Contributions of Iberian Silvo-Pastoral Landscapes to the Well-Being of Contemporary Society

Assessments of society’s perceptions of rangeland systems offer insights into the motivations, cultural beliefs, and values that can support landscape conservation and the everyday decisions of landowners. Silvo-pastoral landscapes, the grazed oak woodlands known as montado in Portugal and dehesa in Spain, are the main rangelands of southwestern Iberia. At the interface of complex interactions between natural processes and human activities, they have potential to deliver multiple services at the ecosystem level. However, the actual rendering of their potential to the well-being of contemporary society has not been comprehensively documented. This paper aims to enrich research perspectives and identify benefits and challenging aspects of silvo-pastoral landscapes through the lens of society well-being. An integrated socioecological perspective is used to examine one case study in Portugal and one in Spain. To better understand their context, montado and dehesa are assessed relative to other landscape types in the studied areas. A qualitative approach assesses tangible but also intangible aspects. The interviewed stakeholders include members of rural communities, public authorities, land managers, and researchers. Results reveal similar benefits and challenges in montado and dehesa. Interviewees considered them to have numerous sociocultural and environmental benefits. These were mainly regulatory services but also intangible benefits such as cultural identity, aesthetic qualities, and local knowledge. Nevertheless, a rendering of their full potential to society well-being has numerous challenges. These systems were believed to struggle economically, due to the low prices for the goods produced and a high dependence on subsidies. Their environmental vulnerability was also highlighted. Critical challenges for future research and policy interventions are identified for both case studies. Moreover, we encourage the wider application of approaches to rangelands focusing on well-being, as they provide a complement to ecological and economic perspectives that can improve understanding of social-ecological systems

Variabilidad y estado genético de siete subpoblaciones de la raza criolla colombiana Casanareño

To determine the genetic status of the Casanareño, a bovine Colombian native breed, the variability and racial purity of individuals of seven subpopulation was determined. The mean number of alleles per locus (5.56) was inferior to that of Zebu breeds used as control (7.13), which indicates a moderate genetic variability in the subpopulations analyzed. Mean observed heterozygocity of all populations was 0.63. Population structure consisted of two groups. For conservation effects, 51% belongs to group 2, with a genetic profile characteristic of Bos taurus and does not include animals of the Zebu breed, a population with a low level of genetic introgression. This group includes 100% of the individuals of the ‘Cumay’ subpopulation, 76% ‘Bubuy’ subpopulation and 50% of ‘Albania’. A wide percentage of sampled population belongs to individuals with a high degree of Bos taurus characters, while the remaining animals showed variable degrees of genetic introgression as evidenced by individual and subpopulation genetic distance values and the population structure. A fin de conocer su estado genético se estimó la variabilidad y grado de pureza racial de individuos pertenecientes a siete subpoblaciones de la raza bovina criolla colombiana Casanareño. Se encontró un número promedio de alelos por locus de 5,56, inferior al valor hallado en la raza Cebú usada como control (7,13), lo que indica una variabilidad genética moderada en las subpoblaciones analizadas. La heterocigosidad observada promedio en todas las subpoblaciones de la raza fue de 0,63. La estructura de las poblaciones mostró dos agrupaciones; a efectos de conservación, la más importante consolida el 51% de la población en el grupo 2 que presenta un perfil genético típico de Bos taurus y no incluye ningún animal de la raza Cebú, lo que permite afirmar que se trata de una población con un nivel bajo de introgresión genética. Este grupo incluye el 100% de los individuos de la subpoblación ‘Cumay’, el 76% en la subpoblación ‘Bubuy’ y el 50% de ‘Albania’. Se concluye que un amplio porcentaje de la población muestreada corresponde a individuos con alto grado de características taurinas o criollas, mientras los restantes animales presentan grados variables de introgresión genética, evidentes en los valores de distancias genéticas subpoblacionales e individuales y en la estructura de la población. 

Exosomes: A key piece in asthmatic inflammation

Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways that has an important inflammatory compo-nent. Multiple cells are implicated in asthma pathogenesis (lymphocytes, eosinophils, mast cells, basophils, neutrophils), releasing a wide variety of cytokines. These cells can exert their inflammatory functions throughout extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are small vesicles released by do-nor cells into the extracellular microenvironment that can be taken up by recipient cells. Depending on their size, EVs can be classified as microvesicles, exosomes, or apoptotic bodies. EVs are heterogeneous spherical structures secreted by almost all cell types. One of their main functions is to act as transporters of a wide range of molecules, such as proteins, lipids, and microRNAs (miRNAs), which are single-stranded RNAs of approximately 22 nucleotides in length. Therefore, exosomes could influence several physiological and pathological processes, including those involved in asthma. They can be detected in multiple cell types and biofluids, providing a wealth of infor-mation about the processes that take account in a pathological scenario. This review thus summarizes the most recent insights concerning the role of exosomes from different sources (several cell populations and biofluids) in one of the most prevalent respiratory diseases, asthma.This manuscript was supported by Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria–FIS and FEDER (Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional) [PI15/00803, PI18/00044, and FI16/00036], CIBERES, Merck Health Foundation funds, and RTC-2017-6501-1 (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades)

Serum micrornas as tool to predict early response to benralizumab in severe eosinophilic asthma

Severe eosinophilic asthma poses a serious health and economic problem, so new therapy approaches have been developed to control it, including biological drugs such as benralizumab, which is a monoclonal antibody that binds to IL-5 receptor alpha subunit and depletes peripheral blood eosinophils rapidly. Biomarkers that predict the response to this drug are needed so that microRNAs (miRNAs) can be useful tools. This study was performed with fifteen severe eosinophilic asthmatic patients treated with benralizumab, and serum miRNAs were evaluated before and after treatment by semi-quantitative PCR (qPCR). Patients showed a clinical improvement after benralizumab administration. Additionally, deregulation of miR-1246, miR-5100 and miR-338-3p was observed in severe asthmatic patients after eight weeks of therapy, and a correlation was found between miR-1246 and eosinophil counts, including a number of exacerbations per year in these severe asthmatics. In silico pathway analysis revealed that these three miRNAs are regulators of the MAPK signaling pathway, regulating target genes implicated in asthma such as NFKB2, NFATC3, DUSP1, DUSP2, DUSP5 and DUSP16. In this study, we observed an altered expression of miR-1246, miR-5100 and miR-338-3p after eight weeks of benralizumab administration, which could be used as early response markers.This manuscript was funded by Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria–FIS and FEDER (Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional) [PI15/00803, PI18/00044, and FI16/00036], CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Merck Health Foundation funds, and Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (RTC-2017-6501-1

Predatory arthropods in apple orchards across Europe: Responses to agricultural management, adjacent habitat, landscape composition and country

Local agri-environmental schemes, including hedgerows, flowering strips, organic management, and a landscape rich in semi-natural habitat patches, are assumed to enhance the presence of beneficial arthropods and their contribution to biological control in fruit crops. We studied the influence of local factors (orchard management and adjacent habitats) and of landscape composition on the abundance and community composition of predatory arthropods in apple orchards in three European countries. To elucidate how local and landscape factors influence natural enemy effectiveness in apple production systems, we calculated community energy use as a proxy for the communities’ predation potential based on biomass and metabolic rates of predatory arthropods. Predator communities were assessed by standardised beating samples taken from apple trees in 86 orchards in Germany, Spain and Sweden. Orchard management included integrated production (IP; i.e. the reduced and targeted application of synthetic agrochemicals), and organic management practices in all three countries. Predator communities differed between management types and countries. Several groups, including beetles (Coleoptera), predatory bugs (Heteroptera), flies (Diptera) and spiders (Araneae) benefited from organic management depending on country. Woody habitat and IP supported harvestmen (Opiliones). In both IP and organic orchards we detected aversive influences of a high-quality surrounding landscape on some predator groups: for example, high covers of woody habitat reduced earwig abundances in German orchards but enhanced their abundance in Sweden, and high natural plant species richness tended to reduce predatory bug abundance in Sweden and IP orchards in Spain. We conclude that predatory arthropod communities and influences of local and landscape factors are strongly shaped by orchard management, and that the influence of management differs between countries. Our results indicate that organic management improves the living conditions for effective predator communities.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Filaggrin and cytokines in respiratory samples of preterm infants at risk for respiratory viral infection

Respiratory viral infections (RVIs) are frequent in preterm infants possibly inducing long-term impact on respiratory morbidity. Immune response and respiratory barriers are key defense elements against viral insults in premature infants admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Our main goals were to describe the local immune response in respiratory secretions of preterm infants with RVIs during NICU admission and to evaluate the expression and synthesis of lung barrier regulators, both in respiratory samples and in vitro models. Samples from preterm infants that went on to develop RVIs had lower filaggrin gene and protein levels at a cellular level were compared to never-infected neonates (controls). Filaggrin, MIP-1α/CCL3 and MCP-1 levels were higher in pre-infection supernatants compared to controls. Filaggrin, HIF-1α, VEGF, RANTES/CCL5, IL-17A, IL-1β, MIP-1α and MIP-1β/CCL5 levels were higher during and after infection. ROC curve and logistic regression analysis shows that these molecules could be used as infection risk biomarkers. Small airway epithelial cells stimulated by poly:IC presented reduced filaggrin gene expression and increased levels in supernatant. We conclude that filaggrin gene and protein dysregulation is a risk factor of RVI in newborns admitted at the NICU.This study has been partially supported by ISCIII – Instituto de Salud Carlos III, FIS (Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria—Spanish Health Research Fund) grants FI19/00067, PI18/00167, PI21/00896, PI18CIII/00009 and FEDER funds (Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional); Sociedad Española de Alergología e Inmunología Clínica (SEAIC)Beca19A04_Valverde; Alfonso X El Sabio University Grant: VIII Convocatoria Santander-UAX; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), a Carlos III Institute of Health Initiative.S

Long-term immune response accompanies clinical outcomes in severe asthmatics treated with anti-IL-5/IL-5R biologics

This work was supported by ISCIII - Instituto de Salud Carlos III, FIS (Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria - Spanish Health Research Fund) grants PI21/00896 and FI19/00067; Ciber de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES); SEAIC grants 22A07; BASEAS STUDY (Basophils in EosinophilicAsthma) Study Code ESR-20-20764 AstraZeneca International; Comunidad de Madrid grant PEJ2021-AI_BMD-22320 and FEDER funds (Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regiona