Vertical and lateral collapses on Tenerife (Canary Islands) and other volcanic ocean islands: Comment

Depto. de Mineralogía y PetrologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

Myths and lessons of liberal intervention: The British campaign for the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade to Brazil

This is the Pre-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2012 Martinus NijhoffThis article takes issue with recent references to the British nineteenth century campaign for the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to Brazil that serve to bolster interventionist or imperialist agendas. In particular, such accounts reproduce two and a half myths about the campaign: that it can serve as a model for the present age; that the success of the campaign can be explained through the actions of the intervening party alone (with a corresponding neglect of those of the ‘target’ state); and the half-myth that the campaign’s success was due to military action (at the expense of institutional (legal) and normative factors and the capacity of the target state). I argue instead that this case – and interventions more generally – would benefit from an analysis that considers the role of force in relation to a series of residual institutional and cultural constraints within the liberal state and to political conditions in the target state. In light of the complexities and contingencies that these factors present the underlying lesson is that military force should be used sparingly, if at all

Modulation of pro-inflammatory activation of monocytes and dendritic cells by aza-bis-phosphonate dendrimer as an experimental therapeutic agent

INTRODUCTION: Our objective was to assess the capacity of dendrimer aza-bis-phosphonate (ABP) to modulate phenotype of monocytes (Mo) and monocytes derived dendritic cells (MoDC) activated in response to toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and interferon γ (IFN- γ) stimulation. METHODS: Mo (n = 12) and MoDC (n = 11) from peripheral blood of healthy donors were prepared. Cells were preincubated or not for 1 hour with dendrimer ABP, then incubated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; as a TLR4 ligand) and (IFN-γ) for 38 hours. Secretion of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin (IL) -1, IL-6, IL-12, IL-10 and IL-23 in the culture medium was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Cytokine Bead Array. Differentiation and subsequent maturation of MoDC from nine donors in the presence of LPS were analyzed by flow cytometry using CD80, CD86, CD83 and CD1a surface expression as markers. RESULTS: Mo and MoDC were orientated to a pro-inflammatory state. In activated Mo, TNFα, IL-1β and IL-23 levels were significantly lower after prior incubation with dendrimer ABP. In activated MoDC, dendrimer ABP promoted IL-10 secretion while decreasing dramatically the level of IL-12. TNFα and IL-6 secretion were significantly lower in the presence of dendrimer ABP. LPS driven maturation of MoDC was impaired by dendrimer ABP treatment, as attested by the significantly lower expression of CD80 and CD86. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that dendrimer ABP possesses immunomodulatory properties on human Mo and MoDC, in TLR4 + IFN-γ stimulation model, by inducing M2 alternative activation of Mo and promoting tolerogenic MoDC

Serial determination of cyclic citrullinated peptide autoantibodies predicted five-year radiological outcomes in a prospective cohort of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of serially determined anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies for predicting structural joint damage in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), compared to a single baseline determination. Ninety-nine RA patients with disease durations of less than one year and no history of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy were followed prospectively for at least five years. Anti-CCP2 concentrations were measured using a second-generation ELISA. Sharp scores as modified by van der Heijde were determined on hand and foot radiographs. Anti-CCP2 antibodies were detected in 55.5% of patients at baseline and 63.6% at any time during the first three years. Presence of anti-CCP2 at any time during the first three years was associated with radiographic damage at baseline (odds ratio (OR), 3.66; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.99–13.54) and with five year progression of the total Sharp score (OR, 3.17; 95% CI, 1.3–7.7), erosion score (OR, 5.3; 95% CI, 1.4–19.2) and joint space narrowing score (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.15–6.8). The presence of anti-CCP2 or IgM RF at baseline did not predict these outcomes. Patients with negative anti-CCP2 tests throughout follow-up had less radiographic progression than patients with increasing anti-CCP2 concentrations; they did not differ from patients with decreasing anti-CCP2 antibody levels. HLADRB1* typing showed that progression of the mean modified Sharp score was not correlated with the presence of the shared epitope alleles. In conclusion, serially determined anti-CCP2 antibodies during the first three years of follow-up performs better than baseline determination for predicting radiographic progression in patients with early RA

Reduced Bone Mass and Muscle Strength in Male 5α-Reductase Type 1 Inactivated Mice

Androgens are important regulators of bone mass but the relative importance of testosterone (T) versus dihydrotestosterone (DHT) for the activation of the androgen receptor (AR) in bone is unknown. 5α-reductase is responsible for the irreversible conversion of T to the more potent AR activator DHT. There are two well established isoenzymes of 5α-reductase (type 1 and type 2), encoded by separate genes (Srd5a1 and Srd5a2). 5α-reductase type 2 is predominantly expressed in male reproductive tissues whereas 5α-reductase type 1 is highly expressed in liver and moderately expressed in several other tissues including bone. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of 5α-reductase type 1 for bone mass using Srd5a1−/− mice. Four-month-old male Srd5a1−/− mice had reduced trabecular bone mineral density (−36%, p<0.05) and cortical bone mineral content (−15%, p<0.05) but unchanged serum androgen levels compared with wild type (WT) mice. The cortical bone dimensions were reduced in the male Srd5a1−/− mice as a result of a reduced cortical periosteal circumference compared with WT mice. T treatment increased the cortical periosteal circumference (p<0.05) in orchidectomized WT mice but not in orchidectomized Srd5a1−/− mice. Male Srd5a1−/− mice demonstrated a reduced forelimb muscle grip strength compared with WT mice (p<0.05). Female Srd5a1−/− mice had slightly increased cortical bone mass associated with elevated circulating levels of androgens. In conclusion, 5α-reductase type 1 inactivated male mice have reduced bone mass and forelimb muscle grip strength and we propose that these effects are due to lack of 5α-reductase type 1 expression in bone and muscle. In contrast, the increased cortical bone mass in female Srd5a1−/− mice, is an indirect effect mediated by elevated circulating androgen levels

Geochemical characteristics of the youngest volcano (Mount Ross) in the Kerguelen Archipelago: inferences for magma flux, lithosphere assimilation and composition of the Kerguelen plume

Mount Ross is the youngest, ~1-0.1 Ma, volcanic edifice recognized in the Kerguelen Archipelago, which is located on the northern part of the submarine Kerguelen Plateau. Lava types range from basaltic trachyandesite to trachyte and extensive glaciation has exposed an intrusive core ranging from gabbro to syenite. Mount Ross rocks are not as silica undersaturated as the basanite to phonolite Upper Miocene lavas erupted in the Southeast Province of the archipelago; however, both lava suites are characterized by relatively high 87Sr/86Sr (0.7051-0.7054 and 0.7054-0.7058, respectively) and low 206Pb/204Pb (18.02-18.14 and 18.06-18.27, respectively). The abundant trachytes and phonolites in the age range from Lower Miocene to Pleistocene on the Kerguelen Archipelago indicate that the supply of basaltic magma has been low for the last 20 m.y. Despite the prolonged time period required for extensive mineral fractionation, there is no evidence for assimilation of geochemically distinctive lithosphere; i.e. most of the trachytes and syenites have initial isotopic ratios within the narrow range of the more mafic rocks. Volcanic and plutonic rocks of diverse composition and age (~0.1-30 Ma) in the Kerguelen Archipelago have similar initial isotopic ratios; consequently, we infer that the Kerguelen plume is characterized by 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7051-0.7058, 143Nd/144Nd = 0.51263-0.51249 and 206Pb/204Pb = 18.02-18.27.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe