Searching for Mergers in Early-Type QSO Host Galaxies and a Control Sample of Inactive Ellipticals

We present very deep HST/ACS images of five QSO host galaxies, classified as undisturbed ellipticals in earlier studies. For four of the five objects, our images reveal strong signs of interaction such as tidal tails, shells, and other fine structure, suggesting that a large fraction of QSO host galaxies may have experienced a relatively recent merger event. Our preliminary results for a control sample of inactive elliptical galaxies do not reveal comparable fine structure.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure; To appear in the proceedings of IAU Symposium 245, "Formation and Evolution of Galaxy Bulges," M. Bureau, E. Athanassoula, and B. Barbuy, ed

Evidence for Merger Remnants in Early-Type Host Galaxies of Low-Redshift QSOs

We present results from a pilot HST ACS deep imaging study in broad-band V of five low-redshift QSO host galaxies classified in the literature as ellipticals. The aim of our study is to determine whether these early-type hosts formed at high redshift and have since evolved passively, or whether they have undergone relatively recent mergers that may be related to the triggering of the nuclear activity. We perform two-dimensional modeling of the light distributions to analyze the host galaxies' morphology. We find that, while each host galaxy is reasonably well fitted by a de Vaucouleurs profile, the majority of them (4/5) reveal significant fine structure such as shells and tidal tails. These structures contribute between ~5% and 10% to the total V-band luminosity of each host galaxy within a region of r ~ 3 r_eff and are indicative of merger events that occurred between a few hundred Myr and a Gyr ago. These timescales are comparable to starburst ages in the QSO hosts previously inferred from Keck spectroscopy. Our results thus support a consistent scenario in which most of the QSO host galaxies suffered mergers with accompanying starbursts that likely also triggered the QSO activity in some way, but we are also left with considerable uncertainty on physical mechanisms that might have delayed this triggering for several hundred Myr after the merger.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Sphingomyelin metabolism is involved in the differentiation of MDCK cells induced by environmental hypertonicity

Sphingolipids (SLs) are relevant lipid components of eukaryotic cells. Besides regulating various cellular processes, SLs provide the structural framework for plasma membrane organization. Particularly, SM is associated with detergent-resistant microdomains. We have previously shown that the adherens junction (AJ) complex, the relevant cell-cell adhesion structure involved in cell differentiation and tissue organization, is located in an SM-rich membrane lipid domain. We have also demonstrated that under hypertonic conditions, Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells acquire a differentiated phenotype with changes in SL metabolism. For these reasons, we decided to evaluate whether SM metabolism is involved in the acquisition of the differentiated phenotype of MDCK cells. We found that SM synthesis mediated by SM synthase 1 is involved in hypertonicity-induced formation of mature AJs, necessary for correct epithelial cell differentiation. Inhibition of SM synthesis impaired the acquisition of mature AJs, evoking a disintegration-like process reflected by the dissipation of E-cadherin and β- and α-catenins from the AJ complex. As a consequence, MDCK cells did not develop the hypertonicity-induced differentiated epithelial cell phenotype.Fil: Favale, Nicolas Octavio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Santacreu, Bruno Jaime. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Pescio, Lucila Gisele. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Marquez, Maria Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Rioja. Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud y Educación; ArgentinaFil: Sterin, Norma Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; Argentin

Body and identity: reflections about life after amputation

A amputação de um membro pode ser considerada um evento traumático diante da mudança brusca que ocasiona na vida de um indivíduo. Este artigo traz reflexões que surgiram a partir do atendimento psicológico a pacientes amputados em decorrência de algum tipo de acidente. O objetivo é refletir acerca das consequências psíquicas relacionadas a uma alteração súbita na dimensão corporal. Buscou-se compreender de que ordem é o abalo sofrido com esta perda física e como isto se articula com o caminho percorrido por todos os indivíduos ao longo do desenvolvimento, particularmente no que diz respeito à identidade e à integração psicossomática. Para isso, utilizou-se como embasamento teórico a psicanálise winnicottiana, mais especificamente, a constituição do si mesmo na teoria do amadurecimento pessoal.The amputation of a limb may be considered a traumatic event in the face of the sudden changes in a person's life. This article introduces reflections arising from the psychological care given to amputees as a result of any type of accident. The purpose is to reflect about the psychological consequences related to the sudden change in bodily dimensions. It is also an attempt to comprehend the kind of disturbance suffered by this physical loss and how it is linked to the path all individuals tread over the course of the development, with particular regard for identity and psychosomatic integration. For this purpose, Winnicottian Psychoanalysis is used as the theoretical basis, more specifically, the creation of the self in the individual development theory

Sclerosing Epithelioid Fibrosarcoma: Case Presentation and a Systematic Review

In sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF), a rare variant of low-grade fibrosarcoma, treatment results and therapeutic options are poorly characterized. We systematically analyzed the data of all 89 patients (43 female, 46 male; mean age, 47years [range, 14-87years]) reported in the literature concerning clinical presentation, histopathology, differential diagnosis, treatment, survival rates, and prognosis, and we present an additional case. Information detailing treatment, disease control, and followup was available in 60 (67%), 75 (84%), and 68 patients (76%), respectively. Case history was variable with one-third of patients reporting a painful, enlarging mass. Ten patients (13%) presented with metastases, 23 (31%) had metastases develop after diagnosis, and 28 (37%) had local recurrence. Low cellularity, mild pleomorphy, and sclerotic hyaline matrix of SEF suggest a benign clinical behavior, and cell morphology allows for the wide differential diagnosis of benign, pseudosarcomatous, and malignant proliferations. In addition to surgery, 11 patients (15%) had chemotherapy, 22 (29%) had postoperative radiation therapy, and three (4%) had a combination of both. Twenty-three patients (34%) died from their disease after a mean of 46months, 24 (35%) were alive with disease, and 20 (31%) were alive without evidence of disease. Patients with SEF of the head and neck had the worst prognosis. Level of Evidence: Level III, prognostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidenc

Monte Carlo’s Core and Tests for Application Developers: Geant4 and XRMC Comparison and Validation

In this chapter, the Monte Carlo (MC) core is presented, particularly its cross-sectional libraries and random generators. The main idea is to introduce validation and reliability of MC applications and to explore its limitations. As an example, a comparison between two MC toolkits, namely XRMC (version 6.5.0–2) and Geant4 (version 10.02.p02), and a validation between each of them and experimental data applied to mammography (external dosimetry) are presented. The simulated quantities compared are exposure, kerma, half-value layer, and backscattering. Limitations, advantages, and disadvantages of using a general and specific MC toolkit are commented too

Significado del motivo de consulta en padres con hijos en entrevistas iniciales para atención psicológica

Esta tesis es un estudio cualitativo que indagó la decisión de consultar, las significaciones (explicaciones y sentimientos) y expectativas que los padres que consultan por un hijo formulan en las entrevistas iniciales para atención psicológica. En este estudio se realizaron dieciocho entrevistas en profundidad a padres y madres que consultaron por un hijo/a en un Equipo de Salud Mental de la Administración de Servicios de Salud del Estado (ASSE) en donde se atiende una población con bajos recursos económicos. Se pudo constatar que los padres llegan de diferente forma a la consulta y esto deriva en la existencia de distintas posiciones subjetivas ante la misma. El tipo de ayuda que esperan y las explicaciones que dan, dependen en parte de si han decidido consultar por sí mismos o la consulta les ha sido sugerida o impuesta por un tercero. Cuando las dificultades del niño son detectadas en el ámbito escolar, la necesidad de consultar es indicada por integrantes de la institución educativa. Cuando las conductas que motivan la consulta se producen en el hogar, son los propios padres que deciden consultar. Es de destacar, que en algunos casos, durante la entrevista, en función del proceso transferencial que comienza a establecerse, se producen cambios en la actitud de los padres. Cambian la posición desde cierta ajenidad ante el motivo que desencadena la consulta hacia el reconocimiento de conductas que preocupan en el hogar, y la búsqueda de nuevos sentidos, formulados a través de variadas explicaciones y el rastreo de su propia historia.This thesis is a qualitative research that inquired the decision to consult, the meanings (explanations and feelings) and the parents’ expectations that consult for a child make during the initial interviews for psychological attention. In this research were made eighteen in- depth interviews to parents who consulted for a child in a Mental Health Services Administration State Health (ASSE) which serves a population with low income. It was found that parents get to the psychological clinic in the different ways and this leads to the existence of different subjective positions towards it. The kind of help they expect and the explanations they provide, depend partially if they have decided to consult on their own or if the consultation was suggested or imposed by a third person. When the child’s difficulties are detected in the school scope, the need to consult is suggested by the school staff. When the behaviour that motivate the consultation is noticed at home, are the parents themselves who decide to consult. It is noteworthy that, in some cases, during the interviews, due to the transferencial process, that it begins to settle, changes in parents’ attitude are noticed. They change their attitude of certain distance towards the reason that leads to the consultation to an acknowledgement of behaviours that worry at home, and the search of new meanings, provided through a variety of explanations and the trace of their own history