A rice cis-natural antisense RNA acts as a translational enhancer for its cognate mRNA and contributes to phosphate homeostasis and plant fitness.

cis-natural antisense transcripts (cis-NATs) are widespread in plants and are often associated with downregulation of their associated sense genes. We found that a cis-NAT positively regulates the level of a protein critical for phosphate homeostasis in rice (Oryza sativa). PHOSPHATE1;2 (PHO1;2), a gene involved in phosphate loading into the xylem in rice, and its associated cis-NATPHO1;2 are both controlled by promoters active in the vascular cylinder of roots and leaves. While the PHO1;2 promoter is unresponsive to the plant phosphate status, the cis-NATPHO1;2 promoter is strongly upregulated under phosphate deficiency. Expression of both cis-NATPHO1;2 and the PHO1;2 protein increased in phosphate-deficient plants, while the PHO1;2 mRNA level remained stable. Downregulation of cis-NATPHO1;2 expression by RNA interference resulted in a decrease in PHO1;2 protein, impaired the transfer of phosphate from root to shoot, and decreased seed yield. Constitutive overexpression of NATPHO1;2 in trans led to a strong increase of PHO1;2, even under phosphate-sufficient conditions. Under all conditions, no changes occurred in the level of expression, sequence, or nuclear export of PHO1;2 mRNA. However, expression of cis-NATPHO1;2 was associated with a shift of both PHO1;2 and cis-NATPHO1;2 toward the polysomes. These findings reveal an unexpected role for cis-NATPHO1;2 in promoting PHO1;2 translation and affecting phosphate homeostasis and plant fitness.

Use of the chicken lysozyme 5' matrix attachment region to generate high producer CHO cell lines.

Scaffold or matrix attachment region (S/MAR) genetic elements have previously been proposed to insulate transgenes from repressive effects linked to their site of integration within the host cell genome. We have evaluated their use in various stable transfection settings to increase the production of recombinant proteins such as monoclonal antibodies from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines. Using the green fluorescent protein coding sequence, we show that S/MAR elements mediate a dual effect on the population of transfected cells. First, S/MAR elements almost fully abolish the occurrence of cell clones that express little transgene that may result from transgene integration in an unfavorable chromosomal environment. Second, they increase the overall expression of the transgene over the whole range of expression levels, allowing the detection of cells with significantly higher levels of transgene expression. An optimal setting was identified as the addition of a S/MAR element both in cis (on the transgene expression vector) and in trans (co-transfected on a separate plasmid). When used to express immunoglobulins, the S/MAR element enabled cell clones with high and stable levels of expression to be isolated following the analysis of a few cell lines generated without transgene amplification procedures.

Identification and functional characterization of a monofunctional peroxisomal enoyl-CoA hydratase 2 that participates in the degradation of even cis-unsaturated fatty acids in Arabidopsis thaliana.

A gene, named AtECH2, has been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana to encode a monofunctional peroxisomal enoyl-CoA hydratase 2. Homologues of AtECH2 are present in several angiosperms belonging to the Monocotyledon and Dicotyledon classes, as well as in a gymnosperm. In vitro enzyme assays demonstrated that AtECH2 catalyzed the reversible conversion of 2E-enoyl-CoA to 3R-hydroxyacyl-CoA. AtECH2 was also demonstrated to have enoyl-CoA hydratase 2 activity in an in vivo assay relying on the synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoate from the polymerization of 3R-hydroxyacyl-CoA in the peroxisomes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. AtECH2 contained a peroxisome targeting signal at the C-terminal end, was addressed to the peroxisome in S. cerevisiae, and a fusion protein between AtECH2 and a fluorescent protein was targeted to peroxisomes in onion cells. AtECH2 gene expression was strongest in tissues with high beta-oxidation activity, such as germinating seedlings and senescing leaves. The contribution of AtECH2 to the degradation of unsaturated fatty acids was assessed by analyzing the carbon flux through the beta-oxidation cycle in plants that synthesize peroxisomal polyhydroxyalkanoate and that were over- or underexpressing the AtECH2 gene. These studies revealed that AtECH2 participates in vivo to the conversion of the intermediate 3R-hydroxyacyl-CoA, generated by the metabolism of fatty acids with a cis (Z)-unsaturated bond on an even-numbered carbon, to the 2E-enoyl-CoA for further degradation through the core beta-oxidation cycle.

La Intervenció psicopedagògica en el marc de les UEC : elements que afavoreixen un bon assessorament i una bona resposta educativa.

S'ha aprofundit en el camp de l'atenció a la diversitat que reben, i que poden rebre, els adolescents que fracassen en l'escolaritat reglada. Es fa un estudi de 4 unitats d'escolarització compartida i unes pràctiques a la Unitat Mèdico-Educativa de Sant Boi. Es plantegen alternatives per tal d'afavorir l'assessorament d'aquest centre i per a donar una bona resposta educativa a aquests alumnes en edat crítica.

La transposició de la Directiva 2001/29/CE sobre drets d'autor i l'impacte sobre les biblioteques i centres similars : elements per al debat

A Espanya encara tenim pendent la transposició de la Directiva 2001/29/CE "relativa a la armonización de determinados aspectos de los derechos de autor y derechos afines a los derechos de autor en la sociedad de la información", la qual suposarà una modificació del marc legal que regula aquesta matèria. En aquest article s'analitzen els aspectes de la Directiva que més poden afectar el desenvolupament dels serveis que ofereixen les biblioteques i centres similars, prestant atenció als punts que poden ser més conflictius a la llum de les dues propostes que fins al moment s'han plantejat.

Understanding mechanisms and the role of differentiation in pathogenesis of Toxoplasma gondii: a review

Parasite differentiation from proliferating tachyzoites into latent bradyzoites is central to pathogenesis and transmission of the intracellular protozoan pathogen Toxoplasma gondii. The presence of bradyzoite-containing cysts in human hosts and their subsequent rupture can cause life-threatening recrudescence of acute infection in the immunocompromised and cyst formation in other animals contributes to zoonotic transmission and widespread dissemination of the parasite. In this review, we discuss the evidence showing how the clinically relevant process of bradyzoite differentiation is regulated at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Specific regulatory factors implicated in modulating bradyzoite differentiation include promoter-based cis-elements, epigenetic modifications and protein translation control through eukaryotic initiation factor -2 (eIF2). In addition to a summary of the current state of knowledge in these areas we discuss the pharmacological ramifications and pose some questions for future research.

Functional Variants in NOS1 and NOS2A Are Not Associated with Progressive Hearing Loss in Ménière's Disease in a European Caucasian Population

Hearing loss in Meniere's disease (MD) is associated with loss of spiral ganglion neurons and hair cells. In a guinea pig model of endolymphatic hydrops, nitric oxide synthases (NOS) and oxidative stress mediate loss of spiral ganglion neurons. To test the hypothesis that functional variants of NOS1 and NOS2A are associated with MD, wed genotyped three functional variants of NOS1 (rs41279104,rs2682826, and a cytosine-adenosine microsatellite repeat in exon 1f) and the CCTTT repeat in the promoter of NOS2A gene (rs3833912) in two independent MD sets(273 patients in total) and 550 controls. A third cohort of American patients was genotyped as replication cohort for the CCTTT repeat. Neither allele nor genotype frequencies of rs41279104 and rs2682826 were associated with MD, although longer alleles of the cytosine-adenosine microsatellite repeat were marginally significant (corrected p = 0.05) in the Mediterranean cohort but not in a second Galicia cohort. Shorter numbers of the CCTTT repeat in NOS2A were significantly more frequent in Galicia controls (OR = 0.37 [CI, 0.18-0.76], corrected p =0.04), but this finding could not be replicated in Mediterranean or American case-control populations. Meta-analysis did not support an association between CCTTT repeats and risk for MD. Severe hearing loss (>75 dB) was also not associated with any functional variants studied. Functional variants of NOS1 and and NOS2A do not confer susceptibility for MD.

Acute oxygen sensing in heme oxygenase-2 null mice.

Hemeoxygenase-2 (HO-2) is an antioxidant enzyme that can modulate recombinant maxi-K(+) channels and has been proposed to be the acute O(2) sensor in the carotid body (CB). We have tested the physiological contribution of this enzyme to O(2) sensing using HO-2 null mice. HO-2 deficiency leads to a CB phenotype characterized by organ growth and alteration in the expression of stress-dependent genes, including the maxi-K(+) channel alpha-subunit. However, sensitivity to hypoxia of CB is remarkably similar in HO-2 null animals and their control littermates. Moreover, the response to hypoxia in mouse and rat CB cells was maintained after blockade of maxi-K(+) channels with iberiotoxin. Hypoxia responsiveness of the adrenal medulla (AM) (another acutely responding O(2)-sensitive organ) was also unaltered by HO-2 deficiency. Our data suggest that redox disregulation resulting from HO-2 deficiency affects maxi-K(+) channel gene expression but it does not alter the intrinsic O(2) sensitivity of CB or AM cells. Therefore, HO-2 is not a universally used acute O(2) sensor.

Disseny d’un banc d’assaig d’efectes diferits en elements de formigó armat amb barres FRP

L'objectiu d'aquest projecte és el disseny dels bancs d'assaig necessaris per poder realitzar tres assajos de fisuració i deformació diferida al laboratori de resistència de materials de la UdGsobre provetes i bigues de formigó armat amb FRP i estudiar- ne el comportament. El primer assaig és el de fluència del formigó, on es sotmet una proveta a una compressió mantinguda en el temps. El segon assaig és un de tracció directa, on s'aplica una càrrega a tracció mantinguda en el temps en una proveta de formigó armat amb una barra FRP de reforç intern. El tercer és un assaig a flexió, on es carregarà una biga a flexió durant un període llarg de temps

Estudi hidrodinàmic per elements finits de diferents pales simètriques per a la impulsió a rem en banc fix

Actualment l’esport del rem només s’entén com a activitat de lleure o esport de competició.Dins del rem, hi ha una gran varietat de disciplines esportives; totes coincideixen en l’impuls d’una embarcació mitjançant un sistema de palanques simple. Es diferencien en dos grans grups: el banc mòbil i el banc fix. El banc mòbil disposa d’un seient sobre rodes que permet aprofitar la força de les cames per la impulsió, en canvi, en el banc fix, no hi ha desplaçament del seient, el que implica el treball del tors i braços. Un dels punts que tenen en comú tot el banc fix, és el disseny del seu rem; a diferènciadel banc mòbil on la pala pot tenir el disseny que es vulgui. En banc fix la pala del rem ha de ser simètrica i alineada amb la canya del rem. L’objectiu d’aquest projecte és l’anàlisi hidrodinàmic de diferents models de pales simètriques per tal de determinar el model més eficient, des del punt de vista hidrodinàmic, per a la impulsió de l’embarcació de banc fix. Així, es simularan virtualment diferents models de pales simètriques disponibles en el mercat com models prototipus amb un programa de dinàmica de fluids computacional. L’anàlisi dels resultats determinarà el model més eficient. En la realització del projecte, l’estudi hidrodinàmic es realitzarà de manera virtual a partir de la utilització de programes comercials de dinàmica de fluids. Així com també programes de disseny 3D i programes de mallat que siguin compatibles amb el programa de simulació a utilitzar. En el disseny s’utilitzaran programes com Autocad i Rhinoceros, després, en funció del disseny, utilitzarem un programa d’elements finits anomenat ICEM ANSYS que mallarà la geometria emprada. Finalment, la simulació s’efectuarà amb el programa ANSYS CFX. L’estudi no preveu el càlcul de resistència mecànica dels models ni la seva construcció

Conceptualising 'precarious prosperity' - Empirical and Theoretical Elements for Debate

Empirical studies have recently pointed towards a socio-structural category largely overlooked in social inequality research: the dynamic positions of households adjacent to those of the poor and yet not representing those of the established, more prosperous positions in society. These results suggest that the population in this category fluctuates into and out of poverty more often than moving into and out of secure prosperity. This category - still lacking theoretical conceptualization - is characterized by both precariousness and a certain degree of prosperity; despite a restricted and uncertain living standard it holds a range of opportunities for action. We seek analytical elements to conceptualize 'precarious prosperity' for comparative empirical research by subjecting various concepts of social inequality research to critical scrutiny. We then operationally define 'precarious prosperity' to screen for this population in three countries. Based on qualitative interviews with households in precarious prosperity, we present first analyses of perceptions and household strategies that underline the relevance of the concept in different countries.

Modelització numèrica d’un sistema de descàrrega d’una columna de la catedral d Girona mitjançant el mètode dels elements finits (anàlisi no lineal)

Aquest projecte consisteix en aplicar el càlcul no lineal en la modelització volumètricanumèrica de l’estructura del sistema de descàrrega d’una columna del claustre de lacatedral de Girona mitjançant el mètode dels elements finits. A la Universitat de Gironas’ha fet diferents estudis del claustre de la catedral de Girona però sempre simulant uncomportament lineal de les característiques dels materials. El programa utilitzat és la versió docent del programa ANSYS disponible al Dept.d’EMCI i l’element emprat ha sigut el SOLID65. Aquest element permet introduircaracterístiques de no linealitat en els models i és adequat per a anàlisi no lineald’elements com la pedra de Girona

Probing the interactions of NK cell receptors with ligand expressed in trans and cis.

Certain receptors on natural killer (NK) cells, which are specific for MHC class I (MHC-I) molecules, do not only interact with ligand expressed on opposing cell membranes (in trans) but also interact with those on the same cell membrane (in cis). Cis interactions have been demonstrated for only a small number of cell surface receptors. However, this has not been tested systematically, raising the possibility that additional receptors may be able to bind ligand expressed in cis. Here we describe a number of approaches to evaluate trans and cis binding of the Ly49A NK cell receptor to its H-2D(d) ligand. These procedures should facilitate the investigation of cis/trans interactions of other receptor-ligand pairs and simplify the analysis of NK cell receptor variants.