DNA sequence variation of drought-response candidate genes in Austrocedrus chilensis

Background: Austrocedrus chilensis (D. Don) Pic. Ser. et Bizzarri commonly known as Patagonian cypress is a member of the Cupressaceae family, characterized by a high adaptive potential for growing in marginal areas and good timber quality. The species grows over a wide area and under a wide range of rainfall. This study assessed adaptive genetic variation at SNP level in candidate genes involved in response to drought stress. Results: A total of 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found among 1,428 bp. Average nucleotide diversity value (π = 0.00312) was similar to those previously reported in other Cupressaceae. The Fst average among genes and populations was 0.163 and the lowest differentiation was observed in continuous and humid populations. A number of neutrality tests were applied to find evidence of positive selection in our candidate gene set, but only AcAQP2 gene in Pedregoso and San Ramón populations revealed significant departures from neutrality with positive values suggesting balancing selection. Conclusions: In this study we report the levels of nucleotide diversity searched in some drought stress candidate genes in Austrocedrus chilensis and the selective factors that may be acting on this species.Fil: Pomponio, Maria Florencia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Inv. Agropecuarias. Centro de Invest.de Recursos Naturales. Instituto de Recursos Biologicos; ArgentinaFil: Torales, Susana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Inv. Agropecuarias. Centro de Invest.de Recursos Naturales. Instituto de Recursos Biologicos; ArgentinaFil: Gallo, Leonardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Reg.patagonia Norte. Estacion Exptal.agrop.s.c.de Bariloche. Grupo de Genetica Forestal; ArgentinaFil: Pastorino, Mario Juan. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Reg.patagonia Norte. Estacion Exptal.agrop.s.c.de Bariloche. Grupo de Genetica Forestal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Marchelli, Paula. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Reg.patagonia Norte. Estacion Exptal.agrop.s.c.de Bariloche. Grupo de Genetica Forestal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Cervera, María Teresa. Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria. Centro de Investigación Forestal; EspañaFil: Marcucci Poltri, Susana Noemí. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Inv. Agropecuarias. Centro de Invest.de Cs.veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Biotecnologia; Argentin

Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with microangiopathies

Objetivo: Determinar las características sociodemográficas y clínicas de pacientes con diabetes tipo 2 y microangiopatías. Diseño: Estudio descriptivo, de serie de casos. Institución: Hospital Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrión del Callao, hospital docente. Participantes: Pacientes adultos con diabetes mellitus. Intervenciones: Se realizó un estudio de 48 pacientes adultos con diabetes mellitus 2 con y sin microangiopatías. Se determinó edad, sexo, tiempo de enfermedad, glicemia, y características posibles de relacionarse con la ausencia de complicaciones microvasculares, susceptibles o no de modificación: nivel educativo, nivel socioeconómico, atención mínima (endocrinólogo), atención estándar (endocrinólogo y nutricionista), atención integral (profesionales anteriores más otro especialista), percepción de apoyo familiar, asistencia al control médico, adherencia a dieta sin azúcares simples y actividad física regular. Principales medidas de resultados: Presentación de microangiopatías y otras complicaciones. Resultados: La edad promedio fue 55,6 años y 52% de los pacientes presentó microangiopatía. Los pacientes sin complicaciones tuvieron menor edad, tiempo de enfermedad y antecedentes familiares de diabetes; mayor nivel educativo y socioeconómico; mejor estado nutricional y menor nivel de glicemia. La ausencia de microangiopatías se asoció a una atención estándar (endocrinólogo y nutricionista) (p=0,013). Conclusiones: La microangiopatía se presentó en 52% de pacientes del estudio. Los pacientes sin complicaciones tuvieron menor edad, menor tiempo de enfermedad y antecedentes familiares de diabetes; mayor nivel educativo y socioeconómico; mejor estado nutricional y menor nivel de glicemia.Objective: To describe sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of diabetic patients with microangiopathies. Design: Descriptive, series of cases study. Setting: Hospital Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrion, Callao, Peru, a teaching hospital. Participants: Adult patients suffering of diabetes mellitus. Interventions: In 48 adult diabetes mellitus type 2 patients of both sexes, data was collected on age, sex, time of disease, glycemia and those possibly associated with absence of microangiopathies: education, socioeconomic level, minimal diabetic care (endocrinologist), standard diabetic care (endocrinologist and nutritionist), perception of family support, attending medical control, adherence to simple-sugar free diet and regular physical activity. Main outcome measures: Presentation of microangiopathies and other complications. Results: Average age was 55 and 52% patients suffered from microangiopathy. Non complicated patients had less age, duration of disease and family history of diabetes, higher education and socioeconomic level; better nutritional status and glycemia at the onset of diabetes and at time of interview. The only characteristic associated with absence of diabetic microangiopathies was standard diabetic care (endocrinologist and nutritionist) (p=0,013). Conclusions: Our findings agree with evidence of the positive effect of multidisciplinary intervention in diabetes on delaying or preventing microangiopathies

Lifestyle in undergraduate students and demographically matched controls during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain

Few studies have used a multidimensional approach to describe lifestyle changes among undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic or have included controls. This study aimed to evaluate lifestyle behaviors and mental health of undergraduate students and compare them with an age and sex-matched control group. A cross-sectional web survey using snowball sampling was conducted several months after the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. A sample of 221 students was recruited. The main outcome was the total SMILE-C score. Students showed a better SMILE-C score than controls (79.8 + 8.1 vs. 77.2 + 8.3; p < 0.001), although these differences disappeared after controlling for covariates. While groups did not differ in the screenings of depression and alcohol abuse, students reported lower rates of anxiety (28.5% vs. 37.1%; p = 0.042). A lower number of cohabitants, poorer self-perceived health and positive screening for depression and anxiety, or for depression only were independently associated (p < 0.05) with unhealthier lifestyles in both groups. History of mental illness and financial difficulties were predictors of unhealthier lifestyles for students, whereas totally/moderate changes in substance abuse and stress management (p < 0.05) were predictors for the members of the control group. Several months after the pandemic, undergraduate students and other young adults had similar lifestyles

Evaluación de los autocuidados del pie en pacientes diabéticos : análisis retrospectivo 2008-2013

El objetivo es evaluar el estado en el que se encuentra la relación del autocuidado y autoexploración de los pies con respecto al desarrollo de complicaciones de diabetes mellitus. Mediante revisión sistemática de los estudios publicados relativos a la evaluación de los hábitos de salud en cuanto a intervenciones de educación para la salud sobre pie diabético, así como ensayos clínicos, metaanálisis y revisiones Cocrhane. Durante el periodo comprendido entre 2000 y marzo de 2013 De los estudios identificados solamente 33 fueron seleccionados para el desarrollo de nuestra investigación de los cuales habían sido seleccionados previamente 34 de pubmed, 12 de web of knowledge y 4 de Cochrane que fueron considerados como válidos al cumplir el requisito de tratarse de intervenciones que reducían las complicaciones en los pies derivadas de la diabetes. Las estrategias orientadas al cambio de comportamiento tienen efectividad sobre el control metabólico de la enfermedad y la reducción de amputaciones. Pero es necesario validar una herramienta fiable que permita conocer el estado del desarrollo de conductas saludables y que éstas se mantengan en el tiempo, dado el déficit metodológico que presentan la mayoría de los estudios, en cuanto a selección de la muestra y tiempo de estudio. Palabras clave: revisión sistemática; diabetes; pie diabético; autocuidado; calidad de vida

Insemination extender supplementation with bestatin and EDTA has no effect on rabbit reproductive performance

[EN] The addition of aminopeptidase inhibitors (AMIs) to rabbit semen extenders could be a solution to decrease the hormone degradation (GnRH) by the aminopeptidases existing in the seminal plasma. Therefore, the quantity of GnRH needed to induce ovulation in doe would be comparable with the amount administered intramuscularly (i.m.). This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of two AMIs (bestatin and EDTA) on rabbit semen quality parameters, beta nerve growth factor ((beta-NGF) degradation and reproductive performance after artificial insemination. Results showed that seminal quality was not affected by the incubation with AMIs; the values of motility, acrosome integrity and sperm viability were not significantly different between the AMIs and the control groups (positive i.m. and negative intravaginally without AMIs). In addition, the aminopeptidase activity of seminal plasma was inhibited in a 55.5% by the AMIs as well as beta-NGF degradation. On the other hand, regarding the effect of AMIs on reproductive performance, our results showed that the presence of bestatin and EDTA did neither affect fertility (85.3 vs. 88.6%), nor the prolificacy rate (10.12 vs. 10.51 kits per delivery), comparing AMIs group to positive control group, respectively. We conclude that the addition of specific AMIs in the rabbit semen extender has no effect on reproductive performance. Therefore, due to the fact that AMIs inhibit part of the aminopeptidase activity that degrades the GnRH analogue and beta-NGF, they could be used to develop new extenders with less hormone concentration. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.This research was supported in part by the RTA2013-00058-00-00 from INIA, the European Social Fund and the European FEDER Funds. L. Casares-Crespo is supported by a scholarship from Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA) and the European Social Fund. P. Fernandez-Serrano is supported by funds from Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA) and Ministerio de Empleo y Seguridad Social (Programa de Garantia Juvenil).Casares-Crespo, L.; Fernández-Serrano, P.; Vicente Antón, JS.; Moce Cervera, ET.; Castellini, C.; Stabile, A.; Viudes De Castro, MP. (2018). Insemination extender supplementation with bestatin and EDTA has no effect on rabbit reproductive performance. Theriogenology. 105:61-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2017.09.009S616510

Molecular study of drought response in the Mediterranean conifer Pinus Pinaster Ait. : differential transcriptomic profiling reveals constitutive water deficit‐independent drought tolerance mechanisms

Adaptation of long‐living forest trees to respond to environmental changes is essential to secure their performance under adverse conditions. Water deficit is one of the most significant stress factors determining tree growth and survival. Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.), the main source of softwood in southwestern Europe, is subjected to recurrent drought periods which, according to climate change predictions for the years to come, will progressively increase in the Mediterranean region. The mechanisms regulating pine adaptive responses to environment are still largely unknown. The aim of this work was to go a step further in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying maritime pine response to water stress and drought tolerance at the whole plant level. A global transcriptomic profiling of roots, stems, and needles was conducted to analyze the performance of siblings showing contrasted responses to water deficit from an ad hoc designed full‐sib family. Although P. pinaster is considered a recalcitrant species for vegetative propagation in adult phase, the analysis was conducted using vegetatively propagated trees exposed to two treatments: well‐watered and moderate water stress. The comparative analyses led us to identify organ‐specific genes, constitutively expressed as well as differentially expressed when comparing control versus water stress conditions, in drought‐sensitive and drought‐tolerant genotypes. Different response strategies can point out, with tolerant individuals being pre‐adapted for coping with drought by constitutively expressing stress‐related genes that are detected only in latter stages on sensitive individuals subjected to drought

Diagnostic accuracy study of the VALENF instrument in hospitalization units for adults: a study protocol

Recently, the VALENF instrument, Nursing Assessment by its acronym in Spanish, was developed as a meta-tool composed of only seven items with a more parsimonious approach for nursing assessment in adult hospitalization units. This meta-tool integrates the assessment of functional capacity, the risk of pressure injuries and the risk of falls. The general objective of this project is to validate the VALENF instrument by studying its diagnostic accuracy against the instruments commonly used in nursing to assess functional capacity, the risk of pressure injuries and the risk of falls. An observational, longitudinal, prospective study is presented, with recruitment and random selection based on admissions to six adult hospitalization units of the Hospital Universitario de La Plana. The study population will be made up of patients hospitalized in these units. The inclusion criteria will be patients over 18 years of age with a nursing assessment within the first 24 h of admission and an expected length of stay greater than 48 h and who sign the informed consent form. The exclusion criteria will be transfers from other units or centers. A sample of 521 participants is estimated as necessary. The evaluation test will be the VALENF instrument, and the reference tests will be the Barthel, Braden and Downton indices. Sociodemographic variables related to the care process and results such as functional loss, falls or pressure injuries will be collected. The evolution of functional capacity, the risk of falls and the risk of pressure injuries will be analyzed. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values of the VALENF instrument will be calculated and compared to those of the usual instruments. A survival analysis will be performed for pressure injuries, falls and patients with functional loss. The VALENF instrument is expected to have at least the same diagnostic validity as the original instruments.Trial registration The study will be retrospectively registered (ISRCTN 17699562, 25/07/2023).This project is funded by Valencian Generalitat (CIGE/2022/150).S

DNA methylation and adaptive response in forest tree species

Progressive increase of temperatures as well as longer seasonal drought periods revealed by climate studies correspond to fast environmental changes that forest species face with their actual genetic background. Natural selective processes cannot develop an adaptive response within this time frame. Thus the capability of forest tree species to adapt to the new environments will depend on their genetic background, but also rely on their phenotypic plasticity. Several reports have shown the involvement of epigenetic modifiers as the basis of the phenotypic plasticity, and in particular to the adaptation to abiotic stresses. DNA methylation (methylation of cytosine residues)is one the most important epigenetic modification in eukaryotes. Itis involved in specific biological processes such as gene transcription regulation, gene silencing, mobile element control or genome imprinting.Therefore, there is a great interest in analyzing cytosine methylation levels and distribution within the genom

Analysis of adaptive responses of Pinus pinaster to changing environmental conditions in the Mediterranean region

Recent climate evolution studies highlight the progressive temperature increase and prevalence of seasonal drought, with specially incidence in the Mediterranean region. Although conifers are very important species regarding forest conservation, sustainability and productivity, given the large forest surface they cover in Spain and their active role in preventing soil erosion and desertification, we know little about the molecular mechanisms which control adaptation in this ancient taxonomic grou

Utilización de marcadores AFLP y SAMPL en la identificación genética de especies y variedades de cítricos

Many species within the Citrus genus are economically important crops throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Molecular marker technologies have eased and improved the genetic analysis of plants and promise to greatly assist Citrus breeding programs. Several types of molecular markers have been used to characterize the Citrus genome, but this is the first time where Amplified Restriction Fragment Polymorphism (AFLP) and Selective Amplification of Microsatellite Polymorphic Loci (SAMPL) techniques are used to identify varieties within species that belong to Citrus genus such as, C. sinensis, C. clementina, C. paradisi, C. aurantium, and C. limon. Both techniques were used to identify accessions belonging to the CIDA - Murcia, collection (Spain).Key words: AFLP, citrus, molecular markers, SAMPL, variety differentiatioMuchas especies del género Citrus son cultivos de gran importancia económica en regiones tropicales y subtropicales del mundo. La aplicación de marcadores moleculares ha facilitado y potenciado el análisis genético de plantas pudiendo resultar herramientas de gran ayuda en los programas de mejoramiento de cítricos. Se han empleado diversos tipos de marcadores moleculares para la caracterización del genoma de cítricos, pero este es el primer trabajo de empleo de AFLPs (Polimorfismos para la longitud de los fragmentos amplificados) y SAMPLs (Amplificación selectiva de loci polimórficos de microsatélites), en la identificación de variedades pertenecientes a especies del género Citrus, como son C. sinensis, C. clementina, C. paradisi, C. aurantium, y C.limon. Ambas técnicas fueron utilizadas para la identificación de muestras pertenecientes a la colección del CIDA-Murcia (España).Palabras clave: AFLP, citrus, marcadores moleculares, SAMPL, diferenciación varieta