Genetics of Healthy Aging in Europe.The EU-Integrated Project GEHA (GEnetics of Healthy Aging)

The aim of the 5-year European Union (EU)-Integrated Project GEnetics of Healthy Aging (GEHA), constituted by 25 partners (24 from Europe plus the Beijing Genomics Institute from China), is to identify genes involved in healthy aging and longevity, which allow individuals to survive to advanced old age in good cognitive and physical function and in the absence of major age-related diseases. To achieve this aim a coherent, tightly integrated program of research that unites demographers, geriatricians, geneticists, genetic epidemiologists, molecular biologists, bioinfomaticians, and statisticians has been set up. The working plan is to: (a) collect DNA and information on the health status from an unprecedented number of long-lived 90+ sibpairs (n = 2650) and of younger ethnically matched controls (n = 2650) from 11 European countries; (b) perform a genome-wide linkage scannning in all the sibpairs (a total of 5300 individuals); this investigation will be followed by linkage disequilibrium mapping (LD mapping) of the candidate chromosomal regions; (c) study in cases (i.e., the 2650 probands of the sibpairs) and controls (2650 younger people), genomic regions (chromosome 4, D4S1564, chromosome 11, 11.p15.5) which were identified in previous studies as possible candidates to harbor longevity genes; (d) genotype all recruited subjects for apoE polymorphisms; and (e) genotype all recruited subjects for inherited as well as epigenetic variability of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The genetic analysis will be performed by 9 high-throughput platforms, within the framework of centralized databases for phenotypic, genetic, and mtDNA data. Additional advanced approaches (bioinformatics, advanced statistics, mathematical modeling, functional genomics and proteomics, molecular biology, molecular genetics) are envisaged to identify the gene variant(s) of interest. The experimental design will also allow (a) to identify gender-specific genes involved in healthy aging and longevity in women and men stratified for ethnic and geographic origin and apoE genotype; (b) to perform a longitudinal survival study to assess the impact of the identified genetic loci on 90+ people mortality; and (c) to develop mathematical and statistical models capable of combining genetic data with demographic characteristics, health status, socioeconomic factors, lifestyle habits.

Functional analysis of the glycero-manno-heptose 7-phosphate kinase domain from the bifunctional HldE protein, which is involved in ADP-L-glycero-D-manno-heptose biosynthesis

The core oligosaccharide component of the lipopolysaccharide can be subdivided into inner and outer core regions. In Escherichia coli, the inner core consists of two 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid and three glycero-manno-heptose residues. The HldE protein participates in the biosynthesis of ADP-glycero-manno-heptose precursors used in the assembly of the inner core. HldE comprises two functional domains: an N-terminal region with homology to the ribokinase superfamily (HldE1 domain) and a C-terminal region with homology to the cytidylyltransferase superfamily (HldE2 domain). We have employed the structure of the E. coli ribokinase as a template to model the HldE1 domain and predict critical amino acids required for enzyme activity. Mutation of these residues renders the protein inactive as determined in vivo by functional complementation analysis. However, these mutations did not affect the secondary or tertiary structure of purified HldE1, as judged by fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism. Furthermore, in vivo coexpression of wild-type, chromosomally encoded HldE and mutant HldE1 proteins with amino acid substitutions in the predicted ATP binding site caused a dominant negative phenotype as revealed by increased bacterial sensitivity to novobiocin. Copurification experiments demonstrated that HldE and HldE1 form a complex in vivo. Gel filtration chromatography resulted in the detection of a dimer as the predominant form of the native HldE1 protein. Altogether, our data support the notions that the HldE functional unit is a dimer and that structural components present in each HldE1 monomer are required for enzymatic activity.

Operator Synthesis and Tensor Products

We show that Kraus' property $ S_{\sigma }$ is preserved under taking weak* closed sums with masa-bimodules of finite width and establish an intersection formula for weak* closed spans of tensor products, one of whose terms is a masa-bimodule of finite width. We initiate the study of the question of when operator synthesis is preserved under the formation of products and prove that the union of finitely many sets of the form $ \kappa \times \lambda $, where $ \kappa $ is a set of finite width while $ \lambda $ is operator synthetic, is, under a necessary restriction on the sets $ \lambda $, again operator synthetic. We show that property $ S_{\sigma }$ is preserved under spatial Morita subordinance.

Reflections on conducting research on the ‘war on terror’: religious identity, subjectivity and emotions

In recent years there has been an increase in literature which has explored the insider/outsider position through ethnic identities. However, there remains a neglect of religious identities, even though it could be argued that religious identities have become increasingly important through being prominent in international issues such as the ‘war on terror’ and the Middle East conflict. Through drawing on the concept of subjectivity, I reflect on research I conducted on the impact of the ‘war on terror’ on British Muslims. I explore the space between the insider/outsider position demonstrating how my various subjectivities – the ‘non-Islamic appearance I’, the ‘Muslim I’, the ‘personal I’, the ‘exploring I’, the ‘Kashmiri I’ or the ‘Pakistani I’, the ‘status I’ and the ‘outsider I’ – assisted in establishing trust, openness and commonality. I conclude by demonstrating how the ‘emotional I’ allowed me to manage my own emotions and participants emotions.

As representações sociais das mulheres migrantes brasileiras vítimas de violência doméstica

O tema a que se refere este estudo foi escolhido dada a atualidade e a pertinência da temática da violência doméstica na nossa sociedade, sendo reconhecida e assumida como um crime público e uma forma grave de violação dos direitos humanos. Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar, identificar e compreender as representações sociais de um grupo de mulheres migrantes brasileiras vítimas de violência doméstica. Do ponto de vista metodológico o estudo é qualitativo recorrendo aos testemunhos pessoais através de uma amostra de 10 participantes no qual foi aplicada a técnica de recolha de dados, a entrevista. Os conteúdos das entrevistas foram analisados através dos softwares Textstat 2.9 e do Freemind 1.1. Os resultados demonstraram que o tipo de violência doméstica preponderante é a violência física e as causas da violência doméstica foram, essencialmente, o álcool e as drogas. O agressor foi representado pelas mulheres através de objetivações negativas e afetivas, sendo que a maioria das mulheres acreditam na mudança do comportamento violento do agressor. No que tange às representações acerca do futuro, observaram-se representações ancoradas na resiliência e na falta de perspetivas de futuro. Os resultados são indicadores que as representações sociais que as mulheres brasileiras têm dos brasileiros são positivas e dos portugueses negativas, sendo o suporte social sustentado na família, nos amigos e nas instituições de apoio à vítima. Os resultados demonstram que as mulheres possuem a representação de que os portugueses e os brasileiros são ambos violentos, e constatou-se que as representações sociais que as mulheres possuem em relação à tolerância são objetivações positivas. Verificou-se também que a violência contra a mulher reflete um fenómeno complexo e multifacetado.

Multidimensional scaling visualization of earthquake phenomena

Earthquakes are associated with negative events, such as large number of casualties, destruction of buildings and infrastructures, or emergence of tsunamis. In this paper, we apply the Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) analysis to earthquake data. MDS is a set of techniques that produce spatial or geometric representations of complex objects, such that, objects perceived to be similar/distinct in some sense are placed nearby/distant on the MDS maps. The interpretation of the charts is based on the resulting clusters since MDS produces a different locus for each similarity measure. In this study, over three million seismic occurrences, covering the period from January 1, 1904 up to March 14, 2012 are analyzed. The events, characterized by their magnitude and spatiotemporal distributions, are divided into groups, either according to the Flinn–Engdahl seismic regions of Earth or using a rectangular grid based in latitude and longitude coordinates. Space-time and Space-frequency correlation indices are proposed to quantify the similarities among events. MDS has the advantage of avoiding sensitivity to the non-uniform spatial distribution of seismic data, resulting from poorly instrumented areas, and is well suited for accessing dynamics of complex systems. MDS maps are proven as an intuitive and useful visual representation of the complex relationships that are present among seismic events, which may not be perceived on traditional geographic maps. Therefore, MDS constitutes a valid alternative to classic visualization tools, for understanding the global behavior of earthquakes.

L'Écho de Paris

1898/11/29 (Numéro 5300).

Resoluciones Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá

Doctrina

Photograph Negative - Donald Ziraldo working in wine production

A photograph negative of Donald Ziraldo working in wine production. The date is unknown, but thought to be between 1975 & 1978.

Evaluación de la calidad de la atención médica vinculada a factores asociados a médicos residentes.

Tesis (Maestría en Ciencias con Orientación Terminal en Sistemas de Salud) UANL, 2011.

Temporalité et surveillance dans l'art de David Rokeby

Pour respecter les droits d'auteur, la version électronique de ce mémoire à été dépouillée de ses documents visuels et audio-visuels. La version intégrale du mémoire a été déposée au Service de la gestion des documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

As??mate al Paleol??tico. La Prehistoria vivida por los alumnos

Cualquier hecho hist??rico es dif??cil de comprender por los alumnos debido a la abstracci??n que deben hacer y por imaginar una forma de vida, en este caso, la Prehistoria, muy diferente a la que llevamos actualmente. Para una mejor comprensi??n y un conocimiento de los antepasados que poblaron la zona, los alumnos se convertir??n en personajes de la ??poca tratada y realizar??n las mismas vivencias que los hombres prehist??ricos. Los escenarios de grabaci??n ser??n la playa de Cuevas de Mar y alrededores, las cuevas de la zona y los bosques. El resultado es un v??deo cuyos autores son el grupo de teatro del C.P. de Nueva, los di??logos son de Arsenio Gonz??lez y Fernando Bada.

Implementación de un repositorio de datos científicos usando DSPACE

El nuevo modelo de e-colaboración científica y e-producción de conocimiento imponen el registro, catalogación y la preservación distribuida de grandes volúmenes de datos. Su posterior análisis y el conocimiento que de ellos emerja se logrará mediante de técnicas de minería de datos, las cuales dependerán, en gran medida , los mecanismos de almacenamiento y catalogación utilizado. Por ello, cada vez más y con más frecuencia, las comunidades virtuales de investigación requieren de ambientes de e-colaboración y e-investigación centrados en los datos. LAGOVirtual es un proyecto en fase de desarrollo el cual tiene como objetivo final establecer una plataforma de colaboración para el Large Aperture Gamma Ray Burst Observatory (LAGO). Este observatorio continental está diseñado para la detección de componentes de alta energía de rayos gamma, mediante la utilización de detectores Cherenkov de agua, ubicados en sitios de alta montaña (Chacaltaya-Bolivia, 5300 m.s.n.m, Pico Espejo-Venezuela, 4750 m.s.n.m., Sierra Negra- Mexico, 4650 m.s.n.m., Marcapomacocha-Peru, 4600 m.s.n.m). Esta plataforma de colaboración utiliza como para un repositorio DSpace adaptado para la preservación y diseminación de los datos registrados en cada una de las instalaciones. DSpace ha sido modificado aprovechando su estructura jerárquica, creando como comunidades principales a los países miembros del proyecto, seguido por subcomunidades, conformadas por las diferentes instituciones y tipo de investigación. Los datos adquiridos por los detectores Cherenkov, son almacenados y catalogados dentro de esta estructura, igualmente, se almacenan los datos de análisis (datos de los instrumentos, gráficos, datos post-procesados, etc.) asociados, manteniendo un vínculo entre ellos dentro del repositorio.Esta contribución tiene por objeto, además de las tendencias de distintas comunidades para la preservación de datos a través de repositorios, mostrar los detalles de la implantación particular para LAGO DSpace.

Uso de minas antipersonal y violación del derecho internacional humanitario y de los derechos humanos en Colombia

La existencia de minas antipersonal es un problema que afecta al mundo de manera general, en la medida que, su producción y uso son las consecuencias de décadas de guerras y conflictos que han condicionado y sobreexpuesto la vida y la integridad de civiles y de combatientes. En Colombia la vigencia en el uso de este armamento de naturaleza no convencional la ha proporcionado la situación prolongada de conflicto armado interno, el cual ha cobrado la vida y el bienestar de miles de personas y familias que han visto como sus sueños, esperanzas o proyectos de vida se han mutilado al caer víctimas inocentes en medio de campos minados. Esta monografía tiene como propósito analizar los alcances y las limitaciones de la Política Nacional Estratégica ejecutada por el Gobierno para contrarrestar el uso de minas antipersonal y la violación del Derecho Internacional Humanitario y de los Derechos Humanos en Colombia.