Effects of deferred forage as winter cover on spring growth of the tropical grasses Chloris gayana and Panicum coloratum = Efectos del forraje diferido como cobertura de invierno en el crecimiento primaveral de las gramíneas tropicales Chloris gayana y Panicum coloratum

This pot study assessed the effects of deferring forage during autumn and leaving as winter cover on reducing cold damage to plants of 2 tropical (C4) grasses (Chloris gayana and Panicum coloratum) in a temperate environment in La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mature plants were subjected to the following treatments: (i) autumn-deferred forage retained (DF) as control; and (ii) autumn-deferred forage removed (DFR) cutting at 15 cm from soil level at beginning of winter. This experiment had 10 replicates per treatment and 1 plant per pot (experimental unit). Plants of both species were extracted from a commercial beef farm and transplanted into an experimental garden in pots where they grew outdoors from 2 February to 23 May (111 days) when treatments were applied. After winter, both grasses were cut to 15 cm in early spring (27 September) and spring growth was measured in November. Shoot biomass was harvested at ground level and separated into lower and upper layers (above and below 15 cm), leaf blades, sheaths and stolons. Daily air temperature, relative humidity and frost events were registered. Allometric analysis of shoot biomass was performed to determine the stress incidence by cold. DF plants achieved 55‒80% higher shoot biomass than DFR plants during spring in both species. The allometric analysis revealed for P. coloratum significant relationships between shoot biomass from plant compartments (lower and upper layers, leaf blade and sheath) and total shoot biomass in both treatments, indicating good cold tolerance. However, for C. gayana, unlike DF plants, DFR plants were strongly stressed, showing a lack of shoot biomass fit. These results suggest that deferring autumn forage growth and retaining as winter cover may improve survival during winter and productivity during spring of these two tropical grasses in temperate pastoral systems. However, the study needs to be repeated under field conditions and under grazing or cutting over a number of years in different situations to verify these preliminary results.En La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, en un experimento en macetas a aire libre (condiciones de luz y temperatura naturales) se evaluó el efecto del forraje diferido como cobertura invernal en 2 gramíneas tropicales C4 (Chloris gayana y Panicum coloratum). Plantas adultas fueron extraídas de un establecimiento ganadero, trasplantadas a macetas en un jardín experimental y, después de crecer durante 111 días, sometidas el 23 de Mayo a los tratamientos: (1) control [sin remoción del forraje diferido de otoño (DF)]; y (2) remoción del forraje diferido de otoño (DFR) después de un corte a 15 cm del suelo. Se utilizaron 10 repeticiones por tratamiento y una planta por maceta (unidad experimental). Las plantas fueron cosechadas el 27 de Septiembre (después del invierno) y nuevamente en Noviembre, mediante corte a ras del suelo, para medir la biomasa del rebrote primaveral en los estratos superior (>15 cm) e inferior (<15 cm sobre el suelo), láminas, vainas y estolones. Se realizó un análisis alométrico para dilucidar la incidencia del estrés por frio y se registraron la temperatura del aire, la humedad relativa y la ocurrencia de heladas. Las plantas con forraje diferido alcanzaron una mayor biomasa (55‒80%) que aquellas con remoción del forraje. Panicum coloratum mostró un ajuste significativo entre la biomasa total y la biomasa de los diferentes estratos para ambos tratamientos, mostrando buena tolerancia al estrés por frio. Por otro lado, C. gayana mostró falta de ajuste de la biomasa y un mayor estrés por la remoción del forraje, mientras que las plantas sin remoción presentaron menor daño por frío y un mayor ajuste. La cobertura invernal del forraje diferido podría mejorar la productividad y supervivencia de estas especies forrajeras cuando son utilizadas en sistemas pastoriles templados. Estos resultados preliminares deben ser evaluados en condiciones de campo durante un mayor número de años, considerando diferentes estrategias de pastoreo.Instituto de Investigación Animal del Chaco SemiáridoFil: Imaz, José Augusto. University of Sydney. Faculty of Agriculture and Environment. Centre for Carbon, Water & Food; Australia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Investigación Animal del Chaco Semiárido; ArgentinaFil: Merani, Víctor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Dos Santos, Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical; ArgentinaFil: Benvenutti, Marcelo A. University of Queensland, Gatton Campus; AustraliaFil: Gimenez, Daniel Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Hernandez, Olegario. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Investigación Animal del Chaco Semiárido; ArgentinaFil: Arroquy, Jose Ignacio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santiago del Estero; Argentin

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of the Largest HIV-1 CRF02_AG Outbreak in Spain: Evidence for Onward Transmissions

Background and Aim: The circulating recombinant form 02_AG (CRF02_AG) is the predominant clade among the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) non-Bs with a prevalence of 5.97% (95% Confidence Interval-CI: 5.41–6.57%) across Spain. Our aim was to estimate the levels of regional clustering for CRF02_AG and the spatiotemporal characteristics of the largest CRF02_AG subepidemic in Spain.Methods: We studied 396 CRF02_AG sequences obtained from HIV-1 diagnosed patients during 2000–2014 from 10 autonomous communities of Spain. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on the 391 CRF02_AG sequences along with all globally sampled CRF02_AG sequences (N = 3,302) as references. Phylodynamic and phylogeographic analysis was performed to the largest CRF02_AG monophyletic cluster by a Bayesian method in BEAST v1.8.0 and by reconstructing ancestral states using the criterion of parsimony in Mesquite v3.4, respectively.Results: The HIV-1 CRF02_AG prevalence differed across Spanish autonomous communities we sampled from (p &lt; 0.001). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 52.7% of the CRF02_AG sequences formed 56 monophyletic clusters, with a range of 2–79 sequences. The CRF02_AG regional dispersal differed across Spain (p = 0.003), as suggested by monophyletic clustering. For the largest monophyletic cluster (subepidemic) (N = 79), 49.4% of the clustered sequences originated from Madrid, while most sequences (51.9%) had been obtained from men having sex with men (MSM). Molecular clock analysis suggested that the origin (tMRCA) of the CRF02_AG subepidemic was in 2002 (median estimate; 95% Highest Posterior Density-HPD interval: 1999–2004). Additionally, we found significant clustering within the CRF02_AG subepidemic according to the ethnic origin.Conclusion: CRF02_AG has been introduced as a result of multiple introductions in Spain, following regional dispersal in several cases. We showed that CRF02_AG transmissions were mostly due to regional dispersal in Spain. The hot-spot for the largest CRF02_AG regional subepidemic in Spain was in Madrid associated with MSM transmission risk group. The existence of subepidemics suggest that several spillovers occurred from Madrid to other areas. CRF02_AG sequences from Hispanics were clustered in a separate subclade suggesting no linkage between the local and Hispanic subepidemics

La reducción del tiempo de trabajo en el País Vasco, 1995-2005

This article analyzes the working time evolution in the Basque Country during the last ten years. In the second half of the 1990's the European trade unions launched a heavy offensive to achieve a new historic leap forward in the working time reduction. It has been achieved in some places, but as of year 2000 some changes have taken place. The analysis of this debate is interesting because it is a good example of how different speeches and interests fight to construct social reality, and of how the economic interests have won these fights during the last years.En este artículo se analiza la evolución del tiempo de trabajo en el País Vasco en la última década. En la segunda mitad de los noventa el movimiento sindical europeo lanza una fuerte ofensiva para conseguir un nuevo salto histórico en la reducción de jornada. Se consigue en algunos lugares, pero a partir del año 2000 las cosas cambian. El análisis de este fenómeno es interesante porque constituye un buen ejemplo de cómo se construye la realidad social a través de la lucha entre diferentes discursos e intereses, y de cómo en los últimos años son los intereses económicos los que han ganado estas luchas

Screens and education: teenagers and videogames in the Basque Country

This article brings together the main results of an empirical study dedicated to analysing the relations between videogames and education in the Basque Country. The research had two major aims. First, it set out to produce an initial quantitative estimate of the use of digital games among Basque adolescents. The second goal was to design workshops to test and analyse the possible educational uses of videogames. The data show that the majority define themselves as videogames users and that there does not appear to be any significant difference between players and non-players. In the second part of the study, we tested four workshops or experiments. The sessions have shown that the electronic games can be interesting support material at the schools, and that the motivation of the students is very high in this kind of proposals