Safety, feasibility, and hemodynamic response of regadenoson for stress perfusion CMR

Owing to its pharmacodynamics and posology, the use of regadenoson for stress cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has potential advantages over other vasodilators. We sought to evaluate the safety, hemodynamic response and diagnostic performance of regadenoson stress-CMR in routine clinical practice. All regadenoson stress-CMR examinations performed between May 2017 and July 2020 at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 698 studies were included for the final analysis. A conventional stress/rest protocol was performed using a 1.5T MRI scanner (Magnetom Aera, Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany). Adverse events, clinical symptoms, and hemodynamic response were assessed. Diagnostic accuracy of the test was evaluated in patients who underwent invasive coronary angiography. Nearly half of patients (48.5%) remained asymptomatic. Most common clinical symptoms included dyspnea (137, 19.6%), chest pain (116, 16.6%) and flushing (44, 6.3%). Two patients (0.28%) could not complete the examination due to severe hypotension or unbearable chest pain. Overall, an increase in heart rate (HR) response (36.2% [IQR: 22.5–50.9]) and a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) (median systolic BP response of -5% [IQR: -11.5-0.6]; median diastolic BP response of -6.3 mmHg [IQR: -13.4-0]) was observed. Patients with symptoms induced by regadenoson showed higher HR response (40.3%, IQR: 26.4–56.1 vs. 32.4%, IQR: 19-45.6, p<0.001), whereas a blunted HR response was observed in diabetic (29.6%, IQR: 18.4–42 p<0.001), obese (31.7%, IQR: 20.7–46.2 p=0.005) and patients aged 70 years or older (32.9%, IQR: 22.6–43.1 p<0.001). Overall, regadenoson stress-CMR showed 95.65% (IQ 91.49–99.81) sensitivity, 54.84% (IQ 35.71–73.97) specificity, 86.99% (IQ 82.74–94.68) positive predictive value, and 77.27% (IQ 57.49–97.06) negative predictive value for detecting significant coronary stenosis as compared with invasive coronary angiography. Regadenoson is a well-tolerated vasodilator that can be safely employed for stress perfusion CMR, with high diagnostic performanc

Structuring an integrated water-energy-food nexus assessment of a local wind energy desalination system for irrigation

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu MdM-2015-0552Desalination is increasingly put forward as a sustainable local solution to water scarcity in combination with the exploitation of renewable energy sources. However, the complexity of the resource nexus entails the unavoidable existence of pros and cons across its various dimensions that can only be assessed at different scales of analysis. In turn, these pros and cons entail different winners and losers among the different social actors linked through the nexus. To address these challenges, a novel approach to resource nexus assessment is put forward, based on multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism (MuSIASEM) and recognizing the resource nexus as a wicked problem. The integrated representation identifies the existence of biophysical constraints determined by processes both under human control (in the technosphere) and beyond human control (in the biosphere). The approach is illustrated with a local case study of desalination in the Canary Islands, Spain. The material presented has been generated in the context of the project "Moving towards adaptive governance in complexity: Informing nexus security" (MAGIC) for use in participatory processes of co-production of knowledge claims about desalination, a prerequisite for informed policy deliberation

Territorial plannnig in a river basin with high erosion level using multicriteria decision methods in cordoba province(argentine)

The erosion-sedimentation-flooding processes in large zones of Argentine are a critical problem that involve complex relationships with technological, economic, social and environmental cause-effect. The increasing of agricultural activities in new areas previously with forestry or pasture could produce irreversible environmental impacts. It is necessary to prepare a spatial plan taking into consideration, economic development, social cohesion, environmental quality and progressive desertification. Multicriteria decision models contribute to the elaboration of that plan and provide an inestimable aid to decision makers. The objective of this paper is to elaborate a multicriteria model applied to the La Colacha Basin (Cordoba-Argentine). La Colacha Basin has 416 km2, it is a representative basin of a dry-sub-humid area where agriculture practices are progressively increased. Ten alternatives have been evaluated combining: (a) Agro-forest-pastoral (ASP), Present use (ACT) e Intensive use (INT), (b) with or without Soil conservation (CS), y (c) with or without Hydrological arrangement of the basin (OH). There have been selected 13 criteria. Different Multi-criteria Decision Methods, both of traditional or developed by the authors, have been used

Compuestos neurogénicos basados en melatonina y su uso en el tratamiento de enfermedades del sistema nervioso

La presente invención, que se incluye en el campo de la investigación e industria farmacéutica, se refiere a nuevas entidades químicas derivadas de melatonina con propiedades neurogénicas, moduladoras de los receptores de melatonina y/o serotonina, antioxidantes y/o colinérgicas. También se refiere a los procedimientos para la preparación de estos nuevos compuestos, a las composiciones farmacéuticas que los contienen y a su uso para la fabricación de un medicamento para el tratamiento de enfermedades del sistema nervioso relacionadas con degeneración neuronal, depresión, trastornos psiquiátricos y cognitivos, trauma o lesión celular, u otro trastorno neurológico relacionado, tratamiento de fatiga diurna, trastornos del sueño, pérdida de eficacia mental, debilidad e irritabilidad y síntomas relacionados con la descompensación horaria (efecto jet-lag o síndrome transoceánico).Peer reviewedConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de MadridB1 Patente sin examen previ

Species occurrence of ticks in South America, and interactions with biotic and abiotic traits

The datasets of records of the distribution of ticks and their hosts are invaluable tools to understand the phylogenetic patterns of evolution of ticks and the abiotic traits to which they are associated. Such datasets require an exhaustive collection of bibliographical references. In most cases, it is necessary the confirmation of reliable identification of ticks, together with an update of the scientific names of the vertebrate hosts. These data are not easily available, because many records were published in the so-called “grey literature”. Herein, we introduced the Dataset of Ticks in South America, a repository that collates data on 4,764 records of ticks (4,124 geo-referenced) with a special reference to an extra 2,370 records of ticks on cattle, together with a set of abiotic traits, curated from satellite-derived information over the complete target region. The dataset includes details of the phylogenetic relationships of the species of hosts, providing researchers with both biotic and abiotic traits that drive the distribution and evolution of ticks in South America.publishersversionpublishe

Guidelines for the direct detection of Anaplasma spp. in diagnosis and epidemiological studies

The genus Anaplasma (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) comprises obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacteria that are mainly transmitted by ticks, and currently includes six species: Anaplasma bovis, Anaplasma centrale, Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Anaplasma platys, and Anaplasma ovis. These have long been known as etiological agents of veterinary diseases that affect domestic and wild animals worldwide. A zoonotic role has been recognized for A. phagocytophilum, but other species can also be pathogenic for humans. Anaplasma infections are usually challenging to diagnose, clinically presenting with nonspecific symptoms that vary greatly depending on the agent involved, the affected host, and other factors such as immune status and coinfections. The substantial economic impact associated with livestock infection and the growing number of human cases along with the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections, determines the need for accurate laboratory tests. Because hosts are usually seronegative in the initial phase of infection and serological cross-reactions with several Anaplasma species are observed after seroconversion, direct tests are the best approach for both case definition and epidemiological studies. Blood samples are routinely used for Anaplasma spp. screening, but in persistently infected animals with intermittent or low-level bacteremia, other tissues might be useful. These guidelines have been developed as a direct outcome of the COST action TD1303 EURNEGVEC (>European Network of Neglected Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases>). They review the direct laboratory tests (microscopy, nucleic acid-based detection and in vitro isolation) currently used for Anaplasma detection in ticks and vertebrates and their application.This work was done under the frame of COST action TD1303.Peer Reviewe

Mip6 binds directly to the Mex67 UBA domain to maintain low levels of Msn2/4 stress dependent mRNAs

Abstract del trabajo presentado en 12ª Reunión de la Red Española de Levaduras. El Escorial, Madrid.11-13 de diciembre de 2019Pág. 44 del libro de abstracts que se adjunta. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) participate in all steps of gene expression, underscoring their potential as regulators of RNA homeostasis. We structurally and functionally characterize Mip6, a four-RNA recognition motif (RRM)-containing RBP, as a functional and physical interactor of the export factor Mex67. Mip6-RRM4 directly interacts with the ubiquitin-associated (UBA) domain of Mex67 through a loop containing tryptophan 442. Mip6 shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm in a Mex67-dependent manner and concentrates in cytoplasmic foci under stress. Photoactivatable ribonucleoside-enhanced crosslinking and immunoprecipitation experiments show preferential binding of Mip6 to mRNAs regulated by the stress-response Msn2/4 transcription factors. Consistent with this binding, MIP6 deletion affects their export and expression levels. Additionally, Mip6 interacts physically and/or functionally with proteins with a role in mRNA metabolism and transcription such as Rrp6, Xrn1, Sgf73, and Rpb1. These results reveal a novel role for Mip6 in the homeostasis of Msn2/4-dependent transcripts through its direct interaction with the Mex67 UBA domain

Tick capillary feeding for the study of proteins involved in tick-pathogen interactions as potential antigens for the control of tick infestation and pathogen infection

BACKGROUND: Ticks represent a significant health risk to animals and humans due to the variety of pathogens they can transmit during feeding. The traditional use of chemicals to control ticks has serious drawbacks, including the selection of acaricide-resistant ticks and environmental contamination with chemical residues. Vaccination with the tick midgut antigen BM86 was shown to be a good alternative for cattle tick control. However, results vary considerably between tick species and geographic location. Therefore, new antigens are required for the development of vaccines controlling both tick infestations and pathogen infection/transmission. Tick proteins involved in tick-pathogen interactions may provide good candidate protective antigens for these vaccines, but appropriate screening procedures are needed to select the best candidates. METHODS: In this study, we selected proteins involved in tick-Anaplasma (Subolesin and SILK) and tick-Babesia (TROSPA) interactions and used in vitro capillary feeding to characterize their potential as antigens for the control of cattle tick infestations and infection with Anaplasma marginale and Babesia bigemina. Purified rabbit polyclonal antibodies were generated against recombinant SUB, SILK and TROSPA and added to uninfected or infected bovine blood to capillary-feed female Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks. Tick weight, oviposition and pathogen DNA levels were determined in treated and control ticks. RESULTS: The specificity of purified rabbit polyclonal antibodies against tick recombinant proteins was confirmed by Western blot and against native proteins in tick cell lines and tick tissues using immunofluorescence. Capillary-fed ticks ingested antibodies added to the blood meal and the effect of these antibodies on tick weight and oviposition was shown. However, no effect was observed on pathogen DNA levels. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlighted the advantages and some of the disadvantages of in vitro tick capillary feeding for the characterization of candidate tick protective antigens. While an effect on tick weight and oviposition was observed, the effect on pathogen levels was not evident probably due to high tick-to-tick variations among other factors. Nevertheless, these results together with previous results of RNA interference functional studies suggest that these proteins are good candidate vaccine antigens for the control of R. microplus infestations and infection with A. marginale and B. bigemina