Summer truffle in the Iberian Peninsula: current status and crop potential

La trufa de verano (Tuber aestivum, incluyendo Tuber uncinatum) es una especie de un gran valor económico y social, que se produce de modo silvestre en toda Europa, norte de África y parte de Oriente medio. Los esfuerzos de cultivo de esta especie en la península ibérica han permanecido en un segundo plano debido a las condiciones adecuadas de ciertos terrenos para cultivar especies de mayor valor económico, como la trufa negra (Tuber melanosporum). Sin embargo, la trufa de verano es una alternativa viable y muy productiva para zonas de dudosa aptitud para T. melanosporum. En este trabajo, mediante revisión bibliográfica, se ponen de manifiesto los siguientes aspectos: la distribución y ecología de T. aestivum, la situación actual del cultivo, así como las perspectivas de futuro propias de esta especie en la península ibérica. En rasgos generales, se ha constatado su mayor amplitud ecológica y geográfica en relación a la trufa negra y se ha observado que es un cultivo incipiente pero en crecimiento. Sin embargo, se ha deducido que aún es necesario realizar un gran esfuerzo para dar a conocer este producto tanto a cultivadores como a consumidores potenciales en España así como divulgar aspectos técnicos sobre la gestión de su cultivo.Summer truffle (Tuber aestivum, including Tuber uncinatum) is a species of great economic and social value. Wild summer truffles are produced all over Europe, North Africa and part of the Middle East. This species has been underutilized in the Iberian Peninsula due to ability of certain areas to cultivate species of greater economic value, such as the black truffle (Tuber melanosporum). However, the summer truffle is an alternative species for areas where the black truffle is not well adapted. In this paper, the distribution and ecology of T. aestivum, the current situation and the future prospects of this crop in the Iberian Peninsula is reviewed. Summer truffle is a growing crop, well adapted in greater ecological and geographical areas than black truffle. However, it is still necessary to carry out further efforts to publicize it to both growers and consumers in Spain and to spread technical aspects of its managementPublishe

The Absence of Caspase-8 in the Dopaminergic System Leads to Mild Autism-like Behavior

In the last decade, new non-apoptotic roles have been ascribed to apoptotic caspases. This family of proteins plays an important role in the sculpting of the brain in the early stages of development by eliminating excessive and nonfunctional synapses and extra cells. Consequently, impairments in this process can underlie many neurological and mental illnesses. This view is particularly relevant to dopamine because it plays a pleiotropic role in motor control, motivation, and reward processing. In this study, we analyze the effects of the elimination of caspase-8 (CASP8) on the development of catecholaminergic neurons using neurochemical, ultrastructural, and behavioral tests. To do this, we selectively delete the CASP8 gene in cells that express tyrosine hydroxylase with the help of recombination through the Cre-loxP system. Our results show that the number of dopaminergic neurons increases in the substantia nigra. In the striatum, the basal extracellular level of dopamine and potassium-evoked dopamine release decreased significantly in mice lacking CASP8, clearly showing the low dopamine functioning in tissues innervated by this neurotransmitter. This view is supported by electron microscopy analysis of striatal synapses. Interestingly, behavioral analysis demonstrates that mice lacking CASP8 show changes reminiscent of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Our research reactivates the possible role of dopamine transmission in the pathogenesis of ASD and provides a mild model of autism

Glioblastomas exploit truncated O-linked glycans for local and distant immune modulation via the macrophage galactose-type lectin

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive brain malignancy, for which immunotherapy has failed to prolong survival. Glioblastoma-associated immune infiltrates are dominated by tumor-associated macrophages and microglia (TAMs), which are key mediators of immune suppression and resistance to immunotherapy. We and others demonstrated aberrant expression of glycans in different cancer types. These tumor-associated glycans trigger inhibitory signaling in TAMs through glycan-binding receptors. We investigated the glioblastoma glycocalyx as a tumor-intrinsic immune suppressor. We detected increased expression of both tumor-associated truncated O-linked glycans and their receptor, macrophage galactose-type lectin (MGL), on CD163+ TAMs in glioblastoma patient-derived tumor tissues. In an immunocompetent orthotopic glioma mouse model overexpressing truncated O-linked glycans (MGL ligands), high-dimensional mass cytometry revealed a wide heterogeneity of infiltrating myeloid cells with increased infiltration of PD-L1+ TAMs as well as distant alterations in the bone marrow (BM). Our results demonstrate that glioblastomas exploit cell surface O-linked glycans for local and distant immune modulation.Fil: Dusoswa, Sophie A.. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: Verhoeff, Jan. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: Abels, Erik. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: Mendez Huergo, Santiago Patricio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Croci Russo, Diego Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Kuijper, Lisan H.. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: de Miguel, Elena. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: Wouters, Valerie M. C. J.. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: Best, Myron G.. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: Rodriguez, Ernesto. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: Cornelissen, Lenneke A.M.. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: van Vliet, Sandra J.. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: Wesseling, Pieter. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: Breakefield, Xandra O.. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: Noske, David P.. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: Würdinger, Thomas. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Broekman, Marike L.D.. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: van Kooyk, Yvette. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países BajosFil: Garcia Vallejo, Juan J.. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Países Bajo

Modifiable risk factors associated with prediabetes in men and women: A cross-sectional analysis of the cohort study in primary health care on the evolution of patients with prediabetes

Background: Prediabetes is a high-risk state for diabetes development, but little is known about the factors associated with this state. The aim of the study was to identify modifiable risk factors associated with the presence of prediabetes in men and women. Methods: Cohort Study in Primary Health Care on the Evolution of Patients with Prediabetes (PREDAPS-Study) is a prospective study on a cohort of 1184 subjects with prediabetes and another cohort of 838 subjects without glucose metabolism disorders. It is being conducted by 125 general practitioners in Spain. Data for this analysis were collected during the baseline stage in 2012. The modifiable risk factors included were: smoking habit, alcohol consumption, low physical activity, inadequate diet, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity. To assess independent association between each factor and prediabetes, odds ratios (ORs) were estimated using logistic regression models. Results: Abdominal obesity, low plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol), and hypertension were independently associated with the presence of prediabetes in both men and women. After adjusting for all factors, the respective ORs (95% Confidence Intervals) were 1.98 (1.41-2.79), 1.88 (1.23-2.88) and 1.86 (1.39-2.51) for men, and 1.89 (1.36-2.62), 1.58 (1.12-2.23) and 1.44 (1.07-1.92) for women. Also, general obesity was a risk factor in both sexes but did not reach statistical significance among men, after adjusting for all factors. Risky alcohol consumption was a risk factor for prediabetes in men, OR 1.49 (1.00-2.24). Conclusions: Obesity, low HDL-cholesterol levels, and hypertension were modifiable risk factors independently related to the presence of prediabetes in both sexes. The magnitudes of the associations were stronger for men than women. Abdominal obesity in both men and women displayed the strongest association with prediabetes. The findings suggest that there are some differences between men and women, which should be taken into account when implementing specific recommendations to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes in adult population

Herschel-PACS spectroscopy of the intermediate mass protostar NGC 7129 FIRS 2

Aims. We present preliminary results of the first Herschel spectroscopic observations of NGC 7129 FIRS2, an intermediate mass star-forming region. We attempt to interpret the observations in the framework of an in-falling spherical envelope. Methods. The PACS instrument was used in line spectroscopy mode (R = 1000–5000) with 15 spectral bands between 63 and 185 μm. This provided good detections of 26 spectral lines seen in emission, including lines of H2O, CO, OH, O I, and C II. Results. Most of the detected lines, particularly those of H2O and CO, are substantially stronger than predicted by the spherical envelope models, typically by several orders of magnitude. In this paper we focus on what can be learned from the detected CO emission lines. Conclusions. It is unlikely that the much stronger than expected line emission arises in the (spherical) envelope of the YSO. The region hot enough to produce such high excitation lines within such an envelope is too small to produce the amount of emission observed. Virtually all of this high excitation emission must arise in structures such as as along the walls of the outflow cavity with the emission produced by a combination of UV photon heating and/or non-dissociative shocks