Blind shots: non-natural mortality counteracts conservation efforts of a threatened waterbird

Waterbirds are particularly affected by the high hunting pressure they face in many regions, which in some cases is compromising conservation actions for threatened species. The marbled teal Marmaronetta angustirostris is one of the most endangered waterbirds in Europe. In order to restore its population, several conservation actions have recently been undertaken, including a population reinforcement programme in Spain using captive-bred birds. With the aim of assessing the success of the reinforcement programme to establish a long-term self-sustaining population, we identified mortality causes of marbled teal, evaluated the survival of individual birds of the reinforcement programme and estimated the viability of the population under different management scenarios. We used data from wild and captive-bred individuals tracked by GPS since 2018 (n = 42) and from a mark–recapture programme initiated in 2015 (n = 297). We recovered 15 dead birds or transmitters: 20% died of natural causes, 60% of non-natural causes (including all anthropic causes) and 20% of unknown causes. Furthermore, the GPS tags of 24 birds unexpectedly stopped transmitting without any indication of malfunction, and for 66.7% of these disappeared birds, the cessation was suspected to be caused by illegal shooting. Survival during the hunting season was higher for males (31.3%) than for females (12.5%), and for the wild (50%) than for the captive-bred birds (9.4%), probably due to differences in migration patterns to North Africa. Population viability models revealed that maintaining the breeding population at the current mortality rates is only possible with a permanent release programme of captive-bred individuals, and that in order to establish a self-sustaining population, non-natural mortality would have to be reduced by at least 40%. We recommend management measures to reduce marbled teal mortality, such as limiting legal hunting to hours with clear visibility, prosecuting illegal shootings, controlling exotic predators and improving water management to reduce disease outbreaks. Some improvements can be implemented in captive-breeding programmes, such as earlier release times and incorporating anti-predator training.The transmitters were funded by the Generalitat Valenciana, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Biodiversity Foundation. JMPG was supported by a Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities postdoctoral contract IJC-2019-038968 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. ESG and ASA received the grants RYC2019-027216-I and RYC-2017-22796 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ESF Investing in your future. RCRC was supported by the European Union-Next Generation EU in the Maria Zambrano Program (ZAMBRANO 21-26). The present research was carried out within the framework of the activities of the Spanish Government through the ‘Maria de Maeztu Centre of Excellence’ accreditation to IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) (CEX2021-001198)

Functions and current situation of the intervention of psychologist in palliative care

Los psicólogos tienen un papel crucial en los procesos de fin de vida. Dentro de éstos, los cuidados paliativos son una de las áreas con más desarrollo en los últimos años, proponiendo un cuidado holístico e integral. Sin embargo, las funciones y roles de los psicólogos no están del todo claros. Por ello, se ha realizado una revisión teórica, buscando los estudios que ponen de relevancia su papel, funciones, así como la formación específica que deberían tener los psicólogos que trabajen en esta área. La mayoría subrayan la triple intervención con el paciente, la familia y el equipo sanitario. Funciones de evaluación e intervención psicológica, así como de prevención del burnout y del duelo aparecen como destacadas. La formación no está reglada aunque se está intentando buscar un currículum común.Psychologists have a crucial role in end-of-life processes. Within them, palliative care is one of the most developed areas and it is based on an holistic approach. However, the role of psychologists in this area is not clear. In order to clarify their function, a theoretical review has been carried out. The objective was to identify and integrate into a narrative the roles and functions of psychologist working in palliative care, as well as topics related to specific formation. Most of the articles reviewed outlined an intervention based on three axis: the patient, the family and the health care team. Functions such as psychological assessment, prevention of burnout and intervention on bereaved people appears as central. Specialized training and formation is not regulated, although recent proposals are trying to elaborate a common curriculum

SLUG in cancer development

The SNAIL-related zinc-finger transcription factor, SLUG (SNAI2), is critical for the normal development of neural crest-derived cells and loss-of-function SLUG mutations have been proven to contribute to piebaldism and Waardenburg syndrome type 2 in a dose-dependent fashion. While aberrant induction of SLUG has been documented in cancer cells, relatively little is known about the consequences of SLUG overexpression in malignancy. To investigate the potential role of SLUG overexpression in development and in cancer, we generated mice carrying a tetracycline-repressible Slug transgene. These mice were morphologically normal at birth, and developed mesenchymal tumours (leukaemia and sarcomas) in almost all cases examined. Suppression of the Slug transgene did not rescue the malignant phenotype. Furthermore, the BCR–ABL oncogene, which induces Slug expression in leukaemic cells, did not induce leukaemia in Slug-deficient mice, implicating Slug in BCR–ABL leukaemogenesis in vivo. Overall, the findings indicate that while Slug overexpression is not sufficient to cause overt morphogenetic defects in mice, they demonstrate a specific and critical role for Slug in the pathogenesis of mesenchymal tumours.Research in our group is supported by MEyC (BIO2000-0453-P4-02, SAF2003- 01103and FIT-010000-2004-157), Junta de Castilla y León (CSI06/03), ADE de Castilla y León (04/04/SA/0001), FIS (PI020138, G03/179, and G03/136) and USALCIBASA project. MPC is a recipient of an MCyT fellowship and MSM is supported by Fundación Cientíica de la AECC.Peer reviewe

A tactile model of the night summer northern sky for the teaching of astronomy to the BVI

Astroaccesible is an outreach project hosted by the Instituto de Astrof\'{\i}sica de Andaluc\'{\i}a - CSIC aimed at the teaching and popularisation of the astronomy among all publics independently of their capabilities and abilities, paying special attention to the collective of blind and visually impaired (BVI). Among the different strategies and resources using in our project, we have developed new 3D models representing in relief some of the stars, constellations and deep sky objects that can be observed during night from the Northern hemisphere in spring and summer. These models can be used by BVI to transmit to them the spatial configuration of the sky during night, but can be also used as an additional resource for all kind of publics to complement their sensorial experience. We also describe additional resources based on sounds that can also be employed to get deeper into this multisensorial experience. Finally, we summarize some of the activities and the context in which this new material has been used in the last 2 years.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. To appear as proceeding of the 15th Scientific Meeting of the Spanish Astronomical Societ

The Bilingual Lexicon, Back and Forth: Electrophysiological Signatures of Translation Asymmetry

Available online 2 December 2021Mainstream theories of first and second language (L1, L2) processing in bilinguals are crucially informed by word translation research. A core finding is the translation asymmetry effect, typified by slower performance in forward translation (FT, from L1 into L2) than in backward translation (BT, from L2 into L1). Yet, few studies have explored its neural bases and none has employed (de)synchronization measures, precluding the integration of bilingual memory models with neural (de)coupling accounts of word processing. Here, 27 proficient Spanish-English bilinguals engaged in FT and BT of single words as we obtained high-density EEG recordings to perform cluster-based oscillatory and non-linear functional connectivity analyses. Relative to BT, FT yielded slower responses, higher frontal theta (4–7 Hz) power in an early window (0–300 ms), reduced centro-posterior lower-beta (14–20 Hz) and centro-frontal upper-beta (21–30 Hz) power in a later window (300–600 ms), and lower fronto-parietal connectivity below 10 Hz in the early window. Also, the greater the behavioral difference between FT and BT, the greater the power of the early theta cluster for FT over BT. These results reveal key (de)coupling dynamics underlying translation asymmetry, offering frequency-specific constraints for leading models of bilingual lexical processing.This work was supported by CONICET and FONCYT-PICT [grant numbers 2017-1818, 2017-1820]. Agustín Ibáñez is supported by grants of the Alzheimer’s Association GBHI ALZ UK-20-639295; Takeda CW2680521; ANID/FONDECYT Regular (1210195); ANID/FONDAP 15150012, Sistema General de Regalías (BPIN2018000100059), Universidad del Valle (CI 5316), and the Multi-Partner Consortium to Expand Dementia Research in Latin America (ReDLat), funded by the National Institutes of Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award number R01AG057234, an Alzheimer’s Association grant (SG-20-725707-ReDLat), the Rainwater Foundation, and the Global Brain Health Institute. Adolfo García is an Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) and is supported with funding from GBHI, Alzheimer’s Association, and Alzheimer’s Society (Alzheimer’s Association GBHI ALZ UK-22-865742); ANID, FONDECYT Regular (1210176); and Programa Interdisciplinario de Investigación Experimental en Comunicación y Cognición (PIIECC), Facultad de Humanidades, USACH. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health, Alzheimer’s Association, Rainwater Charitable Foundation, or Global Brain Health Institute

Reflections on the Other Side. A Southern Iberia Origin for the First Pottery Production of Northern Morocco?

Archaeological works in Morocco (the Spanish-Moroccan team) were funded by a European Research Council Advanced Grant AGRIWESTMED (Origins and spread of agriculture in the western Mediterranean region) coordinated by L.P.-CH. Processing works were performed thanks to a IJCI-2016-27812 -Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities-Universidad de Granada, Juan de la Cierva-Incorporacion Agreement (2016, by RMMS), and by funding provided in the framework of project "Archaeobiology of the Neolithic of the Southern Iberian Peninsula" (NeArqBioSI) A-HUM-460-UGR18 by Consejeria de Economia, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad. FEDER Programme - Andalusian CouncilGranada University. Finally, G. Perez-Jorda has carried out this research within the grant CIDEGENT/2019/00, funded by the Generalitat Valenciana.This work is a starting point for rethinking the role of the Iberian Peninsula in the neolithisation of northern Morocco. It focuses on the similarities and divergences between the first pottery productions and their decorations in both territories. This relationship is supported by the existence of an accurate chronological gradation between the first evidence of Neolithisation in Iberian Peninsula and that of northern Morocco which suggests a north–south direction. We also present arguments on the possible links between the early ceramics from the north of Morocco and those from the south of Iberia, providing a first approach to an issue that will need to be carefully analysed in future research.European Research Council Advanced Grant AGRIWESTMED (Origins and spread of agriculture in the western Mediterranean region)Consejeria de Economia, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad A-HUM-460-UGR18FEDER Programme - Andalusian CouncilGranada UniversityGeneralitat Valenciana European Commission General Electric CIDEGENT/2019/0

Elaboración de kits de diagnóstico clínico mediante metodología de ELISA en diferentes enfermedades metabólicas

Los errores congénitos del metabolismo (ECM) son un grupo de enfermedades hereditarias causadas por defectos genéticos en las rutas metabólicas. Aunque existen más de 7000, la frecuencia de cada de una de ellas es tan baja que se consideran enfermedades raras y, actualmente, sólo la mitad son diagnosticables. El elevado coste de investigación ralentiza el desarrollo de métodos de diagnóstico más eficientes y posibles tratamientos. Una de los ECM más frecuente en España es la enfermedad de Gaucher, en la cual una mutación en el gen GBA lleva a la deficiencia en la actividad de la enzima β‑glucocerebrosidasa, provocando la acumulación de glucosilceramida en los lisosomas de macrófagos. La forma más común de Gaucher (94%) es el tipo 1, en el cual se aprecian manifestaciones óseas en más del 90% de los casos. En los últimos años se ha observado que estos pacientes presentan niveles elevados de catepsina K en suero. La catepsina K es una proteína esencial en la reabsorción ósea en personas normales. Es secretada por los osteoclastos hacia las zonas de contacto entre estas células y la superficie del hueso, donde participa en la degradación de la matriz orgánica mediante la escisión de las proteínas colágeno 1 y osteonectina. Los niveles elevados de catepsina K en pacientes de Gaucher podrían ser un indicativo del mayor nivel de degradación ósea que presentan estos pacientes y, por tanto, podrían utilizarse para el diagnóstico y seguimiento de la enfermedad. Se pretende desarrollar un kit para el diagnóstico y el seguimiento de la enfermedad de Gaucher tipo I basado en la metodología ELISA. Para ello, se va a poner a punto un procedimiento de ELISA Sándwich Heterólogo para la detección de catepsina K en muestras de suero de pacientes. Los resultados se compararán con niveles de quitotriosidasa de estos pacientes, el marcador utilizado actualmente para el diagnóstico de la enfermedad. Además, se contrastará con un análisis de otros marcadores de formación y destrucción ósea en los mismos pacientes. Los primeros resultados obtenidos muestran que existe una correlación clara entre los niveles de catepsina K en suero y la gravedad de la enfermedad en cada paciente, determinada por los niveles de quitotriosidasa. El análisis de los otros marcadores de formación y degradación ósea arroja resultados positivos. Es necesario llevar a cabo una validación completa del kit ELISA que se está desarrollando, así como comparar los resultados con kits existentes en el mercado

The human area postrema and other nuclei related to the emetic reflex express cAMP phosphodiesterases 4B and 4D

Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors, i.e. rolipram, are being extensively investigated as therapeutic agents in several diseases. Emesis is one of the most common side effects of PDE4 inhibitors. Given the fact that the area postrema is considered the chemoreceptor trigger zone for vomiting, the present study investigates the regional distribution and cellular localization of the four gene transcripts of the PDE4 subfamily (PDE4A, PDE4B, PDE4C and PDE4D) in human brainstem. In situ hybridization histochemistry was used to locate the mRNA distribution of the four PDE4 subfamilies in the area postrema and related nuclei of human postmortem brainstem. We have found that in the brainstem PDE4B and PDE4D mRNA expression is abundant and distributed not only in neuronal cells, but also in glial cells, and on blood vessels. The hybridization signals for PDE4B and PDE4D mRNAs in the area postrema were stronger than those in any other nuclei in the brainstem. They were also found in vomiting-related nuclei such as the nucleus of the solitary tract and the dorsal vagal motor nucleus. These findings suggest that cAMP signaling modification in the area postrema could mediate the emetic effects of PDE4 inhibitors in human brainstem.This work was supported by grants from Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (SAF2006-10243). F.M. was on sabbatical leave from Hirosaki University School of Medicine. S.P.-T. was recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from CIRIT (Generalitat de Catalunya).Peer Reviewe

Association of patients' geographic origins with viral hepatitis co-infection patterns, Spain

To determine if hepatitis C virus seropositivity and active hepatitis B virus infection in HIV-positive patients vary with patients' geographic origins, we studied co-infections in HIV-seropositive adults. Active hepatitis B infection was more prevalent in persons from Africa, and hepatitis C seropositivity was more common in persons from eastern Europe.Ministerio de Sanidad. Instituto de Salud Carlos II

Transcriptomal profiling of the cellular response to DNA damage mediated by Slug (Snai2)

Snai2-deficient cells are radiosensitive to DNA damage. The function of Snai2 in response to DNA damage seems to be critical for its function in normal development and cancer. Here, we applied a functional genomics approach that combined gene-expression profiling and computational molecular network analysis to obtain global dissection of the Snai2-dependent transcriptional response to DNA damage in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), which undergo p53-dependent growth arrest in response to DNA damage. Although examination of the response showed that overall expression of p53 target gene expression patterns was similarly altered in both control and Snai2-deficient cells, we have identified and validated candidate Snai2 target genes linked to Snai2 gene function in response to DNA damage. This work defines for the first time the effect of Snai2 on p53 target genes in cells undergoing growth arrest, elucidates the Snai2-dependent molecular network induced by DNA damage, points to novel putative Snai2 targets, and suggest a mechanistic model, which has implications for cancer management