Long slit spectroscopy of a sample of isolated spirals with and without an AGN

We present the kinematical data obtained for a sample of active (Seyfert) and non active isolated spiral galaxies, based on long slit spectra along several position angles in the Halpha line region and, in some cases, in the Ca triplet region as well. Gas velocity distributions are presented, together with a simple circular rotation model that allows to determine the kinematical major axes. Stellar velocity distributions are also shown. The main result is that active and control galaxies seem to be equivalent in all kinematical aspects. For both subsamples, the departure from pure circular rotation in some galaxies can be explained by the presence of a bar and/or of a spiral arm. They also present the same kind of peculiarities, in particular, S-shape structures are quite common near the nuclear regions. They define very similar Tully-Fisher relations. Emission line ratios are given for all the detected HII regions; the analysis of the [NII]/Halpha metallicity indicator shows that active and non-active galaxies have indistinguishable disk metallicities. These results argue in favour of active and non-active isolated spiral galaxies having essentially the same properties, in agreement with our previous results based on the analysis of near infrared images. It appears now necessary to confirm these results on a larger sample.Comment: 35 pages, 54 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics The full paper with its figures is available on the anonymous account of ftp.iap.fr in /home/ftp/pub/from_users/durret/marquez.ps.gz (999 kb

Dark matter in the inner parts of barred galaxies: The data

This paper presents surface photometry (B,V, I, J, H, K) and H_alpha rotation curves of 27 isolated spiral galaxies. The final goal is to obtain the mass distribution of a sample of isolated spiral galaxies in order to model their gas kinematics. This is then compared to the observed rotation curve, to determine the necessity of a dark halo in the inner parts (Perez et al. 2004). The azimuthally averaged radial surface brightness profiles and the integrated magnitudes obtained from ellipse fitting are given for each of the sample galaxies. The ellipse fitting technique applied to the light distribution also allowed us to obtain the size of the bar, and the inclination and position angle of the outer isophotes that allow the galaxy deprojection. Using these profiles, 1-D disk-bulge decomposition was performed to obtain the disk scale-length and the bulge effective radius for the different bands. Through the fitting of a parametric function to the observed rotation curve, the maximum rotational velocity and the corresponding radius was obtained. The correlation between the bulge and disk parameters is in agreement with previous studies (de Jong 1996a; Marquez & Moles 1999; Baggett et al. 1998). Regarding the Kormendy relation (Kormendy 1977), in agreement with de Jong, no correlation between the bulge effective radius and its surface brightness is found, possibly due to the small range of bulge magnitudes covered. We find a smaller scatter in the structural relations when compared to non-isolated samples in agreement with Marquez & Moles (1999). Finally, a correlation between the disk scale-length and the bar size is observed, possibly reflecting the rapid growth of a bar.Comment: A&A accepted. Fig. 11 and Tables 3-8 can be downloaded at: http://www.astro.rug.nl/~isa (they will also be available at http://www.edpsciences.org

Classical properties of algebras using a new graph association

We study the relation between algebraic structures and Graph Theory. We have defined five different weighted digraphs associated to a finite dimensional algebra over a field in order to tackle important properties of the associated algebras, mainly the nilpotency and solvability in the case of Leibniz algebras

Breijo Electrocardiographic Pattern

Breijo’s electrocardiographic model is becoming better known to cardiologists every day. The decrease in the PR interval, together with the decrease of the QTc interval in the same ECG tracing, is the main and only cardiac electrical feature on the same individual. It can often go unnoticed, but many problems could be avoided if it was previously diagnosed, including sudden death

Adaptive clinical trials incorporating treatment selection and evaluation: methodology and application in progressive multiple sclerosis

In progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) irreversible disability often takes many years to accumulate as a result prolonged trials are required to assess the benefits of therapies. There is a need to understand the relationship between short-term outcome measures such as MRI endpoints and long-term clinical outcomes in progression to determine the evolution of the disease early on. Thus, the common phase I-II-III paradigm for clinical trial design with separate trials for each phase may not be appropriate

Contribution of the R-Ras2 GTP-binding protein to primary breast tumorigenesis and late-stage metastatic disease

R-Ras2 is a transforming GTPase that shares downstream effectors with Ras subfamily proteins. However, little information exists about the function of this protein in tumorigenesis and its signalling overlap with classical Ras GTPases. Here we show, by combining loss- and gain-of-function studies in breast cancer cells, mammary epithelial cells and mouse models, that endogenous R-Ras2 has a role in both primary breast tumorigenesis and the late metastatic steps of cancer cells in the lung parenchyma. R-Ras2 drives tumorigenesis in a phosphatidylinostiol-3 kinase (PI3K)-dependent and signalling autonomous manner. By contrast, its prometastatic role requires other priming oncogenic signals and the engagement of several downstream elements. R-Ras2 function is required even in cancer cells exhibiting constitutive activation of classical Ras proteins, indicating that these GTPases are not functionally redundant. Our results also suggest that application of long-term R-Ras2 therapies will result in the development of compensatory mechanisms in breast tumoursFil: Larive, Ramon. Universidad de Salamanca; España. University of Montpellier I and II; FranciaFil: Moriggi, Giulia. Universidad de Salamanca; EspañaFil: Menacho Márquez, Mauricio Ariel. Universidad de Salamanca; España. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Cañamero, Marta. Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas; EspañaFil: de Alava, Enrique. Universidad de Salamanca; España. Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío. Sevilla; EspañaFil: Alarcón, Balbino. Centro de Biología Molecular ‘‘Severo Ochoa’. Madrid; EspañaFil: Dosil, Mercedes. Universidad de Salamanca; EspañaFil: Bustelo, Xosé R.. Universidad de Salamanca; Españ

Improving carotenoids biosynthesis pathway in the unicelullar microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Introduction: Carotenoids are a wide group of isoprenoids synthesized by photosynthetic organisms and some non-photosynthetic yeast and bacteria (1).They are indispensable in light harvesting and energy transference during photosynthesis and in the protection of the photosynthetic apparatus against the photooxidative damage. Mammals cannot synthesize them and must include them in their diet as precursors for essential compounds. The important colorant, antioxidant and provitamin properties of carotenoids, have made of them an important group of high-added value compounds, massively commercialized (1,2).There is an increasing demand of natural carotenoids and microalgae can be an excellent natural source of carotenoids.Results and conclusions: In this work, we describe the subcloning of two genes from the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway in a microalgal expression vector: The PSY gene from Dunaliella salina, encoding phytoene synthase, a key enzyme in the pathway, which catalyzes the formation of phytoene, and CRTI gene encoding for fitoene desaturase from Erwinia Uredowa. The bacterial CRTI gene catalyzes the conversion of phytoene to lycopene, replacing the function of two microalgal enzymes phytoene desaturase (PDS) and chis-carotene desaturase (ZDS) (1,3). PSY and CRTI genes were fused by a short DNA fragment which encodes a self-cleaving peptide and fused to the selective marker gene APHVIII from Streptomyces rimosus, encoding for an aminoglycoside 3'phosphotransferase that confers resistance to the antibiotic paromomycin. All genes were placed under the control of the strong constitutive promoters RBCS2 and HSP70A and terminated by the 3'untranslated region of RBCS2 (plasmid 4-75).C. reinhardtii was nuclear transformated with plasmid 4-75. Obtained transformants were analysed by PCR to check the insertion of the PSY, CRTI and APHVIII genes into the genome of C. reinhardtii and tested for expression at mRNA level. The phenotype of some of the transformants was also analyzed studying their carotenoid composition.The obtained data show that the designed vector allows the insertion of all genes into the genome, although we have detected unexpected DNA cleavage and rearrangements during the integration process, which leads to discontinuous insertion of the genes, as they are placed in the 4-75 plasmid. This has made impossible to isolate any transformant with significant phenotypical changes so far and it is subject of current investigation

Spatial, environmental and human influences on the distribution of otter (Lutra lutra) in the Spanish provinces

In a previous survey of otters ( Lutra lutra L. 1758) in Spain, different causes were invoked to explain the frequency of the species in each province. To find common causes of the distribution of the otter in Spain, we recorded a number of spatial, environmental and human variables in each Spanish province. We then performed a stepwise linear multiple regression of the proportion of positive sites of otter in the Spanish provinces separately on each of the three groups of variables. Geographic longitude, January air humidity, soil permeability and highway density were the variables selected. A linear regression of the proportion of otter presence on these variables explained 62.4% of the variance. We then used the selected variables in a partial regression analysis to specify which proportions of the variation are explained exclusively by spatial, environmental and human factors, and which proportions are attributable to interactions between these components. Pure environmental effects accounted for only 5.5% of the variation, while pure spatial and pure human effects explained 18% and 9.7%, respectively. Shared variation among the components totalled 29.2%, of which 10.9% was explained by the interaction between environmental and spatial factors. Human factors explained globally less variance than spatial and environmental ones, but the pure human influence was higher than the pure environmental one. We concluded that most of the variation in the proportion of occurrences of otter in Spanish provinces is spatially structured, and that environmental factors have more influence on otter presence than human ones; however, the human influence on otter distribution is less structured in space, and thus can be more disruptive. This effect of large infrastructures on wild populations must be taken into account when planning large-scale conservation policie

Pezoloma ciliifera (P. Karst.) Korf, un discomicete nuevo para España

Pezoloma ciliifera (P. Karst) Korf, una especie rara en el mundo, es citada por vez primera de España, en base a hallazgos realizados en la Sierra de Albarracín (Teruel). Se acompaña un detallado estudio iconognifico rnacro y microscópico, al tiempo que se confinna su comportamiento saprotrófico, estival, en ambientes palustres de alta montaña.Pezoloma ciliif era (p. Karst) Korf, a rare species in the world, is reported for the flIst tirne in Spain, on base to Albarracín mountains findings (Teruel, Spain). A detailed iconographic -macro and microscopicstudy is made. Besides, its ecological preferences are confrrmed, having a saprophytic habit in behaviour areas, during surnrner, at high elevations