A global marine sedimentary response to the end-Permian mass extinction: Examples from southern Turkey and the western United States

The end-Permian mass extinction greatly diminished marine diversity and brought about a whole-scale restructuring of marine ecosystems; these ecosystem changes also profoundly affected the sedimentary record. Data presented here, attained through facies analyses of strata deposited during the immediate aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction (southern Turkey) and at the close of the Early Triassic (southwestern United States), in combination with a literature review, show that sedimentary systems were profoundly affected by: (1) a reduction in biotic diversity and abundance and (2) long-term environmental fluctuations that resulted from the end-Permian crisis. Lower Triassic strata display widespread microbialite and carbonate seafloor fan development and contain indicators of suppressed infaunal bioturbation such as flat-pebble conglomerates and wrinkle structures (facies considered unusual in post-Cambrian subtidal deposits). Our observations suggest that depositional systems, too, respond to biotic crises, and that certain facies may act as barometers of ecologic and environmental change independent of fossil assemblage analyses. Close investigation of facies changes during other critical times in Earth history may serve as an important tool in interpreting the ecology of metazoans and their environment.

Neuronal nicotinic receptors as new targets foramphetamine-induced oxidative damage and neurotoxicity

Amphetamine derivatives such as methamphetamine (METH) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) are drugs widely abused in a recreational context. This has led to concern because of the evidence that they are neurotoxic in animal models and cognitive impairments have been described in heavy abusers. The main targets of these drugs are plasmalemmal and vesicular monoamine transporters, leading to reverse transport and increased monoamine efflux to the synapse. As far as neurotoxicity is concerned, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production seems to be one of the main causes. Recent research has demonstrated that blockade of 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) inhibits METH- and MDMA-induced ROS production in striatal synaptosomes which is dependent on calcium and on NO-synthase activation. Moreover, 7 nAChR antagonists (methyllycaconitine and memantine) attenuated in vivo the neurotoxicity induced by METH and MDMA, and memantine prevented the cognitive impairment induced by these drugs. Radioligand binding experiments demonstrated that both drugs have affinity to 7 and heteromeric nAChR, with MDMA showing lower Ki values, while fluorescence calcium experiments indicated that MDMA behaves as a partial agonist on 7 and as an antagonist on heteromeric nAChR. Sustained Ca increase led to calpain and caspase-3 activation. In addition, modulatory effects of MDMA on 7 and heteromeric nAChR populations have been found.

Control del paciente hipertenso en la clínica odontológica

La hipertensión es la enfermedad cardiovascular más frecuente. En la consulta dental puede detectarse primariamente y referirla para su correcto manejo. La monitorización rutinaria de la presión sanguínea y la valoración de los factores de riesgo con una completa anamnesis puede ayudar a prevenir las emergencias médicas durante el tratamiento dental en pacientes insuficientemente o no tratados y la mortalidad y morbilidad de alteraciones como la insuficiencia renal o el fallo cardíaco, también pueden ser reducidas a través de la detección temprana de dicha alteración.

Yellow and purple nutsedges survey in the southeastern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

A survey of 79 fields was conducted between December 1993 and January 1994, to determine the distribution and relative importance of species of the genus Cyperus, to justify developing management strategies in the southeastern of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Yellow and purple nutsedge were found in 43% and 9% respectively of the surveyed fields. Thirty eight per cent of the surveyed area showed a heavy infestation of yellow nutsedge, and in 90% of cases yellow nutsedge was invading fields cultivated with summer crops and associated with one or more of other seven perennial weeds, mainly bermudagrass.

Generation of biological association networks: A novel strategy to detect new targets in cancer therapy

The aim of this work was to design a novel strategy to detect new targets for anticancer treatments. The rationale was to build Biological Association Networks from differentially expressed genes in drug-resistant cells to identify important nodes within the Networks. These nodes may represent putative targets to attack in cancer therapy, as a way to destabilize the gene network developed by the resistant cells to escape from the drug pressure. As a model we used cells resistant to methotrexate (MTX), an inhibitor of DHFR. Selected node-genes were analyzed at the transcriptional level and from a genotypic point of view. In colon cancer cells, DHFR, the AKR1 family, PKC¿, S100A4, DKK1, and CAV1 were overexpressed while E-cadherin was lost. In breast cancer cells, the UGT1A family was overexpressed, whereas EEF1A1 was overexpressed in pancreatic cells. Interference RNAs directed against these targets sensitized cells towards MTX.

Parenteesit ja nouseva sävelkulku keskustelun kielioppiin

Väitöksenalkajaisesitelmä Helsingin yliopistossa 11. huhtikuuta 2003

Discriminación salarial de género y pobreza en Cataluña

Este trabajo analiza los beneficios de la eliminación de la discriminación salarial de género en la erradicación de la pobreza en Cataluña. A partir de los datos de la Encuesta de Condiciones de Vida (ECV) para el periodo entre 2005 y 2009, calculamos una distribución contrafactual de los ingresos de los hogares en la que las mujeres son remuneradas por suscaracterísticas igual que los hombres. Los resultados nos permiten predecir una reducción del riesgo de pobreza para el conjunto de la población catalana de entre un 1,5 y un 2%, siendo los niños (y especialmente los adolescentes) algunos de los colectivos más beneficiados. A la luz de los resultados, argumentamos que las medidas que intentan igualar la posición de las mujeres y los hombres en el mercado de trabajo, deberían contemplarse como una política más de lucha contra la pobreza

Poverty and living arrangements among youth in Spain, 1980-2005

One of the most relevant demographic events in Spain from a recent historical perspective was the baby boom of the 1960s and 1970s. The “adapting to circumstances” of these generations of youth and their families through delayed emancipation and childbearing has been key in preventing a decline in their economic status. The results show that the reduction of the poverty risk among non-emancipated youth for the period 1980-2005 is explained by the fact that an increasing number of young Spaniards live with two employed parents. Thus, emancipation delay is found most in those families that can best afford it. Furthermore, the salaries of young workers remaining in the parental home have become an important factor in reducing their family poverty risk. On the other hand, fertility decline is readily explained by the economic difficulties young couples encounter in sustaining their offspring

Host and viral genetic correlates of clinical definitions of HIV-1 disease progression.

Background: Various patterns of HIV-1 disease progression are described in clinical practice and in research. There is a need to assess the specificity of commonly used definitions of long term non-progressor (LTNP) elite controllers (LTNP-EC), viremic controllers (LTNP-VC), and viremic non controllers (LTNP-NC), as well as of chronic progressors (P) and rapid progressors (RP). Methodology and Principal Findings: We re-evaluated the HIV-1 clinical definitions, summarized in Table 1, using the information provided by a selected number of host genetic markers and viral factors. There is a continuous decrease of protective factors and an accumulation of risk factors from LTNP-EC to RP. Statistical differences in frequency of protective HLA-B alleles (p-0.01), HLA-C rs9264942 (p-0.06), and protective CCR5/CCR2 haplotypes (p-0.02) across groups, and the presence of viruses with an ancestral genotype in the "viral dating" (i.e., nucleotide sequences with low viral divergence from the most recent common ancestor) support the differences among principal clinical groups of HIV-1 infected individuals. Conclusions: A combination of host genetic and viral factors supports current clinical definitions that discriminate among patterns of HIV-1 progression. The study also emphasizes the need to apply a standardized and accepted set of clinical definitions for the purpose of disease stratification and research.

Uniformes quemados : El Síndrome del Burnout en el cuerpo de policía de Mossos d’Esquadra

El objeto de estudio de la presente investigación es el Síndrome del Burnout. Este fenómeno representa un sentimiento de estrés laboral que se cronifica con el tiempo y que desemboca en una de las tres dimensiones propias del burnout o, en el peor de los casos, en un cúmulo de éstas: el agotamiento emocional, la despersonalización (o cinismo) y la realización personal. Una de las profesiones que ha sido analizada por diversos investigadores, sobre todo en el contexto anglosajón, por el riesgo que tiene de sufrir burnout y por las graves consecuencias que se derivan de éste, es la policía. En el presente trabajo se analiza este fenómeno en el contexto catalán, dentro del cuerpo de Mossos d'Esquadra y, en concreto, en tres de sus unidades de trabajo, que se hallan enormemente diferenciadas entre sí. A partir de dicha investigación se podrá ver la prevalencia del fenómeno en este contexto, los factores concretos que afectan a la aparición del mismo y las consecuencias más visibles que genera; además de las correlaciones resultantes del análisis de las variables estudiadas. Todo ello servirá de cara a una futura prevención del problema para poder mejorar el servicio público que es la policía.