Is contact with birth parents beneficial to children in non-kinship foster care? A scoping review of the evidence

Many children in non-kinship foster care maintain contact with their birth parents, although debate continues about whether or not, or under what circumstances, it is beneficial to the child. In this scoping review we analyze the findings of studies conducted over the past two decades that have specifically examined face-to-face contact with birth parents for children in non-kinship foster care, our aim being to determine more clearly when it may contribute positively to the child’s well-being. The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines and involved a search of nine electronic databases. A total of 21 studies met the criteria for inclu- sion in the review, namely primary studies analyzing one or more aspects of these contact visits, written in English or Spanish, and published during the period 1997–2022. In analyzing these studies we grouped their findings according to four broad areas of interest: characteristics of contact visits, appraisal of visits by families and professionals, relationship between contact and fostering outcomes, and impact of contact on children. The four main conclusions we draw from the review are: a) surprisingly few studies have specifically examined the effects of face-to-face contact with birth parents in non-kinship foster care; b) the findings to date are neither conclusive nor generalizable, although they are not generally encouraging; c) under the right circumstances (e.g., adequate supervision, conducted in a context of emotional security for the child), contact can contribute to the child’s well-being and increase the likelihood of family reunification; and d) more robust research is needed to guide the development of interventions that can improve parent–child relationships and the quality of contact visitsAndalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation (PAIDI) Research Group SEJ-466. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de M ́alaga / CBU

Color Space Selection for Self-Organizing Map Based Foreground Detection in Video Sequences

The selection of the best color space is a fundamental task in detecting foreground objects on scenes. In many situations, especially on dynamic backgrounds, neither grayscale nor RGB color spaces represent the best solution to detect foreground objects. Other standard color spaces, such as YCbCr or HSV, have been proposed for background modeling in the literature; although the best results have been achieved using diverse color spaces according to the application, scene, algorithm, etc. In this work, a color space and color component weighting selection process is proposed to detect foreground objects in video sequences using self-organizing maps. Experimental results are also provided using well known benchmark videos.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Inclusion of lemon leaves and rice straw into compound feed and its effect on nutrient balance, milk yield, and methane emissions in dairy goats

This study was supported by LIFE Project, Valencia, Spain (ref. LIFE2016/CCM/ES/000088 LOW CARBON FEED). The authors have not stated any conflicts of interestRomero Rueda, T.; Pérez Baena, I.; Larsen, T.; Gomis-Tena Dolz, J.; Loor, JJ.; Fernández Martínez, CJ. (2020). Inclusion of lemon leaves and rice straw into compound feed and its effect on nutrient balance, milk yield, and methane emissions in dairy goats. Journal of Dairy Science. 103(7):6178-6189. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2020-18168S61786189103

Use of orange leaves as a replacement for alfalfa in energy and nitrogen partitioning, methane emissions and milk performance of murciano-granadina goats

[EN] The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of substituting alfalfa with orange leaves on energy, nitrogen and carbon balance, methane emission, and milk performance in dairy goats. Ten Murciano-Granadina dairy goats in mid lactation (43.5 +/- 3.59 kg of body weight [BW]) were selected in a crossover design experiment, where each goat received two treatments in 2 periods. One group of five goats was fed a mixed ration with 450 g of pelleted alfalfa and 550 g of pelleted concentrate/kg of dry matter (ALF diet), and the other diet replaced alfalfa with orange leaves (ORG diet). Inclusion of ORG than ALF diet reduced (P = 0.041) dry matter intake. The metabolizable energy intake was identical between treatments (901 kJ/kg of BW0.75, on average) and, the efficiency of metabolizable energy for milk production was 0.73. Retention of energy was lower (P = 0.001) in ORG diet than ALF diet. Carbon and nitrogen intake (P = 0.022 and P = 0.004, respectively) was greater for diet ALF than ORG, with no differences in milk carbon and nitrogen. The ORG diet reduced (P = 0.037) milk fat 3 g/kg, and CH4 (P = 0.001) 6 g/d. One of the milk fatty acids positively correlated with CH4 production was C16:0; it was greater (P < 0.05) in ALF than ORG diet. When CH4 was expressed over OM digestibility and milk basis, differences were preserved. Results suggest that orange leaves are effective in reducing CH4 emission without detrimental effect on nutrients balance and milk yield.This study was supported by HELIOTEC S.L., La Vall d'Uixo, Castellon de la Plana, Valencia, Spain, though LIFE Ecocitric Project and, LIFE2016/CCM/ES/000088 LOW CARBON FEED.Fernández Martínez, CJ.; Pérez Baena, I.; Martí Vicent, JV.; Palomares Carrasco, JL.; Jorro-Ripoll, J.; Segarra, J. (2019). Use of orange leaves as a replacement for alfalfa in energy and nitrogen partitioning, methane emissions and milk performance of murciano-granadina goats. Animal Feed Science and Technology. 247:103-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2018.11.008S10311124

A space for the living and the dead: The Chalcolithic ditched enclosured settlement of Camino de las Yeseras (San Fernando de Henares, Madrid)

Se presentan los resultados preliminares de la excavación de un gran poblado de fosos calcolítico, cuya situación estratégica ayudó a ser un centro de producción e intercambio de excedentes en materias primas (sílex, granito y piedras metamórficas) y productos agropecuarios e industriales por otros foráneos (cobre, variscita, cinabrio, marfil y oro). Los rituales funerarios son de una gran variedad, individuales y colectivos, en covachas e hipogeos, con o sin ajuar campaniforme, algunos de los últimos con ricos ajuares áureos y ebúrneos. Los datos óseos de algunos inhumados campaniformes apuntan a un aspecto físico muy llamativo en vida, mientras los depósitos con fauna, en composición taxonómica variada, indican una compleja relación simbólica con el mundo animal. El yacimiento resulta clave para un mejor conocimiento del período calcolítico y el impacto campaniforme y sus rituales funerarios en la consolidación y diferenciación de las primeras sociedades metalúrgicas del interior peninsularThe preliminary results are presented of the excavations in a large, ditched enclosured Chalcolithic settlement. The site was probably a central place in the production and long-distance exchange of surplus. The accumulations found of raw materials (flint, granite and metamorphic stones) and agricultural, stockbreeding and industrial products were exchanged by other foreign products (variscite, cinnabar, ivory and gold). Ritual data are also remarkable: a significant number of individual and collective burials have been recorded in pits, small artificial caves and hypogeos, delimited in special areas. The richer burials had Ciempozuelos-style Bell-beaker elements and prestige items, such as gold and ivory beads. Osteomorphic and size features of some Bell-beaker individuals point out a remarkable physical aspect during their life time. The faunal deposits, which included mixed species associations, evidence a complex symbolic relationship with animals. The site is essential for the knowledge of the Chalcolithic period and the impact of Bell-beaker customs and funerary rituals in the consolidation of social inequalities amidst the first metallurgical societies of the interior of the Iberian Peninsul

A pyrF auxotrophic mutant of Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 impaired in its symbiotic interactions with soybean and other legumes

Transposon Tn5-Mob mutagenesis allowed the selection of a Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 mutant derivative (SVQ 292) that requires the presence of uracil to grow in minimal media. The mutated gene, pyrF, codes for an orotidine-5´- monophosphate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.23). Mutant SVQ 292 and its parental prototrophic mutant HH103 showed similar Nod-factor and lipopolysaccharide profiles. The symbiotic properties of mutant SVQ 292 were severely impaired with all legumes tested. Mutant SVQ 292 formed small ineffective nodules on Cajanus cajan and abnormal nodules (pseudonodules) unable to fix nitrogen on Glycine max (soybean), Macroptitlium atropurpureum, Indigofera tinctoria, and Desmodium canadense. It also did not induce any macroscopic response in Macrotyloma axillare roots. The symbiotic capacity of SVQ 292 with soybean was not enhanced by the addition of uracil to the plant nutritive solution. [Int Microbiol 2007; 10(3):169-176

Effect of the presence of the plant growth promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) Chryseobacterium balustinum Aur9 and salt stress in the pattern of flavonoids exuded by soybean roots

In this work we studied how biotic and abiotic stresses can alter the pattern of flavonoids exuded by Osumi soybean roots. A routine method was developed for the detection and characterization of the flavonoids present in soybean root exudates using HPLC-MS/MS. Then, a systematic screening of the flavonoids exuded under biotic stress, the presence of a plant growth promoting rhizobacterium, and salt stress was carried out. Results obtained indicate that the presence of Chryseobacterium balustinum Aur9 or 50 mM NaCl changes qualitatively the pattern of flavonoids exuded when compared to control conditions. Thus, in the presence of C. balustinum Aur9, soybean roots did not exude quercetin and naringenin and, under salt stress, flavonoids daidzein and naringenin could not be detected. Soybean root exudates obtained under saline conditions showed a diminished capacity to induce the expression of the nodA gene in comparison to the exudates obtained in the absence of salt. Moreover, lipochitooligosaccharides (LCOs) were not detected or weakly detected when Sinorhizobium fredii SMH12 was grown in the exudates obtained under salt stress conditions or under salt stress in the presence of C. balustinum Au9, respectively.Fil: Dardanelli, Marta Susana. Universidad de Sevilla. Facultad de Farmacia; España. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología Molecular. Sección Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Manyani, Hamid. Universidad de Sevilla. Facultad de Farmacia; EspañaFil: González Barroso, Sergio. Universidad de Sevilla. Facultad de Farmacia; EspañaFil: Rodríguez Carvajal, Miguel A.. Universidad de Sevilla. Facultad de Farmacia; EspañaFil: Gil Serrano, Antonio M.. Universidad de Sevilla. Facultad de Farmacia; EspañaFil: Espuny, Maria R.. Universidad de Sevilla. Facultad de Farmacia; EspañaFil: López Baena, Francisco Javier. Universidad de Sevilla. Facultad de Farmacia; EspañaFil: Bellogín, Ramon A.. Universidad de Sevilla. Facultad de Farmacia; EspañaFil: Megías, Manuel. Universidad de Sevilla. Facultad de Farmacia; EspañaFil: Ollero, Francisco J.. Universidad de Sevilla. Facultad de Farmacia; Españ

Survival of patients receiving a liver transplant for hepatocellular carcinoma, and risk of tumor recurrence

Objective: the goal of this research has been to evaluate the survival, in long and short term, of the patient receiving liver transplant for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the risk of posttransplant tumor relapse and factors related to this complication. Design: retrospective study of a consecutive series of patients having had liver transplant for HCC. Patients and methodology: transplant patients for HCC from 1989 to November 2003. Patients were selected due to general limitations of nodule size and quantity, which were subsequently published as Milan criteria. Also, criteria agreed in the Conference of Barcelona were followed in the pre-transplant diagnosis. Results: the survival of this 81 patients group was of the 80, 61 and 52% for 1, 5 and 10 years respectively. In the 32% of the cases the HCC was an incidental finding in the explant. In the 12.3%, the tumor relapse was verified. The multivariate research identified the size of the nodule (OR = 1,7944) (IC 95% = 1,1332-2,8413) and the vascular invasion (OR = 6,6346) (IC 95% = 1,4624-30,1003) as risk factors of relapse. Conclusions: the liver transplant in selected patients with HCC has good results in medium and long term. The risk of post-transplant tumor relapse becomes notably reduced and is associated with the size of the nodule and the microscopic vascular invasion

Evolutionary origins of metabolic reprogramming in cancer

Metabolic changes that facilitate tumor growth are one of the hallmarks of cancer. These changes are not specific to tumors but also take place during the physiological growth of tissues. Indeed, the cellular and tissue mechanisms present in the tumor have their physiological counterpart in the repair of tissue lesions and wound healing. These molecular mechanisms have been acquired during metazoan evolution, first to eliminate the infection of the tissue injury, then to enter an effective regenerative phase. Cancer itself could be considered a phenomenon of antagonistic pleiotropy of the genes involved in effective tissue repair. Cancer and tissue repair are complex traits that share many intermediate phenotypes at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels, and all of these are integrated within a Systems Biology structure. Complex traits are influenced by a multitude of common genes, each with a weak effect. This polygenic component of complex traits is mainly unknown and so makes up part of the missing heritability. Here, we try to integrate these different perspectives from the point of view of the metabolic changes observed in cancer.This work was supported in JPL’s lab by Grant PID2020-118527RB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011039; Grant PDC2021-121735-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011039 and by the “European Union Next Generation EU/PRTR.”, the Regional Government of Castile and León (CSI234P18 and CSI144P20). SCLl was the recipient of a Ramón y Cajal research contract from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and was supported by grant RTI2018-094130-B-100 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011039 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe.” RCC and AJN are funded by fellowships from the Spanish Regional Government of Castile and León. NGS is a recipient of an FPU fellowship (MINECO/FEDER). MJPB is funded by grant PID2020-118527RB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011039. J.C. is partially supported by grant GRS2139/A/20 (Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León) and by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI18/00587 and PI21/01207), co-financed by FEDER funds, and by the “Programa de Intensificación” of the ISCIII, grant number INT20/00074. We thank Phil Mason for English language support