Chemical abundance of the LINER galaxy UGC 4805 with SDSS-IV MaNGA

Chemical abundance determinations in Low-Ionization Nuclear Line Regions (LINERs) are especially complex and uncertain because the nature of the ionizing source of this kind of object is unknown. In this work, we study the oxygen abundance in relation to the hydrogen abundance (O/H) of the gas phase of the UGC 4805 LINER nucleus. Optical spectroscopic data from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies (MaNGA) survey was employed to derive the O/H abundance of the UGC 4805 nucleus based on the extrapolation of the disk abundance gradient, on calibrations between O/H abundance and strong emission-lines for Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) as well as on photoionization models built with the Cloudy code, assuming gas accretion into a black hole (AGN) and post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (p-AGB) stars with different effective temperatures. We found that abundance gradient extrapolations, AGN calibrations, AGN and p-AGB photoionization models produce similar O/H values for the UGC 4805 nucleus and similar ionization parameter values. The study demonstrated that the methods used to estimate the O/H abundance using nuclear emission-line ratios produce reliable results, which are in agreement with the O/H values obtained from the independent method of galactic metallicity gradient extrapolation. Finally, the results from the WHAN diagram combined with the fact that the high excitation level of the gas has to be maintained at kpc scales, we suggest that the main ionizing source of the UGC 4805 nucleus probably has a stellar origin rather than an AGN.Fil: Krabbe, Angela. Universidade Do Vale Do Paraíba; BrasilFil: Oliveira, C. B.. Universidade Do Vale Do Paraíba; BrasilFil: Zinchenko, I. A.. Universitat Ulm. Faculty Of Natural Sciences. Institute Of Theoretical Physics; AlemaniaFil: Hernández Jiménez, J. A.. Universidad Andrés Bello; ChileFil: Dors, Oli L.. Universidade Do Vale Do Paraíba; BrasilFil: Hägele, Guillermo Federico. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Cardaci, Monica Viviana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Telles, N. R.. Universidade Do Vale Do Paraíba; Brasi

Feature binding of common everyday items is not affected by age

There is a surge of studies confirming that old age spares the ability to bind in visual working memory (VWM) multiple features within singular object representations. Furthermore, it has been suggested that such ability may also be independent of the cultural background of the assessed individual. However, this evidence has been gathered with tasks that use arbitrary bindings of unfamiliar features. Whether age spares memory binding functions when the memoranda are features of everyday life objects remains less well explored. The present study investigated the influence of age, memory delay, and education, on conjunctive binding functions responsible for representing everyday items in VWM. We asked 32 healthy young and 41 healthy older adults to perform a memory binding task. During the task, participants saw visual arrays of objects, colours, or coloured objects presented for 6 s. Immediately after they were asked either to select the objects or the colours that were presented during the study display from larger sets of objects or colours, or to recombine them by selecting from such sets the objects and their corresponding colours. This procedure was repeated immediately after but this time providing a 30 s unfiled delay. We manipulated familiarity by presenting congruent and incongruent object-colour pairings. The results showed that the ability to bind intrinsic features in VWM does not decline with age even when these features belong to everyday items and form novel or well-known associations. Such preserved memory binding abilities held across memory delays. The impact of feature congruency on item-recognition appears to be greater in older than in younger adults. This suggests that long-term memory (LTM) supports binding functions carried out in VWM for familiar everyday items and older adults still benefit from this LTM support. We have expanded the evidence supporting the lack of age effects on VWM binding functions to new feature and object domains (i.e., everyday items). We have confirmed that education does not negatively impact on such ability at old age. Such results have important implications for the selection of culturally unbiased tests to screen for abnormal ageing trajectories

Patrones de aprendizaje del profesorado colombiano en formación

To understand the change of learning patterns among pre-service teachers, 1016 students attending a pedagogical university in Bogotá, Colombia, answered the Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS). The sample was divided according to the moment of the career: at the beginning; in the middle and at the end. A cluster analysis was done on the factors obtained by a principal component analysis. Findings indicate four learning patterns: one directed towards meaning and application of knowledge, one directed toward knowledge accumulation, an undirected pattern, and an “inactive” pattern, with low responses in all scales. The proportion of students in each pattern changes throughout the career, with the meaning directed pattern progressively gaining more prevalence.A fin de comprender el cambio de los patrones de aprendizaje de maestros en formación a lo largo de la carrera, 1.016 estudiantes de una universidad pedagógica de Bogotá, Colombia, respondieron al Inventario de Estilos de Aprendizaje (ILS). La muestra estaba dividida según el momento de la carrera: inicio, intermedio y final. Se realizó un análisis de conglomerados sobre los factores obtenidos en un análisis de componentes principales. Los resultados indican cuatro patrones: uno orientado al significado y aplicación del conocimiento, uno dirigido a su acumulación, otro no dirigido y un patrón “inactivo”, con bajas respuestas en todas las escalas. La proporción de estudiantes por patrón cambia entre los primeros y últimos semestres, ganando progresivamente mayor prevalencia la orientación hacia el significado

Evidence of the high prevalence of neurological disorders in nonsyndromic X-linked recessive ichthyosis: a retrospective case series

[Background]: X-linked recessive ichthyosis (XLI) is a relatively common type of ichthyosis caused by a deficiency in the steroid sulfatase (STS) enzyme. It is the only type of ichthyosis that can be both syndromic and nonsyndromic. Typical clinical features include dark-brown scale of variable size favouring the extensor surfaces of the extremities.[Objectives]: To characterize clinically nonsyndromic XLI, with a particular focus on extracutaneous manifestations.[Methods]: This was a multicentre retrospective review of clinical findings from a case series of patients with a clinical and genetic diagnosis of XLI.[Results]: We identified 30 patients with XLI belonging to 25 different families carrying a deletion in the STS locus. All patients had dark scales of variable size on the extensor surfaces of the extremities. Lack of flexural involvement and pruritus were common but inconsistent findings, whereas palmoplantar hyperlinearity was absent in all but one patient. A history of orchiopexy was present in 10% and thus was more common than expected vs. the general population (3%). Neurological disorders including epilepsy (13%) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; 30%) were over-represented in patients with XLI.[Conclusions]: This was a retrospective study with a limited number of patients. In the absence of confirmatory genetic testing and family history of the disease, dark-brown scale of the extensor surfaces and the absence of palmoplantar hyperlinearity appear to be the most reliable clinical findings supporting a diagnosis of XLI. Dermatologists should be aware of the high prevalence of ADHD and epilepsy in patients with nonsyndromic XLI

In search of gravity mode signatures in main sequence solar-type stars observed by Kepler

Gravity modes (g modes), mixed gravito-acoustic modes (mixed modes), and gravito-inertial modes (gi modes) possess unmatched properties as probes for stars with radiative interiors. The structural and dynamical constraints that they are able to provide cannot be accessed by other means. While they provide precious insights into the internal dynamics of evolved stars as well as massive and intermediate-mass stars, their non-detection in main sequence (MS) solar-type stars make them a crucial missing piece in our understanding of angular momentum transport in radiative zones and stellar rotational evolution. In this work, we aim to apply certain analysis tools originally developed for helioseismology in order to look for g-mode signatures in MS solar-type stars. We select a sample of the 34 most promising MS solar-type stars with Kepler four-year long photometric time series. All these stars are well-characterised late F-type stars with thin convective envelopes, fast convective flows, and stochastically excited acoustic modes (p modes). For each star, we compute the background noise level of the Fourier power spectrum to identify significant peaks at low frequency. After successfully detecting individual peaks in 12 targets, we further analyse four of them and observe distinct patterns of surrounding peaks with a low probability of being noise artifacts. Comparisons with the predictions from reference models suggest that these patterns are compatible with the presence of non-asymptotic low-order pure g modes, pure p modes, and mixed modes. Given their sensitivity to both the convective core interface stratification and the coupling between p- and g-mode resonant cavities, such modes are able to provide strong constraints on the structure and evolutionary states of the related targets. [abridged]Comment: 19 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of M. tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2 Infections-Unexpected Similarities of Pathogenesis and What to Expect from Co-Infection

Tuberculosis is still an important medical and social problem. In recent years, great strides have been made in the fight against M. tuberculosis, especially in the Russian Federation. However, the emergence of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has led to the long-term isolation of the population on the one hand and to the relevance of using personal protective equipment on the other. Our knowledge regarding SARS-CoV-2-induced inflammation and tissue destruction is rapidly expanding, while our understanding of the pathology of human pulmonary tuberculosis gained through more the 100 years of research is still limited. This paper reviews the main molecular and cellular differences and similarities caused by M. tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2 infections, as well as their critical immunological and pathomorphological features. Immune suppression caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus may result in certain difficulties in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis. Furthermore, long-term lymphopenia, hyperinflammation, lung tissue injury and imbalance in CD4+ T cell subsets associated with COVID-19 could propagate M. tuberculosis infection and disease progression

Toward a better understanding of fish‐based contribution to ocean carbon flux

publishedVersio

Predictores de mortalidad en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica en Colombia: Un estudio de casos y controles

Objective. The objective of the study was to explore predictive variables of mortality in patients with COPD in Colombia. Materials and methods. Case-control study, in adult patients, diagnosed with COPD, treated at the clínica Comfamiliar, Risaralda, from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2018. Deceased patients were called cases, and the control group was survivors. A data collection instrument validated by expert judgement was used. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed, followed by post-modeling analysis for validation. The analyzes were carried out in Stata 14, official version. It was considered significant with p value <0.05. The project was approved by the bioethics committee of the clínica Comfamiliar. Results. 230 patients with a diagnosis of COPD were included. The mortality rate was 10%, for which there were 23 cases. In the multivariate analysis, the predictors of mortality were Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) (OR: 8.2, CI: 2.3-29.2, p = 0.001), presence of severe exacerbation in the last year (OR: 7.4, CI: 2.6-20.8, p <0.001), and hemoglobin in adequate ranges (Hb>12 in women/hb>13 in men) (OR: 0.82, CI: 0.68-0.99, p = 0.047). Conclusions. It was observed that CKD, severe exacerbations in the last year, and low hemoglobin values predict mortality in COPD patients in Colombia.Objetivo. El objetivo del estudio fue explorar variables predictivas de mortalidad en pacientes con EPOC de Colombia. Materiales y métodos. Estudio de casos y controles, en pacientes mayores de edad, con diagnóstico de EPOC, atendidos en la clínica “Comfamiliar”, Risaralda, del 1 de enero de 2015 a 31 de diciembre de 2018. Se denominó caso a pacientes fallecidos y el grupo control fueron los supervivientes. Se utilizó un instrumento de recolección de datos validado por juicio de expertos. Se realizó un análisis multivariado de tipo regresión logística y posteriormente análisis post modelamiento para su validación. Los análisis fueron realizados en Stata 14, versión oficial. Se considero significativo con p valor <0,05. El proyecto fue aprobado por el comité de bioética de la clínica Comfamiliar. Resultados. Se incluyeron 230 pacientes con diagnóstico de EPOC. La tasa de mortalidad fue de 10%, por lo que se contó con 23 casos. En el análisis multivariado, los factores predictores de mortalidad fueron la Enfermedad Renal Crónica (ERC) (OR: 8,2, IC: 2,3-29,2, p = 0,001), presencia de exacerbación severa el último año (OR: 7,4, IC: 2,6-20,8, p < 0,001), y la hemoglobina en rangos adecuados (Hb>12 in mujeres/hb>13 in hombres) (OR: 0,82, IC: 0,68-0,99, p = 0,047). Conclusiones. Se observó que la ERC, exacerbaciones severas el último año y valores bajos de hemoglobina predicen la mortalidad en el paciente con EPOC en Colombia

Influence of Magnetic Activity on the Determination of Stellar Parameters Through Asteroseismology

Magnetic activity changes the gravito-acoustic modes of solar-like stars and in particular their frequencies. There is an angular-degree dependence that is believed to be caused by the non-spherical nature of the magnetic activity in the stellar convective envelope. These changes in the mode frequencies could modify the small separation of low-degree modes (i.e., frequency difference between consecutive quadrupole and radial modes), which is sensitive to the core structure and hence to the evolutionary stage of the star. Determining global stellar parameters such as the age using mode frequencies at a given moment of the magnetic activity cycle could lead to biased results. Our estimations show that in general these errors are lower than other systematic uncertainties, but in some circumstances they can be as high as 10% in age and of a few percent in mass and radius. In addition, the frequency shifts caused by the magnetic activity are also frequency dependent. In the solar case this is a smooth function that will mostly be masked by the filtering of the so-called surface effects. However, the observations of other stars suggest that there is an oscillatory component with a period close to the one corresponding to the acoustic depth of the He II zone. This could give rise to a misdetermination of some global stellar parameters, such as the helium abundance. Our computations show that the uncertainties introduced by this effect are lower than the 3% level

BRUCELOSIS HUMANA EN ESTUDIANTES DE LA ESCUELA DE BIOANÁLISIS, UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES-VENEZUELA

La brucelosis genera grandes pérdidas económicas tanto al productor como al país; produciendo graves problemas de salud pública ocasionados por el descuido en el control de la vacunación animal y medidas preventivas al hombre. En la Escuela de Bioánalisis de la Universidad de los Andes la gran mayoría de sus estudiantes provienen de zonas endémicas para la brucelosis como lo son: Santa Barbára del Zulia y El Vigia. Razón que nos motivó a realizar el presente estudio de investigación. Un total de 204 (29.9%) de los estudiantes se les aplicó una encuesta epidemiológica. Luego se les tomo 6 ml de sangre venosa para obtener el suero sanguíneo y ser analizados mediante las técnicas de Rosa de Bengala, la Microaglutinación en placa con fenol con 2-Mercaptoetanol. De esta manera conocer el porcentaje de seropositividad de dicha población estudiantil. Los resultados arrojados indicaron que 3 (1.47%) de los estudiantes fueron seropositivos y 203 (98.5%) seronegativos a los antígenos anti-Brucella sp. Lo que demuestra que en la Escuela de Bioánalisis existe la enfermedad. Abstract Brucellosis causes economic losses both to the producer and the country, producing serious piblic health problems due to the lack of control on animal vaccination and preventive measures to individuals. At the School of Bionalysis at the University of Los Antes, most of the students come from endemic regions to Brucellosis, such as: Santa Barbára del Zulia and El Vigia. This sitiation encouraged us to perform this research. 204 (29.9%) of the students were given a serological survey. Then, 6 ml of blood were drawn to obtain the blood serum and to be analyzed by the Rose Bengal technique, the Microagglutination on the a plate with phenol and 2mercapethanol. At his way could know the seropositive percentage of such student group. The results showed that 3 (1.47%) of the students were seropositive and 203 (98.5%) were seronegative to antigens like anti-Brucella sp. This proves that the disease exists at the School of Bionalysis. Palabras claves: Brucella, zoonosis, humanos, epidemiología, diagnóstico serólogic