The History of Galaxy Formation in Groups: An Observational Perspective

We present a pedagogical review on the formation and evolution of galaxies in groups, utilizing observational information from the Local Group to galaxies at z~6. The majority of galaxies in the nearby universe are found in groups, and galaxies at all redshifts up to z~6 tend to cluster on the scale of nearby groups (~1 Mpc). This suggests that the group environment may play a role in the formation of most galaxies. The Local Group, and other nearby groups, display a diversity in star formation and morphological properties that puts limits on how, and when, galaxies in groups formed. Effects that depend on an intragroup medium, such as ram-pressure and strangulation, are likely not major mechanisms driving group galaxy evolution. Simple dynamical friction arguments however show that galaxy mergers should be common, and a dominant process for driving evolution. While mergers between L_* galaxies are observed to be rare at z < 1, they are much more common at earlier times. This is due to the increased density of the universe, and to the fact that high mass galaxies are highly clustered on the scale of groups. We furthermore discus why the local number density environment of galaxies strongly correlates with galaxy properties, and why the group environment may be the preferred method for establishing the relationship between properties of galaxies and their local density.Comment: Invited review, 16 pages, to be published in ESO Astrophysics Symposia: "Groups of Galaxies in the Nearby Universe", eds. I. Saviane, V. Ivanov, J. Borissov

Simbiótico conteniendo bacillus coagulans LMG-S-24828 y prebióticos en la reducción de trastornos gastrointestinales secundarios al tratamiento farmacológico de enfermedades hematológicas crónicas. Estudio piloto

Poster [PC-353] Introducción: Algunos fármacos inhibidores de Tirosin-kinasa (ITK) utilizados en el tratamiento de la leucemia mieloide crónica, y Miglustat, un iminoazúcar empleado en enfermedades lisosomales, pueden producir trastornos gastrointestinales como diarrea, meteorismo y dolor abdominal. Estos efectos adversos disminuyen la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud y provocan abandonos del tratamiento. Algunos probióticos han demostrado mejoría de los síntomas mencionados en pacientes con trastornos funcionales digestivos. Hipótesis: El simbiótico conteniendo Bacillus coagulans LMG-S-24828 y prebióticos reduce los efectos adversos gastrointestinales asociados a la utilización de ITKs y Miglustat y mejora la adherencia al tratamiento. Objetivos: Evaluar el efecto de la administración controlada de dicho simbiótico durante un mes, sobre la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud gastrointestinal en pacientes tratados con ITKs y miglustat. Secundariamente, establecer si el simbiótico aporta ventajas en la adherencia a los tratamientos citados. Métodos: Ensayo clínico aleatorizado de diseño cruzado en el que a 9 pacientes en tratamiento con ITKs o Miglustat se les administró de forma ciega placebo o simbiótico en una dosis diaria, con una fase de “lavado” de dos meses entre la administración de cada uno. Se solicitó al paciente cumplimentar la versión validada en español del cuestionario de Calidad de Vida Gastrointestinal GIQLI (Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index) antes de la primera dosis de cada producto y trascurrido un mes desde su inicio. Se evaluó la frecuencia de abandono del tratamiento en cada grupo. El análisis de los resultados se realizó por protocolo mediante el test no paramétrico de Mann-Whitney, considerando significación estadística las diferencias con p valor<0, 05. El protocolo fue aprobado por el Comité de Ética autonómico. Resultados: Inicialmente se reclutaron 11 pacientes procedentes de un único centro, de los que 9 (5 H/ 4M), edad media: 49 (29-79) finalizaron el estudio. Tras un mes en tratamiento con simbiótico observamos una diferencia estadísticamente significativa (p=0, 039) en la puntuación media del cuestionario GIQLI no alcanzada con placebo. Ningún paciente abandonó el tratamiento con ITKs/Miglustat, ni se observaron variaciones analíticas en los biomarcadores de la enfermedad. Conclusiones: En pacientes bajo tratamiento con ITKs o Miglustat el simbiótico mejoró significativamente los síntomas adversos gastrointestinales. Este beneficio no fue observado con placebo y no se relacionó con el grado de adherencia terapéutica

Enhanced Fusion-Evaporation Cross Sections in Neutron-Rich 132^{132}Sn on 64^{64}Ni

Evaporation residue cross sections have been measured with neutron-rich radioactive $^{132}$Sn beams on $^{64}$Ni in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier. The average beam intensity was $2\times 10^{4}$ particles per second and the smallest cross section measured was less than 5 mb. Large subbarrier fusion enhancement was observed. Coupled-channels calculations taking into account inelastic excitation and neutron transfer underpredict the measured cross sections below the barrier.Comment: 4 pages including 1 table and 3 figure

Prenatal micronutrient supplementation and postpartum depressive symptoms in a pregnancy cohort

Background Postpartum depression is a serious problem for women and their offspring. Micronutrient supplements are recommended for pregnant women because of their documented protective effects for the offspring, but their potential beneficial effects on maternal mental health are unknown. This study investigated the association between prenatal micronutrient supplementation and the risk for symptoms of postpartum depression in a longitudinal pregnancy cohort from the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study. Methods Participants came from a cohort of the first 600 APrON women. Supplemental nutrient intake and symptoms of depression (measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)) were collected at each trimester and 12 weeks postpartum. Results Of the 475 participants who completed the EPDS at least twice in pregnancy and at 12 weeks postpartum, 416 (88%) scored <10 and 59 (12%) scored ≥10, where an EPDS ≥10 is considered to be “at least probable minor depression”. Mean nutrient intakes from supplements were higher in women with lower EPDS scores, particularly selenium (p = 0.0015) and omega-3s (p = 0.01). Bivariate analyses showed that several demographic and social/lifestyle variables were associated with EPDS ≥10: not having been born in Canada (p = 0.01), greater number of chronic conditions (p = 0.05), greater number of stressful life events during this pregnancy (p = 0.02), and lower prenatal and postnatal support (p = 0.0043 and p = 0.0001, respectively). Adjusting for covariates and nutrients known to be associated with postpartum depression, logistic regression showed that having a prenatal EPDS ≥ 10 increased the odds of postpartum depressive symptoms (second and third trimester OR = 3.29, 95% CI = 1.55 - 7.01, p = 0.004 and OR = 4.26, 95% CI = 2.05 - 8.85, p < 0.0001, respectively), while prenatal supplemental selenium (per 10 mcg, OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.74 - 0.78, p = 0.0019) and postnatal social support (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.78 - 0.97, p = 0.0015) were protective. Conclusions Multiple factors, including supplementary selenium intake, are associated with the risk of postpartum depressive symptoms. Future research on dietary supplementation in pregnancy with special attention to selenium intake is warranted. Keywords: Postpartum depression, Dietary supplements, Selenium, Omega-

Genetic Evidence for a Causal Role of Serum Phosphate in Coronary Artery Calcification:The Rotterdam Study

BACKGROUND: Hyperphosphatemia has been associated with coronary artery calcification (CAC) mostly in chronic kidney dis-ease, but the association between phosphate levels within the normal phosphate range and CAC is unclear. Our objectives were to evaluate associations between phosphate levels and CAC among men and women from the general population and assess causality through Mendelian randomization. METHODS AND RESULTS: CAC, measured by electron-beam computed tomography, and serum phosphate levels were assessed in 1889 individuals from the RS (Rotterdam Study). Phenotypic associations were tested through linear models adjusted for age, body mass index, blood pressure, smoking, prevalent cardiovascular disease and diabetes, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, total calcium, C-reactive protein, glucose, and total cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio. Mendelian randomiza-tion was implemented through an allele score including 8 phosphate-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms. In phenotypic analyses, serum phosphate (per 1 SD) was associated with CAC with evidence for sex interaction (Pinteraction =0.003) (men β, 0.44 [95% CI, 0.30– 0.59]; P=3×10−9; n=878; women β, 0.24 [95% CI, 0.08– 0.40]; P=0.003; n=1011). Exclusion of hyperphos-phatemia, chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate &lt;60 mL/min per 1.73 m2) and prevalent cardiovascular disease yielded similar results. In Mendelian randomization analyses, instrumented phosphate was associated with CAC (total population β, 0.93 [95% CI: 0.07–1.79]; P=0.034; n=1693), even after exclusion of hyperphosphatemia, chronic kidney disease and prevalent cardiovascular disease (total population β, 1.23 [95% CI, 0.17– 2.28]; P=0.023; n=1224). CONCLUSIONS: Serum phosphate was associated with CAC in the general population with stronger effects in men. Mendelian randomization findings support a causal relation, also for serum phosphate and CAC in subjects without hyperphosphatemia, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. Further research into underlying mechanisms of this association and sex differences is needed.</p

Un simbiótico conteniendo bacillus coagulans LMG-S-24828 reduce los síntomas gastrointestinales secundarios al tratamiento farmacológico de enfermedades hematológicas crónicas. Estudio multicéntrico

PB-062 Introducción: La presencia de blastos permite diagnosticar, en muchas ocasiones, una neoplasia hematológica dentro de un amplio abanico de posibilidades diagnósticas, siendo el ejemplo clásico el de las leucemias agudas. Además, apoyando al examen morfológico, la citometría de flujo es de gran utilidad para el diagnóstico y la clasificación de estas neoplasias. Existen otras enfermedades no neoplásicas que se manifiestan con células inmaduras, por ello presentamos el caso de una lactante de 19 meses con hepatoesplenomegalia, presencia de blastos con diagnóstico inicial de leucemia aguda que no se confirma tras un estudio completo. Métodos y Resultados: Presentamos una lactante de 19 meses que acude por fiebre de 15 días de predominio nocturno, máximo 39,5ºC, distensión abdominal y desde dos semanas antes de ingreso coincidiendo con reinicio de fiebre, mayor aumento del perímetro abdominal. Se realiza ecografía abdominal con esplenomegalia de 10,7 cm, bazo accesorio de 1,6x1,5 cm. A la exploración se objetiva palidez cutánea, abdomen distendido, no doloroso y marcada hepatoesplenomegalia. ..

Magnetic induction responses of Jupiter's ocean moons including effects from adiabatic convection

Prior analyses of oceanic magnetic induction within Jupiter's large icy moons have assumed uniform electrical conductivity. However, the phase and amplitude responses of the induced fields will be influenced by the natural depth‐dependence of the electrical conductivity. Here, we examine the amplitudes and phase delays for magnetic diffusion in modeled oceans of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. For spherically symmetric configurations, we consider thermodynamically consistent interior structures that include realistic electrical conductivity along the oceans' adiabatic temperature profiles. Conductances depend strongly on salinity, especially in the large moons. The induction responses of the adiabatic profiles differ from those of oceans with uniform conductivity set to values at the ice–ocean interface, or to the mean values of the adiabatic profile, by more than 10% for some signals. We also consider motionally induced magnetic fields generated by convective fluid motions within the oceans, which might optimistically be used to infer ocean flows or, pessimistically, act to bias the ocean conductivity inversions. Our upper‐bound scaling estimates suggest this effect may be important at Europa and Ganymede, with a negligible contribution at Callisto. Based on end‐member ocean compositions, we quantify the magnetic induction signals that might be used to infer the oxidation state of Europa's ocean and to investigate stable liquids under high‐pressure ices in Ganymede and Callisto. Fully exploring this parameter space for the sake of planned missions requires thermodynamic and electrical conductivity measurements in fluids at low temperature and to high‐salinity and pressure as well as modeling of motional induction responses

CMB Imprints of a Pre-Inflationary Climbing Phase

We discuss the implications for cosmic microwave background (CMB) observables, of a class of pre-inflationary dynamics suggested by string models where SUSY is broken due to the presence of D-branes and orientifolds preserving incompatible portions of it. In these models the would-be inflaton is forced to emerge from the initial singularity climbing up a mild exponential potential, until it bounces against a steep exponential potential of "brane SUSY breaking" scenarios, and as a result the ensuing descent gives rise to an inflationary epoch that begins when the system is still well off its eventual attractor. If a pre-inflationary climbing phase of this type had occurred within 6-7 e-folds of the horizon exit for the largest observable wavelengths, displacement off the attractor and initial-state effects would conspire to suppress power in the primordial scalar spectrum, enhancing it in the tensor spectrum and typically superposing oscillations on both. We investigate these imprints on CMB observables over a range of parameters, examine their statistical significance, and provide a semi-analytic rationale for our results. It is tempting to ascribe at least part of the large-angle anomalies in the CMB to pre-inflationary dynamics of this type.Comment: 38 pages, LaTeX, 11 eps figures, references added, matches version to appear in JCA