Regulation of ovule initiation by gibberellins and brassinosteroids in tomato and Arabidopsis: two plant species, two molecular mechanisms

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Barro¿Trastoy, D., Carrera, E., Baños, J., Palau-Rodríguez, J., Ruiz-Rivero, O., Tornero, P., Alonso, J.M., López-Díaz, I., Gómez, M.D. and Pérez-Amador, M.A. (2020), Regulation of ovule initiation by gibberellins and brassinosteroids in tomato and Arabidopsis: two plant species, two molecular mechanisms. Plant J, 102: 1026-1041, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.14684. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.[EN] Ovule primordia formation is a complex developmental process with a strong impact on the production of seeds. In Arabidopsis this process is controlled by a gene network, including components of the signalling pathways of auxin, brassinosteroids (BRs) and cytokinins. Recently, we have shown that gibberellins (GAs) also play an important role in ovule primordia initiation, inhibiting ovule formation in both Arabidopsis and tomato. Here we reveal that BRs also participate in the control of ovule initiation in tomato, by promoting an increase on ovule primordia formation. Moreover, molecular and genetic analyses of the co-regulation by GAs and BRs of the control of ovule initiation indicate that two different mechanisms occur in tomato and Arabidopsis. In tomato, GAs act downstream of BRs. BRs regulate ovule number through the downregulation of GA biosynthesis, which provokes stabilization of DELLA proteins that will finally promote ovule primordia initiation. In contrast, in Arabidopsis both GAs and BRs regulate ovule number independently of the activity levels of the other hormone. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that different molecular mechanisms could operate in different plant species to regulate identical developmental processes even, as for ovule primordia initiation, if the same set of hormones trigger similar responses, adding a new level of complexity.We wish to thank B. Janssen (Horticulture and Food Research Institute, New Zealand) for the pBJ60 shuttle vector, C. Ferrandiz and M. Colombo (IBMCP, CSIC-UPV, Valencia, Spain) for their help in the generation of 35S:ANT lines and L.E.P. Peres (Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil) for the tomato mutant lines. Our thanks also go to C. Fuster for technical assistance. This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness-FEDER (BIO2017-83138R) to MAPA and from NSF (DBI-0820755, MCB-1158181, and IOS-1444561) to JMA.Barro-Trastoy, D.; Carrera, E.; Baños, J.; Palau-Rodríguez, J.; Ruiz-Rivero, O.; Tornero Feliciano, P.; Alonso, JM.... (2020). 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Long or complicated mpox in patients with uncontrolled HIV infection

To date, former research about the impact of HIV infection on mpox poor outcomes is still limited and controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the impact of HIV on the clinical course of mpox, in a large population of patients from Spain. Nationwide case-series study. Patients from 18 Spanish hospitals, with PCR-confirmed mpox from April 27, 2022 to June 30, 2023 were included in this study. The main outcome was the development of long or complicated (LC) mpox, defined as: (i) duration of the clinical course ≥ 28 days, or; (ii) disseminated disease, or: (iii) emergence of severe complications. One thousand eight hundred twenty-three individuals were included. Seven hundred eighty-six (43%) were people living with HIV (PLWH), of whom 11 (1%) had a CD4 cell count < 200 cells/mm3 and 33 (3%) <350 cells/mm3 . HIV viral load ≥ 1000 cp/mL was found in 27 (3%) PLWH, none of them were on effective ART. Fifteen (60%) PLWH with HIV-RNA ≥ 1000 cp/mL showed LC versus 182 (29%) PLWH with plasma HIV-RNA load < 1000 copies/mL and 192 (24%) individuals without HIV infection (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, adjusted by age, sex, CD4 cell counts and HIV viral load at the time of mpox, only plasma HIV-RNA ≥ 1000 cp/mL was associated with a greater risk of developing LC mpox [adjusted OR = 4.06 (95% confidence interval 1.57-10.51), p = 0.004]. PLWH with uncontrolled HIV infection, due to lack of ART, are at a greater risk of developing LC mpox. Efforts should be made to ensure HIV testing is carried out in patients with mpox and to start ART without delay in those tested positive

Innovació i investigació docent per millorar l’enginy i la creativitat dels alumnes d’Enginyeria i Arquitectura

El nou marc de l’EEES i l’experiència docent en las àrees de l’Enginyeria i l’Arquitectura, indueix a pensar en la introducció de noves metodologies docents motivades per la necessitat d’adaptar, en la mesura del possible, els coneixements que l’alumne adquireix a la Universidad al món professional de les empreses. L’ensenyament a Enginyeria i Arquitectura, s’ha ha basat, tradicionalment, en l’aplicació de models matemàtics. Així, els exercicis plantejats als alumnes es redueixen, la majoria de vegades, a aplicar aquest models matemàtics. La realitat professional és ben diferent, l’arquitecte i/o enginyer no tindrà sovint temps de fer anàlisis tant detallats com els que realitzava com alumne; és per això que sembla aconsellable variar el model d’ensenyança / aprenentatge.Peer Reviewe

Amino acid change in the carbohydrate response element binding protein is associated with lower triglycerides and myocardial infarction incidence depending on level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet in the PREDIMED trial

Background: A variant (rs3812316, C771G, Gln241His) in the MLXIPL (Max-like protein X interacting protein-like) gene encoding the carbohydrate response element binding protein has been associated with lower triglycerides. However, its association with cardiovascular diseases and gene-diet interactions modulating these traits are unknown. Methods and Results: We studied 7,166 participants in the PREDIMED trial testing a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) intervention versus a control diet for cardiovascular prevention, with a median follow-up of 4.8 years. Diet, lipids, MLXIPL polymorphisms and cardiovascular events were assessed. Data were analyzed at baseline and longitudinally. We used multivariable-adjusted Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for cardiovascular outcomes. The MLXIPL-rs3812316 was associated with lower baseline triglycerides (P=5.5x10-5) and lower hypertriglyceridemia (odds ratio [OR]: 0.73; 95%CI, 0.63-0.85; P=1.4x10-6 in G- carriers versus CC). This association was modulated by baseline adherence to MedDiet (AdMedDiet). When AdMedDiet was high, the protection was stronger (OR: 0.63, 95%CI: 0.51-0.77; P=8.6x10-6) than when AdMedDiet was low (OR: 0.88, 95%CI: 0.70-1.09;P=0.219). Throughout the follow-up, both the MLXIPL-rs3812316 (P=3.8x10-6) and the MedDiet intervention (P=0.030) were significantly associated with decreased triglycerides. Likewise in G-carriers MedDiet intervention was associated with greater total cardiovascular risk reduction and specifically for myocardial infarction. In the MedDiet, but not in the control group, we observed lower myocardial infarction incidence in G-carriers versus CC (HR: 0.34; 95%CI:0.12- 0.93;P=0.036 and 0.90; 95%CI: 0.35-2.33;P=0.830, respectively). Conclusion: Our novel results suggest that MedDiet enhances the triglyceride- 3 lowering effect of the MLXIPL-rs3812316 variant and strengthens its protective effect on myocardial infarction incidence

Multicenter prospective clinical study to evaluate children short-term neurodevelopmental outcome in congenital heart disease (children NEURO-HEART): study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most prevalent congenital malformation affecting 1 in 100 newborns. While advances in early diagnosis and postnatal management have increased survival in CHD children, worrying long-term outcomes, particularly neurodevelopmental disability, have emerged as a key prognostic factor in the counseling of these pregnancies. METHODS: Eligible participants are women presenting at 20 to < 37 weeks of gestation carrying a fetus with CHD. Maternal/neonatal recordings are performed at regular intervals, from the fetal period to 24 months of age, and include: placental and fetal hemodynamics, fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional echocardiography, cerebral oxymetry, electroencephalography and serum neurological and cardiac biomarkers. Neurodevelopmental assessment is planned at 12 months of age using the ages and stages questionnaire (ASQ) and at 24 months of age with the Bayley-III test. Target recruitment is at least 150 cases classified in three groups according to three main severe CHD groups: transposition of great arteries (TGA), Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction (LVOTO). DISCUSSION: The results of NEURO-HEART study will provide the most comprehensive knowledge until date of children's neurologic prognosis in CHD and will have the potential for developing future clinical decisive tools and improving preventive strategies in CHD

Red de coordinación del Grado en Ingeniería Química para el curso 15-16

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Google Calendar vs Google Drive para la coordinación de asignaturas del Grado en Ingeniería Química

Uno de los aspectos peor valorados por los estudiantes en las nuevas titulaciones con evaluación continua suele ser la distribución de controles y otro tipo de pruebas objetivas a lo largo del cuatrimestre. En la guía docente de cada asignatura aparece la información sobre las pruebas a realizar dentro de un cronograma aproximado, y está disponible antes del comienzo del curso. Sin embargo, esa distribución puede variar ligeramente una vez empezado el curso debido a diversos motivos, y no se dispone de la información para todas las asignaturas del cuatrimestre en un mismo documento, lo que facilitaría su visualización. Para el Grado en Ingeniería Química se comenzó a utilizar la herramienta Google Calendar con el objetivo de tener un mayor control de este aspecto y poder detectar y corregir conflictos que pudieran surgir. Sin embargo, se encontraron ciertas limitaciones y por ello se decidió probar otra opción distinta, un documento Excel compartido en Google Drive. En este trabajo se compara la experiencia con ambas herramientas

Validity of the energy-restricted Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener

[Background]: Short dietary assessment tools can be useful to estimate food intake and diet quality in large-scale epidemiological studies with time constraints. [Objective]: To determine the concurrent validity of the 17-item energy-restricted Mediterranean Adherence Screener (er-MEDAS) used in the PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea)-Plus trial and to analyse its capacity to detect 1-year changes in diet and cardiometabolic risk factors. [Methods]: Validation study nested in the PREDIMED-Plus (n = 6760, 55–75 years). Dietary data were collected by the 17-item er-MEDAS and a 143-item validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) at baseline and after 1-year intervention. Cardiometabolic risk markers were measured at both time points. A Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) score was derived from both instruments. Concurrent validity was evaluated by Pearson and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland and Altman limits of agreement. Construct validity was evaluated by assessing 1-year changes in FFQ-reported dietary intake and cardiometabolic profile changes in relation to changes in er-MEDAS. [Results]: A moderate to good correlation between the MedDiet score calculated by both measurement instruments was found: r = 0.61 and ICC = 0.60 (both p < 0.001). Agreement of each of the er-MEDAS items ranged from 55.4% to 85.0% with a moderate mean concordance (kappa = 0.41). Between baseline and 1-year follow-up, energy intake measured by the FFQ decreased by 242 kcal, while Mediterranean food consumption increased in participants with the highest increase in the er-MEDAS MedDiet score. An increase in the er-MEDAS MedDiet score ratings was associated with a decrease in BMI, waist circumference, triglycerides, fasting glucose, diastolic blood pressure, and triglycerides/HDL-cholesterol ratio (p < 0.001 for all), and with an increase in HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.006). [Conclusion]: The er-MEDAS shows a modest to good concurrent validity compared with FFQ data. It shows acceptable construct validity, as a greater er-MEDAS score was associated with more favourable dietary and cardiometabolic profiles over time.The PREDIMED-Plus trial was supported by the official funding agency for biomedical research of the Spanish government, ISCIII through the Fondo de Investigación para la Salud (FIS), which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund four coordinated FIS projects led by Jordi Salas-Salvadó and Josep Vidal, including the following projects: PI13/00673, PI13/ 00492, PI13/00272, PI13/01123, PI13/00462, PI13/00233, PI13/02184, PI13/ 00728, PI13/01090, PI13/01056, PI14/01722, PI14/00636, PI14/00618, PI14/ 00696, PI14/01206, PI14/01919, PI14/00853, PI14/01374, PI16/00473, PI16/00662, PI16/01873, PI16/01094, PI16/00501, PI16/00533, PI16/00381, PI16/00366, PI16/01522, PI16/01120, PI17/00764, PI17/01183, PI17/00855, PI17/01347, PI17/00525, PI17/01827, PI17/00532, PI17/00215, PI17/01441, PI17/00508, PI17/01732, PI17/00926; the Special Action Project entitled Implementación y evaluación de una intervención intensiva sobre la actividad física cohorte" PREDIMED-Plus grant to Jordi Salas-Salvadó; the Recercaixa grant to Jordi Salas-Salvadó (2013ACUP00194); the European Research Council Advanced Research Grant 2013–2018 (340918) granted to Miguel Ángel Martínez-Gonzalez, grants from the Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (PI0458/2013; PS0358/2016, PI0137/2018), the PROMETEO/2017/017 grant from the Generalitat Valenciana, the SEMERGEN grant and FEDER funds (CB06/03) to Josep A. Tur; the Astra Zeneca Young Investigators Award in Category of Obesity and Diabetes 2017 to Dora Romaguera; the ‘FOLIUM’ programme within the FUTURMed project from the Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Illes Balears (financed by 2017annual plan of the sustainable tourism tax and at 50% with charge to the ESF Operational Program 2014–2020 of the Balearic Islands). JR17/00022 contract to Olga Castaner from ISCIII. CIBERobn (Centros de Investigación Biomedica en Red: Obesidad y Nutrición), CIBEResp (Centros de Investigación Biomedica en Red: Epidemiología y Salud Publica) and CIBERdem (Centros de Investigación Biomedica en Red: Diabetes y Enfermedades). J. Salas-Salvadó gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by the ICREA Academia programme. None of the funding sources took part in the design, collection, analysis, or interpretation of the data; in writing the manuscript; or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication

Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts

BACKGROUND: Observational cohort studies and a secondary prevention trial have shown inverse associations between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular risk. METHODS: In a multicenter trial in Spain, we assigned 7447 participants (55 to 80 years of age, 57% women) who were at high cardiovascular risk, but with no cardiovascular disease at enrollment, to one of three diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts, or a control diet (advice to reduce dietary fat). Participants received quarterly educational sessions and, depending on group assignment, free provision of extra-virgin olive oil, mixed nuts, or small nonfood gifts. The primary end point was a major cardiovascular event (myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes). After a median follow-up of 4.8 years, the trial was stopped on the basis of a prespecified interim analysis. In 2013, we reported the results for the primary end point in the Journal. We subsequently identified protocol deviations, including enrollment of household members without randomization, assignment to a study group without randomization of some participants at 1 of 11 study sites, and apparent inconsistent use of randomization tables at another site. We have withdrawn our previously published report and now report revised effect estimates based on analyses that do not rely exclusively on the assumption that all the participants were randomly assigned. RESULTS: A primary end-point event occurred in 288 participants; there were 96 events in the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil (3.8%), 83 in the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with nuts (3.4%), and 109 in the control group (4.4%). In the intention-to-treat analysis including all the participants and adjusting for baseline characteristics and propensity scores, the hazard ratio was 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53 to 0.91) for a Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.54 to 0.95) for a Mediterranean diet with nuts, as compared with the control diet. Results were similar after the omission of 1588 participants whose study-group assignments were known or suspected to have departed from the protocol. CONCLUSIONS: In this study involving persons at high cardiovascular risk, the incidence of major cardiovascular events was lower among those assigned to a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts than among those assigned to a reduced-fat diet. (Funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spanish Ministry of Health, and others; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN35739639 .)

Clinical and pathological characteristics of peripheral T‐cell lymphomas in a Spanish population: a retrospective study

We investigated the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) in 13 sites across Spain. Relevant clinical antecedents, CD30 expression and staining pattern, prognostic indices using the International Prognostic Index and the Intergruppo Italiano Linfomi system, treatments, and clinical outcomes were examined. A sizeable proportion of 175 patients had a history of immune-related disorders (autoimmune 16%, viral infections 17%, chemo/radiotherapy-treated carcinomas 19%). The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 7·9 and 15·8 months, respectively. Prognostic indices influenced PFS and OS, with a higher number of adverse factors resulting in shorter survival (P 15% of cells were positive in anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive and -negative anaplastic large-cell lymphoma and extranodal natural killer PTCL groups. We observed PTCL distribution across subtypes based on haematopathological re-evaluation. Poor prognosis, effect of specific prognostic indices, relevance of histopathological sub-classification, and response level to first-line treatment on outcomes were confirmed. Immune disorders amongst patients require further examination involving genetic studies and identification of associated immunosuppressive factors