Minimising Mortality in Endangered Raptors Due to Power Lines: The Importance of Spatial Aggregation to Optimize the Application of Mitigation Measures

Electrocution by power lines is one of the main causes of non-natural mortality in birds of prey. In an area in central Spain, we surveyed 6304 pylons from 333 power lines to determine electrocution rates, environmental and design factors that may influence electrocution and the efficacy of mitigation measures used to minimise electrocution cases. A total of 952 electrocuted raptors, representing 14 different species, were observed. Electrocuted raptors were concentrated in certain areas and the environmental factors associated with increased electrocution events were: greater numbers of prey animals; greater vegetation cover; and shorter distance to roads. The structural elements associated with electrocutions were shorter strings of insulators, one or more phases over the crossarm, cross-shaped design and pylon function. Of the 952 carcasses found, 148 were eagles, including golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) and Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata). Electrocuted eagles were clustered in smaller areas than other electrocuted raptors. The factors associated with increased eagle electrocution events were: pylons function, shorter strings of insulators, higher slopes surrounding the pylon, and more numerous potential prey animals. Pylons with increased string of insulators had lower raptor electrocution rates than unimproved pylons, although this technique was unsuccessful for eagles. Pylons with cable insulation showed higher electrocution rates than unimproved pylons, both for raptors and eagles, despite this is the most widely used and recommended mitigation measure in several countries. To optimize the application of mitigation measures, our results recommend the substitution of pin-type insulators to suspended ones and elongating the strings of insulators

Baixa percepção de risco entre adolescentes espanhóis em relação ao consumo de álcool

Según los estudios recientes, los adolescentes españoles muestran una baja percepción del riesgo asociado al consumo de alcohol. El objetivo de la presente investigación es analizar los factores que favorecen esta baja percepción a partir de la opinión de un grupo de 32 profesionales/expertos en adolescencia, familia, escuela, medios de comunicación y políticas locales. Se utilizó una metodología cualitativa, fundamentada en Grounded Theory, a partir de la información obtenida mediante 5 grupos de discusión guiados por entrevistas semiestructuradas. Se identificaron 12 factores o subcategorías agrupados en 4 categorías generales: riesgo a corto plazo, inmediatez y percepción de invulnerabilidad (categoría ¿pensamiento adolescente¿); concepción benévola del alcohol, normalización del consumo y binomio alcohol-diversión (categoría ¿normas sociales¿); consumo habitual en los padres, inconsistencia verbal-no verbal en el modelado parental, consumo sin riesgo en los medios, consumo con resultados positivos en los medios (categoría ¿modelos sociales¿); excesivo contenido sanitario, riesgo a largo plazo (categoría ¿discurso preventivo¿). Tras discutir los resultados en el contexto de la literatura científica actual, se realizan varias propuestas con el objetivo de aumentar la percepción del riesgo en los adolescentes: incidir con mayor fuerza en contenidos sobre los riesgos a corto plazo del alcohol; orientar las estrategias educativas dirigidas al adolescente, también hacia los agentes de socialización, especialmente los padres; incidir en políticas centradas en la sustancia y en reducir la oferta.According to recent studies, Spanish adolescents show low perception of risk in alcohol consumption. The current study aims to analyze the factors that favor this low perception based on the opinion of a group of 32 professional experts on adolescence, family, school, mass media, and local policies. A qualitative methodology was used, based on Grounded Theory, using information from 5 focus groups guided by semi-structured interviews. Twelve factors or subcategories were identified, grouped in 4 general categories: short-term risk, immediacy, and perception of invulnerability (¿adolescent thinking¿ category); benevolent view of alcohol, normalization of consumption, and alcohol-entertainment binomial (¿social norms¿ category); parents¿ habitual consumption, verbal/non-verbal inconsistency in parental model, risk-free consumption depicted in the mass media, consumption with positive results in the media (¿social models¿ category); and excessive health content, long-term risk (¿preventive discourse¿ category). After discussing the results in the context of the current scientific literature, the article offers various proposals for increasing risk perception in adolescents: stronger impact of contents on short-term risks of alcohol; educational strategies targeted to adolescents to include agents of socialization, especially parents; and policies centered on the substance and reduction of supply.De acordo com estudos recentes, os adolescentes espanhóis mostram baixa percepção de risco em relação ao consumo de álcool. O estudo tem como objetivo analisar os fatores associados com a baixa percepção de risco, com base nas opiniões de um grupo de 32 especialistas em adolescência, família, escola, mídia e políticas locais. Foi utilizada uma metodologia qualitativa, baseada na Teoria Fundamentada, usando informações de cinco grupos focais orientados por entrevistas semi-estruturadas. Foram identificados 12 fatores ou subcategorias, agrupados em quatro categorias gerais: risco no curto prazo, imediatismo e percepção de invulnerabilidade (categoria de ¿pensamento adolescente¿); visão benevolente em relação ao álcool, normalização do consumo e binômio álcool-entretenimento (categoria de ¿normas sociais¿); consumo habitual pelos pais, inconsistência na comunicação verbal versus não verbal no modelo representado pelos pais, consumo isento de risco retratado pela mídia, consumo com resultados positivos na mídia (categoria de ¿modelos sociais¿) e excesso de conteúdo relacionado à saúde, risco no longo prazo (categoria de ¿discurso preventivo¿). Depois de discutir os resultados no contexto da literatura científica atual, o artigo oferece várias propostas para aumentar a percepção de risco entre os adolescentes: impacto mais forte de conteúdos sobre os riscos do álcool no curto prazo; estratégias educativas orientadas aos adolescentes para incluir os agentes da socialização, especialmente os pais, além de políticas centradas na substância e na redução da oferta.Departamento de Educación y Psicología SocialVersión del edito

Genetic Structure of Modern Durum Wheat Cultivars and Mediterranean Landraces Matches with Their Agronomic Performance

A collection of 172 durum wheat landraces from 21 Mediterranean countries and 20 modern cultivars were phenotyped in 6 environments for 14 traits including phenology, biomass, yield and yield components. The genetic structure of the collection was ascertained with 44 simple sequence repeat markers that identified 448 alleles, 226 of them with a frequency lower than 5%, and 10 alleles per locus on average. In the modern cultivars all the alleles were fixed in 59% of the markers. Total genetic diversity was HT = 0.7080 and the genetic differentiation value was GST = 0.1730. STRUCTURE software allocated 90.1% of the accessions in five subpopulations, one including all modern cultivars, and the four containing landrace related to their geographic origin: eastern Mediterranean, eastern Balkans and Turkey, western Balkans and Egypt, and western Mediterranean. Mean yield of subpopulations ranged from 2.6 t ha-1 for the western Balkan and Egyptian landraces to 4.0 t ha-1 for modern cultivars, with the remaining three subpopulations showing similar values of 3.1 t ha-1. Modern cultivars had the highest number of grains m-2 and harvest index, and the shortest cycle length. The diversity was lowest in modern cultivars (HT = 0.4835) and highest in landraces from the western Balkans and Egypt (HT = 0.6979). Genetic diversity and AMOVA indicated that variability between subpopulations was much lower (17%) than variability within them (83%), though all subpopulations had similar biomass values in all growth stages. A dendrogram based on simple sequence repeat data matched with the clusters obtained by STRUCTURE, improving this classification for some accessions that have a large admixture. landraces included in the subpopulation from the eastern Balkans and Turkey were separated into two branches in the dendrogram drawn with phenotypic data, suggesting a different origin for the landraces collected in Serbia and Macedonia. The current study shows a reliable relationship between genetic and phenotypic population structures, and the connection of both with the geographic origin of the landraces.The research was funded by the Ministerio de Economía y competitividad project AGL-2006-09226-C02-01, and Dr. Jose Miguel Soriano is funded by Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (http://www.mineco.gob.es/)

FGF10 maintains distal lung bud epithelium and excessive signaling leads to progenitor state arrest, distalization, and goblet cell metaplasia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Interaction with the surrounding mesenchyme is necessary for development of endodermal organs, and Fibroblast growth factors have recently emerged as mesenchymal-expressed morphogens that direct endodermal morphogenesis. The fibroblast growth factor 10 (<it>Fgf10</it>) null mouse is characterized by the absence of lung bud development. Previous studies have shown that this requirement for <it>Fgf10 </it>is due in part to its role as a chemotactic factor during branching morphogenesis. In other endodermal organs <it>Fgf10 </it>also plays a role in regulating differentiation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Through gain-of-function analysis, we here find that FGF10 inhibits differentiation of the lung epithelium and promotes distalization of the embryonic lung. Ectopic expression of FGF10 in the lung epithelium caused impaired lung development and perinatal lethality in a transgenic mouse model. Lung lobes were enlarged due to increased interlobular distance and hyperplasia of the airway epithelium. Differentiation of bronchial and alveolar cell lineages was inhibited. The transgenic epithelium consisted predominantly of proliferating progenitor-like cells expressing Pro-surfactant protein C, TTF1, PEA3 and Clusterin similarly to immature distal tip cells. Strikingly, goblet cells developed within this arrested epithelium leading to goblet cell hyperplasia.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We conclude that FGF10 inhibits terminal differentiation in the embryonic lung and maintains the distal epithelium, and that excessive levels of FGF10 leads to metaplastic differentiation of goblet cells similar to that seen in chronic inflammatory diseases.</p

Essential versus accessory aspects of cell death: recommendations of the NCCD 2015

Cells exposed to extreme physicochemical or mechanical stimuli die in an uncontrollable manner, as a result of their immediate structural breakdown. Such an unavoidable variant of cellular demise is generally referred to as ‘accidental cell death’ (ACD). In most settings, however, cell death is initiated by a genetically encoded apparatus, correlating with the fact that its course can be altered by pharmacologic or genetic interventions. ‘Regulated cell death’ (RCD) can occur as part of physiologic programs or can be activated once adaptive responses to perturbations of the extracellular or intracellular microenvironment fail. The biochemical phenomena that accompany RCD may be harnessed to classify it into a few subtypes, which often (but not always) exhibit stereotyped morphologic features. Nonetheless, efficiently inhibiting the processes that are commonly thought to cause RCD, such as the activation of executioner caspases in the course of apoptosis, does not exert true cytoprotective effects in the mammalian system, but simply alters the kinetics of cellular demise as it shifts its morphologic and biochemical correlates. Conversely, bona fide cytoprotection can be achieved by inhibiting the transduction of lethal signals in the early phases of the process, when adaptive responses are still operational. Thus, the mechanisms that truly execute RCD may be less understood, less inhibitable and perhaps more homogeneous than previously thought. Here, the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death formulates a set of recommendations to help scientists and researchers to discriminate between essential and accessory aspects of cell death

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

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The management of acute venous thromboembolism in clinical practice. Results from the European PREFER in VTE Registry

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe. Data from real-world registries are necessary, as clinical trials do not represent the full spectrum of VTE patients seen in clinical practice. We aimed to document the epidemiology, management and outcomes of VTE using data from a large, observational database. PREFER in VTE was an international, non-interventional disease registry conducted between January 2013 and July 2015 in primary and secondary care across seven European countries. Consecutive patients with acute VTE were documented and followed up over 12 months. PREFER in VTE included 3,455 patients with a mean age of 60.8 ± 17.0 years. Overall, 53.0 % were male. The majority of patients were assessed in the hospital setting as inpatients or outpatients (78.5 %). The diagnosis was deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) in 59.5 % and pulmonary embolism (PE) in 40.5 %. The most common comorbidities were the various types of cardiovascular disease (excluding hypertension; 45.5 %), hypertension (42.3 %) and dyslipidaemia (21.1 %). Following the index VTE, a large proportion of patients received initial therapy with heparin (73.2 %), almost half received a vitamin K antagonist (48.7 %) and nearly a quarter received a DOAC (24.5 %). Almost a quarter of all presentations were for recurrent VTE, with &gt;80 % of previous episodes having occurred more than 12 months prior to baseline. In conclusion, PREFER in VTE has provided contemporary insights into VTE patients and their real-world management, including their baseline characteristics, risk factors, disease history, symptoms and signs, initial therapy and outcomes