colleagues’ MHL survey was modified and made available in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Results: Several background factors were positively, though weakly, correlated to MHL, based on the r coefficient. Significant factors were: being female [r=.12,