Inflation and Dark Energy from spectroscopy at z > 2

The expansion of the Universe is understood to have accelerated during two epochs: in its very first moments during a period of Inflation and much more recently, at z < 1, when Dark Energy is hypothesized to drive cosmic acceleration. The undiscovered mechanisms behind these two epochs represent some of the most important open problems in fundamental physics. The large cosmological volume at 2 < z < 5, together with the ability to efficiently target high-$z$ galaxies with known techniques, enables large gains in the study of Inflation and Dark Energy. A future spectroscopic survey can test the Gaussianity of the initial conditions up to a factor of ~50 better than our current bounds, crossing the crucial theoretical threshold of $\sigma(f_{NL}^{\rm local})$ of order unity that separates single field and multi-field models. Simultaneously, it can measure the fraction of Dark Energy at the percent level up to $z = 5$, thus serving as an unprecedented test of the standard model and opening up a tremendous discovery space

Genome-wide association analysis of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes reveal novel loci associated with Alzheimer's disease and three causality networks : The GR@ACE project

Introduction: Large variability among Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases might impact genetic discoveries and complicate dissection of underlying biological pathways. Methods: Genome Research at Fundacio ACE (GR@ACE) is a genome-wide study of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes, defined based on AD's clinical certainty and vascular burden. We assessed the impact of known AD loci across endophenotypes to generate loci categories. We incorporated gene coexpression data and conducted pathway analysis per category. Finally, to evaluate the effect of heterogeneity in genetic studies, GR@ACE series were meta-analyzed with additional genome-wide association study data sets. Results: We classified known AD loci into three categories, which might reflect the disease clinical heterogeneity. Vascular processes were only detected as a causal mechanism in probable AD. The meta-analysis strategy revealed the ANKRD31-rs4704171 and NDUFAF6-rs10098778 and confirmed SCIMP-rs7225151 and CD33-rs3865444. Discussion: The regulation of vasculature is a prominent causal component of probable AD. GR@ACE meta-analysis revealed novel AD genetic signals, strongly driven by the presence of clinical heterogeneity in the AD series

Epidemiological trends of HIV/HCV coinfection in Spain, 2015-2019

Altres ajuts: Spanish AIDS Research Network; European Funding for Regional Development (FEDER).Objectives: We assessed the prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies and active HCV infection (HCV-RNA-positive) in people living with HIV (PLWH) in Spain in 2019 and compared the results with those of four similar studies performed during 2015-2018. Methods: The study was performed in 41 centres. Sample size was estimated for an accuracy of 1%. Patients were selected by random sampling with proportional allocation. Results: The reference population comprised 41 973 PLWH, and the sample size was 1325. HCV serostatus was known in 1316 PLWH (99.3%), of whom 376 (28.6%) were HCV antibody (Ab)-positive (78.7% were prior injection drug users); 29 were HCV-RNA-positive (2.2%). Of the 29 HCV-RNA-positive PLWH, infection was chronic in 24, it was acute/recent in one, and it was of unknown duration in four. Cirrhosis was present in 71 (5.4%) PLWH overall, three (10.3%) HCV-RNA-positive patients and 68 (23.4%) of those who cleared HCV after anti-HCV therapy (p = 0.04). The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies decreased steadily from 37.7% in 2015 to 28.6% in 2019 (p < 0.001); the prevalence of active HCV infection decreased from 22.1% in 2015 to 2.2% in 2019 (p < 0.001). Uptake of anti-HCV treatment increased from 53.9% in 2015 to 95.0% in 2019 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In Spain, the prevalence of active HCV infection among PLWH at the end of 2019 was 2.2%, i.e. 90.0% lower than in 2015. Increased exposure to DAAs was probably the main reason for this sharp reduction. Despite the high coverage of treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents, HCV-related cirrhosis remains significant in this population

A concept for international societally relevant microbiology education and microbiology knowledge promulgation in society

Microbes are all pervasive in their distribution and influence on the functioning and well-being of humans, life in general and the planet. Microbially-based technologies contribute hugely to the supply of important goods and services we depend upon, such as the provision of food, medicines and clean water. They also offer mechanisms and strategies to mitigate and solve a wide range of problems and crises facing humanity at all levels, including those encapsulated in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) formulated by the United Nations. For example, microbial technologies can contribute in multiple ways to decarbonisation and hence confronting global warming, provide sanitation and clean water to the billions of people lacking them, improve soil fertility and hence food production and develop vaccines and other medicines to reduce and in some cases eliminate deadly infections. They are the foundation of biotechnology, an increasingly important and growing business sector and source of employment, and the centre of the bioeconomy, Green Deal, etc. But, because microbes are largely invisible, they are not familiar to most people, so opportunities they offer to effectively prevent and solve problems are often missed by decision-makers, with the negative consequences this entrains. To correct this lack of vital knowledge, the International Microbiology Literacy Initiative–the IMiLI–is recruiting from the global microbiology community and making freely available, teaching resources for a curriculum in societally relevant microbiology that can be used at all levels of learning. Its goal is the development of a society that is literate in relevant microbiology and, as a consequence, able to take full advantage of the potential of microbes and minimise the consequences of their negative activities. In addition to teaching about microbes, almost every lesson discusses the influence they have on sustainability and the SDGs and their ability to solve pressing problems of societal inequalities. The curriculum thus teaches about sustainability, societal needs and global citizenship. The lessons also reveal the impacts microbes and their activities have on our daily lives at the personal, family, community, national and global levels and their relevance for decisions at all levels. And, because effective, evidence-based decisions require not only relevant information but also critical and systems thinking, the resources also teach about these key generic aspects of deliberation. The IMiLI teaching resources are learner-centric, not academic microbiology-centric and deal with the microbiology of everyday issues. These span topics as diverse as owning and caring for a companion animal, the vast range of everyday foods that are produced via microbial processes, impressive geological formations created by microbes, childhood illnesses and how they are managed and how to reduce waste and pollution. They also leverage the exceptional excitement of exploration and discovery that typifies much progress in microbiology to capture the interest, inspire and motivate educators and learners alike. The IMiLI is establishing Regional Centres to translate the teaching resources into regional languages and adapt them to regional cultures, and to promote their use and assist educators employing them. Two of these are now operational. The Regional Centres constitute the interface between resource creators and educators–learners. As such, they will collect and analyse feedback from the end-users and transmit this to the resource creators so that teaching materials can be improved and refined, and new resources added in response to demand: educators and learners will thereby be directly involved in evolution of the teaching resources. The interactions between educators–learners and resource creators mediated by the Regional Centres will establish dynamic and synergistic relationships–a global societally relevant microbiology education ecosystem–in which creators also become learners, teaching resources are optimised and all players/stakeholders are empowered and their motivation increased. The IMiLI concept thus embraces the principle of teaching societally relevant microbiology embedded in the wider context of societal, biosphere and planetary needs, inequalities, the range of crises that confront us and the need for improved decisioning, which should ultimately lead to better citizenship and a humanity that is more sustainable and resilient. The biosphere of planet Earth is a microbial world: a vast reactor of countless microbially driven chemical transformations and energy transfers that push and pull many planetary geochemical processes, including the cycling of the elements of life, mitigate or amplify climate change (e.g., Nature Reviews Microbiology, 2019, 17, 569) and impact the well-being and activities of all organisms, including humans. Microbes are both our ancestors and creators of the planetary chemistry that allowed us to evolve (e.g., Life's engines: How microbes made earth habitable, 2023). To understand how the biosphere functions, how humans can influence its development and live more sustainably with the other organisms sharing it, we need to understand the microbes. In a recent editorial (Environmental Microbiology, 2019, 21, 1513), we advocated for improved microbiology literacy in society. Our concept of microbiology literacy is not based on knowledge of the academic subject of microbiology, with its multitude of component topics, plus the growing number of additional topics from other disciplines that become vitally important elements of current microbiology. Rather it is focused on microbial activities that impact us–individuals/communities/nations/the human world–and the biosphere and that are key to reaching informed decisions on a multitude of issues that regularly confront us, ranging from personal issues to crises of global importance. In other words, it is knowledge and understanding essential for adulthood and the transition to it, knowledge and understanding that must be acquired early in life in school. The 2019 Editorial marked the launch of the International Microbiology Literacy Initiative, the IMiLI. HERE, WE PRESENT our concept of how microbiology literacy may be achieved and the rationale underpinning it; the type of teaching resources being created to realise the concept and the framing of microbial activities treated in these resources in the context of sustainability, societal needs and responsibilities and decision-making; and the key role of Regional Centres that will translate the teaching resources into local languages, adapt them according to local cultural needs, interface with regional educators and develop and serve as hubs of microbiology literacy education networks. The topics featuring in teaching resources are learner-centric and have been selected for their inherent relevance, interest and ability to excite and engage. Importantly, the resources coherently integrate and emphasise the overarching issues of sustainability, stewardship and critical thinking and the pervasive interdependencies of processes. More broadly, the concept emphasises how the multifarious applications of microbial activities can be leveraged to promote human/animal, plant, environmental and planetary health, improve social equity, alleviate humanitarian deficits and causes of conflicts among peoples and increase understanding between peoples (Microbial Biotechnology, 2023, 16(6), 1091–1111). Importantly, although the primary target of the freely available (CC BY-NC 4.0) IMiLI teaching resources is schoolchildren and their educators, they and the teaching philosophy are intended for all ages, abilities and cultural spectra of learners worldwide: in university education, lifelong learning, curiosity-driven, web-based knowledge acquisition and public outreach. The IMiLI teaching resources aim to promote development of a global microbiology education ecosystem that democratises microbiology knowledge.http://www.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/mbt2hj2024BiochemistryGeneticsMicrobiology and Plant PathologySDG-01:No povertySDG-02:Zero HungerSDG-03:Good heatlh and well-beingSDG-04:Quality EducationSDG-06:Clean water and sanitationSDG-07:Affordable and clean energySDG-08:Decent work and economic growthSDG-12:Responsible consumption and productionSDG-13:Climate actionSDG-14:Life below wate

Efecto de la adicción de nitrógeno, energía e isoacidos a la pulpa fresca del henequén sobre el crecimiento del borrego pelibuey en confinamiento

Se realizaron 2 experimentos con objeto de estudiar la respuesta del borrego pelibuey en crecimiento, alimentado con una dieta a bue de pulpa de henequén fresca (Agave fourcroydes) suplementada con diversas fuentes nitrogenadas, energéticas con o sin iso

Descripción de algunas características seminales en caminos de raza Ovejero Alemán

Con la finalidad de estimar algunos parámetros seminales y sus variaciones de acuerdo a la edad del reproductor, se estudiaron 100 eyaculados de 25 ejemplares de raza Ovejero Alemán, cuyas edades fluctuaban de 1 a 5 años. Las muestras de semen se extrajeron mediante vagina artificial, una vez al mes durante el período otoño-invierno. Luego de la recolección cada eyaculado fue eva­luado inmediatamente a través de métodos rutina­rios. Se obtuvieron los siguientes promedios gene­rales (± D.S.): volumen 22,91 ± 14,47 ml; pH 7,04 ± 0,28; motilidad 65 ±29,9%, concentra­ción espermática 87,45 ± 65,15 x 106 espermato­zoides por ml; espermatozoides totales por eyacu­lado 1,53 ± 1,02 x 109 y anormalidades totales 7,70 ± 3,70%. La mayoría de las muestras presen­taron color blanco brillante (95%) de tipo acuoso (99%). Solamente la cantidad total de espermato­zoides por eyaculado mostró diferencias significati­vas entre las distintas edades (P < 0,05).AbstractWith the purpose, to estimate some seminal parameters related to age, 100 ejaculates from 25 healthy German Sheperd dogs ranging from 1 to 5 years oíd were studied. The semen samples were collected once monthly in an artificial vagina during late autumn and early winter. Immediately after collection each ejaculate was evaluate by routinary methods.The following general means (± SD) were obtained: volume 22.91 ± 14.47 ml; pH 7. 04 ± 0.28; motility 65 ± 29.91 %; sperm concentration 87.45 ± 65.15 x 106 spermato­zoa per ml; spermatozoa per ejaculate 1.53 ± 1.02 x 109 and total sperm abnormalities 7.20 ± 3.70%. Most of the samples had a white shiny color (95%) and watery aspect (99%). Only total sperm per ejaculate showed significant differences between age grupos (p < 0.05)

Descripción de algunas características seminales en caminos de raza Ovejero Alemán

Con la finalidad de estimar algunos parámetros seminales y sus variaciones de acuerdo a la edad del reproductor, se estudiaron 100 eyaculados de 25 ejemplares de raza Ovejero Alemán, cuyas edades fluctuaban de 1 a 5 años. Las muestras de semen se extrajeron mediante vagina artificial, una vez al mes durante el período otoño-invierno. Luego de la recolección cada eyaculado fue eva­luado inmediatamente a través de métodos rutina­rios. Se obtuvieron los siguientes promedios gene­rales (± D.S.): volumen 22,91 ± 14,47 ml; pH 7,04 ± 0,28; motilidad 65 ±29,9%, concentra­ción espermática 87,45 ± 65,15 x 106 espermato­zoides por ml; espermatozoides totales por eyacu­lado 1,53 ± 1,02 x 109 y anormalidades totales 7,70 ± 3,70%. La mayoría de las muestras presen­taron color blanco brillante (95%) de tipo acuoso (99%). Solamente la cantidad total de espermato­zoides por eyaculado mostró diferencias significati­vas entre las distintas edades (P < 0,05).AbstractWith the purpose, to estimate some seminal parameters related to age, 100 ejaculates from 25 healthy German Sheperd dogs ranging from 1 to 5 years oíd were studied. The semen samples were collected once monthly in an artificial vagina during late autumn and early winter. Immediately after collection each ejaculate was evaluate by routinary methods.The following general means (± SD) were obtained: volume 22.91 ± 14.47 ml; pH 7. 04 ± 0.28; motility 65 ± 29.91 %; sperm concentration 87.45 ± 65.15 x 106 spermato­zoa per ml; spermatozoa per ejaculate 1.53 ± 1.02 x 109 and total sperm abnormalities 7.20 ± 3.70%. Most of the samples had a white shiny color (95%) and watery aspect (99%). Only total sperm per ejaculate showed significant differences between age grupos (p < 0.05)