Accumulation of the Drosophila Torso-like protein at the blastoderm plasma membrane suggests that it translocates from the eggshell

© 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd. The eggshell serves as a depository for proteins that play an important role in early embryonic development. In particular, the Drosophila eggshell is responsible for transferring asymmetries from the egg chamber to specify the regions at both ends of the embryo through the uneven activation of the Torso (Tor) receptor in its membrane. This process relies on the restricted expression of the gene torso-like (tsl) in subpopulations of follicle cells during oogenesis and its protein accumulation at both poles of the eggshell, but it is not known how this signal is transmitted to the embryo. Here, we show that Tsl accumulates at the embryonic plasmamembrane, even in the absence of the Tor receptor. However, during oogenesis, we detected Tsl accumulation only at the eggshell. These results suggest that there is a two-step mechanism to transfer the asymmetric positional cues from the egg chamber into the early embryo: initial anchoring of Tsl at the eggshell as it is secreted, followed by its later translocation to the egg plasma membrane, where it enables Tor receptor activation. Translocation of anchored determinants from the eggshell might then regulate the spatial and temporal control of early embryonic developmental processes.A.M. was supported by a fellowship from La Caixa Foundation. This work has been supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion and its Consolider-Ingenio 2010 programPeer Reviewe

El Municipi Constitucional de Vic (1820-1823)

Aquesta Tesi doctoral té com a objectiu l’estudi del municipi constitucional que es configura durant el període històric conegut com el trienni liberal (1820-1823). L’estudi abasta no únicament la seva vessant doctrinal i legal, és a dir, el municipi teòric; sinó també la seva vessant real, és a dir, l’aplicació de la normativa jurídica centrant-nos en un cas concret: el municipi de Vic. Hem pretès analitzar la dicotomia municipi ideal-municipi real, en un període determinat, 1820-1823 i en un municipi concret, Vic. Només amb l’estudi de múltiples treballs de microhistòria podrem arribar a conèixer la realitat del que va succeir en el nostre país, més enllà del marc legal. Veure fins a quin punt s’ha produït un divorci existent entre dret oficial i el dret de la pràctica.The objective of this Doctoral Thesis is to study the constitutional municipality established during the historical period known as the “trienni liberal” (liberal three-year period) (1820-1823). The study focuses not only on the doctrinal and legal aspects, i. e. the theoretical municipality; but also on the real aspect, i. e. the implementation of the legal regulations in the specific case-study of the municipality of Vic. We have tried to analise the dicotomy ideal municipality-real municipality in a particular period of time (1820-1823) and in a specific municipality, Vic. Only through multiple micro-history studies it will be possible to determine exactly what happened in our country, beyond the legal framework. This will allow us to determine to what extent a divorce existed between the official law and the practice law

Analysing Students' Perspectives on a Collaborative Class Diary : A Universal Design for Learning Approach

This dissertation aims at testing the use of a tool which was specially designed for this study but that can be used in a wide range of learning contexts: the collaborative class diary. The collaborative class diary is a space for learners and teachers to write down important information and new ideas at the end of each lesson using Google Jamboard. In the teaching unit presented in this dissertation, the collective class diary was relevant since it provided students with all the language and content needed to complete the final task. This tool has been analysed from the students' perspective by assessing its use, the students' opinion on the tool and the students' awareness of three relevant features: scaffolding, collaboration and learner autonomy. To do so, data has been gathered from two groups of EFL learners in a Catalan public high school. This work is consistent with previous studies that also determine a positive effect of peer-peer scaffolding.L'objectiu d'aquest treball de fi de màster és avaluar una eina especialment dissenyada per aquest estudi però que es pot emprar en nombrosos contextos educatius: el diari d'aula col·laboratiu. El diari d'aula col·laboratiu és un espai compartit per professors i alumnes on s'anota informació rellevant al final de cada classe a través de la plataforma Google Jamboard. En la unitat didàctica en què es basa aquest treball, el diari era cabdal per dur a terme la tasca final, tant en termes de contingut com de llengua. Aquesta eina s'ha analitzat des de la perspectiva dels alumnes i s'ha avaluat tenint en compte l'ús que en van fer els alumnes, l'opinió que en tenien i si aquesta eina els feia reflexionar sobre els suports a l'aprenentatge, la col·laboració o l'autonomia de l'alumne. Amb aquesta finalitat, es van recollir dades de dos grups d'alumnes d'anglès en un institut públic de Catalunya. Els resultats d'aquest estudi coincideixen amb estudis previs que assenyalen els efectes positius del suport i aprenentatge entre iguals

Vanadate stimulates system A amino acid transport activity in skeletal muscle. Evidence for the involvement of intracellular pH as a mediator of vanadate action

Sodium orthovanadate caused a 2-fold stimulation of system A transport activity in soleus muscle, as assessed by the uptake of the nonmetabolizable analog 2-(methylamino)isobutyric acid (MeAIB). The effect of vanadate on system A was rapid, concentration-dependent and was characterized by an increased Vmax without modification of Km for MeAIB. Under these conditions, vanadate also activated 3-O-methylglucose uptake and lactate production. The effects of vanadate on muscle metabolism showed a complex interaction with the effects of insulin. Thus, the stimulatory effects of vanadate and insulin on MeAIB and 3-O-methylglucose uptake were not additive; however, the effects of insulin and vanadate on lactate production were additive. In spite of the lack of additivity, insulin- and vanadate-induced stimulation of system A differed in their sensitivity to gramicidin D, being the vanadate effect more susceptible to inhibition by gramicidin D than the insulin effect. System A transport activity shows a dependence on pH, and recent results suggest the presence of critical histidine residues on the A carrier that may be responsible for its pH dependence (Bertran, J., Roca, A., Pola, E., Testar, X., Zorzano, A. & Palacín, M. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 798-802). In this regard, a rise in extracellular pH led to a substantial activation of system A. Furthermore, lowering of muscle intracellular pH induced by ethylisopropylamiloride (EIPA), a specific inhibitor of sodium/proton exchange activity, led to inhibition of system A. This suggests that critical histidine residues are present in an intracellular localization on the A carrier. Furthermore, the rate of muscle glycolysis was also altered in response to a rise in extracellular pH or to EIPA treatment. Regarding the mechanisms involved in vanadate action, vanadate treatment in the incubated soleus muscle did not cause any significant stimulation of tyrosine kinase activity after partial purification of muscle insulin receptors. On the other hand, vanadate but not insulin caused a substantial increase in muscle intracellular pH as assessed by 5,5'-dimethyloxazolidine-2,4-dione equilibrium. This effect of vanadate on intracellular pH was not due to activation of the sodium/proton exchanger, since it was not blocked by EIPA. Based on these findings, we suggest that alkalinization of muscle intracellular pH might mediate the effects of vanadate on system A and on glycolysis

Mathematical models of morphogen gradients and their effects on gene expression

not applicabl

Faunística i distribució dels odonats d?Osona

Es presenta la faunística i la distribució dels odonats d'Osona, a partir de dades d'adults recollides en 17 itineraris durant els anys 1988-89. S'ha detectat 36 espècies (16 anisòpters i 20 zigòpters) que representen el 55,4 % de les presents a Catalunya. Lestes viridis i Anax imperator són les de distribució més àmplia i Platycnemis latipes i L.viridis les més abundants. Olost, Sora i el Sorreigs són els itineraris amb major nombre d'espècies. Finalment es discuteixen aspectes referents a l'abundància, distribució i ecologia de les espècies osonenques.The odonate fauna of Osona (Barcelona, Spain) and its distribution are presented, on the basis of data from adults obtained in 17 itineraries during the period 1988-89. Thirty-six species were detected (16 anisopterans and 20 zygopterans), representing 55,4 % of those recorded from Catalonia. Lestes viridis and Anax imperator have the widest distribution and Platycnemis latipes and L. viridis are the most abundant. Olost, Sora and El Sorreigs are the itineraries with the largest numbers of species. Finally, some aspects of the abundance, distribution and ecology of the species present in Osona are discussed.Se presenta la faunística y la distribución de los odonatos de Osona (Barcelona), a partir de datos de adultos recopilados en 17 itinerarios durante los años 1988-89. Se han detectado 36 especies (16 anisópteros y 20 zigópteros) que representan el 55,4 % de las presentes en Cataluña. Lestes viridis y Anax imperator son las de distribución más amplia y Platycnemis latipes y L.viridis las más abundantes. Olost, Sora y el Sorreigs son los itinerarios con mayor número de especies. Finalmente se discuten aspectos referentes a la abundancia, distribución y ecología de les especies de Osona

Objective and subjective cognition in survivors of COVID-19 one year after ICU discharge : the role of demographic, clinical, and emotional factors

Altres ajuts: This research was also supported by CIBER -Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red- CB06/06/1097, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and Unión Europea - European Regional Development Fund.Intensive Care Unit (ICU) COVID-19 survivors may present long-term cognitive and emotional difficulties after hospital discharge. This study aims to characterize the neuropsychological dysfunction of COVID-19 survivors 12 months after ICU discharge, and to study whether the use of a measure of perceived cognitive deficit allows the detection of objective cognitive impairment. We also explore the relationship between demographic, clinical and emotional factors, and both objective and subjective cognitive deficits. Critically ill COVID-19 survivors from two medical ICUs underwent cognitive and emotional assessment one year after discharge. The perception of cognitive deficit and emotional state was screened through self-rated questionnaires (Perceived Deficits Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Davidson Trauma Scale), and a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation was carried out. Demographic and clinical data from ICU admission were collected retrospectively. Out of eighty participants included in the final analysis, 31.3% were women, 61.3% received mechanical ventilation and the median age of patients was 60.73 years. Objective cognitive impairment was observed in 30% of COVID-19 survivors. The worst performance was detected in executive functions, processing speed and recognition memory. Almost one in three patients manifested cognitive complaints, and 22.5%, 26.3% and 27.5% reported anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, respectively. No significant differences were found in the perception of cognitive deficit between patients with and without objective cognitive impairment. Gender and PTSD symptomatology were significantly associated with perceived cognitive deficit, and cognitive reserve with objective cognitive impairment. One-third of COVID-19 survivors suffered objective cognitive impairment with a frontal-subcortical dysfunction 12 months after ICU discharge. Emotional disturbances and perceived cognitive deficits were common. Female gender and PTSD symptoms emerged as predictive factors for perceiving worse cognitive performance. Cognitive reserve emerged as a protective factor for objective cognitive functioning. Trial registration : ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04422444; June 9, 2021. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13054-023-04478-7

Transcriptional Control in the Segmentation Gene Network of Drosophila

The segmentation gene network of Drosophila consists of maternal and zygotic factors that generate, by transcriptional (cross-) regulation, expression patterns of increasing complexity along the anterior-posterior axis of the embryo. Using known binding site information for maternal and zygotic gap transcription factors, the computer algorithm Ahab recovers known segmentation control elements (modules) with excellent success and predicts many novel modules within the network and genome-wide. We show that novel module predictions are highly enriched in the network and typically clustered proximal to the promoter, not only upstream, but also in intronic space and downstream. When placed upstream of a reporter gene, they consistently drive patterned blastoderm expression, in most cases faithfully producing one or more pattern elements of the endogenous gene. Moreover, we demonstrate for the entire set of known and newly validated modules that Ahab's prediction of binding sites correlates well with the expression patterns produced by the modules, revealing basic rules governing their composition. Specifically, we show that maternal factors consistently act as activators and that gap factors act as repressors, except for the bimodal factor Hunchback. Our data suggest a simple context-dependent rule for its switch from repressive to activating function. Overall, the composition of modules appears well fitted to the spatiotemporal distribution of their positive and negative input factors. Finally, by comparing Ahab predictions with different categories of transcription factor input, we confirm the global regulatory structure of the segmentation gene network, but find odd skipped behaving like a primary pair-rule gene. The study expands our knowledge of the segmentation gene network by increasing the number of experimentally tested modules by 50%. For the first time, the entire set of validated modules is analyzed for binding site composition under a uniform set of criteria, permitting the definition of basic composition rules. The study demonstrates that computational methods are a powerful complement to experimental approaches in the analysis of transcription networks

Gene Circuit Analysis of the Terminal Gap Gene huckebein

The early embryo of Drosophila melanogaster provides a powerful model system to study the role of genes in pattern formation. The gap gene network constitutes the first zygotic regulatory tier in the hierarchy of the segmentation genes involved in specifying the position of body segments. Here, we use an integrative, systems-level approach to investigate the regulatory effect of the terminal gap gene huckebein (hkb) on gap gene expression. We present quantitative expression data for the Hkb protein, which enable us to include hkb in gap gene circuit models. Gap gene circuits are mathematical models of gene networks used as computational tools to extract regulatory information from spatial expression data. This is achieved by fitting the model to gap gene expression patterns, in order to obtain estimates for regulatory parameters which predict a specific network topology. We show how considering variability in the data combined with analysis of parameter determinability significantly improves the biological relevance and consistency of the approach. Our models are in agreement with earlier results, which they extend in two important respects: First, we show that Hkb is involved in the regulation of the posterior hunchback (hb) domain, but does not have any other essential function. Specifically, Hkb is required for the anterior shift in the posterior border of this domain, which is now reproduced correctly in our models. Second, gap gene circuits presented here are able to reproduce mutants of terminal gap genes, while previously published models were unable to reproduce any null mutants correctly. As a consequence, our models now capture the expression dynamics of all posterior gap genes and some variational properties of the system correctly. This is an important step towards a better, quantitative understanding of the developmental and evolutionary dynamics of the gap gene network

A Novel Pzg-NURF Complex Regulates Notch Target Gene Activity

The Putzig (Pzg) protein is associated with the NURF nucleosome remodeling complex, thereby promoting Notch target gene expression. Our findings suggest a novel Pzg-NURF complex that is responsible for the epigenetic regulation of Notch target genes