Les ratapinyades de les illes Balears: distribució, avaluació i estat sanitari de les poblacions

[eng] Bats are considered an excellent group of environmental health indicator. Besides its ecological importance, the bats have acquired in recent years a great interest in epidemiological studies because they are an important reservoir of emerging viral zoonoses. This paper highlights the ecological and epidemiological information obtained since 1993 in the Balearic Islands. During these years we have used different methodologies: exploration of underground cavities, installing Japanese nets and recording and analysis of ultrasonic signals emitted by bats. The results obtained indicate that the Balearic Islands have a very high diversity of bats, with the presence of 19-20 species, the most abundant Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Pipistrellus pygmaeus and Tadarida teniotis. These four species together with Hypsugo Savii, Plecotus austriacus, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum and Rhinolophus hipposideros, are present in all the major islands of the archipelago. The loss and alteration of the shelters have a negative impact on bat populations. However, is confirmed the gradual recovery of the colony of Miniopterus schreibersii hibernation in Minorca, after the great mortality that occurred in 2003. We have also verified several movements between different cavities either between islands or between one island refuges. We observed spread of lyssavirus in Mallorca and Menorca colonies of bats, although that the risk of transmission of a bat to the human species is very low.[cat] Les ratapinyades són considerades un excel·lent grup indicador de la salut ambiental. A més a més de la importància ecològica, els quiròpters han adquirit els darrers anys un gran interès en estudis epidemiològics perquè són un important reservori de zoonosis víriques emergents. El present treball dóna a conèixer la informació ecològica i epidemiològica obtinguda des de l’any 1993 a les Illes Balears. Durant aquests anys hem utilitzat diferents metodologies: prospeccions de cavitats subterrànies, instal·lació de xarxes japoneses i enregistraments i anàlisis dels senyals ultrasònics emesos pels quiròpters. Els resultats obtinguts indiquen que les Illes Balears presenten una diversitat de quiròpters força elevada, amb 19-20 espècies citades, essent les més abundants Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Tadarida teniotis i Pipistrellus pygmaeus. Aquestes quatre espècies juntament amb Hypsugo savii, Plecotus austriacus, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum i Rhinolophus hipposideros, són presents en totes les grans illes de l’Arxipèlag. La pèrdua i les freqüents alteracions dels refugis incideixen negativament en les poblacions de les ratapinyades. No obstant això, s’ha pogut constatar la recuperació gradual de la colònia d’hibernada de Miniopterus schreibersii a Menorca, després de la gran mortaldat succeïda l’any 2003. També hem pogut verificar diversos desplaçaments entre cavitats, ja sigui entre illes o entre refugis d’una mateixa illa. S’ha observat circulació de lyssavirus en colònies mallorquines i menorquines de ratapinyades, tot i que el risc de transmissió d’una ratapinyada a l’espècie humana és molt baix.[spa] Los murciélagos son considerados un excelente grupo indicador de la salud ambiental. Además de la importancia ecológica, los quirópteros han adquirido en los últimos años un gran interés en estudios epidemiológicos porque son un importante reservorio de zoonosis víricas emergentes. El presente trabajo da a conocer la información ecológica y epidemiológica obtenida desde 1993 en las Islas Baleares. Durante estos años hemos utilizado diferentes metodologías: prospecciones de cavidades subterráneas, instalación de redes japonesas y grabaciones y análisis de las señales ultrasónicas emitidas por los quirópteros. Los resultados obtenido indican que las Islas Baleares presentan una diversidad de quirópteros muy elevada, con presencia de 19-20 especies, siendo las más abundantes Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Tadarida teniotis i Pipistrellus pygmaeus. Estas cuatro especies juntamente con Hypsugo savii, Plecotus austriacus, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum y Rhinolophus hipposideros, son presentes en todas las grandes islas del Archipiélago. La pérdida y las alteraciones de los refugios inciden negativamente en las poblaciones de murciélagos. No obstante, se ha podido constatar la recuperación gradual de la colonia de hibernación de Miniopterus schreibersii en Menorca, después de la gran mortalidad sucedida en el año 2003. También hemos podido verificar diversos desplazamientos entre diferentes cavidades ya sea entre islas o entre refugios de una misma isla. Se ha observado circulación de lyssavirus en colonias mallorquinas y menorquinas de murciélagos, aunque el riesgo de transmisión de un quiróptero a la especie humana es muy bajo

Identification and characterization of Iporin as a novel interaction partner for rab1

BACKGROUND: The small GTPase rab1a and its isoform rab1b are essential regulating components in the vesicle transport between the ER and the Golgi apparatus. Rab1 is thought to act as a molecular switch and can change between an active GTP-bound and an inactive GDP-bound conformation. To elucidate the function of rab1, several approaches have been established to isolate effector proteins, which interact with the activated conformation of rab1. To date p115, GM130, golgin-84 and MICAL have been identified as direct interacting partners. Together with rab1, these molecules are components of a protein complex, which mediates and regulates intracellular vesicle transport. RESULTS: Here, we report the characterization of Iporin, which is similar to KIAA0375 as a novel rab1-interacting protein. It was initially identified by yeast two-hybrid screening experiments with the active mutant of rab1b (rab1b Q67R) as bait. Iporin contains a SH3 domain and two polyproline stretches, which are known to play a role in protein/protein interactions. In addition, Iporin encloses a RUN domain, which seems to be a major part of the rab1binding domain (R1BD). Iporin is ubiquitously expressed and immunofluorescence staining displays a cytosolic punctual distribution. Interestingly, we also show that Iporin interacts with another rab1 interacting partner, the GM130 protein. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that Iporin is a potential new interacting partner of rab1. Iporin is different from already identified rab1 interacting proteins concerning protein structure and cellular localization. We conclude that Iporin might function as a link between the targeting of ER derived vesicles, triggered by the rab1 GTPase and a signaling pathway regulated by molecules containing SH3 and/or poly-proline regions. The characterization of this novel intermolecular relation could help to elucidate how vesicles find their way from ER to the Golgi apparatus

Farm-level risk factors for digital dermatitis in dairy cows in mountainous regions.

Reduction of risk factors for bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) is crucial in current disease control. However, risk factors that might arise especially in mountainous regions are unknown until now, and an adapted BDD control program is consequently missing. The objective of this observational case-control study was to identify farm-level risk factors for BDD in dairy herds in mountainous regions. To investigate predictors for the occurrence of BDD, 100 farms were visited and information about herd characteristics and management practices, potentially relevant explanatory variables for either introduction or establishment of BDD, were gathered by completing a questionnaire with the farmer or herd manager. Within-herd prevalences of BDD assessed during 3 routine claw trimmings with an interval of 6 mo before the survey were used to define cases (BDD within-herd prevalence of ≥26% during each claw trimming) and controls (no BDD cases in each of the 3 routine claw trimmings before the survey). Data were analyzed using 2 separate binomial generalized linear models according to either establishment or introduction of BDD. After prescreening, 15 of 23 explanatory variables were included in the final analysis, which showed 3 variables related to introduction and establishment, each being significantly associated with the occurrence of BDD within a farm. Results of model 1 (i.e., aspects related to BDD introduction) revealed that access to mountain pastures during the summer season (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 0.12, 0.04-0.35), participation in dairy shows (0.32, 0.11-0.94), and the number of new animals introduced into the farm during the last 2 yr (1.28, 1.12-1.52) were significantly associated with the occurrence of BDD. Model 2 (i.e., aspects related to BDD establishment) showed that cows kept in freestalls were at higher risk for BDD compared with those kept in tiestalls (20.65, 1.59-649.37). Furthermore, number of days between diagnosis and treatment of a BDD lesion (10.31, 3.55-81.21) and the amount of concentrate feeding (median 5 kg) per cow and day (7.72, 2.46-6.47) were positively associated with BDD occurrence. In conclusion, the findings of this study provide a set of risk factors that are associated with BDD status within herds in mountainous regions. These results may help in development of adapted control programs for BDD in dairy cows

BBF RFC 105: The Intein standard - a universal way to modify proteins after translation

This Request for Comments (RFC) proposes a new standard that allows for easy and flexible cloning of intein constructs and thus makes this technology accessible to the synthetic biology community

A global analysis of Y-chromosomal haplotype diversity for 23 STR loci

In a worldwide collaborative effort, 19,630 Y-chromosomes were sampled from 129 different populations in 51 countries. These chromosomes were typed for 23 short-tandem repeat (STR) loci (DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS385ab, DYS437, DYS438, DYS439, DYS448, DYS456, DYS458, DYS635, GATAH4, DYS481, DYS533, DYS549, DYS570, DYS576, and DYS643) and using the PowerPlex Y23 System (PPY23, Promega Corporation, Madison, WI). Locus-specific allelic spectra of these markers were determined and a consistently high level of allelic diversity was observed. A considerable number of null, duplicate and off-ladder alleles were revealed. Standard single-locus and haplotype-based parameters were calculated and compared between subsets of Y-STR markers established for forensic casework. The PPY23 marker set provides substantially stronger discriminatory power than other available kits but at the same time reveals the same general patterns of population structure as other marker sets. A strong correlation was observed between the number of Y-STRs included in a marker set and some of the forensic parameters under study. Interestingly a weak but consistent trend toward smaller genetic distances resulting from larger numbers of markers became apparent.Peer reviewe

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Pupillary Responses to Faces Are Modulated by Familiarity and Rewarding Context

Observing familiar (known, recognisable) and socially relevant (personally important) faces elicits activation in the brain’s reward circuit. Although smiling faces are often used as social rewards in research, it is firstly unclear whether familiarity and social relevance modulate the processing of faces differently, and secondly whether this processing depends on the feedback context, i.e., if it is different when smiles are delivered depending on performance or in the absence of any action (passive viewing). In this preregistered study, we compared pupillary responses to smiling faces differing in subjective familiarity and social relevance. They were displayed in a passive viewing task and in an active task (a speeded visual short-term memory task). The pupils were affected only in the active task and only by subjective familiarity. Contrary to expectations, smaller dilations were observed in response to more familiar faces. Behavioural ratings supported the superior rewarding context of the active task, with higher reward ratings for the game than the passive task. This study offers two major insights. Firstly, familiarity plays a role in the processing of social rewards, as known and unknown faces influence the autonomic responses differently. Secondly, the feedback context is crucial in reward research as positive stimuli are rewarding when they are dependent on performance.Deutscher Akademischer AustauschdienstPeer Reviewe

Autistic Traits Affect Reward Anticipation but not Reception

Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) have been linked to aberrant reward processing, but it remains unclear whether it is a general dysfunction or limited to social stimuli, and whether it affects both phases of reward processing, namely anticipation and reception. We used event-related brain potentials and a population-based approach to investigate reward anticipation and reception to socially relevant (i.e., picture of experimenter’s face showing approval/disapproval) and monetary rewards in 51 neurotypical individuals with varying levels of autistic traits. Higher autistic traits were associated with enhanced reward anticipation across reward types in the early anticipation phase (triggered by incentive cues), but not in the late anticipation phase (directly before reward reception), as reflected by the CNV component. The P3 component in response to reward reception showed a general increase for monetary outcomes, which was not modulated by autistic traits. These results suggest that higher autistic traits are related to enhanced reward anticipation, but do not modulate reward reception. No interaction between reward types and autistic traits was observed. We propose that the relevance of social rewards had higher reward value than commonly used pictures of strangers, which specifically normalised responses for individuals with high autistic traits.Peer Reviewe

Umsetzung von Biosicherheitsmassnahmen durch Klauenpfleger in der Schweiz

Biosicherheit umfasst im Zusammenhang mit Tierhaltung alle Massnahmen zur Verhinderung der Einschleppung von Krankheitserregern in einen Betrieb (externe Biosicherheit) und der Krankheitserregerverbreitung innerhalb eines Betriebs (interne Biosicherheit). Als wichtiger Risikofaktor für die Ausbreitung von Infektionskrankheiten gilt überbetrieblich arbeitendes Fachpersonal, zu dem auf Schweizer Rindviehbetrieben professionelle Klauenpfleger gehören. Um einen Überblick über die Umsetzung von Biosicherheitsmassnahmen durch Klauenpfleger zu geben, wurden in der vorliegenden Studie 49 Klauenpfleger, die am Schweizer Klauengesundheitsprogramm teilnahmen, zu diesem Thema von zwei Tierärzten befragt und während der Klauenpflege beobachtet. Die Datenbearbeitung erfolgte mit Hilfe eines Scoringsystems, wobei den verschiedenen Arbeitsweisen unter Berücksichtigung des angenommenen Übertragungspotenzials der Infektionskrankheiten Dermatitis digitalis (DD) und Salmonellose Punkte zugeteilt wurden. Die Arbeitsweise, die die ideale Biosicherheitsmassnahme darstellt, erhielt immer einen ganzen Punkt, weniger optimale Arbeitsweisen dagegen einen Zwischenwert oder keinen Punkt. Mithilfe des Scoringsystems konnten die Stärken und Defizite der Klauenpfleger bezüglich Biosicherheit genau benannt werden. Insgesamt ist der Implementierungsgrad von Biosicherheitsmassnahmen durch Klauenpfleger recht niedrig (53 %=Mittelwert des allgemeinen Gesamtbiosicherheitsscores der 49 Klauenpfleger). Klauenpfleger, die häufiger fachbezogene Fortbildungen besuchten, wiesen tendenziell einen höheren Umsetzungsgrad von Biosicherheitsmassnahmen auf. Die Antworten der Klauenpfleger und die Beobachtungen der Tierärzte wurden zudem miteinander verglichen, wobei festgestellt wurde, dass sich die Klauenpfleger meist selbst besser bezüglich Biosicherheit einschätzten als die Tierärzte sie beurteilten. Zusammenfassend ist unter Berücksichtigung der Ergebnisse dieser Studie die Verschleppung von Krankheitserregern wie DD-assoziierten Treponemen und Salmonellen im Rahmen der überbetrieblichen Klauenpflege möglich. In zukünftigen Aus- und Fortbildungen sollte daher ein Schwerpunkt auf Biosicherheit gelegt werden. Keywords: Biosicherheit; Fragebogen; Klauenpflege; Rindvieh; Scoringsystem; biosecurity; biosicurezza; biosécurité; bovin; bovini; cattle; cura degli zoccoli; hoof trimming; parage des onglons; questionario; questionnaire; scoring system; sistema di punteggio; système de notation