Population structure of eleven Spanish ovine breeds and detection of selective sweeps with BayeScan and hapFLK

[EN] The goals of the current work were to analyse the population structure of 11 Spanish ovine breeds and to detect genomic regions that may have been targeted by selection. A total of 141 individuals were genotyped with the Infinium 50 K Ovine SNP BeadChip (Illumina). We combined this dataset with Spanish ovine data previously reported by the International Sheep Genomics Consortium (N = 229). Multidimensional scaling and Admixture analyses revealed that Canaria de Pelo and, to a lesser extent, Roja Mallorquina, Latxa and Churra are clearly differentiated populations, while the remaining seven breeds (Ojalada, Castellana, Gallega, Xisqueta, Ripollesa, Rasa Aragonesa and Segurenã) share a similar genetic background. Performance of a genome scan with BayeScan and hapFLK allowed us identifying three genomic regions that are consistently detected with both methods i.e. Oar3 (150-154 Mb), Oar6 (4-49 Mb) and Oar13 (68-74 Mb). Neighbor-joining trees based on polymorphisms mapping to these three selective sweeps did not show a clustering of breeds according to their predominant productive specialization (except the local tree based on Oar13 SNPs). Such cryptic signatures of selection have been also found in the bovine genome, posing a considerable challenge to understand the biological consequences of artificial selectionSIThis research was partially funded by a grant (RZ2011-00015-C03-01) from the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (Spain). We acknowledge the support of the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad for the Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa 2016–2019 award SEV-2015-0533.We are indebted to all the veterinarians that, in the course of sanitation campaigns and paternity controls, provided us sheep blood samples. We would also like to thank María Inés Fariello for helpful advice when performing the HapFLK analyses. Many thanks also to the International Sheep Genomics Consortium (and specially to Drs. Hans Lenstra and Elena Ciani) for kindly providing ovine 50 K data from 5 Spanish breeds. Taina F Cardoso was funded with a fellowship from the CAPES Foundation-Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education, Ministry of Education (MEC) of the Federal Government of Brazi

Physical therapist characteristics and therapeutic relationship process construct factors that improve patient health outcomes in physical therapy: a systematic review

[EN] Background: It appears that the therapeutic relationship in physiotherapy practice facilitates the success of patient health outcomes, although the process by which it is carried out has been poorly studied. Objective: To explore the influence of the therapeutic relationship on any patient health outcomes in physical therapy settings. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, LILACS and Dialnet databases were systematically searched following PRISMA guidelines. The searches were completed in August 2024. Qualitative and quantitative studies measuring the therapeutic relationship and assessing its influence on health outcomes of patients treated with physical therapy were included. Results: The search yielded a total of 769 results. 13 studies ultimately retained for analysis. A total of 1555 individuals were studied who had suffered injuries such as low back pain; osteoarthritis; underwent cardiac surgery; hip fracture and elite athletes recovering from injuries. The results obtained were classified into three main themes: characteristics and skills of physical therapists (interpersonal, organizational, leadership and communication skills), therapeutic relationship factors (shared decision making, trusting relationships, motivating the patient and individualization of care) and patient health outcomes influenced by therapeutic relationship (functional outcomes, disability, pain intensity, outcome expectations, perceived global effect, adherence, self-efficacy, sports performance and lung function). Conclusions: Through physical therapist's soft skills, therapeutic relationship factors are built under the paradigm of person-centered care and shared decision making, having a positive influence on certain patient health outcomes. Therefore, evidence support that therapeutic relationship contributes to improved patient health outcomesS

Proanthocyanidins Maintain Cardiac Ionic Homeostasis in Aldosterone-Induced Hypertension and Heart Failure

This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Interactions of Arterial Hypertension in Its Target Organs[EN] Excess aldosterone promotes pathological remodeling of the heart and imbalance in cardiac ion homeostasis of sodium, potassium and calcium. Novel treatment with proanthocyanidins in aldosterone-treated rats has resulted in downregulation of cardiac SGK1, the main genomic aldosterone-induced intracellular mediator of ion handling. It therefore follows that proanthocyani-dins could be modulating cardiac ion homeostasis in aldosterone-treated rats. Male Wistar rats received aldosterone (1 mg kg−1 day−1 ) +1% NaCl for three weeks. Half of the animals in each group were simultaneously treated with the proanthocyanidins-rich extract (80% w/w) (PRO80, 5 mg kg−1 day−1 ). PRO80 prevented cardiac hypertrophy and decreased calcium content. Expression of ion channels (ROMK, NHE1, NKA and NCX1) and calcium transient mediators (CAV1.2, pCaMKII and oxCaMKII) were reduced by PRO80 treatment in aldosterone-treated rats. To conclude, our data indicate that PRO80 may offer an alternative treatment to conventional MR-blockade in the prevention of aldosterone-induced cardiac pathologySIWas supported by grants from VI Programa Nacional de Investigación Científica, Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica de España (SAF2011-30396) and Plan Propio de Ayudas a la Investigación 2020, Programa 463A.3.01, Universidad de León, Spain. Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica de España (SAF2011-30396) and Plan Propio de Ayudas a la Investigación 2020, Programa 463A.3.01, Universidad de León, Spai

Analytical Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Albendazole and Metabolites Using HPLC-PDA: A Validation Study

[EN] Albendazole is an anthelmintic drug commonly used in animals and humans against nematodes. A sensitive, accurate, precise, and time-saving high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the simultaneous determination of albendazole and metabolites (albendazole sulfoxide and albendazole sulfone) in cattle plasma has been developed and validated. A solid-phase extraction (SPE) was carried out. Separation was performed with an XBridge® C18 column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 µm) with gradient elution of acetonitrile:ammonium acetate buffer 0.025 M with pH adjusted to 6.6. The flow rate was 1.2 mL/min, and the PDA detector was set at 292 nm. Calibration curves were linear in the range from 0.025 to 2.0 µg/mL for the three compounds evaluated, with correlation coefficients ≥ 0.99. For the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ), within- and between-run precision and accuracy were satisfactory, with coefficients of variation (CV) ≤ 15.1% and deviations ≤ 117.7%, respectively. The method fulfilled all validation criteria established by the European Medicines Agency guideline (EMA/CHMP/ICH/172948/2019).S

Măsuri fiscale luate în Spania ca efect al COVID-19 și propuneri pentru viitor

[EN] The COVID-19 pandemic has created a new international scenario, with new challenges and difficulties that legal operators must face. These difficulties are manifested not only in the health field but also in the economic one. Actions approved by governments in the field of taxation play an essential role in approaching these problems. The reduction of fiscal pressure, especially on self-employed workers and companies, and the easing of tax payments, is currently an essential need. Although the Spanish Government has taken steps in this regard, they are not sufficient to address the problem. For this reason, in this paper, the actions taken are exposed, but different fiscal measures are also proposed, the approval of which would be highly recommended in the future.[RO] Pandemia COVID-19 a creat un nou scenariu internațional, cu noi provocări și dificultăți cu care operatorii legali trebuie să se confrunte. Aceste dificultăți se manifestă nu numai în domeniul sănătății, ci și în cel economic. Acțiunile aprobate de guverne în domeniul impozitării joacă un rol esențial în abordarea acestor probleme. Reducerea presiunii fiscale, în special asupra lucrătorilor independenți și a companiilor, și relaxarea plăților impozitelor, este în prezent o nevoie esențială. Deși guvernul spaniol a luat măsuri în acest sens, acestea nu sunt suficiente pentru a aborda problema. Din acest motiv, în acest articol expunem acțiunile întreprinse, dar sunt propuse și diferite măsuri fiscale a căror aprobare ar fi foarte recomandată în viitor.S

Structure and viability of 24- and 72-h-old biofilms formed by four pathogenic bacteria on polystyrene and glass contact surfaces

1). Riesco Peláez, Félix: Department of Electrical Engineering and Systems Engineering and Automatic Control, School of Industrial, Computer and Aerospace Engineering, University of León, E-24071, León, Spain. 2) MATERIAS (Suject): Tecnología de los Alimentos; Medicina. Salud; Informática (software)[EN]. The biofilms formed by Salmonella Hadar (SH174), Listeria monocytogenes (LM6), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA125) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE61s) on polystyrene and glass after 24 h and 72 h of incubation at 37 °C were examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) after staining with SYTO9 and propidium iodide (PI). A lower average biovolume (P < 0.05) was observed for SH174 biofilms (73,073.61 ± 52,365.90 μm3 in the observation field of 14,161 μm2) than for LM6 (180,804.50 ± 32,554.62 μm3), MRSA125 (208,605.34 ± 57,534.93 μm3) and VRE61s (212,543.91 ± 39,718.62 μm3) biofilms. SH174 showed the greatest (P < 0.05) biovolume on glass, as compared with polystyrene. Biofilms of LM6, MRSA125 and VRE61s were produced at comparable levels on both contact surfaces. After 24 h, SH174 formed small scattered cell clusters, and biovolume of biofilms increased (P < 0.05) after 72 h. By contrast, LM6, MRSA125 and VRE61s formed compact biofilms quickly (24 h) on both contact surfaces. Seventy-two-hour-old biofilms showed the largest biovolumes of dead or damaged (PI-stained) cells, except for MRSA125 (polystyrene) and VRE61s (polystyrene and glass). Appropriate procedures for the disinfection of food processing surfaces immediately after use are required to prevent the formation of biofilm by pathogenic bacteria.SIThis work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (INIA, RTA2014-00045-C03-02)

Reseña de: Carlos Carbajo Nogal. Los recursos de las Diputaciones Provinciales. Madrid: Dykinson, 2024, 1ª edición, 284 páginas ISBN: 978-84-10 -701007

[ES] Sorprende esta monografía del Dr. Carlos Carbajo Nogal por su implicación con una temática escasísimamente tratada por la doctrina que, no obstante, y como se descubre tras la lectura de este interesante trabajo, tiene un indudable interés, en la medida en que las Diputaciones Provinciales, sobre las que trata este libro, son actualmente un instrumento clave para contribuir al desarrollo de nuestro medio rural para ayudar a luchar contra el reto demográfico. Pocas entidades como ellas han tomado tan claro partido en el eterno dilema de la despoblación y, quizá lo más importante, en la lucha contra el deterioro de los servicios que acompaña a todas estas realidades que están lastrando la vida de nuestros municipios más pequeños y hasta su propia supervivencia. Así lo evidencia el Catedrático de Derecho financiero y tributario de la Universidad de Salamanca, José María Lago Montero, que aporta a este libro un interesante prólogo, trufado de reflexiones a este respecto

Combining GWAS and RNA-Seq Approaches for Detection of the Causal Mutation for Hereditary Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa in Sheep

[EN] In this study, we demonstrate the use of a genome-wide association mapping together with RNA-seq in a reduced number of samples, as an efficient approach to detect the causal mutation for a Mendelian disease. Junctional epidermolysis bullosa is a recessive genodermatosis that manifests with neonatal mechanical fragility of the skin, blistering confined to the lamina lucida of the basement membrane and severe alteration of the hemidesmosomal junctions. In Spanish Churra sheep, junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) has been detected in two commercial flocks. The JEB locus was mapped to Ovis aries chromosome 11 by GWAS and subsequently fine-mapped to an 868-kb homozygous segment using the identical-by-descent method. The ITGB4, which is located within this region, was identified as the best positional and functional candidate gene. The RNA-seq variant analysis enabled us to discover a 4-bp deletion within exon 33 of the ITGB4 gene (c.4412-4415del). The c.4412-4415del mutation causes a frameshift resulting in a premature stop codon at position 1472 of the integrin β4 protein. A functional analysis of this deletion revealed decreased levels of mRNA in JEB skin samples and the absence of integrin β4 labeling in immunohistochemical assays. Genotyping of c.4412-4415del showed perfect concordance with the recessive mode of the disease phenotype. Selection against this causal mutation will now be used to solve the problem of JEB in flocks of Churra sheep. Furthermore, the identification of the ITGB4 mutation means that affected sheep can be used as a large mammal animal model for the human form of epidermolysis bullosa with aplasia cutis. Our approachevidences that RNA-seq offers cost-effective alternative to identify variants in the species in which high resolution exome-sequencing is not straightforwardSIFunded by Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (grant AGL2012-34437 to JJA); Aroa Suarez-Vega is funded by an FPU contract from Spanish Ministry of Education. Beatriz Guterrez-Gil is funded by an Ramon y Cajal contract from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscrip

Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in dairy products and bulk-tank milk (BTM)

1). Materias: >; >; >. 2). Revista open access.[EN]. In order to contribute to an assessment of the role of food in the risks of transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a review was undertaken of research on this microorganism in milk and dairy products published from January 2001 to February 2024. A total of 186 publications were selected, 125 for dairy products and 61 for bulk-tank milk (BTM). MRSA was detected in 68.8% of the research into dairy products and 73.8% of investigations relating to BTM, although in most studies the prevalence was less than 5%. Of the set of S. aureus strains isolated, approximately 30% corresponded to MRSA. The foods most extensively contaminated with this microorganism were raw milk and some types of soft cheese. Determination of the mecA gene on its own is known not to suffice for the detection of all MRSA strains. The great diversity of techniques used to study MRSA in milk and dairy products made it difficult to draw comparisons between studies. It would thus be advisable to develop a standardized protocol for the study of this microorganism in foods.SIThis research was funded by the MINISTERIO DE CIENCIA E INNOVACIÓN, grant numbers RTI2018-098267-R-C33 and PID2022-142329OB-C31, and the JUNTA DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN (CONSEJERÍA DE EDUCACIÓN), grant number LE018P20. Camino González-Machado is a recipient of a predoctoral research fellowship from the Ministerio de Universidades (Programa de Formación de Profesorado Universitario, FPU)

Implementation of an educational escape room for teaching environmental sustainability in Economics in Baccalaureate studies

[ES] Ante la desafección del alumnado hacia los métodos tradicionales, la literatura atribuye a la metodología de gamificación, y más concretamente a la actividad de escape room, la capacidad de despertar su motivación durante el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Considerando el potencial didáctico de esta herramienta y la inclusión del desarrollo sostenible en los currículos LOMLOE, se creó e implementó el escape room “Tierra 2050” dentro del tema “El nuevo paradigma verde en la economía de la UE” (Economía 1º Bach.), basado en una de las líneas del proyecto EU-ECO-FIN. Metodología: Para medir las percepciones del alumnado, se utilizó un cuestionario que abarca las dimensiones motivación y aprendizaje. Se calcularon las puntuaciones medias de cada ítem para identificar los componentes más destacados, así como las globales, facilitando la comparación entre dimensiones. Resultados: Se observaron altos niveles de motivación, trabajo en equipo e inmersión; adquisición de conocimientos sobre ODS, energías renovables y economía circular y desarrollo de conciencia ambiental. Discusión: El escape room resulta recomendable en el contexto LOMLOE. Conclusiones: Validez de la actividad para trabajar la CE 5 del currículo.[EN] Given the disaffection of students towards traditional methods, the literature attributes to the gamification methodology, and more specifically to the escape room activity, the power to raise their motivation during the teaching-learning process. Considering the didactic potential of this tool and the inclusion of sustainable development in LOMLOE curricula, the escape room “Earth 2050” was created and implemented within the theme “The new green paradigm in the EU economy” (Economics 1st Bac.), based on one of the lines of the EU-ECO-FIN project. Methodology: To measure student perceptions, a questionnaire covering the dimensions “motivation” and “learning” was used. Mean scores were calculated for each item to identify the most salient components, as well as overall scores, facilitating comparison between dimensions. Results: High levels of motivation, teamwork and immersion; acquisition of knowledge on SDGs, renewable energy and circular economy and development of environmental awareness. Discussion: The escape room is advisable in the LOMLOE context Conclusions: Validity of the activity to address EC 5 of the educational program.S