A Seventeen-Year Epidemiological Surveillance Study of Borrelia burgdorferi Infections in Two Provinces of Northern Spain

This paper reports a 17-year seroepidemiological surveillance study of Borrelia burgdorferi infection, performed with the aim of improving our knowledge of the epidemiology of this pathogen. Serum samples (1,179) from patients (623, stratified with respect to age, sex, season, area of residence and occupation) bitten by ticks in two regions of northern Spain were IFA-tested for B. burgdorferi antibodies. Positive results were confirmed by western blotting. Antibodies specific for B. burgdorferi were found in 13.3% of the patients; 7.8% were IgM positive, 9.6% were IgG positive, and 4.33% were both IgM and IgG positive. Five species of ticks were identified in the seropositive patients: Dermacentor marginatus (41.17% of such patients) Dermacentor reticulatus (11.76%), Rhiphicephalus sanguineus (17.64%), Rhiphicephalus turanicus (5.88%) and Ixodes ricinus (23.52%). B. burgdorferi DNA was sought by PCR in ticks when available. One tick, a D. reticulatus male, was found carrying the pathogen. The seroprevalence found was similar to the previously demonstrated in similar studies in Spain and other European countries

Morphometric study in red varieties of iberian pig breed and Jabugo spotted

We are presenting a morphological study of the red varieties (Torbiscal, Retinto Portugués, Retinto Extremeño, Dorado Gaditano) of the Iberian pig breed and Jabugo Spotted, according to the Association of Breeders (AECERIBER) criteria. We have obtained significant differences among strains and sexes in the quantitative variables analysed also interaction between both factors has been detected. The qualitative variables have shown independence between strains and coat colour, type of hears, type of hair for males and females. Only the complementary particularities have been associated to the strains.Se presenta un estudio morfológico en las variedades rojas del cerdo Ibérico (Torbiscal, Retinto Portugués, Retinto Extremeño, Dorado Gaditano) y Manchado de Jabugo, según los criterios de catalogación de la asociación de criadores AECERIBER. En el estudio de las variables cuantitativas se deducen diferencias significativas entre estirpes y entre sexos y existencia de interacciones entre ambos factores. Para las variables cualitativas encontramos independencia entre el tipo de estirpe y el color de la capa, el tipo de orejas y el tipo de pelo para la muestra de machos y hembras mientras que en caso de las particularidades complementarias los machos presentan asociación para esta variable

Morphometric study in black varieties of Iberian pig breed

We are presenting a morphological study of the black varieties of the Iberian pig breed considering the Lampiño, Entrepelado, Mamellado, Silvela and Mamellado x Silvela strains, according to the Association of Breeders (AECERIBER) criteria. From the quantitative variables study, few significative differences among strains and sexes has been found, with absence of interactions between both factors. Also a posteriori homogeneity among means has been found significative association between strains and the frequencies of the coat colour, the types of hair, the hear type and the complementary particularities in the females, while in males a total independence have been shown.Se presenta un estudio morfológico en las variedades negras del cerdo Ibérico considerándose como tales las estirpes Lampiña, Entrepelado, Mamellado, Silvela y Mamellado x Silvela, según los criterios de catalogación de la asociación de criadores AECERIBER. En el estudio de las variables cuantitativas se deducen escasas diferencias entre estirpes y entre sexos y ausencia de interacciones entre ambos factores. Asimismo se encuentra una gran homogeneidad entre estirpes en el estudio de comparación de medias. Para las variables cualitativas se encuentra asociación significativa entre estirpes y el color de la capa, el tipo de orejas, el tipo de pelo y las particularidades para la muestra de hembras mientras que en los machos hay independencia entre las estirpes y las variables estudiadas

Candidate Genes and Their Expressions Involved in the Regulation of Milk and Meat Production and Quality in Goats (Capra hircus)

Despite their pivotal position as relevant sources for high-quality proteins in particularly hard environmental contexts, the domestic goat has not benefited from the advances made in genomics compared to other livestock species. Genetic analysis based on the study of candidate genes is considered an appropriate approach to elucidate the physiological mechanisms involved in the regulation of the expression of functional traits. This is especially relevant when such functional traits are linked to economic interest. The knowledge of candidate genes, their location on the goat genetic map and the specific phenotypic outcomes that may arise due to the regulation of their expression act as a catalyzer for the efficiency and accuracy of goat-breeding policies, which in turn translates into a greater competitiveness and sustainable profit for goats worldwide. To this aim, this review presents a chronological comprehensive analysis of caprine genetics and genomics through the evaluation of the available literature regarding the main candidate genes involved in meat and milk production and quality in the domestic goat. Additionally, this review aims to serve as a guide for future research, given that the assessment, determination and characterization of the genes associated with desirable phenotypes may provide information that may, in turn, enhance the implementation of goat-breeding programs in future and ensure their sustainability

Estrategias de conservación para Cotoneaster granatensis (Rosaceae), especie catalogada En Peligro de Extinción en la Comunitat Valenciana (España)

Cotoneaster granatensis (Rosaceae) is an endangered species in the Valencian Community with two natural populations known and 37 wild plants located in Alicante province. The strategy applied for conservation of this species comprises three steps in a cyclical method: in situ (first step) - ex situ - in situ (second step). Current conservation status for this species has been evaluated as a part of the first step in situ actions. Ex situ conservation activities consisted of germplasm conservation on seed banks, creation and maintenance of collections of livings plants and production of new plants in order to develop reintroductions (in situ actions: second step) in natural populations. The seed germination is a complex issue, but an effective protocol has been established reaching values over 60% of germination. The plant propagation by cuttings has not been successful. In situ actions such as reducing the threat of herbivory has been also essential to enhance natural populations. The initial results on plantations in the natural habitat show high survival rates of specimens

The Stroop revisited: a meta-analysis of interference control in AD/HD

Background: An inhibition deficit, including poor interference control, has been implicated as one of the core deficits in AD/HD. Interference control is clinically measured by the Stroop Colour-Word Task. The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the strength of an interference deficit in AD/HD as measured by the Stroop Colour-Word Task and to assess the role of moderating variables that could explain the results. These moderating variables included: methods of calculating the interference score, comorbid reading and psychiatric disorders, AD/HD-subtypes, gender, age, intellectual functioning, medication, and sample size. Methods: Seventeen independent studies were located including 1395 children, adolescents, and young adults, in the age range of 6-27 years. A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effect sizes for the scores on the word and the colour card as well as the interference score. Results: Children with AD/HD performed more poorly on all three dependent variables. The effect sizes for word reading (d = .49) and colour naming (d = .58) were larger and more homogeneous than the effect size for the interference score (d = .35). The method used to calculate the interference score strongly influenced the findings for this measure. When interference control was calculated as the difference between the score on the colour card minus the score on the colour-word card, no differences were found between AD/HD groups and normal control groups. Discussion: The Stroop Colour-Word Task, in standard form, does not provide strong evidence for a deficit in interference control in AD/HD. However, the Stroop Colour-Word Task may not be a valid measure of interference control in AD/HD and alternative methodologies may be needed to test this aspect of the inhibitory deficit model in AD/HD. © Association for Child Psychology Psychiatry, 2004

Perspective on Oncogenic Processes at the End of the Beginning of Cancer Genomics

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) has catalyzed systematic characterization of diverse genomic alterations underlying human cancers. At this historic junction marking the completion of genomic characterization of over 11,000 tumors from 33 cancer types, we present our current understanding of the molecular processes governing oncogenesis. We illustrate our insights into cancer through synthesis of the findings of the TCGA PanCancer Atlas project on three facets of oncogenesis: (1) somatic driver mutations, germline pathogenic variants, and their interactions in the tumor; (2) the influence of the tumor genome and epigenome on transcriptome and proteome; and (3) the relationship between tumor and the microenvironment, including implications for drugs targeting driver events and immunotherapies. These results will anchor future characterization of rare and common tumor types, primary and relapsed tumors, and cancers across ancestry groups and will guide the deployment of clinical genomic sequencing

The Immune Landscape of Cancer

We performed an extensive immunogenomic anal-ysis of more than 10,000 tumors comprising 33diverse cancer types by utilizing data compiled byTCGA. Across cancer types, we identified six im-mune subtypes\u2014wound healing, IFN-gdominant,inflammatory, lymphocyte depleted, immunologi-cally quiet, and TGF-bdominant\u2014characterized bydifferences in macrophage or lymphocyte signa-tures, Th1:Th2 cell ratio, extent of intratumoral het-erogeneity, aneuploidy, extent of neoantigen load,overall cell proliferation, expression of immunomod-ulatory genes, and prognosis. Specific drivermutations correlated with lower (CTNNB1,NRAS,orIDH1) or higher (BRAF,TP53,orCASP8) leukocytelevels across all cancers. Multiple control modalitiesof the intracellular and extracellular networks (tran-scription, microRNAs, copy number, and epigeneticprocesses) were involved in tumor-immune cell inter-actions, both across and within immune subtypes.Our immunogenomics pipeline to characterize theseheterogeneous tumors and the resulting data areintended to serve as a resource for future targetedstudies to further advance the field