Superdense massive galaxies in the Nearby Universe

Superdense massive galaxies (r_e~1 kpc; M~10^{11} Msun) were common in the early universe (z>1.5). Within some hierarchical merging scenarios, a non-negligible fraction (1-10%) of these galaxies is expected to survive since that epoch retaining their compactness and presenting old stellar populations in the present universe. Using the NYU Value-Added Galaxy Catalog from the SDSS Data Release 6 we find only a tiny fraction of galaxies (~0.03%) with r_e<1.5 kpc and M_*>8x10^{10} Msun in the local Universe (z<0.2). Surprinsingly, they are relatively young (~2 Gyr) and metal-rich ([Z/H]~0.2). The consequences of these findings within the current two competing size evolution scenarios for the most massive galaxies ("dry" mergers vs "puffing up" due to quasar activity) are discussed.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters; 3 figure

Inicio de la terapia antirretroviral en el paciente VIH a partir de un caso clínico

Nowadays HIV infection has become a potentially treatable disease, although transmission and new diagnosis rates remain high. The majority of patients reach undetectable viral replication rates and have a life expectancy similar to normal population. We present the case of a patient which was admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii and was later diagnosed with HIV infection. According to the latest evidence, early initiation of antiretroviral therapy is the most beneficial and recommended management for patients with HIV diagnosis, not only because of benefits for the patient, but to reduce transmission.En la actualidad, la infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) se considera una enfermedad crónica tratable, en la que se ha conseguido que la mayoría de los pacientes alcancen la supresión virológica y tengan una esperanza de vida equiparable a la de la población general. No obstante, casi la mitad de los nuevos diagnósticos siguen siendo en personas con enfermedad avanzada. Presentamos el caso de un paciente que debutó con una neumonía por Pneumocystis jirovecii y fue diagnosticado de infección por VIH. Según las últimas evidencias, el inicio de la terapia antirretroviral debe ser lo más precoz posible, tanto por los beneficios sobre el paciente como para evitar la transmisión de la infección.

Relationship between soil organic matter and slope steepness in a toposequence of Oxisol in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil

O acúmulo e a estabilidade da matéria orgânica do solo estão relacionados com a declividade de vertentes. Por essa razão, foram avaliadas quantitativamente relações entre a declividade e o grau de humificação de ácidos húmicos, o conteúdo de fragmentos de carvão e suas idades radiocarbônicas. Foram amostrados quatro Latossolos situados nas posições de topo, ombro, meia encosta e sopé de uma toposseqüência com pastagens, de uma área cratônica do Sul de Minas Gerais. Os Latossolos são originados de gnaisses do Complexo Cristalino, da Era Pré-Cambriana, e apresentam regime hídrico údico e regime térmico isotérmico. Foram coletadas amostras de horizontes e sub-horizontes dos quatro perfis, para caracterização química e física, extração de ácidos húmicos e determinação do conteúdo dos radicais livres do tipo semiquinona. Fragmentos de carvão foram coletados nesses mesmos sub-horizontes, para quantificação gravimétrica, avaliação dos teores de C e N e para datações radiocarbônicas. Os resultados deste estudo demonstram que, em toposseqüências de Latossolos do Sul de Minas Gerais, a acumulação e o grau de humificação da matéria orgânica do solo estão fortemente correlacionados com a declividade da vertente, enquanto a quantidade e a idade radiocarbônica de fragmentos de carvão estão relacionadas a processos de gênese dos solos e à posição na vertente.The accumulation and stability of soil organic matter are related to slope steepness. The relationships between steepness and the humification degree of humic acids, the charcoal fragment content and its radiocarbon age were quantitatively evaluated. Four Latosols (Oxisols) of the summit, shoulder, back slope and back/foot slope of a toposequence under pasture in a cratonic area in the southern Minas Gerais state, southwest Brazil, were used. The parent material of the Latosols was gneiss of the Precambrian complex, with an udic hydric regime and isothermic thermic regime. Samples were collected from every horizon and subhorizon of the four Latosols for chemical and physical characterization, humic acid extraction and determination of the semiquinone free radical content. Likewise, charcoal fragments were collected for gravimetric, nitrogen and carbon content quantification and radiocarbon dating. Our results show the close relationship of the accumulation and humification degree of soil organic matter in Latosol landscapes to slope steepness, whereas the quantity and radiocarbon age of charcoal fragments were related to the processes of soil genesis and soil position in the slope.À Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais – FAPEMIG, pelo apoio financeiro para execução de parte deste trabalho. Ao Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento da Instrumentação Agropecuária – CNPDIA/Embrapa, pela realização das análises de EPRS

Reconstitution paléoenvironnementale et paléoclimatique du Pléistocène supérieur ancien (MIS 5a) dans le Centre de l’Espagne : les petits vertébrés (Amphibia, Reptilia & Mammalia) des gisements de Hat et Preresa (sud-est de Madrid

Les gisements archeologiques de Hat et Preresa sont situes respectivement dans les vallees des rivieres Jarama et Manzanares, a environ 6 km l’un de l’autre et a 18 km au sud-est de Madrid. Ils correspondent a des depots de plaines d’inondation ayant conserve les restes d’activites ponctuelles de groupes de neanderthaliens notamment le depecage de carcasses de grands mammiferes il y a environ 80 000 ans. Les assemblages de petits vertebres recuperes lors des campagnes de fouilles de 2001 a Hat et de 2003 a 2005 a Preresa sont composes par des amphibiens (Pelobates cultripes, Pelodytes sp., Bufo bufo, Bufo calamita, Hyla sp. et Pelophylax perezi), des reptiles (Testudinoidea indet., Blanus sp., Timon lepidus, Psammodromus cf. algirus, Natrix maura, Coronella sp. et Vipera latastei) et des petits mammiferes (Erinaceus europaeus, Crocidura russula, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Eliomys quercinus quercinus, Apodemus sp., Cricetulus (Allocricetus) bursae, Arvicola aff. sapidus, Microtus cabrerae, Microtus duodecimcostatus et Oryctolagus cuniculus). Ces deux gisements, d’âge plus ou moins similaire, ont permis de mettre en evidence a la fin du dernier interglaciaire (MIS 5a) et dans le Centre de la peninsule Iberique l’existence d’un climat de type mediterraneen (quatre mois de secheresse durant l’ete et le debut de l’automne) comparable, voire plus chaud que l’actuel avec des precipitations plus abondantes durant les mois d’hiver et de printemps, et d’une continentalite moins prononcee, comme consequence d’une hausse des temperatures hivernales. Ce climat semble avoir ete propice, a l’existence de zones boisees humides, au moins en bordure des fleuves et d’espaces steppiques ou de prairies seches avec arbustes sur les plateaux environnants

A pharmacogenetic intervention for the improvement of the safety profile of antipsychotic treatments

Antipsychotic drugs fail to achieve adequate response in 30-50% of treated patients and about 50% of them develop severe and lasting side effects. Treatment failure results in poorer prognosis with devastating repercussions for the patients, carers and broader society. Our study evaluated the clinical benefits of a pharmacogenetic intervention for the personalisation of antipsychotic treatment. Pharmacogenetic information in key CYP polymorphisms was used to adjust clinical doses in a group of patients who started or switched treatment with antipsychotic drugs (PharmG+, N = 123), and their results were compared with those of a group of patients treated following existing clinical guides (PharmG−, N = 167). There was no evidence of significant differences in side effects between the two arms. Although patients who had their antipsychotic dose adjusted according to CYPs polymorphisms (PharmG+) had a bigger reduction in side effects than those treated as usual (PharmG−), the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05 for all comparisons). However, PharmG+ patients treated with CYP2D6 substrates that were carriers of CYP2D6 UMs or PMs variants showed a significantly higher improvement in global, psychic and other UKU side effects than PharmG− patients (p = 0.02, p = 0.05 and p = 0.01, respectively). PharmG+ clozapine treated patients with CYP1A2 or CYP2C19 UM and PMs variants also showed higher reductions in UKU scores than PharmG− clozapine patients in general. However, those differences were not statistically significant. Pharmacogenetic interventions may improve the safety of antipsychotic treatments by reducing associated side effects. This intervention may be particularly useful when considering treatment with antipsychotics with one major metabolic pathway, and therefore more susceptible to be affected by functional variants of CYP enzymes

Homínidos y hienas en el Calvero de la Higuera (Pinilla del Valle, Madrid) durante el Pleistoceno superior. Resultados preliminares.

Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

Microvertebrados del nuevo yacimiento "Sondeo Galería" del Calvero de la Higuera (Pleistoceno Medio final, Pinilla del Valle, Madrid)

Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

El yacimiento kárstico del Pleistoceno Superior de la Cueva del Camino en el Calvero de la Higuera (Pinilla del Valle, Madrid)

Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu