Molecular epidemiology of an enterovirus A71 outbreak associated with severe neurological disease, Spain, 2016

Altres ajuts: We wish to thank I Bustillo, H del Pozo and P Higueras for their technical assistance. We also sincerely wish to thank all technical staff from microbiology departments and medical staff from paediatrics departments from all participating hospitals. Some of the samples are included in an ongoing project (PI15CIII-00020) which was supported by a grant by the Health Research System (AES).Introduction: Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) is an emerging pathogen that causes a wide range of disorders including severe neurological manifestations. In the past 20 years, this virus has been associated with large outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease with neurological complications in the Asia-Pacific region, while in Europe mainly sporadic cases have been reported. In spring 2016, however, an EV-A71 outbreak associated with severe neurological cases was reported in Catalonia and spread further to other Spanish regions. Aim: Our objective was to investigate the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of the outbreak. Methods: We carried out a retrospective study which included 233 EV-A71-positive samples collected during 2016 from hospitalised patients. We analysed the clinical manifestations associated with EV-A71 infections and performed phylogenetic analyses of the 3'-VP1 and 3Dpol regions from all Spanish strains and a set of EV-A71 from other countries. Results: Most EV-A71 infections were reported in children (mean age: 2.6 years) and the highest incidence was between May and July 2016 (83%). Most isolates (218/233) were classified as subgenogroup C1 and 217 of them were grouped in one cluster phylogenetically related to a new recombinant variant strain associated with severe neurological diseases in Germany and France in 2015 and 2016. Moreover, we found a clear association of EV-A71-C1 infection with severe neurological disorders, brainstem encephalitis being the most commonly reported. Conclusion: An emerging recombinant variant of EV-A71-C1 was responsible for the large outbreak in 2016 in Spain that was associated with many severe neurological cases

Molecular epidemiology of an enterovirus A71 outbreak associated with severe neurological disease, Spain, 2016

IntroductionEnterovirus A71 (EV-A71) is an emerging pathogen that causes a wide range of disorders including severe neurological manifestations. In the past 20 years, this virus has been associated with large outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease with neurological complications in the Asia-Pacific region, while in Europe mainly sporadic cases have been reported. In spring 2016, however, an EV-A71 outbreak associated with severe neurological cases was reported in Catalonia and spread further to other Spanish regions.AimOur objective was to investigate the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of the outbreak.MethodsWe carried out a retrospective study which included 233 EV-A71-positive samples collected during 2016 from hospitalised patients. We analysed the clinical manifestations associated with EV-A71 infections and performed phylogenetic analyses of the 3'-VP1 and 3Dpol regions from all Spanish strains and a set of EV-A71 from other countries.ResultsMost EV-A71 infections were reported in children (mean age: 2.6 years) and the highest incidence was between May and July 2016 (83%). Most isolates (218/233) were classified as subgenogroup C1 and 217 of them were grouped in one cluster phylogenetically related to a new recombinant variant strain associated with severe neurological diseases in Germany and France in 2015 and 2016. Moreover, we found a clear association of EV-A71-C1 infection with severe neurological disorders, brainstem encephalitis being the most commonly reported.ConclusionAn emerging recombinant variant of EV-A71-C1 was responsible for the large outbreak in 2016 in Spain that was associated with many severe neurological cases.S

Hidratos de gas marinos: ¿un recurso futuro de gas natural para Europa? M.

Los hidratos de gas son compuestos cristalinos donde una molécula de gas, principalmente metano, queda atrapada en una red de moléculas de agua en forma de hielo. La importancia de los hidratos de gas en la naturaleza es muy alta ya que constituye una fuente alternativa de energía y a su vez juegan un papel importante en el delicado equilibrio del clima a nivel global y en los riesgos geológicos en el ámbito marino. La acción COST MIGRATE está diseñada con el fin de integrar la experiencia de un gran número de grupos de investigación europeos y agentes del sector para promover el desarrollo de conocimientos multidisciplinarios sobre el potencial de los hidratos de gas como fuente de energía en Europa. Dos de los objetivos de esta acción son realizar un inventario europeo de hidratos de gas explotables y evaluar los riesgos ambientales. En este trabajo se muestran los principales indicios de hidratos de gas en los márgenes europeos incluida la Península Ibérica, con una primera aproximación sobre el espesor y situación de la zona de estabilidad de hidratos de gas en el margen Ibérico.Gas hydrates are crystalline compounds where a molecule of gas, mainly methane, is trapped in a cage of icewater molecules. The importance of gas hydrates in nature is very high because it is an alternative source of energy and play a major role in the delicate balance of the global climate and in the marine geological risks. MIGRATE COST action is designed to integrate the experience of a large number of European research groups and industrial players to promote the development of multidisciplinary knowledge on the potential of gas hydrates as energy resource in Europe. Two of the objectives of the action aim to estimate the European inventory of exploitable gas hydrates and to assess environmental risks. In this work we show the occurrences of gas hydrates described in European margins including the Iberian Peninsula, with a first approximation on the thickness and location of the area of stability of gas hydrates in the Iberian margin.COST Action ES1405 (MIGRATE)Versión del edito

HuR/ELAVL1 drives malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor growth and metastasis

Cancer cells can develop a strong addiction to discrete molecular regulators, which control the aberrant gene expression programs that drive and maintain the cancer phenotype. Here, we report the identification of the RNA-binding protein HuR/ELAVL1 as a central oncogenic driver for malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs), which are highly aggressive sarcomas that originate from cells of the Schwann cell lineage. HuR was found to be highly elevated and bound to a multitude of cancer-associated transcripts in human MPNST samples. Accordingly, genetic and pharmacological inhibition of HuR had potent cytostatic and cytotoxic effects on tumor growth, and strongly suppressed metastatic capacity in vivo. Importantly, we linked the profound tumorigenic function of HuR to its ability to simultaneously regulate multiple essential oncogenic pathways in MPNST cells, including the Wnt/β-catenin, YAP/TAZ, RB/E2F, and BET pathways, which converge on key transcriptional networks. Given the exceptional dependency of MPNST cells on HuR for survival, proliferation, and dissemination, we propose that HuR represents a promising therapeutic target for MPNST treatment

A First Search for coincident Gravitational Waves and High Energy Neutrinos using LIGO, Virgo and ANTARES data from 2007

We present the results of the first search for gravitational wave bursts associated with high energy neutrinos. Together, these messengers could reveal new, hidden sources that are not observed by conventional photon astronomy, particularly at high energy. Our search uses neutrinos detected by the underwater neutrino telescope ANTARES in its 5 line configuration during the period January - September 2007, which coincided with the fifth and first science runs of LIGO and Virgo, respectively. The LIGO-Virgo data were analysed for candidate gravitational-wave signals coincident in time and direction with the neutrino events. No significant coincident events were observed. We place limits on the density of joint high energy neutrino - gravitational wave emission events in the local universe, and compare them with densities of merger and core-collapse events.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, science summary page at http://www.ligo.org/science/Publication-S5LV_ANTARES/index.php. Public access area to figures, tables at https://dcc.ligo.org/cgi-bin/DocDB/ShowDocument?docid=p120000

PAdGUE

"Web semántica y patrimonio cultural. Los paisajes y lugares de la Guerra de la Independencia española" (PR-18-HUM-D4-0039) es un proyecto de investigación liderado por la Universidad de Alicante y financiado por la Fundación BBVA. Su objetivo es la creación de esta plataforma inteligente, de diversos recursos digitales y audiovisuales alojados en ella, y el desarrollo de aplicaciones para dispositivo móvil que utilizarán dichos recursos. La plataforma se concibe como una web semántica, donde el sistema de etiquetado de los recursos permite vincularlos entre sí. Gracias a esta transferencia de conocimiento, el proyecto PAdGUE contribuye a la puesta en valor, como patrimonio cultural, de los paisajes de la Guerra de la Independencia española. Y lo hace con la intención de que la comprensión de la guerra y de sus consecuencias contribuya a la cultura de la paz. Los reportajes y los demás recursos, así como las Rutas propuestas, están a disposición de docentes, investigadores/as y gestores del patrimonio y del turismo cultural.Sitio web del proyecto Patrimonio y Paisajes de Guerra: una plataforma inteligente para la puesta en valor de los paisajes de la guerra de la Independencia española como patrimonio cultural.Fundación BBV

Diet quality index as a predictor of treatment efficacy in overweight and obese adolescents: The EVASYON study

Background & aim: A diet quality index (DQI) is a tool that provides an overall score of an individual''s dietary intake when assessing compliance with food-based dietary guidelines. A number of DQIs have emerged, albeit their associations with health-related outcomes are debated. The aim of the present study was to assess whether adherence to dietary intervention, and the overall quality of the diet, can predict body composition changes. Methods: To this purpose, overweight/obese adolescents (n = 117, aged: 13–16 years; 51 males, 66 females) were recruited into a multi-component (diet, physical activity and psychological support) family-based group treatment programme. We measured the adolescents’ compliance and body composition at baseline and after 2 months (intensive phase) and 13 months (extensive phase) of follow-up. Also, at baseline, after 6 months, and at the end of follow-up we calculated the DQI. Results: Global compliance with the dietary intervention was 37.4% during the intensive phase, and 14.3% during the extensive phase. Physical activity compliance was 94.1% at 2-months and 34.7% at 13months and psychological support compliance were growing over the intervention period (10.3% intensive phase and 45.3% during extensive phase). Adolescents complying with the meal frequency criteria at the end of the extensive phase had greater reductions in FMI z-scores than those did not complying (Cohen''s d = 0.53). A statistically significant association was observed with the diet quality index. DQI-A variation explained 98.1% of BMI z-score changes and 95.1% of FMI changes. Conclusions: We conclude that assessment of changes in diet quality could be a useful tool in predicting body composition changes in obese adolescents involved in a diet and physical activity intervention programme backed-up by psychological and family support

BiFiSo-CSIC: balance de una lucha multidisciplinar contra la pandemia

En marzo de 2020 se declaró el estado de emergencia en España a raíz de una pandemia causada por el virus llamado SARS-CoV-2. La enfermedad, denominada COVID-19, produce una gran letalidad en personas de edad avanzada. Estas excepcionales circunstancias dictaron medidas inéditas en nuestro país: confinamiento domiciliario, cierre de colegios y comercios no esenciales. El Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) reaccionó de inmediato: recién iniciado el confinamiento todos los investigadores de esta institución fueron convocados para dedicar parte de su tiempo a investigar sobre la pandemia. La respuesta fue instantánea y personas de todas las áreas de investigación se brindaron a contribuir con su granito de arena. Lo que al principio iba a suponer una media del 20% del tiempo de cada investigador pasó a ocupar toda la jornada: y así hasta hoy. En este contexto surge el proyecto BiFiSo, en el cual desde la biología, la filosofía o la antropología hemos estudiado y explicado la pandemia, complementando mutuamente la visión de nuestras respectivas especialidades.Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas aporta financiación como institución fundacional de The Conversation ES. Universidad de Málaga aporta financiación como institución colaboradora de The Conversation ES.Peer reviewe

Evaluating Person-Centred Integrated Care to People with Complex Chronic Conditions: Early Implementation Results of the ProPCC Programme

Introduction: The evaluation of integrated care programmes for high-need high-cost older people is a challenge. We aim to share the early implementation results of the ProPCC programme in the North-Barcelona metropolitan area, in Catalonia, Spain. Methods: We analysed the intervention with retrospective data from May 2018 to December 2021 by describing the cohort complexity and by showing its 6-months pre-post impact on time spent at home and resources used: primary care visits, emergency department visits, hospital admissions and hospital stay. Findings: 264 cases were included (91% at home; 9% in nursing homes). 6-month pre vs. 6-months post results were (mean, p-value): primary care visits 8.2 vs. 11.5 (p < 0.05); emergency department visits 1.4 vs. 0.9 (p < 0.05); hospital admissions 0.7 vs. 0.5 (p < 0.05); hospital stay 12.8 vs. 7.9 days (p < 0.05). Time spent at home was 169.2 vs.174.2 days (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Early implementation of the ProPCC programme results in an increase in time spent at home (up to 3%) and significant reductions in emergency department attendance (–37.2%) and hospital stays (–38.3%). The increased use of primary care resources is compensated by the hospital resources savings, with a result in the average total cost of –46.3%