G-Quadruplex DNA structures have attracted increasing attention due to their biological roles and potential as targets for the development of new drugs. While most guanine-rich sequences in the ...genome have the potential to form monomeric G-quadruplexes, certain sequences have enough guanine-tracks to give rise to multimeric quadruplexes. One of these sequences is the human telomere where tandem repeats of TTAGGG can lead to the formation of two or more adjacent G-quadruplexes. Herein we report on the modular synthesis via click chemistry of dimeric metal-salphen complexes (with NiII and PtII) bridged by either polyether or peptide linkers. We show by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy that they generally have higher selectivity for dimeric vs monomeric G-quadruplexes. The emissive properties of the PtII-salphen dimeric complexes have been used to study their interactions with monomeric and dimeric G-quadruplexes in vitro as well as to study their cellular uptake and localization.
El término derecho de gentes apenas se utiliza ya en la práctica actual, pero, como es conocido, fue el tradicional para denominar a lo que de manera contemporánea conocemos como derecho ...internacional. Sin embargo, languideció cuando este último quedó encumbrado y alcanzó ser dominante, lo que ocurrió durante el siglo XIX. En general, la opinión preponderante siempre ha venido considerando que este cambio terminológico fue puramente nominal, sin que tuviera ninguna implicación jurídica efectiva. La continuidad histórica siguió sin que hubiera ruptura alguna.
No obstante, esta visión merece, cuanto menos, ser objeto de amplia revisión y, así, es de interés ahondar en los propósitos, ver los detalles y atisbar las repercusiones de dicho cambio, bien sean directas o indirectas. En suma, este será el hilo conductor que vamos a seguir a lo largo del presente trabajo. Fundamentalmente, ello, además, lo haremos con la finalidad principal de identificar cuáles son los ámbitos que pudieran ser rescatados para guiar o, mejor dicho, reorientar este ordenamiento jurídico en aras de que consiga servir mejor a la humanidad en su conjunto. Texto de la editorial
Recent evidence indicates that the risk of being diagnosed with cancer in a tissue is strongly correlated (0.80) with the number of stem cell divisions accumulated by the tissue. Since cell division ...can generate random mutations during DNA replication, this correlation has been used to propose that cancer is largely caused by the accumulation of unavoidable mutations in driver genes. However, no correlation between the number of gene mutations and cancer risk across tissues has been reported. Because many somatic mutations in cancers originate prior to tumor initiation and the number of cell divisions occurring during tumor growth is similar among tissues, I use whole genome sequencing information from 22 086 cancer samples and incidence data from the largest cancer registry in each continent to study the relationship between the number of gene mutations and the risk of cancer across 33 tissue types. Results show a weak positive correlation (mean = 0.14) between these 2 parameters in each of the 5 cancer registries. The correlation became stronger (mean = 0.50) when gender‐related cancers were excluded. Results also show that 1003 samples from 29 cancer types have zero mutations in genes. These data suggest that cancer etiology can be better explained by the accumulation of stem cell divisions than by the accumulation of gene mutations. Possible mechanisms by which the accumulation of cell divisions in stem cells increases the risk of cancer are discussed.
Purpose
To assess the reliability and agreement of non‐invasive break‐up time (NIBUT) in symptomatic and asymptomatic contact lens (CL) wearers using automatic objective and conventional subjective ...techniques.
Methods
In this prospective cross‐sectional study, soft CL wearers, classified into symptomatic and asymptomatic based on the Contact Lens Dry Eye Questionnaire‐8, underwent NIBUT assessment with the CL in situ. The CA‐800 Corneal Analyzer and the EasyTear® VIEW+ Tearscope were used for objective and subjective evaluation, respectively. The within‐subject repeatability and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were calculated. The agreement between the devices was compared using the Bland–Altman method.
Results
A total of 141 CL wearers (51 male and 90 female) with a mean age of 33.6 (SD = 12.2) years were included. The repeatability and ICC values obtained with the CA‐800 device when measuring NIBUT were 5.4 s and 58.6% across the whole sample, 4.2 s and 48.8% for the asymptomatic group and 7.1 s and 68.4% for the symptomatic group. When using the subjective method (EasyTear®), the respective repeatability and ICC values were 7.3 s and 32.7% for the whole sample, 6.5 s and 30.4% for the asymptomatic group and 8.6 s and 35.9% for the symptomatic group. The CA‐800 device provided significantly (p < 0.001) shorter NIBUT values compared with EasyTear® for the whole sample (3.3 2.9 vs. 8.1 3.4 s), the asymptomatic (3.3 3.0 vs. 7.7 3.6 s) and the symptomatic (3.8 2.9 vs. 8.6 3.0 s) groups.
Conclusion
Objective (CA‐800) NIBUT assessment provides more reliable measurements than the conventional subjective technique using the EasyTear® device. However, CL practitioners should also be aware that the objective method indicates shorter NIBUT values. Symptomatic CL wearers may also need a higher number of NIBUT measurements to obtain reliable estimations.
Since the first case reported of SARS-CoV-2 the end of December 2019 in China, the number of cases quickly climbed following an exponential growth trend, demonstrating that a global pandemic is ...possible. As of December 3, 2020, the total number of cases reported are around 65,527,000 contagions worldwide, and 1,524,000 deaths affecting 218 countries and territories. In this scenario, Spain is one of the countries that has suffered in a hard way, the ongoing epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, namely COVID-19 disease. In this paper, we present the utilization of phenomenological epidemic models to characterize the two first outbreak waves of COVID-19 in Spain. The study is driven using a two-step phenomenological epidemic approach. First, we use a simple generalized growth model to fit the main parameters at the early epidemic phase; later, we apply our previous finding over a logistic growth model to that characterize both waves completely. The results show that even in the absence of accurate data series, it is possible to characterize the curves of case incidence, and construct a short-term forecast of 60 days in the near time horizon, in relation to the expected total duration of the pandemic.
There has been a significant interest in the development of microswimmers for medical drug and cargo delivery, but the majority of current micromotors rely on toxic fuel sources and materials in ...their design making them irrelevant for biomedical applications. Bacteria represent an excellent motor alternative, as they are powered using their surrounding biological fluids. For a motile, biohybrid swimmer, Escherichia coli (E. coli) are integrated onto metal capped, polystyrene (PS) Janus particles. Fabrication of the biohybrid is rapid and simple for a microswimmer capable of magnetic guidance and ferrying an anticancer agent. Cell adhesion is regulated as E. coli adheres only to the particle's metal caps allowing the PS surface to be utilized for drug attachment, creating a multifunctional system. E. coli adhesion is investigated on multiple metal caps (Pt, Fe, Ti, or Au) and displays a strong preference to attach to Pt surfaces over other metals. Surface hydrophobicity and surface charge are examined to interpret the cell specific adhesion on the Janus particles. The dual capability of the biohybrid to have guided cell adhesion and localized drug attachment allows the swimmer to have multiple applications for biomedical microswimmers, future bacteria‐interface systems, and micro‐biorobots.
Motile biohybrid swimmers are fabricated by integrating Escherichia coli onto metal capped, polystyrene (PS) Janus particles. Cell adhesion is regulated as E. coli adheres only to the particle's metal caps allowing the PS surface to be utilized for drug attachment, creating a multifunctional system. E. coli demonstrate the ability to carry multiple cargo loads, while maintaining high cell viability and proliferation.
Understanding the responses that some plants exhibit to acclimatize and thrive in different light environments can serve as a guideline to optimize their production or establishment. ...Morpho-physiological changes in
and
were examined in response to varying light levels: 25%, 35%, 55% and 70% of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of total solar radiation. One-month-old seedlings were subjected to the light treatments; subsequently, the effects on morphology, photosynthetic capacity, nutrient status, non-structural carbohydrate reserves (NSC) and growth were evaluated in three-month-old seedlings. Light levels affected several morpho-physiological parameters.
responded better to higher light levels and
to lower levels. Particularly,
with 70% PPFD increased its size in height and diameter, and accumulated more biomass in leaves, stems, and roots; it also exhibited higher net assimilation rates, improved nitrogen and phosphorus status and growth. In contrast,
with 25% PPFD increased aboveground biomass, nitrogen levels and NSC in leaves. Both species show morpho-physiological changes that determine their ability to acclimatize to different light conditions. This serves as a basis for designing better management strategies in the nursery or field by defining the light environments conducive to a proper functioning.
En el estudio de los procesos sociales de participación ciudadana vinculados a procesos de planificación espacial prevalecen visiones pluralistas y unidimensionales. En este trabajo se examinan las ...definiciones de la participación ciudadana en la planificación
espacial propuestas por autores con perspectivas elitistas, conflictualistas y, en general, multidimensionales. Sus contribuciones ofrecen marcos interpretativos más adecuados para la investigación social de esta problemática y señalan variables relevantes, como
el papel de los expertos, el origen de las iniciativas y las consecuencias sociopolíticas. Distinguimos aquí cuatro enfoques multidimensionales (el de los «movimientos urbanos», el «dialéctico», el de la «potenciación» y el «comunicativocrítico
»), sus principales diferencias y las alternativas que formulan a las concepciones unidimensionales de la participación ciudadana en términos de ejercicios colectivos de poder, actores y métodos involucrados.
Pluralist and one-dimensional views
are prevalent in the analysis of citizen participation processes linked to spatial planning processes. This article examines the definitions of such processes as proposed by authors with elitist, conflictualist and, in general, multi-dimensional perspectives. Their contributions provide more
suitable theoretical frameworks for social investigation purposes and highlight important variables such as the role of experts, the origin of participatory initiatives and their socio-political consequences. We maintain that multi-dimensional perspectives offer a more comprehensive approach
to the analysis of urban policies in which citizen participation is embedded. Hence, the article focuses on four multi-dimensional approaches, their main differentiating features, and the ways in which they represent an alternative to one-dimensional conceptions of citizen participation in
terms of the collective exercise of power and the actors and methods involved.
The only wetland in Europe colonized successfully by the apple snail
Pomacea maculata
Perry, 1810, is the Ebro Delta (Spain). After 10 years, it has become widespread there, despite significant ...eradication attempts. In spite of its great negative ecological and economic impacts, its incorporation into food webs can result in an abundant potential resource for native and exotic predators. We identified the potential predators, including fishes, amphibians, crustaceans, birds, turtles and mammals in natural conditions using stable isotopic analyses (
δ
13
C and
δ
15
N). Six predator species, three native (two birds and one frog) and three invasive (one crustacean, one turtle and one mammal), were confirmed to consume apple snails. None of the 10 fish species analyzed consumed apple snails, although some have been previously observed consuming this snail under laboratory conditions. This study emphasizes the need to assess the consumption of apple snail, as well as other invasive organisms, by potential predators in natural conditions to confirm the establishment of new trophic relationships and to understand whether these potential predators actually act as biological control agents in nature.
The metabolic syndrome(MS), which includes obesity,dyslipidaemia, hypertension and hyperglycaemia according to the most widely accepted definitions now used, is one of the most common post-transplant ...complications, with a prevalence of 44%-58%. The MS, together with the immunosuppression, is considered the main risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease(CVD) in transplant recipients, which in turn accounts for 19%-42% of all deaths unrelated to the graft. The presence of MS represents a relative risk for the development of CVD and death of 1.78. On the other hand, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD), considered as the manifestation of the MS in the liver, is now the second leading reason for liver transplantation in the United States after hepatitis C and alcohol. NAFLD has a high rate of recurrence in the liver graft and a direct relation with the worsening of other metabolic disorders, such as insulin resistance or diabetes mellitus. Consequently, it is vitally important to identify and treat as soon as possible such modifiable factors as hypertension, overweight, hyperlipidaemia or diabetes in transplanted patients to thus minimise the impact on patient survival. Additionally, steroid-free regimens are favoured, with minimal immunosuppression to limit the possible effects on the development of the MS.
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