Morphometric and molecular characterization of Kudoa encrasicoli n. sp. (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) from the European anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus (L.) (Clupeiformes: Engraulidae)

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUGThe European anchovy represents the main fisheries for countries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins. The skeletal muscle of 13 of 48 (27.1%) Engraulis encrasicolus (L.) specimens from North East Atlantic waters (FAO 27.8.c) was found infected with interfibrillar elongated plasmodia (130-980 µm in length) containing mature myxospores belonging to the genus Kudoa Meglitsch, 1947. No flesh softening was found associated with infection. Fresh myxospores were 10.8 ± 0.7 (9.1-12.3) µm in width 1, 11.3 ± 0.9 (9.5-13.4) µm in width 2, 6.7 ± 0.4 (5.8-7.4) µm in thickness, and 6.9 ± 0.5 (5.8-7.5) µm in length. They were almost stellate in apical view having three pointed-edged shell valves bearing three small polar capsules equal in size 5.0 ± 0.3 (4.4-5.4) μm long and 2.4 ± 0.2 (2.0-3.0) μm wide, and one rounded- to rarely bluntly pointed-edged shell valve bearing a large and particularly wide polar capsule 6.8 ± 0.4 (5.9-7.6) μm long and 4.1 ± 0.2 (3.6-4.4) μm wide. Morphological and morphometrical comparisons between these myxospores and those of Kudoa thyrsites (Gilchrist, 1923) from the clupeid Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum) (North East Atlantic waters, FAO 27.9.a), with which exhibited a similarity of 98.9% and 96.2% using SSU and LSU rDNA sequences, respectively, support the creation of Kudoa encrasicoli n. sp. Morphometrical analysis of the polar capsules of flattened myxospores is suggested as a useful approach to differentiate phylogenetically related kudoids with stellate or almost stellate myxospores bearing four polar capsules.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. UIDB/04423/2020 442Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. UIDP/04423/2020Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. PTDC/BIA-BMA/6363/2020Xunta de Galici

Old Age Prejudice in Mexican University Students: Comparisons by Gender

The goal of the present research was to compare the profiles of old age prejudice in male and female students from the area of physical activity. The study was conducted from January to October 2016. Participants were recruited from different semesters of the Physical Education and Human Motricity bachelor’s degrees offered at the Faculty of Physical Culture Sciences of the Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Mexico. The sample was obtained through convenience sampling, and included 1652 participants; 828 women and 824 men, mean age was 20.51 ± 1.83 years 20.90 ± 2.03 years respectively. The approach of the study was quantitative with a descriptive survey-like design. All participants completed the Questionnaire on Negative Stereotypes towards Old Age. Results from the Multivariate Analyses of Variance, and the follow-up Univariate Analyses of Variance, show that men report greater levels of prejudice towards old age on the sociomotivational (F = 31.657, p<.001) and character-personality (F = 15.789, p<.001) factors. No differences were found on the health factor (i.e., mental and physical). These results suggest that when designing any type of intervention in which the purpose isto improve the perception of young people towards the elderly, the variable gender should be considered. Future research should replicate these findings in larger samples

Mutational screening of the USH2A gene in Spanish USH patients reveals 23 novel pathogenic mutations

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Usher Syndrome type II (USH2) is an autosomal recessive disorder, characterized by moderate to severe hearing impairment and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Among the three genes implicated, mutations in the <it>USH2A </it>gene account for 74-90% of the USH2 cases.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To identify the genetic cause of the disease and determine the frequency of <it>USH2A </it>mutations in a cohort of 88 unrelated USH Spanish patients, we carried out a mutation screening of the 72 coding exons of this gene by direct sequencing. Moreover, we performed functional minigene studies for those changes that were predicted to affect splicing.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>As a result, a total of 144 DNA sequence variants were identified. Based upon previous studies, allele frequencies, segregation analysis, bioinformatics' predictions and <it>in vitro </it>experiments, 37 variants (23 of them novel) were classified as pathogenic mutations.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This report provide a wide spectrum of <it>USH2A </it>mutations and clinical features, including atypical Usher syndrome phenotypes resembling Usher syndrome type I. Considering only the patients clearly diagnosed with Usher syndrome type II, and results obtained in this and previous studies, we can state that mutations in <it>USH2A </it>are responsible for 76.1% of USH2 disease in patients of Spanish origin.</p

Evolution of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 over seven months: experience of the Nationwide Seroprevalence ENE-COVID Study in Spain [preprint]

Objectives To analyse temporal trends in SARS-CoV-2 anti-nucleocapsid IgG throughout the four rounds of the nationwide seroepidemiologic study ENE-COVID (April-November 2020), and to compare the fourth-round results of two immunoassays detecting antibodies against nucleocapsid and to S protein receptor-binding domain (RBD). Methods A chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) was offered to all participants in the first three rounds (Abbott; anti-nucleocapsid IgG). In the fourth round we offered this test and a chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) (Beckman; anti-RBD IgG) to i) a randomly selected sub-cohort, ii) participants who were IgG-positive in any of the three first rounds; and iii) participants who were IgG-positive in the fourth round by point-of-care immunochromatography. Results Immunoassays involving 10,153 participants (82.2% of people invited to donate samples) were performed in the fourth round. A total of 2595 participants (35.1% of participants with immunoassay results in the four rounds) were positive for anti-nucleocapsid IgG in at least one round. Anti-nucleocapsid IgG became undetectable in 43.3% of participants with positive first-round results. Pneumonia was more frequent in participants with anti-nucleocapsid IgG in all four rounds (11.2%) than those in which IgG became undetectable (2.4%). In fourth round, anti-nucleocapsid and anti-RBD IgG were detected in 5.5% and 5.4% participants of the randomly selected sub-cohort, and in 26.6% and 25.9% participants with at least one previous positive result, respectively. Agreement between techniques was 90.3% (kappa: 0.72). Conclusions The response of IgG to SARS-CoV-2 is heterogeneous and conditioned by infection severity. A substantial proportion of the SARS-CoV-2 infected population may have negative serologic results in the post-infection months.N

Genetic signatures of demographic changes in an avian top predator during the last century : Bottlenecks and expansions of the Eurasian eagle owl in the Iberian Peninsula

Peer reviewe

ICT platform for support AC circuits study

[EN] The software used for making educational tools allows analyze the engineering phenomena in a more complete and explained way, by means of simulation and experimentation. It is necessary to know the equations about the behaviour of the object under study for the generation of these tools, and to solve them through the right software, obtaining the output values from the input values. With this software it is possible to realize new studies only modifying the parameters of the model or the input values. In this work the alternating current electric circuits are analyzed. Joined with the simulation, this technology also allows the experimentation through the development of practices by WEB that can be done with remote access. These tools can be used both for teaching in the classroom and laboratories. and for doing exercises and in their own study time of the students[ES] La utilización de software para la elaboración de herramientas didácticas permite, mediante simulación y experimentación, analizar los fenómenos de Ingeniería de una forma más completa e ilustrativa. Para la generación de estas herramientas será necesario conocer las ecuaciones que rigen el comportamiento del fenómeno objeto de estudio, y resolverlas mediante el software adecuado, obteniendo las variables de salida a partir de las variables de entrada. Con el software es posible realizar nuevos estudios modificando los parámetros del modelo o las variables de entrada. En este trabajo se analizan los Circuitos Eléctricos de Corriente Alterna. Junto a la simulación, la tecnología permite también la experimentación, mediante el desarrollo de prácticas vía WEB que pueden ser realizadas con acceso remoto. Estas herramientas pueden ser usadas tanto en la impartición de la docencia en aula y laboratorio, como para la elaboración de problemas y en el propio tiempo de estudio del alumno.San Martín Ojeda, ML.; Parra Gonzalo, EP.; Blanco Caballero, M.; Sánchez Lite, A.; Serrano Sanz, JA.; Jiménez Gómez, MI.; García García, M. (2014). Plataforma TIC de apoyo al estudio de circuitos eléctricos de corriente alterna. Modelling in Science Education and Learning. 7:123-130. doi:10.4995/msel.2014.2127SWORD123130

Breast Cancer Detection by Means of Artificial Neural Networks

Breast cancer is a fatal disease causing high mortality in women. Constant efforts are being made for creating more efficient techniques for early and accurate diagnosis. Classical methods require oncologists to examine the breast lesions for detection and classification of various stages of cancer. Such manual attempts are time consuming and inefficient in many cases. Hence, there is a need for efficient methods that diagnoses the cancerous cells without human involvement with high accuracies. In this research, image processing techniques were used to develop imaging biomarkers through mammography analysis and based on artificial intelligence technology aiming to detect breast cancer in early stages to support diagnosis and prioritization of high-risk patients. For automatic classification of breast cancer on mammograms, a generalized regression artificial neural network was trained and tested to separate malignant and benign tumors reaching an accuracy of 95.83%. With the biomarker and trained neural net, a computer-aided diagnosis system is being designed. The results obtained show that generalized regression artificial neural network is a promising and robust system for breast cancer detection. The Laboratorio de Innovacion y Desarrollo Tecnologico en Inteligencia Artificial is seeking collaboration with research groups interested in validating the technology being developed

Factores Pedagógicos que Favorecen el Éxito Escolar en Estudiantes de Enseñanza Postobligatoria

El foco del presente estudio ha sido el éxito escolar: la continuidad, la permanencia en el sistema educativo, lo cual implica transitar de forma adecuada por sus diversas etapas y modalidades formativas. En particular, hemos buscado conocer qué factores pedagógicos -vinculados a los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje y a la relación profesor/a-alumno/a- constituyen condiciones favorables para el éxito y la continuidad escolar de chicas y de chicos de enseñanza secundaria postobligatoria (Bachillerato y Ciclos Formativos). Hemos tratado de visibilizar el éxito escolar de chicos y de chicas en la educación secundaria, de analizar las experiencias y las trayectorias de estudiantes que, más allá del periodo obligatorio, dan continuidad a su vida escolar con éxito académico, de prestar atención a las diferencias entre estudiantes de Bachillerato y Ciclos Formativos y, por último, de analizar de forma diferenciada la experiencia de las chicas y de los chicos, indagando en los elementos de la construcción de la subjetividad en ambos sexos. Para ello, hemos trabajado con una muestra intencional de 26 estudiantes (12 chicas y 14 chicos), 16 de Bachillerato y 10 de Ciclos Formativos, seleccionados por sus docentes, en 12 centros urbanos y semiurbanos de Málaga, Sevilla, Granada, Cádiz y Almería. Los datos han sido recogidos a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas, con el apoyo de la técnica de foto-lenguaje y un cuestionario de contexto.Fundación Centro de Estudios Andaluces - [PRY031/11

Performance of Magnetic-Superconductor Non-Contact Harmonic Drive for Cryogenic Space Applications

Harmonic drives are profusely used in aerospace mainly because of their compactness and large reduction ratio. However, their use in cryogenic environments is still a challenge. Lubrication and fatigue are non-trivial issues under these conditions. The objective of the Magnetic-Superconductor Cryogenic Non-contact Harmonic Drive (MAGDRIVE) project, funded by the EU Space FP7, is to design, build, and test a new concept of MAGDRIVE. Non-contact interactions among magnets, soft magnetic materials, and superconductors are efficiently used to provide a high reduction ratio gear that smoothly and naturally operates at cryogenic environments. The limiting elements of conventional harmonic drives (teeth, flexspline, and ball bearings) are substituted by contactless mechanical components (magnetic gear and superconducting magnetic bearings). The absence of contact between moving parts prevents wear, lubricants are no longer required, and the operational lifetime is greatly increased. This is the first mechanical reducer in mechanical engineering history without any contact between moving parts. In this paper, the test results of a −1:20 inverse reduction ratio MAGDRIVE prototype are reported. In these tests, successful operation at 40 K and 10−3 Pa was demonstrated for more than 1.5 million input cycles. A maximum torque of 3 N·m and an efficiency of 80% were demonstrated. The maximum tested input speed was 3000 rpm, six times the previous existing record for harmonic drives at cryogenic temperature