Millimeter polarisation of the protoplanetary nebula OH 231.8+4.2: A follow-up study with CARMA

In order to investigate the characteristics and influence of the magnetic field in evolved stars, we performed a follow-up investigation of our previous submillimeter analysis of the proto-planetary nebula (PPN) OH 231.8+4.2 (Sabin et al. 2014), this time at 1.3mm with the CARMA facility in polarisation mode for the purpose of a multi-scale analysis. OH 231.8+4.2 was observed at ~2.5" resolution and we detected polarised emission above the 3-sigma threshold (with a mean polarisation fraction of 3.5 %). The polarisation map indicates an overall organised magnetic field within the nebula. The main finding in this paper is the presence of a structure mostly compatible with an ordered toroidal component that is aligned with the PPN's dark lane. We also present some alternative magnetic field configuration to explain the structure observed. These data complete our previous SMA submillimeter data for a better investigation and understanding of the magnetic field structure in OH 231.8+4.2.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Proteomics and gene expression analyses of squalene-supplemented mice identify microsomal thioredoxin domain-containing protein 5 changes associated with hepatic steatosis

Squalene is an abundant hydrocarbon present in virgin olive oil. Previous studies showed that its administration decreased atherosclerosis and steatosis in male apoE-knock-out mice. To study its effects on microsomal proteins, 1 g/kg/day of squalene was administered to those mice. After 10 weeks, hepatic fat content was assessed and protein extracts of microsomal enriched fractions from control and squalene-treated animals were analyzed by 2D-DIGE. Spots exhibiting significant differences were identified by peptide fingerprinting and MSMS analysis. Squalene administration modified the expression of thirty-one proteins involved in different metabolic functions and increased the levels of those involved in vesicle transport, protein folding and redox status. Only mRNA levels of 9 genes (Arg1, Atp5b, Cat, Hyou1, Nipsnap1, Pcca, Pcx, Pyroxd2, and Txndc5) paralleled these findings. No such mRNA changes were observed in wild-type mice receiving squalene. Thioredoxin domain-containing protein 5 (TXNDC5) protein and mRNA levels were significantly associated with hepatic fat content in apoE-ko mice. These results suggest that squalene action may be executed through a complex regulation of microsomal proteins, both at the mRNA and post-transcriptional levels and the presence of apoE may change the outcome. Txndc5 reflects the anti-steatotic properties of squalene and the sensitivity to lipid accumulation

Dietary curcumin promotes gilthead seabream larvae digestive capacity and modulates oxidative status

The larval stage is highly prone to stress due to the ontogenetic and metabolic alterations occurring in fish. Curcumin inclusion in diets has been shown to improve growth by modulating oxidative status, immune response, and/or feed digestibility in several fish species. The aim of the present work was to assess if dietary curcumin could promote marine fish larvae digestive maturation and improve robustness. Gilthead seabream larvae were fed a diet supplemented with curcumin at dose of 0 (CTRL), 1.5 (LOW), or 3.0 g/Kg feed for 27 days. From 4 to 24 days after hatching (DAH), no differences were observed in growth performance. At the end of the experiment (31 DAH) LOW larvae had a better condition factor than CTRL fish. Moreover, HIGH larvae showed higher trypsin and chymotrypsin activity when compared to CTRL fish. LOW and HIGH larvae were able to maintain the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production during development, in contrast to CTRL larvae. In conclusion, curcumin supplementation seems to promote larvae digestive capacity and modulate the oxidative status during ontogeny. Furthermore, the present results provide new insights on the impacts of dietary antioxidants on marine larvae development and a possible improvement of robustness in the short and long term.ALG-01-0145-FEDER-029151info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tween 80 Improves the Acid-Fast Bacilli Quantification in the Magnetic Nanoparticle-Based Colorimetric Biosensing Assay (NCBA)

Despite its reduced sensitivity, sputum smear microscopy (SSM) remains the main diagnostic test for detecting tuberculosis in many parts of the world. A new diagnostic technique, the magnetic nanoparticle-based colorimetric biosensing assay (NCBA) was optimized by evaluating different concentrations of glycan-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (GMNP) and Tween 80 to improve the acid-fast bacilli (AFB) count. Comparative analysis was performed on 225 sputum smears: 30 with SSM, 107 with NCBA at different GMNP concentrations, and 88 with NCBA-Tween 80 at various concentrations and incubation times. AFB quantification was performed by adding the total number of AFB in all fields per smear and classified according to standard guidelines (scanty, 1+, 2+ and 3+). Smears by NCBA with low GMNP concentrations (≤1.5 mg/mL) showed higher AFB quantification compared to SSM. Cell enrichment of sputum samples by combining NCBA-GMNP, incubated with Tween 80 (5%) for three minutes, improved capture efficiency and increased AFB detection up to 445% over SSM. NCBA with Tween 80 offers the opportunity to improve TB diagnostics, mainly in paucibacillary cases. As this method provides biosafety with a simple and inexpensive methodology that obtains results in a short time, it might be considered as a point-of-care TB diagnostic method in regions where resources are limited

Low nadir CD4+ T-cell counts predict gut dysbiosis in HIV-1 infection

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection causes severe gut and systemic immune damage, but its effects on the gut microbiome remain unclear. Previous shotgun metagenomic studies in HIV-negative subjects linked low-microbial gene counts (LGC) to gut dysbiosis in diseases featuring intestinal inflammation. Using a similar approach in 156 subjects with different HIV-1 phenotypes, we found a strong, independent, dose-effect association between nadir CD4+ T-cell counts and LGC. As in other diseases involving intestinal inflammation, the gut microbiomes of subjects with LGC were enriched in gram-negative Bacteroides, acetogenic bacteria and Proteobacteria, which are able to metabolize reactive oxygen and nitrogen species; and were depleted in oxygen-sensitive methanogenic archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria. Interestingly, subjects with LGC also showed increased butyrate levels in direct fecal measurements, consistent with enrichment in Roseburia intestinalis despite reductions in other butyrate producers. The microbiomes of subjects with LGC were also enriched in bacterial virulence factors, as well as in genes associated with beta-lactam, lincosamide, tetracycline, and macrolide resistance. Thus, low nadir CD4+ T-cell counts, rather than HIV-1 serostatus per se, predict the presence of gut dysbiosis in HIV-1 infected subjects. Such dysbiosis does not display obvious HIV-specific features; instead, it shares many similarities with other diseases featuring gut inflammation

Deep Molecular Characterization of Milder Spinal Muscular Atrophy Patients Carrying the c.859G>C Variant in SMN2

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a severe neuromuscular disorder caused by biallelic loss or pathogenic variants in the SMN1 gene. Copy number and modifier intragenic variants in SMN2, an almost identical paralog gene of SMN1, are known to influence the amount of complete SMN proteins. Therefore, SMN2 is considered the main phenotypic modifier of SMA, although genotype-phenotype correlation is not absolute. We present eleven unrelated SMA patients with milder phenotypes carrying the c.859G>C-positive modifier variant in SMN2. All were studied by a specific NGS method to allow a deep characterization of the entire SMN region. Analysis of two homozygous cases for the variant allowed us to identify a specific haplotype, Smn2-859C.1, in association with c.859G>C. Two other cases with the c.859G>C variant in their two SMN2 copies showed a second haplotype, Smn2-859C.2, in cis with Smn2-859C.1, assembling a more complex allele. We also identified a previously unreported variant in intron 2a exclusively linked to the Smn2-859C.1 haplotype (c.154-1141G>A), further suggesting that this region has been ancestrally conserved. The deep molecular characterization of SMN2 in our cohort highlights the importance of testing c.859G>C, as well as accurately assessing the SMN2 region in SMA patients to gain insight into the complex genotype-phenotype correlations and improve prognostic outcomes

A horizon scan exercise for aquatic invasive alien species in Iberian inland waters

As the number of introduced species keeps increasing unabatedly, identifying and prioritising current and potential Invasive Alien Species (IAS) has become essential to manage them. Horizon Scanning (HS), defined as an exploration of potential threats, is considered a fundamental component of IAS management. By combining scientific knowledge on taxa with expert opinion, we identified the most relevant aquatic IAS in the Iberian Peninsula, i.e., those with the greatest geographic extent (or probability of introduction), severe ecological, economic and human health impacts, greatest difficulty and acceptability of management. We highlighted the 126 most relevant IAS already present in Iberian inland waters (i.e., Concern list) and 89 with a high probability of being introduced in the near future (i.e., Alert list), of which 24 and 10 IAS, respectively, were considered as a management priority after receiving the highest scores in the expert assessment (i.e., top-ranked IAS). In both lists, aquatic IAS belonging to the four thematic groups (plants, freshwater invertebrates, estuarine invertebrates, and vertebrates) were identified as having been introduced through various pathways from different regions of the world and classified according to their main functional feeding groups. Also, the latest update of the list of IAS of Union concern pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 includes only 12 top-ranked IAS identified for the Iberian Peninsula, while the national lists incorporate the vast majority of them. This fact underlines the great importance of taxa prioritisation exercises at biogeographical scales as a step prior to risk analyses and their inclusion in national lists. This HS provides a robust assessment and a cost-effective strategy for decision-makers and stakeholders to prioritise the use of limited resources for IAS prevention and management. Although applied at a transnational level in a European biodiversity hotspot, this approach is designed for potential application at any geographical or administrative scale, including the continental one

Guide to the alien and invasive species of rivers, lakes and estuaries in the Iberian Peninsula.

Guide to the alien and invasive species of rivers, lakes and estuaries in the Iberian Peninsula

Evaluating the extent and impact of the extreme Storm Gloria on Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows

Extreme storms can trigger abrupt and often lasting changes in ecosystems by affecting foundational (habitat-forming) species. While the frequency and intensity of extreme events are projected to increase under climate change, its impacts on seagrass ecosystems remain poorly documented. In January 2020, the Spanish Mediterranean coast was hit by Storm Gloria, one of the most devastating recent climate events in terms of intensity and duration. We conducted rapid surveys of 42 Posidonia oceanica meadows across the region to evaluate the extent and type of impact (burial, unburial and uprooting). We investigated the significance of oceanographic (wave impact model), geomorphological (latitude, depth, exposure), and structural (patchiness) factors in predicting impact extent and intensity. The predominant impact of Storm Gloria was shoot unburial. More than half of the surveyed sites revealed recent unburial, with up to 40 cm of sediment removed, affecting over 50 % of the meadow. Burial, although less extensive, was still significant, with 10–80 % of meadow cover being buried under 7 cm of sediment, which is considered a survival threshold for P. oceanica. In addition, we observed evident signs of recently dead matte in some meadows and large amounts of detached drifting shoots on the sea bottom or accumulated as debris on the beaches. Crucially, exposed and patchy meadows were much more vulnerable to the overall impact than sheltered or continuous meadows. Given how slow P. oceanica is able to recover after disturbances, we state that it could take from decades to centuries for it to recoup its losses. Seagrass ecosystems play a vital role as coastal ecological infrastructure. Protecting vulnerable meadows from anthropogenic fragmentation is crucial for ensuring the resilience of these ecosystems in the face of the climate crisis.This study was funded by the CSIC project “Effects of storm Gloria on the western Mediterranean meadows (202030E052) and “Storms of change: as phenomena extreme weather alters Mediterranean coastal ecosystems, their services and their perception by society" (PID2020-113745RB-I00), state program of I+D+I Oriented to the Challenges of the Society and within the framework of the activities of the Spanish Government through the "Maria de Maeztu Centre of Excellence” accreditation to IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) (CEX2021-001198). We want to thank the SPAS (Society of Fishing and Underwater Activities of Mataró) and the Mataró City Council, which has financed 25 years of the Alguer de Mataró project

Identifying quantitative operation principles in metabolic pathways: a systematic method for searching feasible enzyme activity patterns leading to cellular adaptive responses

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Optimization methods allow designing changes in a system so that specific goals are attained. These techniques are fundamental for metabolic engineering. However, they are not directly applicable for investigating the evolution of metabolic adaptation to environmental changes. Although biological systems have evolved by natural selection and result in well-adapted systems, we can hardly expect that actual metabolic processes are at the theoretical optimum that could result from an optimization analysis. More likely, natural systems are to be found in a feasible region compatible with global physiological requirements.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We first present a new method for globally optimizing nonlinear models of metabolic pathways that are based on the Generalized Mass Action (GMA) representation. The optimization task is posed as a nonconvex nonlinear programming (NLP) problem that is solved by an outer-approximation algorithm. This method relies on solving iteratively reduced NLP slave subproblems and mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) master problems that provide valid upper and lower bounds, respectively, on the global solution to the original NLP. The capabilities of this method are illustrated through its application to the anaerobic fermentation pathway in <it>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</it>. We next introduce a method to identify the feasibility parametric regions that allow a system to meet a set of physiological constraints that can be represented in mathematical terms through algebraic equations. This technique is based on applying the outer-approximation based algorithm iteratively over a reduced search space in order to identify regions that contain feasible solutions to the problem and discard others in which no feasible solution exists. As an example, we characterize the feasible enzyme activity changes that are compatible with an appropriate adaptive response of yeast <it>Saccharomyces cerevisiae </it>to heat shock</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results show the utility of the suggested approach for investigating the evolution of adaptive responses to environmental changes. The proposed method can be used in other important applications such as the evaluation of parameter changes that are compatible with health and disease states.</p