Patrones biogeográficos de la riqueza de especies y el endemismo de la avifauna en el oeste de México

Se analizaron los patrones de riqueza y endemismo de la avifauna en el oeste de México, desde el norte de Sonora hasta el sureste de Chiapas. La región fue dividida en 24 transectos para ser usados como unidades de estudio, y los análisis desarrollados con base en registros de distribución puntual obtenidos de colecciones científicas y bibliografía y con la ayuda de un sistema de información geográfica. Para el reconocimiento de los patrones biogeográficos generales y la regionalización de la zona se utilizaron análisis de parsimonia de endemismos (PAE) y de tasas de recambio de especies, teniendo en cuenta una propuesta taxonómica alternativa para la avifauna mexicana. Se registró un total de 783 especies de aves terrestres, de las cuales 157 poseen alguna categoría de endemismo. Los datos sugieren que existe una tendencia al aumento de la riqueza de especies hacia el sur, mientras que la riqueza de endemismos es mayor hacia el centro del área de estudio y menor hacia los extremos norte y sur. Los análisis de atenuación y de PAE revelaron la existencia de tres grupos principales de áreas: uno ubicado en la sección sur, que comprende desde el este de Oaxaca hasta el sur de Chiapas; otro en la porción norte, abarcando desde el norte de Sonora hasta el norte de Nayarit y Jalisco; y un último para la porción central, desde el sur de Jalisco y el noroeste de Colima hasta el este de Oaxaca, así como la existencia de varios subgrupos al interior de estos.We analyzed patterns of species richness and endemicity in the avifauna of western Mexico from northern Sonora to southeastern Chiapas. The region was subdivided in 24 transects as study units, and analyses were performed using point data obtained from scientific collections and bibliography, helped by the use of a GIS. For the recognition of general biogeographic patterns and regionalization we used two analyses: Parsimony Analysisof Endemicity (PAE), and faunal congruence curves, along with an alternative species level taxonomy. A total of 783 landbird species was recorded, 157 of which are endemic. Results suggest an increase of species richness from north to south and higher concentration of endemism in the middle of the region. Faunal congruence and PAE analyses suggest the presence of three main avifaunal groupings: Oaxaca and Chiapas east of the Isthmus ofTehuantepec, Sonora south to Jalisco, and central Jalisco south to Oaxaca west of the Isthmus, as well as subgroups within these three main groupings

A Proof-Of-Principle Study of Epigenetic Therapy Added to Neoadjuvant Doxorubicin Cyclophosphamide for Locally Advanced Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND: Aberrant DNA methylation and histone deacetylation participate in cancer development and progression; hence, their reversal by inhibitors of DNA methylation and histone deacetylases (HDACs) is at present undergoing clinical testing in cancer therapy. As epigenetic alterations are common to breast cancer, in this proof-of-concept study demethylating hydralazine, plus the HDAC inhibitor magnesium valproate, were added to neoadjuvant doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide in locally advanced breast cancer to assess their safety and biological efficacy. METHODOLOGY: This was a single-arm interventional trial on breast cancer patients (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00395655). After signing informed consent, patients were typed for acetylator phenotype and then treated with hydralazine at 182 mg for rapid-, or 83 mg for slow-acetylators, and magnesium valproate at 30 mg/kg, starting from day –7 until chemotherapy ended, the latter consisting of four cycles of doxorubicin 60 mg/m(2) and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m(2) every 21 days. Core-needle biopsies were taken from primary breast tumors at diagnosis and at day 8 of treatment with hydralazine and valproate. MAIN FINDINGS: 16 patients were included and received treatment as planned. All were evaluated for clinical response and toxicity and 15 for pathological response. Treatment was well-tolerated. The most common toxicity was drowsiness grades 1–2. Five (31%) patients had clinical CR and eight (50%) PR for an ORR of 81%. No patient progressed. One of 15 operated patients (6.6%) had pathological CR and 70% had residual disease <3 cm. There was a statistically significant decrease in global 5(m)C content and HDAC activity. Hydralazine and magnesium valproate up- and down-regulated at least 3-fold, 1,091 and 89 genes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Hydralazine and magnesium valproate produce DNA demethylation, HDAC inhibition, and gene reactivation in primary tumors. Doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide treatment is safe, well-tolerated, and appears to increase the efficacy of chemotherapy. A randomized phase III study is ongoing to support the efficacy of so-called epigenetic or transcriptional cancer therapy

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

4to. Congreso Internacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación para la Sociedad. Memoria académica

Este volumen acoge la memoria académica de la Cuarta edición del Congreso Internacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación para la Sociedad, CITIS 2017, desarrollado entre el 29 de noviembre y el 1 de diciembre de 2017 y organizado por la Universidad Politécnica Salesiana (UPS) en su sede de Guayaquil. El Congreso ofreció un espacio para la presentación, difusión e intercambio de importantes investigaciones nacionales e internacionales ante la comunidad universitaria que se dio cita en el encuentro. El uso de herramientas tecnológicas para la gestión de los trabajos de investigación como la plataforma Open Conference Systems y la web de presentación del Congreso http://citis.blog.ups.edu.ec/, hicieron de CITIS 2017 un verdadero referente entre los congresos que se desarrollaron en el país. La preocupación de nuestra Universidad, de presentar espacios que ayuden a generar nuevos y mejores cambios en la dimensión humana y social de nuestro entorno, hace que se persiga en cada edición del evento la presentación de trabajos con calidad creciente en cuanto a su producción científica. Quienes estuvimos al frente de la organización, dejamos plasmado en estas memorias académicas el intenso y prolífico trabajo de los días de realización del Congreso Internacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación para la Sociedad al alcance de todos y todas

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least 4 m. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the 6.5 m James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 yr, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit