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Marine forests are key providers of ecosystem services globally with increasing recognition of their relevance in the context of climate adaptation and mitigation. Along the Southeast Pacific, these forests sustain productive and intricate trophic webs, serving as crucial sustenance for coastal systems and subsidies for deeper habitats. This study aimed to estimate the contribution of Lessonia trabeculata to the local blue carbon pathways within the southern sector of the largest coastal protected area in Peru, Reserva Nacional San Fernando (RNSF). By integrating remote sensing, scientific diving, and the traditional knowledge of artisanal divers, we conducted a comprehensive assessment and conservative estimates of carbon captured by these forests during the austral winter of 2021 using the least destructive assessment methods. We conservatively estimated ~1300 t C captured as standing stock by L. trabeculata in the southern sector of RNSF. Said biomass-held carbon assimilation would annually release ~1300 t C m2 y-1 as detritus, of which, once exported could potentially yield to ~130 t C m2 y-1 sequestered in deep-sea sediments. Detrital productivity of L. trabeculata was calculated for the first time in Peru, along with the social and environmental cost of emissions equivalent to the amount of carbon captured (855.8k US$) and potentially removed by the standing stock (85.7k US$). In addition, we present an overview of the conservation state of the kelp population in the coastal protected area, along with allometric equations for estimating biomass based on biometric measurements easily attainable underwater. This study represents the continuation of a pioneering effort towards the understanding of blue carbon in marine forests of Peru. Our study contributes to advancing the understanding and management of these ecosystems in the face of climate challenges. The implications for the rapidly growing blue carbon field in the region's socioecological context are further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrating mudbanks are characteristic features of the vast Amazon-Guianas coastline along Northeastern South America. As illustrated by sites in French Guiana, consolidating mudflats that periodically transition to mangrove forest are permeated by extensive crustacean burrow systems, sometimes in isolation but more often in close association with morpho-sedimentary structures such as tidal pools and channels. Burrow structures are critical to mangrove growth. In this study, we evaluated the ways in which burrows act as complex conduits that plumb deposits for solute exchange with overlying water. We sampled burrows during low tide when irrigation is inhibited and burrow water rapidly becomes anoxic. The products of diagenetic reactions, for example: NH4+, N2, and Si(OH)4, build up with time, revealing sedimentary reaction rates and fluxes. When oxygenated, burrow walls are zones of intense coupled redox reactions such as nitrification-denitrification. Build-up often is lower in burrows connected directly to tidal pools where photosynthetic activity consumes remineralized nutrients, and burrows can remain periodically irrigated at low tide. During flood, burrows, particularly those that connect tidal pools laterally to channels, can be rapidly flushed and oxygenated as channel water rises and then spreads across flats. Burrow flushing produces enhanced concentrations of nutrients within the leading edge of the flood as seawater moves progressively towards and into adjacent mangroves. Estimates of burrow volumes obtained from drone surveys together with burrow solute production rates allow upscaling of burrow-sourced metabolite fluxes; however, these are extremely variable due to variable burrow geometries, connections between burrows, pools, and channels, and burrow water residence times (oxygenation). The flushing of burrows during flood results in a rectification of sediment-water fluxes shoreward and enhances the delivery of nutrients from the flats into adjacent mangroves and pools, presumably stimulating colonization and forest growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anxiety is very pertinent to systemic family therapy (SFT), however, there is little research that seeks to understand people's experiences with anxiety symptoms and how they impact people's lives and relationships. The aim of this study was to examine the trending hashtag #ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike—a commonly used hashtag related to anxiety—to look more closely at how users talk about their anxiety symptoms on Twitter and how these symptoms influence people's interactions and relationships with others. We used a qualitative thematic analysis to analyze 1318 relational tweets posted with this hashtag that occurred between February 2017 and February 2018 and uncover themes related to experiences with anxiety. The analysis revealed six core themes: (a) deflated self in relation to others and their perceptions; (b) fear, worry and avoidance behaviors that influence relationships; (c) negative emotional responses leading to feeling misunderstood, lonely, and like a failure; (d) social triggers; (e) anxiety management strategies; and (f) things for others to avoid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burrow characteristics and bioturbation activities of benthic organisms play a key role in mangrove ecosystem biogeochemical and sedimentary functioning. In this study, we aimed to understand how small-scale topographic variations in a mud bank might influence burrow morphology and distribution in a French Guiana pioneer mangrove system (Sinnamary estuary), and to upscale spatial patterns using remote sensing. We used burrow resin casting and sediment conductivity measurements to depict subsurface 3D burrow structures. We found that the spatial heterogeneity of burrow sizes (small, medium, large) and morphologies (simple I- and J-shape, complex geometries) depended on the geomorphic units within mudflats (platform, channel, depression). The aperture areas of burrow casts were used to predict the volume and complexity of each burrow type, enabling us to use drone-derived burrow opening distribution maps to calculate burrow volumes and complexity at the mudflat scale. There are clear associations between tidal channels and depressions and voluminous, multi-aperture, complex and multi-species burrows. In contrast, simple I- and J-shaped burrows inhabited by single species were mainly found on platforms. These relationships lead to a comparatively large volume of tidal-irrigated and deeply aerated sediments connected to channels and depressions compared to platform areas. We suggest that, depending on their morphology and connectivity with the topography, burrows may exhibit differences in biogeochemical functioning depending on the geomorphic unit. We warn against generalizing the functioning of mangrove ecosystems across geomorphic units where impacts may differ. Further studies are needed to understand how different burrow morphologies and life cycles may alter hydrological, sedimentary and biogeochemical functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MASLD can manifest as hepatocellular damage, which can result in mild elevation of aminotransferases. However, in some patients, MASLD presents with cholestatic pattern. Objective: To assess the impact of the biochemical pattern on the natural course of MASLD, including liver damage in histology, the accuracy of non-invasive tests(NITs), and prognosis. Methods: Multicenter study enrolling 2156 patients with biopsy-proven MASLD, who were classified based on their[ALT/ULN)]/[(ALP/ULN)] levels at the time of biopsy: (a) hepatocellular pattern(H), > 5; (b) mixed pattern(M),2–5; (c) cholestatic pattern(C), < 2. Outcomes: (a) histological evaluation of the single components of NAS, MASH, and fibrosis; (b) NITs and transient elastography assessing advanced fibrosis; (c) prognosis determined by the appearance of decompensated cirrhosis and death. Results: Out of the 2156 patients, 22.9% exhibited the H-pattern, whilst 31.7% exhibited the C-pattern. Severe steatosis, ballooning, lobular inflammation, and MASH (56.4% H vs. 41.9% M vs. 31.9% C) were more common in H-pattern (p = 0.0001),whilst C-pattern was linked to cirrhosis (5.8% H vs. 5.6% M vs. 10.9% C; p = 0.0001). FIB-4(0.74(95% CI 0.69–0.79) vs. 0.83 (95% CI 0.80–0.85); p = 0.005) and Hepamet Fibrosis Score(0.77 (95% CI 0.69–0.85) vs. 0.84 (95% CI 0.80–0.87); p = 0.044)exhibited lower AUROCs in the H-pattern. The C-pattern[HR 2.37 (95% CI 1.12–5.02); p = 0.024], along with age, diabetes, and cirrhosis were independently associated with mortality. Most patients maintained their initial biochemical pattern during the second evaluation. Conclusions: The H-pattern exhibited greater necro-inflammation in the histology than the C-pattern, whereas the latter showed more cirrhosis. The accuracy of NITs in detecting fibrosis was decreased in H-pattern. The occurrence of decompensated events and mortality was predominant in C-pattern. Therefore, identifying MASLD phenotypes based on the biochemical presentation could be relevant for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The prognostic utility and biological correlates of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a potential biomarker of the balance between immune response and the inflammatory status, are still uncertain in breast cancer (BC). Methods: We analysed a cohort of 959 women with early breast cancer, mostly treated with neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy. Clinical and pathological data, survival, NLR (continuous and categorical) and stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (sTIL) were evaluated. Results: NLR was only weakly associated with Ki67, while no association was found for grade, histology, immunohistochemical subtype or stage. Lymphocyte infiltration of the tumor did not correlate with NLR (Rho: 0.05, p = 0.30). These results were similar in the whole group and across the different BC subtypes, with no differences in triple negative BC. Relapse free interval (RFI), breast cancer specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) changed according to pre-treatment NLR neither in the univariate nor in the multivariate Cox models (RFI: HR 0.948, p = 0.61; BCSS: HR 0.920, p = 0.57; OS: HR 0.96, p = 0.59). Conclusion: These results question the utility of NLR as a prognostic biomarker in early breast cancer and suggest the lack of correlation of NLR with tumor microenvironment immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Campylobacter fetus spp. is a bacterium associated to reproductive losses in cattle worldwide. It is a venereal infectious disease known as bovine campilobacteriosis, with high impact mainly in countries with extensive production systems. Here, we show pathogenesis and diagnostic methods for Campylobacter fetus detection in cervico-vaginal mucus (CVM) samples from heifers experimentally infected and field cases from herds with low reproductive performance by campylobacteriosis infection. Bacterial culture, direct immunofluorescence test and qPCR were used as diagnostic methods to evaluate detection of C. fetus. In the experimental model 30 Aberdeen Angus and crossbred heifers and 4 Aberdeen Angus bulls for natural mating were assigned to 3 groups experimentally challenged with C. fetus subsp. fetus (Cff), C. fetus subsps venerealis (Cfv) and C. fetus subsp venerealis biovar intermedius (Cfvi), respectively, and a negative control group, all followed for 9 months. Also, field samples of CVM and aborted fetuses were recollected from seven beef cattle farms. Bacteriological culture had the higher C. fetus detection rate in CVM being the most appropriate, followed by qPCR (with commercial extraction DNA kit), direct immunofluorescence test and qPCR (with in-house extraction DNA method), in both, experimental model and field cases. From experimental model after natural mating, 62.5% and 25% heifers got pregnant from Cff and Cfvi groups, respectively, while from Cfv no pregnancy was detected. The strain more frequently detected was Cfvi, followed by Cff and Cfv. Colonization of Cff in female genital tract with high number of carriers and presence in aborted fetuses was evidenced, suggesting a high risk to bovine reproductive health. Bacteriemia was not detected after genital infection. Given the low detection rate of either test, we suggest the use of both, PCR based methods and bacterial culture could result in higher detection rate in farms with endemic campylobacteriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using social networks (SNs) inappropriately can lead to psychological problems. The objective of this study was to develop a new measuring instrument of problematic use of SNs. The sample comprised 1003 participants over 18 years old (M = 42.33; SD = 14.32). Exploratory factor analysis was performed with a randomly selected 30% of the sample, and confirmatory factor analysis with the remaining 70%. The reliability of the instrument was estimated, and evidence of validity in relation to the variables—anxiety, depression and satisfaction with life—was obtained. The new scale demonstrated a two-dimensional structure (GFI =0.99; RMSEA= 0.06), with one factor of negative social comparison (α = 0.94) and another of addictive consequences (α = 0.91). Clear evidence of validity related to other variables was found. The new scale demonstrated good psychometric properties. The advantage of this questionnaire is that it assesses not only excessive use but also social comparison through SNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term effects on academic self-concept of grade retention are unclear. The objective is to examine the progression of academic self-concept in relation to school performance for retained students and non-retained students. The academic self-concept of 5712 students (1381 retained students) was evaluated at the fourth and eighth grade of compulsory school. Academic performance was also examined at a third point: sixth grade. Latent Class Analysis and Latent Transition Analysis were used to examine the transitions between the latent groups of academic self-concept. A BCH-LTA estimation for a distal outcomes was used to examine the influence of academic self-concept on school performance. Three latent groups of academic self-concept were identified. The transitions indicated a reduction in academic self-concept over time which was greater in retained students. School performance fell over time and was related to academic self-concept. These findings have significant implications in relation to grade retention and its negative impact on students' academic self-concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy states that Experiential Avoidance contributes to the development of psychological issues. The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II measures Experiential Avoidance. The objective of the current study is to perform a validation of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II in the general Spanish population. A sample of 964 participants from all over Spain was used (M = 43.43 years; SD = 15.27). The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were examined according to Classical Test Theory. In addition, assessments were made of participants' personality, Emotional Intelligence, Anxiety, and Depression, and the influence of sex and age on Experiential Avoidance was examined. The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II is a unidimensional instrument, with excellent reliability (α =.93) and adequate evidence of validity. Differences were observed based on sex, with women scoring higher, and based on age, with lower scores in the older age groups. The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II is a valid, reliable instrument for use in the general Spanish population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive technique used to obtain the electrical internal conductivity distribution from the interior of bodies. This is a promising method from the manufacturing viewpoint, since it could be used to estimate different physical inner body properties during the production of goods. Nevertheless, this technique requires dealing with an inverse problem that makes its usage in real-time processes challenging. Recently, Machine Learning techniques have been proposed to solve the inverse problem accurately. However, the majority of prior research is focused on qualitative results, and they typically lack a systematic methodology to determine the optimal hyperparameters appropriately. This work presents a systematic comparison of six popular Machine Learning algorithms: Artificial Neural Network, Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbors, Elastic Net, Ada Boost, and Gradient Boosting. Particularly, the last two algorithms were based on decision tree learners. Furthermore, we studied the relationship between model performance and different EIT configurations. Specifically, we analyzed whether the measurement pattern and the number of used electrodes could increase the model performance. Experiments revealed that tree-based models present high performance, even better than Neural Networks, the most widely-used Machine Learning model to deal with EIT. Experiments also showed a model performance improvement when the EIT configuration was optimized. Most favorable metrics were attained using the tree-based Gradient Boosting model with a combination of both adjacent and mono measurement patterns as well as with 32 electrodes deployed during the tomographic process. With this particular setting, we achieved an accuracy of 99.14% detecting internal artifacts and a Root Mean Square Error of 4.75 predicting internal conductivity distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase I (Tdp1) hydrolyzes phosphodiester-linked adducts from both ends of DNA. This includes the topoisomerase I (TOP1)-DNA covalent reaction intermediate that is the target of the camptothecin class of chemotherapeutics. Tdp1 two-step catalysis is centered on the formation of a Tdp1-DNA covalent complex (Tdp1cc) using two catalytic histidines. Here, we examined the role of the understudied, structurally undefined, and poorly conserved N-terminal domain (NTD) of Tdp1 in context of full-length protein in its ability to remove TOP1cc in cells. Using toxic Tdp1 mutants, we observed that the NTD is critical for Tdp1's ability to remove TOP1-DNA adducts in yeast. Full-length and N-terminal truncated Tdp1 mutants showed similar expression levels and cellular distribution yet an inversed TOP1-dependent toxicity. Single turnover catalysis was significantly different between full-length and truncated catalytic mutants but not wild-type enzyme, suggesting that Tdp1 mutants depend on the NTD for catalysis. These observations suggest that the NTD plays a critical role in the regulation of Tdp1 activity and interaction with protein-DNA adducts such as TOP1cc in cells. We propose that the NTD is a regulatory domain and coordinates stabilization of the DNA-adducted end within the catalytic pocket to access the phosphodiester linkage for hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health literacy (MHL) training is essential in college environments. These programs are commonly delivered in-person via workshops or for-credit courses. Campuses now seek high-quality online options. We compare the effectiveness of a for-credit MHL course against a comparison course, focusing on whether online asynchronous delivery was as effective as in-person synchronous delivery. This quasi-experimental pretest/posttest treatment/comparison study included 1049 participants across five semesters (pre-COVID-19) who were 18 years or older and self-selected enrollment in a Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy (MHAA) course (treatment; n = 474) or a general lifespan development course (comparison; n = 575). Using linear mixed effect modeling, changes in MHL were compared across groups and across online/in-person modalities. Students in the treatment group significantly increased their MHL knowledge (βIdentifying =.49, p <.001; βLocating =.32, p <.001; βResponding =.46, p <.001) and self-efficacy (β =.27, p <.001), and treatment effects did not differ across modalities. With increased concern regarding mental health issues of isolated college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study supports the efficacy of delivering MHL courses online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production of high density lipoprotein (HDL) requires ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) to drive phospholipid (PL) from the plasma membrane into extracellular apolipoprotein A-I. Here, we use simulations to show that domains of ABCA1 within the plasma membrane remove PL from the membrane's outer leaflet. In our simulations, after the lipid diffuses into the interior of ABCA1's outward-open cavity, PL extracted by the gateway passes through a ring-shaped domain, the annulus orifice, which forms the base of an elongated hydrophobic tunnel in the transporter's extracellular domain. Engineered mutations in the gateway and annulus strongly inhibit lipid export by ABCA1 without affecting cell-surface expression levels. Our finding that ABCA1 extracts lipid from the outer face of the plasma membrane and forces it through its gateway and annulus into an elongated hydrophobic tunnel contrasts with the alternating access model, which proposes that ABCA1 flops PL substrate from the inner leaflet to the outer leaflet of the membrane. Consistent with our model, ABCA1 lacks the charged amino acid residues in the transmembrane domain found in the floppase members of the ABC transporter family. ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) drives phospholipid (PL) from the plasma membrane into extracellular apolipoprotein A-I, for the production of high density lipoprotein (HDL). Here, the authors use simulations to assess the mechanism of ABCA1 function and show that ABCA1 extracts lipid from the outer face of the plasma membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, one of the most novel topics in Deep Learning (DL) is explored: Visual Question Answering (VQA). This research area uses three of the most important fields in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automatically provide natural language answers for questions that a user can ask about an image. These fields are: 1) Computer Vision (CV), 2) Natural Language Processing (NLP) and 3) Knowledge Representation & Reasoning (KR&R). Initially, a review of the state of art in VQA and our contributions to it are discussed. Then, we build upon the ideas provided by Pythia, which is one of the most outstanding approaches. Therefore, a study of the Pythia's architecture is carried out with the aim of presenting varied enhancements with respect to the original proposal in order to fine-tune models using a bag of tricks. Several training strategies are compared to increase the global accuracy and understand the limitations associated with VQA models. Extended results check the impact of the different tricks over our enhanced architecture, jointly with additional qualitative results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical, aptamer-based (E-AB) sensors uniquely enable reagentless, reversible, and continuous molecular monitoring in biological fluids. Because of this ability, E-AB sensors have been proposed for therapeutic drug monitoring. However, to achieve translation from the bench to the clinic, E-AB sensors should ideally operate reliably and continuously for periods of days. Instead, because these sensors are typically fabricated on gold surfaces via self-assembly of alkanethiols that are prone to desorption from electrode surfaces, they undergo significant signal losses in just hours. To overcome this problem, our group is attempting to migrate E-AB sensor interfaces away from thiol-on-gold assembly towards stronger covalent bonds. Here, we explore the modification of carbon electrodes as an alternative substrate for E-AB sensors. We investigated three strategies to functionalize carbon surfaces: (I) anodization to generate surface carboxylic groups, (II) electrografting of arenediazonium ions, and (III) electrografting of primary aliphatic amines. Our results indicate that electrografting of primary aliphatic amines is the only strategy achieving monolayer organization and packing densities closely comparable to those obtained by alkanethiols on gold. In addition, the resulting monolayers enable covalent tethering of DNA aptamers and support electrochemical sensing of small molecule targets or complimentary DNA strands. These monolayers also achieve superior stability under continuous voltammetric interrogation in biological fluids relative to benchmark thiol-on-gold monolayers when a positive voltage scan window is used. Based on these results, we postulate the electrografting of primary aliphatic amines as a path forward to develop carbon-supported E-AB sensors with increased operational stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brain adapts dynamically to the changing sensory statistics of its environment. Recent research has started to delineate the neural circuitries and representations that support this cross-sensory plasticity. Combining psychophysics and model-based representational fMRI and EEG we characterized how the adult human brain adapts to misaligned audiovisual signals. We show that audiovisual adaptation is associated with changes in regional BOLD-responses and fine-scale activity patterns in a widespread network from Heschl's gyrus to dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. Audiovisual recalibration relies on distinct spatial and decisional codes that are expressed with opposite gradients and time courses across the auditory processing hierarchy. Early activity patterns in auditory cortices encode sounds in a continuous space that flexibly adapts to misaligned visual inputs. Later activity patterns in frontoparietal cortices code decisional uncertainty consistent with these spatial transformations. Our findings suggest that regions within the auditory processing hierarchy multiplex spatial and decisional codes to adapt flexibly to the changing sensory statistics in the environment. The brain adapts dynamically to the statistics of its environment. Here, the authors use psychophysics and model-based representational fMRI and EEG to show that audiovisual recalibration relies on distinct spatial and decisional codes that are expressed with opposite gradients and time courses across the auditory processing hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malnutrition is common in chronic liver diseases and worsens the patient's prognosis. Many liver disorders are associated with nutritional deficiencies. Some of the main factors that can lead to malnutrition in patients with chronic liver disease include decreased lipid absorption and reduced albumin production. In addition, these patients are sometimes candidates for a liver transplant that requires nutritional intervention after surgery to improve their prognosis. Thus, it is very important to recognise malnutrition in patients with liver failure in order to resolve it, mainly by a complete history of the patient, dietary survey, determination of muscle mass and a subjective assessment. To ensure a good nutritional status, exercise and lifestyle changes are considered, including dietary modifications, especially with a Mediterranean pattern. This article reviews these topics, including dietary modifications before and after liver transplantation. Additionally, nutritional recommendations are offered to patients with metabolic hepatic steatosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cable bacteria that are capable of transporting electrons on centimeter scales have been found in a variety of sediment types, where their activity can strongly influence diagenetic reactions and elemental cycling. In this study, the patterns of spatial and temporal colonization of surficial sediment by cable bacteria were revealed in two-dimensions by planar pH and H2S optical sensors for the first time. The characteristic sediment surface pH maximum zones begin to develop from isolated micro-regions and spread horizontally within 5 days, with lateral spreading rates from 0.3 to ~ 1.2 cm day−1. Electrogenic anodic zones in the anoxic sediments are characterized by low pH, and the coupled pH minima also expand with time. H2S heterogeneities in accordance with electrogenic colonization are also observed. Cable bacteria cell abundance in oxic surface sediment (0–0.25 cm) kept almost constant during the colonization period; however, subsurface cell abundance apparently increased as electrogenic activity expanded across the entire surface. Changes in cell abundance are consistent with filament coiling and growth in the anodic zone (i.e., cathodic snorkels). The spreading mechanism for the sediment pH–H2S fingerprints and the cable bacteria abundance dynamics suggest that once favorable microenvironments are established, filamentous cable bacteria aggregate or locally activate electrogenic metabolism. Different development dynamics in otherwise similar sediment suggests that the accessibility of reductant (e.g., dissolved phase sulfide) is critical in controlling the growth of cable bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim was to evaluate changes in urea cycle enzymes in NAFLD patients and in two preclinical animal models mimicking this entity. Seventeen liver specimens from NAFLD patients were included for immunohistochemistry and gene expression analyses. Three-hundred-and-eighty-two biopsy-proven NAFLD patients were genotyped for rs1047891, a functional variant located in carbamoyl phosphate synthetase-1 (CPS1) gene. Two preclinical models were employed to analyse CPS1 by immunohistochemistry, a choline deficient high-fat diet model (CDA-HFD) and a high fat diet LDLr knockout model (LDLr −/−). A significant downregulation in mRNA was observed in CPS1 and ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC1) in simple steatosis and NASH-fibrosis patients versus controls. Further, age, obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2), diabetes mellitus and ALT were found to be risk factors whereas A-allele from CPS1 was a protective factor from liver fibrosis. CPS1 hepatic expression was diminished in parallel with the increase of fibrosis, and its levels reverted up to normality after changing diet in CDA-HFD mice. In conclusion, liver fibrosis and steatosis were associated with a reduction in both gene and protein expression patterns of mitochondrial urea cycle enzymes. A-allele from a variant on CPS1 may protect from fibrosis development. CPS1 expression is restored in a preclinical model when the main trigger of the liver damage disappears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inherited retinal dystrophies are a group of disorders characterized by the progressive degeneration of photoreceptors leading to loss of the visual function and eventually to legal blindness. Although next generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized the molecular diagnosis of these diseases, the pathogenicity of some mutations casts doubts. After the screening of 208 patients with a panel of 117 genes, we obtained 383 variants that were analysed in silico with bioinformatic prediction programs. Based on the results of these tools, we selected 15 variants for their functional assessment. Therefore, we carried out minigene assays to unveil whether they could affect the splicing of the corresponding gene. As a whole, seven variants were found to induce aberrant splicing in the following genes: BEST1, CACNA2D4, PRCD, RIMS1, FSCN2, MERTK and MAK. This study shows the efficacy of a workflow, based on the association of the Minimum Allele Frequency, family co-segregation, in silico predictions and in vitro assays to determine the effect of potential splice site variants identified by DNA-based NGS. These findings improve the molecular diagnosis of inherited retinal dystrophies and will allow some patients to benefit from the upcoming gene-based therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resolution along the propagation direction of far field imagers can be much smaller than the wavelength by exploiting coherent interference phenomena. We demonstrate a height profile precision as low as 31 nm using wavelengths between 0.375 mm and 0.5 mm (corresponding to 0.6 THz–0.8 THz) by evaluating the Fabry-Pérot oscillations within surface-structured samples. We prove the extreme precision by visualizing structures with a height of only 49 nm, corresponding to 1:7500 to 1:10000 vacuum wavelengths, a height difference usually only accessible to near field measurement techniques at this wavelength range. At the same time, the approach can determine thicknesses in the centimeter range, surpassing the dynamic range of any near field measurement system by orders of magnitude. The measurement technique combined with a Hilbert-transform approach yields the (optical) thickness extracted from the relative phase without any extraordinary wavelength stabilization. The authors demonstrate a far-field approach for height profile measurements with sub-millimetre waves. By evaluating Fabry-Pérot oscillations within surface-structured samples, combined with a Hilbert-transform approach, they visualize structures with a height of 49 nm, with 31 nm precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Campylobacter fetus is a well-recognized pathogen that affects reproductive rate in cattle. In the present study, two Angus bulls were kept (39 days) separately with a group of heifers experimentally infected with Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis (Cfv) and Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis biovar intermedius (Cfvi), respectively. Each bull resulted infected post-mating by its respective strain (Cfv and Cfvi). Semen samples collected from each bull at days 39, 82, 132 and 269 resulted positive for C. fetus by bacteriological culture and/or direct immunofluorescence (DIF) test, and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from colonies isolated. Diagnosis resulted better with bacteriological culture (100%) compared to DIF (37,5%). Campylobacter fetus was isolated from seminal vesicle and preputial mucosa by bacteriological culture and confirmed by PCR and DIF test from colonies previously isolated from these tissues (day 276). Microscopic lesions detected in both bulls showed moderate diffuse subepithelial lymphoplasmacytic postitis. None of the seminal vesicle presented relevant microscopic lesions. To our knowledge this is the first report of isolation of C. fetus from seminal vesicles in a bull. The experimental model herein described, mimicks the natural infection and constitutes a promising alternative for future studies of campylobacteriosis in cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serial femtosecond crystallography has opened up many new opportunities in structural biology. In recent years, several approaches employing light-inducible systems have emerged to enable time-resolved experiments that reveal protein dynamics at high atomic and temporal resolutions. However, very few enzymes are light-dependent, whereas macromolecules requiring ligand diffusion into an active site are ubiquitous. In this work we present a drop-on-drop sample delivery system that enables the study of enzyme-catalyzed reactions in microcrystal slurries. The system delivers ligand solutions in bursts of multiple picoliter-sized drops on top of a larger crystal-containing drop inducing turbulent mixing and transports the mixture to the X-ray interaction region with temporal resolution. We demonstrate mixing using fluorescent dyes, numerical simulations and time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography, which show rapid ligand diffusion through microdroplets. The drop-on-drop method has the potential to be widely applicable to serial crystallography studies, particularly of enzyme reactions with small molecule substrates. Currently many of the time resolved serial femtosecond (SFX) crystallography experiments are done with light driven protein systems, whereas the reaction initiation for non-light triggered enzymes remains a major bottle neck. Here, the authors present an expanded Drop-on-Tape system, where picoliter-sized droplets of a substrate or inhibitor are turbulently mixed with nanoliter sized droplets of microcrystal slurries, and they use it for time-resolved SFX measurements of inhibitor binding to lysozyme and secondly, binding of a β-lactam antibiotic to a bacterial serine β-lactamase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: The prevalence of the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in developed countries is up to 30% of the general population, and 50% of patients present type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). Fibrosis is the most important prognostic factor in NAFLD. The aim of this study was to search evidence for an early diagnosis of liver fibrosis in subjects with DM2 and to evaluate potential risk and protective factors. Methods: This study was conducted among 160 diabetic patients with NAFLD proven biopsy. Anthropometric assessments, laboratory test, liver histological features and follow-up of a Mediterranean diet were evaluated. Results: Diabetic patients with liver fibrosis showed a greater number of positive metabolic criteria than diabetic patients without liver fibrosis. Patients with hepatic fibrosis have a lower score on the PREDIMED test (9.0 (2.4) vs. 6.2 (2.3); p < 0.05). Diabetic patients with liver fibrosis showed higher glucose levels (delta: 10.1 (4.5) mg/dl), fasting insulin levels (delta: 3.1 (1.5) UI/L), HOMA-IR (delta: 2.1 (0.3) units) and HbA1c (delta: 0.6 (0.2)%). Non-invasive tests showed a higher score (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score and fibrosis-4) in liver fibrosis subjects than no liver fibrosis subjects. A logistic regression analysis adjusted by age, gender, HbA1c and body mass index showed independent significant direct association between liver fibrosis and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance as indicator of insulin resistance (odds ratio (OR) = 1.53: 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1–2.2; p = 0.026) and inverse association with PREDIMED score as an indicator of adherence to Mediterranean diet (OR = 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4–0.8; p = 0.01). Conclusion: In patients with DM2, insulin resistance is an independent risk factor associated with liver fibrosis, and the adherence of a Mediterranean diet is a protective factor associated with absence of liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a changing environment, there is an increasing interest to monitor ecosystems to understand their responses to environmental change. Seagrass meadows are highly important ecosystems that are under constant pressure from human activities and climate impacts, with marked declines observed worldwide. Despite increasing efforts, monitoring of multispecific tropical seagrass meadows is scarce, particularly in low-income regions. Based on data from a monitoring programme in a marine protected area in Zanzibar (Tanzania), we assessed temporal changes in seagrass cover and species composition during a 10-year period in relation to local variability in environmental variables. We observed a strong, gradual decline in seagrass cover and changes in species composition, followed by a period of recovery. However, the timing and length of these temporal patterns varied in space (between transects). Multiple environmental variables—cloud cover, temperature, storm occurrence, sunspot activity, and tidal amplitude and height—influenced seagrass cover, although only to a minor extent, suggesting that the monitored seagrass meadow may be influenced by other unmeasured factors (e.g. water currents and sediment movement). Our results show that seagrass meadows can be highly dynamic at small (10–50 m) spatial scales, even in the absence of major local anthropogenic impacts. Our findings suggest that high-resolution monitoring programmes can be highly valuable for the detection of temporal changes in multispecific seagrass meadows; however, to understand the causes of change, there is a need of long-term (> 10 years) data series that include direct measurements of environmental variables and extreme events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from long-term multi-frequency monitoring are used to analyze variations in the flux density of the active galactic nucleus S4 0954+658. These data were obtained at the CrimeanAstrophysical Observatory, the Metsähovi Radio Observatory of Aalto University, the University of Michigan Radio Astronomy Observatory, the Cavendish Laboratory of Cambridge University, the Special Astrophysical Observatory, and the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics, and Electronics; 0.1-300-GeV data from the Fermi space gamma-ray observatory were also used. Radio data at 4.8, 8, 14.5, 15, 22.2, and 36.8 GHz are considered together with optical and near-infrared data in the R, J, H, and K filters. In the framework of a model in which binary supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are present in active galactic nuclei, harmonic and structural analyses are carried out to establish the orbital ( T ≈ 780 yrs) and precessional ( T ≈ 7800 yrs) periods in the rest frame of the source. The development of the most powerful flare ever observed in this object, which occurred in February 2015, is considered. The delay in the flare's development in different wavelength ranges from the gamma-ray to the radio is determined. both the magnitude of the delays and the durations of the flares themselves suggest that the physical characteristics of S4 0954+658 are similar to those of the blazar S5 0716+714, which displays evidence of a high γ factor for the jet motion and high superluminal speeds in the jet. The masses of the components of the binary SMBH ( M and m), the dimensions of their orbit, and the velocity of the lower-mass SMBH about the central SMBH are estimated. The derived physical characteristics are subject to a comparative analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean- and coastal-based economic activities are increasingly recognised as key drivers for supporting global economies. This move towards the "blue economy" is becoming globally widespread, with the recognition that if ocean-based activities are to be sustainable, they will need to move beyond solely extractive and exploitative endeavours, aligning more closely with marine conservation and effective marine spatial planning. In this paper we define the "blue economy" as a "platform for strategic, integrated and participatory coastal and ocean development and protection that incorporates a low carbon economy, the ecosystem approach and human well-being through advancing regional industries, services and activities". In Peru, while the seas contribute greatly to the national economy, the full potential of the blue economy has yet to be realised. This paper presents the findings of an early career scientist workshop in Lima, Peru, in March 2016. The workshop "Advancing Green Growth in Peru" brought together researchers to identify challenges and opportunities for green growth across three Peruvian economic sectors—tourism, transport and the blue economy with this paper exploring in detail the priorities generated from the "blue economy" stream. These priorities include themes such as marine spatial planning, detailed evaluations of existing maritime industries (e.g. guano collection and fisheries), development of an effective MPA network, support for sustainable coastal tourism, and better inclusion of social science disciplines in understanding societal and political support for a Peruvian blue economy. In addition, the paper discusses the research requirements associated with these priorities. While not a comprehensive list, these priorities provide a starting point for future dialogue on a co-ordinated scientific platform supporting the blue growth agenda in Peru, and in other regions working towards a successful "blue economy". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The burden of chronic daily subcutaneous administration of pegvisomant on adherence has not been previously studied. This study was aimed to determine the adherence to pegvisomant treatment in acromegaly patients in the real-world clinical practice setting in Spain.Methods: Multicenter, observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study in patients with acromegaly treated with pegvisomant for at least 12 months. Patient adherence was indirectly determined by Batalla and Haynes-Sackett questionnaires and directly by prescription record review. Additionally, treatment satisfaction was assessed by the Treatment Satisfaction with Medicines Questionnaire (SATMED-Q) and treatment convenience by an ad-hoc Pegvisomant questionnaire. Errors in reconstitution and administration process were determined by direct observation.Results: 108 patients were included in the analysis. Rates of adherence varied from 60.7 to 92.1% and did not correlate with disease control. Older patient age and alternative schedules other than daily pegvisomant dosing were associated with lower adherence. Treatment satisfaction and convenience was high, with a mean (SD) total SATMED-Q score of 74.6 ± 15.4 over 100 and a total ad-hoc Pegvisomant questionnaire score of 71.2 ± 15.2 over 100. 34.3% of patients made mistakes during the reconstitution /administration process.Conclusions: Patient adherence to pegvisomant was high (60.7-92.1%), but more than a third of the patients in the study made mistakes during the administration process, with a potential impact on disease control. Besides dosing compliance, correct administration of medication should be carefully assessed in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In mammals, inflammation is required for wound repair and tumorigenesis. However, the events that lead to inflammation, particularly in non-healing wounds and cancer, are only partly understood.Findings: Mast cells, due to their great plasticity, could orchestrate the inflammatory responses inducing the expression of extraembryonic programs of normal and pathological tissue formation. This heterogeneity of mast cells could allow a microenvironment to be recreated similar to the extraembryonic structures, i.e., amnion and yolk sac, which are needed for embryonic development. Mast cells could provide a framework for understanding the connection between inflammation and tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. In this way, the mast cells could express inflammatory phenotypes, which would enable the cancer stem cells to develop. Thus, the cancer cell uses mast cells to express the extraembryonic functions that are needed to allow the cancer stem cell to proliferate and invade. If so, then by using this appropriate inflammatory interstitial microenvironment, a cancer stem cell can reach maximum levels of growth and invasion inside the host.Conclusion: Therefore, the comparison of tumors with wounds that do not heal would be supported since both pathological processes use extraembryonic mechanisms by mast cells. The adoption of these mechanisms warrants tumor survival in an embryonic-like state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are a heterogeneous group of low incidence neoplasms characterized by a low proliferative activity and slow growth. Their response to targeted therapies is heterogeneous and often does not lead to tumor shrinkage. Thus, evaluation of the therapeutic response should differ from other kind of tumors.Methods: To answer relevant questions about which techniques are best in the assessment of progression or treatment response a RAND/UCLA-based consensus process was implemented. Relevant clinical questions were listed followed by a systematic search of the literature. The expert panel answered all questions with recommendations, combining available evidence and expert opinion. Recommendations were validated through a questionnaire and a participatory meeting.Results: Expert recommendations regarding imaging tools for tumor assessment and evaluation of progression were agreed upon. Available imaging techniques were reviewed and recommendations for best patient monitoring practice and the best way to evaluate treatment response were formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paleothermometric evolution of the Ponga unit at the core of the Cantabrian Zone, the arcuate foreland fold and thrust belt of the Variscan orogen in NW Spain, is analyzed using the conodont Color Alteration Index and the Kübler Index of illite. The results indicate that the distribution of the thermal maturity patterns is independent of the stratigraphy and the structure of the unit. These include the occurrence of dominant diagenetic values and very low-to-low-grade metamorphism in the southern area. The main thermal event is interpreted to be related to hydrothermal fluids ascending through late-Variscan extensional faults. The anomalous high heat flow in the southern sector of the Ponga unit is part of a previously identified large band in the Cantabrian Zone, where the common occurrence of low-grade metamorphic rocks, hydrothermal dolostones, and ore mineralizations is related to an extensional orogenic episode that started near the Carboniferous-Permian boundary, soon after the closure of the Asturian arc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EDUCERE (Ubiquitous Detection Ecosystem to Care and Early Stimulation for Children with Developmental Disorders) is a government funded research and development project. EDUCERE objectives are to investigate, develop, and evaluate innovative solutions for society to detect changes in psychomotor development through the natural interaction of children with toys and everyday objects, and perform stimulation and early attention activities in real environments such as home and school. In the EDUCERE project, an ethical impact assessment is carried out linked to a minors’ data protection rights. Using a specific methodology, the project has achieved some promising results. These include use of a prototype of smart toys to detect development difficulties in children. In addition, privacy protection measures which take into account the security concerns of health data, have been proposed and applied. This latter security framework could be useful in other Internet of Things related projects. It consists of legal and technical measures. Special attention has been placed in the transformation of bulk data such as acceleration and jitter of toys into health data when patterns of atypical development are found. The article describes the different security profiles in which users are classified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove forests are highly productive coastal ecosystems that significantly influence global carbon cycling. This study characterized the sources of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and the processes affecting their distributions in a mangrove-influenced estuary located in French Guiana (FG), a region representative of these dynamic systems down drift of the Amazon River. Four sampling cruises were carried out between 2013 and 2015 in surface waters of the estuary during dry and wet seasons. Stable isotopes (δ13DOC, δ13POC, δ13DIC), elemental ratios and optical properties (absorption) were used as proxies to identify different C sources. Property-salinity relationships revealed regions of approximately linear mixing (e.g., alkalinity) or net sources or sinks (e.g., DOC). DIC speciation and isotopic distributions demonstrated dynamic source-sink reaction processes within the estuary. DOC was the major form of organic carbon representing mixtures of terrestrial sources (e.g., pore water, litter leaching) and very high concentration (400-800 µM) compared to other mangrove settings (e.g. Brazilian, Sundarbans, African). Highly negative δ13POC (− 40‰) in the riverine part presumably suggests the role of freshwater phytoplankton in the dry season and methanotrophic sources derived from senescent mangrove deposits or upstream hydrothermal dam during the wet season. Microphytobenthos and marine phytoplankton were the primary sources of POC inshore and DOC offshore, respectively. Mangrove products and benthic microalgae dominated estuarine sources of C in FG coastal waters (~ 10 km, inner shelf region), and there was extensive exchange of C between forest and tidal flat and the estuarine reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inflammatory response expressed after wound healing would be the recapitulation of systemic extra-embryonic functions, which would focus on the interstitium of the injured tissue. In the injured tissue, mast cells, provided for a great functional heterogeneity, could play the leading role in the re-expression of extra-embryonic functions, i.e., coelomic-amniotic and trophoblastic-vitelline. Moreover, mast cells would favor the production of a gastrulation-like process, which in certain tissues and organs would induce the regeneration of the injured tissue. Therefore, the engraftment of mesenchymal stem cells and mast cells, both with an extra-embryonic regenerative phenotype, would achieve a blastema, from the repaired and regenerated injured tissue, rather than by fibrosis, which is commonly made through wound-healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effects of rs1501299 variant of ADIPO gene on weight loss after bariatric surgery have not been evaluated. We decided to investigate the role of this genetic variant on anthropometric and biochemical outcomes such as serum adiponectin levels after biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) surgery in morbidly obese patients during 3 years. Material and Methods: A sample of 64 patients with morbid obesity without diabetes mellitus was operated. Biochemical and anthropometric evaluation were realized at basal visit and at each visit during 3 years (1, 2, and 3 years). Results: Percent excess weight loss, body mass index, weight, waist circumference, fat mass, blood pressure, fasting glucose, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides levels improved in both genotype groups. Fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR decreased significantly only in non-T allele carriers. The decrease of fasting insulin levels at 3 years (delta −9.2 ± 3.4 vs −2.9 ± 2.2 mUI/L; p = 0.01) and HOMA-IR (delta −1.3 ± 0.3 vs −0.8 ± 0.4 units; p = 0.03) were higher in non-T allele carriers than T carriers. Adiponectin levels increased in all times after surgery in non-T allele carriers, too. The increase of adiponectin levels at 3 years (delta 12.2 ± 3.6 vs 1.8 ± 1.2 ng/mL; p = 0.01) was higher in non-T allele carriers than T carriers. Conclusion: Non-T allele of ADIPOQ gene variant (rs1501299) is associated with increases in adiponectin levels and better improvements of insulin and HOMA-IR after BPD massive weight loss. These parameters remained unchanged in T allele carriers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term, multi-frequency optical and radio monitoring data for the Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) AO 0235+164 and S5 0716+714 are used to derive the characteristics of their radiation on time scales from hours to decades. Structure-function and harmonic analyses are carried out to determine the parameters of the radiation of these AGNs and explain their physical characteristics. Periodic components that could be associated with the motion of companions along an orbit in a close binary system of two supermassive black holes are identified. Both of the analysis methods used yield consistent results for the harmonic components. The results obtained are consistent with the idea that we are viewing systems of two supermassive black holes in a stage of their evolution that is close to coalescence. The substantial energy release of these AGNs can be interpreted as dynamical losses arising during the motion of the companion about the common center of gravity in a dense accreting medium, sometimes crossing through the accretion disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long series of multi-frequency monitoring data of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) AO 0235+164 from the radio to the gamma-ray are analyzed. AO 0235+164 may be a close binary system comprised of two supermassive black holes (SMBHs). A harmonic analysis has established the presence of orbital and precessional periods of two and eight years, respectively. These values are close to the analogous periods found in other AGNs that have been proposed to be close SMBH binary systems in a stage of their evolution close to coalescence. A cross-correlation analysis is used to find the time delay between corresponding flares occurring in different wavebands. The empirical dependence found earlier for a number of other AGNS relating the delay in the flux variations with the frequency is observed for this object, and has the form of an inverse logarithmic dependence, providing evidence that the flux variability of AGNs at centimeter and shorter wavelengths is intrinsic. The standard picture of jet activity of AGNs supposes plasma formations that move from the central regions along outflows, becoming optically thin at longer and longer wavelengths as they do so. The physical and dynamical characteristics of AO 0235+164 suggest it is a close binary with SMBHs with similar masses of the order of 10 M. This is one of the most massive systems of two SMBHs. The velocities of the companion and central black hole about their common center of mass are estimated to be 10 and 5×10 km/s. The results obtained suggest that observed bright AGNs form a relatiavely rare population among massive elliptical galaxies, due to their narrowly directed emission and their short lifetimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flux-density variations of the quasar S0528+134 (Nimfa) are analyzed based on long-term monitoring at five radio frequencies between 4.8 and 37 GHz, performed at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, the Metsähovi Radio Observatory of Aalto University, and the University of Michigan Radio Astronomy Observatory. The dynamics of a powerful flare in 1996 are analyzed using gamma-ray (0.1-300 GeV), X-ray (2-10 keV, 15-50 keV), and radio observations. The delays of the flare between different spectral ranges and between different radio wavelengths have been measured. The dependence for the delays at different radio wavelengths relative to the X-ray and optical flares is established based on long-term observations in the X-ray, optical, and radio obtained from 2004 to 2013. Multi-frequency monitoring in the radio is used to estimate the orbital and precession periods in the binary supermassive black hole system S0528+134 and the physical characteristics of this system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mannitol is a natural low-calorie sugar alcohol produced by certain (micro)organisms applicable in foods for diabetics due to its zero glycemic index. In this work, we evaluated mannitol production and yield by the fruit origin strain Fructobacillus tropaeoli CRL 2034 using response surface methodology with central composite design (CCD) as optimization strategy. The effect of the total saccharide (glucose + fructose, 1:2) content (TSC) in the medium (75, 100, 150, 200, and 225 g/l) and stirring (S; 50, 100, 200, 300 and 350 rpm) on mannitol production and yield by this strain was evaluated by using a 2 full-factorial CCD with 4 axial points ( α = 1.5) and four replications of the center point, leading to 12 random experimental runs. Fermentations were carried out at 30 °C and pH 5.0 for 24 h. Minitab-15 software was used for experimental design and data analyses. The multiple response prediction analysis established 165 g/l of TSC and 200 rpm of S as optimal culture conditions to reach 85.03 g/l [95% CI (78.68, 91.39)] of mannitol and a yield of 82.02% [95% CI (71.98, 92.06)]. Finally, a validation experiment was conducted at the predicted optimum levels. The results obtained were 81.91 g/l of mannitol with a yield of 77.47% in outstanding agreement with the expected values. The mannitol 2-dehydrogenase enzyme activity was determined with 4.6-4.9 U/mg as the highest value found. To conclude, F. tropaeoli CRL 2034 produced high amounts of high-quality mannitol from fructose, being an excellent candidate for this polyol production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]