Targets for the MalI repressor at the divergent Escherichia coliK-12malX-malI promoters

Random mutagenesis has been used to identify the target DNA sites for the MalI repressor at the divergent Escherichia coli K-12 malX-malI promoters. The malX promoter is repressed by MalI binding to a DNA site located from position -24 to position -9, upstream of the malX promoter transcript start. The malI promoter is repressed by MalI binding from position +3 to position +18, downstream of the malI transcript start. MalI binding at the malI promoter target is not required for repression of the malX promoter. Similarly, MalI binding at the malX promoter target is not required for repression of the malI. Although the malX and malI promoters are regulated by a single DNA site for cyclic AMP receptor protein, they function independently and each is repressed by MalI binding to a different independent operator site

"Psallentes in cordibus": canto, conversión y erudición poética en la "Exhortación panegírica al silencio" de Pedro Calderón de la Barca

El presente artículo pretende analizar una sección de la "Exhortación panegírica al silencio" de Pedro Calderón de la Barca: el elogio del canto. Se trata de aclarar ciertas dificultades textuales que revelan la complejidad poética y teológica del texto, así como de entender la lógica de conversión que estructura gran parte del encomio. Asimismo, el estudio busca identificar los distintos hipotextos que maneja el poeta para componer su panegírico: el cotejo entre las estancias y los marginalia revela cómo el ethos discursivo del poeta cristiano se relaciona con el carácter híbrido de este magno poema, pues surge de la tensa negociación entre los dos componentes del texto, la poesía y la erudición teológica.This article aims to analyse a section of Pedro Calderón de la Barca's "Exhortación panegírica al silencio": the praise of singing. The intent is both to clarify some textual difficulties, which reveal the poetic and theological complexity of the poem, and to understand the logic of conversion that structures a large part of the encomium. The study also aspires to identify the different hypotexts that the poet uses to compose the panegyric: the comparison between the stanzas and the marginalia reveals how the discursive ethos of the Christian poet is related to the hybrid character of this great poem, as it arises from the tense negotiation between the two components of the text, poetry and theological erudition

The Discovery of Spiral Arms in the Starburst Galaxy M82

We report the discovery of two symmetric spiral arms in the near-infrared (NIR) images of the starburst galaxy M82. The spiral arms are recovered when an axi-symmetric exponential disk is subtracted from the NIR images. The arms emerge from the ends of the NIR bar and can be traced up to three disk scalelengths. The winding of the arms is consistent with an m=2 logarithmic spiral mode of pitch angle 14 degrees. The arms are bluer than the disk in spite of their detection on the NIR images. If the northern side of the galaxy is nearer to us, as is normally assumed, the observed sense of rotation implies trailing arms. The nearly edge-on orientation, high disk surface brightness, and the presence of a complex network of dusty filaments in the optical images, are responsible for the lack of detection of the arms in previous studies.Comment: 4 pages, uses emulateapj.cls. To appear in ApJ Letters. Links to high resolution color figures are available at: http://www.inaoep.mx/~ydm

Nanopartículas de óxido de hierro superparamagnéticos (SPIONS): Propiedades estructurales y magnéticas para posibles aplicaciones biomédicas

En el presente trabajo, sintesizamos y caracterizamos nanopartículas magnéticas de maghemita & gamma;-Fe2O3 útiles para aplicaciones biomédicas. En el proceso químico de co-precipitación, una solución precursora de magnetita fue oxidizada ajustando el pH=3.5 a 80℃ en un ambiente ácido. El diámetro de los granos de las nanopartículas obtenidas de maghemita fueron calculados de las mediciones TEM y muestran nanopartículas de menos de 12 nm de tamaño. Las curvas de magnetización FC y ZFC medidas a 1 kOe indican una temperatura de bloqueo de 95 K. La curva M-H revela una coercitividad de cero a temperatura ambiente. La función paramagnética de Langevin fue usada para ajustar la curva de histéresis a 300 K para estimar el diámetro de los granos en la nanomuestra.En el presente trabajo, sintesizamos y caracterizamos nanopartículas magnéticas de maghemita & gamma;-Fe2O3utiles para aplicaciones biomédicas. En el proceso químico de co-precipitación, una solución precursora de magnetita fue oxidizada ajustando el pH=3.5 a 80℃ en un ambiente ácido. El diámetro de los granos de las nanopartículas obtenidas de maghemita fueron calculados de las mediciones TEM y muestran nanopartículas de menos de 12 nm de tamaño. Las curvas de magnetización FC y ZFC medidas a 1 kOe indican una temperatura de bloqueo de 95 K. La curva M-H revela una coercitividad de cero a temperatura ambiente. La función paramagnética de Langevin fue usada para ajustar la curva de histéresis a 300 K para estimar el diámetro de los granos en la nanomuestra

The asthma diagnosis jigsaw puzzle:an adaptable teaching concept to facilitate the diagnosis of asthma in adults and children presenting to primary care

The asthma diagnosis jigsaw puzzle is a clinical practice and teaching concept conceived in clinical practice and refined through an expert multidisciplinary consensus process by academics and clinicians with an interest in primary respiratory care. The concept incorporates guidance to facilitate the effective diagnosis of adults or children with asthma in primary care where misdiagnosis is common. The jigsaw puzzle metaphor teaches a problem-solving approach to diagnosis, introducing the concept of diagnosis over time and in no particular sequence. Puzzle pieces can be collected from the domains of presentation, history, symptoms and physical examination, as well as objective tests. The clinician's challenge is to complete the diagnostic jigsaw puzzle testing the likelihood of a picture which can be recognised as asthma. This approach aligns with symptom-based pattern-recognition approaches taught to primary care clinicians which gets easier and more reliable with experience. Relational continuity, or informational continuity through the patient record, is integral to the process of puzzle completion. Where non-fitting puzzle pieces are encountered, alternative or additional diagnoses should be considered and/or referral to secondary care pursued. As a metaphor, 'puzzle completion' may be used within clinical communication encounters, addressing the importance of partnership working ('completing the puzzle together'), uncertainty (deciding 'which pieces fit') and changes in symptoms over time (enabling the 'puzzle picture to become clearer'). Adaptation of this teaching concept has started through translation of educational resources, including puzzle pieces. Supporting case vignettes developed locally will contextualise the jigsaw puzzle teaching concept. The Asthma Diagnosis Jigsaw Puzzle teaching concept has been piloted in North Macedonia and is also developed for educational workshops by primary care health educators in Malaysia, India and Uganda.</p

Cognition in meningioma: effects of tumour location and tumour removal.

Meningiomas are the most common type of primary intracranial tumour, yet very few studies have assessed the effects of tumour removal. Here we report analysis of patients with meningiomas who underwent routine neuropsychological assessment and surgery at an NHS hospital in the North East of England over a six-year period. Surgical removal of tumours significantly improved both Phonemic and Semantic Verbal Fluency, and some measures of Working memory and Declarative memory. There were no signs of deleterious effects of surgery. Post-operative improvements in cognition did not appear to rely upon changes in anxiety and mood. In summary, we conclude that tumour removal in meningioma can be associated with some benefits in cognition

A socio-ecological analysis of factors influencing HIV treatment initiation and adherence among key populations in Papua New Guinea

Background: In Papua New Guinea (PNG) members of key populations, including female sex workers (FSW), men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW), have higher rates of HIV compared to the general adult population and low engagement in HIV care. This paper examines the socio-ecological factors that encourage or hinder HIV treatment initiation and adherence among HIV positive members of key populations in PNG. Methods: As part of a larger biobehavioural survey of key populations in PNG, 111 semi-structured interviews were conducted with FSW, MSM and TGW, of whom 28 identified as living with HIV. Interviews from 28 HIV positive participants are used in this analysis of the influences that enabled or inhibited HIV treatment initiation and treatment adherence. Results: Enablers included awareness of the biomedical benefits of treatment; experiences of the social, familial and health benefits of early treatment initiation and adherence; support provided by family and friends; and nonjudgmental and supportive HIV service provision. Factors that inhibited treatment initiation and adherence included perception of good health and denial of HIV diagnosis; poor family support following positive diagnosis; and anonymity and stigma concerns in HIV care services. Conclusion: Exploring health promotion messages that highlight the positive health impacts of early treatment initiation and adherence; providing client-friendly services and community-based treatment initiation and supply; and rolling out HIV viral load testing across the country could improve health outcomes for these key populations

Confidential, accessible point-of-care sexual health services to support the participation of key populations in biobehavioural surveys: lessons for Papua New Guinea and other settings where reach of key populations is limited

To achieve the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets at a national level, many countries must accelerate service coverage among key populations. To do this, key population programs have adopted methods similar to those used in respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to expand reach. A deeper understanding of factors from RDS surveys that enhance health service engagement can improve key population programs. To understand the in-depth lives of key populations, acceptance of expanded point-of-care biological testing and determine drivers of participation in RDS surveys, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 111 key population participants (12–65 years) were purposefully selected from six biobehavioral surveys (BBS) in three cities in Papua New Guinea. Key populations were female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender women. Four reasons motivated individuals to participate in the BBS: peer referrals; private, confidential, and stigma-free study facilities; "one-stop shop" services that provided multiple tests and with same-day results, sexually transmitted infection treatment, and referrals; and the desire to know ones’ health status. Biobehavioral surveys, and programs offering key population services can incorporate the approach we used to facilitate key population engagement in the HIV cascade

Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm matrix polysaccharide Psl is regulated transcriptionally by RpoS and post-transcriptionally by RsmA

Extracellular polysaccharides are important components of biofilms. In non-mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, the Pel and Psl polysaccharides are major structural components of the biofilm matrix. In this study, we demonstrate that the alternative σ-factor RpoS is a positive transcriptional regulator of psl gene expression. Furthermore, we show that psl mRNA has an extensive 5′ untranslated region, to which the post-transcriptional regulator RsmA binds and represses psl translation. Our observations suggest that upon binding RsmA, the region spanning the ribosome binding site of psl mRNA folds into a secondary stem-loop structure that blocks the Shine–Dalgarno sequence, preventing ribosome access and protein translation. This constitutes a novel mechanism for translational repression by this family of regulators