Implementation of a harvest control rule for northern Atlantic albacore

A Harvest Control Rule was developed for North Atlantic albacore during the 2013 assessment, this paper documents the procedure used.Versión del edito

Vanadium distribution, lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress markers upon decavanadate in vivo administration

The contribution of decameric vanadate species to vanadate toxic effects in cardiac muscle was studied following an intravenous administration of a decavanadate solution (1 mM total vanadium) in Sparus aurata. Although decameric vanadate is unstable in the assay medium, it decomposes with a half-life time of 16 allowing studying its effects not only in vitro but also in vivo. After 1, 6 and 12 h upon decavanadate administration the increase of vanadium in blood plasma, red blood cells and in cardiac mitochondria and cytosol is not affected in comparison to the administration of a metavanadate solution containing labile oxovanadates. Cardiac tissue lipid peroxidation increases up to 20%, 1, 6 and 12 h after metavanadate administration, whilst for decavanadate no effects were observed except 1 h after treatment (+20%). Metavanadate administration clearly differs from decavanadate by enhancing, 12 h after exposure, mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (+115%) and not affecting catalase (CAT) activity whereas decavanadate increases SOD activity by 20% and decreases ( 55%) mitochondrial CAT activity. At early times of exposure, 1 and 6 h, the only effect observed upon decavanadate administration was the increase by 20% of SOD activity. In conclusion, decavanadate has a different response pattern of lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress markers, in spite of the same vanadium distribution in cardiac cells observed after decavanadate and metavanadate administration. It is suggested that once formed decameric vanadate species has a different reactivity than vanadate, thus, pointing out that the differential contribution of vanadium oligomers should be taken into account to rationalize in vivo vanadate toxicity

Switching the stereochemical outcome of 6-endo-trig cyclizations; Synthesis of 2,6-Cis-6-substituted 4-oxopipecolic acids

A base-mediated 6-endo-trig cyclization of readily accessible enone-derived α-amino acids has been developed for the direct synthesis of novel 2,6-cis-6- substituted-4-oxo-L-pipecolic acids. A range of aliphatic and aryl side chains were tolerated by this mild procedure to give the target compounds in good overall yields. Molecular modeling of the 6-endo-trig cyclization allowed some insight as to how these compounds were formed, with the enolate intermediate generated via an equilibrium process, followed by irreversible tautomerization/neutralization providing the driving force for product formation. Stereoselective reduction and deprotection of the resulting 2,6-cis-6-substituted 4-oxo-L-pipecolic acids to the corresponding 4-hydroxy-L-pipecolic acids was also performed

MYC directly transactivates CR2/CD21, the receptor of the Epstein-Barr virus, enhancing the viral infection of Burkitt lymphoma cells.

MYC is an oncogenic transcription factor dysregulated in about half of total human tumors. While transcriptomic studies reveal more than 1000 genes regulated by MYC, a much smaller fraction of genes is directly transactivated by MYC. Virtually all Burkitt lymphoma (BL) carry chromosomal translocations involving MYC oncogene. Most endemic BL and a fraction of sporadic BL are associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. The currently accepted mechanism is that EBV is the BL-causing agent inducing MYC translocation. Herein we show that the EBV receptor, CR2 (also called CD21), is a direct MYC target gene. This is based on several pieces of evidence: MYC induces CR2 expression in both proliferating and arrested cells and in the absence of protein synthesis, binds the CR2 promoter and transactivates CR2 in an E-box-dependent manner. Moreover, using mice with conditional MYC ablation we show that MYC induces CR2 in primary B cells. Importantly, modulation of MYC levels directly correlates with EBV's ability of infection in BL cells. Altogether, in contrast to the widely accepted hypothesis for the correlation between EBV and BL, we propose an alternative hypothesis in which MYC dysregulation could be the first event leading to the subsequent EBV infection.S

Shells and humans: molluscs and other coastal resources from the earliest human occupations at the Mesolithic shell midden of El Mazo (Asturias, Northern Spain)

Human populations exploited coastal areas with intensity during the Mesolithic in Atlantic Europe, resulting in the accumulation of large shell middens. Northern Spain is one of the most prolific regions, and especially the so-called Asturian area. Large accumulations of shellfish led some scholars to propose the existence of intensification in the exploitation of coastal resources in the region during the Mesolithic. In this paper, shell remains (molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms) from stratigraphic units 114 and 115 (dated to the early Mesolithic c. 9 kys cal BP) at El Mazo cave (Asturias, northern Spain) were studied in order to establish resource exploitation patterns and environmental conditions. Species representation showed that limpets, top shells and sea urchins were preferentially exploited. One-millimetre mesh screens were crucial in establishing an accurate minimum number of individuals for sea urchins and to determine their importance in exploitation patterns. Environmental conditions deduced from shell assemblages indicated that temperate conditions prevailed at the time of the occupation and the morphology of the coastline was similar to today (rocky exposed shores). Information recovered relating to species representation, collection areas and shell biometry reflected some evidence of intensification (reduced shell size, collection in lower areas of exposed shores, no size selection in some units and species) in the exploitation of coastal resources through time. However, the results suggested the existence of changes in collection strategies and resource management, and periods of intense shell collection may have alternated with times of shell stock recovery throughout the Mesolithic.This research was performed as part of the project “The human response to the global climatic change in a littoral zone: the case of the transition to the Holocene in the Cantabrian coast (10,000–5000 cal BC) (HAR2010-22115-C02-01)” funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. AGE was funded by the University of Cantabria through a predoctoral grant and IGZ was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through a Juan de la Cierva grant. We also would like to thank the University of Cantabria and the IIIPC for providing support, David Cuenca-Solana, Alejandro García Moreno and Lucia Agudo Pérez for their help. We also thank Jennifer Jones for correcting the English. Comments from two anonymous reviewers helped to improve the paper

Centros de apoyo y desarrollo educativo profesional para la observación y disminución de la deserción universitaria

Este artículo ha presentado el estado del arte de la deserción universitaria en Europa y América Latina, y el modelo de Centro de Apoyo y Desarrollo Educativo Profesional (CADEP) para observar y tratar de disminuir la deserción estudiantil. Fue un estudio cualitativo con un enfoque hermenéutico donde se analizaron textos de libros, artículos científicos, informes de congresos, artículos de prensa, leyes, políticas y normas institucionales. Los resultados mostraron: que la deserción universitaria en Europa, América Latina y el Caribe oscila del 30% al 60%, centrada en factores como lo económico, familiar, ambiente pedagógico-didáctico, motivacional y afectivos, y que todos estos factores influyen en el rendimiento académico del estudiantado y propician el abandono de la universidad. Todo este planteamiento, permite al proyecto ACACIA ofrecer un sistema articulado de atención integral, que parte de un enfoque diferencial y con acciones que cubre no sólo las necesidades del estudiantado (de accesibilidad y afectividad en la experiencia de enseñanza y aprendizaje) y sus preferencias, sino también acciones y formación dirigidas al profesorado como al personal técnico y administrativo universitario, sin olvidar a la familia y el entorno social en el que se inscribela universidad incluyendo al tejido empresarial, con una perspectiva integra-dora y aplicada de la innovación desarrollada

Centros de Apoyo y Desarrollo Educativo Profesional para la observación y disminución de la deserción universitaria

Este artículo ha presentado el estado del arte de la deserción universitaria en Europa y América Latina, y el modelo de Centro de Apoyo y Desarrollo Educativo Profesional (CADEP) para observar y tratar de disminuir la deserción estudiantil. Fue un estudio cualitativo con un enfoque hermenéutico donde se analizaron textos de libros, artículos científicos, informes de congresos, artículos de prensa, leyes, políticas y normas institucionales. Los resultados mostraron: que la deserción universitaria en Europa, América Latina y el Caribe oscila del 30% al 60%, centrada en factores como lo económico, familiar, ambiente pedagógico-didáctico, motivacional y afectivos, y que todos estos factores influyen en el rendimiento académico del estudiantado y propician el abandono de la universidad. Todo este planteamiento, permite al proyecto ACACIA ofrecer un sistema articulado de atención integral, que parte de un enfoque diferencial y con acciones que cubre no sólo las necesidades del estudiantado (de accesibilidad y afectividad en la experiencia de enseñanza y aprendizaje) y sus preferencias, sino también acciones y formación dirigidas al profesorado como al personal técnico y administrativo universitario, sin olvidar a la familia y el entorno social en el que se inscribe la universidad incluyendo al tejido empresarial, con una perspectiva integradora y aplicada de la innovación desarrollada. Summary This article presents the state of art of the college desertion in Europe and Latin America, as well as the model of the Support Center and Professional Educational Development (CADEP) in order to observe and try to reduce student’s desertion. The study was qualitative with a hermeneutic approach in which we analyzed different texts books, scientific articles, congress reports, press articles, laws, policies and institutional rules. The results revealed that the college desertion in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean ranges from 30% to 60%, and it is focus on factors such as economic, family, educational, motivational and emotional environment, but most importantly is that all these factors influence the academic performance of students and contribute to the desertion from the university. This whole approach allows the ACACIA project to provide an articulated system of integral attention, that is based on differential approach which includes actions covering not only the needs of the students (accessibility and affection in the experience of teaching and learning) and its preferences, but also actions and training aimed at teachers as well as to the technical and administrative university staff, not forgetting family and the social environment in which the university is a fundamental part, including the business sector, with an integrated perspective of the developed innovation

Blood Parasites in Owls with Conservation Implications for the Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis)

The three subspecies of Spotted Owl (Northern, Strix occidentalis caurina; California, S. o. occidentalis; and Mexican, S. o. lucida) are all threatened by habitat loss and range expansion of the Barred Owl (S. varia). An unaddressed threat is whether Barred Owls could be a source of novel strains of disease such as avian malaria (Plasmodium spp.) or other blood parasites potentially harmful for Spotted Owls. Although Barred Owls commonly harbor Plasmodium infections, these parasites have not been documented in the Spotted Owl. We screened 111 Spotted Owls, 44 Barred Owls, and 387 owls of nine other species for haemosporidian parasites (Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium, and Haemoproteus spp.). California Spotted Owls had the greatest number of simultaneous multi-species infections (44%). Additionally, sequencing results revealed that the Northern and California Spotted Owl subspecies together had the highest number of Leucocytozoon parasite lineages (n = 17) and unique lineages (n = 12). This high level of sequence diversity is significant because only one Leucocytozoon species (L. danilewskyi) has been accepted as valid among all owls, suggesting that L. danilewskyi is a cryptic species. Furthermore, a Plasmodium parasite was documented in a Northern Spotted Owl for the first time. West Coast Barred Owls had a lower prevalence of infection (15%) when compared to sympatric Spotted Owls (S. o. caurina 52%, S. o. occidentalis 79%) and Barred Owls from the historic range (61%). Consequently, Barred Owls on the West Coast may have a competitive advantage over the potentially immune compromised Spotted Owls

Effectiveness and Safety of the Sequential Use of a Second and Third Anti-TNF Agent in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Results from the Eneida Registry

Background: The effectiveness of the switch to another anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agent is not known. The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness and safety of treatment with a second and third anti-TNF drug after intolerance to or failure of a previous anti-TNF agent in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Methods: We included patients diagnosed with IBD from the ENEIDA registry who received another anti-TNF after intolerance to or failure of a prior anti-TNF agent. Results: A total of 1122 patients were included. In the short term, remission was achieved in 55% of the patients with the second anti-TNF. The incidence of loss of response was 19% per patient-year with the second anti-TNF. Combination therapy (hazard ratio [HR], 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8-3; P < 0.0001) and ulcerative colitis vs Crohn''s disease (HR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.1; P = 0.005) were associated with a higher probability of loss of response. Fifteen percent of the patients had adverse events, and 10% had to discontinue the second anti-TNF. Of the 71 patients who received a third anti-TNF, 55% achieved remission. The incidence of loss of response was 22% per patient-year with a third anti-TNF. Adverse events occurred in 7 patients (11%), but only 1 stopped the drug. Conclusions: Approximately half of the patients who received a second anti-TNF achieved remission; nevertheless, a significant proportion of them subsequently lost response. Combination therapy and type of IBD were associated with loss of response. Remission was achieved in almost 50% of patients who received a third anti-TNF; nevertheless, a significant proportion of them subsequently lost response

Evolution after Anti-TNF Discontinuation in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Multicenter Long-Term Follow-Up Study

OBJECTIVES:The aims of this study were to assess the risk of relapse after discontinuation of anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), to identify the factors associated with relapse, and to evaluate the overcome after retreatment with the same anti-TNF in those who relapsed.METHODS:This was a retrospective, observational, multicenter study. IBD patients who had been treated with anti-TNFs and in whom these drugs were discontinued after clinical remission was achieved were included.RESULTS:A total of 1, 055 patients were included. The incidence rate of relapse was 19% and 17% per patient-year in Crohn''s disease and ulcerative colitis patients, respectively. In both Crohn''s disease and ulcerative colitis patients in deep remission, the incidence rate of relapse was 19% per patient-year. The treatment with adalimumab vs. infliximab (hazard ratio (HR)=1.29; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.01-1.66), elective discontinuation of anti-TNFs (HR=1.90; 95% CI=1.07-3.37) or discontinuation because of adverse events (HR=2.33; 95% CI=1.27-2.02) vs. a top-down strategy, colonic localization (HR=1.51; 95% CI=1.13-2.02) vs. ileal, and stricturing behavior (HR=1.5; 95% CI=1.09-2.05) vs. inflammatory were associated with a higher risk of relapse in Crohn''s disease patients, whereas treatment with immunomodulators after discontinuation (HR=0.67; 95% CI=0.51-0.87) and age (HR=0.98; 95% CI=0.97-0.99) were protective factors. None of the factors were predictive in ulcerative colitis patients. Retreatment of relapse with the same anti-TNF was effective (80% responded) and safe.CONCLUSIONS:The incidence rate of inflammatory bowel disease relapse after anti-TNF discontinuation is relevant. Some predictive factors of relapse after anti-TNF withdrawal have been identified. Retreatment with the same anti-TNF drug was effective and safe