Geodetic implications on block formation and geodynamic domains in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula

The South Shetland Islands archipelago is dynamically complex due to its tectonic surroundings. Most islands are part of a formerly active volcanic arc, although Deception, Penguin and Bridgeman Islands, as well as several submarine volcanoes, are characterized by active back-arc volcanism. Geodetic benchmarks were deployed and the movement of the lithosphere to which they were fixed measured to provide geodynamic insight for the South Shetland Islands, Bransfield Basin and Antarctic Peninsula area based on surface deformation. These benchmarks' data add spatial and temporal coverage to previous results. The results reveal two different geodynamic patterns, each confined to a distinct part of the South Shetland Islands archipelago. The inferred absolute horizontal velocity vectors for the benchmarks in the northeastern part of the archipelago are consistent with the opening of the Bransfield Basin, while benchmark vectors in the southwestern part of the archipelago are similar to those of the benchmarks on the Antarctic Peninsula. In between, Snow, Deception and Livingston Islands represent a transition zone. In this area, the horizontal velocity vectors relative to the Antarctic plate shift northeastwards from N to NW. Furthermore, the South Shetland Islands benchmarks, except for that at Gibbs (Elephant) Islands, indicate subsidence, which might be a consequence of the slab roll-back at the South Shetland Trench. In contrast, the uplift revealed by the Antarctic Peninsula benchmarks suggests glacial isostatic adjustment after the Larson B ice-shelf breakup. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Cell Death in the Embryonic Developing Limb

In amniote vertebrates, the development of form and structure of the limb bud is accompanied by precise patterns of massive mesodermal cell death with morphological features of apoptosis. These areas of cell death appear to eliminate undifferentiated cells which are required only for a limited time period of limb development. Predictable skeletal and morphological anomalies of the limb occur when the pattern of cell death is modified in mutant species or under experimental conditions. Most evidence points to the occurrence of local triggering mechanisms to account for the establishment of the areas of cell death and the subsequent activation of cell death genes. Modifications of the extracellular matrix and diminution in the contribution of growth factors by neighbouring tissues appear as the most likely potential candidates for triggering the cell death program. Information on the genetical basis of cell death in the developing limb is very scarce. Among the increasing number of cell death genes identified in other cell death systems, such as p-53 and the ced-3/ICE and ced-9/bcl-2 gene families, only bcl-2 has been studied in detail during limb development and yet, the information obtained is contradictory. Bcl-2 is not expressed in the areas of cell death of the developing limb, but normal limbs develop in mice with disruption of the bcl-2 gene. Obviously, the clarification of the role of the cell death genes constitute a major task in future studies of cell death in the developing limb

Magma displacements under insular volcanic fields, applications to eruption forecasting: El Hierro, Canary Islands, 2011-2013

Significant deformations, followed by increased seismicity detected since 2011 July at El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain, prompted the deployment of additional monitoring equipment. The climax of this unrest was a submarine eruption first detected on 2011 October 10, and located at about 2 km SW of La Restinga, southernmost village of El Hierro Island. The eruption ceased on 2012 March 5, after the volcanic tremor signals persistently weakened through 2012 February. However, the seismic activity did not end with the eruption, as several other seismic crises followed. The seismic episodes presented a characteristic pattern: over a few days the number and magnitude of seismic event increased persistently, culminating in seismic events severe enough to be felt all over the island. Those crises occurred in 2011 November, 2012 June and September, 2012 December to 2013 January and in 2013 March-April. In all cases the seismic unrest was preceded by significant deformations measured on the island's surface that continued during the whole episode. Analysis of the available GPS and seismic data suggests that several magma displacement processes occurred at depth from the beginning of the unrest. The first main magma movement or 'injection' culminated with the 2011 October submarine eruption. A model combining the geometry of the magma injection process and the variations in seismic energy release has allowed successful forecasting of the new-vent opening.CSIC [2011-30E070]; MINECO [CGL2011-28682-C02-01]; bilateral UNAM (Mexico) - CSIC (Spain) program; Mayor's Office of El Pinar de El Hierroinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Circulating HPV DNA as a Biomarker for Pre-Invasive and Early Invasive Cervical Cancer: A Feasibility Study

BACKGROUND: High-risk HPV infection is responsible for >99% of cervix cancers (CC). In persistent infections that lead to cancer, the tumour breaches the basement membrane, releasing HPV-DNA into the bloodstream (cHPV-DNA). A next-generation sequencing assay (NGS) for detection of plasma HPV circulating DNA (cHPV-DNA) has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in patients with locally advanced cervix cancers. We hypothesised that cHPV-DNA is detectable in early invasive cervical cancers but not in pre-invasive lesions (CIN). METHODS: Blood samples were collected from patients with CIN (n = 52) and FIGO stage 1A-1B CC (n = 12) prior to treatment and at follow-up. DNA extraction from plasma, followed by NGS, was used for the detection of cHPV-DNA. RESULTS: None of the patients with pre-invasive lesions were positive for CHPV-DNA. In invasive tumours, plasma from one patient (10%) reached the threshold of positivity for cHPV-DNA in plasma. CONCLUSION: Low detection of cHPV-DNA in early CC may be explained by small tumour size, poorer access to lymphatics and circulation, and therefore little shedding of cHPV-DNA in plasma at detectable levels. The detection rate of cHPV-DNA in patients with early invasive cervix cancer using even the most sensitive of currently available technologies lacks adequate sensitivity for clinical utility

El uso del vocabulario emocional: un análisis a través de distintas etapas educativas

Developing emotional vocabulary improves many areas of emotional well-being, aids in the construction of reality, and ensures better environmental adaption. Because of its importance, this study uses an instrument to generate emotional labels with the purpose of investigating differences in emotional vocabulary by gender and educational stage. The overall sample size was 1.244 with primary, secondary, and university degrees included. The IBM SPSS 27 software was used to perform descriptive statistics and mean comparison (ANOVA). The results indicate a misunderstanding of the idea of emotion, with joy and sadness being the most reported feelings.Desarrollar el vocabulario emocional contribuye a mejorar numerosos aspectos relacionados con el bienestar emocional y ayuda a construir la realidad, propiciando así una mejor adaptación al entorno. En vista de su importancia, este estudio pretende conocer las diferencias en el vocabulario emocional en función del sexo y la etapa educativa mediante un instrumento de generación de etiquetas elaborado ad-hoc. El número total de participantes fue de 1.244, pertenecientes a educación primaria, educación secundaria y grados universitarios. Se utilizaron estadísticos descriptivos y comparación de medias (ANOVA). Los resultados reflejan confusión en el concepto emoción y se reportan mayormente las emociones básicas alegría y tristeza

Expression of proadrenomedullin derived peptides in the mammalian pituitary: co-localization of follicle stimulating hormone and proadrenomedullin N-20 terminal peptide-like peptide in the same secretory granules of the gonadotropes

Expression of proadrenomedullin-derived peptides in the rat, cow and human pituitary was studied by a variety of techniques. Immunocytochemical detection showed a widespread expression of adrenomedullin peptide in the adenohypophysis and the neural lobe, with low expression in the intermediate pituitary. Proadrenomedullin N-20 terminal peptide (PAMP)-immunoreactivity was also present in the anterior pituitary but showed a more marked heterogeneous distribution, with cells going from very strong to negative immunostaining. Lower levels of PAMP were found in the neural lobe. Interestingly, the distribution of adrenomedullin and PAMP immunoreactivity in the anterior pituitary did not completely overlap. In the present study, we concentrated our efforts to determine which cell type of the adenohypophysis expresses PAMP. Paraffin and semithin serial sections immunostained for PAMP and the classical pituitary hormones revealed that a subpopulation of the gonadotropes expresses high levels of PAMP-immunoreactive material. Ultrastructural analysis clearly showed PAMP-immunoreactivity in the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)-containing large secretory granules of the gonadotropes, suggesting simultaneous secretion of PAMP and FSH by this cell type. Three mouse adenohypophysis-derived cell lines (AtT20, GH3, and alphaT3-1 derived from corticotropes, lacto/somatotropes and gonadotropes, respectively) were also analysed and showed expression of both proadrenomedullin-derived peptides and their mRNA. Functional studies in these three cell lines showed that neither adrenomedullin nor PAMP was able to stimulate cAMP production in our experimental conditions. Taken together, our results support that proadrenomedullin derived peptides are expressed in the pituitary in cell-specific and not overlapping patterns, that could be explained by differences in postranslational processing. Our data showing costorage of PAMP and FSH in the same secretory granules open a way by which PAMP could be involved in the control of reproductive physiology in a coordinated manner with FSH

Flavonoid and lignan intake in relation to bladder cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study

Item does not contain fulltextBACKGROUND: There is growing evidence of the protective role of dietary intake of flavonoids and lignans on cancer, but the association with bladder cancer has not been thoroughly investigated in epidemiological studies. We evaluated the association between dietary intakes of total and subclasses of flavonoids and lignans and risk of bladder cancer and its main morphological type, urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC), within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. METHODS: A cohort of 477 312 men and women mostly aged 35-70 years, were recruited in 10 European countries. At baseline, dietary flavonoid and lignan intakes were estimated using centre-specific validated questionnaires and a food composition database based on the Phenol-Explorer, the UK Food Standards Agency and the US Department of Agriculture databases. RESULTS: During an average of 11 years of follow-up, 1575 new cases of primary bladder cancer were identified, of which 1425 were UCC (classified into aggressive (n=430) and non-aggressive (n=413) UCC). No association was found between total flavonoid intake and bladder cancer risk. Among flavonoid subclasses, significant inverse associations with bladder cancer risk were found for intakes of flavonol (hazard ratio comparing fifth with first quintile (HRQ5-Q1) 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.61-0.91; P-trend=0.009) and lignans (HRQ5-Q1 0.78, 95% CI: 0.62-0.96; P-trend=0.046). Similar results were observed for overall UCC and aggressive UCC, but not for non-aggressive UCC. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests an inverse association between the dietary intakes of flavonols and lignans and risk of bladder cancer, particularly aggressive UCC

Epigenetics modifications and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: The EPIOSA study.

Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Epidemiological and animal models studies generate hypotheses for innovative strategies in OSA management by interferig intermediates mechanisms associated with cardiovascular complications. We have thus initiated the Epigenetics modification in Obstructive Sleep Apnea (EPIOSA) study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02131610). Methods/design EPIOSA is a prospective cohort study aiming to recruit 350 participants of caucasian ethnicity and free of other chronic or inflammatory diseases: 300 patients with prevalent OSA and 50 non-OSA subjects. All of them will be follow-up for at least 5 years. Recruitment and study visits are performed in single University-based sleep clinic using standard operating procedures. At baseline and at each one year follow-up examination, patients are subjected to a core phenotyping protocol. This includes a standardized questionnaire and physical examination to determine incident comorbidities and health resources utilization, with a primary focus on cardiovascular events. Confirmatory outcomes information is requested from patient records and the regional Department of Health Services. Every year, OSA status will be assessed by full sleep study and blood samples will be obtained for immediate standard biochemistry, hematology, inflammatory cytokines and cytometry analysis. For biobanking, aliquots of serum, plasma, urine, mRNA and DNA are also obtained. Bilateral carotid echography will be performed to assess subclinical atherosclerosis and atherosclerosis progression. OSA patients are treated according with national guidelines. Discussion EPIOSA will enable the prospective evaluation of inflammatory and epigenetics mechanism involved in cardiovascular complication of treated and non-treated patients with OSA compared with non OSA subjects

The impact of physical, psychological, and sexual intimate partner violence on women's mental health: depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder, state anxiety, and suicide

Objective: This study aimed to determine the impact of lifetime physical, psychological, and sexual intimate male partner violence (IPV) on the mental health of women, after controlling for the contribution of lifetime victimization. The comorbidity of depressive symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their relation to state anxiety and suicide were also assessed. Methods: Physically/psychologically (n 75) and psychologically abused women (n 55) were compared with nonabused control women (n 52). Information about sociodemographic characteristics, lifetime victimization, and mental health status (depressive and state anxiety symptoms, PTSD, and suicide) was obtained through face-to-face structured interviews. Results: Women exposed to physical/psychological and psychological IPV had a higher incidence and severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms, PTSD, and thoughts of suicide than control women, with no differences between the two abused groups. The concomitance of sexual violence was associated with a higher severity of depressive symptoms in both abused groups and a higher incidence of suicide attempts in the physically/psychologically abused group. The incidence of PTSD alone was very rare, and depressive symptoms were either alone or comorbid with PTSD. The severity of state anxiety was higher in abused women with depressive symptoms or comorbidity, as was the incidence of suicidal thoughts in the physically/psychologically abused group. Lifetime victimization was not a predictor of the deterioration of mental health in this study. Conclusions: These findings indicate that psychological IPV is as detrimental as physical IPV, with the exception of effects on suicidality, which emphasizes that psychological IPV should be considered a major type of violence by all professionals involved.Este es un artículo ampliamente citado internacionalmente respeto a violencia de pareja y consecuencias en la salud de las mujeres

Normal vector analysis from GNSS-GPS data applied to Deception volcano surface deformation

Surface deformation parameters and its use in volcano monitoring have evolved from classical geodetic procedures up to those based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), in particular the most widely used and known Global Positioning System (GPS), profiting from the automated data processing, positioning precision and rates, as well as the large storage capacity and low power consumption of its equipments. These features have enabled the permanent GNSSGPS data acquisition to ensure the continuous monitoring of geodetic benchmarks for the evaluation of surface deformation in active tectonic or volcanic areas. In Deception Island (Antarctica), a normal vector analysis is being used to give surface deformation based on three permanently observed GNSSGPS benchmarks. Due to data availability, both in the past and for near real-time use, all benchmarks used are inside the monitored volcanic area, although the reference is away from thermal springs and/or fumaroles, unlike the other two. The time variation of slope distances to the reference benchmark and of the magnitude and inclination of the normal vector to the triangle defined by the reference benchmark and any other two, provides the spatial deformation in the volcanic area covered. The normal vector variation in magnitude gives information on compression or expansion, here called spatial dilatometer, while the changes in inclination gives information on relative uplift or subsidence, here called spatial inclinometer. In geodesy, the triangle is a basic geometric unit and the areal strain is commonly applied in tectonics and volcanism. The normal vector analysis conjugates both, benefiting from the method's precision, simplicity and possibility to model the surface using several triangles. The proposed method was applied to GNSSGPS data collected every austral summer between 20012002 and 20092010 in Deception Island. The results evidence that Deception Island acts as a strain marker in the Bransfield Basin volcano-tectonic setting.Spanish Ministry of Education and Science as part of the National Antarctic Program; Recognition and fast evaluation of volcanic activity on Deception Island (GEODESY) [ANT1999-1430-E/HESP]; Geodetic Studies on Deception Island: deformation models, geoid determination and Scientific Information System [REN2000-0551-C03-01/ANT]; Acquisition of scientific software for GPS data processing [REN2000-2690-E]; Geodetic Control of the volcanic activity of Deception Island [CGL2004-21547-E/ANT]; Update of the Spanish Cartography for Deception Island [CGL2004-20408-E/ANT]; Volcanotectonic activity on Deception Island: geodetic, geophysical investigations and Remote Sensing on Deception Island and its surroundings [CGLl2005-07589-c03-01/ANT]; Geodetic and Geothermal Researches, Time Serial Analysis and Volcanic Innovation in Antarctica (South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula (GEOTINANT) [CTM2009-07251/ANT]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio