Karyotype and Nuclear DNA Content of Six Species of <i>Astragalus</i> (Leguminosae)

Karyological characteristics of six Argentinian Astragalus species are reported: A. crucksh-anksii (2n=28), A. illinii (2n=28), A. neuquenensis (2n=28), A. moyanoi (2n=28), A. pehuenches (2n=22) and A. palenae var. grandiflora (2n=26). The x=13 and 14 species have bimodal complements but differ in chromosome morphology and asymmetry indices. All species have a single pair of chromosomes with satellites located on the long arms. A. pehuenches (2n=22, x=11) has a more symmetrical karyotype and a pair of SAT chromosomes with a satellite located on the short arms. Among the species with 2n=28, A. moyanoi has significantly greater DNA content than the rest. The species with the lowest chromosome number, A. pehuenches, has the highest DNA content. The members of species with 2n=28 studied in the present work are similar in both vegetative and reproductive morphology.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y ForestalesComisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la provincia de Buenos Aire

Temporal and spatial variations of atmospheric radiocarbon in the Mexico City metropolitan area

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.-- et al.Proceedings of the 1st International Radiocarbon in the Environment Conference 18–22 August 2014, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK).The Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) produces a complex mixture of gases and aerosols from diverse sources, including burning of fossil fuels, biomass, and wastes, with a significant biogenic contribution. We present the first results of ongoing projects to study temporal and spatial variations of 14CO2 in the area. Temporal variations reconstructed from tree rings of Taxodium mucronatum indicate a considerable radiocarbon depletion, in accordance to the vast amount of fossil fuels burnt inside Mexico Valley, with values between 62 and 246‰ lower than background values for the 1962–1968 period, and lower by 51–88‰ for the 1983–2010 period. The lower dilution found for the last decades might indicate an increase in enriched 14CO2 sources. Results from the spatial distribution, as revealed from integrated CO2 samples and grasses from six points within the MCMA collected during the 2013 dry season, show variations between sites and sample types. For integrated CO2 samples, values range from 35.6‰ to 54.0‰, and for grasses between –86.8‰ and 40.7‰. For three of the sampling points, the grasses are significantly depleted, by up to ~133‰, as compared to the corresponding integrated CO2 sample. This may result from differences in the carbon assimilation period and exposure to different CO2 sources. Higher-than-background Δ14C values were found for all integrated CO2 samples, presumably resulting from 14C-enriched CO2 derived from forest fires in the mountains during the sampling period. Results obtained so far confirm the complexity of the 14C cycle in the MCMA.This research is funded by DGAPA-UNAM through project PAPIIT-IN106113. Scholarships from CONACyT for AMJ and AMR and from Instituto de Geología and DGAPA-UNAM for AGS are gratefully acknowledged.Peer Reviewe

Kinetics of antibody-induced modulation of respiratory syncytial virus antigens in a human epithelial cell line

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The binding of viral-specific antibodies to cell-surface antigens usually results in down modulation of the antigen through redistribution of antigens into patches that subsequently may be internalized by endocytosis or may form caps that can be expelled to the extracellular space. Here, by use of confocal-laser-scanning microscopy we investigated the kinetics of the modulation of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) antigen by RSV-specific IgG. RSV-infected human epithelial cells (HEp-2) were incubated with anti-RSV polyclonal IgG and, at various incubation times, the RSV-cell-surface-antigen-antibody complexes (RSV Ag-Abs) and intracellular viral proteins were detected by indirect immunoflourescence.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Interaction of anti-RSV polyclonal IgG with RSV HEp-2 infected cells induced relocalization and aggregation of viral glycoproteins in the plasma membrane formed patches that subsequently produced caps or were internalized through clathrin-mediated endocytosis participation. Moreover, the concentration of cell surface RSV Ag-Abs and intracellular viral proteins showed a time dependent cyclic variation and that anti-RSV IgG protected HEp-2 cells from viral-induced death.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results from this study indicate that interaction between RSV cell surface proteins and specific viral antibodies alter the expression of viral antigens expressed on the cells surface and intracellular viral proteins; furthermore, interfere with viral induced destruction of the cell.</p

What do we know about sex education of people with intellectual disabilities? An umbrella review

Abstract. Special attention is required when considering any educational intervention aimed at its promotion and development. Our objective is to conduct an umbrella review of systematic reviews that gather evidence from relationships and sex education programmes tailored for individuals with intellectual disabilities.MethodsThe protocol was developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses Protocol. Systematic reviews were identified through a search in Web of Science, SCOPUS and PsychINFO, using the descriptors: ‘intellectual disab*’ AND ‘sex*’AND ‘systematic’.FindingsThe results of the nine reviews included in the meta‐review yield relevant outcomes related to 50 sex education interventions carried out with people with intellectual disabilities. This provided the opportunity to delve into the characteristics of these interventions to ascertain the accomplishments achieved to date.ConclusionsThe findings serve as foundation to propose and promote new research on this important area of life, addressing the inequalities identified concerning the sexuality and affective‐sexual education of people with intellectual disabilities. It offers valuable information for the educational, social and healthcare fields, facilitating the design of more effective and rights‐respecting initiatives

Radiocarbon reservoir ages and hardwater effect for the northeastern coastal waters of Argentina

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates were obtained for 18 mollusk shells collected alive along the Buenos Aires province coast, Argentina, over the period AD 1914-1935. Reservoir ages were estimated for all samples on the basis of the tree-ring calibration curve for the Southern Hemisphere (SHCal04, McCormac et al. 2004) and the marine ΔR values calculated as the difference between the conventional 14C age and the age deduced from the marine, mixed-layer model calculation (Marine04, Hughen et al. 2004). For most coastal locations, a great ΔR scatter was observed, ranging from 191 to 2482 yr, which is explained by the input of varying content of dissolved carbonate by rivers and groundwater ("hardwater effect") and indicates a serious limitation for shell-based 14C chronologies. Within the interior of Bahía Blanca estuary, ΔR values ranged from -40 to 50 ± 46 as a consequence of the local geological particularities of the environment. This suggests that, with some restrictions, the marine calibration curve with standard parameters (ΔR = 0) could be used at this location.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Evaluación de la calidad de vida en personas drogodopendientes mediante el modelo de Rasch

La Escala GENCAT aparece como el único instrumento que permite evaluar la calidad de vida individual de personas con drogodependencias desde una perspectiva diferente a la de calidad de vida relacionada con la salud (CVRS). Dado que las propiedades psicométricas de la mencionada escala sólo se han estudiado para la muestra general de usuarios de servicios sociales, este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar su fiabilidad y validez en un grupo específico de personas con drogodependencias. Para ello, se aplicó a 75 drogodependientes usuarios de servicios sociales en Cataluña. Los datos obtenidos permiten concluir que la escala, para este colectivo, presenta una adecuada consistencia interna (que supera en algunos casos la obtenida para la muestra general) según la Teoría Clásica de los Tests. Además, se observó que el ajuste medio de los ítems al modelo y la fiabilidad promedio de las estimaciones de los ítems fueron altos según el modelo de Rasch, aunque los índices de fiabilidad de las personas resultaron más moderados en la mayoría de las subescalas y deficiente en el caso de la dimensión bienestar físico. Se concluye que, aunque la escala es válida y fiable en términos generales, es aconsejable una revisión de la dimensión mencionada

When Does Fertility End? The Timing of Tubal Ligations and Hysterectomies, and the Meaning of Menopause

We applied a biocultural lens to examine the temporal order of biological, behavioral, and medical events related to fertility across the female reproductive lifespan in three sites, two in Mexico and one in the United States. Using a mixed-method design, we expanded our thinking about the end of fertility in order to examine the timing of hysterectomies and tubal ligations. We discovered that menopause is not the end of fertility for a surprisingly high number of women. Across the three sites, between 43% and 50% of women underwent tubal ligations at mean ages of 32 years (in Campeche, Mexico) and 33 years (Puebla, Mexico). In Puebla, 23% had a history of hysterectomy at a mean age of 42 years, similar to Hilo, Hawaii, where 20% had undergone a hysterectomy at a mean age of 40 years. We hypothesized that women who underwent tubal ligations would less frequently describe menopause as the end of fertility. This was true in Hilo, Hawaii, where women with a history of tubal ligation were almost half as likely to choose loss of fertility to describe menopause. However, in urban and rural Campeche, Mexico, there was no indication - from either quantitative or qualitative responses - that individuals with a history of tubal ligation or hysterectomy were less likely to describe menopause as the end of fertility

Assessment of Rights-Related Personal Outcomes in Young People with Intellectual Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Despite the great importance of the quality of life concept in the intellectual disability (ID) field, literature about its application to youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is scarce, especially for the rights domain, an area that has become particularly important after the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This study focuses on assessing the rights of youth with ASD and ID and comparing their results obtained by people with ID and other associated conditions: Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. The Rights subscale from the field-test version of the KidsLife Scale was administered in a sample composed of 153 participants with ID aged from 4 to 21 years old (ASD = 51; Down syndrome = 51; cerebral palsy = 51). The variables gender, type of schooling, level of ID and level of support needs were significant for the group with ASD. The three groups showed positive outcomes, though youth with Down syndrome obtained statistically significant higher scores than participants with ASD.Aun teniendo gran relevancia el concepto de calidad de vida en el ámbito de la discapacidad intelectual (DI), existe escasa investigación acerca de su aplicación en jóvenes con trastorno del espectro del autismo (TEA), especialmente acerca de la dimensión derechos, área que ha cobrado especial importancia en los últimos años con la ratificación de la Convención de los Derechos de las Personas con Discapacidad de Naciones Unidas. Este estudio se centra en la evaluación de derechos en jóvenes con TEA y DI, comparando sus resultados con dos grupos de jóvenes que presentan DI y otra condición comórbida: síndrome de Down y parálisis cerebral. Para ello, se utilizó la subescala derechos de la versión piloto de la Escala KidsLife en una muestra de 153 participantes con DI entre 4 y 21 años (TEA = 51; síndrome de Down = 51; parálisis cerebral = 51). En el grupo con TEA, el género, el tipo de escolarización, el nivel de DI y de necesidades de apoyo dieron lugar a diferencias significativas. Los tres grupos obtuvieron resultados positivos, aunque los jóvenes con síndrome de Down obtienen resultados significativamente superiores a los obtenidos por jóvenes con TEA