110 research outputs found
Harmonization of land-cover data to assess agricultural land transformation patterns in the peri-urban Spanish Mediterranean Huertas
[EN] Most of the peri-urban areas in European cities are characterized by a mix of rural and urban uses. Despite being sprawled areas, they provide opportunities for improving green connectivity at a multiscale level, between urban-green and natural or agricultural peripheral extensions. Several land monitoring services, both at national and European levels, have become key tools to perform the analysis and diagnosis of its transformation patterns and dynamics. However, the accuracy of available datasets is typically not adequate for approaching the spatial complexity of these areas. This research proposes a methodology to improve precision by combining land use datasets and applies it to a specific study case, the peri-urban Spanish Mediterranean Huertas, highly valued agricultural and cultural landscapes under an intense urban pressure. Findings reveal that this method detects and solves inaccuracies, and it is easily replicable in different spatial contexts, becoming an effective tool for decision-making processes.This work was supported by the Regional Government of Aragon -Arquitecturas OpenSource Research Group 2020-2022 [S04_20D].Ruiz-Varona, A.; GarcĂa MartĂn, FM.; Temes Cordovez, RR.; GarcĂa-Mayor, C.; Casas-Villarreal, L. (2022). Harmonization of land-cover data to assess agricultural land transformation patterns in the peri-urban Spanish Mediterranean Huertas. Journal of Land Use Science. 17(1):523-539. https://doi.org/10.1080/1747423X.2021.202279352353917
Individual efficiency for the use of feed resources in rabbits
[EN] A Bayesian procedure, which allows consideration of the individual variation in the feed resource allocation pattern, is described and implemented in 2 sire lines of rabbit (Caldes and R). The procedure is based on a hierarchical Bayesian scheme, where the first stage of the model consists of a multiple regression model of feed intake on metabolic BW and BW gain. In a second stage, an animal model was assumed including batch, parity order, litter size, and common environmental litter effects. Animals were reared during the fattening period (from weaning at 32 d of age to 60 d of age) in individual cages on an experimental farm, and were fed ad libitum with a commercial diet. Body weight (g) and cumulative feed intake (g) were recorded weekly. Individual BW gain (g) and average BW (ABW, g) were calculated from these data for each 7-d period. Metabolic BW (g(0.75)) was estimated as ABW(0.75). The number of animals actually measured was 444 and 445 in the Caldes and R lines, respectively. Marginal posterior distributions of the genetic parameters were obtained by Gibbs sampling. Posterior means (posterior SD) for heritabilities for partial coefficients of regression of feed intake on metabolic BW and feed intake on BW gain were estimated to be 0.35 (0.17) and 0.40 (0.17), respectively, in the Caldes line and 0.26 (0.19) and 0.27 (0.14), respectively, in line R. The estimated posterior means (posterior SD) for the proportion of the phenotypic variance due to common litter environmental effects of the same coefficients of regression were respectively, 0.39 (0.14) and 0.28 (0.13) in the Caldes line and 0.44 (0.22) and 0.49 (0.14) in line R. These results suggest that efficiency of use of feed resources could be improved by including these coefficients in an index of selection.Research was supported by INIA SC00-011.
The authors acknowledge comments and suggestions made by M.
Baselga and A. Blasco from the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia
(Spain) and R. Rekaya for his assistance in solving numerical
problems.Piles, M.; GarcĂa-Tomas, M.; Rafel, O.; Ibañez Escriche, N.; Ramon, J.; Varona, L. (2007). Individual efficiency for the use of feed resources in rabbits. Journal of Animal Science. 85(11):2846-2853. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2006-218S284628538511Blasco, A. (2001). The Bayesian controversy in animal breeding. Journal of Animal Science, 79(8), 2023. doi:10.2527/2001.7982023xBlasco, A., Piles, M., & Varona, L. (2003). A Bayesian analysis of the effect of selection for growth rate on growth curves in rabbits. Genetics Selection Evolution, 35(1). doi:10.1186/1297-9686-35-1-21Cameron, N. D., & Thompson, R. (1986). Design of multivariate selection experiments to estimate genetic parameters. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 72(4), 466-476. doi:10.1007/bf00289528Estany, J., Camacho, J., Baselga, M., & Blasco, A. (1992). Selection response of growth rate in rabbits for meat production. Genetics Selection Evolution, 24(6), 527. doi:10.1186/1297-9686-24-6-527Gelman, A., & Rubin, D. B. (1992). Inference from Iterative Simulation Using Multiple Sequences. Statistical Science, 7(4), 457-472. doi:10.1214/ss/1177011136Geyer, C. J. (1992). Practical Markov Chain Monte Carlo. Statistical Science, 7(4), 473-483. doi:10.1214/ss/1177011137Gianola, D., & Sorensen, D. (2004). Quantitative Genetic Models for Describing Simultaneous and Recursive Relationships Between Phenotypes. Genetics, 167(3), 1407-1424. doi:10.1534/genetics.103.025734MIGNON-GRASTEAU, S. (1999). Genetic parameters of growth curve parameters in male and female chickens. British Poultry Science, 40(1), 44-51. doi:10.1080/00071669987827Paracchini, V., Pedotti, P., & Taioli, E. (2005). Genetics of Leptin and Obesity: A HuGE Review. American Journal of Epidemiology, 162(2), 101-114. doi:10.1093/aje/kwi174Piles, M., Gianola, D., Varona, L., & Blasco, A. (2003). Bayesian inference about parameters of a longitudinal trajectory when selection operates on a correlated trait1. Journal of Animal Science, 81(11), 2714-2724. doi:10.2527/2003.81112714xPiles, M., Gomez, E. A., Rafel, O., Ramon, J., & Blasco, A. (2004). Elliptical selection experiment for the estimation of genetic parameters of the growth rate and feed conversion ratio in rabbits1. Journal of Animal Science, 82(3), 654-660. doi:10.2527/2004.823654xRauw, W. M., Luiting, P., Verstegen, M. W. A., Vangen, O., & Knap, P. W. (2000). Differences in food resource allocation in a long-term selection experiment for litter size in mice 2. Developmental trends in body weight against food intake. Animal Science, 71(1), 39-47. doi:10.1017/s1357729800054874Rauw, W. M., Knap, P. W., Verstegen, M. W. A., & Luiting, P. (2002). Food resource allocation patterns in lactating females in a long-term selection experiment for litter size in mice. Genetics Selection Evolution, 34(1). doi:10.1186/1297-9686-34-1-83Rekaya, R., Carabaño, M. J., & Toro, M. A. (2000). Bayesian Analysis of Lactation Curves of Holstein-Friesian Cattle Using a Nonlinear Model. Journal of Dairy Science, 83(11), 2691-2701. doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(00)75163-0Rekaya, R., Weigel, K. A., & Gianola, D. (2001). Hierarchical nonlinear model for persistency of milk yield in the first three lactations of Holsteins. Livestock Production Science, 68(2-3), 181-187. doi:10.1016/s0301-6226(00)00239-6Varona, L., Moreno, C., Garcia Cortes, L. A., & Altarriba, J. (1998). Bayesian Analysis of Woodâs Lactation Curve for Spanish Dairy Cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 81(5), 1469-1478. doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(98)75711-xWakefield, J. C., Smith, A. F. M., Racine-Poon, A., & Gelfand, A. E. (1994). Bayesian Analysis of Linear and Non-Linear Population Models by Using the Gibbs Sampler. Applied Statistics, 43(1), 201. doi:10.2307/298612
Vascular lysyl oxidase over-expression alters extracellular matrix structure and induces oxidative stress
Lysyl oxidase (LOX) participates in the assembly of collagen and elastin fibres. The impact of vascular LOX over-expression on extracellular matrix (ECM) structure and its contribution to oxidative stress has been analysed. Methods Studies were conducted on mice over-expressing LOX (Tg), specifically in smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Gene expression was assessed by real-time PCR analysis. Sirius Red staining, H 2 O 2 production and NADPH oxidase activity were analysed in different vascular beds. The size and number of fenestra of the internal elastic lamina were determined by confocal microscopy. Results LOX activity was up-regulated in VSMC of transgenic mice compared with cells from control animals. At the same time, transgenic cells deposited more organised elastin fibres and their supernatants induced a stronger collagen assembly in in vitro assays. Vascular collagen cross-linking was also higher in Tg mice, which showed a decrease in the size of fenestrae and an enhanced expression of Fibulin-5. Interestingly, higher H 2 O 2 production and NADPH oxidase activity was detected in the vascular wall from transgenic mice. The H 2 O 2 scavenger catalase attenuated the stronger deposition of mature elastin fibres induced by LOX transgenesis. Conclusions LOX over-expression in VSMC was associated with a change in the structure of collagen and elastin fibres. LOX could constitute a novel source of oxidative stress that might participate in elastin changes and contribute to vascular remodellingLa lisil oxidasa (LOX) contribuye al ensamblaje de las fibras de
colĂĄgeno y elastina de la matriz extracelular (MEC). Hemos determinado las
consecuencias de la sobre-expresiĂłn vascular de LOX sobre la estructura de la
MEC y su contribución al estrés oxidativo.
MĂ©todos: Los estudios se desarrollaron en ratones que sobre-expresan la LOX
(Tg) especĂficamente en cĂ©lulas musculares lisas vasculares (CMLV). Se
realizaron anĂĄlisis por PCR a tiempo real, tinciĂłn de rojo sirio, producciĂłn de H2O2
y actividad NADPH oxidasa. Se caracterizaron las fenestras de la lĂĄmina elĂĄstica
interna mediante microscopĂa confocal.
Resultados: Las CMLV de ratones transgénicos presentaron niveles de actividad
LOX superiores a los de animales control. En consonancia, las células
transgénicas depositaron mås fibras de elastina organizada y sus sobrenadantes
indujeron un mayor ensamblaje de colĂĄgeno en ensayos in vitro. El nivel de
colĂĄgeno maduro fue superior en la pared vascular de ratones Tg, que
presentaban un menor ĂĄrea de las fenestras y un aumento de la expresiĂłn de la
Fibulina-5. La producciĂłn vascular de H2O2 y la actividad NADPH oxidasa fueron
superiores en los ratones transgénicos. La incubación de CMLV con catalasa
atenuĂł el incremento en la deposiciĂłn de fibras de elastina madura inducido por la
transgénesis de LOX.
Conclusiones: La sobre-expresiĂłn de la LOX en CMLV se asocia a una alteraciĂłn
de la estructura vascular del colĂĄgeno y la elastina. La LOX podrĂa constituir una
nueva fuente de estrĂ©s oxidativo que participarĂa en la alteraciĂłn estructural de la
MEC y podrĂa contribuir al remodelado vascularEste estudio se ha financiado por la FundaciĂłn Española de Aterosclerosis, Beca
SEA/FEA de InvestigaciĂłn bĂĄsica 2016 y por el Ministerio de EconomĂa y
Competitividad (MINECO)-Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) [proyectos PI15/01016, PI13/01488, SAF2012-36400; SAF2015-64767-R]. El CIBER de
Enfermedades Cardiovasculares es una iniciativa del ISCIII. AMB recibiĂł una
ayuda del programa RamĂłn y Cajal (RYC-2010-06473). El estudio ha sido cofinanciado
por el Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER
Weighted norm inequalities for polynomial expansions associated to some measures with mass points
Fourier series in orthogonal polynomials with respect to a measure on
are studied when is a linear combination of a generalized Jacobi
weight and finitely many Dirac deltas in . We prove some weighted norm
inequalities for the partial sum operators , their maximal operator
and the commutator , where denotes the operator of pointwise
multiplication by b \in \BMO. We also prove some norm inequalities for
when is a sum of a Laguerre weight on and a positive mass on
Caveolin-1 is down-regulated in alveolar habdomyosarcomas and negatively regulates tumor growth
Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood and adolescence. Despite advances in therapy, patients with histological variant of rhabdomyosarcoma known as alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) have a 5-year survival of less than 30%. Caveolin-1 (CAV1), encoding the structural component of cellular caveolae, is a suggested tumor suppressor gene involved in cell signaling. In the present study we report that compared to other forms of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) CAV1 expression is either undetectable or very low in ARMS cell lines and tumor samples. DNA methylation analysis of the promoter region and azacytidine-induced re-expression suggest the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in the silencing of CAV1. Reintroduction of CAV1 in three of these cell lines impairs their clonogenic capacity and promotes features of muscular differentiation. In vitro, CAV1-expressing cells show high expression of Caveolin-3 (CAV3), a muscular differentiation marker. Blockade of MAPK signaling is also observed. In vivo, CAV1-expressing xenografts show growth delay, features of muscular differentiation and increased cell death. In summary, our results suggest that CAV1 could function as a potent tumor suppressor in ARMS tumors. Inhibition of CAV1 function therefore, could contribute to aberrant cell proliferation, leading to ARMS development
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Caveolin-1 promotes Ewing sarcoma metastasis regulating MMP-9 expression through MAPK/ERK pathway
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a bone and soft tissue sarcoma affecting mostly children and young adults. Caveolin-1 (CAV1) is a well-known target of EWS/FLI1, the main driver of ES, with an oncogenic role in ES. We have previously described how CAV1 is able to induce metastasis in ES via matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). In the present study we showed how CAV1 silencing in ES reduced MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Accordingly, chemical inhibition of MEK1/2 resulted in reduction in MMP-9 expression and activity that correlated with reduced migration and invasion. IQ Motif Containing GTPase Activating Protein 1 (IQGAP1) silencing reduced MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation and MMP-9 expression. Furthermore, IQGAP1 silenced cells showed a marked decrease in their migratory and invasive capacity. We demonstrated that CAV1 and IQGAP1 localize in close proximity at the cellular edge, thus IQGAP1 could be the connecting node between CAV1 and MEK/ERK in ES metastatic phenotype. Analysis of the phosphorylation profile of CAV1-silenced cells showed a decrease of p-ribosomal protein S6 (RPS6). RPS6 can be phosphorylated by p90 ribosomal S6 kinases (RSK) proteins. CAV1-silenced cells showed reduced levels of p-RSK1 and treatment with U0126 provoked the same effect. Despite not affecting ERK1/2 and RPS6 phosphorylation status neither MMP-9 expression nor activity, RSK1 silencing resulted in a reduced migratory and invasive capacity in vitro and reduced incidence of metastases in vivo in a novel orthotopic model. The present work provides new insights into CAV1-driven metastatic process in ES unveiling novel key nodes
The Use of Corticosteroids or Tocilizumab in COVID-19 Based on Inflammatory Markers
SEMI-COVID-19 Network.[Background] The inflammatory cascade is the main cause of death in COVID-19 patients. Corticosteroids (CS) and tocilizumab (TCZ) are available to treat this escalation but which patients to administer it remains undefined.[Objective] We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of immunosuppressive/anti-inflammatory therapy in COVID-19, based on the degree of inflammation.
.[Design] A retrospective cohort study with data on patients collected and followed up from March 1st, 2020, to May 1st, 2021, from the nationwide Spanish SEMI-COVID-19 Registry. Patients under treatment with CS vs. those under CS plus TCZ were compared. Effectiveness was explored in 3 risk categories (low, intermediate, high) based on lymphocyte count, C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ferritin, and d-dimer values.[Patients] A total of 21,962 patients were included in the Registry by May 2021. Of these, 5940 met the inclusion criteria for the present study (5332 were treated with CS and 608 with CS plus TCZ).[Main Measures] The primary outcome of the study was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were the composite variable of in-hospital mortality, requirement for high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC), non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV), invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), or intensive care unit (ICU) admission.[Key Results] A total of 5940 met the inclusion criteria for the present study (5332 were treated with CS and 608 with CS plus TCZ). No significant differences were observed in either the low/intermediate-risk category (1.5% vs. 7.4%, p=0.175) or the high-risk category (23.1% vs. 20%, p=0.223) after propensity score matching. A statistically significant lower mortality was observed in the very highârisk category (31.9% vs. 23.9%, p=0.049).[Conclusions] The prescription of CS alone or in combination with TCZ should be based on the degrees of inflammation and reserve the CS plus TCZ combination for patients at high and especially very high risk.Peer reviewe
Identification of a biomarker panel for colorectal cancer diagnosis
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malignancies arising in the large bowel cause the second largest number of deaths from cancer in the Western World. Despite progresses made during the last decades, colorectal cancer remains one of the most frequent and deadly neoplasias in the western countries.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A genomic study of human colorectal cancer has been carried out on a total of 31 tumoral samples, corresponding to different stages of the disease, and 33 non-tumoral samples. The study was carried out by hybridisation of the tumour samples against a reference pool of non-tumoral samples using Agilent Human 1A 60-mer oligo microarrays. The results obtained were validated by qRT-PCR. In the subsequent bioinformatics analysis, gene networks by means of Bayesian classifiers, variable selection and bootstrap resampling were built. The consensus among all the induced models produced a hierarchy of dependences and, thus, of variables.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After an exhaustive process of pre-processing to ensure data quality--lost values imputation, probes quality, data smoothing and intraclass variability filtering--the final dataset comprised a total of 8, 104 probes. Next, a supervised classification approach and data analysis was carried out to obtain the most relevant genes. Two of them are directly involved in cancer progression and in particular in colorectal cancer. Finally, a supervised classifier was induced to classify new unseen samples.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We have developed a tentative model for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer based on a biomarker panel. Our results indicate that the gene profile described herein can discriminate between non-cancerous and cancerous samples with 94.45% accuracy using different supervised classifiers (AUC values in the range of 0.997 and 0.955).</p
Clinical trials in pediatric ALS: a TRICALS feasibility study.
Background: Pediatric investigation plans (PIPs) describe how adult drugs can be studied in children. In 2015, PIPs for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) became mandatory for European marketing-authorization of adult treatments, unless a waiver is granted by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).Objective: To assess the feasibility of clinical studies on the effect of therapy in children (<18 years) with ALS in Europe.Methods: The EMA database was searched for submitted PIPs in ALS. A questionnaire was sent to 58 European ALS centers to collect the prevalence of pediatric ALS during the past ten years, the recruitment potential for future pediatric trials, and opinions of ALS experts concerning a waiver for ALS.Results: Four PIPs were identified; two were waived and two are planned for the future. In total, 49 (84.5%) centers responded to the questionnaire. The diagnosis of 44,858 patients with ALS was reported by 46 sites; 39 of the patients had an onset < 18 years (prevalence of 0.008 cases per 100,000 or 0.087% of all diagnosed patients). The estimated recruitment potential (47 sites) was 26 pediatric patients within five years. A majority of ALS experts (75.5%) recommend a waiver should apply for ALS due to the low prevalence of pediatric ALS.Conclusions: ALS with an onset before 18 years is extremely rare and may be a distinct entity from adult ALS. Conducting studies on the effect of disease-modifying therapy in pediatric ALS may involve lengthy recruitment periods, high costs, ethical/legal implications, challenges in trial design and limited information
GW190412: Observation of a Binary-Black-Hole Coalescence with Asymmetric Masses
We report the observation of gravitational waves from a binary-black-hole coalescence during the first two weeks of LIGOâs and Virgoâs third observing run. The signal was recorded on April 12, 2019 at 05â¶30â¶44 UTC with a network signal-to-noise ratio of 19. The binary is different from observations during the first two observing runs most notably due to its asymmetric masses: a âŒ30âM_â black hole merged with a âŒ8âM_â black hole companion. The more massive black hole rotated with a dimensionless spin magnitude between 0.22 and 0.60 (90% probability). Asymmetric systems are predicted to emit gravitational waves with stronger contributions from higher multipoles, and indeed we find strong evidence for gravitational radiation beyond the leading quadrupolar order in the observed signal. A suite of tests performed on GW190412 indicates consistency with Einsteinâs general theory of relativity. While the mass ratio of this system differs from all previous detections, we show that it is consistent with the population model of stellar binary black holes inferred from the first two observing runs
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