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

Oxidative discolouration in whole-head and cut lettuce: biochemical and environmental influences on a complex phenotype and potential breeding strategies to improve shelf-life

Lettuce discolouration is a key post-harvest trait. The major enzyme controlling oxidative discolouration has long been considered to be polyphenol oxidase (PPO) however, levels of PPO and subsequent development of discolouration symptoms have not always correlated. The predominance of a latent state of the enzyme in plant tissues combined with substrate activation and contemporaneous suicide inactivation mechanisms are considered as potential explanations for this phenomenon. Leaf tissue physical properties have been associated with subsequent discolouration and these may be influenced by variation in nutrient availability, especially excess nitrogen and head maturity at harvest. Mild calcium and irrigation stress has also been associated with a reduction in subsequent discolouration, although excess irrigation has been linked to increased discolouration potentially through leaf physical properties. These environmental factors, including high temperature and UV light intensities, often have impacts on levels of phenolic compounds linking the environmental responses to the biochemistry of the PPO pathway. Breeding strategies targeting the PALand PPOpathway biochemistry and environmental response genes are discussed as a more cost-effective method of mitigating oxidative discolouration then either modified atmosphere packaging or post-harvest treatments, although current understanding of the biochemistry means that such programs are likely to be limited in nature and it is likely that they will need to be deployed alongside other methods for the foreseeable future

Use of beneficial bacteria and their secondary metabolites to control grapevine pathogen diseases

Grapevine is one of the most important economic crops yielding berries, wine products as well as derivates. However, due to the large array of pathogens inducing diseases on this plant, considerable amounts of pesticides—with possible negative impact on the environment and health—have been used and are currently used in viticulture. To avoid negative impacts of such products and to ensure product quality, a substantial fraction of pesticides needs to be replaced in the near future. One solution can be related to the use of beneficial bacteria inhabiting the rhizo- and/or the endosphere of plants. These biocontrol bacteria and their secondary metabolites can reduce directly or indirectly pathogen diseases by affecting pathogen performance by antibiosis, competition for niches and nutrients, interference with pathogen signaling or by stimulation of host plant defenses. Due to the large demand for biocontrol of grapevine diseases, such biopesticides, their modes of actions and putative consequences of their uses need to be described. Moreover, the current knowledge on new strains from the rhizo- and endosphere and their metabolites that can be used on grapevine plants to counteract pathogen attack needs to be discussed. This is in particular with regard to the control of root rot, grey mould, trunk diseases, powdery and downy mildews, pierce’s disease, grapevine yellows as well as crown gall. Future prospects on specific beneficial microbes and their secondary metabolites that can be used as elicitors of plant defenses and/or as biocontrol agents with potential use in a more sustainable viticulture will be further discussed

Producción de leche y grasa de vacas libres e infectadas subclínicamente con el virus de la leucosis bovina

The objective of the present study was to compare prospectively the milk and fat production, standardized to 305-day mature equivalent of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) naturally infected (89) and uninfected (104) cows. The animals were Holstein and Holstein x Chilean-Friesian, from a herd of the región Metropolitana, Chile, representing standard management for dairy cattle and with a known epidemiological condition related to BLV infection.BLV seropositive cows produced 6,501 ± 1,505 kg of milk and 168 ± 53 kg of fat (305-day, M.E), compared to 6,677 ± 1,728 of milk and 166 ± 46 kg of fat from seronegative cows. No statistical differences in milk and fat production were observed between the two groups of cows using variance analysis (P ≥ 0.05). No significant differences were also observed in milk and fat production, according to the number of lactations, between BLV seronegative and seropositive cows.Se comparó la producción real de leche y de grasa, proyectada a 305 días y estandarizada a madurez equivalente de 89 vacas seropositivas y 104 negativas a la infección con el virus leucosis bovina (VLB), con el objeto de evaluar el efecto del estado subclínico de infección. Los animales utilizados eran de raza Holstein y cruza Holstein x Frisón Negro, pertenecientes a una lechería de la Región Metropolitana, con manejo estándar para la zona y una situación conocida de la dinámica de la infección con el VLB. Los anticuerpos contra la glicoproteína del VLB fueron detectados por inmunodifusión en gel de agar en tres exámenes semestrales sucesivos. Los animales seropositivos presentaron una producción de 6.501 ± 1.505 kg de leche estandarizada a madurez equivalente y de 168 ± 53 kg de grasa, las cuales no fueron estadísticamente diferentes (p ≥ 0,05) a las vacas seronegativas con una producción de leche de 6.677 ± 1.728 kg y de grasa de 166 ± 46 kg. Cuando se compararon las producciones de leche y de grasa de ambos grupos de animales, de acuerdo al número de la lactancia, tampoco se observaron diferencias significativas. Se concluye que para las condiciones de manejo y los niveles productivos señalados, la infección subclínica con el VLB no afectaría la producción láctea

Barn owl (Tyto alba) predation on small mammals and its role in the control of hantavirus natural reservoirs in a periurban area in southeastern Brazil

The aim of this study was to inventory the species of small mammals in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, based on regurgitated pellets of the barn owl and to compare the frequency of rodent species in the diet and in the environment. Since in the region there is a high incidence of hantavirus infection, we also evaluate the importance of the barn owl in the control of rodents that transmit the hantavirus. Data on richness and relative abundance of rodents in the municipality were provided by the Centro de Controle de Zoonoses, from three half-yearly samplings with live traps. In total, 736 food items were found from the analysis of 214 pellets and fragments. Mammals corresponded to 86.0% of food items and were represented by one species of marsupial (Gracilinanus agilis) and seven species of rodents, with Calomys tener (70.9%) and Necromys lasiurus (6.7%) being the most frequent. The proportion of rodent species in barn owl pellets differed from that observed in trap samplings, with Calomys expulsus, C. tener and Oligoryzomys nigripes being consumed more frequently than expected. Although restricted to a single place and based on few individuals, the present study allowed the inventory of eight species of small mammals in Uberlândia. The comparison of the relative frequencies of rodent species in the diet and in the environment indicated selectivity. The second most preyed upon species was N. lasiurus, the main hantavirus reservoir in the Cerrado biome. In this way, the barn owl might play an important role in the control of this rodent in the region, contributing to the avoidance of a higher number of cases of hantavirus infection

The peach genome

The peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] genome sequence has been recently made available to the scientific community. This represents the culmination of a long process that started less than two decades ago with the release of the first marker-based linkage maps. The process has advanced rapidly with the studies of molecular diversity, detection of genome positions of major genes and quantitative trait loci, development of large DNA sequence collections, transcriptome and proteome analyses, comparative genomic studies, construction of a physical map, and development of databases where researchers can access information. The growth of genomics knowledge has been partly due to the simplicity of the peach genome: short (230 Mbp), diploid, and distributed on eight pairs of chromosomes. Its unusually short intergeneration period (2–4 years) and selfing mating behavior, plus a dynamic peach scientific community that has often collaborated in the development of the necessary tools, have also facilitated in constructing a robust sequence of its complete genome. Peach is one of the best known species genetically among tree crops, with the promise of rapid advancement in the next few years. This paper reviews the resources available and the main results obtained, with emphasis placed on application to the development of improved varieties.The group of IRTA is a member of the CONSOLIDER Center for Basic Genomics and Agro-food Orientation (CSD2007-00036) and received additional funding for peach genomics research from a project of the Spanish Ministry of Education (AGL2009-07305).Peer reviewe