Crustaceans and Marine Heterobranchia: A New Symbiotic Relationship in the Mediterranean Sea

The "solar-powered" Elysia timida (Risso, 1818) is an endemic Mediterranean sacoglossan living in rocky substrates at shallow water. During a scuba dive, one E. timida was photographed and collected. The observation revealed the presence of a small crustacean of the Pinnotheridae family. It was not possible to assign the crustacean to a genus, but it shares typical ecological and external morphological features with other Pinnotherinae species. This is the first report of a pea crab hosted by a non-shelled Heterobranchia and the first case of a symbiotic association between crustaceans and marine Heterobranchia reported in the Mediterranean Sea

NEW FRONTIERS IN THE COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT OF AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS: BRAIN COMPUTER INTERFACE AND EYE TRACKING

Background: Over the last 20 years, cognitive and behavioural alterations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have been recognized as an integral part of the disease. A proportion of patients present with a full-blown frontotemporal dementia syndrome, while selective cognitive changes are more commonly found, especially regarding frontal-executive abilities. Moreover, recent studies have highlighted a broader cognitive involvement in this population, concerning language and social cognition. Despite the increased awareness of ALS as a multisystem disorder and the importance of an accurate cognitive evaluation of these patients, the traditional neuropsychological \u2018paper and pencil\u2019 tools do not compensate for patients\u2019 physical disability and can not be adequately used in the moderate-advanced stages of the disease. Objective: To investigate the use of P300-based Brain Computer Interface (BCI) and Eye Tracking (ET) technology for the administration of motor-verbal free cognitive measures in ALS. Materials and Methods: 34 patients diagnosed with ALS and 30 healthy subjects have been recruited. All participants underwent the BCI and ET-based neuropsychological assessment, together with three traditional cognitive screening tools (Frontal Assessment Battery - FAB; Montreal Cognitive Assessment \u2013 MoCA; Working Memory subtest of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia), two psychological questionnaires (Beck Depression Inventory - BDI; State-Trate Anxiety Inventory - STAI-Y) and a usability questionnaire. For patients, also respiratory examination was performed, and the Frontal Behavioural Inventory - FBI was carried out with caregivers. Results: Significant correlations were observed between the traditional cognitive measures and the BCI- and ET-based neuropsychological assessment, mainly concerning accuracy and time-related variables in the ALS patients sample. Patients provided comparable rates than controls with regard to the BCI and ET usability. Conclusions: The developed motor-verbal free neuropsychological battery allows a longitudinal cognitive assessment during the course of the disease, also when traditional measures are not fully administrable, providing relevant information for clinical practice and ethical issues. Further work will be aimed at refining the developed system and enlarging the cognitive spectrum investigated

Bulk Properties of Liquids and Molecular Properties in Liquids from a Combination of Quantum Chemical Calculations and Classical Simulations

In the first Column of this series we presented an introduction to the title subject including a historical background and some educational aspects. Here, we show how to calculate bulk properties of liquids without claiming to be comprehensive. The next Column will end the cycle with an introduction to the calculation of solvent effects on nuclear and molecular properties

El conflicto con el campo de 2008 en Argentina:: reactivación y desplazamiento del clivaje peronismo-antiperonismo

From a discursive point of view of political cleavages, this work analyzes speeches of the actors involved in the rural crisis in Argentina in 2008. This paper shows evidence of the survival and displacement of cleavage Peronism-anti-Peronism as a structuring element that generates sense in these circumstances. We observe that persistence not only in terms and actors that refer to that traditional dichotomy, but also in the contamination of this cleavage on new spaces and subjects. Additionally, we recognize that the cleavage emerges not as a repetition of itself, but as its reformulation in novel terms.Partiendo de una mirada discursiva de los clivajes políticos, este trabajo analiza los discursos de los actores intervinientes en la crisis del campo en la Argentina en el año 2008. A través de ellos se evidencia la pervivencia y el desplazamiento del clivaje peronismo-antiperonismo como elemento estructurador y generador de sentido en dicha coyuntura. Observamos la persistencia no solo de vocablos y actores que remiten a aquella tradicional dicotomía, sino además la contaminación del clivaje sobre nuevos espacios y sujetos que comienzan a estar atravesados por esta lógica. Asimismo, detectamos que el clivaje emerge pero no como una repetición de sí mismo sino que aparece reformulado en términos novedosos. &nbsp

Afatinib efficacy against squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck cell lines in vitro and in vivo.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors have demonstrated efficacy in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). In addition to EGFR, other ErbB family members are expressed and activated in SCCHN. Afatinib is an ErbB family blocker that has been approved for treating patients with EGFR-mutated nonsmall cell lung cancer. We sought to determine the efficacy of afatinib in preclinical models and compare this to other EGFR-targeted agents. Afatinib efficacy was characterized in a panel of ten SCCHN cell lines and found to be most effective against cell lines amplified for EGFR. Afatinib had lower IC(50) values than did gefitinib against the same panel. Two EGFR-amplified cell lines that are resistant to gefitinib are sensitive to afatinib. Cetuximab was not found to have a synergistic effect with afatinib either in vitro or in vivo. Both afatinib and cetuximab were effective in tumor xenograft model. Afatinib is an effective agent in SCCHN especially in models with EGFR amplification

La persistencia del clivaje peronismo-antiperonismo en el marco de la discusión por el Matrimonio Igualitario en Argentina

En el año 2010 en la Argentina se sancionó el matrimonio igualitario. Las múltiples investigaciones referidas a las discusiones acontecidas por aquellos días no han reparado lo suficiente en la importancia que el clivaje peronismo antiperonismo tuvo para dar forma a los posicionamientos de los actores respecto a la ley. El presente trabajo apunta precisamente a evidenciar la centralidad que dicha fractura tuvo por aquellos días mostrando su persistencia y también sus nuevos anclajes que posibilitaron su desplazamiento y singulares articulaciones. A través de una mirada ubicada en la teoría política del discurso observamos a partir de la agrupación Putos Peronistas y de las intervenciones de los Diputados y Senadores en el Congreso el carácter sobredeterminado del significante peronismo y sus corrimientos

El gran clivaje argentino. Los años kirchneristas como una reactualización del clivaje peronismo-antiperonismo

La presente investigación se propone repensar en clave posfundacionalista la tradicional categoría de clivajes políticos y a partir de ello analizar la experiencia vivida por Argentina durante el kirchnerismo como una reactivación y desplazamiento del histórico clivaje peronismo antiperonismo. Apuntamos a mostrar el carácter descentrado y sobredeterminado de todo clivaje y desde allí evidenciar los modos en que tanto el peronismo como el antiperonismo emergen en la contemporaneidad como lenguajes antagónicos disponibles al que los actores apelan para dar sentido a sus actos pero al que simultáneamente también desplazan.Fil: Chavez Solca, Fernando Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad; Argentin

Acquired resistance of pancreatic cancer cells to treatment with gemcitabine and HER-inhibitors is accompanied by increased sensitivity to STAT3 inhibition

Drug-resistance is a major contributing factor for the poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer. We have shown previously that the irreversible ErbB family blocker afatinib, is more effective than the reversible EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib in inhibiting the growth of human pancreatic cancer cells. The aim of this study was to develop human pancreatic cancer cell (BxPc3) variants with acquired resistance to treatment with gemcitabine, afatinib, or erlotinib, and to investigate the molecular changes that accompany the acquisition of a drug-resistant phenotype. We also investigated the therapeutic potential of various agents in the treatment of such drug-resistant variants. Three variant forms of BxPc3 cells with acquired resistance to gemcitabine (BxPc3GEM), afatinib (BxPc3AFR) or erlotinib (BxPc3OSIR) were developed following treatment with increasing doses of such drugs. The expression level, mutational and phosphorylation status of various growth factor receptors and downstream cell signaling molecules were determined by FACS, human phopsho-RTK array, and western blot analysis while the sulforhodamine B assay was used for determining the effect of various agents on the growth of such tumours. We found that all three BxPc3 variants with acquired resistance to gemcitabine (BxPc3GEM), afatinib (BxPc3AFR) or erlotinib (BxPc3OSIR) also become less sensitive to treatment with the two other agents. Acquisition of resistance to these agents was accompanied by upregulation of p-c-MET, p-STAT3, CD44, increased autocrine production of EGFR ligand amphiregulin and differential activation status of EGFR tyrosine residues as well as downregulation of total and p-SRC. Of all therapeutic interventions examined, including the addition of an anti-EGFR antibody ICR62, an anti-CD44 monoclonal antibody, and of STAT3 or c-MET inhibitors, only treatment with the STAT3 inhibitor Stattic produced a higher growth inhibitory effect in all three drug-resistant variants. In addition, treatment with a combination of afatinib with either c-MET inhibitor Crizotinib or Stattic resulted in an additive or synergistic growth inhibition in all three variants. Our results suggest that activation of STAT3 may play an important role in the acquisition of resistance to gemcitabine and HER inhibitors in pancreatic cancer and warrant further studies on the therapeutic potential of STAT3 inhibitors in such a setting

The rural conflict of 2008 in Argentina: reactivation and displacement of cleavage Peronismanti-Peronism

Partiendo de una mirada discursiva de los clivajes políticos, este trabajo analiza los discursos de los actores intervinientes en la crisis del campo en la Argentina en el año 2008. A través de ellos se evidencia la pervivencia y el desplazamiento del clivaje peronismo-antiperonismo como elemento estructurador y generador de sentido en dicha coyuntura. Observamos la persistencia no solo de vocablos y actores que remiten a aquella tradicional dicotomía, sino además la contaminación del clivaje sobre nuevos espacios y sujetos que comienzan a estar atravesados por esta lógica. Asimismo, detectamos que el clivaje emerge, pero no como una repetición de sí mismo, sino que aparece reformulado en términos novedosos.From a discursive point of view of political cleavages, this work analyzes speeches of the actors involved in the rural crisis in Argentina in 2008. This paper shows evidence of the survival and displacement of cleavage Peronism-antiPeronism as a structuring element that generates sense in these circumstances. We observe that persistence not only in terms and actors that refer to that traditional dichotomy, but also in the contamination of this cleavage on new spaces and subjects. Additionally, we recognize that the cleavage emerges not as a repetition of itself, but as its reformulation in novel terms.Fil: Chavez Solca, Fernando Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Sobre Cultura y Sociedad. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Económicas | Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Sobre Cultura y Sociedad. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Económicas; Argentin