Nuevas aplicaciones de la termoluminiscencia a la datación absoluta arte rupestre

En el presente trabajo se describe una nueva metodología ptira la datación por termoluminiscencia (TL) de muestras arqueológicas ricas en carbonato de calcio, que pueden ser datadas si la emisión de TL es tiltrada a través de un til- tro Nevvporl OG-550

Caracterización y cartografía fitoclimáticas del bosque nativo subantártico en la Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego (Patagonia, Argentina)

Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego is especially peculiar in phytoclimatic terms, situated as it is at an extreme southerly latitude, surrounded by large water masses and close to the great mass of Antarctic ice. Its main peculiarities in this sense are the coolness of its summers and a very narrow temperature range. As a result, the woodland landscapes in the parts with forest cover are dominated by microphyllous broadleaf physiognomies, both evergreen and deciduous, of the Nothofagus genus. This paper reports a more in-depth investigation of the hitherto little-known phytoclimatic conditions in that territory which included calibration and validation of a model of phytoclimatic suitability that addresses the principal plant physiognomic units and phytoclimatic mapping. It discusses the causes behind the presence of broadleaf formations in thermal conditions which in the northern hemisphere would allow only coniferous formations or no tree formations at all, and also the edaphic peculiarities that may explain the presence of a evergreen species like Nothofagus betuloides in subantarctic mixed forests.La Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego presenta una muy marcada originalidad fitoclimática por su posición en latitudes muy australes, estar rodeada por grandes masas de agua y por su cercanía a la gran masa de hielo polar antártica. Esta originalidad se traduce en un escaso calor estival y una oscilación térmica muy reducida como principales peculiaridades, dando lugar en sus porciones arboladas a paisajes boscosos dominados por fisionomías planifolias de carácter micrófilo, tanto perennifolias como caducifolias del género Nothofagus. Este trabajo profundiza en las hasta hoy escasamente conocidas condiciones fitoclimáticas de este territorio, mediante la calibración y validación de un modelo de idoneidad fitoclimática respecto de las principales unidades fisionómicas de vegetación y el establecimiento de una cartografía fitoclimática. Se discuten las causas que provocan la existencia de formaciones planifolias en condiciones térmicas que darían lugar a formaciones aciculifolias o desarboladas en el hemisferio Norte, así como las particularidades edáficas que condicionan la presencia de la estrategia perennifolia representada por Nothofagus betuloides en los bosques mixtos subantárticos

Choice of the initial antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive individuals in the era of integrase inhibitors

BACKGROUND: We aimed to describe the most frequently prescribed initial antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens in recent years in HIV-positive persons in the Cohort of the Spanish HIV/AIDS Research Network (CoRIS) and to investigate factors associated with the choice of each regimen. METHODS: We analyzed initial ART regimens prescribed in adults participating in CoRIS from 2014 to 2017. Only regimens prescribed in >5% of patients were considered. We used multivariable multinomial regression to estimate Relative Risk Ratios (RRRs) for the association between sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and the choice of the initial regimen. RESULTS: Among 2874 participants, abacavir(ABC)/lamivudine(3TC)/dolutegavir(DTG) was the most frequently prescribed regimen (32.1%), followed by tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)/emtricitabine (FTC)/elvitegravir(EVG)/cobicistat(COBI) (14.9%), TDF/FTC/rilpivirine (RPV) (14.0%), tenofovir alafenamide (TAF)/FTC/EVG/COBI (13.7%), TDF/FTC+DTG (10.0%), TDF/FTC+darunavir/ritonavir or darunavir/cobicistat (bDRV) (9.8%) and TDF/FTC+raltegravir (RAL) (5.6%). Compared with ABC/3TC/DTG, starting TDF/FTC/RPV was less likely in patients with CD4100.000 copies/mL. TDF/FTC+DTG was more frequent in those with CD4100.000 copies/mL. TDF/FTC+RAL and TDF/FTC+bDRV were also more frequent among patients with CD4<200 cells//muL and with transmission categories other than men who have sex with men. Compared with ABC/3TC/DTG, the prescription of other initial ART regimens decreased from 2014-2015 to 2016-2017 with the exception of TDF/FTC+DTG. Differences in the choice of the initial ART regimen were observed by hospitals' location. CONCLUSIONS: The choice of initial ART regimens is consistent with Spanish guidelines' recommendations, but is also clearly influenced by physician's perception based on patient's clinical and sociodemographic variables and by the prescribing hospital location

Genetic tool development in marine protists: emerging model organisms for experimental cell biology

Abstract: Diverse microbial ecosystems underpin life in the sea. Among these microbes are many unicellular eukaryotes that span the diversity of the eukaryotic tree of life. However, genetic tractability has been limited to a few species, which do not represent eukaryotic diversity or environmentally relevant taxa. Here, we report on the development of genetic tools in a range of protists primarily from marine environments. We present evidence for foreign DNA delivery and expression in 13 species never before transformed and for advancement of tools for eight other species, as well as potential reasons for why transformation of yet another 17 species tested was not achieved. Our resource in genetic manipulation will provide insights into the ancestral eukaryotic lifeforms, general eukaryote cell biology, protein diversification and the evolution of cellular pathways

Publisher Correction: Genetic tool development in marine protists: emerging model organisms for experimental cell biology.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper

A simple immunoassay for extracellular vesicle liquid biopsy in microliters of non‑processed plasma

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs), released by most cell types, provide an excellent source of biomarkers in biological fluids. However, in order to perform validation studies and screenings of patient samples, it is still necessary to develop general techniques permitting rapid handling of small amounts of biological samples from large numbers of donors. Results: Here we describe a method that, using just a few microliters of patient’s plasma, identifies tumour markers exposed on EVs. Studying physico-chemical properties of EVs in solution, we demonstrate that they behave as stable colloidal suspensions and therefore, in immunocapture assays, many of them are unable to interact with a stationary functionalised surface. Using flocculation methods, like those used to destabilize colloids, we demonstrate that cationic polymers increase EV ζ-potential, diameter, and sedimentation coefficient and thus, allow a more efficient capture on antibody-coated surfaces by both ELISA and bead-assisted flow cytometry. These findings led to optimization of a protocol in microtiter plates allowing effective immunocapture of EVs, directly in plasma without previous ultracentrifugation or other EV enrichment. The method, easily adaptable to any laboratory, has been validated using plasma from lung cancer patients in which the epithelial cell marker EpCAM has been detected on EVs. Conclusions: This optimized high throughput, easy to automate, technology allows screening of large numbers of patients to phenotype tumour markers in circulating EVs, breaking barriers for the validation of proposed EV biomarkers and the discovery of new ones