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OLAF PUBLISHES ITS ACTIVITY REPORT

A crumbling bridge built with EU money but substandard materials, plagiarism in an EU research project, tomato importers evading customs duties, a retired official trying to increase his pension by illegal means: these are only four examples demonstrating the large variety of cases in which the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) intervened in 2007. OLAF presented today in Brussels its new Annual Activity Report which illustrates its work inside and outside the EU in 15 case studies and numerous statistical tables. At the end of 2007, OLAF was investigating a total of 408 cases.

Loss of the Otx2-Binding Site in the Nanog Promoter Affects the Integrity of Embryonic Stem Cell Subtypes and Specification of Inner Cell Mass-Derived Epiblast

• Otx2 binds to the promoter/enhancer region of Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog in ESCs and EpiSCs • Otx2 binding to the Nanog promoter helps maintain the integrity of ESC compartments • Loss of this Otx2-binding site induces primed-like features in ESCs • Otx2 regulation of Nanog contributes to ICM differentiation of the epiblast Mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and the inner cell mass (ICM)-derived epiblast exhibit naive pluripotency. ESC-derived epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs) and the postimplantation epiblast exhibit primed pluripotency. Although core pluripotency factors are well-characterized, additional regulators, including Otx2, recently have been shown to function during the transition from naive to primed pluripotency. Here we uncover a role for Otx2 in the control of the naive pluripotent state. We analyzed Otx2-binding activity in ESCs and EpiSCs and identified Nanog, Oct4, and Sox2 as direct targets. To unravel the Otx2 transcriptional network, we targeted the strongest Otx2-binding site in the Nanog promoter, finding that this site modulates the size of specific ESC-subtype compartments in cultured cells and promotes Nanog expression in vivo, predisposing ICM differentiation to epiblast. Otx2-mediated Nanog regulation thus contributes to the integrity of the ESC state and cell lineage specification in preimplantation development.

BioSentinel

BioSentinel’s microfluidics card, designed at NASA Ames, will be used to study the impact of interplanetary space radiation on yeast. Once in orbit, the growth and metabolic activity of the yeast will be measured using a 3-color LED detection system and a metabolic indicator dye. Here, pink wells contain actively growing yeast cells that have turned the metabolic dye from blue to pink color.

Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA)

Computer science courses: the numbers ( CNR )

In thirty-nine years of activity, the courses in Computer Science organized by the University of Pisa have generated nearly eight thousand graduates. Overall, 5,569 students got their four degree in Computer Science (the top year being 1989 which saw 318 students graduate). 237 have completed their fi ve-year degree in Computer Science and 93 their bachelor’sdegree. With the advent of fi rst and second level degrees, Pisa has produced 1272 fi rst level degree graduates in Computer Science and 84 in Applied Information Sciences, 231 students managed to get a postgraduate degree, and 263 in Information Technology. And fi nally there have been 59 graduates in fi rst degree courses in Computer Science and Economics.

Community programme for employment and solidarity - PROGRESS (2007-2013)

The aim of the future PROGRESS programme is to provide financial support for the implementation of the European Union's objectives in the field of employment and social affairs. It will thus contribute to the achievement of the Lisbon Strategy objectives. PROGRESS, the budget for which is 743 million, will finance analysis, mutual learning, awareness-raising and dissemination activities, as well as assistance for the main players over the period 2007-2013. The programme will be divided into five sections corresponding to five main fields of activity: employment, social protection and inclusion, working conditions, diversity and combating discrimination, and equality between women and men.

Romania and Bulgaria mark 1 year in EU

Improved national self-confidence and economic stability are just two of the things MEPs from the EU's two newest states picked out as the results of a year of EU membership. As they mark their first year in the Union we spoke to some of the 35 Romanian and 18 Bulgarian MEPs who were elected last year. As well asking them about their work in the Parliament, we asked them to share their impressions of the first year of EU membership and also to look forward to the 2009 European elections.

Cutting out a pattern

DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY

UK release/promo info - INXS release