Autonomous underwater gliders monitoring variability at "choke points" in our ocean system: a case study in Western Mediterranean Sea

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Detection of hepatitis C virus RNA in saliva of patients with active infection not associated with periodontal or liver disease severity

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is mainly transmitted by parenteral route, being blood transfusion and intravenous drug use the most frequent risk factors. However, it has been suggested that there are other routes of transmission. There are several studies where HCV RNA has been detected in saliva of patients infected with HCV, and epidemiological studies have proposed the dental treatments as possible risk factors for HCV transmission. The purpose of this study was to detect the presence of HCV RNA in saliva of patients with active infection and associating with periodontal or liver disease. METHODS: Patients with quantifiable HCV-RNA in serum were enrolled in the study. Periodontal disease was assessed using the modified gingival index (MGI). Presence of dental plaque was assessed with the use of disclosing tablets. Patients were clinically and laboratory evaluated to identify the stage of liver disease, the HCV RNA was determinate in saliva by nested RT-PCR. To determine associations between different parameters univariate and multivariate analysis were used. RESULTS: A total of 45 patients were included. Of these patients, 21 (46.6%) had hepatitis, 23 (51.1%) had cirrhosis and one patient (2.4%) presented hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Viral loads in serum ranged from 2.31–6.68 log IU/ml with a mean of 5.46 log IU/ml (95% CI 5.23–5.70). HCV RNA was positive in saliva of 29 patients (64.4%) and was not detected in 16 (35.6%). For univariate analysis three independent variables were associated with the detection of HCV-RNA in saliva: gender, viral load and dental plaque and multivariate analysis only one independent variable viral load >5.17 log IU/mL remained significantly associated with the detection of HCV in saliva (p = 0.0002). A statistical difference was observed when viral load was analyzed, log 5.85 IU/mL (95% CI 5.67–6.02) for patients with HCV in saliva vs. log 4.77 IU/mL (95% CI 4.35–5.19) for patients without HCV in saliva (p = 0.0001). The detection of HCV-RNA in saliva was more frequent in patients with relatively high serum viral loads. CONCLUSION: HCV-RNA in saliva was associated with the level of serum viral load but not with periodontal or liver disease severity

Aproximación Proteómica al síndrome de apneas-hipopneas del sueño

Comunicaciones a congreso

Consensus statement on the diagnosis, management, and treatment of angioedema mediated by Bradykinin. Part. II: treatment, follow-up, and special situations

Background: There are no previous Spanish guidelines or consensus statements on bradykinin-induced angioedema. Aim: To draft a consensus statement on the management and treatment of angioedema mediated by bradykinin in light of currently available scientifi c evidence and the experience of experts. This statement will serve as a guideline to health professionals. Methods: The consensus was led by the Spanish Study Group on Bradykinin-Induced Angioedema, a working group of the Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology. A review was conducted of scientifi c papers on different types of bradykinin-induced angioedema (hereditary and acquired angioedema due to C1 inhibitor defi ciency, hereditary angioedema related to estrogens, angioedema induced by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors). Several discussion meetings were held to reach the consensus. Results: Treatment approaches are discussed, and the consensus reached is described. Specifi c situations are addressed, namely, pregnancy, contraception, travelling, blood donation, and organ transplantation. Conclusions: A review of and consensus on treatment of bradykinin-induced angioedema is presentedIntroducción: No existen guías previas españolas sobre el manejo del angioedema mediado por bradicinina. Objetivos: Alcanzar un consenso sobre el manejo y tratamiento del angioedema mediado por bradicinina a la luz de la evidencia científi ca disponible y la experiencia de los expertos, que sirva como guía para los profesionales de la salud. Métodos: SGBA/GEAB, un grupo de trabajo de la SEAIC dirigió el consenso. Se realizó una revisión de los documentos científi cos publicados sobre los diferentes tipos de angioedema mediado por bradicinina [angioedema hereditario o adquirido por defi ciencia de inhibidor de la C1 esterasa, angioedema hereditario relacionado con estrógenos (AEH tipo III, AEH-FXII), angioedema inducido por IECA (inhibidores del enzima convertidor de angiotensina]. Hubo varias reuniones del SGBA/GEAB para alcanzar el consenso. Resultados: Se revisan y discuten los diferentes tratamientos disponibles y se describe el consenso alcanzado. Se abordan situaciones específi cas (embarazo, anticoncepción, viajes, hemodonación, trasplante de órganos). Conclusiones: Se presenta una revisión del tratamiento del angioedema mediado por bradicinina y un consenso sobre su tratamiento en EspañaDr. Teresa Caballero is a researcher with the Hospital La Paz Health Research Institute (IdiPaz) program for promoting research activities (2009

Polymorphisms in host immunity modulating genes and risk of invasive aspergillosis: results from the aspBIOmics consortium

Recent studies suggest that immune-modulating single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) influence the risk of developing cancer-related infections. Here, we evaluated whether 36 SNPs within 14 immune-related genes are associated with the risk of Invasive Aspergillosis (IA) and whether genotyping of these variants might improve disease risk prediction. We conducted a case-control association study of 781 immunocompromised patients, 149 of whom were diagnosed with IA. Association analysis showed that the IL4Rrs2107356 and IL8rs2227307 SNPs were associated with an increased risk of IA (OR=1.92, 95%CI: 1.20-3.09 and OR=1.73, 1.06-2.81) whereas the IL12Brs3212227 and IFN?rs2069705 variants were significantly associated with a decreased risk of developing the infection (OR=0.60, 0.38-0.96 and OR=0.63, 0.41-0.97). An allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT)-stratified analysis revealed that the effect observed for the IL4Rrs2107356 and IFN?rs2069705 SNPs was stronger in allo-HSCT (OR=5.63, 1.20-3.09 and OR=0.24, 0.10-0.59) than in non-HSCT patients, suggesting that the presence of these SNPs may render patients more vulnerable to infection especially under severe and prolonged immunosuppressive conditions. Importantly, in vitro studies revealed that carriers of the IFN?rs2069705C allele showed a significantly increased macrophage-mediated neutralisation of fungal conidia (P=0.0003) and, under stimulation conditions, produced higher levels of IFN? mRNA (P=0.049) and IFN? and TNFa cytokines (PLPS-96h=0.057, PPHA-96h=0.036 and PLPS+PHA-96h=0.030 and PPHA -72h=0.045, PLPS+PHA-72h=0.018, PLPS-96h=0.058 and PLPS+PHA -96h=0.0058, respectively). Finally, we also observed that the addition of SNPs significantly associated with IA to a model including clinical variables led to a substantial improvement in the discriminatory ability to predict the disease (AUC=0.659 vs. AUC=0.564, PLR=5.2•10-4 and P50.000Perm=9.34•10-5). These findings suggest that the IFN?rs2069705 SNP influences the risk of IA and that predictive models built with IFN?, IL8, IL12p70 and VEGFa variants might be used to predict disease risk and to implement risk-adapted prophylaxis or diagnostic strategies.This study was supported by grants PI12/02688 from the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (Madrid, Spain), PIM2010EPA-00756 from the ERA-NET PathoGenoMics (0315900A), and the Collaborative Research Center/Transregio 124 FungiNet. C.C. is supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (SFRH/BPD/96176/2013). This study also was supported by a donation of Consuelo González Moreno, an acute myeloid leukemia survivor. We thank Astella Pharma Inc. for supporting this work.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Study of Mechanical, Thermal, and Microstructural Properties of Polypropylene/Ceramic Waste Composites

In this work, the effect of reinforcement of the iPP with ceramic waste (CW), and the use of maleic anhydride compatibilizing agent grafted with polyolefin elastomer (POE-g-MAH) are studied. The composites were fabricated by extrusion and injection processes, and their morphology and microstructure, as well as fracture surface and mechanical and thermal properties were analyzed. Characterization by polarized optical microscopy showed that the ceramic waste particles were well-dispersed into the iPP matrix without the presence of agglomerates. However, the POE-g-MAH did not show good compatibility when it was added to the iPP/CW composite. Hardness Rockwell R, tensile and flexural measurements showed that the hardness, Young´s modulus, and flexural modulus increased with the incorporation of CW and without the POE-g-MAH. The ductility of the composites was several decreased with the addition of CW. POE-g-MAH affected the hardness, ductility, strength tensile, Young´s modulus, flexural modulus, and interfacial interaction in the iPP/CW composite. Analysis by X-ray diffraction showed that the CW also acted as a nucleating agent, increasing the crystallization degree, and forming the β-phase. Analysis of the Fourier transformed infrared showed transmittance bands of the iPP, CW, POE-g-MAH and composites. The bands were similar and there were no major changes in characteristic bands of composites, but CW and POE-g-MAH produced changes in the shape and intensity of band peaks of the iPP matrix. The CW addition to the iPP matrix modified the thermal properties of pure iPP, such as the degree of crystallization and melting temperature in the iPP/CW composites. The incorporation of POE-g-MAH decreased the crystallization temperature and crystallinity degree in the iPP/CW composite

Morbidity, outcomes and cost-benefit analysis of wildlife rehabilitation in Catalonia (Spain)

Background There are few studies of careful examination of wildlife casualties in Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers. These studies are essential for detecting menaces to wild species and providing objective criteria about cost-benefit of treatments in those centers. The release rate is considered the main outcome indicator, but other parameters such as length of stay at the center and a cost-benefit index expressed as number of released animals per euro and day, could be used as reliable estimators of the rehabilitation costs. Methodology A retrospective study based on 54772 admissions recorded from 1995-2013 in the database of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Torreferrussa (Catalonia, NW Spain) assessed the morbidity, outcomes and cost-benefits of the rehabilitation practices. Results Three hundred and two species were included: 232 birds (n = 48633), 37 mammals (n = 3293), 20 reptiles (n = 2705) and 13 amphibians (n = 141). The most frequent causes of admission were: 39.8% confiscation of protected species (89.4% passerines), 31.8% orphaned young animals (35.3% swifts, 21.7% diurnal raptors and owls) and 17.4% trauma casualties (46.7% raptors and owls). The highest proportion of releases was found in the captivity confiscation category [87.4% passerines (median time of stay: 12 days)], followed by the orphaned category [78% owls (66 days), 76.5% diurnal birds of prey (43 days), 75.6% hedgehogs (49 days), 52.7% swifts (19 days) and 52% bats (55 days)]. For the trauma group, 46.8% of releases were hedgehogs (44 days) and 25.6% owls (103 days). As regards the cost-benefit index, the trauma casualties and infectious diseases had the worse values with 1.3 and 1.4 released animals/euro/day respectively, and were particularly low in raptors, waders, marine birds and chiroptera. On the contrary, captivity (4.6) and misplacement (4.1) had the best index, particulary in amphibian, reptiles and passerines. Conclusions/significance Cost-benefit studies including the release rate, the time of stay at the center and the costbenefit index should be implemented for improving management efficiency of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers

Isolation of human fibroadipogenic progenitors and satellite cells from frozen muscle biopsies

Altres ajuts: Association Française contre les Myopathies (22525)Altres ajuts: Fundación Isabel GemioSkeletal muscle contains multiple cell types that work together to maintain tissue homeostasis. Among these, satellite cells (SC) and fibroadipogenic progenitors cells (FAPs) are the two main stem cell pools. Studies of these cells using animal models have shown the importance of interactions between these cells in repair of healthy muscle, and degeneration of dystrophic muscle. Due to the unavailability of fresh patient muscle biopsies, similar analysis of interactions between human FAPs and SCs is limited especially among the muscular dystrophy patients. To address this issue here we describe a method that allows the use of frozen human skeletal muscle biopsies to simultaneously isolate and grow SCs and FAPs from healthy or dystrophic patients. We show that while the purified SCs differentiate into mature myotubes, purified FAPs can differentiate into adipocytes or fibroblasts demonstrating their multipotency. We find that these FAPs can be immortalized and the immortalized FAPs (iFAPs) retain their multipotency. These approaches open the door for carrying out personalized analysis of patient FAPs and interactions with the SCs that lead to muscle loss

A crowdsourcing database for the copy-number variation of the spanish population

Background: Despite being a very common type of genetic variation, the distribution of copy-number variations (CNVs) in the population is still poorly understood. The knowledge of the genetic variability, especially at the level of the local population, is a critical factor for distinguishing pathogenic from non-pathogenic variation in the discovery of new disease variants. Results: Here, we present the SPAnish Copy Number Alterations Collaborative Server (SPACNACS), which currently contains copy number variation profiles obtained from more than 400 genomes and exomes of unrelated Spanish individuals. By means of a collaborative crowdsourcing effort whole genome and whole exome sequencing data, produced by local genomic projects and for other purposes, is continuously collected. Once checked both, the Spanish ancestry and the lack of kinship with other individuals in the SPACNACS, the CNVs are inferred for these sequences and they are used to populate the database. A web interface allows querying the database with different filters that include ICD10 upper categories. This allows discarding samples from the disease under study and obtaining pseudo-control CNV profiles from the local population. We also show here additional studies on the local impact of CNVs in some phenotypes and on pharmacogenomic variants. SPACNACS can be accessed at: http://csvs.clinbioinfosspa.es/spacnacs/. Conclusion: SPACNACS facilitates disease gene discovery by providing detailed information of the local variability of the population and exemplifies how to reuse genomic data produced for other purposes to build a local reference database.This work is supported by Grants PID2020-117979RB-I00 from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation; by the Institute of Health Carlos III (project IMPaCT-Data, exp. IMP/00019, IMP/00009 and PI20/01305), co-funded by the European Union, European Regional Development Fund (ERDF, “A way to make Europe”)

Modulation of apoptosis by V protein mumps virus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Urabe AM9 vaccine strain of mumps virus contains two variants of V protein: VWT (of HN-A1081 viral population) and VGly (of HN-G1081). The V protein is a promoting factor of viral replication by blocking the IFN antiviral pathway.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>We studied the relationship between V protein variants and IFN-α2b-induced apoptosis. V proteins decrease activation of the extrinsic IFN-α2b-induced apoptotic pathway monitored by the caspase 8 activity, being the effect greater with the VWT protein. Both V proteins decrease the activity of caspase 9 of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. In a system without IFN, the VWT and VGly proteins expression promotes activation of caspases 3 and 7. However, when the cellular system was stimulated with IFN-α, this activity decreased partially. TUNEL assay shows that for treatment with IFN-α and ibuprofen of cervical adenocarcinoma cells there is nuclear DNA fragmentation but the V protein expression reduces this process.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The reduction in the levels of caspases and DNA fragmentation, suggesting that V protein, particularly VWT protein of Urabe AM9 vaccine strain, modulates apoptosis. In addition, the VWT protein shows a protective role for cell proliferation in the presence of antiproliferative signals.</p