Multiple consecutive initiation of replication producing novel brush-like intermediates at the termini of linear viral dsDNA genomes with hairpin ends.

Linear dsDNA replicons with hairpin ends are found in the three domains of life, mainly associated with plasmids and viruses including the poxviruses, some phages and archaeal rudiviruses. However, their replication mechanism is not clearly understood. In this study, we find that the rudivirus SIRV2 undergoes multiple consecutive replication reinitiation events at the genomic termini. Using a strand-displacement replication strategy, the multiple reinitiation events from one parental template yield highly branched intermediates corresponding to about 30 genome units which generate exceptional ‘brush-like’ structures. Moreover, our data support the occurrence of an additional strand-coupled bidirectional replication from a circular dimeric intermediate. The multiple reinitiation process ensures rapid copying of the parental viral genome and will enable protein factors involved in viral genome replication to be specifically localised intracellularly, thereby helping the virus to avoid host defence mechanisms

Using absorption models for insulin and carbohydrates and deep leaning to improve glucose level predictions

This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors, Systems, and AI for Healthcare.Diabetes is a chronic disease caused by the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin or problems in the body to use it efficiently. It is one of the fastest growing health challenges affecting more than 400 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Intensive research is being carried out on artificial intelligence methods to help people with diabetes to optimize the way in which they use insulin, carbohydrate intakes, or physical activity. By predicting upcoming levels of blood glucose concentrations, preventive actions can be taken. Previous research studies using machine learning methods for blood glucose level predictions have mainly focused on the machine learning model used. Little attention has been given to the pre-processing of insulin and carbohydrate signals in order to mimic the human absorption processes. In this manuscript, a recurrent neural network (RNN) based model for predicting upcoming blood glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes is combined with several carbohydrate and insulin absorption curves in order to optimize the prediction results. The proposed method is applied to data from real patients suffering type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The achieved results are encouraging, obtaining accuracy levels around 0.510 mmol/L (9.2 mg/dl) in the best scenario.This work was supported in part by the project "ANALISIS EN TIEMPO REAL DE SEN-SORES SOCIALES Y ESTIMACION DE RECURSOS PARA TRANSPORTE MULTIMODAL BASADA EN APRENDIZAJE PROFUNDO" MaGIST-RALES, funded by the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investi-gación (AEI, doi 10.13039/501100011033) under grant PID2019-105221RB-C44/AEI/10.13039/501100011033

Coronary steal by left atrial myxoma: a case report

This report describes a 41-year-old man who had atypical angina resulting from coronary steal by left atrial myxoma. The tumor was completely excised and the patient was symptoms free after operation

Teñido de seda con colorantes naturales

Este cuadernillo dedicado a la tintura de la seda con colorantes naturales tiene por objetivo ser una guía práctica a la actividad de los artesanos, de manera que puedan desarrollar tinturas con variedad de coloridos pero que sin descuidar los conceptos de calidad de un producto puedan ser ecológicas en su proceso, respetando así lo que representa la cadena de valor de esta fibra.ProHuertaFil: Martinez, Laura. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI); ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Roberto Horacio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). ProHuerta; ArgentinaFil: del Val, Susana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI); Argentin

Genomics, Transcriptomics, and Proteomics of SSV1 and Related Fusellovirus: A Minireview

Saccharolobus spindle-shaped virus 1 (SSV1) was one of the first viruses identified in the archaeal kingdom. Originally isolated from a Japanese species of Saccharolobus back in 1984, it has been extensively used as a model system for genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic studies, as well as to unveil the molecular mechanisms governing the host–virus interaction. The purpose of this mini review is to supply a compendium of four decades of research on the SSV1 virus

Expression of a barley cystatin gene in maize enhances resistance against phytophagous mites by altering their cysteine-proteases

Phytocystatins are inhibitors of cysteine-proteases from plants putatively involved in plant defence based on their capability of inhibit heterologous enzymes. We have previously characterised the whole cystatin gene family members from barley (HvCPI-1 to HvCPI-13). The aim of this study was to assess the effects of barley cystatins on two phytophagous spider mites, Tetranychus urticae and Brevipalpus chilensis. The determination of proteolytic activity profile in both mite species showed the presence of the cysteine-proteases, putative targets of cystatins, among other enzymatic activities. All barley cystatins, except HvCPI-1 and HvCPI-7, inhibited in vitro mite cathepsin L- and/or cathepsin B-like activities, HvCPI-6 being the strongest inhibitor for both mite species. Transgenic maize plants expressing HvCPI-6 protein were generated and the functional integrity of the cystatin transgene was confirmed by in vitro inhibitory effect observed against T. urticae and B. chilensis protein extracts. Feeding experiments impaired on transgenic lines performed with T. urticae impaired mite development and reproductive performance. Besides, a significant reduction of cathepsin L-like and/or cathepsin B-like activities was observed when the spider mite fed on maize plants expressing HvCPI-6 cystatin. These findings reveal the potential of barley cystatins as acaricide proteins to protect plants against two important mite pests

RIPARIANET - Prioritising riparian ecotones to sustain and connect multiple biodiversity and functional components in river networks

Europe has committed to upscale ecosystems protection to include 30% of land and sea. However, due to historical overexploitation of natural assets, the available area for biodiversity protection is severely limited. Riparian zones are natural ecotones between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, contributing disproportionately to regional biodiversity and providing multiple ecosystem functions and services. Due to this and their branching geometry, riparian networks form a vast system of ‘blue-green arteries’ which physically and functionally connect multiple ecosystems over elevation gradients, despite covering a relatively small area of the basin. Hence, RIPARIANET argues that developing approaches able to optimise the spatial conservation of natural stream-riparian networks represent a flagship example of biodiversity protection in the EU. Although the integrity of riparian zones is fundamental for the achievement of multiple EU environmental objectives, the lack of a standardised framework for biodiversity assessment and protection across Member States has led to extensive impairment of riparian areas and frequent stakeholder conflicts. The main objective of RIPARIANET is to leverage the increasing resolution of remote sensing information to provide practitioners with evidence-based guidance and approaches to biodiversity conservation. Key questions include: i) how can we remotely assess riparian integrity and identify areas which provide effective connectivity allowing species biodiversity and ecosystem functions to persist through meta-ecological processes? ii) how can we disentangle the influence of local- and network-scale stressors and processes on riparian biodiversity to better implement river basin management schemes? iii) to what extent do currently existing protected areas in rivers account for the geometry of riparian networks and their multifunctionality? We will address these questions in riparian networks within six river basins in Europe, including Boreal, Continental, Alpine, Temperate and Mediterranean systems. First, we will gather local needs and interests from key stakeholders together with satellite imagery and GIS environmental data for all basins. Then, riparian and river ecosystems functions will be modelled and ecological hotspots will be identified through a GIS-based multi-criteria approach, including stakeholder inputs. Then, we will collect in situ data to assess multiple biodiversity and stressors at the local scale and, subsequently, scale-up this information to the network scale using geostatistical tools and advanced modelling. This knowledge will be conveyed to managers at local and EU scales in the form of decision-support tools allowing decision-makers to identify protection gaps and ecological hotspots along riparian networks, based on multiple biodiversity, functional and connectivity criteria

Internal mammary artery dilatation in a patient with aortic coarctation, aortic stenosis, and coronary disease. Case report

The ideal surgical approach is unclear in adult patients with coarctation of the aorta that is associated with other cardiovascular pathologies that require intervention. Standard median sternotomy allows simultaneous, coronary revascularization surgery, valve replacement and repair of aortic coarctation. However the collateral circulation and the anatomy of the mammary arteries must be determined, to avoid possible complications. We report a case of a 69 year-old man with aortic coarctation, aortic stenosis, coronary artery disease and internal mammary artery dilatation who underwent concomitant surgical procedures through a median sternotomy

Infrared Spectroscopy as a Tool to Study the Antioxidant Activity of Polyphenolic Compounds in Isolated Rat Enterocytes

The protective effect of different polyphenols, catechin (Cat), quercetin (Qc) (flavonoids), gallic acid (GA), caffeic acid (CfA), chlorogenic acid (ChA) (phenolic acids), and capsaicin (Cap), against H2O2-induced oxidative stress was evaluated in rat enterocytes using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) Spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy (FTIRM), and results were compared to standard lipid peroxidation techniques: conjugated dienes (CD) and Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS). Analysis of ATR-FTIR and FTIRM spectral data allowed the simultaneous evaluation of the effects of H2O2 and polyphenols on lipid and protein oxidation. All polyphenols showed a protective effect against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in enterocytes, when administered before or after H2O2. Cat and capsaicin showed the highest protective effect, while phenolic acids had weaker effects and Qc presented a mild prooxidative effect (IR spectral profile of biomolecules between control and H2O2-treated cells) according to FTIR analyses. These results demonstrated the viability to use infrared spectroscopy to evaluate the oxidant and antioxidant effect of molecules in cell systems assays

Anthropometric failure and geographical altitude in food assisted schoolchildren from Jujuy

Introducción: Alteraciones en el crecimiento y/o el desarrollo de los niños implica el fracaso, no sólo del crecimiento, sino también en otros aspectos del bienestar infantil. La caracterización de este fracaso y una evaluación de la situación nutricional resulta vital para identificar situaciones de riesgo. Objetivo: Analizar el estado nutricional de escolares jujeños, entre 4 y 9 años, evaluados con el Índice de Fracaso Antropométrico Extendido y su relación con la altura geográfica, las diferentes modalidades de asistencia alimentaria escolar y el sexo, en dos momentos del año escolar. Métodos: Estudio transversal. Se evaluaron 5806 escolares entre 4 y 9 años, asistidos alimentariamente por el programa de Comedores Escolares de la provincia de Jujuy. Se registró peso y talla en dos momentos del año escolar y se consideró la altura geográfica y el sexo. Se determinó bajo peso, baja talla, emaciación y exceso ponderal y se construyó el Índice de Fracaso Antropométrico Extendido. Se estimaron estadísticos descriptivos, prevalencias, se realizaron comparaciones y regresiones logísticas para evaluar la relación entre las variables. Resultados: La categoría "sin fracaso" presentó la mayor frecuencia en ambas mediciones, seguida por exceso de peso y acortamiento. Entre mediciones hubo un lapso promedio de 5 meses y en ese tiempo se observó una reducción del fracaso antropométrico total, acortamiento + bajo peso, acortamiento y exceso de peso + acortamiento. Las diferencias por altura geográfica reflejaron que la malnutrición por déficit fue mayor en tierras altas y la malnutrición por exceso en tierras bajas. A su vez, solo el sexo tuvo relación con el fracaso antropométrico, siendo mayor la probabilidad en mujeres. Conclusiones: Este estudio sugiere que la asistencia alimentaria escolar tendría un efecto positivo en la situación nutricional de escolares, ya que reduciría el riesgo de malnutrición por la eventual inseguridad alimentaria de sus hogares.Introduction: Alterations in the growth and/or development of children implies failure, not only on growth, but also in other aspects of child welfare. The characterization of this failure and an assessment of the nutritional situation is vital to identify risk factors. Objective: To analyze the nutritional status of schoolchildren from Jujuy, between 4 and 9 years old, evaluated with the Extended Anthropometric Failure Index and its relationship with geographical altitude, the different modalities of school food assistance and sex, in two moments of the school year Methods: Cross-sectional study. 5806 schoolchildren from Jujuy between 4 and 9 years old were evaluated, food-assisted by the School Dining Program in the province of Jujuy. Weight and height were recorded at two times of the school year and geographic height and gender were considered. Underweight, stunting, wasting and weight excess were determined and the Extended Anthropometric Failure Index was constructed. Descriptive statistics and prevalence were estimated. Comparisons and logistic regressions were made to assess the relationship between the variables. Results: The “no failure” category presented the highest frequency in both measurements, followed by excess weight and stunting. Between measurements there was an average span of 5 months and at that time a reduction in total anthropometric failure, stunting + underweight, stunting and excess weight + stunting was observed. Differences in geographical altitude reflected that deficit malnutrition was higher in the highlands and malnutrition due to excess in the lowlands. In turn, only sex was related to anthropometric failure, being the probability higher in women. Conclusions: This study suggests that school food assistance would have a positive effect on the nutritional status of schoolchildren, since it would reduce the risk of malnutrition due to eventual food insecurity in their homesFil: Bustamante, María José. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Biología de la Altura; ArgentinaFil: Martinez, Jorge Ivan. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Biología de la Altura; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Alfaro Gómez, Emma Laura. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Biología de la Altura; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Sánchez Alvarez, María Josefina. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; EspañaFil: Dipierri, Jose Edgardo. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Biología de la Altura; ArgentinaFil: Tabera, Celia. Gobierno de la Provincia de Jujuy. Ministerio de Educacion de Jujuy.; Argentin