Livestock Drugs and Disease: The Fatal Combination behind Breeding Failure in Endangered Bearded Vultures

There is increasing concern about the impact of veterinary drugs and livestock pathogens as factors damaging wildlife health, especially of threatened avian scavengers feeding upon medicated livestock carcasses. We conducted a comprehensive study of failed eggs and dead nestlings in bearded vultures (Gypaetus barbatus) to attempt to elucidate the proximate causes of breeding failure behind the recent decline in productivity in the Spanish Pyrenees. We found high concentrations of multiple veterinary drugs, primarily fluoroquinolones, in most failed eggs and nestlings, associated with multiple internal organ damage and livestock pathogens causing disease, especially septicaemia by swine pathogens and infectious bursal disease. The combined impact of drugs and disease as stochastic factors may result in potentially devastating effects exacerbating an already high risk of extinction and should be considered in current conservation programs for bearded vultures and other scavenger species, especially in regards to dangerous veterinary drugs and highly pathogenic poultry viruses

The PHA Test Reflects Acquired T-Cell Mediated Immunocompetence in Birds

cological immunology requires techniques to reliably measure immunocompetence in wild vertebrates. The PHA-skin test, involving subcutaneous injection of a mitogen (phytohemagglutinin, PHA) and measurement of subsequent swelling as a surrogate of T-cell mediated immunocompetence, has been the test of choice due to its practicality and ease of use in the field. However, mechanisms involved in local immunological and inflammatory processes provoked by PHA are poorly known, and its use and interpretation as an acquired immune response is currently debated.) and plasma proteins circulating in the bloodstream, potentially involved in the immunological and inflammatory processes, through flow cytometry and electrophoresis.Our results showed stronger responses after a second PHA injection, independent of species, time elapsed and changes in body mass of birds between first and second injections, thus supporting the adaptive nature of this immune response. Furthermore, the concomitant changes in the plasma concentrations of T-lymphocyte subsets and globulins indicate a causal link between the activation of the T-cell mediated immune system and local tissue swelling.These findings justify the widespread use of the PHA-skin test as a reliable evaluator of acquired T-cell mediated immunocompetence in diverse biological disciplines. Further experimental research should be aimed at evaluating the relative role of innate immunocompetence in wild conditions, where the access to dietary proteins varies more than in captivity, and to ascertain how PHA responses relate to particular host-parasite interactions

Pathway-Based Drug Repositioning for Breast Cancer Molecular Subtypes

Breast cancer is a major public health problem which treatment needs new pharmacological options. In the last decades, during the postgenomic era new theoretical and technological tools that give us novel and promising ways to address these problems have emerged. In this work, we integrate several tools that exploit disease-specific experimental transcriptomic results in addition to information from biological and pharmacological data bases obtaining a contextual prioritization of pathways and drugs in breast cancer subtypes. The usefulness of these results should be evaluated in terms of drug repurposing in each breast cancer molecular subtype therapy. In favor of breast cancer patients, this methodology could be further developed to provide personalized treatment schemes. The latter are particularly needed in those breast cancer subtypes with limited therapeutic options or those who have developed resistance to the current pharmacological schemes

Mechanistic understanding of the behavior of diuron in the adsorption from water onto activated carbon

The adsorption of diuron from aqueous phase by activated carbon has been analyzed from a molecular point of view thanks to a computational approach based on COSMO-RS methodology, with the aim of providing a mechanistic explanation of the experimental results. The adsorption experiments were carried out at different pH values (3-7) and temperatures (15-45 °C) using an activated carbon prepared by chemical activation of grape seeds. The most relevant characteristics of the adsorption of diuron were the increase of diuron uptake with temperature and the occurrence of multilayer adsorption at high equilibrium concentrations. Likewise, the contribution of cooperative adsorption was also found to increase with temperate, as shown by the change of the isotherm pattern from L-3 type (Giles classification) at 15 °C to S-3 at 45 °C. The formation of multilayer and the contribution of cooperative adsorption were not observed at the highest pH studied The results obtained from the computational approach were consistent with the trends shown by the experimental data. The molecular and thermodynamic properties of the solvent-adsorbate-adsorbent system were estimated using the quantum-chemical COSMO-RS method. Thus, the increase in diuron uptake at increasing temperature was ascribed to a higher population of diuron planar conformers, whose affinity for activated carbon is higher as evaluated in terms of the activated carbon/water partition coefficient. COSMO-RS simulations predicted strong interaction among diuron molecules due to the amphoteric character of the molecule. Likewise, the formation of clusters was found to be especially favored from a thermodynamic point of view in the case of planar conformers adsorbed on activated carbon, which supports the occurrence of cooperative adsorption and the formation of a multilayerWe greatly appreciate financial support from the Spanish MCYT (CTQ2009-09983 and CSD2006-44) and CAM (REMTAVARES S-2009/AMB-1588

Susceptibility to Infection and Immune Response in Insular and Continental Populations of Egyptian Vulture: Implications for Conservation

BACKGROUND:A generalized decline in populations of Old World avian scavengers is occurring on a global scale. The main cause of the observed crisis in continental populations of these birds should be looked for in the interaction between two factors -- changes in livestock management, including the increased use of pharmaceutical products, and disease. Insular vertebrates seem to be especially susceptible to diseases induced by the arrival of exotic pathogens, a process often favored by human activities, and sedentary and highly dense insular scavengers populations may be thus especially exposed to infection by such pathogens. Here, we compare pathogen prevalence and immune response in insular and continental populations of the globally endangered Egyptian vulture under similar livestock management scenarios, but with different ecological and evolutionary perspectives. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Adult, immature, and fledgling vultures from the Canary Islands and the Iberian Peninsula were sampled to determine a) the prevalence of seven pathogen taxa and b) their immunocompetence, as measured by monitoring techniques (white blood cells counts and immunoglobulins). In the Canarian population, pathogen prevalence was higher and, in addition, an association among pathogens was apparent, contrary to the situation detected in continental populations. Despite that, insular fledglings showed lower leukocyte profiles than continental birds and Canarian fledglings infected by Chlamydophila psittaci showed poorer cellular immune response. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:A combination of environmental and ecological factors may contribute to explain the high susceptibility to infection found in insular vultures. The scenario described here may be similar in other insular systems where populations of carrion-eaters are in strong decline and are seriously threatened. Higher susceptibility to infection may be a further factor contributing decisively to the extinction of island scavengers in the present context of global change and increasing numbers of emerging infectious diseases

Removal of chlorinated organic volatile compounds by gas phase adsorption with activated carbon

This paper discusses the removal of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (Cl-VOCs) from gas streams by means of fixed-bed adsorption with a commercial activated carbon (AC). Column experiments were performed at different conditions (inlet concentration, temperature, pressure, gas flow rate and bed length). A two-parameter model introduced by Yoon and Nelson was applied to predict the entire breakthrough curves for chloromethane adsorption. Complete regeneration of the exhausted AC was performed at mild conditions (atmospheric pressure and room temperature). In order to gain a better knowledge on the effect of the surface chemistry of AC on the adsorption of Cl-VOCs, the quantum-chemical COSMO-RS method was used to simulate the interactions between AC surface groups and different Cl-VOCs as monochloromethane, dichloromethane and trichloromethane. This information can be useful for tailoring the ACs with the objective of improving their adsorption capacities by further functionalization. To confirm this, the commercial AC tested was modified by means of different thermal and oxidative treatments (nitric acid and ammonium persulfate), being the surface chemistry and textural properties of the resulting materials characterized by different techniques. The modified ACs were then tested in column adsorption experiment with different Cl-VOCs. The uptake of these compounds increased with the basic character of the AC surfaceThe authors are grateful to the Spanish “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN)” and “Comunidad de Madrid” for financial support (Projects CTQ2011-26758, CTQ2009-09983 and S2009/PPQ-1545

Exploration of the treatment of fish-canning industry effluents by aqueous-phase reforming using Pt/C catalysts

In the current work, an exploratory study on the application of catalytic aqueous phase reforming (APR) to the treatment of fish-canning wastewater was performed for the first time. Pt/C (3%, w) catalysts were supported on different commercial carbon supports (two activated carbons and a carbon black) and tested in the APR of tuna-cooking wastewater. The effect of the supports and the reaction systems (batch vs. semi-continuous) on the performance of the catalysts was tested. The stability of the catalysts upon 3 successive reuse cycles was checked. TOC and COD removal ranged within 45-60%, which was ascribed to adsorption on the supports, hydrothermal carbonization and APR. The percentage of valuable gases (H2 and alkanes) reached up to 18% of the gas production showing the potential of APR for the valorization and treatment of wastewater. The production of gases is affected by the high chloride, acetate and phosphate concentrations, which may provoke catalyst deactivation. The use of a catalyst with a basic support significantly increased the production of gases and the H2 percentage in the gas fraction. Gas production was higher in semi-continuous compared to batch operation, maybe because the withdrawn gas displaces the reaction towards the products. The percentage of alkanes in the gas phase decreased upon successive catalyst reuse cycles at the expense of H2, which is probably due to sintering of Pt nanoparticles with the corresponding decrease of the number of low-coordinated Pt sites promoting methanation reactionsThe authors greatly appreciate financial support from Spanish MINECO (CTQ2015-65491-R). A. S. Oliveira thanks the Spanish MINECO for a research grant (BES-2016-077244

ESI-Segmentation Fault: un videojuego serio para la integración de nuevos alumnos en un centro universitario

En la actualidad, la industria de desarrollo de videojuegos está en plena expansión, siendo el mercado del entretenimiento con mayor auge, superando en ingresos al cine y la música juntos. Además de su amplio uso, los géneros de los videojuegos también han ido cambiando a lo largo del tiempo. En este siglo se ha empezado a utilizar el término de juego serio. Se trata de retos cognitivos o físico basados en reglas (juegos) con un propósito distinto al de entretenimiento. El presente artículo presenta un videojuego serio con el objetivo de mejorar el proceso de integración de los nuevos estudiantes en un centro universitario, en este caso, la Escuela Superior de Informática de Ciudad Real, de la UCLM. El juego ofrece un entorno 3D, fiel a la realidad, de las instalaciones del centro, y sumerge al nuevo alumno, en una aventura conversacional dentro de una trama de investigación. El jugador interactuará con una serie de personajes que son modelos de personas reales y significativas en las primeras etapas de la vida universitaria, incluyendo el equipo directivo, profesores, personal y estudiantes de cursos superiores. La principal motivación para el desarrollo de este videojuego es que los nuevos estudiantes puedan conocer, de forma rápida y divertida, las instalaciones de su nuevo centro universitario, las personas con las que van a interactuar en sus primeras etapas, así como la información necesaria, tanto administrativa como académica, sobre los estudios que van a cursar.Nowadays, the video game industry is in expansion. It is the fastest growing entertainment market, with higher revenue than cinema and music industries. In addition to the widespread use, the genres of video games have also changed over time. In this century, the term serious games has appeared. Serious games are cognitive or physical challenges based on rules (games) with a purpose beyond the entertainment. This article presents a serious video game with the aim of improving the integration process of new students in a university college, in this case the University College of Computer Science at Ciudad Real, (UCLM). The game offers a 3D environment, faithful to reality, of the faculty facilities, and immerses the new student in a conversational adventure within an investigation story. The player will interact with several characters that are models of real people that are significant in the early stages of university life, including management staff, faculty staff, and students. The main motivation for the development of this video game is that new students can quickly and amusingly get to know the facilities of their new university faculty, the people they will be interacting with in their early stages, as well as the necessary information, both administrative and academic, about the studies they will be taking

Clinical Symptoms of Arboviruses in Mexico

Arboviruses such as Chikungunya (CHIKV), Dengue (DENV), and Zika virus (ZIKV) have emerged as a significant public health concern in Mexico. The existing literature lacks evidence regarding the dispersion of arboviruses, thereby limiting public health policy’s ability to integrate the diagnosis, management, and prevention. This study seeks to reveal the clinical symptoms of CHIK, DENV, and ZIKV by age group, region, sex, and time across Mexico. The confirmed cases of CHIKV, DENV, and ZIKV were compiled from January 2012 to March 2020. Demographic characteristics analyzed significant clinical symptoms of confirmed cases. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the association between clinical symptoms and geographical regions. Females and individuals aged 15 and older had higher rates of reported significant symptoms across all three arboviruses. DENV showed a temporal variation of symptoms by regions 3 and 5, whereas ZIKV presented temporal variables in regions 2 and 4. This study revealed unique and overlapping symptoms between CHIKV, DENV, and ZIKV. However, the differentiation of CHIKV, DENV, and ZIKV is difficult, and diagnostic facilities are not available in rural areas. There is a need for adequately trained healthcare staff alongside well-equipped lab facilities, including hematological tests and imaging facilities