Canibalismo neonatal en conejos silvestres (Oryctolagus cuniculus) alojados en jaula

El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la práctica de canibalismo neonatal por conejas silvestres (Oryctolagus cuniculus) alojadas individualmente en jaulas ubicadas al aire libre. Se controló la incidencia de canibalismo en 98 partos producidos durante cinco años consecutivos por 19 conejas silvestres nacidas en jaula. Esta alteración de la conducta maternal, que estuvo limitada exclusivamente al periparto, tuvo una elevada incidencia (13,3% de los partos) y estuvo asociada significativamente con una inadecuada conducta maternal, tal como la no introducción de pelo y paja en los nidales por parte de las conejas o los partos fuera del nidal. En el 84,6% de los partos en los que ocurrió canibalismo las conejas no introdujeron pelo en los nidales, y en el 92,3% de los partos con gazapos canibalizados las conejas no introdujeron paja en los nidales. El canibalismo también estuvo asociado con una gran proporción de conejas que parían fuera de los nidales (53,8%). Se discute que el canibalismo practicado por las conejas silvestres alojadas en jaula es una manifestación del fracaso en el desarrollo de la conducta maternal como consecuencia del estrés que experimentan en cautividad

Vulnerability to climate change for two endemic high-elevation, low-dispersive Annitella species (Trichoptera) in Sierra Nevada, the southernmost high mountain in Europe

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Múrria, C., Sáinz-Bariáin, M., Vogler, A.P., Viza, A., González, M. and Zamora-Muñoz, C. (2020), Vulnerability to climate change for two endemic high-elevation, low-dispersive Annitella species (Trichoptera) in Sierra Nevada, the southernmost high mountain in Europe. Insect Conserv Divers, 13: 283-295, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12387. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.Climate change is predicted to progressively shift habitat characteristics that will alter the distribution and eco-physiological responses of organisms. High-elevation stream insects without extensive dispersal are expected to be highly vulnerable if they are unable to track predicted shifts. Understanding dispersal is therefore crucial to implement practical solutions in conservation. The evolutionary history of the Palaearctic genus Annitella (Trichoptera), the population dynamics and habitat distribution (present and future) of two endemic species (A. esparraguera and A. iglesiasi) confined to Baetic Mountains (SE-Iberian Peninsula) were assessed to gain fundamental insights into species responses to climate warming and to identify populations at risk. Diversification of Annitella was dated to the Pleistocene and was likely associated with southern and extra-Mediterranean refugia located across Europe. The two endemic species belong to distant lineages that preferred similar cold headwater pristine habitats. The range of A. esparraguera was larger than that of A. iglesiasi. Both species showed low genetic diversity in cox1, but only A. esparraguera exhibit locally unique haplotypes, indicating limited gene flow. For A. esparraguera, modelled future habitat suitability showed 88.4% range contraction by 2050 (RCP scenario 8.5) and a displacement of 41.5% of the current potential distribution to higher elevations. Populations of A. esparraguera are predicted to be lost because of the reduction of optimal habitat and limited propensity for tracking future suitable conditions. Beyond the preservation of their current habitat, their conservation might require proactive measures (translocations). Similar predictions may apply to other Mediterranean endemic headwater specialist restricted to isolated high-elevation streams.This research received support from the project ref. 039/2007 funded by the Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales of the Spanish Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente, and by the project of the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CGL2007- 61856/BOS. Sierra Nevada National Park and Andalusian Government supplied logistic help and sampling permissions. We are very grateful to John E. Brittain, Alejandra Fernández, Modesto Berbel, János Oláh and all the people who helped us during the field work, and to Anna Papadopoulou and Miquel A. Arnedo for help with phylogenetic analyses. Alain Dohet, Ana Foresight, Bronislaw Szczesny, Ivan Vučković, János Oláh, Jesús Martínez, José Manuel Tierno de Figueroa, Núria Bonada and Miklos Bálint provided specimens for molecular analyses. We thank Núria Bonada for comments that improved the manuscript. CM was supported by a Beatriu de Pinós postdoctoral fellowship (BP-DGR-2011) from Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca, Catalunya, and MSB was supported by two predoctoral fellowships from Gobierno de Navarra and the Research Council of Norway (Program: Yggdrasil).S

Soil Moisture and Black Truffle Production Variability in the Iberian Peninsula

The relationship between modelled root zone soil moisture (SM) and black truffle production in the Iberian Peninsula was studied. Previous works have investigated the influence that precipitation exerts on truffle yield highlighting the importance of water for the growth of black truffle. However, SM had not been used until now due to the lack of suitable databases. The SM series from the LISFLOOD hydrological rainfall–runoff model was used in this study. Annual black truffle yield series from 175 locations in Spain was correlated with SM for the period 1991–2012. For this, different approaches were applied considering daily, weekly and monthly temporal scales. The same analysis was carried out using precipitation data to compare the behaviors of both variables related to truffle production variability. The results obtained show critical periods in terms of soil water content in summer (June–September) and during October–November months. Moreover, a clear delay between precipitation and SM influence on black truffle was observed. The results obtained in this study highlight the importance of SM for black truffle production, since this variable truly expresses the available water for this fungus, which completes its entire life cycle living below ground. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

A beam-beam monitoring detector for the MPD experiment at NICA

The Multi-Purpose Detector (MPD) is to be installed at the Nuclotron Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR). Its main goal is to study the phase diagram of the strongly interacting matter produced in heavy-ion collisions. These studies, while providing insight into the physics of heavy-ion collisions, are relevant for improving our understanding of the evolution of the early Universe and the formation of neutron stars. In order to extend the MPD trigger capabilities, we propose to include a high granularity beam-beam monitoring detector (BE-BE) to provide a level-0 trigger signal with an expected time resolution of 30 ps. This new detector will improve the determination of the reaction plane by the MPD experiment, a key measurement for flow studies that provides physics insight into the early stages of the reaction. In this work, we use simulated Au+Au collisions at NICA energies to show the potential of such a detector to determine the event plane resolution, providing further redundancy to the detectors originally considered for this purpose namely, the Fast Forward Detector (FFD) and the Hadron Calorimeter (HCAL). We also show our results for the time resolution studies of two prototype cells carried out at the T10 beam line at the CERN PS complex.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures. Updated to published version with added comments and correction

Vitamin D protects against oxidative stress and inflammation in human retinal cells

Diabetic retinopathy is a vision-threatening microvascular complication of diabetes and is one of the leading causes of blindness. Oxidative stress and inflammation play a major role in its pathogenesis, and new therapies counteracting these contributors could be of great interest. In the current study, we investigated the role of vitamin D against oxidative stress and inflammation in human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and human retinal endothelial cell lines. We demonstrate that vitamin D effectively counteracts the oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In addition, the increased levels of proinflammatory proteins such as Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, Monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, Interferon (IFN)-γ, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α triggered by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure were significantly decreased by vitamin D addition. Interestingly, the increased IL-18 only decreased by vitamin D addition in endothelial cells but not in RPE cells, suggesting a main antiangiogenic role under inflammatory conditions. Moreover, H2O2 and LPS induced the alteration and morphological damage of tight junctions in adult retinal pigment epithelium (ARPE-19) cells that were restored under oxidative and inflammatory conditions by the addition of vitamin D to the media. In conclusion, our data suggest that vitamin D could protect the retina by enhancing antioxidant defense and through exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties

Periodontal Disease and Nuclear and Oxidative DNA Damage

Oral health is an important aspect of the overall health status of an individual. DNA damage has been associated with oral health and dental factors due to the increased of oxidative stress (OxS). DNA damage can produce a wide range of effects on human health. These effects could appear immediately, but others do not become evident much later. Chronic diseases have been study to understand their mechanisms, clinical implications, and the development of secondary disease such as cancer. Periodontitis is one of the most common oral diseases. It is an inflammatory chronic infectious disease, which is characterized by the loss of supporting tissues and tooth loss caused by periodontopathogens and long-term release of reactive oxygen species (ROS); thus, oxidative stress is increased during periodontitis. Oxidative stress can produce DNA damage, including the oxidation of nucleosides, which could cause DNA strand break. This oxidative damage leads the formation of micronuclei (MN) a marker of nuclear damage. Also, oxidative stress increased 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine levels which are the most common stable product of oxidative DNA damage

A higher proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) when combined with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in omega-3 dietary supplements provides higher antioxidant effects in human retinal cells

Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a key regulator of retinal function and is directly related to the transport, delivery, and metabolism of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n3-PUFA), in the retina. Due to their functions and location, RPE cells are constantly exposed to oxidative stress. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have shown to have antioxidant effects by different mechanisms. For this reason, we designed an in vitro study to compare 10 formulations of DHA and EPA supplements from different origins and combined in different proportions, evaluating their effect on cell viability, cell proliferation, reactive oxygen species production, and cell migration using ARPE-19 cells. Furthermore, we assessed their ability to rescue RPE cells from the oxidative conditions seen in diabetic retinopathy. Our results showed that the different formulations of n3-PUFAs have a beneficial effect on cell viability and proliferation and are able to restore oxidative induced RPE damage. We observed that the n3-PUFA provided different results alone or combined in the same supplement. When combined, the best results were obtained in formulations that included a higher proportion of EPA than DHA. Moreover, n3-PUFA in the form of ethyl-esters had a worse performance when compared with triglycerides or phospholipid based formulations

The role of retinal fluid location in atrophy and fibrosis evolution of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration long-term treated in real world

Purpose: To assess the effect of clinical factors on the development and progression of atrophy and fibrosis in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) receiving long-term treatment in the real world. Methods: An ambispective 36-month multicentre study, involving 359 nAMD patients from 17 Spanish hospitals treated according to the Spanish Vitreoretinal Society guidelines, was designed. The influence of demographic and clinical factors, including the presence and location of retinal fluid, on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and progression to atrophy and/or fibrosis were analysed. Results: After 36 months of follow-up and an average of 13.8 anti-VEGF intravitreal injections, the average BCVA gain was +1.5 letters, and atrophy and/or fibrosis were present in 54.8% of nAMD patients (OR = 8.54, 95% CI = 5.85-12.47, compared to baseline). Atrophy was associated with basal intraretinal fluid (IRF) (OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.09-3.20), whereas basal subretinal fluid (SRF) was associated with a lower rate of atrophy (OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.23-0.71) and its progression (OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.26-0.75), leading to a slow progression rate (OR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.14-0.83). Fibrosis development and progression were related to IRF at any visit (p < 0.001). In contrast, 36-month SRF was related to a lower rate of fibrosis (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.29-0.81) and its progression (OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.31-0.81). Conclusion: Atrophy and/or fibrosis were present in 1 of 2 nAMD patients treated for 3 years. Both, especially fibrosis, lead to vision loss. Subretinal fluid (SRF) was associated with good visual outcomes and lower rates of atrophy and fibrosis, whereas IRF yields worse visual results and a higher risk of atrophy and especially fibrosis in routine clinical practice