Thick disks and halos of spiral galaxies M 81, NGC 55 and NGC 300

By using images from the HST/WFPC2/ACS archive, we have analyzed the spatial distribution of the AGB and RGB stars along the galactocentric radius of nearby spiral galaxies M~81, NGC 300 and NGC 55. Using color-magnitude diagrams and stellar luminosity functions, we gauge the stellar contents of the surroundings of three galaxies. The red giant population (RGB) identified at large galactocentric radii yields a distance of $3.85\pm0.08$ Mpc for M~81, $2.12\pm0.10$ Mpc for NGC 55, and $2.00\pm0.13$ Mpc for NGC 300, and a mean stellar metallicity of $-$0.65, $-$1.25, and $-$0.87. We find that there are two number density gradients of RGB stars along the radius, which correspond to the thick disk and halo components of the galaxies. We confirm the presence of metallicity gradient of evolved stars at these galaxies, based on the systematic changes of the color distribution of red giant stars. These results imply that thick disk might be a general feature of the spiral galaxies, and endorse a further investigation of the outer stellar edges of nearby spirals, which is critical in constraining the origin and evolution of galaxies.Comment: 17 pages, 2 tables, 13 figures, accepted to A&

Palaeogenomics of Upper Palaeolithic to Neolithic European hunter-gatherers

: Modern humans have populated Europe for more than 45,000 years1,2. Our knowledge of the genetic relatedness and structure of ancient hunter-gatherers is however limited, owing to the scarceness and poor molecular preservation of human remains from that period3. Here we analyse 356 ancient hunter-gatherer genomes, including new genomic data for 116 individuals from 14 countries in western and central Eurasia, spanning between 35,000 and 5,000 years ago. We identify a genetic ancestry profile in individuals associated with Upper Palaeolithic Gravettian assemblages from western Europe that is distinct from contemporaneous groups related to this archaeological culture in central and southern Europe4, but resembles that of preceding individuals associated with the Aurignacian culture. This ancestry profile survived during the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000 to 19,000 years ago) in human populations from southwestern Europe associated with the Solutrean culture, and with the following Magdalenian culture that re-expanded northeastward after the Last Glacial Maximum. Conversely, we reveal a genetic turnover in southern Europe suggesting a local replacement of human groups around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, accompanied by a north-to-south dispersal of populations associated with the Epigravettian culture. From at least 14,000 years ago, an ancestry related to this culture spread from the south across the rest of Europe, largely replacing the Magdalenian-associated gene pool. After a period of limited admixture that spanned the beginning of the Mesolithic, we find genetic interactions between western and eastern European hunter-gatherers, who were also characterized by marked differences in phenotypically relevant variants

Palaeogenomics of Upper Palaeolithic to Neolithic European hunter-gatherers

Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s).Modern humans have populated Europe for more than 45,000 years1,2. Our knowledge of the genetic relatedness and structure of ancient hunter-gatherers is however limited, owing to the scarceness and poor molecular preservation of human remains from that period3. Here we analyse 356 ancient hunter-gatherer genomes, including new genomic data for 116 individuals from 14 countries in western and central Eurasia, spanning between 35,000 and 5,000 years ago. We identify a genetic ancestry profile in individuals associated with Upper Palaeolithic Gravettian assemblages from western Europe that is distinct from contemporaneous groups related to this archaeological culture in central and southern Europe4, but resembles that of preceding individuals associated with the Aurignacian culture. This ancestry profile survived during the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000 to 19,000 years ago) in human populations from southwestern Europe associated with the Solutrean culture, and with the following Magdalenian culture that re-expanded northeastward after the Last Glacial Maximum. Conversely, we reveal a genetic turnover in southern Europe suggesting a local replacement of human groups around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, accompanied by a north-to-south dispersal of populations associated with the Epigravettian culture. From at least 14,000 years ago, an ancestry related to this culture spread from the south across the rest of Europe, largely replacing the Magdalenian-associated gene pool. After a period of limited admixture that spanned the beginning of the Mesolithic, we find genetic interactions between western and eastern European hunter-gatherers, who were also characterized by marked differences in phenotypically relevant variants.Peer reviewe

La thérapie interstitielle par laser dans le traitement des métastases hépatiques des cancers colorectaux (mise au point sur la technique en 2003, étude et comparaison des fibres optiques)

MONTPELLIER-BU Médecine UPM (341722108) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocMONTPELLIER-BU Médecine (341722104) / SudocSudocFranceF

pH-operated hybrid silica nanoparticles with multiple H-bond stoppers for colon cancer therapy

International audienceThe transport of anticancer molecules by nanoparticles has shown great promise in terms of bioavailability, concentrating drugs in the tumor area and minimizing drug side effects. Here, we report the high efficiency of pH-operated hybrid silica nanocarriers for colon cancer therapy. These silica nanoparticles carry the drugs which are tightly held by cyanuric acid as a new type of stopper. The latter can be autonomously removed upon acidic medium allowing a direct drug release inside the cancer cells. Importantly, the proof of concept was established by ex vivo experiments using primary cell cultures from patient biopsies

Exposure to 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-\u3cem\u3ep\u3c/em\u3e-Dioxin (TCDD) Increases Human Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon that elicits toxicity through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). In the liver, gross markers of TCDD toxicity are attributed to AhR activation in parenchymal hepatocytes. However, less is known regarding the consequences of TCDD treatment on non-parenchymal cells in the liver. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are non-parenchymal cells that store vitamin A when quiescent. Upon liver injury, activated HSCs lose this storage ability and instead function in the development and maintenance of inflammation and fibrosis through the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and collagen type I. Reports that TCDD exposure disrupts hepatic retinoid homeostasis and dysregulates extracellular matrix remodeling in the liver led us to speculate that TCDD treatment may disrupt HSC activity. The human HSC line LX-2 was used to test the hypothesis that TCDD treatment directly activates HSCs. Results indicate that exposure to 10 nM TCDD almost completely inhibited lipid droplet storage in LX-2 cells cultured with retinol and palmitic acid. TCDD treatment also increased LX-2 cell proliferation, expression of a-smooth muscle actin, and production of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), all of which are characteristics of activated HSCs. However, TCDD treatment had no effect on Col1a1 mRNA levels in LX-2 cells stimulated with the potent profibrogenic mediator, transforming growth factor-β. The TCDD-mediated increase in LX-2 cell proliferation, but not MCP-1 production, was abolished when phosphoinositide 3-kinase was inhibited. These results indicate that HSCs are susceptible to direct modulation by TCDD and that TCDD likely increases HSC activation through a multi-faceted mechanism