Frequency spectra characterization of noncoding human genomic sequences.

BACKGROUND: Noncoding sequences have been demonstrated to possess regulatory functions. Its classification is challenging because they do not show well-defined nucleotide patterns that can correlate with their biological functions. Genomic signal processing techniques like Fourier transform have been employed to characterize coding and noncoding sequences. This transformation in a systematic whole-genome noncoding library, such as the ENCODE database, can provide evidence of a periodic behaviour in the noncoding sequences that correlates with their regulatory functions. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to classify different noncoding regulatory regions through their frequency spectra. METHODS: We computed machine learning algorithms to classify the noncoding regulatory sequences frequency spectra. RESULTS: The sequences from different regulatory regions, cell lines, and chromosomes possessed distinct frequency spectra, and that machine learning classifiers (such as those of the support vector machine type) could successfully discriminate among regulatory regions, thus correlating the frequency spectra with their biological functions CONCLUSION: Our work supports the idea that there are patterns in the noncoding sequences of the genome.

Análisis estadístico de los espectros de frecuencia de las regiones reguladoras del ENCODE / Statistical analysis of the Fourier Spectra of the ENCODE regulatory regions

RESUMEN En la actualidad, nuevas bases de datos genómicos (secuencias de ADN) son puestas al alcance del dominio público para su análisis. La bioinformática ha desarrollado algoritmos para extraer información y características de dichas secuencias. Sin embargo, estos algoritmos bioinformáticos tienen limitaciones. Una alternativa es utilizar herramientas propias del procesamiento digital de señales (DSP) adaptadas a secuencias genómicas (procesamiento de señales genómicas - GSP). El presente trabajo versa sobre el análisis de los cuatro primeros momentos centrales (media, desviación estándar, asimetría y curtosis) y dos momentos estadísticos (mediana y varianza) de los espectros frecuenciales de las 15 Regiones Reguladoras (RRs) de la base de datos ENCODE con el objetivo de estudiar diferencias estadísticas y frecuencias características. La base de datos seleccionada es "mapeada". Luego, la FFT es calculada a estas señales genómicas y finalmente los momentos estadísticos son implementados. Los resultados mues tran la existencia de 3 grupos de RRs utilizando la media, mediana y curtosis. La desviación estándar y la varianza, parecen no resaltar información importante. Finalmente, la asimetría revela un comportamiento homogéneo ante la presencia de valores atípicos en algunas RRs. Estas observaciones permiten inferir que la periodicidad dentro de la secuencia está relacionada o podría determinar la función biológica que desempeña la misma secuencia.

ABSTRACT Nowadays, new genomic databases (DNA sequences) are available to the whole scientist community for its analysis. The bioinformatics has developed algorithms to extract information and features of the sequences. However, the bioinformatics algorithms have restrictions. An alternative is the use of digital signal processing (DSP) tools adapted to genomic sequences (genomic signal processing - GSP). This work analyzes the first four statistics moments (mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis) and other two moments (median and variance) of the frequency spectra of 15 regulatory regions (RRs) in ENCODE database with the main objective of studying the statistics di fferences and frequency features. The selected database is mapped. Then, the FFT is calculated to these genomic signals and finally the statistic moments implemented. The results show a three-group behavior in the RRs with the mean, median and kurtosis. The deviations standard and the variance do not show important behavior. Finally, the skewness shows a homogeneous behavior with the lack of atypical values in some RRs. These observations support the idea of the presence of periodicities in a sequence that may be related or may determine the biological function that a sequence may perform.

Estudio descriptivo de forma y función del juego libre del niño(a) en etapa preescolar / Descriptive study of the form and function of the unstructured play of the child in pre-school stage

La investigación tiene como principal objetivo conocer la forma y función del juego libre de 7 niños (as) en etapa de transición (4 a 5 años) de la ciudad de Punta Arenas, considerados en establecimientos educacionales pre-escolares en la región de Magallanes y Antártica Chilena. Bajo los fundamentos teóricos de la ciencia de la ocupación, se pretende identificar, a través del juego libre, aspectos relevantes de la conducta del menor, que favorezcan o dificulten su desempeño escolar. La metodología usada es de carácter cualitativo, siendo su método el estudio de caso. Los principales resultados demuestran similitud en la función del juego libre de cada niño(a), siendo estos predominantemente motor-social, los cuales repercuten en su desempeño escolar. Se concluye que, cada juego significa un momento para el aprendizaje y, como herramienta diagnóstica, entrega la posibilidad de visualizar ciertas conductas adaptativas en los niños(as) o, por el contrario, determinar signos de alerta según su edad de desarrollo.

The objective of the this research is to investigate the form and function of the unstructured play of seven children in transition stage (4 to 5 year-old) in the city of Punta Arenas. The children considered in this study are from preschool educational institutions living in the region of Magallanes and the Chilean Antartica. Under the theoretical foundations of occupational science it is expected to identify the relevant aspects of the children’s behavior in unstructured play, especially those that may help, or having negative effects in the school performance. The methodology used in this case is qualitative, being its method the case study. The main results demonstrate similarities regarding the functions of the children’s unstructured play, being these mainly “motor-social” functions that have an effect in the school performance. It can be concluded then, that unstructured play helps to develop the children’s learning strategies. It can be used as a diagnosis tool because it permits the observation of adaptive behaviors in children, and also allows determining signs of alert considering the child’s age of development.

Características de las lesiones intestinales en traumatismo cerrado de abdomen / Characteristics of intestinal injury in blunt abdominal trauma

En una revisión de archivo relacionado a lesiones intestinalespor traumatismo cerrado de abdomen, durante un periodo de4 años, desde enero del año 2007 a diciembre del 2010 y, quefueron tratados quirúrgicamente en el servicio de EmergenciasMédicas de Asunción Paraguay MSP Y BS, se evidenció:a) Su relación importante a accidentes de vehículos automotores.b) La presencia de graves lesiones asociadas a su presentación.c) La mayor frecuencia observada en personas jóvenes ydel sexo masculino.d) La alta frecuencia de lesiones del intestino delgado enrelación a las de colon.

Stress-induced hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia are suppressed by sulfonylurea. Predominant role of insulin.

Based on the in vitro blockade of adrenal catecholamines release by sulfonylurea, we searched for an anti-stress activity of this drug. Stress-induced hyperglycemia and insulin inhibition were employed as adrenergic stress indicators. A standard dose of the oral sulfonylurea glipizide (200 micrograms/100 g), administered 15 min before a 1-h restraint stress to intact or 80% pancreatectomized rats, produced total suppression of the stress-induced hyperglycemia-hypoinsulinemia, an effect followed by a significant post-stress hypoglycemia of 1 h duration. The latter effect was elicited by all the sulfonylureas assayed. In the 80% pancreatectomized rats, glipizide nearly halved the increases in plasma catecholamines at 30 min of stress, but did not modify those attained at 60 min, when glycemia was decreasing and insulinemia was still increasing. Moreover, behavioral experiments in intact stressed rats showed that the adrenergic overt behavior inhibition caused by propranolol was not produced either by glipizide or insulin, reinforcing that glipizide affect was not mediated by catecholamine inhibition. These findings suggest a blockade of catecholamines hepatic receptors by the anticipated insulin release induced by sulfonylurea. Thus, insulin fully dominated when insulin and catecholamines were administered in a stress-like sequence. A confirmation of these findings in diabetic patients subjected to surgical stress would allow a new therapeutic application of sulfonylurea. It is concluded that an anticipated insulin release plus an insulin dominant role over catecholamines activity might explain the anti-stress effect of sulfonylurea.