Search

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can perform tasks of key relevance in fat cells, contributing, when defective, to the burden of obesity and its sequelae. Here, scrutiny of adipose tissue transcriptomes before and after bariatric surgery (GSE53378) granted identification of 496 lncRNAs linked to the obese phenotype. Only expression of linc-GALNTL6-4 displayed an average recovery over 2-fold and FDR-adjusted p-value

Abstract Background Gut microbial composition plays an important role in numerous traits, including immune response. Integration of host genomic information with microbiome data is a natural step in the prediction of complex traits, although methods to optimize this are still largely unexplored. In this paper, we assess the impact of different modelling strategies on the predictive capacity for six porcine immunocompetence traits when both genotype and microbiota data are available. Methods We used phenotypic data on six immunity traits and the relative abundance of gut bacterial communities on 400 Duroc pigs that were genotyped for 70 k SNPs. We compared the predictive accuracy, defined as the correlation between predicted and observed phenotypes, of a wide catalogue of models: reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS), Bayes C, and an ensemble method, using a range of priors and microbial clustering strategies. Combined (holobiont) models that include both genotype and microbiome data were compared with partial models that use one source of variation only. Results Overall, holobiont models performed better than partial models. Host genotype was especially relevant for predicting adaptive immunity traits (i.e., concentration of immunoglobulins M and G), whereas microbial composition was important for predicting innate immunity traits (i.e., concentration of haptoglobin and C-reactive protein and lymphocyte phagocytic capacity). None of the models was uniformly best across all traits. We observed a greater variability in predictive accuracies across models when microbiability (the variance explained by the microbiome) was high. Clustering microbial abundances did not necessarily increase predictive accuracy. Conclusions Gut microbiota information is useful for predicting immunocompetence traits, especially those related to innate immunity. Modelling microbiome abundances deserves special attention when microbiability is high. Clustering microbial data for prediction is not recommended by default.

Introducción: Se pretenden investigar las principales variables que influyen en la elección de las diferentes intervenciones terapéuticas en una Unidad de Salud Mental Pública Método: Estudio descriptivo sobre las historias clínicas de aquellos pacientes que iniciaron tratamiento durante el año 2008 en una USM de Castellón (N=413). Resultados: El tratamiento psicofarmacológico fue el más frecuentemente utilizado. La psicoterapia sola y el tratamiento combinado se utilizaron más frecuentemente en pacientes jóvenes, con estudios superiores y con trastornos de ansiedad, adaptativos o de personalidad. Conclusiones: De los tipos de intervención estudiados, la farmacológica fue la que se aplicó con mayor probabilidad frente a la psicoterapia sola o el tratamiento combinado. La elección del tratamiento se asoció con la edad, nivel de estudios y diagnóstico. Se sospecha mayor relación con factores como la economía o la presión asistencial que con su eficacia demostrada en la literatura científica.

BACKGROUND: Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) is still the gold-standard technique for gene-expression quantification. Recent technological advances of this method allow for the high-throughput gene-expression analysis, without the limitations of sample space and reagent used. However, non-commercial and user-friendly software for the management and analysis of these data is not available. RESULTS: The recently developed commercial microarrays allow for the drawing of standard curves of multiple assays using the same n-fold diluted samples. Data Analysis Gene (DAG) Expression software has been developed to perform high-throughput gene-expression data analysis using standard curves for relative quantification and one or multiple reference genes for sample normalization. We discuss the application of DAG Expression in the analysis of data from an experiment performed with Fluidigm technology, in which 48 genes and 115 samples were measured. Furthermore, the quality of our analysis was tested and compared with other available methods. CONCLUSIONS: DAG Expression is a freely available software that permits the automated analysis and visualization of high-throughput qPCR. A detailed manual and a demo-experiment are provided within the DAG Expression software at http://www.dagexpression.com/dage.zip.

Recensión de la obra: Oliver Araujo, Joan. La Constitución día a día, Prólogo del Dr. Jorge de Esteban, Editorial Tirant lo Blanch. Valencia, 2003, 309 págs.

Abstract Background The composition and distribution of fatty acids (FA) are important factors determining the quality, flavor, and nutrient value of meat. In addition, FAs synthesized in the body participate in energy metabolism and are involved in different regulatory pathways in the form of signaling molecules or by acting as agonist or antagonist ligands of different nuclear receptors. Finally, synthesis and catabolism of FAs affect adaptive immunity by regulating lymphocyte metabolism. The present study performed genome-wide association studies using FA profiles of blood, liver, backfat and muscle from 432 commercial Duroc pigs. Results Twenty-five genomic regions located on 15 Sus scrofa chromosomes (SSC) were detected. Annotation of the quantitative trait locus (QTL) regions identified 49 lipid metabolism-related candidate genes. Among these QTLs, four were identified in more than one tissue. The ratio of C20:4n-6/C20:3n-6 was associated with the region on SSC2 at 7.56–14.26 Mb for backfat, liver, and muscle. Members of the fatty acid desaturase gene cluster (FADS1, FADS2, and FADS3) are the most promising candidate genes in this region. Two QTL regions on SSC14 (103.81–115.64 Mb and 100.91–128.14 Mb) were identified for FA desaturation in backfat and muscle. In addition, two separate regions on SSC9 at 0 – 14.55 Mb and on SSC12 at 0–1.91 Mb were both associated with the same multiple FA traits for backfat, with candidate genes involved in de novo FA synthesis and triacylglycerol (TAG) metabolism, such as DGAT2 and FASN. The ratio C20:0/C18:0 was associated with the region on SSC5 at 64.84–78.32 Mb for backfat. Furthermore, the association of the C16:0 content with the region at 118.92–123.95 Mb on SSC4 was blood specific. Finally, candidate genes involved in de novo lipogenesis regulate T cell differentiation and promote the generation of palmitoleate, an adipokine that alleviates inflammation. Conclusions Several SNPs and candidate genes were associated with lipid metabolism in blood, liver, backfat, and muscle. These results contribute to elucidating the molecular mechanisms implicated in the determination of the FA profile in different pig tissues and can be useful in selection programs that aim to improve health and energy metabolism in pigs.

El canvi de cicle polític, amb nova majoria conservadora al Parlament i el pacte de govern entre el Partit Popular i Vox, afecta de ple a la situació legal del català a les Illes. Les primeres accions adoptades en matèria lingüística provoquen conseqüències negatives per a la llengua i la cultura de les Balears. No debades, l’acord de governabilitat apunta a un replantejament de la política lingüística desenvolupada a les dues darreres legislatures i fixa uns principis programàtics encaminats a minvar la presència del català en les institucions, en les relacions dels ciutadans amb l’Administració pública i en l’àmbit de l’ensenyament. Aquests retrocessos aflebeixen la llengua catalana i fan que la seva situació sigui fràgil i inestable, amb el perill cert que cada vegada sigui més difícil recuperar el camí ja recorregut.

Abstract Background The global burden of antimicrobial resistance demands additional measures to ensure the sustainable and conscious use of antimicrobials. For the swine industry, the post-weaning period is critical and for many years, antimicrobials have been the most effective strategy to control and treat post-weaning related infections. Among them, post-weaning diarrhea causes vast economic losses, as it severely compromises piglets’ health and growth performance. In this study, 210 piglets were transferred from a farm with recurrent cases of post-weaning diarrhea to an experimental farm and divided into six different treatment groups to determine the effect of the different treatments on the growth performance and survival, the microbiome, and the resistome in a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. The different treatments included antimicrobials trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, colistin, and gentamicin, an oral commercial vaccine, a control with water acidification, and an untreated control. An extra group remained at the farm of origin following the implemented amoxicillin routine treatment. A total of 280 fecal samples from pigs at four different sampling times were selected for metagenomics: before weaning-treatment at the farm of origin, and three days, two weeks, and four weeks post-treatment. Results The control group with water acidification showed a reduced death risk in the survival analyses and non-significant differences in average daily weight gain in comparison to the antibiotic-treated groups. However, the growth-promoting effect among antibiotic-treated groups was demonstrated when comparing against the untreated control group at the experimental farm. After four weeks of treatment, diversity indexes revealed significantly decreased diversity for the untreated control and the group that remained at the farm of origin treated with amoxicillin. For this last group, impaired microbial diversity could be related to the continuous amoxicillin treatment carried out at the farm. Analysis of the resistome showed that both gentamicin and amoxicillin treatments significantly contributed to the emergence of resistance, while trimethoprim/sulphonamide and colistin did not, suggesting that different treatments contribute differently to the emergence of resistance. Conclusions Overall, this shotgun longitudinal metagenomics analysis demonstrates that non-antibiotic alternatives, such as water acidification, can contribute to reducing the emergence of antimicrobial resistance without compromising pig growth performance and gut microbiome.

Les disposicions normatives que incideixen en l’estatus jurídic del català, corresponents a la darrera etapa de la X legislatura, es mantenen en un context polític favorable al reforçament de la llengua catalana. Continua la producció de disposicions que impulsen el procés de normalització lingüística, a través de l’activitat de foment o de subvencions en diferents àmbits. Però els resultats de les eleccions autonòmiques i les noves majories en el Parlament balear dibuixen un escenari preocupant per a la situació de la llengua catalana. Pel que fa a la conflictivitat, resulta especialment destacable la STC 37/2023, de 19 d’abril, que es pronuncia sobre la suposada vulneració del dret a la tutela judicial efectiva a causa de la negativa d’un òrgan jurisdiccional a traduir al castellà una interlocutòria que inicialment havia estat redactada en català.

Stress significantly affects the health, welfare, and productivity of farm animals. We performed a longitudinal study to evaluate stress’s effects on pig performance, feeding behavior, and fecal microbiota composition. This study involved 64 Duroc pigs during the fattening period, divided into two experimental groups: a stress group (n = 32) and a control group (n = 32). Stressed groups had less space and were mixed twice during the experiment. We monitored body weight, feed efficiency, feeding behavior, and fecal microbiota composition. Compared to the control group, the stressed pigs exhibited reduced body weight, feed efficiency, fewer feeder visits, and longer meal durations. In the fecal microbiota, resilience was observed, with greater differences between groups when sampling was closer to the stressful stimulus. Stressed pigs showed an increase in opportunistic bacteria, such as Streptococcus, Treponema and members of the Erysipelotrichaceae family, while control pigs had more butyrate- and propionate-producing genera like Anaerobutyricum, Coprococcus and HUN007. Our findings confirm that prolonged stress negatively impacts porcine welfare, behavior, and performance, and alters their gut microbiota. Specific microorganisms identified could serve as non-invasive biomarkers for stress, potentially informing both animal welfare and similar gut-brain axis mechanisms relevant to human research.

L’impuls per part del legislador per reforçar la presència del català en les polítiques de joventut i en les activitats de lleure educatiu demostra l’interès de l’actual majoria política en el Parlament per recuperar els usos i el prestigi de la llengua pròpia oficial en tots els àmbits. En aquest període també s’ha millorat la regulació sobre l’exigència de la capacitació lingüística de les persones que participen en els processos d’estabilització per a la reducció de la temporalitat en l’ocupació pública. En l’esfera competencial, s’ha arribat a la resolució pactada de les discrepàncies sobre la possible extralimitació del legislador estatal a l’hora de regular la llengua en les senyalitzacions de trànsit. En l’àmbit parlamentari i polític, continuen els retrets de les formacions conservadores sobre la suposada discriminació dels empleats del Servei de Salut de les Illes Balears a causa dels requisits lingüístics. També segueixen les controvèrsies sobre el règim lingüístic a l’ensenyament. De moment, però, el Tribunal Superior de Justícia de les Illes Balears desestima la pretensió que el castellà s’usi un vint-i-cinc per cent en un centre d’educació de secundària.

ABSTRACTThe gut microbiota is a key player in the host metabolism. Some bacteria are able to ferment non-digestible compounds and produce short-chain fatty acids that the host can later transform and accumulate in tissue. In this study, we aimed to better understand the relationships between the microorganisms and the short-chain fatty acid composition of the rectal content, including the possible linkage with the fatty acid composition in backfat and muscle of the pig. We studied a Duroc × Iberian crossbred population, and we found significant correlations between different bacterial and archaeal genera and the fatty acid profile. The abundance of n-butyric acid in the rectal content was positively associated with Prevotella spp. and negatively associated with Akkermansia spp., while conversely, the abundance of acetic acid was negatively and positively associated with the levels of Prevotella spp. and Akkermansia spp., respectively. The most abundant genus, Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, had a positive correlation with palmitic acid in muscle and negative correlations with stearic acid in backfat and oleic acid in muscle. These results suggest the possible role of Prevotella spp. and Akkermansia spp. as biomarkers for acetic and n-butyric acids, and the relationship of Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group with the lipid metabolism, building up the potential, although indirect, role of the microbiota in the modification of the backfat and muscle fatty acid composition of the host.IMPORTANCEThe vital role of the gut microbiota on its host metabolism makes it essential to know how its modulation is mirrored on the fatty acid composition of the host. Our findings suggest Prevotella spp. and Akkermansia spp. as potential biomarkers for the levels of beneficial short-chain fatty acids and the possible influence of Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group in the backfat and muscle fatty acid composition of the pig.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an evolutionary highly conserved protein. Like humans, CRP acts as a major acute phase protein in pigs. While CRP regulatory mechanisms have been extensively studied in humans, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that control pig CRP gene expression. The main goal of the present work was to study the regulatory mechanisms and identify functional genetic variants regulating CRP gene expression and CRP blood levels in pigs. The characterization of the porcine CRP proximal promoter region revealed a high level of conservation with both cow and human promoters, sharing binding sites for transcription factors required for CRP expression. Through genome-wide association studies and fine mapping, the most associated variants with both mRNA and protein CRP levels were localized in a genomic region 39.3 kb upstream of CRP. Further study of the region revealed a highly conserved putative enhancer that contains binding sites for several transcriptional regulators such as STAT3, NF-kB or C/EBP-β. Luciferase reporter assays showed the necessity of this enhancer-promoter interaction for the acute phase induction of CRP expression in liver, where differences in the enhancer sequences significantly modified CRP activity. The associated polymorphisms disrupted the putative binding sites for HNF4α and FOXA2 transcription factors. The high correlation between HNF4α and CRP expression levels suggest the participation of HNF4α in the regulatory mechanism of porcine CRP expression through the modification of its binding site in liver. Our findings determine, for the first time, the relevance of a distal regulatory element essential for the acute phase induction of porcine CRP in liver and identify functional polymorphisms that can be included in pig breeding programs to improve immunocompetence.

La Llei d’educació de les Illes Balears estableix les coordenades bàsiques de l’organització de l’ensenyament i l’ús de les llengües oficials. El legislador incorpora els principis inclosos en la Llei de Normalització Lingüística i el Decret de mínims. S’estableix una presència mínima (que es podrà veure incrementada) de la llengua catalana en la meitat de l’horari escolar. Destaca la rellevància del sistema educatiu per a garantir que els alumnes assoleixen el domini oral i escrit de les dues llengües oficials en acabar l’etapa d’ensenyament obligatori. Esmenta el caràcter vertebrador de la llengua catalana en la construcció d’un sistema plurilingüe i facilita que la llengua catalana sigui normalment usada en el model educatiu balear. No exclou el castellà com a llengua d’ensenyament i aprenentatge, que podrà usar-se fins a un màxim de la meitat de l’horari, segons el que disposi el projecte lingüístic de centre. Tot i que durant el procés legislatiu es varen teixir importants acords al voltant del model lingüístic, finalment el consens no va ser possible. La qual cosa pot posar en perill la continuïtat i l’estabilitat d’un dels pilars fonamentals del sistema educatiu balear.

ABSTRACT Genetic variation in the pig genome partially modulates the composition of porcine gut microbial communities. Previous studies have been focused on the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the gut microbiota, but little is known about the relationship between structural variants and fecal microbial traits. The main goal of this study was to explore the association between porcine genome copy number variants (CNVs) and the diversity and composition of pig fecal microbiota. For this purpose, we used whole-genome sequencing data to undertake a comprehensive identification of CNVs followed by a genome-wide association analysis between the estimated CNV status and the fecal bacterial diversity in a commercial Duroc pig population. A CNV predicted as gain (DUP) partially harboring ABCC2-DNMBP loci was associated with richness (P = 5.41 × 10−5, false discovery rate [FDR] = 0.022) and Shannon α-diversity (P = 1.42 × 10−4, FDR = 0.057). The in silico predicted gain of copies was validated by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), and its segregation, and positive association with the richness and Shannon α-diversity of the porcine fecal bacterial ecosystem was confirmed in an unrelated F1 (Duroc × Iberian) cross. Our results advise the relevance of considering the role of host-genome structural variants as potential modulators of microbial ecosystems and suggest the ABCC2-DNMBP CNV as a host-genetic factor for the modulation of the diversity and composition of the fecal microbiota in pigs. IMPORTANCE A better understanding of the environmental and host factors modulating gut microbiomes is a topic of greatest interest. Recent evidence suggests that genetic variation in the pig genome partially controls the composition of porcine gut microbiota. However, since previous studies have been focused on the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms and the fecal microbiota, little is known about the relationship between other sources of genetic variation, like the structural variants and microbial traits. Here, we identified, experimentally validated, and replicated in an independent population a positive link between the gain of copies of ABCC2-DNMBP loci and the diversity and composition of pig fecal microbiota. Our results advise the relevance of considering the role of host-genome structural variants as putative modulators of microbial ecosystems and open the possibility of implementing novel holobiont-based management strategies in breeding programs for the simultaneous improvement of microbial traits and host performance.

Durant l’interval que comprèn aquesta crònica, els drets i deures lingüístics en l’àmbit de l’educació i de la sanitat han estat, novament, els temes que han generat major controvèrsia. Els principis lingüístics continguts en el Projecte de llei d’Educació que es tramita en el Parlament i els casos de discriminació lingüística en l’àmbit de la salut han tornat a centrar els debats entre les diferents forces parlamentàries i també han estat presents en les actuacions i propostes de les entitats cíviques en defensa de la llengua catalana. Tot això, coincidint amb la confirmació per part del Tribunal Suprem de la nul·litat del decret que regula la competència lingüística del personal estatutari del Servei de Salut de les Illes Balears i coincidint també amb la molt necessària iniciativa liderada per la Direcció General de Política Lingüística i la Presidència del Tribunal Superior de Justícia de les Illes Balears per reforçar l’ús del català en l’àmbit de la justícia.

Abstract Autologous cell replacement therapy for inherited metabolic disorders requires the correction of the underlying genetic mutation in patient’s cells. An unexplored alternative for females affected from X-linked diseases is the clonal selection of cells randomly silencing the X-chromosome containing the mutant allele, without in vivo or ex vivo genome editing. In this report, we have isolated dermal fibroblasts from a female patient affected of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency and obtained clones based on inactivation status of either maternally or paternally inherited X chromosome, followed by differentiation to hepatocytes. Hepatocyte-like cells derived from these clones display indistinct features characteristic of hepatocytes, but express either the mutant or wild type OTC allele depending on X-inactivation pattern. When clonally derived hepatocyte-like cells were transplanted into FRG® KO mice, they were able to colonize the liver and recapitulate OTC-dependent phenotype conditioned by X-chromosome inactivation pattern. This approach opens new strategies for cell therapy of X-linked metabolic diseases and experimental in vitro models for drug development for such diseases.

Pig industry is facing new challenges that make necessary to reorient breeding programs to produce more robust and resilient pig populations. The aim of the present work was to study the genetic determinism of lymphocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood of pigs and identify genomic regions and biomarkers associated to them. For this purpose, we stained peripheral blood mononuclear cells to measure ten immune-cell-related traits including the relative abundance of different populations of lymphocytes, the proportions of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells, and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells from 391 healthy Duroc piglets aged 8 weeks. Medium to high heritabilities were observed for the ten immune-cell-related traits and significant genetic correlations were obtained between the proportion of some lymphocytes populations. A genome-wide association study pointed out 32 SNPs located at four chromosomal regions on pig chromosomes SSC3, SSC5, SSC8, and SSCX as significantly associated to T-helper cells, memory T-helper cells and γδ T cells. Several genes previously identified in human association studies for the same or related traits were located in the associated regions, and were proposed as candidate genes to explain the variation of T cell populations such as CD4, CD8A, CD8B, KLRC2, RMND5A and VPS24. The transcriptome analysis of whole blood samples from animals with extreme proportions of γδ T, T-helper and memory T-helper cells identified differentially expressed genes (CAPG, TCF7L1, KLRD1 and CD4) located into the associated regions. In addition, differentially expressed genes specific of different T cells subpopulations were identified such as SOX13 and WC1 genes for γδ T cells. Our results enhance the knowledge about the genetic control of lymphocyte traits that could be considered to optimize the induction of immune responses to vaccines against pathogens. Furthermore, they open the possibility of applying effective selection programs for improving immunocompetence in pigs and support the use of the pig as a very reliable human biomedical model.

La greu emergència sanitària ha seguit condicionant tots els àmbits d’actuació de l’Administració, entre els quals es troba el foment de la llengua catalana i la política lingüística. Mentrestant, s’ha mantingut a nivell parlamentari el debat en relació amb els drets lingüístics i l’ús de la llengua catalana en espais tan sensibles con la salut. Es plantegen algunes iniciatives positives davant el problema estructural de l’ús del català en l’Administració de justícia de les Illes Balears. En l’àmbit jurisdiccional, el Tribunal Suprem inadmet el recurs de cassació en relació amb una de les sentències que anul·len determinats preceptes del decret que regula la capacitació lingüística del personal estatutari del Servei de Salut.

IntroductionVery little is known about the impact of n-3 long-chain fatty acids (n-3 LCFAs) on the microbiota of sows and their piglets. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of n-3 LCFA in sow diets on the microbiota composition of sows’ feces, colostrum, and milk as well as that of piglets’ feces.MethodsTwenty-two sows were randomly assigned to either a control or an n-3 LCFA diet from service to weaning. Sows’ and piglets’ performance was monitored. The gestating and lactating sows’ microbiomes in feces, colostrum, and milk were characterized by 16s ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. The fecal microbiome from the two lowest (>800 g) and the two highest birth weight piglets per litter was also characterized, and the LPS levels in plasma were analyzed at weaning.Results and Discussionn-3 LCFA increased microbiota alpha diversity in suckling piglets’ and gestating sows’ feces. However, no effects were observed in colostrum, milk, or lactating sows’ feces. Dietary n-3 LCFA modified the microbiota composition of gestating sows’ feces, milk, and suckling piglets’ feces, without affecting lactating sows’ feces or colostrum. In gestating sows’ feces and milk, the decrease in genus Succinivibrio and the increase of Proteobacteria phylum, due to the increased genera Brenneria and Escherichia, respectively, stand out. In the feces of suckling piglets, the higher abundance of the beneficial genus Akkermansia and Bacteroides, and different species of Lactobacillus are highlighted. In addition, positive correlations for families and genera were found between lactating sows’ feces and milk, milk and suckling piglets’ feces, and lactating sows’ feces and suckling piglets’ feces. To conclude, dietary n-3 LCFA had a positive impact on the microbiome of suckling piglet’s feces by increasing microbial diversity and some beneficial bacteria populations, had a few minor modifications on the microbiome of milk and gestating sows’ feces and did not change the microbiome in lactating sows’ feces or colostrum. Therefore, this study shows the effect of dietary n-3 LCFA on the microbiota of sows, colostrum, milk, and suckling piglets during the lactation period providing crucial information on the microbiota status at the early stages of life, which have an impact on the post-weaning.

Abstract Background The gut microbiota influences host performance playing a relevant role in homeostasis and function of the immune system. The aim of the present work was to identify microbial signatures linked to immunity traits and to characterize the contribution of host-genome and gut microbiota to the immunocompetence in healthy pigs. Results To achieve this goal, we undertook a combination of network, mixed model and microbial-wide association studies (MWAS) for 21 immunity traits and the relative abundance of gut bacterial communities in 389 pigs genotyped for 70K SNPs. The heritability (h2; proportion of phenotypic variance explained by the host genetics) and microbiability (m2; proportion of variance explained by the microbial composition) showed similar values for most of the analyzed immunity traits, except for both IgM and IgG in plasma that was dominated by the host genetics, and the haptoglobin in serum which was the trait with larger m2 (0.275) compared to h2 (0.138). Results from the MWAS suggested a polymicrobial nature of the immunocompetence in pigs and revealed associations between pigs gut microbiota composition and 15 of the analyzed traits. The lymphocytes phagocytic capacity (quantified as mean fluorescence) and the total number of monocytes in blood were the traits associated with the largest number of taxa (6 taxa). Among the associations identified by MWAS, 30% were confirmed by an information theory network approach. The strongest confirmed associations were between Fibrobacter and phagocytic capacity of lymphocytes (r = 0.37), followed by correlations between Streptococcus and the percentage of phagocytic lymphocytes (r = -0.34) and between Megasphaera and serum concentration of haptoglobin (r = 0.26). In the interaction network, Streptococcus and percentage of phagocytic lymphocytes were the keystone bacterial and immune-trait, respectively. Conclusions Overall, our findings reveal an important connection between gut microbiota composition and immunity traits in pigs, and highlight the need to consider both sources of information, host genome and microbial levels, to accurately characterize immunocompetence in pigs.

La llamada “tercera edad” es una fase de la vida, marcada por prejuicios. La imagen corporal es la representación del cuerpo que cada persona construye en su mente, influenciada por cambios psicológicos. La ropa cambia nuestra manera de pensar y podemos sentirnos superhéroes solamente cambiando la vestimenta. Hablar de moda en la tercera edad, rompiendo los cánones de belleza preestablecidos, es extraño, la “arruga no es bella”, sin embargo, como consumidores, son un grupo activo, y se convertirán en el motor de la llamada silver economy, ya que “Son personas activas a las que les gusta cuidarse, hacer deporte, comer bien, ir a la moda y divertirse”. Sentirse guapa influye en la percepción de la salud, es decir sentirse bien por fuera hace que se sienta bien por dentro. El objetivo de nuestro estudio es evaluar la influencia de la moda en las personas mayores como potenciador de la autoestima, por lo tanto, como mejora de su salud y hacer de Zamora un referente de silverización del sector de la moda. (Espacio fashion week de la moda Silver). Metodología: revisión de la literatura. Resultados alcanzados: las personas mayores son un mercado en aumento, con rentas considerables, buena salud, interés por disfrutar, ilusiones y una estructura de consumo característica, se debería considerar sus exigencias a la hora de diseñar y comercializar haciendo una moda cómoda y funcional. Discusión: son pocos los resultados obtenidos; ante este hecho vemos que es un tema novedoso. Es un tema a desarrollar en nuevas investigaciones. Conclusión: el escaparate que vemos de las personas, es en principio, como va vestida; la forma de combinar los colores, de utilizar los complementos, se sentirse cómoda y elegante, influye sobre la percepción de la salud.

“L’impuls dels drets lingüístics també en època de crisi” La greu emergència sanitària ha seguit condicionant tots els àmbits d’actuació de l’Administració, entre els quals es troba el foment de la llengua catalana i la política lingüística. Mentrestant, s’ha mantingut la controvèrsia sobre la unitat lingüística i envers l’ús de les llengües oficials en espais tan sensibles com l’educació i la salut. En l’àmbit jurisdiccional, s’han resolt controvèrsies sobre els coneixements de la llengua catalana en l’àmbit de la Funció Pública. A final d’any, i per reforçar la seguretat lingüística, es posa en marxa l’Oficina de Drets Lingüístics de les Illes Balears.

Abstract Background Analyses of gut microbiome composition in livestock species have shown its potential to contribute to the regulation of complex phenotypes. However, little is known about the host genetic control over the gut microbial communities. In pigs, previous studies are based on classical “single-gene-single-trait” approaches and have evaluated the role of host genome controlling gut prokaryote and eukaryote communities separately. Results In order to determine the ability of the host genome to control the diversity and composition of microbial communities in healthy pigs, we undertook genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for 39 microbial phenotypes that included 2 diversity indexes, and the relative abundance of 31 bacterial and six commensal protist genera in 390 pigs genotyped for 70 K SNPs. The GWAS results were processed through a 3-step analytical pipeline comprised of (1) association weight matrix; (2) regulatory impact factor; and (3) partial correlation and information theory. The inferred gene regulatory network comprised 3561 genes (within a 5 kb distance from a relevant SNP–P

La greu emergència sanitària ha afectat sense excepcions tots els àmbits d’actuació de l’Administració, entre els quals es troba el foment de la llengua catalana i la política lingüística. Entre tant, s’ha mantingut la controvèrsia sobre l’ús de les llengües oficials en espais tan sensibles con l’educació i la salut. En l’àmbit jurisdiccional, les Sentències de la Sala Contenciosa Administrativa del Tribunal Superior de Justícia admeten que la capacitació lingüística dels empleats del Servei de Salut permetrà conformar l’ús del català com a llengua amb capacitat de servei, però anul·len el decret que estableix el requisit del català per a l’accés i la promoció al personal sanitari.

Este artículo reflexiona acerca de la importancia de los ingredientes de la cocina colombiana como patrimonio cultural. Además, sugiere que el reconocimiento de los mismos debe ser guiado por medio del turismo gastronómico en el país; así, evitando que su uso sea olvidado para las nuevas generaciones, quienes han perdido parte de su identidad nacional al no conocer las raíces de sus ingredientes. Previo a ello, se realizó un análisis de fuentes secundarias que evidencian la importancia de cada uno de los ingredientes en la gastronomía única de las regiones del país; así como la manera en la que se pueden involucrar en el turismo gastronómico.

Abstract Background The pig gut microbiome harbors thousands of species of archaea, bacteria, viruses and eukaryotes such as protists and fungi. However, since the majority of published studies have been focused on prokaryotes, little is known about the diversity, host-genetic control, and contributions to host performance of the gut eukaryotic counterparts. Here we report the first study that aims at characterizing the diversity and composition of gut commensal eukaryotes in pigs, exploring their putative control by host genetics, and analyzing their association with piglets body weight. Results Fungi and protists from the faeces of 514 healthy Duroc pigs of two sexes and two different ages were characterized by 18S and ITS ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. The pig gut mycobiota was dominated by yeasts, with a high prevalence and abundance of Kazachstania spp. Regarding protists, representatives of four genera (Blastocystis, Neobalantidium, Tetratrichomonas and Trichomitus) were predominant in more than the 80% of the pigs. Heritabilities for the diversity and abundance of gut eukaryotic communities were estimated with the subset of 60d aged piglets (N = 390). The heritabilities of α-diversity and of the abundance of fungal and protists genera were low, ranging from 0.15 to 0.28. A genome wide association study reported genetic variants related to the fungal α-diversity and to the abundance of Blastocystis spp. Annotated candidate genes were mainly associated with immunity, gut homeostasis and metabolic processes. Additionally, we explored the association of gut commensal eukaryotes with piglet body weight. Our results pointed to a positive contribution of fungi from the Kazachstania genus, while protists displayed both positive (Blastocystis and Entamoeba) and negative (Trichomitus) associations with piglet body weight. Conclusions Our results point towards a minor and taxa specific genetic control over the diversity and composition of the pig gut eukaryotic communities. Moreover, we provide evidences of the associations between piglets’ body weight after weaning and members from the gut fungal and protist eukaryote community. Overall, this study highlights the relevance of considering, along with that of bacteria, the contribution of the gut eukaryote communities to better understand host-microbiome association and their role on pig performance, welfare and health.

In recent years, the increase in awareness of antimicrobial resistance together with the societal demand of healthier meat products have driven attention to health-related traits in livestock production. Previous studies have reported medium to high heritabilities for these traits and described genomic regions associated with them. Despite its genetic component, health- and immunity-related traits are complex and its study by association analysis with genomic markers may be missing some information. To analyse multiple phenotypes and gene-by-gene interactions, systems biology approaches, such as the association weight matrix (AWM), allows combining genome wide association study results with network inference algorithms. The present study aimed to identify gene networks, key regulators and candidate genes associated to immunocompetence in pigs by integrating multiple health-related traits, enriched for innate immune phenotypes, using the AWM approach. The co-association network analysis unveiled a network comprised of 3,636 nodes (genes) and 451,407 edges (interactions), including a total of 246 regulators. From these, five genes (ARNT2, BRMS1L, MED12L, SUPT3H and TRIM25) were selected as key regulators as they were associated with the maximum number of genes with the minimum overlapping (1,827 genes in total). The five regulators were involved in pathways related to immunity such as lymphocyte differentiation and activation, platelet activation and degranulation, megakaryocyte differentiation, FcγR-mediated phagocytosis and response to nitric oxide, among others, but also in immunometabolism. Furthermore, we identified genes co-associated with the key regulators previously reported as candidate genes (e.g., ANGPT1, CD4, CD36, DOCK1, PDE4B, PRKCE, PTPRC and SH2B3) for immunity traits in humans and pigs, but also new candidate ones (e.g., ACSL3, CXADR, HBB, MMP12, PTPN6, WLS) that were not previously described. The co-association analysis revealed new regulators associated with health-related traits in pigs. This approach also identified gene-by-gene interactions and candidate genes involved in pathways related to cell fate and metabolic and immune functions. Our results shed new light in the regulatory mechanisms involved in pig immunity and reinforce the use of the pig as biomedical model.

Para cumplir con los objetivos sanitarios será preciso modificar el modelo de atención, adaptándose a los tiempos actuales; será necesario el desarrollo de las tecnologías informáticas en la salud para prestar una atención con valor añadido. Las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación tienen que jugar un papel cada vez más importante en el sistema sanitario con el propósito de mejorar la salud de las personas de una manera eficiente, y representarán un cambio de paradigma tanto para los enfermos como para los profesionales y las organizaciones sanitarias. Objetivo: conocer la mejor evidencia disponible relacionada con la implantación del programa de teleenfermería/telemedicina para la reducción de la carga de las enfermedades crónicas, seguimiento de los cuidados y dar mayor accesibilidad al sistema. Material y Método: Revisión bibliográfica de la literatura. Resultados: La teleenfermería resultó ser eficaz, en la educación y el asesoramiento para el autocuidado por personal de enfermería que proporciona educación a pacientes con diabetes, hipertensión arterial, dislipemias, insuficiencia cardiaca, disminuyendo los ingresos hospitalarios. Reduce el número de visitas a la consulta, los costes y distancias. Discusión: La rápida información sobre el estado de los pacientes, es una de sus mejores armas, supone un avance importante ya que la tendencia actual es que los pacientes mejoren y tomen responsabilidades sobre su “autocuidado”

Music therapy is the use of music and all kinds of musical experiences to restore, maintain and / or improve the physical and psychological health of people. Music therapy is a therapy that supports pharmacological therapy and is part of one of the complementary therapies recommended by the World Health Organization to nurses as one of the strategies to achieve the goal of “Health for all” in the year 2000 . The intervention programs are specifically designed to meet the individual needs of people and help them in achieving different therapeutic objectives, which can be directed to the following dimensions: physical, cognitive, socio-emotional and / or spiritual. The objective of this review is to evaluate the available evidence on the beneficial effects of the application of music as a nurse intervention. A systematic review has been carried out in the main databases, Medlin, Cochrane Plus, Scielo, Cuiden, Scopus, google scholar, tripdatabase. 48 studies were found using different combinations of the descriptors. Following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, after a first selection of reading the title and summary, 35 articles were selected. 3 articles of referential search are added. After reading the full article we are left with 7 articles that are the reason for our review, the 14 articles are 10 Systematic Reviews and 4 Randomized Clinical Trials, in the absence of Meta-analysis. After the detailed analysis of the bibliography, we can conclude that a good use of music produces positive effects in patients, this being an economic and complementary intervention of pharmacology. Positive effects occur in hospitalized patients, with cancer, with depression and in patients undergoing invasive processes

Abstract Background Human fibroblasts can be reprogrammed into induced hepatocyte-like cells through the expression of a set of transcription factors. Although the generation of induced hepatocyte-like cells by HNF4A, HNF1A, and FOXA3 expression has proven to be a robust experimental strategy, using multiple lentivirus results in a highly variable heterogeneous population. Methods We designed and implemented a novel approach based on the delivery of reprogramming factors and green fluorescent protein in a single doxycycline-inducible lentiviral vector using 2A self-cleaving peptides. Results Fibroblasts infected with the lentiviral vector can be amplified in basic fibroblast culture media in the absence of doxycycline without induction of hepatic genes. Upon switching to hepatic maturation media containing doxycycline, cells stop proliferating, activate hepatic gene transcription, and perform metabolic functions characteristic of hepatocytes. Conclusion Our strategy can generate an unlimited source of homogeneously induced hepatocyte-like cells from different genetic background donors, capable of performing typical hepatic functions suitable for drug research and other in vitro applications.

Abstract Background Feed efficiency (FE) has a major impact on the economic sustainability of pig production. We used a systems-based approach that integrates single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) co-association and gene-expression data to identify candidate genes, biological pathways, and potential predictors of FE in a Duroc pig population. Results We applied an association weight matrix (AWM) approach to analyse the results from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for nine FE associated and production traits using 31K SNPs by defining residual feed intake (RFI) as the target phenotype. The resulting co-association network was formed by 829 SNPs. Additive effects of this SNP panel explained 61% of the phenotypic variance of RFI, and the resulting phenotype prediction accuracy estimated by cross-validation was 0.65 (vs. 0.20 using pedigree-based best linear unbiased prediction and 0.12 using the 31K SNPs). Sixty-eight transcription factor (TF) genes were identified in the co-association network; based on the lossless approach, the putative main regulators were COPS5, GTF2H5, RUNX1, HDAC4, ESR1, USP16, SMARCA2 and GTF2F2. Furthermore, gene expression data of the gluteus medius muscle was explored through differential expression and multivariate analyses. A list of candidate genes showing functional and/or structural associations with FE was elaborated based on results from both AWM and gene expression analyses, and included the aforementioned TF genes and other ones that have key roles in metabolism, e.g. ESRRG, RXRG, PPARGC1A, TCF7L2, LHX4, MAML2, NFATC3, NFKBIZ, TCEA1, CDCA7L, LZTFL1 or CBFB. The most enriched biological pathways in this list were associated with behaviour, immunity, nervous system, and neurotransmitters, including melatonin, glutamate receptor, and gustation pathways. Finally, an expression GWAS allowed identifying 269 SNPs associated with the candidate genes’ expression (eSNPs). Addition of these eSNPs to the AWM panel of 829 SNPs did not improve the accuracy of genomic predictions. Conclusions Candidate genes that have a direct or indirect effect on FE-related traits belong to various biological processes that are mainly related to immunity, behaviour, energy metabolism, and the nervous system. The pituitary gland, hypothalamus and thyroid axis, and estrogen signalling play fundamental roles in the regulation of FE in pigs. The 829 selected SNPs explained 61% of the phenotypic variance of RFI, which constitutes a promising perspective for applying genetic selection on FE relying on molecular-based prediction.

El objetivo principal de la presente investigación fue elaborar productos alimenticios a base de carne de equino. La materia prima se obtuvo de la planta de sacrificio “Los Cristales”, ubicada en el municipio de Mosquera, Cundinamarca, avalada por el INVIMA como planta de beneficio conclasificación II y normativa legal vigente. Posteriormente se elaboró cabano y jerky para aplicarlos en preparaciones de cocina caliente como empanadas, marranitas, tacos, tapas españolas, pastas, ensaladas, arroz español (arroz meloso), arroz atollado, frijolada y pechuga de pollo. Finalmente se realizaron encuestas acerca de la aceptación de los productos base (cabano y jerky), encontrando que es un producto consumido con frecuencia, obteniendo un alto nivel de aceptación. Igualmente al realizar encuestas descriptivas sobre las preparaciones gastronómicas, fueron aceptadas, prefiriendo las empanadas (cabano) y los nachos (jerky).

Abstract Background To date, the molecular mechanisms that underlie residual feed intake (RFI) in pigs are unknown. Results from different genome-wide association studies and gene expression analyses are not always consistent. The aim of this research was to use machine learning to identify genes associated with feed efficiency (FE) using transcriptomic (RNA-Seq) data from pigs that are phenotypically extreme for RFI. Methods RFI was computed by considering within-sex regression on mean metabolic body weight, average daily gain, and average backfat gain. RNA-Seq analyses were performed on liver and duodenum tissue from 32 high and 33 low RFI pigs collected at 153 d of age. Machine-learning algorithms were used to predict RFI class based on gene expression levels in liver and duodenum after adjusting for batch effects. Genes were ranked according to their contribution to the classification using the permutation accuracy importance score in an unbiased random forest (RF) algorithm based on conditional inference. Support vector machine, RF, elastic net (ENET) and nearest shrunken centroid algorithms were tested using different subsets of the top rank genes. Nested resampling for hyperparameter tuning was implemented with tenfold cross-validation in the outer and inner loops. Results The best classification was obtained with ENET using the expression of 200 genes in liver [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC): 0.85; accuracy: 0.78] and 100 genes in duodenum (AUROC: 0.76; accuracy: 0.69). Canonical pathways and candidate genes that were previously reported as associated with FE in several species were identified. The most remarkable pathways and genes identified were NRF2-mediated oxidative stress response and aldosterone signalling in epithelial cells, the DNAJC6, DNAJC1, MAPK8, PRKD3 genes in duodenum, and melatonin degradation II, PPARα/RXRα activation, and GPCR-mediated nutrient sensing in enteroendocrine cells and SMOX, IL4I1, PRKAR2B, CLOCK and CCK genes in liver. Conclusions ML algorithms and RNA-Seq expression data were found to provide good performance for classifying pigs into high or low RFI groups. Classification was better with gene expression data from liver than from duodenum. Genes associated with FE in liver and duodenum tissue that can be used as predictive biomarkers for this trait were identified.

Abstract Background Intramuscular fat (IMF) content and composition have a strong impact on the nutritional and organoleptic properties of porcine meat. The goal of the current work was to compare the patterns of gene expression and the genetic determinism of IMF traits in the porcine gluteus medius (GM) and longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles. Results A comparative analysis of the mRNA expression profiles of the pig GM and LD muscles in 16 Duroc pigs with available microarray mRNA expression measurements revealed the existence of 106 differentially expressed probes (fold-change > 1.5 and q-value

El pluralisme lingüístic que deriva de la Constitució i dels estatuts d’autonomia dona lloc a l’ordenació jurídica d’unes normes bàsiques del règim de cooficialitat de les llengües i configura, com a objectiu principal dels poders públics, el mandat de normalitzar l’ús de la llengua pròpia i oficial. En l’àmbit de la funció pública, el procés normalitzador implica l’adopció d’una sèrie de mesures per fer efectius els drets lingüístics dels ciutadans que es relacionen amb les administracions. L’exigència de coneixements lingüístics, com a mèrit o com a requisit, per als empleats públics és conforme amb els postulats constitucionals sempre que es faci efectiva d’acord amb el principi de igualtat i que el nivell d’exigència lingüística sigui objectivament raonable i proporcionat en funció del lloc que es pretén aconseguir. En determinats àmbits específics —com ho és, sens dubte, el sector públic sanitari— les seves pròpies singularitats poden modular la regulació de l’exigència de coneixements lingüístics. L’aprovació del Decret 8/2018, de 23 de març, pel qual es regula la capacitació lingüística del personal estatutari del Servei de Salut de les Illes Balears ha reobert, una vegada més, el debat sobre la configuració dels drets i els deures lingüístics en la normativa autonòmica. En particular, torna a revifar la controvèrsia sobre l’acreditació de coneixements, com a mèrit o com a requisit, de la llengua catalana per a l’accés a la funció pública.

While MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome Coronavirus) provokes a lethal disease in humans, camelids, the main virus reservoir, are asymptomatic carriers, suggesting a crucial role for innate immune responses in controlling the infection. Experimentally infected camelids clear infectious virus within one week and mount an effective adaptive immune response. Here, transcription of immune response genes was monitored in the respiratory tract of MERS-CoV infected alpacas. Concomitant to the peak of infection, occurring at 2 days post inoculation (dpi), type I and III interferons (IFNs) were maximally transcribed only in the nasal mucosa of alpacas, while interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) were induced along the whole respiratory tract. Simultaneous to mild focal infiltration of leukocytes in nasal mucosa and submucosa, upregulation of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10 and dampened transcription of pro-inflammatory genes under NF-κB control were observed. In the lung, early (1 dpi) transcription of chemokines (CCL2 and CCL3) correlated with a transient accumulation of mainly mononuclear leukocytes. A tight regulation of IFNs in lungs with expression of ISGs and controlled inflammatory responses, might contribute to virus clearance without causing tissue damage. Thus, the nasal mucosa, the main target of MERS-CoV in camelids, seems central in driving an efficient innate immune response based on triggering ISGs as well as the dual anti-inflammatory effects of type III IFNs and IL10.

mir-33a and mir-33b are co-transcribed with the SREBF2 and SREBF1 transcription factors, respectively. The main role of SREBF1 is the regulation of genes involved in fatty acid metabolism, while SREBF2 regulates genes participating in cholesterol biosynthesis and uptake. Our objective was to study the expression of both miR-33a and miR-33b, together with their host SREBF genes, in liver, adipose tissue and muscle to better understand the role of miR-33a/b in the lipid metabolism of pigs. In our study, the expression of miR-33a, miR-33b and SREBF2 in liver, adipose tissue, and muscle was studied in 42 BC1_LD (25% Iberian x 75% Landrace backcross) pigs by RT-qPCR. In addition, the expression of in-silico predicted target genes and fatty acid composition traits were correlated with the miR-33a/b expression. We observed different tissue expression patterns for both miRNAs. In adipose tissue and muscle a high correlation between miR-33a and miR-33b expression was found, whereas a lower correlation was observed in liver. The expression analysis of in-silico predicted target-lipid related genes showed negative correlations between miR-33b and CPT1A expression in liver. Conversely, positive correlations between miR-33a and PPARGC1A and USF1 gene expression in liver were observed. Lastly, positive and negative correlations between miR-33a/b expression and saturated fatty acid (SFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content, respectively, were identified. Overall, our results suggested that both miRNAs are differentially regulated and have distinct functions in liver, in contrast to muscle and adipose tissue. Furthermore, the correlations between miR-33a/b expression both with the expression of in-silico predicted target-lipid related genes and with fatty acid composition, opens new avenues to explore the role of miR33a/b in the regulation of lipid metabolism.

This article charts the evolution in the concept of cultural heritage, that has undergone substantial change as from the nineteen-sixties and early seventies, primarily due to the need to save Egyptian monuments threatened by the Aswan high Dam and which gave rise to considerable campaigning by UNESCO. The interest with respect to the heritage of public works began in the eighties, following the Conference of European Ministers responsible for Architectural Heritage held in Granada in 1985 and the Working Group dedicated to Industrial and Technical Heritage. The chair of Art and Aesthetics at the College of Civil Engineering in Madrid, under the auspices of Jose Antonio Fernandez Ordonez, has more than demonstrated this concern for our heritage by a vast accumulation of studies and catalogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on plastic pollution has rapidly expanded in recent years and has led to the discovery of vast amounts of microplastics floating on the surface of subtropical oceanic gyres. However, the distribution of floating plastic in the ocean is still poorly constrained, and there is a lack of information from a few meters from the coastline where the largest plastic emissions take place. Here, we provide a comprehensive study on the loads of plastic debris in the coastal surface waters of the NW Mediterranean Sea using data from 124 manta trawl deployments collected along 7 months by citizen scientists. Our results reveal that pollution by microplastics in the nearshore is likely subject to seasonal variations associated to a combination of hydrodynamic and anthropogenic pressures. The high proportions of microplastics found indicate that potential breakdown of plastics in the nearshore may take place in line with previous works. We prove that citizen science is a powerful tool in plastic research to monitor microplastics in the nearshore as it provides scientifically meaningful results while stimulating citizen engagement. Future studies may benefit from targeting specific scientific open questions by using the citizen science methodological approach presented here.