Prevalence of diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose regulation in Spain: the [email protected] Study

Introduction: atherosclerosis, blood vessel disease, is the main cause of cardiovascular disease associated with aging; comprising modifiable risk factors that increase because of this when it exists.Objective: to evaluate atherogenic markers and metabolic syndrome in older adults, with cardiovascular risk living in urban areas, Pinar del Río province. Methods: observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study, from the service of Clinical Laboratory at Abel Santamaría Cuadrado Teaching General Hospital  Pinar del Río with 60 years old and older patients from the urban areas, during the period 2013 - 2014. The target group included 588 patients. The sample comprised 100 patients who have at least two risk factors previously established for this study.Results: ample predominance of women (61.0 %), the risk factors of higher incidence were hypertension 67 %, and sedentary lifestyle 65 %, followed by obesity 48 %, diabetes mellitus 40 % along with smoking habit 32 %, obese with increased diameters of waist circumference 48 %, and dyslipidemia 49 %, those with high glycemic values in fasting 50 % of the sample. It was considered that 63 % of the patients studied suffer from metabolic syndrome.Conclusions: a high number of white-skin women, the predominant risk factors were hypertension followed by sedentary lifestyle, obesity, diabetes mellitus and smoking habit. Approximately half of the sample was obese with increased diameters of the waist circumference, a large part suffered from dyslipidemia and half of them showed high fasting blood glucose levels. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was detected.IIntroducción: aterosclerosis, enfermedad de los vasos sanguíneos, principal causa de enfermedad cardiovascular vinculada al envejecimiento, con factores de riesgo modificables que se incrementan cuando esta existe.Objetivo: evaluar marcadores aterogénicos y síndrome metabólico en adultos mayores, con riesgo cardiovascular residentes en zonas urbanas de la provincia Pinar del Río.Métodos: estudio observacional, descriptivo, transversal, servicio de Laboratorio Clínico Hospital General Docente “Abel Santamaría Cuadrado” Pinar del Río, pacientes de 60 años y más de zonas urbanas, durante período 2013 - 2014. Universo de 588 pacientes. Muestra de 100 pacientes que posean mínimo de dos factores de riesgo establecidos con anterioridad para este estudio.Resultados: amplio predominio de las mujeres (61 %). Factores de riesgo de mayor incidencia hipertensión arterial 67 %, y sedentarismo 65 %, seguidos por obesidad 48 %, diabetes mellitus 40 % y hábito de fumar 32 %, obesos con diámetros aumentados de la circunferencia de la cintura 48 %, presentaban dislipidemia 49 % y tenían elevados valores de glucemia en ayunas el 50 % de la muestra. Se consideró que 63 % de los pacientes estudiados presentaron síndrome metabólico.Conclusiones: elevado número de mujeres de piel blanca, con factor de riesgo predominante de hipertensión arterial seguido por sedentarismo, obesidad, diabetes mellitus y hábito de fumar. Alrededor de la mitad de la muestra fueron obesos con diámetros aumentados de la circunferencia de la cintura, gran parte presentaban dislipidemia y la mitad altos valores de glucemia en ayunas. Se detecta prevalencia de síndrome metabólico

Traditional Taxonomic Groupings Mask Evolutionary History: A Molecular Phylogeny and New Classification of the Chromodorid Nudibranchs

Chromodorid nudibranchs (16 genera, 300+ species) are beautiful, brightly colored sea slugs found primarily in tropical coral reef habitats and subtropical coastal waters. The chromodorids are the most speciose family of opisthobranchs and one of the most diverse heterobranch clades. Chromodorids have the potential to be a model group with which to study diversification, color pattern evolution, are important source organisms in natural products chemistry and represent a stunning and widely compelling example of marine biodiversity. Here, we present the most complete molecular phylogeny of the chromodorid nudibranchs to date, with a broad sample of 244 specimens (142 new), representing 157 (106 new) chromodorid species, four actinocylcid species and four additional dorid species utilizing two mitochondrial markers (16s and COI). We confirmed the monophyly of the Chromodorididae and its sister group relationship with the Actinocyclidae. We were also able to, for the first time, test generic monophyly by including more than one member of all 14 of the non-monotypic chromodorid genera. Every one of these 14 traditional chromodorid genera are either non-monophyletic, or render another genus paraphyletic. Additionally, both the monotypic genera Verconia and Diversidoris are nested within clades. Based on data shown here, there are three individual species and five clades limited to the eastern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans (or just one of these ocean regions), while the majority of chromodorid clades and species are strictly Indo-Pacific in distribution. We present a new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. We use molecular data to untangle evolutionary relationships and retain a historical connection to traditional systematics by using generic names attached to type species as clade names

Does Proximity to Retailers Influence Alcohol and Tobacco Use Among Latino Adolescents?

Despite decades of research surrounding determinants of alcohol and tobacco (A&T) use among adolescents, built environment influences have only recently been explored. This study used ordinal regression on 205 Latino adolescents to explore the influence of the built environment (proximity to A&T retailers) on A&T use, while controlling for recognized social predictors. The sample was 45% foreign-born. A&T use was associated with distance from respondents’ home to the nearest A&T retailer (−), acculturation (+), parents’ consistent use of contingency management (−), peer use of A&T (+), skipping school (+), attending school in immediate proximity to the US/Mexico border (+), and the interaction between the distance to the nearest retailer and parents’ consistent use of contingency management (+). The association between decreasing distance to the nearest A&T retailer and increased A&T use in Latino adolescents reveals an additional risk behavior determinant in the US–Mexico border region

Sex Differences in Poststroke Cognitive Impairment: A Multicenter Study in 2343 Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke

BACKGROUND: Poststroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) occurs in about half of stroke survivors. Cumulative evidence indicates that functional outcomes of stroke are worse in women than men. Yet it is unknown whether the occurrence and characteristics of PSCI differ between men and women. METHODS: Individual patient data from 9 cohorts of patients with ischemic stroke were harmonized and pooled through the Meta-VCI-Map consortium (n=2343, 38% women). We included patients with visible symptomatic infarcts on computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging and cognitive assessment within 15 months after stroke. PSCI was defined as impairment in ≥1 cognitive domains on neuropsychological assessment. Logistic regression analyses were performed to compare men to women, adjusted for study cohort, to obtain odds ratios for PSCI and individual cognitive domains. We also explored sensitivity and specificity of cognitive screening tools for detecting PSCI, according to sex (Mini-Mental State Examination, 4 cohorts, n=1814; Montreal Cognitive Assessment, 3 cohorts, n=278). RESULTS: PSCI was found in 51% of both women and men. Men had a lower risk of impairment of attention and executive functioning (men: odds ratio, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.61-0.96]), and language (men: odds ratio, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.45-0.85]), but a higher risk of verbal memory impairment (men: odds ratio, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.17-1.75]). The sensitivity of Mini-Mental State Examination (<25) for PSCI was higher for women (0.53) than for men (0.27; P=0.02), with a lower specificity for women (0.80) than men (0.96; P=0.01). Sensitivity and specificity of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (<26.) for PSCI was comparable between women and men (0.91 versus 0.86; P=0.62 and 0.29 versus 0.28; P=0.86, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Sex was not associated with PSCI occurrence but affected domains differed between men and women. The latter may explain why sensitivity of the Mini-Mental State Examination for detecting PSCI was higher in women with a lower specificity compared with men. These sex differences need to be considered when screening for and diagnosing PSCI in clinical practice

Depletion of abscisic acid levels in roots of flooded Carrizo citrange (Poncirus trifoliata L. Raf. x Citrus sinensis L. Osb.) plants is a stress-specific response associated to the differential expression of PYR/PYL/RCAR receptors

[EN] Soil flooding reduces root abscisic acid (ABA) levels in citrus, conversely to what happens under drought. Despite this reduction, microarray analyses suggested the existence of a residual ABA signaling in roots of flooded Carrizo citrange seedlings. The comparison of ABA metabolism and signaling in roots of flooded and water stressed plants of Carrizo citrange revealed that the hormone depletion was linked to the upregulation of CsAOG, involved in ABA glycosyl ester (ABAGE) synthesis, and to a moderate induction of catabolism (CsCYP707A, an ABA 8'-hydroxylase) and buildup of dehydrophaseic acid (DPA). Drought strongly induced both ABA biosynthesis and catabolism (CsNCED1, 9-cis-neoxanthin epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 1, and CsCYP707A) rendering a significant hormone accumulation. In roots of flooded plants, restoration of control ABA levels after stress release was associated to the upregulation of CsBGLU18 (an ABA beta-glycosidase) that cleaves ABAGE. Transcriptional profile of ABA receptor genes revealed a different induction in response to soil flooding (CsPYL5) or drought (CsPYL8). These two receptor genes along with CsPYL1 were cloned and expressed in a heterologous system. Recombinant CsPYL5 inhibited Delta NHAB1 activity in vitro at lower ABA concentrations than CsPYL8 or CsPYL1, suggesting its better performance under soil flooding conditions. Both stress conditions induced ABA-responsive genes CsABI5 and CsDREB2A similarly, suggesting the occurrence of ABA signaling in roots of flooded citrus seedlings. The impact of reduced ABA levels in flooded roots on CsPYL5 expression along with its higher hormone affinity reinforce the role of this ABA receptor under soil-flooding conditions and explain the expression of certain ABA-responsive genes.This work was supported by Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO), Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) and Universitat Jaume I through grants No. AGL201676574-R, UJI-B2016-23/UJI-B2016-24 to A.G-C. and V.A. and MINECO, FEDER and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) through grant BIO2014-52537-R to P.L.R. S.I.Z. and M.M. were supported by predoctoral grants from Universitat Jaume I and Generalitat Valenciana, respectively. M.G.G. was recipient of a "JAE-DOC" contract from the CSIC. Mass spectrometry analyses were performed at the central facilities (Servei Central d'Instrumentacio Cientifica, SCIC) of Universitat Jaume I.Arbona, V.; Zandalinas, SI.; Manzi, M.; González Guzmán, M.; Rodríguez Egea, PL.; Gómez-Cadenas, A. (2017). Depletion of abscisic acid levels in roots of flooded Carrizo citrange (Poncirus trifoliata L. Raf. x Citrus sinensis L. Osb.) plants is a stress-specific response associated to the differential expression of PYR/PYL/RCAR receptors. Plant Molecular Biology. 93(6):623-640. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-017-0587-7S623640936Agarwal PK, Jha B (2010) Transcription factors in plants and ABA dependent and independent abiotic stress signalling. Biol Plant 54:201–212Agustí J, Merelo P, Cercós M, Tadeo FR, Talón M (2008) Ethylene-induced differential gene expression during abscission of citrus leaves. J Exp Bot 59:2717–2733. doi: 10.1093/jxb/ern138Antoni R, Gonzalez-Guzman M, Rodriguez L, Rodrigues A, Pizzio G, Rodriguez PL (2012) Selective inhibition of clade a phosphatases type 2 C by PYR/PYL/RCAR abscisic acid receptors. Plant Physiol 158:970–980. doi: 10.1104/pp.111.188623Antoni R, Gonzalez-Guzman M, Rodriguez L, Peirats-Llobet M, Pizzio G, Fernandez M, De Winne N, De Jaeger G, Dietrich D, Bennett MJ, Rodriguez PL (2013) PYRABACTIN RESISTANCE1-LIKE8 plays an important role for the regulation of abscisic acid signaling in root. Plant Physiol 161:491–931. doi: 10.1104/pp.112.208678Arbona V, Gómez-Cadenas A (2008) Hormonal modulation of citrus responses to flooding. J Plant Growth Regul 27:241–250. doi: 10.1007/s00344-008-9051-xArbona V, López-climent MF, Pérez-Clemente RM, Gómez-cadenas A (2009) Maintenance of a high photosynthetic performance is linked to flooding tolerance in citrus. Environ Exp Bot 66:135–142. doi: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2008.12.011Argamasilla R, Gómez-Cadenas A, Arbona V (2013) Metabolic and regulatory responses in citrus rootstocks in response to adverse environmental conditions. J Plant Growth Regul 33:169–180. doi: 10.1007/s00344-013-9359-zBaron KN, Schroeder DF, Stasolla C (2012) Transcriptional response of abscisic acid (ABA) metabolism and transport to cold and heat stress applied at the reproductive stage of development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Sci 188–189:48–59. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2012.03.001Benschop JJ, Millenaar FF, Smeets ME, Van Zanten M, Voesenek LACJ, Peeters AJM (2007) Abscisic acid antagonizes ethylene-induced hyponastic growth in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol 143:1013–1023Chen R, Jiang H, Li L, Zhai Q, Qi L, Zhou W, Liu X, Li H, Zheng W, Sun J, Li C (2012) The Arabidopsis mediator subunit MED25 differentially regulates jasmonate and abscisic acid signaling through interacting with the MYC2 and ABI5 transcription factors. Plant Cell 24:2898–2916. doi: 10.1105/tpc.112.098277De Ollas C, Hernando B, Arbona V, Gómez-Cadenas A (2013) Jasmonic acid transient accumulation is needed for abscisic acid increase in citrus roots under drought stress conditions. Physiol Plant 147:296–306. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-3054.2012.01659.xDupeux F, Santiago J, Betz K, Twycross J, Park S-Y, Rodriguez L, Gonzalez-Guzman M, Jensen MR, Krasnogor N, Blackledge M, Holdsworth M, Cutler SR, Rodriguez PL, Márquez JA (2011) A thermodynamic switch modulates abscisic acid receptor sensitivity. EMBO J 30:4171–4184. doi: 10.1038/emboj.2011.294Finkelstein RR, Rock CD (2002) Abscisic Acid biosynthesis and response. Arabidopsis Book 1:e0058. doi: 10.1199/tab.0058Fuchs S, Tischer SV, Wunschel C, Christmann A, Grill E (2014) Abscisic acid sensor RCAR7/PYL13, specific regulator of protein phosphatase coreceptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 111:5741–5746. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1322085111Fukao T, Yeung E, Bailey-Serres J (2011) The submergence tolerance regulator SUB1A mediates crosstalk between submergence and drought tolerance in rice. Plant Cell 23:412–427. doi: 10.1105/tpc.110.080325Gonzalez-Guzman M, Rodriguez L, Lorenzo-Orts L, Pons C, Sarrion-Perdigones A, Fernandez M a, Peirats-Llobet M, Forment J, Moreno-Alvero M, Cutler SR, Albert A, Granell A, Rodriguez PL (2014) Tomato PYR/PYL/RCAR abscisic acid receptors show high expression in root, differential sensitivity to the abscisic acid agonist quinabactin, and the capability to enhance plant drought resistance. J Exp Bot 65:1–14. doi: 10.1093/jxb/eru219González-Guzmán M, Apostolova N, Bellés JM, Barrero JM, Piqueras P, Ponce MR, Micol JL, Serrano R, Rodríguez PL (2002) The short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase ABA2 catalyzes the conversion of xanthoxin to abscisic aldehyde. Plant Cell 14:1833–1846. doi: 10.1105/tpc.002477.developmentHsu F-C, Chou M-Y, Peng H-P, Chou S-J, Shih M-C (2011) Insights into hypoxic systemic responses based on analyses of transcriptional regulation in Arabidopsis. PLoS ONE 6:e28888. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028888Krochko JE, Abrams GD, Loewen MK, Abrams SR, Cutler AJ (1998) (+)-Abscisic Acid 8-hydroxylase is a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase. Plant Physiol 860:849–860. doi: 10.1104/pp.118.3.849Lawlor DW (2013) Genetic engineering to improve plant performance under drought: physiological evaluation of achievements, limitations, and possibilities. J Exp Bot 64:83–108. doi: 10.1093/jxb/ers326Lee SC, Luan S (2012) ABA signal transduction at the crossroad of biotic and abiotic stress responses. Plant Cell Environ 35:53–60. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3040.2011.02426.xLiu Q, Kasuga M, Sakuma Y, Abe H, Miura S, Yamaguchi-Shinozaki K, Shinozaki K (1998) Two transcription factors, DREB1 and DREB2, with an EREBP/AP2 DNA binding domain separate two cellular signal transduction pathways in drought- and low-temperature-responsive gene expression, respectively, in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 10:1391–1406Mittal A, Gampala SSL, Ritchie GL, Payton P, Burke JJ, Rock CD (2014) Related to ABA-Insensitive3(ABI3)/Viviparous1 and AtABI5 transcription factor coexpression in cotton enhances drought stress adaptation. Plant Biotechnol J 12:578–589. doi: 10.1111/pbi.12162Naika M, Shameer K, Mathew OK, Gowda R, Sowdhamini R (2013) STIFDB2: an updated version of plant stress-responsive transcription factor database with additional stress signals, stress-responsive transcription factor binding sites and stress-responsive genes in Arabidopsis and rice. Plant Cell Physiol 54:e8. doi: 10.1093/pcp/pcs185Nambara E, Marion-Poll A (2005) Abscisic acid biosynthesis and catabolism. Annu Rev Plant Biol 56:165–185. doi: 10.1146/annurev.arplant.56.032604.144046Narusaka Y, Nakashima K, Shinwari ZK, Sakuma Y, Furihata T, Abe H, Narusaka M, Shinozaki K, Yamaguchi-Shinozaki K (2003) Interaction between two cis-acting elements, ABRE and DRE, in ABA-dependent expression of Arabidopsis rd29A gene in response to dehydration and high-salinity stresses. Plant J 34:137–148Okamoto M, Kuwahara A, Seo M, Kushiro T, Asami T, Hirai N (2006) CYP707A1 and CYP707A2, which encode abscisic acid 8′-hydroxylases, are indispensable for proper control of seed dormancy and germination in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol 141:97–107. doi: 10.1104/pp.106.079475.1Okamoto M, Peterson FC, Defries A, Park S-Y, Endo A, Nambara E, Volkman BF, Cutler SR (2013) Activation of dimeric ABA receptors elicits guard cell closure, ABA-regulated gene expression, and drought tolerance. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110:12132–12137. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1305919110Priest DM, Ambrose SJ, Vaistij FE, Elias L, Higgins GS, Ross ARS, Abrams SR, Bowles DJ (2006) Use of the glucosyltransferase UGT71B6 to disturb abscisic acid homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J 46:492–502. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2006.02701.xRitchie M, Phipson B, Wu D, Hu Y, Law C, Shi W, Smyth G (2015) Limma powers differential expression analyses for RNA-sequencing and microarray studies. Nucleic Acids Res 43:e47Rodríguez-Gamir J, Ancillo G, González-Mas MC, Primo-Millo E, Iglesias DJ, Forner-Giner MA (2011) Root signalling and modulation of stomatal closure in flooded citrus seedlings. Plant Physiol Biochem 49:636–645. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2011.03.003Romero P, Lafuente MT, Rodrigo MJ (2012a) The Citrus ABA signalosome: identification and transcriptional regulation during sweet orange fruit ripening and leaf dehydration. J Exp Bot 63:4931–4945Romero P, Rodrigo MJ, Alférez F, Ballester A-R, González-Candelas L, Zacarías L, Lafuente MT (2012b) Unravelling molecular responses to moderate dehydration in harvested fruit of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) using a fruit-specific ABA-deficient mutant. J Exp Bot 63:2753–2767. doi: 10.1093/jxb/err461Saika H, Okamoto M, Miyoshi K, Kushiro T, Shinoda S, Jikumaru Y, Fujimoto M, Arikawa T, Takahashi H, Ando M, Arimura S-I, Miyao A, Hirochika H, Kamiya Y, Tsutsumi N, Nambara E, Nakazono M (2007) Ethylene promotes submergence-induced expression of OsABA8ox1, a gene that encodes ABA 8′-hydroxylase in rice. Plant Cell Physiol 48:287–298. doi: 10.1093/pcp/pcm003Santiago J, Dupeux F, Betz K, Antoni R, Gonzalez-Guzman M, Rodriguez L, Márquez JA, Rodriguez PL (2012) Structural insights into PYR/PYL/RCAR ABA receptors and PP2Cs. Plant Sci 182:3–11. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2010.11.014Schroeder JI, Nambara E (2006) A quick release mechanism for abscisic acid. Cell 126:1023–1025. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2006.09.001Seiler C, Harshavardhan VT, Rajesh K, Reddy PS, Strickert M, Rolletschek H, Scholz U, Wobus U, Sreenivasulu N (2011) ABA biosynthesis and degradation contributing to ABA homeostasis during barley seed development under control and terminal drought-stress conditions. J Exp Bot 62:2615–2632. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erq446Shimamura S, Yoshioka T, Yamamoto R, Hiraga S, Nakamura T, Shimada S, Komatsu S (2014) Role of abscisic acid in flood-induced secondary aerenchyma formation in soybean (Glycine max) hypocotyls. Plant Prod Sci 17:131–137. doi: 10.1626/pps.17.131Szostkiewicz I, Richter K, Kepka M, Demmel S, Ma Y, Korte A, Assaad FF, Christmann A, Grill E (2010) Closely related receptor complexes differ in their ABA selectivity and sensitivity. Plant J 61:25–35. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2009.04025.xTanaka H, Osakabe Y, Katsura S, Mizuno S, Maruyama K, Kusakabe K, Mizoi J, Shinozaki K, Yamaguchi-Shinozaki K (2012) Abiotic stress-inducible receptor-like kinases negatively control ABA signaling in Arabidopsis. Plant J 70:599–613. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2012.04901.xValdés AE, Övernäs E, Johansson H, Rada-Iglesias A, Engström P (2012) The homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) class I transcription factors ATHB7 and ATHB12 modulate abscisic acid signalling by regulating protein phosphatase 2C and abscisic acid receptor gene activities. Plant Mol Biol 80:405–418. doi: 10.1007/s11103-012-9956-4Weng J-K, Ye M, Noel JP (2016) Co-evolution of hormone metabolism and signaling networks expands plant adaptive plasticity. Cell 166:881–893Yamaguchi M, Sharp RE (2010) Complexity and coordination of root growth at low water potentials: recent advances from transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. Plant Cell Environ 33:590–603. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3040.2009.02064.xYoshida T, Mogami J, Yamaguchi-Shinozaki K (2014) ABA-dependent and ABA-independent signaling in response to osmotic stress in plants. Curr Opin Plant Biol 21C:133–139. doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2014.07.009Zhao Y, Xing L, Wang X, Hou Y-H, Gao J, Wang P, Duan C-G, Zhu X, Zhu J-K (2014) The ABA receptor PYL8 promotes lateral root growth by enhancing MYB77-dependent transcription of auxin-responsive genes. Sci Signal 7:ra53Zou M, Guan Y, Ren H, Zhang F, Chen F (2008) A bZIP transcription factor, OsABI5, is involved in rice fertility and stress tolerance. Plant Mol Biol 66:675–683. doi: 10.1007/s11103-008-9298-

Network impact score is an independent predictor of post-stroke cognitive impairment: A multicenter cohort study in 2341 patients with acute ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND: Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is a common consequence of stroke. Accurate prediction of PSCI risk is challenging. The recently developed network impact score, which integrates information on infarct location and size with brain network topology, may improve PSCI risk prediction. AIMS: To determine if the network impact score is an independent predictor of PSCI, and of cognitive recovery or decline. METHODS: We pooled data from patients with acute ischemic stroke from 12 cohorts through the Meta VCI Map consortium. PSCI was defined as impairment in ≥ 1 cognitive domain on neuropsychological examination, or abnormal Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Cognitive recovery was defined as conversion from PSCI 24 months) and cognitive recovery or decline using logistic regression. Models were adjusted for age, sex, education, prior stroke, infarct volume, and study site. RESULTS: We included 2341 patients with 4657 cognitive assessments. PSCI was present in 398/844 patients (47%) 24 months. Cognitive recovery occurred in 64/181 (35%) patients and cognitive decline in 26/287 (9%). The network impact score predicted PSCI in the univariable (OR 1.50, 95%CI 1.34-1.68) and multivariable (OR 1.27, 95%CI 1.10-1.46) GEE model, with similar ORs in the logistic regression models for specified post-stroke intervals. The network impact score was not associated with cognitive recovery or decline. CONCLUSIONS: The network impact score is an independent predictor of PSCI. As such, the network impact score may contribute to a more precise and individualized cognitive prognostication in patients with ischemic stroke. Future studies should address if multimodal prediction models, combining the network impact score with demographics, clinical characteristics and other advanced brain imaging biomarkers, will provide accurate individualized prediction of PSCI. A tool for calculating the network impact score is freely available at https://metavcimap.org/features/software-tools/lsm-viewer/

Amygdala inputs to prefrontal cortex guide behavior amid conflicting cues of reward and punishment

Orchestrating appropriate behavioral responses in the face of competing signals that predict either rewards or threats in the environment is crucial for survival. The basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) and prelimbic (PL) medial prefrontal cortex have been implicated in reward-seeking and fear-related responses, but how information flows between these reciprocally connected structures to coordinate behavior is unknown. We recorded neuronal activity from the BLA and PL while rats performed a task wherein competing shock- and sucrose-predictive cues were simultaneously presented. The correlated firing primarily displayed a BLA→PL directionality during the shock-associated cue. Furthermore, BLA neurons optogenetically identified as projecting to PL more accurately predicted behavioral responses during competition than unidentified BLA neurons. Finally photostimulation of the BLA→PL projection increased freezing, whereas both chemogenetic and optogenetic inhibition reduced freezing. Therefore, the BLA→PL circuit is critical in governing the selection of behavioral responses in the face of competing signals.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Award 1R25-MH092912-01)National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) (Grant R01- MH102441-01)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Award DP2- DK-102256-01

Assessment of the Food Habits of the Moroccan Dorcas Gazelle in M’Sabih Talaa, West Central Morocco, Using the trnL Approach

Food habits of the Moroccan dorcas gazelle, Gazella dorcas massaesyla, previously investigated in the 1980s using microhistological fecal analysis, in the M’Sabih Talaa Reserve, west central Morocco, were re-evaluated over three seasons (spring, summer and autumn 2009) using the trnL approach to determine the diet composition and its seasonal variation from fecal samples. Taxonomic identification was carried out using the identification originating from the database built from EMBL and the list of plant species within the reserve. The total taxonomic richness in the reserve was 130 instead of 171 species in the 1980s. The diet composition revealed to be much more diversified (71 plant taxa belonging to 57 genus and 29 families) than it was 22 years ago (29 identified taxa). Thirty-four taxa were newly identified in the diet while 13 reported in 1986–87 were not found. Moroccan dorcas gazelle showed a high preference to Acacia gummifera, Anagallis arvensis, Glebionis coronaria, Cladanthus arabicus, Diplotaxis tenuisiliqua, Erodium salzmannii, Limonium thouini, Lotus arenarius and Zizyphus lotus. Seasonal variations occurred in both number (40–41 taxa in spring-summer and 49 taxa in autumn vs. respectively 23–22 and 26 in 1986–1987) and taxonomic type of eaten plant taxa. This dietary diversification could be attributed either to the difference in methods of analysis, trnL approach having a higher taxonomic resolution, or a potential change in nutritional quality of plants over time

Yeasts associated with the production of distilled alcoholic beverages

Distilled alcoholic beverages are produced firstly by fermenting sugars emanating from cereal starches (in the case of whiskies), sucrose-rich plants (in the case of rums), fructooligosaccharide-rich plants (in the case of tequila) or from fruits (in the case of brandies). Traditionally, such fermentations were conducted in a spontaneous fashion, relying on indigenous microbiota, including wild yeasts. In modern practices, selected strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are employed to produce high levels of ethanol together with numerous secondary metabolites (eg. higher alcohols, esters, carbonyls etc.) which greatly influence the final flavour and aroma characteristics of spirits following distillation of the fermented wash. Therefore, distillers, like winemakers, must carefully choose their yeast strain which will be very important in providing the alcohol content and the sensory profiles of spirit beverages. This Chapter discusses yeast and fermentation aspects associated with the production of selected distilled spirits and highlights similarities and differences with the production of wine

Socioeconomic Status Is Not Related with Facial Fluctuating Asymmetry: Evidence from Latin-American Populations

The expression of facial asymmetries has been recurrently related with poverty and/or disadvantaged socioeconomic status. Departing from the developmental instability theory, previous approaches attempted to test the statistical relationship between the stress experienced by individuals grown in poor conditions and an increase in facial and corporal asymmetry. Here we aim to further evaluate such hypothesis on a large sample of admixed Latin Americans individuals by exploring if low socioeconomic status individuals tend to exhibit greater facial fluctuating asymmetry values. To do so, we implement Procrustes analysis of variance and Hierarchical Linear Modelling (HLM) to estimate potential associations between facial fluctuating asymmetry values and socioeconomic status. We report significant relationships between facial fluctuating asymmetry values and age, sex, and genetic ancestry, while socioeconomic status failed to exhibit any strong statistical relationship with facial asymmetry. These results are persistent after the effect of heterozygosity (a proxy for genetic ancestry) is controlled in the model. Our results indicate that, at least on the studied sample, there is no relationship between socioeconomic stress (as intended as low socioeconomic status) and facial asymmetries