Miguel Lara Flores

The current (2007-2007) structure and content of dental materials research has been investigated by identifying and describing the emergent research fronts which can be related to basic, translational and clinical observation research. By a combination of network analysis and text mining of the literature on dental materials indexed in the Web of Science, we have identified eleven emerging research fronts. These fronts are related to different dental materials applications which are at different levels in the knowledge translation and biomedical innovation process. We identified fronts related to dominant designs like titanium implants, competing technologies like ceramics and composites applications to prothesis and restauration, and disruptive technologies like nanomaterials and mineral trioxide aggregates. Our results suggest the possible relation between the technological complexity of the dental materials and the level of advance in terms of knowledge translation. This is the f...

Receptor for activated C kinase (RACK1) is a highly conserved, eukaryotic protein of the WD-40 repeat family. Its peculiar β-propeller structure allows its interaction with multiple proteins in various plant signal-transduction pathways, including those arising from hormone responses, development, and environmental stress. During Phaseolus vulgaris root development, RACK1 (PvRACK1) mRNA expression was induced by auxins, abscissic acid, cytokinin, and gibberellic acid. In addition, during P. vulgaris nodule development, PvRACK1 mRNA was highly accumulated at 12 to 15 days postinoculation, suggesting an important role after nodule meristem initiation and Rhizobium nodule infection. PvRACK1 transcript accumulation was downregulated by a specific RNA interference construct which was expressed in transgenic roots of composite plants of P. vulgaris inoculated with Rhizobium tropici. PvRACK1 downregulated transcript levels were monitored by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase cha...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biochemical events in root nodules which lead to increased yield when bean is inoculated with a Rhizobium etli mutant (CFN037) having increased respiratory capacity. CFN037-inoculated plants had 22% more nitrogen (N) than did wild-type (CE3)-inoculated plants. Root nodule enzymes involved in nodule carbon and nitrogen assimilation as well as in ureides and amides synthesis were assessed in plants inoculated with CFN037 and the CE3. Our results show that the xylem ureides content was lower while that of amino acids was higher in CFN037- compared with CE3-inoculated plants. Supporting these results, enzymes involved in ureide synthesis were reduced while activity of aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate synthase, sucrose synthase, and glucose-6-P dehydrogenase were increased in CFN037- induced nodules. Glutamate synthase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase transcripts were detected early in the development of nodules induced by CFN037 compared...