Human Relationships with Domestic and Other Animals: One Health, One Welfare, One Biology

Excessive human population growth, uncontrolled use of natural resources, including deforestation, mining, wasteful systems, biodiversity reduction by agriculture, and damaging climate change affect the existence of all animals, including humans. This discussion is now urgent and people are rethinking their links with the animals we use for clothing, food, work, companionship, entertainment, and research. The concepts of one health, one welfare, and one biology are discussed as a background to driving global change. Nothing should be exploited without considering the ethics of the action and the consequences. This review concerns domesticated animals, including those used for human consumption of meat, eggs, and milk; horses kept for work; and dogs kept for company. Animal welfare includes health, emotional state, and comfort while moving and resting, and is affected by possibilities to show behavior and relationships with others of the same species or with humans. We show some examples of the relations between humans and domesticated animals in the environmental context, including zoonotic diseases, and consider the consequences and the new paradigms resulting from current awareness

A PILOT STUDY HIGHLIGHTING DIFFERENCES IN PHARMACISTS’ PERCEPTIONS REGARDING USE OF PHARMACOGENETIC INFORMATION IN THEIR PROFESSION (IN LOUISVILLE METRO AREA) BASED ON PRACTICE SETTINGS

The aim of this study was to highlight differences in pharmacist’s perceptions regarding use of pharmacogenetic information in their professional activities based on their practice settings. A survey was electronically administered using the Survey Monkey to 48 practicing pharmacists in the hospitals and non-hospital study groups which include community pharmacy and managed care around the metro Louisville, Kentucky areaBarring minor deviations, there was overall homogeneity in our pilot study group’s general knowledge, overall confidence in pharmacogenetics and perceptions about possible impact of this emerging field in their profession, regardless of their professional practice environment. Overall low to moderate levels of pharmacists’ confidence in pharmacogenetics and related areas even a decade after completion of Human Genome Project (HGP) seems to be a matter of concern

Application of principal component analysis to identify pollen subtypes in Miconia (Melastomataceae)

Miconia Ruiz et Pav. es un género característico de regiones selváticas que en Argentina está representado por 10 especies. El objetivo de este trabajo fue la identificación de posibles subtipos polínicos en las especies argentinas de este género señalado como estenopalínico por estudios previos. Se midieron 60 granos de polen de cada una de las especies al microscopio óptico y se realizó un análisis de componentes principales y un árbol de recorrido mínimo, basados en una matríz de especies y variables morfométricas de los granos. Fueron seleccionados dos componentes principales que en conjunto explicaron el 77% de la variación total de los datos. La mayoría de las variables se correlacionaron con el componente 1. Seis especies se definieron en tres subtipos, restando cuatro que no pudieron ser incluidas en ninguno de ellos por presentar caracteres intermedios. Se concluyó que el análisis multivariado constituye una posible herramienta para ayudar a diferenciar subtipos polínicos dentro de géneros estenopalínicos.Miconia Ruiz et Pav. inhabits forest regions being represented in Argentina by 10 species. The aim of this study was to identify possible pollen subtypes in the Argentine species of Miconia. Previous studies found that the genus is stenopalynous. Pollen grains of each species were measured with an optical microscope and a PCA was conducted based on a matrix of species versus morphometric variables of pollen grains. Two components were selected because these explained together 77% of the total variation in the data. Most of the variables were correlated with component 1. Three pollen subtypes were defined in the genus, but four of the species could not be included in any of them because they presented intermediated characters. It was concluded that multivariate analysis is a possible tool that helps to differentiate pollen subtypes within stenopalynous genera.Fil: Ceballos, Sergio Javier. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: García, Maria E.. Fundación Miguel Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Slanis, Alberto C.. Fundación Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Reyes, Nora J. F.. Fundación Miguel Lillo; Argentin

A second update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

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Human Relationships with Domestic and Other Animals: One Health, One Welfare, One Biology.

Excessive human population growth, uncontrolled use of natural resources, including deforestation, mining, wasteful systems, biodiversity reduction by agriculture, and damaging climate change affect the existence of all animals, including humans. This discussion is now urgent and people are rethinking their links with the animals we use for clothing, food, work, companionship, entertainment, and research. The concepts of one health, one welfare, and one biology are discussed as a background to driving global change. Nothing should be exploited without considering the ethics of the action and the consequences. This review concerns domesticated animals, including those used for human consumption of meat, eggs, and milk; horses kept for work; and dogs kept for company. Animal welfare includes health, emotional state, and comfort while moving and resting, and is affected by possibilities to show behavior and relationships with others of the same species or with humans. We show some examples of the relations between humans and domesticated animals in the environmental context, including zoonotic diseases, and consider the consequences and the new paradigms resulting from current awareness

Predicción del porcentaje de proteína total a partir de muestreos parciales y ajuste de efectos medioambientales

RESUMENObjetivo. Hallar una ecuación matemática para estimar el porcentaje de proteína promedio total (PPPT), a partir de la producción parcial (PP) y otros factores ambientales que afectan esta característica. Materiales y métodos. La investigación fue realizada en tres fincas lecheras del departamento de Antioquia, Colombia. Se muestrearon 182 vacas Holstein; la captura de información se llevó a cabo mediante muestreos mensuales de dos ordeños diarios. Se tomó información relacionada con hora de entrada al ordeño, producción de leche, número de parto, época del parto y los días en lactancia. El análisis estadístico se realizó mediante un modelo de regresión múltiple donde se determinaron las fuentes de variación significativas sobre el porcentaje de proteína total del día. A partir de los coeficientes de regresión estimados se generó un modelo de predicción para la variable antes mencionada. Resultados. Los efectos número de parto, días de lactancia, producción de proteína parcial (pm), producción de leche, expresión cuadrática de la producción de proteína parcial (am), producción de proteína parcial (am) y el intervalo entre ordeños tuvieron un efecto significativo (p<0.05) sobre el porcentaje de proteína total del día; a partir de estos efectos se generaron dos modelos de predicción de PPPT a partir de un muestreo parcial (am y pm). Conclusiones. El PPPT está afectado por diversos factores medioambientales que deben ser ajustados para los modelos de predicción. Estos modelos pueden ser aplicados para ajustar datos de un muestreo parcial (am o pm) y ajustarlos posteriormente a un valor de producción de proteína promedio día, en los programas de mejoramiento genético

Destete anticipado y producción de corderos Merinos en pastoreo y confinamiento

El destete anticipado, a los 2-3 meses de edad de los corderos, es una herramienta que se utiliza, especialmente en las veranadas, para evitar pérdidas de cordero. En este contexto, el engorde de corderos en pastoreo y/o en condiciones de confinamiento, se plantean como alternativas a implementar en dichos sistemas de producción, permitiendo disminuir la carga del campo en el caso de los animales a corral y paralelamente reducir la mortalidad de esta categoría.Instituto de Tecnología de AlimentosFil: Bain, Ingrid. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Chubut; ArgentinaFil: Ceballos, Demian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Forestal Esquel; ArgentinaFil: Villa, Martin Diego. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estacion Experimental Agropecuaria Forestal Esquel; ArgentinaFil: Grigioni, Gabriela Maria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Tecnología de Alimentos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina.Fil: Inchausti, C. Balanceados Crecer S.A.; Argentin

Protocol of sterile personal protective equipment for surgical personnel against SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: COVID-19 represents the major pandemic seen the last years generating morbidity and mortality around the world. It is well known the propagation of the virus occurs by air mostly, so it is needed a barrier when the medic personal is treating suspect or confirm patients. Personal protective equipment represents a barrier between the health personnel and the patient during the COVID-19 pandemic. The surgical team during a COVID-19 confirmed o suspicious case procedure requires using PPE to be protected and keep the sterility for the patient safety.Methods: A team of surgeons from a 100% COVID-19 hospital of the Mexican institute of social security developed an inner protocol of safe use PPE maintaining sterility for the surgery.Conclusions: The protocol described provides safety to surgical team and the patient minimizing risk of surgical infections

Plasma miRNA profile at COVID-19 onset predicts severity status and mortality

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have a crucial role in regulating immune response against infectious diseases, showing changes early in disease onset and before the detection of the pathogen. Thus, we aimed to analyze the plasma miRNA profile at COVID-19 onset to identify miRNAs as early prognostic biomarkers of severity and survival. METHODS AND RESULTS: Plasma miRNome of 96 COVID-19 patients that developed asymptomatic/mild, moderate and severe disease was sequenced together with a group of healthy controls. Plasma immune-related biomarkers were also assessed. COVID-19 patients showed 200 significant differentially expressed (SDE) miRNAs concerning healthy controls, with upregulated putative targets of SARS-CoV-2, and inflammatory miRNAs. Among COVID-19 patients, 75 SDE miRNAs were observed in asymptomatic/mild compared to symptomatic patients, which were involved in platelet aggregation and cytokine pathways, among others. Moreover, 137 SDE miRNAs were identified between severe and moderate patients, where miRNAs targeting the SARS CoV-2 genome were the most strongly disrupted. Finally, we constructed a mortality predictive risk score (miRNA-MRS) with ten miRNAs. Patients with higher values had a higher risk of 90-days mortality (hazard ratio = 4.60; p-value < 0.001). Besides, the discriminant power of miRNA-MRS was significantly higher than the observed for age and gender (AUROC = 0.970 vs. 0.881; p = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 infection deeply disturbs the plasma miRNome from an early stage of COVID-19, making miRNAs highly valuable as early predictors of severity and mortality