434 research outputs found
ω-Agatoxin-IVA-sensitive calcium channels in bovine chromaffin cells
AbstractA large component of the whole-cell currents through Ca2+ channels in bovine adrenomedullary chromaffin cells has been shown to be insensitive to both L-type and N-type Ca2+ channel Mockers, suggesting the existence of a third type of Ca2+ channel. In the present paper, ω-agatoxin-IVA (AgTx), a selective blocker of P-type Ca2+ channels in mammalian neurons, has been used to investigate the presence of this subtype of Ca2+ channel in bovine chromaffin cells. Barium currents (IBa) through Ca2+ channels were recorded in whole-cell patch-clamped bovine chromaffin cells. IBa was blocked by AgTx in a dose-dependent and irreversible manner. At the maximal concentration used (1 μM), AgTx inhibited TBa by 49.5 ± 3%. Such a blockade was also present when bovine chromaffin cells were pretreated with 10 μM fumidipine, a novel 1,4-dihydropyridine L-type channel blocker, and after treatment with 1 μM of the N-type channel blocker, ω-conotoxin GVIA (CgTx). A combination of these three types of Ca2+ channel blockers suppressed the macroscopic Ba2+ currents by 88%. We conclude that bovine chromaffin cells, in addition to N- and L-type Ca2+ channels, possess a P-like component in their whole-cell currents through the Ca2+ channels
Selection of AGN candidates in the GOODS-South Field through SPITZER/MIPS 24 m variability
We present a study of galaxies showing mid-infrared variability in data taken
in the deepest Spitzer/MIPS 24 m surveys in the GOODS-South field. We
divide the dataset in epochs and subepochs to study the long-term
(months-years) and the short-term (days) variability. We use a
-statistics method to select AGN candidates with a probability
1% that the observed variability is due to statistical errors alone. We find 39
(1.7% of the parent sample) sources that show long-term variability and 55
(2.2% of the parent sample) showing short-term variability. That is, 0.03
sources arcmin for both, long-term and short-term variable
sources. After removing the expected number of false positives inherent to the
method, the estimated percentages are 1.0% and 1.4% of the parent sample for
the long-term and short-term respectively. We compare our candidates with AGN
selected in the X-ray and radio bands, and AGN candidates selected by their IR
emission. Approximately, 50% of the MIPS 24 m variable sources would be
identified as AGN with these other methods. Therefore, MIPS 24 m
variability is a new method to identify AGN candidates, possibly dust obscured
and low luminosity AGN, that might be missed by other methods. However, the
contribution of the MIPS 24 m variable identified AGN to the general AGN
population is small ( 13%) in GOODS-South.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
Near-infrared K-band Spectroscopic Investigation of Seyfert 2 Nuclei in the CfA and 12 Micron Samples
We present near-infrared K-band slit spectra of the nuclei of 25 Seyfert 2
galaxies in the CfA and 12 micron samples. The strength of the CO absorption
features at 2.3-2.4 micron produced by stars is measured in terms of a
spectroscopic CO index. A clear anti-correlation between the observed CO index
and the nuclear K-L color is present, suggesting that a featureless hot dust
continuum heated by an AGN contributes significantly to the observed K-band
fluxes in the nuclei of Seyfert 2 galaxies. After correction for this AGN
contribution, we estimate nuclear stellar K-band luminosities for all sources,
and CO indices for sources with modestly large observed CO indices. The
corrected CO indices for 10 (=40%) Seyfert 2 nuclei are found to be as high as
those observed in star-forming or elliptical (=spheroidal) galaxies. We combine
the K-band data with measurements of the L-band 3.3 micron polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbon (PAH) emission feature, another powerful indicator for
star-formation, and find that the 3.3 micron PAH to K-band stellar luminosity
ratios are substantially smaller than those of starburst galaxies. Our results
suggest that the 3.3 micron PAH emission originates in the putative nuclear
starbursts in the dusty tori surrounding the AGNs, because of its high surface
brightness, whereas the K-band CO absorption features detected at the nuclei
are dominated by old bulge (=spheroid) stars, and thus may not be a powerful
indicator for the nuclear starbursts. We see no clear difference in the
strength of the CO absorption and PAH emission features between the CfA and 12
micron Seyfert 2s.Comment: 28 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ (10 October
2004, v614 issue
Fertility of CMS wheat is restored by two Rf loci located on a recombined acrocentric chromosome
Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) results from incompatibility between nuclear and cytoplasmic genomes, and is characterized by the inability to produce viable pollen. The restoration of male fertility generally involves the introgression of nuclear genes, termed restorers of fertility (Rf). CMS has been widely used for hybrid seed production in many crops but not in wheat, partly owing to the complex genetics of fertility restoration. In this study, an acrocentric chromosome that restores pollen fertility of CMS wheat in Hordeum chilense cytoplasm (msH1 system) is studied. The results show that this chromosome, of H. chilense origin and named Hchac, originated from a complex reorganization of the short arm of chromosomes 1Hch (1HchS) and 6Hch (6HchS). Diversity arrays technology (DArT) markers and cytological analysis indicate that Hchac is a kind of 'zebra-like′ chromosome composed of chromosome 1HchS and alternate fragments of interstitial and distal regions of chromosome 6HchS. PCR-based markers together with FISH, GISH, and meiotic pairing analysis support this result. A restorer of fertility gene, named Rf 6H ch S, has been identified on the short arm of chromosome 6HchS. Moreover, restoration by the addition of chromosome 1HchS has been observed at a very low frequency and under certain environmental conditions. Therefore, the results indicate the presence of two Rf genes on the acrocentric chromosome: Rf 6H ch S and Rf 1H ch S, the restoration potential of Rf 6H ch S being greater. The stable and high restoration of pollen fertility in the msH1 system is therefore the result of the interaction between these two restorer genes.Results have been achieved within the framework of the Transnational
(Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and Canada) Cooperation within
the PLANT-KBBE Initiative, with funding from Spanish Ministerio de
Economía y Competitividad project PIM2010PKB-00703 “Hybrid Wheat
for Reduced Inputs and Sustainable Yield”. This research was partly supported
by grant (to S.G. Atienza) 200840I137 from CSIC and FEDER.Peer Reviewe
Understanding the 8 micron vs. Pa-alpha relationship on sub-arcsecond scales in Luminous Infrared Galaxies
This work explores in detail the relation between the 8 micron and the
Pa-alpha emissions for 122 HII regions identified in a sample of 10 low-z LIRGs
with nearly constant metallicity (12 + log (O/H) ~ 8.8). We use Gemini/T-ReCS
high-spatial resolution (<~ 0.4" ~ 120 pc for the average distance of 60 Mpc of
our sample) mid-infrared imaging (at 8.7 micron or 10.3 micron) together with
HST/NICMOS continuum and Pa-alpha images. The LIRG HII regions extend the
L_8micron vs. L_Pa-alpha relation found for HII knots in the high-metallicity
SINGS galaxies by about two orders of magnitude to higher luminosities. Since
the metallicity of the LIRG sample is nearly constant, we can rule out this
effect as a cause for the scatter seen in the relationship. In turn, it is
attributed to two effects: age and PAH features. The L_8micron/L_Pa-alpha
ratio, which varies by a factor of ten for the LIRG HII regions, is reproduced
by a model with instantaneous star formation and ages ranging from ~ 4 to 7.5
Myr. The remaining dispersion around the model predictions for a given age is
probably due to differential contributions of the PAH features (the 8.6 micron,
in our case) to the 8 micron emission from galaxy to galaxy.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ; paper with
full-resolution figures can be found at:
http://damir.iem.csic.es/extragalactic
Strategies of employer branding with temporary workers: Possibilities and obstacles towards their integration as branding ambassadors
This study analyses temporary employees’ perceptions and experiences with respect to temporary employment companies (TECs), which contract them, and to the companies where they provide their services. Their level of possible integration in the strategies of employer branding in both types of companies is analysed. To that end, both the causes for their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with those companies have been studied and the temporary employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) has been analysed in order to determine to what extent they may act as a company branding ambassador. This analysis has been carried out on the basis of two investigations conducted among employees from the same TEC before and after the Covid-19 pandemics, which has allowed us to count on a series of values to identify trends and, at the same time, to ascertain their impact on this type of employees caused by such a dramatic and global event as the recent pandemics started in 2020. With this in mind, we have reached a set of conclusions on how to improve the integration of this type of workers in companies through the improvement of internal communication and the strengthening of the corporative culture to foster their role as branding ambassadors in the companies where they operate.El trabajo analiza las percepciones y experiencias de los empleados temporales respecto a las empresas de trabajo temporal que los contratan y respecto a las empresas en las que prestan sus servicios. Se analiza el nivel de su posible integración en las estrategias de employer branding de ambos tipos de empresa. Para ello, se han estudiado las causas de su satisfacción o insatisfacción con las compañías y se ha analizado el eNPS (employer Net Promoter Score) del trabajador temporal para determinar en qué medida puede actuar como embajador de la marca de las empresas. Este análisis se ha llevado a cabo a partir de dos investigaciones realizadas entre trabajadores de la misma empresa de trabajo temporal antes y después de la pandemia de la Covid-19, lo que nos ha permitido contar con una serie de valores para determinar tendencias y, al mismo tiempo, conocer el impacto en este tipo de trabajadores de una circunstancia tan dramática y global como la reciente pandemia que empezó en 2020. A partir de ello hemos obtenido una serie de conclusiones sobre cómo optimizar la integración de este tipo de trabajadores en las empresas, a través de la mejora de la comunicación interna y el fortalecimiento de la cultura corporativa, para favorecer así su papel como embajadores de la marca de las compañías en las que desarrollan su labor
Star-formation histories of local luminous infrared galaxies
We present the analysis of the integrated spectral energy distribution (SED)
from the ultraviolet (UV) to the far-infrared and H of a sample of 29
local systems and individual galaxies with infrared (IR) luminosities between
10^11 Lsun and 10^11.8 Lsun. We have combined new narrow-band H+[NII]
and broad-band g, r optical imaging taken with the Nordic Optical Telescope
(NOT), with archival GALEX, 2MASS, Spitzer, and Herschel data. The SEDs
(photometry and integrated H flux) have been fitted with a modified
version of the MAGPHYS code using stellar population synthesis models for the
UV-near-IR range and thermal emission models for the IR emission taking into
account the energy balance between the absorbed and re-emitted radiation. From
the SED fits we derive the star-formation histories (SFH) of these galaxies.
For nearly half of them the star-formation rate appears to be approximately
constant during the last few Gyrs. In the other half, the current
star-formation rate seems to be enhanced by a factor of 3-20 with respect to
that occured ~1 Gyr ago. Objects with constant SFH tend to be more massive than
starbursts and they are compatible with the expected properties of a
main-sequence (M-S) galaxy. Likewise, the derived SFHs show that all our
objects were M-S galaxies ~1 Gyr ago with stellar masses between 10^10.1 and
10^11.5 Msun. We also derived from our fits the average extinction (A_v=0.6-3
mag) and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) luminosity to L(IR) ratio
(0.03-0.16). We combined the A_v with the total IR and H luminosities
into a diagram which can be used to identify objects with rapidly changing
(increasing or decreasing) SFR during the last 100 Myr.Comment: 16 pages + online material, accepted for publication in A&
Haploinsufficiency of Activation-Induced Deaminase for Antibody Diversification and Chromosome Translocations both In Vitro and In Vivo
The humoral immune response critically relies on the secondary diversification of antibodies. This diversification takes places through somatic remodelling of the antibody genes by two molecular mechanisms, Class Switch Recombination (CSR) and Somatic Hypermutation (SHM). The enzyme Activation Induced Cytidine Deaminase (AID) initiates both SHM and CSR by deaminating cytosine residues on the DNA of immunoglobulin genes. While crucial for immunity, AID-catalysed deamination is also the triggering event for the generation of lymphomagenic chromosome translocations. To address whether restricting the levels of AID expression in vivo contributes to the regulation of its function, we analysed mice harbouring a single copy of the AID gene (AID+/−). AID+/− mice express roughly 50% of normal AID levels, and display a mild hyperplasia, reminiscent of AID deficient mice and humans. Moreover, we found that AID+/− cells have an impaired competence for CSR and SHM, which indicates that AID gene dose is limiting for its physiologic function. We next evaluated the impact of AID reduction in AID+/− mice on the generation of chromosome translocations. Our results show that the frequency of AID-promoted c-myc/IgH translocations is reduced in AID+/− mice, both in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, AID is haploinsufficient for antibody diversification and chromosome translocations. These findings suggest that limiting the physiologic levels of AID expression can be a regulatory mechanism that ensures an optimal balance between immune proficiency and genome integrity
Higher prevalence of X-ray selected AGN in intermediate age galaxies up to z~1
We analyse the stellar populations in the host galaxies of 53 X-ray selected
optically dull active galactic nuclei (AGN) at 0.34<z<1.07 with ultra-deep
(m=26.5) optical medium-band (R~50) photometry from the Survey for High-z
Absorption Red and Dead Sources (SHARDS). The spectral resolution of SHARDS
allows us to consistently measure the strength of the 4000 AA break, Dn(4000),
a reliable age indicator for stellar populations. We confirm that most X-ray
selected moderate-luminosity AGN (L_X<10^44 erg/s) are hosted by massive
galaxies (typically M*>10^10.5 M_sun) and that the observed fraction of
galaxies hosting an AGN increases with the stellar mass. A careful selection of
random control samples of inactive galaxies allows us to remove the stellar
mass and redshift dependencies of the AGN fraction to explore trends with
several stellar age indicators. We find no significant differences in the
distribution of the rest-frame U-V colour for AGN hosts and inactive galaxies,
in agreement with previous results. However, we find significantly shallower
4000 AA breaks in AGN hosts, indicative of younger stellar populations. With
the help of a model-independent determination of the extinction, we obtain
extinction-corrected U-V colours and light-weighted average stellar ages. We
find that AGN hosts have younger stellar populations and higher extinction
compared to inactive galaxies with the same stellar mass and at the same
redshift. We find a highly significant excess of AGN hosts with Dn(4000)~1.4
and light weighted average stellar ages of 300-500 Myr, as well as a deficit of
AGN in intrinsic red galaxies. We interpret failure in recognising these trends
in previous studies as a consequence of the balancing effect in observed
colours of the age-extinction degeneracy.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 12 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl
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