Circumnuclear Keplerian Disks in Galaxies

In this paper we demonstrate the possibility of inferring the presence of Keplerian gaseous disks using optical ground-based telescopes properly equipped. We have modeled the peculiar bidimensional shape of the emission lines in a sample of five S0-Sa galaxies as due to the motion of a gaseous disk rotating in the combined potential of a central point-like mass and of an extended stellar disk. The value of the central mass concentration estimated for four galaxies of the sample (NGC 2179, NGC 4343, NGC 4435 and NGC 4459) is ~10^9 Msolar. For the remaining galaxy NGC 5064 an upper limit of 5*10^7 Msolar is estimated.Comment: 11 pages, LaTeX, with 3 PostScript figures, Submitted to The Astrophysical Journal Letter

Enhancing skills in solving open-ended problems using game-based exercises

Some requirements for engineering programmes, such as an ability to use the techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice, as well as an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility or an ability to communicate effectively, need new activities designed for measuring students’ progress. Negotiations take place continuously at any stage of a project and, so, the ability of engineers and managers to effectively carry out a negotiation is crucial for the success or failure of projects and businesses. Since it involves communication between individuals motivated to come together in an agreement for mutual benefit, it can be used to enhance these personal abilities. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of mixing playing sessions and theory to maximise the students’ strategic vision in combination with negotiating skills. Results show that the combination of playing with theoretical training teaches students to strategise through analysis and discussion of alternatives. The outcome is then more optimised

Comparing neural substrates of emotional vs. non-emotional conflict modulation by global control context

The efficiency with which the brain resolves conflict in information processing is determined by contextual factors that modulate internal control states, such as the recent (local) and longer-term (global) occurrence of conflict. Local “control context” effects can be observed in trial-by-trial adjustments to conflict (congruency sequence effects: less interference following incongruent trials), whereas global control context effects are reflected in adjustments to the frequency of conflict encountered over longer sequences of trials (“proportion congruent effects”: less interference when incongruent trials are frequent). Previous neuroimaging and lesion studies suggest that the modulation of conflict-control processes by local control context relies on partly dissociable neural circuits for cognitive (non-emotional) vs. emotional conflicts. By contrast, emotional and non-emotional conflict-control processes have not been contrasted with respect to their modulation by global control context. We addressed this aim in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study that varied the proportion of congruent trials in emotional vs. non-emotional conflict tasks across blocks. We observed domain-general conflict-related signals in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and pre-supplementary motor area and, more importantly, task-domain also interacted with global control context effects: specifically, the dorsal striatum and anterior insula tracked control-modulated conflict effects exclusively in the emotional domain. These results suggest that, similar to the neural mechanisms of local control context effects, there are both overlapping as well as distinct neural substrates involved in the modulation of emotional and non-emotional conflict-control by global control context.This work was supported by NIMH grant 5R01MH087610 (Tobias Egner), a research position grant (FPU grant; AP2008-04006) (Maryem Torres-Quesada), and Spain's Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (PSI2008-04223PSIC, PSI2012-34158, and CONSOLIDER-INGENIO2010 CS)

Naturally Derived Heme-Oxygenase 1 Inducers and Their Therapeutic Application to Immune-Mediated Diseases

Heme oxygenase (HO) is the primary antioxidant enzyme involved in heme group degradation. A variety of stimuli triggers the expression of the inducible HO-1 isoform, which is modulated by its substrate and cellular stressors. A major anti-inflammatory role has been assigned to the HO-1 activity. Therefore, in recent years HO-1 induction has been employed as an approach to treating several disorders displaying some immune alterations components, such as exacerbated inflammation or self-reactivity. Many natural compounds have shown to be effective inductors of HO-1 without cytotoxic effects; among them, most are chemicals present in plants used as food, flavoring, and medicine. Here we discuss some naturally derived compounds involved in HO-1 induction, their impact in the immune response modulation, and the beneficial effect in diverse autoimmune disorders. We conclude that the use of some compounds from natural sources able to induce HO-1 is an attractive lifestyle toward promoting human health. This review opens a new outlook on the investigation of naturally derived HO-1 inducers, mainly concerning autoimmunity.Fil: Funes, Samanta Celeste. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Rios, Mariana. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Fernández Fierro, Ayleen. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Covián, Camila. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Bueno, Susan M.. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Riedel, Claudia A.. Universidad Andrés Bello; ChileFil: Mackern Oberti, Juan Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Kalergis, Alexis M.. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Chil

CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor is a Target for Neuroprotection in Light Induced Retinal Degeneration

In the last few years, an increasing interest in the neuroprotective effect of cannabinoidshas taken place. The aim of the present work was to study the effects of modulatingcannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) in the context of light induced retinal degeneration (LIRD),using an animal model that resembles many characteristics of human age-related maculardegeneration (AMD) and other degenerative diseases of the outer retina. Sprague Dawleyrats (n = 28) were intravitreally injected in the right eye with either a CB1 agonist (ACEA), oran antagonist (AM251). Contralateral eyes were injected with respective vehicles ascontrols. Then, rats were subjected to continuous illumination (12,000 lux) for 24 h.Retinas from 28 animals were processed by GFAP-immunohistochemistry (IHC),TUNEL technique, Western blotting (WB), or qRT-PCR. ACEA-treated retinas showeda significantly lower number of apoptotic nuclei in the outer nuclear layer (ONL), lower levelsof activated Caspase-3 by WB, and lower levels of glial reactivity by both GFAP-IHC andWB. qRT-PCR revealed that ACEA significantly decreased the expression of Bcl-2 andCYP1A1. Conversely, AM251-treated retinas showed a higher number of apoptotic nucleiin the ONL, higher levels of activated Caspase-3 by WB, and higher levels of glial reactivityas determined by GFAP-IHC and WB. AM251 increased the expression of Bcl-2, Bad,Bax, Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR), GFAP, and TNFα. In summary, the stimulation ofthe CB1 receptor, previous to the start of the pathogenic process, improved the survival ofphotoreceptors exposed to LIRD. The modulation of CB1 activity may be used as aneuroprotective strategy in retinal degeneration and deserves further studiesFil: Soliño, Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Larráyoz, Ignacio M.. Center For Biomedical Research Of La Rioja; EspañaFil: Lopez, Ester Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Rey Funes, Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Bareiro, Nidia Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Loidl, Cesar Fabian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Girardi, Elena Silvia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Caltana, Laura Romina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Brusco, Herminia Alicia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Martinez, Alfredo. Center For Biomedical Research Of La Rioja; EspañaFil: López, Juan José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; Argentin

Hypothermia prevents gliosis and angiogenesis development in an experimental model of ischemic proliferative retinopathy

PURPOSE: To develop a time course study of vascularization and glial response to perinatal asphyxia in hypoxic-ischemic animals, and to evaluate hypothermia as possible protective treatment. METHODS: We used retinas of 7-, 15-, 21-, and 30-day-old male Sprague-Dawley rats that were exposed to perinatal asphyxia at either 37°C (PA) or 15°C (HYP). Born to term animals were used as controls (CTL). We evaluated the thickness of the most inner layers of the retina (IR), including internal limiting membrane, the retinal nerve fiber layer, and the ganglion cell layer; and studied glial development, neovascularization, adrenomedullin (AM), and VEGF by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Western blot. RESULTS: A significant increment in IR thickness was observed in the PA group from postnatal day (PND) 15 on. This alteration was concordant with an increased number of new vessels and increased GFAP expression. The immunolocalization of GFAP in the internal limiting membrane and perivascular glia of the IR and in the inner processes of Müller cells was coexpressed with AM, which was also significantly increased from PND7 in PA animals. In addition, VEGF expression was immunolocalized in cells of the ganglion cell layer of the IR and this expression significantly increased in the PA group from PND15 on. The retinas of the HYP group did not show differences when compared with CTL at any age. CONCLUSIONS: This work demonstrates that aberrant angiogenesis and exacerbated gliosis seem to be responsible for the increased thickness of the inner retina as a consequence of perinatal asphyxia, and that hypothermia is able to prevent these alterations.Fil: Rey Funes, Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia ; ArgentinaFil: Dorfman, Verónica Berta. Universidad Maimónides. Area de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ibarra, Mariano Esteban. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia ; ArgentinaFil: Peña, Elena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia ; ArgentinaFil: Contartese, Daniela Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia ; ArgentinaFil: Goldstein Raij, Jorge. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Acosta, Juan Manuel. Universidad Católica de Cuyo - Sede San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Larráyoz, Ignacio M.. Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La Rioja; EspañaFil: Martínez Murillo, Ricardo. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas; España. Instituto Cajal. Departamento de Neurobiología Molecular, Celular y del Desarrollo; EspañaFil: Martínez, Alfredo. Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La Rioja; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas; EspañaFil: Loidl, Cesar Fabian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia ; Argentina. Universidad Católica de Cuyo - Sede San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; Argentin

The Role of RANK-Ligand Inhibition in Cancer: The Story of Denosumab

The bone is a very common site of metastasis in patients with advanced cancer. Skeletal metastases are most common in breast and prostate cancer, but virtually any advanced cancer may disseminate to the bone. On the basis of recent advances in the understanding of bone remodeling processes, denosumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody against RANK-L, has been developed. Phase III clinical trials have demonstrated that denosumab is well tolerated and effective in the treatment of bone loss and prevention of skeletal-related events in patients with bone metastases

Women with psychotic episodes during pregnancy show increased markers of placental damage with Tenney-Parker changes

y. Psychosis is a hazardous and functionally disruptive psychiatric condition which may affect women in pregnancy, entailing negative consequences for maternofetal well-being. The precise pathophysiological basis and consequences of a psychotic episode in pregnancy remain to be further elucidated. The placenta is a pivotal tissue with many functions in the gestational period, critically influencing the fate and development of pregnancy. Although detrimental alterations have been observed in women undergoing severe psychiatric disorders in pregnancy, there are little studies evaluating the consequences of suffering from a psychotic episode in the placental tissue In this work, we have evaluated the histopathological consequences of a first episode of psychosis in pregnancy (FE-PW; N=22) and compare them with healthy pregnant women (HC-PW; N=20) by using histological, immunohistochemical and gene expression techniques. Our results define that the placental tissue of FE-PW display an increase in the number of placental villi, bridges, syncytial knots and syncytial knots/villi. Besides, we have also observed an enhanced gene and protein expression in FE-PW of the hypoxic marker HIF-1α, together with the apoptotic markers BAX and Bcl-2. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating significant histopathological changes in the placenta of women suffering a new-onset psychotic episode in pregnancy. Further studies should be aimed at deepening the knowledge about the pernicious effects of psychosis in the maternofetal tissues, as well as the potential implications of these alterations

A hypothermia mimetic molecule (zr17-2) reduces ganglion cell death and electroretinogram distortion in a rat model of intraorbital optic nerve crush (IONC)

Introduction: Ocular and periocular traumatisms may result in loss of vision. Our previous work showed that therapeutic hypothermia prevents retinal damage caused by traumatic neuropathy. We also generated and characterized small molecules that elicit the beneficial effects of hypothermia at normal body temperature. Here we investigate whether one of these mimetic molecules, zr17-2, is able to preserve the function of eyes exposed to trauma.Methods: Intraorbital optic nerve crush (IONC) or sham manipulation was applied to Sprague-Dawley rats. One hour after surgery, 5.0 µl of 330 nmol/L zr17-2 or PBS, as vehicle, were injected in the vitreum of treated animals. Electroretinograms were performed 21 days after surgery and a- and b-wave amplitude, as well as oscillatory potentials (OP), were calculated. Some animals were sacrificed 6 days after surgery for TUNEL analysis. All animal experiments were approved by the local ethics board.Results: Our previous studies showed that zr17-2 does not cross the blood-ocular barrier, thus preventing systemic treatment. Here we show that intravitreal injection of zr17-2 results in a very significant prevention of retinal damage, providing preclinical support for its pharmacological use in ocular conditions. As previously reported, IONC resulted in a drastic reduction in the amplitude of the b-wave (p < 0.0001) and OPs (p < 0.05), a large decrease in the number of RGCs (p < 0.0001), and a large increase in the number of apoptotic cells in the GCL and the INL (p < 0.0001). Interestingly, injection of zr17-2 largely prevented all these parameters, in a very similar pattern to that elicited by therapeutic hypothermia. The small molecule was also able to reduce oxidative stress-induced retinal cell death in vitro.Discussion: In summary, we have shown that intravitreal injection of the hypothermia mimetic, zr17-2, significantly reduces the morphological and electrophysiological consequences of ocular traumatism and may represent a new treatment option for this cause of visual loss

Effect of reservoirs on streamflow and river regimes in a heavily regulated river basin of Northeast Spain

41 Pags.- 5 Tabls.- 13 Figs. The definitive version is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03418162Dams modify downstream hydrology because they alter natural river regimes and divert river flows. The Segre Basin is one of the main tributaries of the Ebro River in Northeastern Spain, and has a drainage area of 13,000 km2. In this study, we used data on long-term (1951–2013) river flows and climatic series to analyze the downstream cumulative effect of dams on natural river regimes and the disassociation between changes in climate and runoff in the Segre Basin. The headwaters of this basin are in the Pyrenees Mountains, and water flow has been highly regulated since the second half of the twentieth century due to the construction of numerous dams. We compared long-term monthly averages of upstream and downstream sectors, and assessed the relationship between the climatic and hydrological time series. Our results show that the progressive increase of the impounded ratio index (reservoir capacity) increased the disassociation between climate and runoff. This markedly exacerbated the negative trend in downstream runoff, so this decline that cannot be solely explained by climatic changes. Our results provide evidence that reservoirs can cause a significant decline in downstream runoff and significant alterations of natural river regimes.This work was supported by the research projects PCIN-2015-220, CGL2014-52135-C03-01 and Red de variabilidad y cambio climático RECLIM (CGL2014-517221-REDT) financed by the Spanish Commission of Science and Technology and FEDER and “LIFE12 ENV/ES/000536-Demonstration and validation of innovative methodology for regional climate change adaptation in the Mediterranean area (LIFE MEDACC)” financed by the LIFE programme of the European Commission.Peer reviewe