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Background: Although exposure to stings has been identified as the leading risk factor for anaphylaxis due to Hymenoptera venom allergy, professional beekeepers receive hundreds of stings yearly without developing systemic reactions. Objective: This study aims to analyze the mechanisms underlying bee venom tolerance in beekeepers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Participants were recruited and classified into 3 groups: allergic patients (APs), who experienced systemic reactions after bee stings, with a positive intradermal test and specific IgE (sIgE) to Apis mellifera venom (AmV); tolerant beekeepers (TBKs), who received ≥50 stings/year; and healthy nonexposed controls (HCs). We measured serum levels of sIgE and specific IgG4 (sIgG4) to AmV, rApi m 1, rApi m 2, rApi m 3, Api m 4, rApi m 5, and rApi m10, as well as AmV-induced basophil degranulation, percentage of T-cell subsets, regulatory T cells (Treg), and IL-10 production. Results: Compared with TBKs, APs had high levels of sIgE to AmV and all its allergic components (P

Robust open-source digital lensless holographic microscope, functionalized for the label-free analysis of blood smear samples.

14 páginas.- 4 figuras.- 8 tablas.- 60 referencias, Background: Marine actinobacteria are a potential resource for natural products; their secondary bioactive metabolites have shown several biological activities. Most of the isolated and identified actinobacteria in Algeria were usually explored from caves, Saharan soil or palm groves. The marine ecosystem is poorly explored and documented. Methods: Five Streptomyces strains producing bioactive compounds were isolated from Rachgoun Island located in Western Algeria and characterised phenotypically and genotypically using microbiological and 16S rRNA sequencing methods, respectively. The crude extract of the most representative strain ¿Streptomyces sp. strain SM2.4¿ and its seven active fractions were characterised by GC/MS analysis. Results: Streptomyces sp. strain SM2.4 revealed the strongest activity against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, the fungus Aspergillus niger and was inactive against Gram-negative bacteria. GC/MS analysis of the methylated crude extract of Streptomyces sp. strain SM2.4 revealed the presence of 11 major compounds including fatty acids methyl ester (12-methyltridecanoic acid methyl ester, 9-hexadecenoic acid methyl ester, hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, 14-methylhexadecanoic acid methyl ester and 16-methylheptadecanoic acid methyl ester), 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, (4S,4aS,8aR)-4,8a-dimethyloctahydro-4a(2H)-naphthalenol (geosmin), 2,4-dimethylbenzaldehyde, 3,4-difluorobenzaldehyde, dimethylfuran-2,4-dicarboxylate and pyrrolo(1,2-a)pyrazine-1,4-dione, hexahydro-3-(2-methylpropyl)-. Partial purification of the crude extract by Thin-layer chromatography provided seven active fractions which were tested by radial diffusion assay. GC/MS analysis of the active TLC-fractions revealed the presence of a mixture of active compounds from which 2-(bromomethyl)-2-(2-methylphenyl)-1,3-dioxolane was found to be a new 1,3 dioxolane derivative. Furthermore, 3,4-dimethylbenzamide and pyrido[2,3-d] pyridazine-1,4-dione, hexahydro-3-(2-methylpropyl)-, were extracted for the first time from a natural source. Conclusion: Our study reveals that marine Streptomyces sp. strain SM2.4 has an interesting antimicrobial potential due to its panel of bioactive compounds.

3 páginas.- 1 tabla.- 14 referencis, Pseudomonas sp. strain L5B5 is an antimicrobial-producing bacterium isolated from an air sample collected in a pyrite mine in Lousal, Portugal. Genomic analyses predicted genes involved in virulence factors. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of this bacterium, which consists of a circular chromosome with a length of 6,811,662 bp. Copyright © 2021 Gonzalez-Pimentel et al., Financial support was obtained through project 0483_PROBIOMA_5_E, cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund within the framework of the INTERREG VA Spain-Portugal program (POCTEP), 2014 to 2020.

10 páginas.- 1 figuras.- 3 tablas.- 41 referencias.- One supplementary table and four supplementary figures are available with the online version of this article., A novel facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, Gram-stain-negative, non-endospore-forming alphaproteobacterium, strain 1011MAR3C25T, was isolated from a white biofilm colonizing the walls of the Andalusian show cave Gruta de las Maravillas (Huelva, Spain). Strain 1011MAR3C25T grew at 8–42 °C (optimum, 20–30 °C), at pH 5.0–9.0 (optimum, pH 5.0–6.0) and in the presence of 0–12 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum 3–5 %). Cells were catalase- and oxidase-positive. The strain grew heterotrophically with various carbon sources and chemoautotrophically with thiosulfate under aerobic conditions. Results of phylogenetic analysis showed that strain 1011MAR3C25T was related to Paracoccus saliphilus DSM 18447T and Paracoccus alkanivorans LMG 30882T (97.90 % and 97.32 % 16S rRNA sequence identity values, respectively). The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone Q-10 and the predominant fatty acid was C18 : 1 ω7c. The polar lipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified aminolipid, an unidentified glycolipid and an unidentified polar lipid. The DNA G+C content was 60.3 mol%. Based on a polyphasic taxonomic study it is proposed that strain 1011MAR3C25T (=CECT 9092T=LMG 29414T) represents a novel species of the genus Paracoccus, for which the name Paracoccus onubensis sp. nov. is proposed., This study was supported by project 0483_PROBIOMA_5_E, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund within the framework of the Interreg V A Spain–Portugal program (POCTEP) 2014–2020

18 pág.- 3 figuras.- 3 tablas.- 96 referencias, Nerja Cave, Southern Spain, was revealed as an important biodiversity reservoir from which several novel species of Aspergillus were described. We carried out an aerobiological study in Nerja Cave to assess the origin of airborne fungi. This study quantified the fungi present in the air of ten representative halls covering the three sectors comprising the cave: Touristic Galleries, High Galleries, and New Galleries. Microclimatological monitoring allowed us to understand the dynamic of airborne fungi in two seasons of the year (winter and summer), corresponding to the strongest and the lowest cave ventilation, and to validate the influence that the transport of airborne fungi from outside may have on the cave itself. The data show that cold air enters in winter, as confirmed by the abundant presence of Aspergillus and Penicillium spores inside and outside the cave. In summer, the abundance of some fungi in the air of Nerja Cave, which are not detected outside, indicates a stagnation or low ventilation, and therefore, the concentration of fungal spores is maxima. The high occurrence of Cladosporium outside the cave and the scarce abundance inside support the cave stagnation in this season., This research was funded by Nerja Cave Foundation. This work is part of an Interdisciplinary Research Project for the conservation of Nerja Cave, authorized by the Ministry of Culture of the Andalusian Government.

37 p.-5 fig.-1 tab., Olive pollen is a major allergenic source worldwide due to its extensive cultivation. We have combined available genomics data with a comprehensive proteomics approach to get the annotated olive tree ( Olea europaea L.) pollen proteome and define its complex allergenome. A total of 1907 proteins were identified by LC-MS/MS using predicted protein sequences from its genome. Most proteins (60%) were predicted to possess catalytic activity and be involved in metabolic processes. In total, 203 proteins belonging to 47 allergen families were found in olive pollen. A peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, cyclophilin, produced in Escherichia coli, was found as a new olive pollen allergen (Ole e 15). Most Ole e 15-sensitized patients were children (63%) and showed strong IgE recognition to the allergen. Ole e 15 shared high sequence identity with other plant, animal, and fungal cyclophilins and presented high IgE cross-reactivity with pollen, plant food, and animal extracts., This work was supported by grants cofounded by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER): SAF2014-53209-R to M.V. and R.B. and SAF2017-86483-R to M.V. from theMinisterio de Economı́a y Competitividad and by the Thematic Networks and Co-operative Research Centres:RIRAAF Network RD12/0013/0015; and ARADyAL(RD16/0006/0013 and RD16/0006/0014) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII). B.R.-L., A.J., A.N, and C.M.acknowledge PI-01119-2016 from the Consejerı́a de Salud(Junta de Andalucı́a) and the Alergosur Foundation. R.B. also acknowledges the financial support of the PI17CIII/00045grant from the AES-ISCIII program.

Survival, germination, olive colonization, and water-use efficiency (WUE) impairments by Verticillium dahliae could be influenced by cultivar susceptibility or irrigation, and this could modify the irrigation–pathogen–disease relationship. In this study, the combined effects of irrigation and cultivar susceptibility on Verticillium wilt (VW) development were modelled by the temporary assessment of V. dahliae propagules (total inoculum density, density of micropropagules, and sclerotia in wet and air-dried soil; ID, MpD, SwD, and SdD, respectively), root (RCI) and shoot (SCI) colonization indexes, and WUE. The relationship of disease severity to the measured parameters was then explored. Under controlled conditions, plants of cultivars ‘Picual’ and ‘Frantoio’ were irrigated to a high and low rate by varying drip-irrigation frequencies: daily, twice weekly, and a combination of daily for 11 days and then twice weekly. Disease severity and colonization parameters were higher in ‘Picual’, while WUE was higher in ‘Frantoio’. However, high rate and twice weekly and combination treatments significantly increased disease incidence and reduced time-to-symptoms-onset only in ‘Picual’, while high rate reduced WUE and increased relative ID, MpD, and SwD in both cultivars. Irrigation did not affect SCI, but a higher RCI was found at high rate during the development of symptoms in ‘Picual’. By using classification trees to examine parameters—disease severity relationships, it was possible to determine the degree to which VW was affected by irrigation and/or cultivar susceptibility. MpD was the best indicator for VW detection at any time, WUE was best before symptoms developed, and RCI, total ID, and SdD after symptoms developed.

This study was designed to propose alternative therapeutic compounds to fight against bacterial pathogens. Thus, a library of nitrogen-based compounds bis(triazolyl)methane (1T–7T) and bis(pyrazolyl)methane (1P–11P) was synthesised following previously reported methodologies and their antibacterial activity was tested using the collection strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, the novel compound 2P was fully characterized by IR, UV–Vis and NMR spectroscopy. To evaluate antibacterial activity, minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs), minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs), minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBICs), and minimum biofilm eradication concentrations (MBECs) assays were carried out at different concentrations (2–2000 µg/mL). The MTT assay and Resazurin viability assays were performed in both human liver carcinoma HepG2 and human colorectal adenocarcinoma Caco-2 cell lines at 48 h. Of all the synthesised compounds, 2P had an inhibitory effect on Gram-positive strains, especially against S. aureus. The MIC and MBC of 2P were 62.5 and 2000 µg/mL against S. aureus, and 250 and 2000 µg/mL against E. faecalis, respectively. However, these values were > 2000 µg/mL against E. coli and P. aeruginosa. In addition, the MBICs and MBECs of 2P against S. aureus were 125 and > 2000 µg/mL, respectively, whereas these values were > 2000 µg/mL against E. faecalis, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. On the other hand, concentrations up to 250 µg/mL of 2P were non-toxic doses for eukaryotic cell cultures. Thus, according to the obtained results, the 2P nitrogen-based compound showed a promising anti-Gram-positive effect (especially against S. aureus) both on planktonic state and biofilm, at non-toxic concentrations.

Lava caves differ from karstic caves in their genesis and mineral composition. Subsurface microbiology of lava tube caves in Canary Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, is largely unknown. We have focused the investigation in a representative lava tube cave, Fuente de la Canaria Cave, in La Palma Island, Spain, which presents different types of speleothems and colored microbial mats. Four samples collected in this cave were studied using DNA next-generation sequencing and field emission scanning electron microscopy for bacterial identification, functional profiling, and morphological characterization. The data showed an almost exclusive dominance of Bacteria over Archaea. The distribution in phyla revealed a majority abundance of Proteobacteria (37,89%), followed by Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria and Candidatus Rokubacteria. These four phyla comprised a total relative abundance of 72,96%. The main ecological functions in the microbial communities were chemoheterotrophy, methanotrophy, sulfur and nitrogen metabolisms, and CO2 fixation; although other ecological functions were outlined. Genome annotations of the especially representative taxon Ga0077536 (about 71% of abundance in moonmilk) predicted the presence of genes involved in CO2 fixation, formaldehyde consumption, sulfur and nitrogen metabolisms, and microbially-induced carbonate precipitation. The detection of several putative lineages associated with C, N, S, Fe and Mn indicates that Fuente de la Canaria Cave basalts are colonized by metabolically diverse prokaryotic communities involved in the biogeochemical cycling of major elements., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through projects CGL2013-41674-P, CGL2016-75590-P, PID2019-110603RB-I00, AEI/FEDER, UE and CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).

62 p.-7 fig.-1 tab.-7 fig. suppl.-1 tab.supl., DNA polymerase ε (Polε) carries out high-fidelity leading strand synthesis owing to its exonuclease activity. Polε polymerase and exonuclease activities are balanced, because of partitioning of nascent DNA strands between catalytic sites, so that net resection occurs when synthesis is impaired. In vivo, DNA synthesis stalling activates replication checkpoint kinases, which act to preserve the functional integrity of replication forks. We show that stalled Polε drives nascent strand resection causing fork functional collapse, averted via checkpoint-dependent phosphorylation. Polε catalytic subunit Pol2 is phosphorylated on serine 430, influencing partitioning between polymerase and exonuclease active sites. A phosphormimetic S430D change reduces exonucleolysis in vitro and counteracts fork collapse. Conversely, non-phosphorylatable pol2-S430A expression causes resection-driven stressed fork defects. Our findings reveal that checkpoint kinases switch Polε to an exonuclease-safe mode preventing nascent strand resection and stabilizing stalled replication forks. Elective partitioning suppression has implications for the diverse Polε roles in genome integrity maintenance., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (BFU2014-52529-R and BFU2017-87013-R to R.B.), the Junta de Castilla y León (SA042P17 and SA103P20 to R.B.). M.B.S. was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Health - NIGMS (R35GM141159).

© 2021 American College of Medical Genetics and GenomicsPurpose: We aimed to investigate the molecular basis underlying a novel phenotype including hypopituitarism associated with primary ovarian insufficiency. Methods: We used next-generation sequencing to identify variants in all pedigrees. Expression of Rnpc3/RNPC3 was analyzed by in situ hybridization on murine/human embryonic sections. CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate mice carrying the p.Leu483Phe pathogenic variant in the conserved murine Rnpc3 RRM2 domain. Results: We described 15 patients from 9 pedigrees with biallelic pathogenic variants in RNPC3, encoding a specific protein component of the minor spliceosome, which is associated with a hypopituitary phenotype, including severe growth hormone (GH) deficiency, hypoprolactinemia, variable thyrotropin (also known as thyroid-stimulating hormone) deficiency, and anterior pituitary hypoplasia. Primary ovarian insufficiency was diagnosed in 8 of 9 affected females, whereas males had normal gonadal function. In addition, 2 affected males displayed normal growth when off GH treatment despite severe biochemical GH deficiency. In both mouse and human embryos, Rnpc3/RNPC3 was expressed in the developing forebrain, including the hypothalamus and Rathke's pouch. Female Rnpc3 mutant mice displayed a reduction in pituitary GH content but with no reproductive impairment in young mice. Male mice exhibited no obvious phenotype. Conclusion: Our findings suggest novel insights into the role of RNPC3 in female-specific gonadal function and emphasize a critical role for the minor spliceosome in pituitary and ovarian development and function.

13 páginas.- 4 figuras.- 3 tablas.- 60 referencias, The microbiota associated with vermiculations from karst caves is largely unknown. Vermiculations are enigmatic deposits forming worm-like patterns on cave walls all over the world. They represent a precious focus for geomicrobiological studies aimed at exploring both the microbial life of these ecosystems and the vermiculation genesis. This study comprises the first approach on the microbial communities thriving in Pertosa-Auletta Cave (southern Italy) vermiculations by next-generation sequencing. The most abundant phylum in vermiculations was Proteobacteria, followed by Acidobacteria > Actinobacteria > Nitrospirae > Firmicutes > Planctomycetes > Chloroflexi > Gemmatimonadetes > Bacteroidetes > Latescibacteria. Numerous less-represented taxonomic groups (< 1%), as well as unclassified ones, were also detected. From an ecological point of view, all the groups co-participate in the biogeochemical cycles in these underground environments, mediating oxidation-reduction reactions, promoting host rock dissolution and secondary mineral precipitation, and enriching the matrix in organic matter. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy brought evidence of a strong interaction between the biotic community and the abiotic matrix, supporting the role of microbial communities in the formation process of vermiculations., Open access funding provided by Università degli Studi di Salerno within the CRUI-CARE Agreement. This work was supported by Musei Integrati dell’Ambiente Foundation, by the Spanish project MINECO [CGL2016-75590-P] with European Regional Development Fund and by University of Salerno [ORSA197159].

20 páginas.- 13 figuras.- 1 tabla.- referencias.- The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.642667/full#supplementary-material .- This article is part of the Research Topic Cave Deposits: Processes, Approaches and Environmental Significance, Caves are dark subsurface environments with relatively constant temperatures that allow studying bio-mineralization processes and paleoenvironmental or climate changes in optimal conditions. In the extreme and oligotrophic cave environment, manganese patinas having stromatolite-like features are uncommon. Here we provide the first detailed mineralogical, geochemical, and microbiological investigation of fine-grained and poorly crystalline MnFe stromatolite-like wall patinas formed in a deep-cave environment in Italy. These mineralizations, about 3 mm thick, consist of an alternation of Mn-layers and Fe-lenses. We show that the microbial communities' composition is dominated by Mn-oxidizing bacteria, such as Bacillus, Flavobacterium, and Pseudomonas. Our multidisciplinary investigation, integrating data from different analytical techniques (i.e., optical microscopy, SEM-EDS, μXRF, XRPD, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, and DNA sequencing), revealed peculiar chemical, mineralogical, and biological features: 1) A cyclical oscillation of Mn and Fe along the growth of the patinas. We propose that this oscillation represents the shift between oxic and suboxic conditions related to different phases occurring during paleo-flood events; 2) A typical spatial distribution of mineralogy and oxidation state of Mn, bacterial imprints, detrital content, and stromatolite-like morphologies along the Mn-layers. We propose that this distribution is controlled by the local hydraulic regime of the paleo-floods, which, in turn, is directly related to the morphology of the wall surface. Under less turbulent conditions, the combination of clay mineral catalysis and biological oxidation produced vernadite, a poor-crystalline phyllomanganate with a low average oxidation state of Mn, and branched columnar stromatolite-like morphologies. On the other hand, under more turbulent conditions, the sedimentation of clay minerals and microbial communities' development are both inhibited. In this local environment, a lower oxidation rate of Mn2+ favored the formation of todorokite and/or ranciéite, two compounds with a high average oxidation state of Mn, and flat-laminated or columnar stromatolite-like morphologies., The Spanish project MINECO CGL 2016-75590-P with ERDF funds is gratefully acknowledged. LJ acknowledge funding from Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) grant 2018/17061-6.

Lake Titicaca, in the High Andes of Perú and Bolivia, harbours the world’s third most speciose ancient-lake amphipod radiation on record. A minimum of nineteen species of Hyalella derived from at least five independent colonization episodes concentrate in this high altitude water body, although the actual species number present has not yet been established and could be much higher. Herein, we take advantage of the description of three new species (H. krolli, H. gonzalezi, and H. hirsuta) and the re-description of other two (H. solida and H. nefrens) to assess the feasibility of adopting a dna-based identification approach to resolve the magnitude of this highly speciose amphipod assemblage. A Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of the evolutionary relationships among South American Hyalella cox1 haplotypes, including those of four out of the five species dealt with herein, shows a great disagreement between taxonomic units delimited under morphological and genetic data, hampering species identification exclusively based on cox1 dna barcode sequences., This work was supported by the Spanish Agencia Española de Investigación, (aei) and the European Regional Development Fund (feder) under Grant cgl2016-76164-P. Francesco Zapelloni benefited from grant bes-2017–081069 of the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades.

Genetic resistance is the most recommended measure to control verticillium wilt in olive (VWO), a vascular disease caused by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae, which has promoted the development of olive breeding programs aimed at obtaining new resistant and highly yielding cultivars in recent years. Screening has been commonly performed under controlled conditions in grow chamber after artificial inoculation during the early stage of breeding programs, but additional evaluation is necessary to confirm previous results as well as to test for additional agronomic traits. During this study, 20 breeding selections initially classified as resistant to the disease have been re-evaluated in artificially infested soils under natural environmental conditions. The maximum disease incidence (52.6%) was reached at 26 months after planting, and the disease intensity index reached the maximum value of 38.5% at 29 months after planting. Nine breeding selections consistently confirmed the previous results regarding resistance to V. dahliae infection; however, contradictory results, compared with those of previous evaluations under controlled conditions in grow chambers, were obtained for the rest of selections tested, thereby underlining the need for long-term experimentation under natural environmental conditions. Additional positive agronomic traits, such as early bearing, were also observed for some of the resistant selections, but plant vigor varied. Some seem highly promising for release as new cultivars when characterization of other important agronomic traits is completed in the future.

Introducción: En producción avícola el uso de antibióticos promotores del crecimiento es limitado, debido al incremento de resistencia bacteriana. Una alternativa evalúa los probióticos microencapsulados y su efecto en la salud intestinal. Objetivo: Determinar el efecto de Lactobacillus plantarum microencapsulado sobre parámetros intestinales e inmunológicos en pollos de engorde. Materiales y métodos: A 240 pollos Ross-308-AP de un día de nacidos se suministró alimento con o sin adición de probiótico bajo el siguiente modelo: sin probiótico-(T0), con probiótico comercial-(T1), con Lactobacillus plantarum microencapsulado-(T2) y sin microencapsular-(T3). Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC-8014 se microencapsuló mediante secado por aspersión, determinando su viabilidad en (%). Se evaluaron parámetros intestinales, morfo-histopatológicos e inmunológicos por Azul de Alcian, microscopia de barrido e inmunohistoquímica y la abundancia microbial por UFC/mL. Resultados: El microencapsulado confirió una viabilidad in vivo de Lactobacillus plantarum del 88,1%. El tratamiento T2 mejoró los parámetros inmunológicos y confirió beneficios intestinales con una abundancia de bacterias benéficas (Lactobacillus) de (9,13x105-UFC/mL), significativamente mayor a la encontrada en los tratamientos T1 (8,91x105) y T3 (8,23x105) y el control T0 (9,18x104), (p

The potential role of hepatocytes versus hepatic progenitor cells (HPC) on the onset and pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been fully clarified. Because the administration of 2‐acetylaminofluorene (2AAF) followed by a partial hepatectomy, selectively induces the HPC proliferation, we investigated the effects of chronic 2AAF administration on the HCC development caused by the chronic administration of the carcinogen diethylnitrosamine (DEN) for 16 weeks in the rat. DEN + 2AAF protocol impeded weight gain of animals but promoted prominent hepatomegaly and exacerbated liver alterations compared to DEN protocol alone. The tumor areas detected by γ‐glutamyl transferase, prostaglandin reductase‐1, and glutathione S‐transferase Pi−1 liver cancer markers increased up to 80% as early as 12 weeks of treatment, meaning 6 weeks earlier than DEN alone. This protocol also increased the number of Ki67‐positive cells and those of CD90 and CK19, two well‐known progenitor cell markers. Interestingly, microarray analysis revealed that DEN + 2AAF protocol differentially modified the global gene expression signature and induced the differential expression of 30 genes identified as HPC markers as early as 6 weeks of treatment. In conclusion, 2AAF induces the early appearance of HPC markers and as a result, accelerates the hepatocarcinogenesis induced by DEN in the rat. Thus, since 2AAF simultaneously administrated with DEN enriches HPC during hepatocarcinogenesis, we propose that DEN + 2AAF protocol might be a useful tool to investigate the cellular origin of HCC with progenitor features.

The use of entomopathogenic fungi for pest control is gaining increasing attention. These fungi act as contact biological insecticides but also via endophytic colonization of targeted crops. In addition, the joint use of entomopathogenic fungi and natural enemies hold potential in many pest control programs. Here, we evaluated in vitro and in planta multitrophic interactions among the endophytic fungus Metarhizium brunneum colonizing melon (Cucumis melo) plant, the parasitoid Hyposoter didymator and the pest Spodoptera littoralis. In all experiments, total mortality of S. littoralis larvae was significantly affected by the presence of the parasitoid; the treatments including the parasitoid achieved the highest mortality rates both in vitro and in planta. Simultaneous exposure to the fungus and the parasitoid did not significantly increase the total mortality of S. littoralis larvae than the parasitoid alone. The time between exposure to fungus and parasitoid attack did not affect S. littoralis mortality, nor parasitism (parasitoid) or infection rates (fungus). However, the parasitoid showed a significant preference for larvae fed on control plants (24.4% parasitism) compared with larvae fed on fungus-colonized plants (4.4%). A histological study of S. littoralis larvae simultaneously attacked by H. didymator and M. brunneum showed, for the first time, the coexistence of both agents within the same host; parasitoid larvae developed inside the host despite fungal colonization. This provides key information about intra-host interactions between two important biological control agents when used together for S. littoralis control.

The aim of this study is to model the growth samples of four varieties (White, Black, Partridge, Franciscan) of Spanish Utrerana hen breed, which is endangered, by using Brody, Von Bertalanffy, Verhulst, Logistic and Gompertz models. For this purpose, a total of 16,235 weight data observations from 2004 animals reared in free range system were collected. Logistic was the best suited model for predicting the biological growth curve of White variety in both sexes, while Von Bertalanffy was the best fitting model for the rest of individuals of the breed, based on the 5 goodness-of-fit and flexibility criteria: Pseudo-R2, mean squared error, Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion and the biological coherence of the estimated parameters. Black variety was the heaviest, with values of 2605.96 and 2032.61 g (for males and females, respectively) for a parameter, while White variety presented the lowest maturity weight (a = 2442.99 and 1874.24 g, for males and females, respectively). Conclusively, this growth characterisation is essential for the conservation of the Utrerana hen, to search for new market niches and a greater profitability to this differentiated product.Highlights Non-linear models can explain the Utrerana hen growth. Females reach maturity earlier than males. Utrerana hen shows a strong sexual dimorphism.

17 páginas.- 7 figuras.- 4 tablas.- referecias.- The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2020.586248/full#supplementary-material .- We acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI)., Morgana Cave is located in Val di Scerscen, Central Italian Alps. The cave opens at an altitude of 2,600 m a.s.l. close to the retreating glacier Vedretto di Scerscen, and its entrance was discovered 30 years ago hidden underneath the glacier. A characteristic of this cave is the occurrence of vermiculation deposits on the walls and ceiling. In general, the composition of the microbial communities in cave vermiculations is relatively unknown and rarely investigated. Here we present the data of a geomicrobiological study of vermiculations from an Alpine cave subjected to extreme climate conditions. The microbial communities were dominated by 13 main phyla of Bacteria, and contained a negligible percentage (, Funding was provided by the Spanish project MINECO CGL2016-75590-P with ERDF funds. The Rotary Club in Sondrio (Italy) also provided funds for sample analysis thanks to C. Mazza, M. Boccardi, and P. Nana, with the Municipality of Lanzada (S. Bardea) and the Istituto Mineralogico Valtellinese (I. Foianini) supporting the cave research project..- We acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).

2 páginas.- 1 tabla.- 15 referencias.- Genome Sequences, Two Streptomyces strains were isolated from a lava tube in La Palma, Canary Islands. Genomic analyses suggest that the two strains could belong to the same species. Here, we report the draft genomes for these bacterial strains., Financial support was obtained through project 0483_PROBIOMA_5_E, cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund within the framework of the Interreg V-A Spain-Portugal program (POCTEP) (2014 to 2020).

13 págins.-- 9 figuras.-- 3 tablas.-- 24 referencias, The Roman Necropolis of Carmona (Sevilla, Spain) has experienced a severe deterioration since the accidental discovery in 1868 and subsequent archaeological excavations starting in 1882. To this deterioration contributed the location in a soft calcarenite rock quarry, the adverse environmental conditions and the numerous and extensive wrong archaeological and managing interventions along more than a century. The cultural, artistic and religious importance of this Necropolis converts the protection and conservation of this archaeological site in a major issue. This work present the data obtained in a multidisciplinary research were geology, geomorphology, micro-environmental and climatic monitoring, rock petrophysical characterization, description of weathering forms and biological colonization were considered in order to propose corrective measures to minimize deterioration., This research was funded by the Consejería de Cultura, Junta de Andalucía, the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, project CGL2010-17183 and the CSIC project 201230E125

11 páginas.-- 2 figuras.-- 6 tablas.-- 65 referencias, The discovery of new antibiotics and other bioactive microbial metabolites is a priority given the frequency of the emerging multi-drug resistant pathogenic microorganisms. Thus, scientists are searching for new antibiotics in microorganisms isolated from extreme habitats such as caves. In the present study, we aimed to perform the first analysis on culturable microorganisms in the Chaabe Cave (Algeria), and to test the antimicrobial activities of the isolates (Streptomyces spp. and Penicillium spp.). The potential for antimicrobial activity of 47 strains of actinomycetes and 23 strains of fungi were tested on Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The identification of the most active actinomycetes strains by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that these isolates were exclusively affiliated to the genus Streptomyces. On the other hand, the fungi were determined by phylogenetic analysis based on the ITS region or on the β tubulin gene and were affiliated to the genera Readeriella, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Beauveria, Alternaria, Rhizopus, and Rhizomucor. The strains showed strong inhibitory activity against pathogenic microorganisms and the diameters of the inhibition zones vary between 7.5 and 34 mm for Streptomyces strains, and between 6.5 and 19.50 mm for Penicillium strains. The data indicated that the majority (72.86%) of the 70 isolates were active against at least one of the tested microorganisms. The production of nonpolyenic antifungal substances by active Streptomyces isolates was investigated using several criteria (antibacterial activity, ergosterol inhibition, and UV-visible spectra) of active extracts. The results were promising and showed that the metabolites produced by the actinomycete strains do not have a UV-visible spectrum characteristic of a polyenic structure. The Chaabe Cave possesses a diversity of microorganisms that could lead to new antibiotics necessary in the fight against drug-resistant pathogens and warrant further study

22 páginas.-- 6 figuras.-- 115 referencias.-- Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sed.12431, Subsurface granitic environments are scarce and poorly investigated. A multi‐disciplinary approach was used to characterize the abundant moonmilk deposits and associated microbial communities coating the granite walls of the 16th Century Paranhos spring water tunnel in Porto city (north‐west Portugal). It is possible that this study is the first record of moonmilk in an urban subsurface granitic environment. The morphology and texture, mineralogical composition, stable isotope composition and microbial diversity of moonmilk deposits have been studied to infer the processes of moonmilk formation. These whitish secondary mineral deposits are composed of very fine needle‐fibre calcite crystals with different morphologies and density. Calcified filaments of fungal hyphae or bacteria were distinguished by field emission scanning electron microscopy. Stable isotope analysis revealed a meteoric origin of the needle‐fibre calcite, with an important contribution of atmospheric CO2, soil respiration and urn:x-wiley:00370746:media:sed12431:sed12431-math-0001 from weathering of Ca‐bearing minerals. The DNA‐based analyses revealed the presence of micro‐organisms related to urban contamination, including Actinobacteria, mainly represented by Pseudonocardia hispaniensis, Thaumarchaeota and Ascomycota, dominated by Cladosporium. This microbial composition is consistent with groundwater pollution and contamination sources of the overlying urban area, including garages, petrol stations and wastewater pipeline leakage, showing that the Paranhos tunnel is greatly perturbed by anthropogenic activities. Whether the identified micro‐organisms are involved in the formation of the needle‐fibre calcite or not is difficult to demonstrate, but this study evidenced both abiotic and biogenic genesis for the calcite moonmilk in this subsurface granitic environment., The authors acknowledge the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINEICO, project CGL2011-2569) and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, FCT (UID/GEO/04035/2013, UID/ECI/04028/2013, PEst-OE/CTE/UI0098/2011) and the LABCARGA| ISEP re-equipment program (IPP-ISEP|PAD’2007/ 08) for financial support. AZM thanks MINEICO for the ‘Juan de la Cierva – Incorporación’ postdoctoral contract (IJCI-2014-20443). PMMS thanks the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for his contract associated with the ‘Research Programme in Technologies for the Assessment and Conservation of Cultural Heritage’ (TCP CSD2007-0005

Extreme drought events have negative effects on forest diversity and functioning. At the species level, however, these effects are still unclear, as species vary in their response to drought through specific functional trait combinations. We used long-term demographic records of 21,821 trees and extensive databases of traits to understand the responses of 338 tropical dry forests tree species to ENSO2015 , the driest event in decades in Northern South America. Functional differences between species were related to the hydraulic safety-efficiency trade-off, but unexpectedly, dominant species were characterised by high investment in leaf and wood tissues regardless of their leaf phenological habit. Despite broad functional trait combinations, tree mortality was more widespread in the functional space than tree growth, where less adapted species showed more negative net biomass balances. Our results suggest that if dry conditions increase in this ecosystem, ecological functionality and biomass gain would be reduced.

Human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) cause acute respiratory tract infections in children worldwide. Natural killer T (NKT) cells are unconventional T lymphocytes, and their TCRs recognize glycolipids bound to the MHC-I-like molecule, CD1d. These cells modulate the inflammatory response in viral infections. Here, we evaluated the contribution of NKT cells in both hRSV and hMPV infections. A significant decrease in the number of neutrophils, eosinophils, and CD103+DCs infiltrating to the lungs, as well as an increased production of IFN-γ, were observed upon hRSV-infection in CD1d-deficient BALB/c mice, as compared to wild-type control mice. However, this effect was not observed in the CD1d-deficient BALB/c group, upon infection with hMPV. Importantly, reduced expression of CD1d in CD11b+ DCs and epithelial cells was found in hRSV -but not hMPV-infected mice. Besides, a reduction in the expression of CD1d in alveolar macrophages of lungs from hRSV- and hMPV-infected mice was found. Such reduction of CD1d expression interfered with NKT cells activation, and consequently IL-2 secretion, as characterized by in vitro experiments for both hRSV and hMPV infections. Furthermore, increased numbers of NKT cells recruited to the lungs in response to hRSV- but not hMPV-infection was detected, resulting in a reduction in the expression of IFN-γ and IL-2 by these cells. In conclusion, both hRSV and hMPV might be differently impairing NKT cells function and contributing to the immune response triggered by these viruses.

Mosaicism denotes an individual who has at least two populations of cells with distinct genotypes that are derived from a single fertilized egg. Genetic variation among the cell lines can involve whole chromosomes, structural or copy-number variants, small or single-nucleotide variants, or epigenetic variants. The mutational events that underlie mosaic variants occur during mitotic cell divisions after fertilization and zygote formation. The initiating mutational event can occur in any types of cell at any time in development, leading to enormous variation in the distribution and phenotypic effect of mosaicism. A number of classification proposals have been put forward to classify genetic mosaicism into categories based on the location, pattern, and mechanisms of the disease. We here propose a new classification of genetic mosaicism that considers the affected tissue, the pattern and distribution of the mosaicism, the pathogenicity of the variant, the direction of the change (benign to pathogenic vs. pathogenic to benign), and the postzygotic mutational mechanism. The accurate and comprehensive categorization and subtyping of mosaicisms is important and has potential clinical utility to define the natural history of these disorders, tailor follow-up frequency and interventions, estimate recurrence risks, and guide therapeutic decisions.

Objetivo: Determinar la actividad antibacteriana, in vitro, del extracto etanólico de Caesalpinia spinosa “tara”, sobre cultivos de bacterias de la biopelícula bucal. Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio experimental in vitro, en el cual se comparó la actividad antibacteriana de un extracto etanólico de C. spinosa y controles (clorhexidina al 0,12% (CHX 0,12%), antiséptico bucal (AB), etanol y agua destilada), frente a cultivos de cepas de Streptococcus mutans (ATCC® 25175), Streptococcus sanguinis (ATCC® 10556), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC® 29212), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC® 6538) y Porphyromonas gingivalis (ATCC® 30277). Se utilizó el método de difusión de agar con pocillos de 6 mm de diámetro, en el grupo experimental y controles. Resultados: Se evidenció que el promedio del halo de inhibición formado por la aplicación del extracto etanólico de C. spinosa sobre el S. aureus, fue mucho mayor que el obtenido con la CHX 0,12% o el AB (p

The objective of this study was to characterize the substrates after their degradation by P. ostreatus within 60 days of cultivation in four Mexican mushroom-producing companies, in order to use it as a complement feed for ruminants. The acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), protein fraction, and mineral profile were analyzed after degradation. Crude protein (CP) of companies 1 and 4 increased by 6.1% and 6.8%, respectively (p ≤ 0.05). Soluble nitrogen reached 60% relative to un-degraded substrate with 43.8%. Proteins A, B1, and B3 fractions increased compared to controls (p ≤ 0.05) at some companies. The B2 fraction was decreased in all the degraded substrates (p ≤ 0.05), but the C fraction at companies 1, 2, and 3 presented no significant differences with respect to their controls (p ≤ 0.05). Crude fiber (CF), ADF, NDF, and hemicellulose (HC) decreased while dry matter digestibility (DMD) increased to 55.5-58% on degrade substrates. The mineral composition increased disproportionately. The substrate degraded by P. ostreatus by improving its digestibility and soluble protein content may be a low-cost food supplement. However, due to its mineral imbalance, it is not recommended as the sole food source for ruminants.

New World's hair sheep breeds may genetically stem from West African introgression into established ecotypes of Spanish descent presumably extinct in the XIX Century. However, present Canary non-wooled breeds have presumably regressively resulted from the absorption of primitive individuals through Venezuelan descendants. We studied genetic diversity, structure, and evolution of the Canary hair sheep since its reintroduction in the 1950s. Demographic and genetic variability were evaluated using ENDOG (v4.8). Effective population size based on individual inbreeding rate was around one third higher than when based on individual coancestry rate. Nei's distances and equivalent subpopulations number indicated a highly-structured population. Although genetic diversity loss since the founder generations could be considered small, narrower pedigree bottlenecks could result from intraflock breeding policies and excessive contribution of few ancestors. Long generation intervals could be considered when reducing inbreeding. Wright's fixation statistics indicated slight interflock inbreeding. Pedigree completeness suggested genetic parameters were reliable, hence controlling inbreeding negative effects, could indeed, be crucial preserving these animal resources, consolidating the population in the archipelago after reintroduction.

Objective To determine whether pancreatic iodine concentrations quantified by dual-energy CT differ between patients with acute pancreatitis and those without imaging or laboratory findings indicative of pancreatic disease. Material and methods We compared findings on single-phase dual-energy CT images acquired 55 s after the intravenous administration of contrast material in 27 patients with acute pancreatitis who underwent the examination 48–72 h after the onset of symptoms versus in 11 patients (controls) with no imaging findings suggestive of pancreatic disease and normal amylase and lipase who underwent the examination with the same protocol for other purposes. Imaging post-processing included the generation of iodine maps. Three regions of interest were selected (pancreatic head, body, and tail) to obtain iodine concentrations (mg/ml) to compare between groups. Iodine concentrations were also calculated a second time by normalising the density of iodine with the aorta. Results The mean density of iodine was 2.5 mg/ml in patients with pancreatitis vs. 3.65 mg/ml in controls (p = 0.02). In three patients with glandular necrosis, the density of iodine was 1.53 mg/ml. Conclusions The concentration of iodine in the pancreas measured with dual-energy CT differs significantly between patients with initial-stage acute pancreatitis and those without imaging or laboratory findings indicative of pancreatic disease.

Objective To evaluate the added value of administering intravenous contrast (IVC) routinely to the MRI of patients with audiovestibular symptoms in the assessment of a neuroradiologist and a resident. Materials and methods Retrospective study including patients who had an inner ear MRI for two months. Two radiologists reviewed independently and blinded the images. A first assessment was made analyzing just the sequences acquired without contrast and then a second evaluation of all the sequences, including post-contrast T1 sequences. The interobserver correlation and the correlation between MRI findings and the reason for requesting the study were calculated. Results 40 patients were included. The range age was 36-80 years. The most frequent reason for request the MRI was hearing loss (52.5%). Neuroradiologist without IVC found 82.5% of extraotic pathology and 17.5% of otic pathology, highlighting the neurinoma of the VIII pair (7.5%); ossifying labyrinthitis, retrofenestrated otosclerosis and cholesteatoma. After IVC administration, findings were similar. The resident identified otic pathology in 5% in baseline sequences and 20% using CIV. The interobserver correlation using IVC was excellent (0.97), but weak without IVC (0.52). There was a correlation between the reasons for request the MRI and the findings in the ears, both in protocols without IVC (p = 0.004) and in protocols with IVC (p = 0.002). Conclusion Inner ear MRI without contrast gives relevant information to assess audiovestibular symptoms. The use of IVC increases the degree of confidence in a novel radiologist, while in the expert its use is less relevant. A protocol should be proposed in which gadolinium is used in selected patients.

The epiphyte Tillandsia recurvata modifies the anatomy of the xylem, phloem and periderm of its host Prosopis laevigata, these modifications affect water flux and photosynthetic activity in this host. The relationships between epiphytes and host plants are commensal interactions, where epiphytes obtain support to growth without damaging their hosts. However, some epiphytes may cause the death of branches in their hosts. Ball moss (Tillandsia recurvata) is an epiphyte with elevated reproductive success in semiarid zones of Mexico, growing mainly on mesquite trees (Prosopis laevigata). Mesquites are of great ecological and economical importance in central and northern Mexico, but the elevated mortality of branches and even whole trees have been associated with high ball moss loads. This study evaluates whether ball moss causes structural damage in the phloem, xylem, and periderm of mesquite branches, also testing whether the physiological performance of these branches was reduced. For this we measure the effective quantum yield of photosystem II (ΦPSII), hydraulic conductivity, water flux, number of vessels and the effective area of conduction in mesquite branches with and without ball moss. The results demonstrated that juvenile ball moss only affected the periderm and the collapsed phloem with no damage to non-collapsed phloem or xylem, but the reproductive individuals modified the anatomy of the xylem, phloem and periderm of mesquite. These structural modifications affected both water flux and hydraulic conductivity and reduced the ΦPSII. Our findings suggest that structural and ecophysiological changes induced by the ball moss are the cause of high branch mortality in mesquite. This is the first study showing anatomical and ecophysiological evidence of an epiphytic plant damaging its host.

The Mezquital Valley (MV), Mexico, is a semi-arid region whose main economic activity is agriculture, this zone is characterized by the use of wastewater for crop irrigation. This condition has increased the amount nutrients in soils, organic carbon content and native microorganisms. The Streptomyces species are a group of saprophytic bacteria that represent between 20 and 60% of the total microbial population in soils, capable of producing metabolites of commercial importance. In this work, Streptomyces species were isolated from agricultural soils of the MV and was evaluated the production of endoglucanases (CMCase) and xylanases (Xyl) in Solid-State Cultivation (SSC). From soil samples, 73 possible strains of Streptomyces species were isolated for their ability to produce CMCase and Xyl in SSC. The study also included its characterization by morphological characteristics. Of the isolated microorganisms, 38 strains were selected as strong enzyme producers according to the measurement of the halo generated in plate and by growth on barley straw as only carbon source. Two different sizes of barley straw particle were tested, finding that the greatest enzymatic activity was observed in particle size 12. Three strains of Streptomyces species were chosen which presented the best catalytic capacities, a maximum of 100.69 AU Xyl/gram dry matter (gdm), 82 AU Xyl/gdm and 26.02 AU CMCase/gdm for strains 30, 28 and 12, respectively. The strains were identified by ribosomal gen16s sequence and identified as S. flavogriseus, S. virginiae and S. griseoaurantiacus. It is the first report of endogluconase and xylanolytic activity by S. virginiae isolated from a semi-arid soil.

Background: Duplications of large genomic segments provide genetic diversity in genome evolution. Despite their importance, how these duplications are generated remains uncertain, particularly for distant duplicated genomic segments. Results: Here we provide evidence of the participation of circular DNA intermediates in the single generation of some large human segmental duplications. A specific reversion of sequence order from A-B/C-D to B-A/D-C between duplicated segments and the presence of only microhomologies and short indels at the evolutionary breakpoints suggest a circularization of the donor ancestral locus and an accidental replicative interaction with the acceptor locus. Conclusions: This novel mechanism of random genomic mutation could explain several distant genomic duplications including some of the ones that took place during recent human evolution., A.G-E. team was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (grant FIS PI16/00504 co-funded by FEDER). LAPJ team was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS-PI1302481, co-funded by FEDER), the Generalitat de Catalunya (2017SRG01974), the ICREA-Acadèmia program, and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competiveness “Programa de Excelencia María de Maeztu” (MDM-2014-0370).

Three strains of fungi belonging to the genus Metarhizium Sorokīn (ARSEF 4556, ARSEF 3297, native strain) were assayed against adults and nymphs of the Neotropical brown stinkbug Euschistus heros (F.) and the green-belly stinkbug Dichelops furcatus (F.). The most virulent strain, ARSEF 4556, caused over 90% mortality. The average survival time of the second and fifth instar nymphs and adults following immersion in 1 × 108 conidia ml−1 was 4.8, 5.7, and 5.2 d, respectively. The second instar nymphs were more susceptible than the adults. The LC50 values and median survival times for second instar and adult E. heros were 1.6 × 107 and 3.1 × 107 conidia ml−1 and 6 and 8 d, respectively. Eggs of E. heros and the closely related stinkbug, D. furcatus, were highly susceptible to ARSEF 4556 with the mean mortality of eggs immersed in 1 × 108 conidia ml−1 being 77.4% and 89.7%, respectively. The strain 3297 showed also good aptitudes for stinkbugs control with mortalities higher than 80% against nymphs and adults and eggs mortalities of 75.5% for E. heros and 79.6% for D. furcatus. This study has shown that it is possible to have a two-pronged control strategy, targeting adults and to reduce oviposition and targeting egg clusters to prevent emergence and dispersal of nymphs. Besides early instars of nymphs have been shown to be more susceptible to the fungal strains than late instars and adults.

Background: Cactaceae is the fifth taxonomic group with the highest proportion of threatened species and among the angiosperms, the most vulnerable to human disturbance. One way to contribute to the preservation of this family is to understand the processes that promote seed germination. Questions: Have the relationship between seed traits and cactus germination been documented? How common is dormancy and seed banks in Cactaceae ? Are there general patterns in cacti germination response to temperature, light, water, salinity, phytohormones, hydration/dehydration cycles, mechanical or chemical scarification? Data description: A total of 333 studies on cactus germination with information on 409 taxa. Study site and dates: since 1939 to January 2020. Methods: A search of scientific articles in Google Scholar was performed with the words Cactaceae , cacti and cactus, in combination with various matters on germination in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Results: The main germination studies in cactus deal with photoblasticism (275 taxa), temperature (205 taxa) and seed longevity (142 taxa). Other lines of study in cactus germination ( e.g., desiccation tolerance, vivipary, phytohormones, mechanical or chemical scarification, in vitro germination, hydration/dehydration cycles, water and saline stress, serotiny, storage in cold, high temperature tolerance and soil seed bank) include between 14 and 65 taxa. Cacti have only physiological dormancy and optimal germination for most species occur between 20 and 30 °C. Photoblasticism is strongly influenced by phylogeny with 80.9 % positive photoblastic species. Conclusions: Mexico, Brazil and Argentina are the three leading countries in the study of cactus germination.

There is supporting evidence of alcohol negative effects on the brain: neuroimaging and psychophysiological studies finding anatomical and functional connectivity (FC) changes associated with the dependence process. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate brain FC and network characteristics of alcohol-dependent individuals in resting state. For this study, we included males diagnosed with alcohol dependence (N = 25) and a group of healthy individuals (N = 23). Simultaneous EEG-MEG (electroencephalographic and magnetoencephalographic) activity was recorded in 5 min of eyes-closed resting state. EEG-MEG activity was preprocessed and FC was computed through the leakage-corrected version of phase locking value (ciPLV). Additionally, local (degree, efficiency, clustering) and global (efficiency, characteristic path length) network parameters were computed. Connectivity analysis showed an increase in phase-lagged synchronization, mainly between frontal and frontotemporal regions, in high beta band, and a decrease in interhemispheric gamma, for alcohol-dependent individuals. Network analysis revealed intergroup differences at the local level for high beta, indicating higher degree, clustering, and efficiency, mostly at frontal nodes, together with a decrease in these measures at more posterior sites for patients' group. The hyper-synchronization in beta, next to the hypo-synchronization in gamma, could indicate an alteration in communication between hemispheres, but also a possible functional compensation mechanism in neural circuits. This could be also supported by network characteristic data, where local alterations in communication are observed.

It is known that continuous abuse of amphetamine (AMPH) results in alterations in neuronal structure and cognitive behaviors related to the reward system. However, the impact of AMPH abuse on the hippocampus remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the damage caused by AMPH in the hippocampus in an addiction model. We reproduced the AMPH sensitization model proposed by Robinson et al. in 1997 and performed the novel object recognition test (NORt) to evaluate learning and memory behaviors. After the NORt, we performed Golgi-Cox staining, a stereological cell count, immunohistochemistry to determine the presence of GFAP, CASP3, and MT-III, and evaluated oxidative stress in the hippocampus. We found that AMPH treatment generates impairment in short- and long-term memories and a decrease in neuronal density in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. The morphological test showed an increase in the total dendritic length, but a decrease in the number of mature spines in the CA1 region. GFAP labeling increased in the CA1 region and MT-III increased in the CA1 and CA3 regions. Finally, we found a decrease in Zn concentration in the hippocampus after AMPH treatment. An increase in the dopaminergic tone caused by AMPH sensitization generates oxidative stress, neuronal death, and morphological changes in the hippocampus that affect cognitive behaviors like short- and long-term memories.

Agricultural production seeks to obtain high quality, safe products for human consumption- a great concern for the dairy chain. The present investigation seeks to identify the correlation between the compositional and sanitary quality of raw milk (SCC/mL). The investigation was carried out in three districts of the Department of Narino, Colombia. For this purpose, sampling and information collection was executed throughout the years 2016 and 2017. To determine the relationship between composition and sanitary quality, an analysis was made of the principal components of the milk, and a design of mixed models was creating using selected variables. The analysis showed that there is a relationship between the compositional variables, and the mixed model indicated that there is a significant relationship between the somatic cell count and the milk quality of the region. It was concluded that a somatic cell count above 500,000 CFU/mL has negative effects on protein, casein, and milk production.

The burden of several common diseases including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and depression is increasing in most world populations. However, the mechanisms underlying the numerous epidemiological and genetic correlations among these disorders remain largely unknown. We investigated whether common polymorphic inversions underlie the shared genetic influence of these disorders. We performed an inversion association analysis including 21 inversions and 25 obesity-related traits on a total of 408,898 Europeans and validated the results in 67,299 independent individuals. Seven inversions were associated with multiple diseases while inversions at 8p23.1, 16p11.2, and 11q13.2 were strongly associated with the co-occurrence of obesity with other common diseases. Transcriptome analysis across numerous tissues revealed strong candidate genes for obesity-related traits. Analyses in human pancreatic islets indicated the potential mechanism of inversions in the susceptibility of diabetes by disrupting the cis-regulatory effect of SNPs from their target genes. Our data underscore the role of inversions as major genetic contributors to the joint susceptibility to common complex diseases., This research has received funding from Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICIU), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, UE (RTI2018-100789-B-I00) also through the “Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa 2019-2023” Program (CEX2018-000806-S); and the Catalan Government (SGR2017/801 and #016FI_B 00272 to C.R.-A.) through the CERCA Program. J.G. is funded by the European Commission (H2020-ERC-2014-CoG-647900) and the MINECO/AEI/FEDER, EU (BFU2017-82937-P). The L.A.P.-J. lab was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (ISCIII-FEDER P13/02481), the Catalan Department of Economy and Knowledge (SGR2014/1468, SGR2017/1974, and ICREA Acadèmia), and also acknowledges support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competiveness“Programa de Excelencia María de Maeztu” (MDM-2014-0370). This research was conducted using the UK Biobank Resource under Application Number 43983. The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) Project was supported by the Common Fund of the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health, and by NCI, NHGRI, NHLBI, NIDA, NIMH, and NINDS.

espanolThis work is part of two research projects of the Plan Propio de Investigacion of the University of Cadiz and aims to analyze the relationship between reading habits and music in Secondary Education. This general aim is divided into two specific objectives that arise from the hypotheses which were set out, according to the two phases of analysis that we have defined. Firstly, we propose to analyze the reading progression of the adolescent in the transition between primary and secondary education, since it is based on the widespread idea of the change in reading habits in this educational period. Secondly, we propose to determine if students prefer to read with music and to specify which genres they listen to while reading, as we consider that this is becoming a popular practice and that there are genres and types of music that are shared in the musical universe of the adolescent. The methodology we have followed for this research is divided into two levels: on the one hand, according to the first phase of analysis, we will focus on participants from Cadiz (N = 666); other places in Andalusia (Granada and Almeria) (N = 78); and areas of the rest of Spain (Aragon, Catalonia, Castile–La Mancha and Castile and Leon) (N = 114). On the other hand, in the last phase, we will take into account international participants: Braga, Portugal (N = 95); Łodź, Poland (N = 67); and Valparaiso, Chile (N = 60), to contrast both the national and international results under the umbrella of Cadiz data. The main findings have led us to consider teacher formation in methodologies that combine, from an intertextual and interdisciplinary perspective, music and literature for the creation of permanent reading habits and a further impact on the formation of literary readers. EnglishResumen

Background: Results indicate the fishery might be catching small California sardine in some fishing areas that could produce growth overfishing. Objectives: To estimate the percentage of organisms caught below the minimum size and determining the potential variables affecting the organisms size caught by the fishery. Methods: we did data exploratory analysis, correlation analysis and explored the size´s seasonal and interannual variability. We used ANCOVA and ANOVA to find out the main driver determining sardine´s size. The response variable was the standard length, the ANCOVA model included six covariates, six factors and the first level interactions. Results: the standard length ranged from 64 mm to 230 mm, the mean was 158.6 ± 19.8 mm. Results suggest 32.9% of the organisms caught are below the minimum size, 12.9% above the tolerance limit (20%). Regarding the seasonal variation, results suggest the lower standard length value occurred during June and July, while the highest occurred in March. The ANCOVA model included 60 significant predictors; it explained 82.2% of the observed variability. ANOVA results suggested that the predictor variable explaining the majority of the variability was the factor Month (31.5%); the second was the factor year (9.5%) and the third was Boat (7.2%). Conclusions: Compliance with regulations would require reducing operations during June and July in zones IV-G and VI-G; this would help to avoid growth overfishing. However, it could face fishermen opposition that already face a close season. Regulations compliance would require that CONAPESCA and fishermen reach a consensus. Our results contribute to provide information to avoid growth overfishing and yield overfishing. They support the efforts that managers and fishermen are making to assure the sustainable exploitation of this fishing resource.

The structure of mutualist interactions is still poorly understood in isolated remnants of montane forests. We tried to answer whether a plant–frugivore network from an isolated remnant could maintain its functional structure, despite the absence of certain species and traits. We hypothesized that a network of frugivore birds and plants from an isolated remnant would be less specialized and modular, and would show higher degree of nestedness than one from a continuous forest area. Functionally distinctive species in the networks were also identified based on analyses of the fourth-corner matrices, which cross plant and bird traits weighted by their interaction frequencies. The structure of studied networks showed a high similarity in which most interactions were performed by small generalist bird species on plant species carrying small unprotected fruits. Both networks showed similar levels of niche partitioning, although specialization and modularity increased in the isolated remnant network. Networks also showed a strong correlation between fruit weights and bird masses reflecting the functional distinctiveness of large frugivorous birds and plants with the heaviest fruits. Several large bird species were recorded in the studied networks although they contributed with a low percentage of interactions. Therefore, networks from isolated forest remnants seem resilient to the reduction of species richness due to the persistence of tolerant bird species and plant species carrying small fruits.

Background Candida parapsilosis is the second or third most frequently isolated Candida species related to nosocomial infections, even overtaking Candida albicans in some hospitals. C. parapsilosis constitutes a complex of closely related species: Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto, Candida orthopsilosis and Candida metapsilosis. Accurate detection of these species is of importance, as the incidence of C. orthopsilosis has been reported to surpass that of Candida krusei. Objective To evaluate the diagnostic utility of two PCR-RFLP methods targeting the SADH and FKS1 genes and to determine the prevalence of cryptic species in 96 bloodstream isolates of C. parapsilosis from 93 patients. Methods Restriction patterns of the SADH and FKS1 genes were analysed, and sequencing of the D1/D2 regions of the ribosomal RNA was used to evaluate the reliability of both PCR-RFLP methods. Results In our study, 77 C. parapsilosis sensu stricto, 13 C. orthopsilosis and five C. metapsilosis were identified by sequencing. Both PCR-RFLP methods demonstrated strong agreement with D1/D2 sequencing in the identification of C. parapsilosis and C. orthopsilosis, while both methods were unable to identify the C. metapsilosis isolates. Moreover, unexpected restriction patterns were observed for two isolates on SADH PCR-RFLP and for four isolates on FKS1 PCR-RFLP. Mixed bloodstream infections of C. parapsilosis sensu stricto and C. orthopsilosis were detected for three patients, for which differential growth characteristics were observed. Conclusion The molecular method chosen for identification could have an impact on determination of the real prevalence of C. metapsilosis in candidaemia, and mixed fungaemias can remain undetected.

The present study demonstrates that Sporisorium reilianum, a phytopathogenic fungus of corn, produces intracellular xylanolytic activity during submerged fermentation. Production reached its highest levels in a medium containing glucose, corn hemicellulose and yeast extract. An intracellular xylanase was purified by a process that included precipitation with ammonium sulfate, ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Optimal pH and temperature values were 5.0 and 60 °C, respectively. The enzyme showed activity through a broad pH range. The molecular weights of pure xylanase were 36 and 37 kDa, determined by SDS PAGE and gel filtration, respectively. Km and Vmax were 0.160 mg/mL and 1.564 μmol/min/mg, respectively, on a substrate of birchwood xylan. SDS, EDTA, β-Mercaptoethanol, Tween 80, Triton and Mn2+ and Ca2+ strongly inhibited activity. The purified enzyme hydrolyzed xylan, releasing xylotriose and xylobiose. Sequence protein analysis showed 95% similarity with the theoretical protein encoded by the sr14403 gene of S. reilianum, which encodes a putative endo-β-1,4-xylanase. The enzyme is an isoform of the extracellular xylanase SRXL1 of this basidiomycete.