LTMaker: a tool for semiautomatic reconstruction of the embryonic lineage tree from 4D-microscopy

Studies of animal development using a 4Dmicroscopy system generate an immense amount of image data. In order to properly analyze the recorded embryogenesis, a computer-aided systematic process of categorization of cells from the image data should be accomplished. We present a software tool named LTMaker for the systematic semiautomatic identification of embryonic cells centers and also to determine the underlying linage tree. The program saves the generated data to a file so that further analysis of the embryo can be performed with external tools.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Rescate y revalorización del cultivo de la quinoa en poblaciones de la puna catamarqueña

La quinoa es un cultivo originario de la región andina y es un grano parecido a los cereales, pero no pertenece a esta familia. La planta está adaptada a condiciones desfavorables propias de la región como lo son las bajas temperaturas, suelos poco fértiles y salinos.  Actualmente, la quinoa ha despertado mucho interés, por el reconocimiento de su gran valor nutritivo, ya que supera a los cereales en el contenido y calidad de sus proteínas. La Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación (FAO) la catalogo como un alimento único por su altísimo valor nutricional, que puede sustituir notablemente a las proteínas de origen animal, pues contiene un balance de proteínas y nutrientes más cercano al ideal para el ser humano que cualquier otro alimento y sería una de las soluciones a los problemas de la nutrición humana. Las comunidades de la puna del Departamento Belén en la provincia de Catamarca se enfrentan cotidianamente a diversos problemas como: falta de servicios, aislamiento, escasez de recursos y condiciones climáticas adversas, entre otros. Sin embargo, la pobreza y la falta de una alimentación nutritiva son las problemáticas más inquietantes de la región.  En el presente trabajo se realizo el rescate y revalorización del cultivo de la quinoa en poblaciones de la puna catamarqueña, realizando una contribución a la Seguridad Alimentaria de grupos socio-económicos vulnerables y de esta manera favorecer el desarrollo sustentable de la misma.  Para el desarrollo del proyecto  han trabajado en forma conjunta la Universidad Nacional de Catamarca con el Programa de Pro – Huerta INTA Agencia Belén. La metodología empleada para el trabajo fue la investigación – acción participativa (IAP), la cual combina la investigación y la acción, implicando a la población, la cual se involucra y de esta manera se trabajo de manera dinámica y directa con la comunidad. En la región se han desarrollado charlas, capacitaciones en la siembra y manejo del cultivo de quinoa, las cuales fueron impartidas por personal técnico del INTA. Además se realizaron talleres comunitarios en los cuales se instruyo a los pobladores en la preparación de alimentos empleando este grano. Se logro una gran convocatoria a las charlas, capacitaciones y talleres en la región. Los pobladores cultivaron quinoa en parcelas familiares obteniendo rendimientos de 800 Kg/ha y la incorporaron a su dieta con lo que se logro un importante aporte a la Seguridad Alimentaria

Effects of Topically Administered Neuroprotective Drugs in Early Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy:Results of the EUROCONDOR Clinical Trial

The primary objective of this study was to assess whether the topical administration of two neuroprotective drugs (brimonidine and somatostatin) could prevent or arrest retinal neurodysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes. For this purpose, adults aged between 45 and 75 years with a diabetes duration ≥5 years and an Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) level of ≤35 were randomly assigned to one of three arms: placebo, somatostatin, or brimonidine. The primary outcome was the change in implicit time (IT) assessed by multifocal electroretinography between baseline and at the end of follow-up (96 weeks). There were 449 eligible patients allocated to brimonidine (n = 152), somatostatin (n = 145), or placebo (n = 152). When the primary end point was evaluated in the whole population, we did not find any neuroprotective effect of brimonidine or somatostatin. However, in the subset of patients (34.7%) with preexisting retinal neurodysfunction, IT worsened in the placebo group (P < 0.001) but remained unchanged in the brimonidine and somatostatin groups. In conclusion, the topical administration of the selected neuroprotective agents appears useful in preventing the worsening of preexisting retinal neurodysfunction. This finding points to screening retinal neurodysfunction as a critical issue to identify a subset of patients in whom neuroprotective treatment might be of benefit

Reconstruction of Family-Level Phylogenetic Relationships within Demospongiae (Porifera) Using Nuclear Encoded Housekeeping Genes

Background: Demosponges are challenging for phylogenetic systematics because of their plastic and relatively simple morphologies and many deep divergences between major clades. To improve understanding of the phylogenetic relationships within Demospongiae, we sequenced and analyzed seven nuclear housekeeping genes involved in a variety of cellular functions from a diverse group of sponges. Methodology/Principal Findings: We generated data from each of the four sponge classes (i.e., Calcarea, Demospongiae, Hexactinellida, and Homoscleromorpha), but focused on family-level relationships within demosponges. With data for 21 newly sampled families, our Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian-based approaches recovered previously phylogenetically defined taxa: Keratosap, Myxospongiaep, Spongillidap, Haploscleromorphap (the marine haplosclerids) and Democlaviap. We found conflicting results concerning the relationships of Keratosap and Myxospongiaep to the remaining demosponges, but our results strongly supported a clade of Haploscleromorphap+Spongillidap+Democlaviap. In contrast to hypotheses based on mitochondrial genome and ribosomal data, nuclear housekeeping gene data suggested that freshwater sponges (Spongillidap) are sister to Haploscleromorphap rather than part of Democlaviap. Within Keratosap, we found equivocal results as to the monophyly of Dictyoceratida. Within Myxospongiaep, Chondrosida and Verongida were monophyletic. A well supported clade within Democlaviap, Tetractinellidap, composed of all sampled members of Astrophorina and Spirophorina (including the only lithistid in our analysis), was consistently revealed as the sister group to all other members of Democlaviap. Within Tetractinellidap, we did not recover monophyletic Astrophorina or Spirophorina. Our results also reaffirmed the monophyly of order Poecilosclerida (excluding Desmacellidae and Raspailiidae), and polyphyly of Hadromerida and Halichondrida. Conclusions/Significance: These results, using an independent nuclear gene set, confirmed many hypotheses based on ribosomal and/or mitochondrial genes, and they also identified clades with low statistical support or clades that conflicted with traditional morphological classification. Our results will serve as a basis for future exploration of these outstanding questions using more taxon- and gene-rich datasets

Coefficient shifts in geographical ecology: an empirical evaluation of spatial and non-spatial regression

Copyright © 2009 The Authors. Copyright © ECOGRAPHY 2009.A major focus of geographical ecology and macro ecology is to understand the causes of spatially structured ecological patterns. However, achieving this understanding can be complicated when using multiple regressions, because the relative importance of explanatory variables, as measured by regression coefficients, can shift depending on whether spatially explicit or non-spatial modelling is used. However, the extent to which coefficients may shift and why shifts occur are unclear. Here, we analyze the relationship between environmental predictors and the geographical distribution of species richness, body size, range size and abundance in 97 multi-factorial data sets. Our goal was to compare standardized partial regression coefficients of non-spatial ordinary least squares regressions (i.e. models fitted using ordinary least squares without taking autocorrelation into account; “OLS models” hereafter) and eight spatial methods to evaluate the frequency of coefficient shifts and identify characteristics of data that might predict when shifts are likely. We generated three metrics of coefficient shifts and eight characteristics of the data sets as predictors of shifts. Typical of ecological data, spatial autocorrelation in the residuals of OLS models was found in most data sets. The spatial models varied in the extent to which they minimized residual spatial autocorrelation. Patterns of coefficient shifts also varied among methods and datasets, although the magnitudes of shifts tended to be small in all cases. We were unable to identify strong predictors of shifts, including the levels of autocorrelation in either explanatory variables or model residuals. Thus, changes in coefficients between spatial and non-spatial methods depend on the method used and are largely idiosyncratic, making it difficult to predict when or why shifts occur. We conclude that the ecological importance of regression coefficients cannot be evaluated with confidence irrespective of whether spatially explicit modelling is used or not. Researchers may have little choice but to be more explicit about the uncertainty of models and more cautious in their interpretation

The Time to Offer Treatments for COVID-19

Introduction: COVID-19 has several overlapping phases. Treatment has focused on the late stage of the disease in hospital. Yet, the continuation of the pandemic is by propagation of the disease in outpatients. The current public health strategy relies solely on vaccines to prevent disease. Areas Covered: We searched the major national registries, pubmed.org, and the preprint servers for all ongoing, completed and published trial results with subject numbers of 100 or more on, and used a targeted search to find announcements of unpublished trial results. As of 2/15/2021, we found 111 publications reporting findings in human studies on 14 classes of agents, and on 9 vaccines. There were 62 randomized controlled studies, the rest retrospective observational analyses. Only 21 publications dealt with outpatient care, the rest all in hospitalized patients. Remdesivir and convalescent plasma have emergency use authorization for hospitalized patients in the U.S.A. There is also support for glucocorticoid treatment of the COVID-19 respiratory distress syndrome. Monoclonal antibodies are authorized for outpatients, but the supply is inadequate to treat all at time of diagnosis. Favipiravir, ivermectin, and interferons are approved in certain countries Expert Opinion: Worldwide vaccination is now underway. Vaccines and antibodies are highly antigen specific and new variants are appearing. There is a need for treatment of outpatients who contract the disease, in addition to mass immunization. We call on public health authorities to authorize treatments with known low risk and potential benefit for use in parallel with mass immunization

Prevalence of disability in a composite ≥75 year-old population in Spain: A screening survey based on the International Classification of Functioning

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The prevalence and predictors of functional status and disability of elderly people have been studied in several European countries including Spain. However, there has been no population-based study incorporating the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework as the basis for assessing disability. The present study reports prevalence rates for mild, moderate, and severe/extreme disability by the domains of activities and participation of the ICF.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Nine populations surveyed in previous prevalence studies contributed probabilistic and geographically defined samples in June 2005. The study sample was composed of 503 subjects aged ≥75 years. We implemented a two-phase screening design using the MMSE and the World Health Organization-Disability Assessment Schedule 2^ndedition (WHO-DAS II, 12 items) as cognitive and disability screening tools, respectively. Participants scoring within the positive range of the disability screening were administered the full WHO-DAS II (36 items; score range: 0-100) assessing the following areas: Understanding and communication, Getting along with people, Life activities, Getting around, Participation in society, and Self-care. Each disability area assessed by WHO-DAS II (36 items) was reported according to the ICF severity ranges (No problem, 0-4; Mild disability, 5-24; Moderate disability, 25-49; Severe/Extreme disability, 50-100).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The age-adjusted disability prevalence figures were: 39.17 ± 2.18%, 15.31 ± 1.61%, and 10.14 ± 1.35% for mild, moderate, and severe/extreme disability, respectively. Severe and extreme disability prevalence in mobility and life activities was three times higher than the average, and highest among women. Sex variations were minimal, although life activities for women of 85 years and over had more severe/extreme disability as compared to men (OR = 5.15 95% CI 3.19-8.32).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Disability is highly prevalent among the Spanish elderly. Sex- and age-specific variations of disability are associated with particular disability domains.</p

Sequencing of Culex quinquefasciatus establishes a platform for mosquito comparative genomics

Culex quinquefasciatus (the southern house mosquito) is an important mosquito vector of viruses such as West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus, as well as of nematodes that cause lymphatic filariasis. C. quinquefasciatus is one species within the Culex pipiens species complex and can be found throughout tropical and temperate climates of the world. The ability of C. quinquefasciatus to take blood meals from birds, livestock, and humans contributes to its ability to vector pathogens between species. Here, we describe the genomic sequence of C. quinquefasciatus: Its repertoire of 18,883 protein-coding genes is 22% larger than that of Aedes aegypti and 52% larger than that of Anopheles gambiae with multiple gene-family expansions, including olfactory and gustatory receptors, salivary gland genes, and genes associated with xenobiotic detoxification