249 research outputs found
A contribution to the quantification of crustal shortening and kinematics of deformation across the Western Andes ( ∼ 20–22° S)
The Andes are an emblematic active Cordilleran orogen.
Mountain building in the Central Andes (∼20∘ S)
started by the Late Cretaceous to early Cenozoic along the subduction margin
and propagated eastward. In general, the structures sustaining the uplift of
the western flank of the Andes are dismissed, and their contribution to
mountain building remains poorly constrained. Here, we focus on two sites
along the Western Andes at ∼20–22∘ S in the
Atacama desert, where structures are well exposed. We combine mapping from
high-resolution satellite images with field observations and numerical
trishear forward modeling to provide quantitative constraints on the
kinematic evolution of the investigated field sites. When upscaling our
local field interpretations to the regional scale, we identify two main
structures: (1)Â the Andean Basement Thrust, a west-vergent thrust system
placing Andean Paleozoic basement over Mesozoic strata, and (2)Â a series of
west-vergent thrusts pertaining to the West Andean Thrust System, deforming
primarily Mesozoic units. From our interpreted sections, we estimate that
both structures together accommodate at least ∼6–9 km of
shortening across the sole investigated ∼7–17 km wide field
sites. This multi-kilometric shortening represents only a fraction of the
total shortening accommodated across the whole Western Andes. The timing of
the main deformation recorded in the folded Mesozoic series can be bracketed
between ∼68 and ∼29 Ma – and possibly between
∼68 and ∼44 Ma – from dated deformed
geological layers, with a subsequent significant slowing-down of shortening
rates. Even though the structures forming the Western Andes only absorbed a
small fraction of the total shortening across the whole orogen, their
contribution was relatively significant at the earliest stages of
Andean mountain building before deformation proceeded eastward.</p
Untargeted metabolomic analysis of human serum samples associated with different levels of red meat consumption: A possible indicator of type 2 diabetes?
HistoquÃmica de la fase progámica en Capsicum Pubescens
Capsicum pubescens Ruiz & Pav. (Solanaceae), conocido como ‘ajà rocoto’, en Argentina se cultiva principalmente en el NO del territorio. En esta especie existe un amplio rango de variación en el nivel de compatibilidad, pero se desconocen los mecanismos que la regulan.Fil: Bo, M. L. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, FÃsicas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Bo, M. L. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de BiologÃa Vegetal; Argentina.Fil: Cosa, M. T. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, FÃsicas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Carrizo GarcÃa, C. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, FÃsicas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Carrizo GarcÃa, C. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de BiologÃa Vegetal; Argentina.Fil: Cosa, M. T. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de BiologÃa Vegetal; Argentina.Ciencias de las Plantas, Botánic
Exposure to Hexachlorobenzene during Pregnancy and Children’s Social Behavior at 4 Years of Age
BACKGROUND: Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) is an organochlorine chemical that has been used in agriculture and industrial processes. Behavioral impairment after HCB exposure has been described in animal models, but little information is available in humans. OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to study the association of prenatal exposure to HCB with the social behavior of preschool children. METHODS: Two birth cohorts in Ribera d’Ebre and Menorca (Spain) were set up between 1997 and 1999 (n = 475). The California Preschool Social Competence Scale and the Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) were scored by each 4-year-old child’s teacher. Organochlorine compounds were measured in cord serum. Children’s diet and parental sociodemographic information were obtained through questionnaire. RESULTS: Children with concentrations of HCB > 1.5 ng/mL at birth had a statistically significant increased risk of having poor Social Competence [relative risk (RR) = 4.04; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.76–9.58] and ADHD (RR = 2.71; 95% CI, 1.05–6.96) scores. No association was found between HCB and the cognitive and psychomotor performance of these children. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal exposure to current concentrations of HCB in Spain is associated with a decrease in the behavioral competence at preschool ages. These results should be considered when evaluating the potential neurotoxicologic effects of HCB
CO observations of water-maser post-AGB stars and detection of a high-velocity outflow in IRAS 15452-5459
Many aspects of the evolutionary phase in which Asymptotic Giant Branch stars
(AGB stars) are in transition to become Planetary Nebulae (PNe) are still
poorly understood. An important question is how the circumstellar envelopes of
AGB stars switch from spherical symmetry to the axially symmetric structures
frequently observed in PNe. In many cases there is clear evidence that the
shaping of the circumstellar envelopes of PNe is linked to the formation of
jets/collimated winds and their interaction with the remnant AGB envelope.
Because of the short evolutionary time, objects in this phase are rare, but
their identification provides valuable probes for testing evolutionary models.
We have observed (sub)millimeter CO rotational transitions with the APEX
telescope in a small sample of stars hosting high-velocity OH and water masers.
These targets are supposed to have recently left the AGB, as indicated by the
presence of winds traced by masers, with velocities larger than observed during
that phase. We have carried out observations of several CO lines, ranging from
J=2-1 up to J=7-6. In IRAS 15452-5459 we detect a fast molecular outflow in the
central region of the nebula and estimate a mass-loss rate between 1.2x10^{-4}
Msun yr^{-1} (assuming optically thin emission) and 4.9x10^{-4} Msun yr^{-1}
(optically thick emission). We model the SED of this target taking advantage of
our continuum measurement at 345 GHz to constrain the emission at long
wavelengths. For a distance of 2.5 kpc, we estimate a luminosity of 8000 Lsun
and a dust mass of 0.01 Msun. Through the flux in the [CII] line (158 um), we
calculate a total mass of about 12 Msun for the circumstellar envelope, but the
line is likely affected by interstellar contamination.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication on A&
Sulfur sequestration promotes multicellularity during nutrient limitation
The behaviour of Dictyostelium discoideum depends on nutrients. When sufficient food is present these amoebae exist in a unicellular state, but upon starvation they aggregate into a multicellular organism. This biology makes D. discoideum an ideal model for investigating how fundamental metabolism commands cell differentiation and function. Here we show that reactive oxygen species-generated as a consequence of nutrient limitation-lead to the sequestration of cysteine in the antioxidant glutathione. This sequestration limits the use of the sulfur atom of cysteine in processes that contribute to mitochondrial metabolism and cellular proliferation, such as protein translation and the activity of enzymes that contain an iron-sulfur cluster. The regulated sequestration of sulfur maintains D. discoideum in a nonproliferating state that paves the way for multicellular development. This mechanism of signalling through reactive oxygen species highlights oxygen and sulfur as simple signalling molecules that dictate cell fate in an early eukaryote, with implications for responses to nutrient fluctuations in multicellular eukaryotes
Anti-inflammatory effects of antidepressant and atypical antipsychotic medication for the treatment of major depression and comorbid arthritis: a case report
Extent: 4p.Introduction: This case report describes the effects of psychotropic treatment, quetiapine in particular, on systemic inflammation, pain, general functioning and major depression in the treatment of a woman with arthritis. Case presentation: A 49-year-old Caucasian Australian woman with arthritis, pain and depression was treated with a course of escitalopram, mirtazapine and quetiapine. Pain levels, general functioning and degree of depressive symptoms were evaluated with a visual analogue scale. Systemic inflammation had been assessed by C-reactive protein serum levels since 2003. C-reactive protein levels, physical pain, symptoms of arthritis and depression decreased significantly during the past 12 months of treatment with quetiapine, while treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and mirtazapine remained the same. Conclusions: We suggest that the treatment particularly with quetiapine may have anti-inflammatory effects in arthritis and comorbid major depression, which eventually led to a remission of pain and depression and to normal general function.Bernhard T Baune, Harris Eyr
Europe, listen and respond. Enhancing the European Commission´s online public consultation tool.
Fac. de Ciencias de la InformaciónFALSEpu
First Results from High Angular Resolution ALMA Observations Toward the HL Tau Region
We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations
from the 2014 Long Baseline Campaign in dust continuum and spectral line
emission from the HL Tau region. The continuum images at wavelengths of 2.9,
1.3, and 0.87 mm have unprecedented angular resolutions of 0.075 arcseconds (10
AU) to 0.025 arcseconds (3.5 AU), revealing an astonishing level of detail in
the circumstellar disk surrounding the young solar analogue HL Tau, with a
pattern of bright and dark rings observed at all wavelengths. By fitting
ellipses to the most distinct rings, we measure precise values for the disk
inclination (46.72pm0.05 degrees) and position angle (+138.02pm0.07 degrees).
We obtain a high-fidelity image of the 1.0 mm spectral index (), which
ranges from in the optically-thick central peak and two
brightest rings, increasing to 2.3-3.0 in the dark rings. The dark rings are
not devoid of emission, we estimate a grain emissivity index of 0.8 for the
innermost dark ring and lower for subsequent dark rings, consistent with some
degree of grain growth and evolution. Additional clues that the rings arise
from planet formation include an increase in their central offsets with radius
and the presence of numerous orbital resonances. At a resolution of 35 AU, we
resolve the molecular component of the disk in HCO+ (1-0) which exhibits a
pattern over LSR velocities from 2-12 km/s consistent with Keplerian motion
around a ~1.3 solar mass star, although complicated by absorption at low
blue-shifted velocities. We also serendipitously detect and resolve the nearby
protostars XZ Tau (A/B) and LkHa358 at 2.9 mm.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journal Letter
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
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