Modeling Major Rural Land-Use Changes Using the GIS-Based Cellular Automata Metronamica Model: The Case of Andalusia (Southern Spain)

The effective and efficient planning of rural land-use changes and their impact on the environment is critical for land-use managers. Many land-use growth models have been proposed for forecasting growth patterns in the last few years. In this work; a cellular automata (CA)-based land-use model (Metronamica) was tested to simulate (1999–2007) and predict (2007–2035) land-use dynamics and land-use changes in Andalucía (Spain). The model was calibrated using temporal changes in land-use covers and was evaluated by the Kappa index. GIS-based maps were generated to study major rural land-use changes (agriculture and forests). The change matrix for 1999–2007 showed an overall area change of 674971 ha. The dominant land uses in 2007 were shrubs (30.7%), woody crops on dry land (17.3%), and herbaceous crops on dry land (12.7%). The comparison between the reference and the simulated land-use maps of 2007 showed a Kappa index of 0.91. The land-cover map for the projected PRELUDE scenarios provided the land-cover characteristics of 2035 in Andalusia; developed within the Metronamica model scenarios (Great Escape; Evolved Society; Clustered Network; Lettuce Surprise U; and Big Crisis). The greatest differences were found between Great Escape and Clustered Network and Lettuce Surprise U. The observed trend (1999–2007–2035) showed the greatest similarity with the Big Crisis scenario. Land-use projections facilitate the understanding of the future dynamics of land-use change in rural areas; and hence the development of more appropriate plans and policies

An NGS-based phylogeny of Orthotricheae (Orthotrichaceae, Bryophyta) with the proposal of the new genus Rehubryum from Zealandia

Phylogenomic data increase the possibilities of resolving the evolutionary and systematic relationships among taxa. This is especially valuable in groups with few and homoplasious morphological characters, in which systematic and taxonomical delimitations have been traditionally difficult. Such is the case of several lineages within Bryophyta, like Orthotrichaceae, the second most diverse family of mosses. Members of tribe Orthotricheae are common in temperate and cold regions, as well as in high tropical mountains. In extratropical areas, they represent one of the main components of epiphytic communities, both in dry and oceanic or hyperoceanic conditions. The epiphytic environment is considered a hostile one for plant development, mainly due to its low capacity of moisture retention. Thus, the diversification of the Orthotrichaceae in this environment could be seen as striking. Over the last two decades, great taxonomic and systematic progresses have led to a rearrangement at the generic level in this tribe, providing a new framework to link environment to patterns of diversification. Here, we use nuclear loci targeted with the GoFlag 408 enrichment probe set to generate a well-sampled phylogeny with well-supported suprageneric taxa and increasing the phylogenetic resolution within the two recognized subtribes. Specifically, we show that several genera with Ulota-like morphology jointly constitute an independent lineage. Within this lineage, the recently described Atlantichella from Macaronesia and Western Europe appears as the sister group of Ulota bellii from Zealandia. This latter species is here segregated in the new genus Rehubryum. Assessment of the ecological and biogeographical affinities of the species within the phylogenetic framework suggests that niche adaptation (including climate and substrate) may be a key evolutionary driver that shaped the high diversification of Orthotrichea

Caregiver Burden Domains and Their Relationship with Anxiety and Depression in the First Six Months of Cancer Diagnosis

Cancer caregiving is associated with burden and a poor psychological state. However, there is no previous information about the predictive utility of specific burden domains on anxiety and depression in the first six months after a partner’s cancer diagnosis. In a longitudinal study, 67 caregivers completed the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at T1 (45–60 days after diagnosis) and T2 (180–200 days after diagnosis). Most of the caregivers were female (65.7%, mean age = 51.63, SD = 13.25), while patients were mostly male (56.7%). The TRIPOD checklist was applied. ZBI scores were moderate and HADS anxiety reached significant values. There were no differences in ZBI and HADS between T1 and T2. The relationship between burden, anxiety, and depression were more consistent at T2, while emotional burden at T1 were related and predicted anxiety and depression at T2. Some burden domains were related and predicted anxiety in caregivers in the first six months after partner cancer diagnosis. This information could be useful to prevent the onset of these symptoms in the first six months after diagnosis

Aircraft icing: in‐cloud measurements and sensitivity to physical parameterizations

The prediction of supercooled cloud drops in the atmosphere is a basic tool for aviation safety, owing to their contact with and instant freezing on sensitive locations of the aircraft. One of the main disadvantages for predicting atmospheric icing conditions is the acquisition of observational data. In this study, we used in‐cloud microphysics measurements taken during 10 flights of a C‐212 research aircraft under winter conditions, during which we encountered 37 regions containing supercooled liquid water. To investigate the capability of the Weather Research and Forecasting model to detect regions containing supercooled cloud drops, we propose a multiphysics ensemble approach. We used four microphysics and two planetary boundary layer schemes. The Morrison parameterization yielded superior results, whereas the planetary boundary layer schemes were essential in evaluating the presence of liquid water content. The Goddard microphysics scheme best detected the presence of ice water content but tended to underestimate liquid water content.This research was carried out in the framework of the SAFEFLIGHT project, financed by MINECO (CGL2016‐78702) and LE240P18 project (Junta de Castilla y León)

A genome-wide association study follow-up suggests a possible role for PPARG in systemic sclerosis susceptibility

Introduction: A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) comprising a French cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) reported several non-HLA single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) showing a nominal association in the discovery phase. We aimed to identify previously overlooked susceptibility variants by using a follow-up strategy.<p></p> Methods: Sixty-six non-HLA SNPs showing a P value <10-4 in the discovery phase of the French SSc GWAS were analyzed in the first step of this study, performing a meta-analysis that combined data from the two published SSc GWASs. A total of 2,921 SSc patients and 6,963 healthy controls were included in this first phase. Two SNPs, PPARG rs310746 and CHRNA9 rs6832151, were selected for genotyping in the replication cohort (1,068 SSc patients and 6,762 healthy controls) based on the results of the first step. Genotyping was performed by using TaqMan SNP genotyping assays. Results: We observed nominal associations for both PPARG rs310746 (PMH = 1.90 × 10-6, OR, 1.28) and CHRNA9 rs6832151 (PMH = 4.30 × 10-6, OR, 1.17) genetic variants with SSc in the first step of our study. In the replication phase, we observed a trend of association for PPARG rs310746 (P value = 0.066; OR, 1.17). The combined overall Mantel-Haenszel meta-analysis of all the cohorts included in the present study revealed that PPARG rs310746 remained associated with SSc with a nominal non-genome-wide significant P value (PMH = 5.00 × 10-7; OR, 1.25). No evidence of association was observed for CHRNA9 rs6832151 either in the replication phase or in the overall pooled analysis.<p></p> Conclusion: Our results suggest a role of PPARG gene in the development of SSc

Fitoplancton en el sistema lagunar tropical Carmen Pajonal Machona, Tabasco

Background. Phytoplankton is considered an important indicator of natural and anthropogenic processes that take place in basins and coastal environments. An example of these systems is the formed by the El Car- men, Pajonal and La Machona lagoons, in which there is intense fishing and oyster farming activity, as well as agricultural activities, oil extraction and forestry in their surroundings. Goals.Identifying the phytoplankton species, with emphasis on the potentially harmful and / or toxic ones, their distribution and differences between the samplings, north winds (2015) and rainy (2016), as well as reporting the physicochemical variables was the aimed of this work. Methods. Net samples with a mesh size of 20 μm were taken and physicoche- mical variables were measured with a water quality sonde. 300 organisms were counted and the specific richness, relative abundances and diversity index were calculated. To identify differences between the two seasons sampled the Mann-Whitney U test was performed. In addition, the most important physicochemical variables were identified to explore their relationship with the species through a distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA). Results. A total of 86 species were identified, of which ten are new records and 15 are potentially harmful and / or toxic ones. The taxonomic group with the most species in both seasons was Bacillaryophyta (43 Northeast and 22 Rains). Specific richness was significantly different between seasons. In the north winds season, the most abundant species were from the Cyanoprokaryota and Bacillaryophyta groups, while for rainy season they were from the Dinoflagellata. Conclusions. Water temperature and salinity were the physicochemical variables that defined the phyto- plankton composition in the CPM lagoons; the presence of potentially toxic species is an alert for the lagoon system because it reflects a latent situation that could trigger blooms at any time.Antecedentes. El fitoplancton es considerado un indicador importante de los procesos naturales y antro- pogénicos que se desarrollan en las cuencas y en los ambientes costeros. Un ejemplo de estos sistemas es el conformado por las lagunas El Carmen, Pajonal y La Machona (CPM), en las cuales hay una intensa actividad pesquera y de ostricultura, así como actividades agrícolas, extracción petrolera y forestal a sus alrededores. Objetivo. El objetivo fue identificar las especies fitoplanctónicas, con énfasis en las potencial- mente nocivas y/o tóxicas, su distribución y diferencias entre los muestreos, nortes (2015) y lluvias (2016), así como reportar las variables fisicoquímicas. Métodos. Se tomaron muestras de red de 20 μm de abertura de malla y midieron las variables con una sonda de calidad de agua. Se contabilizaron 300 organismos y se obtuvieron la riqueza específica, abundancias relativas e índice de diversidad. Para identificar diferencias entre las dos temporadas muestreadas se realizó la prueba U de Mann-Whitney. Además, se identificaron las variables fisicoquímicas más importantes para explorar su relación con las especies mediante un análisis de redundancia basado en distancias (dbRDA). Resultados. Se identificaron un total de 86 especies de las cuales diez son nuevos registros para el área y 15 son potencialmente tóxicas. El grupo taxonómico con más especies fue el de las Bacillaryophyta (43 nortes y 22 lluvias). La riqueza específica fue significativamente diferente entre temporadas. Las especies más abundantes fueron de los grupos de las Cyanoprokaryota y las Bacillaryophyta para la temporada de nortes, mientras que para la temporada de lluvias fueron del grupo Dinoflagellata. Conclusiones. La temperatura y la salinidad fueron las variables que determinaron la com- posición del fitoplancton en las lagunas CPM; la presencia de especies potencialmente tóxicas es una alerta para el sistema lagunar debido a que refleja una situación latente que podría desencadenar florecimientos en cualquier momento

Cost‐effectiveness and cost‐utility evaluation of individual vs. group transdiagnostic psychological treatment for emotional disorders in primary care (PsicAP‐Costs): a multicentre randomized controlled trial protocol

Background: Emotional disorders are common, and they have become more prevalent since the COVID‐19 pan‐ demic. Due to a high attendance burden at the specialized level, most emotional disorders in Spain are treated in primary care, where they are usually misdiagnosed and treated using psychotropic drugs. This contributes to perpetu‐ ate their illness and increase health care costs. Following the IAPT programme and the transdiagnostic approach, the PsicAP project developed a brief group transdiagnostic cognitive‐behavioural therapy (tCBT) as a cost‐effective alternative. However, it is not suitable for everyone; in some cases, one‐on‐one sessions may be more effective. The objective of the present study is to compare, in cost‐benefit terms, group and individual tCBT with the treatment usu‐ ally administered in Spanish primary care (TAU). Methods: A randomized, controlled, multicentre, and single‐blinded trial will be performed. Adults with mild to moderate emotional disorders will be recruited and placed in one of three arms: group tCBT, individual tCBT, or TAU. Medical data and outcomes regarding emotional symptoms, disability, quality of life, and emotion regulation biases will be collected at baseline, immediately after treatment, and 6 and 12 months later. The data will be used to calcu‐ late incremental cost‐effectiveness and cost‐utility ratios. Discussion: This trial aims to contribute to clinical practice research. The involvement of psychologists in primary care and the implementation of a stepped‐care model for mental disorders are recommended. Group therapy and a transdiagnostic approach may help optimize health system resources and unblock waiting lists so that people can spend less time experiencing mental health problems. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04847310; Protocols.io: bx2npqde. (April 19, 2021

Evaluation of 12 GWAS-drawn SNPs as biomarkers of rheumatoid arthritis response to TNF inhibitors. A potential SNP association with response to etanercept

Research in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is increasingly focused on the discovery of biomarkers that could enable personalized treatments. The genetic biomarkers associated with the response to TNF inhibitors (TNFi) are among the most studied. They include 12 SNPs exhibiting promising results in the three largest genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, they still require further validation. With this aim, we assessed their association with response to TNFi in a replication study, and a meta-analysis summarizing all non-redundant data. The replication involved 755 patients with RA that were treated for the first time with a biologic drug, which was either infliximab (n = 397), etanercept (n = 155) or adalimumab (n = 203). Their DNA samples were successfully genotyped with a single-base extension multiplex method. Lamentably, none of the 12 SNPs was associated with response to the TNFi in the replication study (p > 0.05). However, a drug-stratified exploratory analysis revealed a significant association of the NUBPL rs2378945 SNP with a poor response to etanercept (B = -0.50, 95% CI = -0.82, -0.17, p = 0.003). In addition, the meta-analysis reinforced the previous association of three SNPs: rs2378945, rs12142623, and rs4651370. In contrast, five of the remaining SNPs were less associated than before, and the other four SNPs were no longer associated with the response to treatment. In summary, our results highlight the complexity of the pharmacogenetics of TNFi in RA showing that it could involve a drug-specific component and clarifying the status of the 12 GWAS-drawn SNP

One-year cardiovascular outcomes after coronavirus disease 2019: The cardiovascular COVID-19 registry

Background: The long-term cardiovascular (CV) outcomes of COVID-19 have not been fully explored. Methods: This was an international, multicenter, retrospective cohort study conducted between February and December 2020. Consecutive patients ?18 years who underwent a real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV2 were included. Patients were classified into two cohorts depending on the nasopharyngeal swab result and clinical status: confirmed COVID-19 (positive RT-PCR) and control (without suggestive symptoms and negative RT-PCR). Data were obtained from electronic records, and clinical follow-up was performed at 1-year. The primary outcome was CV death at 1-year. Secondary outcomes included arterial thrombotic events (ATE), venous thromboembolism (VTE), and serious cardiac arrhythmias. An independent clinical event committee adjudicated events. A Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for all baseline characteristics was used for comparing outcomes between groups. A prespecified landmark analysis was performed to assess events during the post-acute phase (31-365 days). Results: A total of 4,427 patients were included: 3,578 (80.8%) in the COVID-19 and 849 (19.2%) control cohorts. At one year, there were no significant differences in the primary endpoint of CV death between the COVID-19 and control cohorts (1.4% vs. 0.8%; HRadj 1.28 [0.56-2.91]; p = 0.555), but there was a higher risk of all-cause death (17.8% vs. 4.0%; HRadj 2.82 [1.99-4.0]; p = 0.001). COVID-19 cohort had higher rates of ATE (2.5% vs. 0.8%, HRadj 2.26 [1.02-4.99]; p = 0.044), VTE (3.7% vs. 0.4%, HRadj 9.33 [2.93-29.70]; p = 0.001), and serious cardiac arrhythmias (2.5% vs. 0.6%, HRadj 3.37 [1.35-8.46]; p = 0.010). During the post-acute phase, there were no significant differences in CV death (0.6% vs. 0.7%; HRadj 0.67 [0.25-1.80]; p = 0.425), but there was a higher risk of deep vein thrombosis (0.6% vs. 0.0%; p = 0.028). Re-hospitalization rate was lower in the COVID-19 cohort compared to the control cohort (13.9% vs. 20.6%; p = 0.001). Conclusions: At 1-year, patients with COVID-19 experienced an increased risk of all-cause death and adverse CV events, including ATE, VTE, and serious cardiac arrhythmias, but not CV death