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MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are mostly known for their gene regulation properties, but they also play an important role in intercellular signaling. This means that they can be found in bodily fluids, giving them excellent biomarker potential. Myotonic Dystrophy type I (DM1) is the most frequent autosomal dominant muscle dystrophy in adults, with an estimated prevalence of 1:8000. DM1 symptoms include muscle weakness, myotonia, respiratory failure, cardiac conduction defects, cataracts, and endocrine disturbances. Patients display heterogeneity in both age of onset and disease manifestation. No treatment or cure currently exists for DM1, which shows the necessity for a biomarker that can predict disease progression, providing the opportunity to implement preventative measures before symptoms arise. In the past two decades, extensive research has been conducted in the miRNA expression profiles of DM1 patients and their biomarker potential. Here we review the current state of the field with a tissue-specific focus, given the multi-systemic nature of DM1 and the intracellular signaling role of miRNAs.

Author(s): Arakaki, Xianghong; Hung, Shao‐Min; Wei, Ke; Tran, Thao; Arechavala, Rebecca Johnson; Kleinman, Michael T; Kloner, Robert; Fonteh, Alfred N; King, Kevin; Harrington, Michael G

Pipefish are a vulnerable and diverse group of ichthyofauna tightly associated with seagrass meadows, key habitats in shallow marine areas. Despite their charismatic role, the main ecological features, habitat, and diet of this group remain largely unknown. This study focuses on assessing pipefish habitat and feeding preferences, including different hosting seagrasses such as Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa from the Balearic Islands, western Mediterranean. Four species (Syngnathus typhle, S. abaster, Nerophis ophidion, and N. maculatus) were found associated to different seagrasses. S. typhle and N. maculatus were more frequent in P. oceanica meadows, while S. abaster and N. ophidion in C. nodosa. Individuals of all species captured in P. oceanica were larger than those living in C. nodosa, suggesting a size-dependent habitat preference. Feeding preferences, however, were driven by prey availability and fish features, e.g., head/snout morphology. For the first time in the western Mediterranean, a thorough description of the diet and potential prey of this group was carried out. Epifaunal assemblages (potential prey) were dominated in both habitats by harpacticoid copepods and gammarid amphipods, and they were also the primary prey according to stomach contents of all species. These results can contribute to future pipefish conservation and management actions, such as targeting crucial habitat identification and designing culture and reintroduction protocols., This study was funded by the research Project “Singnátidos de los Parques Nacionales de las Islas Atlánticas y del Archipiélago de Cabrera (541S/2015)” awarded to CSIC by Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales (Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente, Programa Estatal de I+D+i Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad, Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2013-2016). Additional support was provided by the joint Associated Unit IMEDEA-LIMIA (Laboratorio de Investigaciones Marinas y Acuicultura, Dirección General de Pesca y Medio Marino, Govern Illes Balears).

Background: Recently, the clinical entity of EVALI (E-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury) was described and has similarities to COVID -19 pneumonia. We determined in a quantitative manner the inflammatory changes in the lungs associated with EVALI in a rodent model that does not include use of marijuana, vitamin E oil, or nicotine, which had been implicated as a cause. Methods: Adult Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to either pure air (n=5) or electronic cigarette (eC) vapor (propylene glycol/vegetable glycerin, tobacco flavoring) using a device with a nickel-chromium alloy (NC) heating element at 70 Watts (n=6) for 2 hours. The e-liquid did not contain nicotine, marijuana, or Vitamin E oil. Rats were euthanized within a few days of exposure and H&E-stained lung sections were assessed. Inflammatory cells were counted from 10 random areas per section at 20х magnification. Results: Alveolar structure appeared normal in the air group (Figure, panel C); the eC group using the NC heating element showed alveolar inflammation (D). The numbers of inflammatory cells per high power field in the lung parenchyma were significantly greater in the rats exposed to eC using NC heating element (67.5 ± 44.5) compared to the air group (6.7 ± 0.3; P < 0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test). The predominant cell type was mononuclear and secondary were neutrophils. Other features included accumulation of fibrin and inflammatory cells in the lumen of the trachea (A); thickened alveolar walls; and red blood cell congestion (D). Inflammation of the nasal passages was also observed (B). Exposure of rats to e cigarettes using a stainless steel heating element did not result in EVALI, and the amount of inflammatory cells was closer to air exposed rats (7.2± 0.4). Conclusion: Vaping using a nichrome heating element at high power leads to respiratory tract pathology and a significant increase in the number of inflammatory cells in the alveoli. EVALI occurred without marijuana, vitamin E oil or nicotine.

E‐cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury was recognized in the United States in the summer of 2019 and is typified by acute respiratory distress, shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, and fever, associated with vaping. It can mimic many of the manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Some investigators have suggested that E‐cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury was due to tetrahydrocannabinol or vitamin E acetate oil mixed with the electronic cigarette liquid. In experimental rodent studies initially designed to study the effect of electronic cigarette use on the cardiovascular system, we observed an E‐cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury‐like condition that occurred acutely after use of a nichrome heating element at high power, without the use of tetrahydrocannabinol, vitamin E, or nicotine. Lung lesions included thickening of the alveolar wall with foci of inflammation, red blood cell congestion, obliteration of alveolar spaces, and pneumonitis in some cases; bronchi showed accumulation of fibrin, inflammatory cells, and mucus plugs. Electronic cigarette users should be cautioned about the potential danger of operating electronic cigarette units at high settings; the possibility that certain heating elements may be deleterious; and that E‐cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury may not be dependent upon tetrahydrocannabinol, vitamin E, or nicotine.

E-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury was recognized in the United States in the summer of 2019 and is typified by acute respiratory distress, shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, and fever, associated with vaping. It can mimic many of the manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Some investigators have suggested that E-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury was due to tetrahydrocannabinol or vitamin E acetate oil mixed with the electronic cigarette liquid. In experimental rodent studies initially designed to study the effect of electronic cigarette use on the cardiovascular system, we observed an E-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury-like condition that occurred acutely after use of a nichrome heating element at high power, without the use of tetrahydrocannabinol, vitamin E, or nicotine. Lung lesions included thickening of the alveolar wall with foci of inflammation, red blood cell congestion, obliteration of alveolar spaces, and pneumonitis in some cases; bronchi showed accumulation of fibrin, inflammatory cells, and mucus plugs. Electronic cigarette users should be cautioned about the potential danger of operating electronic cigarette units at high settings; the possibility that certain heating elements may be deleterious; and that E-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury may not be dependent upon tetrahydrocannabinol, vitamin E, or nicotine.

Electronic cigarettes (E-cigs) generate nicotine containing aerosols for inhalation and have emerged as a popular tobacco product among adolescents and young adults, yet little is known about their health effects due to their relatively recent introduction. Few studies have assessed the long-term effects of inhaling E-cigarette smoke or vapor. Here, we show that two months of E-cigarette exposure causes suppression of bone marrow hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Specifically, the common myeloid progenitors and granulocyte-macrophage progenitors were decreased in E-cig exposed animals compared to air exposed mice. Competitive reconstitution in bone marrow transplants was not affected by two months of E-cig exposure. When air and E-cig exposed mice were challenged with an inflammatory stimulus using lipopolysaccharide (LPS), competitive fitness between the two groups was not significantly different. However, mice transplanted with bone marrow from E-cigarette plus LPS exposed mice had elevated monocytes in their peripheral blood at five months post-transplant indicating a myeloid bias similar to responses of aged hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) to an acute inflammatory challenge. We also investigated whether E-cigarette exposure enhances the selective advantage of hematopoietic cells with myeloid malignancy associated mutations. E-cigarette exposure for one month slightly increased JAK2V617F mutant cells in peripheral blood but did not have an impact on TET2&minus, /&minus, cells. Altogether, our findings reveal that chronic E-cigarette exposure for two months alters the bone marrow HSPC populations but does not affect HSC reconstitution in primary transplants.

Acoustic telemetry techniques are very useful tools to monitor in detail the swimming behavior and spatial use of fish in artificial rearing environments at individual and group levels. We evaluated the feasibility of using passive acoustic telemetry to monitor fish welfare in sea-cage aquaculture at an industrial scale, characterizing for the first time the diel swimming and distribution patterns of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) at fine-scale. Ten fish were implanted with acoustic tags equipped with pressure and acceleration sensors, and monitored in a commercial-size sea-cage for a period of 1 month. Overall, fish exhibited clear differences in day vs. night patterns both on swimming activity and vertical distribution throughout the experiment. Space use increased at night after the implementation of structural environmental enrichment in the sea-cage. Acoustic telemetry may represent an advancement to monitor fish farming procedures and conditions, helping to promote fish welfare and product quality., This study belongs to “SPYFISH” project, partially funded by the Edith Maryon Foundation (Basel, Switzerland); but also received Portuguese national funds from FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology through project UID/Multi/04326/2019 as well as from the Open Philanthropy Project through the “The CAREFISH program – Improving fish welfare through stakeholder communication: from research to fish farms” led by fair-fish international association (Denens, Switzerland).

Background Recurrent vulvovaginitis is a growing problem that affects millions of women worldwide. In many cases it is treated as vulvovaginal candidiasis, but there is not always microbiological confirmation. Aims To determine the etiology of vulvovaginitis in a group of patients. Methods This is a cross-sectional study in which the data from the medical records of 316 adult patients who consulted for vulvovaginitis were analyzed. Eighty nine percent of the cases had already suffered previous episodes. Results The median age was 34 (265 patients were between 16 and 45 years old). Yeasts were isolated in culture from 211 (66.8%) patients, although pseudo-hyphae and yeasts were observed in only 166 samples (52.5%) in the direct microscopic examination. Multiple predisposing factors were found, among which the use of contraceptives or previous antibiotics stand out. Most of the patients (almost 90%) had been treated with antifungals, with or without microbiological confirmation. Candida albicans was isolated in 187 (88.6%) patients, followed by Candida glabrata in 6 (2.8%) patients. Association with bacterial vaginosis was found in 35.1% and with intermediate bacterial microbiota in 33.2% of the cases. A remarkably high proportion of C. albicans isolates resistant to fluconazole (80.1%) and itraconazole (58.8%) was found. Conclusions A microbiological analysis is essential to confirm the diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis, whether simple, complicated, or recurrent. Identifying the isolated yeast species and determining its susceptibility to antifungal agents are particularly important.

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a life-threatening systemic mycosis widely reported in the Gran Chaco ecosystem. The disease is caused by different species from the genus Paracoccidioides, which are all endemic to South and Central America. Here, we sequenced and analyzed 31 isolates of Paracoccidioides across South America, with particular focus on isolates from Argentina and Paraguay. The de novo sequenced isolates were compared with publicly available genomes. Phylogenetics and population genomics revealed that PCM in Argentina and Paraguay is caused by three distinct Paracoccidioides genotypes, P. brasiliensis (S1a and S1b) and P. restrepiensis (PS3). P. brasiliensis S1a isolates from Argentina are frequently associated with chronic forms of the disease. Our results suggest the existence of extensive molecular polymorphism among Paracoccidioides species, and provide a framework to begin to dissect the connection between genotypic differences in the pathogen and the clinical outcomes of the disease. Fil: Teixeira, Marcus de Melo. Universidade do Brasília; Brasil Fil: Cattana, Maria Emilia. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Instituto de Medicina Regional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina Fil: Matute, Daniel R.. University of North Carolina; Estados Unidos Fil: Muñoz, José F.. Broad Institute Of Mit And Harvard; Estados Unidos Fil: Arechavala, Alicia. Hospital Francisco J Muñiz; Argentina Fil: Isbell, Kristin. University of North Carolina; Estados Unidos Fil: Schipper, Rafael. Universidade do Brasília; Brasil Fil: Santiso, Gabriela Maria. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Infecciosas "Dr. Francisco Javier Muñiz"; Argentina Fil: Tracogna, Fernanda. Gobierno de la Provincia de Chaco. Hospital Julio Cecilio Perrando.; Argentina Fil: Sosa, María de los Ángeles. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Instituto de Medicina Regional; Argentina Fil: Cech, Norma. Hospital 4 de Junio; Argentina Fil: Alvarado, Primavera. Instituto de Biomedicina Dr. Jacinto Convit; Venezuela Fil: Barreto, Laura. Instituto Superior de Formación Docente Salome Ureña; República Dominicana Fil: Chacón, Yone. Provincia de Salta. Ministerio de Salud Pública. Hospital del Milagro; Argentina Fil: Ortellado, Juana. Universidad Nacional de Asunción; Paraguay Fil: Lima, Cleoni Mendes de. Universidade Federal de Rondonia; Brasil Fil: Chang, Marilene Rodrigues. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul; Brasil Fil: Niño Vega, Gustavo. Universidad de Guanajuato; México Fil: Yasuda, Maria Aparecida Shikanai. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil Fil: Felipe, Maria Sueli Soares. Universidade Catolica de Brasilia; Brasil Fil: Negroni, Ricardo. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Infecciosas "Dr. Francisco Javier Muñiz"; Argentina Fil: Cuomo, Christina A.. Broad Institute of MIT And Harvard; Estados Unidos Fil: Barker, Bridget. Tgen Northern Arizona University; Estados Unidos Fil: Giusiano, Gustavo Emilio. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Instituto de Medicina Regional; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Medicina; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina

A descriptive observational and cross-sectional study was carried out. The clinical characteristics, etiologic agents, treatments and outcome of 33 cases of tinea capitis in the Mycology Unit at Francisco J. Muñiz Hospital of Buenos Aires City between January 2015 and December 2019 were analyzed. The median age of the patients was 7 years, 21 of whom were male, 3 were HIV-positive and 22 had pets. The isolated etiologic agents were the following: Microsporum canis in 22 cases, Trichophyton tonsurans in 8, Nannizzia gypsea in 2 and Trichophyton mentagrophytes in one patient. Suppurative tinea capitis (krion Celsi) was detected in 10 cases and the same number of patients presented other skin locations of their dermatophytosis in addition to those in the scalp. Twenty-one cases were orally treated with griseofulvin and 12 with terbinafine. Those patients with suppurative tinea capitis received drops of betamethasone by mouth besides the antifungal drugs. All patients had good clinical and mycological response to the treatments, all lesions disappeared, and mycological studies turned negative by the end of the treatments. We conclude that both drugs were effective for the treatment of tinea capitis; however, lesions in those cases receiving terbinafine involuted more slowly.

The fast development of camera technologies opens a breakthrough opportunity for animal ecology, particularly at the marine realm where observing wildlife is challenging. These outstanding technological advances are meeting with the impressive capabilities of artificial intelligence for enabling automatic extraction of relevant information from videos and images. Altogether, this may be a unique opportunity for a qualitative jump in marine wildlife assessment but substantial strengthening of the links between theorists, empiricists and engineers is still required. Specifically, a recent theory proposes that animal density can be estimated from (1) the counted animals per frame, (2) the area surveyed by the camera and (3) the probability of detecting an animal that is actually within the area surveyed by the camera. However, a potential drawback for applying this theory to the real world is that environmental dependencies of camera's detection probability may lead to biased estimates of animal density. Therefore, here we propose a sampling protocol and a statistical model of general application for estimating (and accounting for) the environmental factors affecting fish detectability when estimating fish density with cameras. The method implies one calibration sampling with cameras and with the preferred reference method at the same time and place. The relevance of this method is that, once calibrated, it can be used to obtain unbiased estimates of fish density at new sites and moments using only cameras. Thus, fish density could be estimated at the temporal and the spatial scale needed, but with substantially less cost-effort than any other reference methods (e.g., underwater visual censuses). As a proof of concept, we evaluated the dependence of camera's detection probability on habitat complexity (e.g., cavities, rocks, seagrass, etc.) as a proxy for the hiding capability of a small serranid. In that specific case, probability of detection seems to be independent of habitat complexity. However, the sampling protocol and the statistical model provided here open the opportunity to estimate fish density using underwater cameras at wider temporal and/or spatial scales, which will help to better understanding the ultimate drivers of marine fish population dynamics and further development of science-based management., GFB were supported by a PhD fellowship (FPI-INIA) from the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA). PAL was supported by a Juan de la Cierva Incorporación postdoctoral grant (IJCI-2015-25595). This work was funded by R + D project PHENOFISH (CTM2015-69126-C2-1-R; MINECO) and is a contribution of the Joint Research Unit IMEDEA-LIMIA.

Chemical cues from predators induce a range of predator-induced morphological defences (PIMDs) observed across fish taxa. However, the mechanisms, consistency, direction and adaptive value of PIMDs are still poorly studied. Here, we have tested if predatory cues can induce changes in the body shape of the juvenile marine fish Sparus aurata reared under controlled conditions without the presence of predators by exposing individuals to the olfactory stimulus of a fish predator. We tested our hypothesis using a nested replicated before-after-control-impact experiment, including recovery (potential reversibility) after the cessation of the predator stimulus. Differences in the size-independent body shape were explored using landmark-based geometric morphometrics and revealed that, on average, individuals exposed to a predatory cue presented deeper bodies and longer caudal regions, according to our adaptive theoretical predictions. These average plastic responses were reversible after withdrawal of the stimulus and individuals returned to average body shapes. We, therefore, provide evidence supporting innate reversible PIMDs in marine naive fish reared under controlled conditions. The effects at the individual level, including fitness and the associated applied implications, deserve further research., This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO, grant no. CTM2011-23835). C.D.-G. was funded by a fellowship (FPI-INIA-2012) from the National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Technology. P.A.-L. was supported through ‘Juan de la Cierva' Post-doc grant (grant nos. IJCI-2016-27681 and IJC-2015-25595) funded by MINECO. J.A. was supported by a Ramón y Cajal Grant funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (grant no. RYC2018-024488-I).

Activity of catalysts increase linearly with increasing ratio of Pd/Pt bimetallic to oxide species as observed in XRD. Bimetallic catalysts consisting of Pd and Pt on TiO 2 -zeolite (mordenite, beta, ZSM-5) supports were prepared and tested for the combustion of methane. The activity of the catalysts was found to be dependent on the zeolite topology and SiO 2 : Al 2 O 3 ratio and was linearly dependent on the proportion of Pd and Pt present in a bimetallic phase observed in XRD diffractograms of the catalysts. This linear dependence was valid for a range of zeolites used. STEM-EDS and electron tomography showed the Pd and Pt to be largely co-located and XAS and XPS indicated that the metals are mostly present in the form of oxide nanoparticles with a minor contribution from the metals at high SiO 2 : Al 2 O 3 ratios. Catalyst characterization showed there to be little difference overall in the metal loading and physical characteristics of the samples and NH 3 -TPD suggested that the activation of methane over acid sites is not important. Adding water to the feed, slightly reduced the conversion but did not affect the deactivation profile of the catalysts tested.

Gene edition methods are an attractive putative therapeutic option for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and they have an immediate application in the generation of research models. To generate two new edited myoblast cultures that could be useful in vitro drug screening, we have optimised a CRISPR/Cas9 gene edition protocol. We have successfully used it in wild type immortalised myoblasts to delete exon 52 of the dystrophin gene: DMDΔ52-Model, modelling a common Duchenne muscular dystrophy mutation; and in patient’s immortalised cultures we have deleted an inhibitory microRNA target region of the utrophin UTR, leading to utrophin upregulation. We have characterised these cultures and, to show their use in the assessment of DMD treatments, we have performed exon skipping in the DMDΔ52-Model and have used the unedited cultures/ DMD-UTRN-Model combo to assess utrophin overexpression after drug treatment. While the practical use of DMDΔ52-Model is limited to the validation to our gene edition protocol, DMD-UTRN-Model offers a possible therapeutic gene edition target as well as a useful positive control in the screening of utrophin overexpression drugs.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing may allow treating and studying rare genetic disorders by respectively, correcting disease mutations in patients, or introducing them in cell cultures. Both applications are highly dependent on Cas9 and sgRNA delivery efficiency. While gene editing methods are usually efficiently applied to cell lines such as HEK293 or hiPSCs, CRISPR/Cas9 editing in vivo or in cultured myoblasts prove to be much less efficient, limiting its use. After a careful optimisation of different steps of the editing protocol, we established a consistent approach to generate human immortalised myoblasts disease models through CRISPR/Cas9 editing. Using this protocol we successfully created a coding deletion of exon 52 of the DYSTROPHIN (DMD) gene in wild type immortalised myoblasts modelling Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and a microRNA binding sites deletion in the regulatory region of the UTROPHIN (UTRN) gene leading to utrophin upregulation in in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patient immortalised cultures. Sanger sequencing confirmed the presence of the corresponding genomic alterations and protein expression was characterised using myoblots. To show the utility of these cultures as platforms for assessing the efficiency of DMD treatments, we used them to evaluate the impact of exon skipping therapy and ezutromid treatment. Our editing protocol may be useful to others interested in genetically manipulating myoblasts and the resulting edited cultures for studying DMD disease mechanisms and assessing therapeutic approaches. Summary We report two novel immortalised myoblast culture models for studying Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), generated through CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing: one recapitulates a common DYSTROPHIN ( DMD ) deletion and the other a regulatory mutation leading to UTROPHIN (UTRN) ectopic upregulation.

Reduction of threading dislocation density in top-down fabricated GaN nanocolumns (NCs) via their successive lateral shrinkage by anisotropic wet etch and lateral overgrowth by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition is studied by transmission electron microscopy. The fabrication process involves a combination of dry and wet etches to produce NC arrays of a low fill factor (

Detail description of the experiment, statistical approach and description of the raw data file

Resumen: Objetivo: El objetivo principal del estudio es analizar la relación entre la exposición al humo ambiental de tabaco (HAT) en niños/as y el asma, las sibilancias y la salud percibida. Método: Estudio transversal mediante encuesta telefónica a una muestra representativa de 2411 menores de 12 años de España. Se describió la exposición al HAT en el ámbito privado y en el ámbito público, así como la prevalencia de asma, sibilancias y mala salud percibida autodeclaradas. La asociación entre los indicadores de salud y la exposición al HAT se analizó mediante modelos multivariados de regresión de Poisson con variancia robusta según edad y nivel de estudios. Resultados: La prevalencia de exposición al HAT en menores fue del 29,2% en el ámbito privado y del 42,5% en el ámbito público. No se observó asociación entre la exposición al HAT y el asma, las sibilancias y la mala salud percibida en menores de 5 años. En menores de 6-11 años con padres/madres con estudios primarios o secundarios, presentar asma (razón de prevalencia ajustada [RPa]: 2,1; intervalo de confianza del 95% [IC95%]: 1,2-3,8) y una peor salud percibida (RPa: 1,6; IC95%: 1,1-2,1) se asociaron positivamente con la exposición al HAT en el ámbito privado. En menores con progenitores o tutores con estudios universitarios se observó una asociación negativa entre presentar asma (RPa: 0,3; IC95%: 0,1-0,7) y sibilancias (RPa: 0,3; IC95%: 0,1-0,8) y la exposición al HAT. Conclusiones: Existen diferencias en la asociación entre la exposición al HAT y el asma, las sibilancias y una peor salud percibida según el nivel de estudios. Se deberían planificar intervenciones con perspectiva de equidad dirigidas a disminuir la exposición al HAT en la infancia. Abstract: Objective: This study aimed to estimate the association between second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure in children and asthma, wheezing and perceived health. Method: A cross-sectional study based on a telephone survey was performed on a representative sample of 2411 children under 12 years old in Spain. Exposure to SHS in private and public settings, and the prevalence of asthma, wheezing and perceived poor health were described. The association between health indicators and SHS exposure was analyzed using multivariate Poisson regression models with robust variance according to age and educational level. Results: The prevalence of SHS exposure in children was 29.2% in private settings and 42.5% in public settings. There was no association between SHS exposure and asthma, wheezing and perceived poor health in children ≤5 years. In children aged 6-11 years with parents with primary/secondary education, presenting asthma (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]: 2.1; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.2-3.8) and worse perceived health (aPR: 1.6; 95%CI: 1.1-2.1) were positively associated with SHS exposure in private settings. In children with parents with university studies, a negative association between SHS exposure and asthma (aPR: .3; 95%CI: 0.1-0.7) and wheezing (aPR: 0.3; 95%CI: 0.1-0.8) was observed. Conclusions: There are differences in the association between SHS exposure and asthma, wheezing and poor perceived health according to educational level. Interventions with an equity perspective aimed at reducing SHS exposure in childhood should be implemented.

Introduction: Second-hand smoke exposure in the home is a serious cause of ill-health for children. Behaviour change interventions have been developed to encourage parents to keep homes smoke-free. This study evaluates a novel air quality feedback intervention using remote air quality monitoring with SMS and email messaging to promote smoke-free homes among families from deprived areas. Methods: This paper presents a pre-post study of this intervention. Using internet connected monitors developed with the Dylos DC1700, daily SMS and weekly email feedback provided for 16 days to participants recruited in four European countries. Participants were recruited based on their stage of change, in order to target those most able to achieve smoke-free homes. The primary outcome measure was median change in mean fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration between baseline and follow-up periods, while secondary outcome measures included change in time over the World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline limit for PM2.5 exposure over 24 h (25 mu g/m(3)) in those periods and the number of homes where PM2.5 concentrations reduced. Telephone interviews were conducted with participants in Scotland post-intervention to explore intervention experience and perceived effectiveness. Results: Of 86 homes that completed the intervention study, 57 (66%) experienced pre-post reductions in measured PM2.5. The median reduction experienced was 4.1 mu g/m(3) (a reduction of 19% from baseline, p = 0.008). Eight homes where concentrations were higher than the WHO guideline limit at baseline fell below that level at follow-up. In follow-up interviews, participants expressed positive views on the usefulness of air quality feedback. Discussion: Household air quality monitoring with SMS and email feedback can lead to behaviour change and consequent reductions in SHS in homes, but within the context of our study few homes became totally smoke-free.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are mostly known for their gene regulation properties, but they also play an important role in intercellular signaling. This means that they can be found in bodily fluids, giving them excellent biomarker potential. Myotonic Dystrophy type I (DM1) is the most frequent autosomal dominant muscle dystrophy in adults, with an estimated prevalence of 1:8000. DM1 symptoms include muscle weakness, myotonia, respiratory failure, cardiac conduction defects, cataracts, and endocrine disturbances. Patients display heterogeneity in both age of onset and disease manifestation. No treatment or cure currently exists for DM1, which shows the necessity for a biomarker that can predict disease progression, providing the opportunity to implement preventative measures before symptoms arise. In the past two decades, extensive research has been conducted in the miRNA expression profiles of DM1 patients and their biomarker potential. Here we review the current state of the field with a tissue-specific focus, given the multi-systemic nature of DM1 and the intracellular signaling role of miRNAs.

Myotonic dystrophy type I (DM1) is the most common form of adult muscular dystrophy, caused by expansion of a CTG triplet repeat in the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of the myotonic dystrophy protein kinase (DMPK) gene. The pathological CTG repeats result in protein trapping by expanded transcripts, a decreased DMPK translation and the disruption of the chromatin structure, affecting neighboring genes expression. The muscleblind-like (MBNL) and CUG-BP and ETR-3-like factors (CELF) are two families of tissue-specific regulators of developmentally programmed alternative splicing that act as antagonist regulators of several pre-mRNA targets, including troponin 2 (TNNT2), insulin receptor (INSR), chloride channel 1 (CLCN1) and MBNL2. Sequestration of MBNL proteins and up-regulation of CELF1 are key to DM1 pathology, inducing a spliceopathy that leads to a developmental remodelling of the transcriptome due to an adult-to-foetal splicing switch, which results in the loss of cell function and viability. Moreover, recent studies indicate that additional pathogenic mechanisms may also contribute to disease pathology, including a misregulation of cellular mRNA translation, localization and stability. This review focuses on the cause and effects of MBNL and CELF1 deregulation in DM1, describing the molecular mechanisms underlying alternative splicing misregulation for a deeper understanding of DM1 complexity. To contribute to this analysis, we have prepared a comprehensive list of transcript alterations involved in DM1 pathogenesis, as well as other deregulated mRNA processing pathways implications.

Myotonic dystrophy type I (DM1) is the most common form of adult muscular dystrophy, caused by expansion of a CTG triplet repeat in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of the myotonic dystrophy protein kinase ( DMPK ) gene. The pathological CTG repeats result in protein trapping by expanded transcripts, a decreased DMPK translation and the disruption of the chromatin structure, affecting neighboring genes expression. The muscleblind-like (MBNL) and CUG-BP and ETR-3-like factors (CELF) are two families of tissue-specific regulators of developmentally programmed alternative splicing that act as antagonist regulators of several pre-mRNA targets, including troponin 2 ( TNNT2 ), insulin receptor ( INSR ), chloride channel 1 ( CLCN1 ) and MBNL2 . Sequestration of MBNL proteins and up-regulation of CELF1 are key to DM1 pathology, inducing a spliceopathy that leads to a developmental remodelling of the transcriptome due to an adult-to-foetal splicing switch, which results in the loss of cell function and viability. Moreover, recent studies indicate that additional pathogenic mechanisms may also contribute to disease pathology, including a misregulation of cellular mRNA translation, localization and stability. This review focuses on the cause and effects of MBNL and CELF1 deregulation in DM1, describing the molecular mechanisms underlying alternative splicing misregulation for a deeper understanding of DM1 complexity. To contribute to this analysis, we have prepared a comprehensive list of transcript alterations involved in DM1 pathogenesis, as well as other deregulated mRNA processing pathways implications.

Aim: The current study examined symptoms of irritation reported by non-smokers passively exposed to e-cigarette aerosols and their timing and association with the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced. Methods: 40 healthy non-smoking adults were exposed to e-cigarette aerosols for 30 min in a 35 m3 room. Second-hand e-cigarette aerosol (SHA) was produced by an experienced e-cigarette user using a standardized topography and two resistance settings (exposure 0.5 Ohm and 1.5 Ohm), in addition to a control session (no emissions). PM2.5 and PM1.0 were continuously measured over the duration of exposure, while Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) were recorded at 0, 15 and 30 min (t0, t15 and t30) of exposure. Each participant completed an irritation questionnaire at t0, t15, t30 of exposure and t60 (30 min post-exposure) on ocular, nasal, throat-respiratory symptoms of irritation and general complaints. Kruskal-Wallis H test for PM comparisons, repeated measures ANOVA for VOCs and Generalized Estimating Equations for symptoms of irritation and association with VOCs were used for statistical analysis. Results: 20 males and 20 females, with a mean age of 24.6 years (SD = 4.3) and exhaled CO < 7 ppm participated. PM concentrations in both experimental sessions were higher than the Control (p < 0.001). The most commonly reported symptoms were burning, dryness, sore throat, cough, breathlessness and headache. During both experimental sessions, ocular, nasal, throat-respiratory symptoms and general complaints increased significantly (p < 0.05). Ocular and nasal symptoms returned to baseline by t60 (p > 0.05) while throat-respiratory symptoms were still significantly higher at t60 (p = 0.044). VOCs were significantly associated with reported nasal and throat-respiratory symptoms in both experimental sessions (p < 0.05). Conclusion: A 30-min exposure to SHA provoked symptoms of sensory irritation and general complaints that lasted up to 30 min after the exposure and were positively associated with the concentrations of the VOC mixture emitted. © 2019 Elsevier Inc.

Environmental enrichment is considered as a recommended tool to guarantee or improve the welfare of captive fish. This study demonstrates for the first time that structural environmental enrichment enhances cognition, exploratory behaviour and brain physiological functions of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). Seabream was reared in groups (n = 15) during 60 days under two different treatments: enriched tanks with plant-fibre ropes (EE) or bare/non-enriched tanks (NE). Fish were then exposed to a purpose-built maze for 1 h every second day in four trials. Analysis of video recordings showed that seabream under EE conditions presented higher overall exploratory behaviour, spatial orientation and learning capability compared to seabream from NE conditions. Results from brain monoamines analyses may suggest increased recent dopaminergic activity in telencephalon, known to be involved in learning processes; and increased serotonergic activity in cerebellum, involved in the coordination of balance, movements and orientation. In addition, EE-reared fish showed increased antioxidant activity in whole brain, with no apparent oxidative damage. Structural EE seemed to induce an hormetic response on juvenile seabream, improving their welfare status during captivity. Application of this kind of physical structure might be feasible at fish farms as a passive and noninvasive tool to improve welfare of intensively cultured seabream., PA-L was supported by Spanish Juan de la Cierva Incorporación postdoctoral Grants (Refs. IJCI-2015-25595); AS and ST were supported by Spanish government, Programme of Promotion of Biomedical Research and Health Sciences CIBEROBN, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain (CB12/03/30038). This study received Portuguese national funds from FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology through project UID/Multi/04326/2019.

Objective: This study aimed to estimate the association between second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure in children and asthma, wheezing and perceived health. Method: A cross-sectional study based on a telephone survey was performed on a representative sample of 2411 children under 12 years old in Spain. Exposure to SHS in private and public settings, and the prevalence of asthma, wheezing and perceived poor health were described. The association between health indicators and SHS exposure was analyzed using multivariate Poisson regression models with robust variance according to age and educational level. Results: The prevalence of SHS exposure in children was 29.2% in private settings and 42.5% in public settings. There was no association between SHS exposure and asthma, wheezing and perceived poor health in children

Fig. S1. Position of the 10 landmarks