Differential Gene Expression between Fall- and Spring-Run Chinook Salmon Assessed by Long Serial Analysis of Gene Expression

Of all Pacific salmonids, Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha display the greatest variability in return times to freshwater. The molecular mechanisms of these differential return times have not been well described. Current methods, such as long serial analysis of gene expression (LongSAGE) and microarrays, allow gene expression to be analyzed for thousands of genes simultaneously. To investigate whether differential gene expression is observed between fall- and spring-run Chinook salmon from California's Central Valley, LongSAGE libraries were constructed. Three libraries containing between 25,512 and 29,372 sequenced tags (21 base pairs/tag) were generated using messenger RNA from the brains of adult Chinook salmon returning in fall and spring and from one ocean-caught Chinook salmon. Tags were annotated to genes using complementary DNA libraries from Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and rainbow trout O. mykiss. Differentially expressed genes, as estimated by differences in the number of sequence tags, were found in all pairwise comparisons of libraries (freshwater versus saltwater = 40 genes; fall versus spring = 11 genes: and spawning versus nonspawning = 51 genes). The gene for ependymin, an extracellular glycoprotein involved in behavioral plasticity in fish, exhibited the most differential expression among the three groupings. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis verified the differential expression of ependymin between the fall- and spring-run samples. These LongSAGE libraries, the first reported for Chinook salmon, provide a window of the transcriptional changes during Chinook salmon return migration to freshwater and spawning and increase the amount of expressed sequence data.

News, I-74 Iowa-Illinois Corridor Study, Issue 1 Spring 2001

Newsletter updating the corridor study of the Mississippi Bridge project for the states of Iowa and Illinois.

Study of common database feeding with results coming from different analytical methods in the framework of illicit drugs chemical profiling

Analytical results harmonisation is investigated in this study to provide an alternative to the restrictive approach of analytical methods harmonisation which is recommended nowadays for making possible the exchange of information and then for supporting the fight against illicit drugs trafficking. Indeed, the main goal of this study is to demonstrate that a common database can be fed by a range of different analytical methods, whatever the differences in levels of analytical parameters between these latter ones. For this purpose, a methodology making possible the estimation and even the optimisation of results similarity coming from different analytical methods was then developed. In particular, the possibility to introduce chemical profiles obtained with Fast GC-FID in a GC-MS database is studied in this paper. By the use of the methodology, the similarity of results coming from different analytical methods can be objectively assessed and the utility in practice of database sharing by these methods can be evaluated, depending on profiling purposes (evidential vs. operational perspective tool). This methodology can be regarded as a relevant approach for database feeding by different analytical methods and puts in doubt the necessity to analyse all illicit drugs seizures in one single laboratory or to implement analytical methods harmonisation in each participating laboratory.

Marco metodológico para la definición de un perfil profesional en educación superior = Methodological framework for the definition of a professional profile in higher education

En el marco del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior 1 se inscriben innumerables acciones que están desarrollando todas las universidades europeas con la intención de llegar al 2010 con un bagaje lo suficientemente importante como para afrontar este cambio con entereza y sobretodo conservando (o incrementando) la calidad de los procesos de enseñanza- aprendizaje que hasta el momento han predominado. Dentro de este amplio proceso de transformación se encuentra el diseño de los nuevos Grados que brinda la oportunidad de replantear los planes de estudios, por tanto, la organización de las asignaturas, estructura de los contenidos, metodologías y sistemas de evaluación. Toda esta reflexión debe girar, a nuestro entender, alrededor de tres núcleos que se encuentran en estado deinterdependencia: los escenarios profesionales, los perfiles profesionales y las competencias que en ellos se inscriben.Para poder plantear los nuevos Grados en coherencia con la era del EEES debe hacerse un análisis minucioso de los perfil profesionales demandados por el mercado de trabajo que, al fin y al cabo será el destino de los profesionales que se forman en nuestras universidades, es por ello, que la tarea de definir el perfil profesional a priori del diseño de los nuevos Grados resulta una máxima para garantizar la calidad de estos. En este trabajo se presenta un ejemplo de metodología a seguir para la definición de un perfil profesional en Educación Superior, concretamente, el del Ingeniero TIC mediante el Análisis Funcional.

Iowa Aviation Bulletin, Spring 1999

Quarterly newsletter published by the Iowa Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation that contains information of interest to aviation-related persons and organizations.

Iowa Aviation Bulletin, Spring 2002

Quarterly newsletter published by the Iowa Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation that contains information of interest to aviation-related persons and organizations.

Iowa Aviation Bulletin, Spring 2001

Quarterly newsletter published by the Iowa Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation that contains information of interest to aviation-related persons and organizations.

Iowa Aviation Bulletin, Spring 2000

Quarterly newsletter published by the Iowa Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation that contains information of interest to aviation-related persons and organizations.

I-35 Corridor Trade Study Newsletter, Spring 1999

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)and the Departments of Transportation in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota combined their efforts to conduct The I-35 Trade Corridor Study.

I-35 Corridor Trade Study Newsletter, Spring 1998

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)and the Departments of Transportation in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota combined their efforts to conduct The I-35 Trade Corridor Study.

Connections, Spring 2001

Newsletter for Iowa Department of Transportation, Office of Public Transit

Resident Spring Turkey Hunting Information, 2006

This six page document outlines the regulations for spring turkey hunting in Iowa.

Nonresident Spring Turkey Hunting Information, 2006

This three page document outlines the regulations for spring turkey hunting in Iowa.

Framework multitouch per a la creació fàcil d'aplicacions interactives

El projecte que aquí es presenta explora un nou enfocament a la interacció amb elssistemes interactius que típicament es proposen en museus. En aquests sistemes lainteracció i el feedback visual venen determinats per l’aplicació programada per l’arstista i no permet a l’usuari modificar-ne el seu comportament sinó tan sols interactuar amb les accións predefinides.L’enfocament que es planteja en aquest projecte és convertir als usuaris consumidorsd’aquests sistemes interactius en creadors i editors de les seves pròpies experiències.D’aquesta manera un sistema interactiu podrà ser modificat per l’usuari i així oferirdiferents respostes donada una mateixa entrada. Això es fa utilitzant un dispositiumultitouch com a sistema de configuració visual d’aquestes aplicacions així com un segon dispositiu com a sortida de l’aplicació visual.Aquest projecte neix de la idea de desenvolupar una eina útil i de fàcil ús per a crear aplicacions interactives, sense necessitat de tenir nocions de programació, de manera que qualsevol usuari inexpert pugui partir d’una idea i crear la seva pròpia aplicació interactiva.Així doncs, a través de diversos prototips i proves d’usabilitat es perfila una interfície de programació visual sobre una superfície tangible que sigui intuïtiva i fàcil d’utilitzar per a tot tipus d’usuaris.Per tal de dur a terme això s’ha dissenyat un sistema on s’utilitzen dos pantallesmultitouch, una amb la interfície de programació visual i l’altre amb la sortida del sistema creat. Això permet la interacció simultània entre usuaris creadors i usuaris consumidors de manera que l’experiència del consumidor pugui ser modificada en viu pel creador, segons interactuï amb la interfície de configuració.

The influence of learning on evolution: a mathematical framework.

The Baldwin effect can be observed if phenotypic learning influences the evolutionary fitness of individuals, which can in turn accelerate or decelerate evolutionary change. Evidence for both learning-induced acceleration and deceleration can be found in the literature. Although the results for both outcomes were supported by specific mathematical or simulation models, no general predictions have been achieved so far. Here we propose a general framework to predict whether evolution benefits from learning or not. It is formulated in terms of the gain function, which quantifies the proportional change of fitness due to learning depending on the genotype value. With an inductive proof we show that a positive gain-function derivative implies that learning accelerates evolution, and a negative one implies deceleration under the condition that the population is distributed on a monotonic part of the fitness landscape. We show that the gain-function framework explains the results of several specific simulation models. We also use the gain-function framework to shed some light on the results of a recent biological experiment with fruit flies.