Sexual dichromatism of the Blue-throated Starfrontlet, <i>Coeligena helianthea</i>, hummingbird plumage

Among the many richly coloured birds, hummingbirds with their brilliant colouration are outstanding. We studied the plumage of male and female Blue-throated Starfrontlet, Coeligena helianthea, which exhibits a marked sexual dichromatism. The wide diversity of coloured feathers (blue, purple, golden, green, red) makes it an attractive species to investigate the structural basis of the colouration and to study the connection between the displayed colours and the perception by conspecifics. We analysed the optical properties of the feather barbules, applying spectrophotometry, scatterometry, and electron microscopy. Using the anatomical results, the spectral data can be interpreted by optical modelling. The reflectance spectra of the feathers of male C. helianthea strikingly overlap with the spectral sensitivities of bird photoreceptors, which suggests that the feather and photoreceptor spectra are tuned

Iridescent colouration of male Anna's hummingbird (<i>Calypte anna</i>) caused by multilayered barbules

The male Anna's hummingbird features a brightly reddish-pink reflecting gorget, due to large stacks of melanosomes in the feather barbules, arranged in layers separated by keratin. Direct observations together with detailed scatterometry demonstrated that the barbules reflect incident light in an approximately specular manner. The structural colouration is iridescent, i.e. varies with a changing angle of light incidence. Spectrophotometrical measurements of the barbule reflectance and absorbance can be well interpreted with calculated spectra obtained with a transfer matrix method for optical multilayers, using anatomical data and measured refractive index spectra. The organization of the reflectors as a Venetian blind presumably functions to create a high spectral contrast of the male's plumage during courtship

Desenlaces clínicos de los pacientes con diabetes e hiperglucemia de estrés que presentaron infección por SARS-CoV-2

Introduction. Diabetes and stress hyperglycemia (SH) have been related with poorer clinical outcomes in patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 and at risk for severe disease.Objective. To evaluate clinical outcomes in three groups of patients (with diabetes, without diabetes and stress hyperglycemia [SH]) with SARS-CoV-2 infection.Materials and methods. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in Cali-Colombia. Patients aged ≥18 years with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection managed in the emergency room, hospitalization or intensive care unit (ICU) between March 2020 and December 2021 were included. Immunocompromised patients and pregnant women were excluded. Patients were classified in three groups: without diabetes, with diabetes and SH. A comparison between the groups was performed. Results. A total of 945 patients were included (59.6% without diabetes, 27% with diabetes and 13.4% with SH). Fifty-five-point three percent required ICU management, with a higher need in patients with SH (89.8%) and diabetes (67.1%), with no difference between these groups (p=0.249). A higher chance of death was seen in SH vs. without diabetes (adjOR= 8.12, 95% CI 5.12-12.88, p&lt;0.01). Frequency of acute respiratory distress syndrome, need for invasive mechanical ventilation, use of vasopressors and inotropes, the need for de novo renal replacement therapy and mortality was higher in patients with metabolic alterations (diabetes and SH). Conclusions. Diabetes and SH are associated to worse clinical outcomes and mortality in patients with COVID-19. These patients should be identified early and considered as high risk at moment of COVID-19 diagnosis that allow to mitigate adverse outcomes.Introducción. La diabetes y la hiperglucemia de estrés (HE) se han relacionado con peores desenlaces clínicos en pacientes infectados por SARS-CoV-2 y con riesgo de enfermedad grave. Objetivo. Evaluar los resultados clínicos en tres grupos de pacientes (con diabetes, sin diabetes e hiperglucemia de estrés [SH]) con infección por SARS-CoV-2.Materiales y métodos. Se realizó un estudio de cohorte retrospectivo en Cali-Colombia. Se incluyeron pacientes ≥18 años con diagnóstico de infección por SARS-CoV-2 atendidos en urgencias, hospitalización o unidad de cuidados intensivos (UCI) entre marzo de 2020 y diciembre de 2021. Se excluyeron pacientes inmunocomprometidos y mujeres embarazadas. Los pacientes fueron clasificados en tres grupos: sin diabetes, con diabetes e HE. Se realizó una comparación entre los grupos.Resultados. Se incluyeron un total de 945 pacientes (59,6% sin diabetes, 27% con diabetes y 13,4% con HE). El 55,3% requirió manejo en UCI, con mayor necesidad en pacientes con HE (89,8%) y diabetes (67,1%), sin diferencia entre estos grupos (p=0,249). Se observó una mayor probabilidad de muerte en HE vs. sin diabetes (adjOR= 8,12, 95% IC 5,12-12,88, p&lt;0,01). La frecuencia de síndrome de distrés respiratorio agudo, necesidad de ventilación mecánica invasiva, uso de vasopresores e inotrópicos, necesidad de terapia de reemplazo renal de novo y la mortalidad fue mayor en pacientes con alteraciones metabólicas (diabetes e HE).Conclusiones. La diabetes y la HE se asociaron a peores resultados clínicos y mortalidad en pacientes con COVID-19. Estos pacientes deben ser identificados tempranamente y considerados de alto riesgo al momento del diagnóstico de COVID-19 que permitan mitigar los desenlaces adversos

Effect of chronic exercise on myocardial electrophysiological heterogeneity and stability. Role of intrinsic cholinergic neurons: A study in the isolated rabbit heart

[EN] A study has been made of the effect of chronic exercise on myocardial electrophysiological heterogeneity and stability, as well as of the role of cholinergic neurons in these changes. Determinations in hearts from untrained and trained rabbits on a treadmill were performed. The hearts were isolated and perfused. A pacing electrode and a recording multielectrode were located in the left ventricle. The parameters determined during induced VF, before and after atropine (1 mu M), were: fibrillatory cycle length (VV), ventricular functional refractory period (FRPVF), normalized energy (NE) of the fibrillatory signal and its coefficient of variation (CV), and electrical ventricular activation complexity, as an approach to myocardial heterogeneity and stability. The VV interval was longer in the trained group than in the control group both prior to atropine (78 +/- 10 vs. 68 +/- 10 ms) and after atropine (76 +/- 8 vs. 67 +/- 10 ms). Likewise, FRPVF was longer in the trained group than in the control group both prior to and after atropine (53 +/- 8 vs. 42 +/- 7 ms and 50 +/- 6 vs. 40 +/- 6 ms, respectively), and atropine did not modify FRPVF. The CV of FRPVF was lower in the trained group than in the control group prior to atropine (12.5 +/- 1.5% vs. 15.1 +/- 3.8%) and, decreased after atropine (15.1 +/- 3.8% vs. 12.2 +/- 2.4%) in the control group. The trained group showed higher NE values before (0.40 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.36 +/- 0.05) and after atropine (0.37 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.34 +/- 0.06; p = 0.08). Training decreased the CV of NE both before (23.3 +/- 2% vs. 25.2 +/- 4%; p = 0.08) and after parasympathetic blockade (22.6 +/- 1% vs. 26.1 +/- 5%). Cholinergic blockade did not modify these parameters within the control and trained groups. Activation complexity was lower in the trained than in the control animals before atropine (34 +/- 8 vs. 41 +/- 5), and increased after atropine in the control group (41 +/- 5 vs. 48 +/- 9, respectively). Thus, training decreases the intrinsic heterogeneity of the myocardium, increases electrophysiological stability, and prevents some modifications due to muscarinic block.This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, (DEP2007-73234-C03-01 to AMA), http://www.mecd.gob.es/portada-mecd/; and the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO 2010/093 to FJC, and FPI/2008/003 to MZ), http://www.gva.es/va/inicio/presentacion; jsessionid=ydprbDQZTsCTz85W1Such-Miquel, L.; Brines-Ferrando, L.; Alberola, A.; Zarzoso Muñoz, M.; Chorro Gasco, FJ.; Guerrero-Martínez, JF.; Parra-Giraldo, G.... (2018). Effect of chronic exercise on myocardial electrophysiological heterogeneity and stability. Role of intrinsic cholinergic neurons: A study in the isolated rabbit heart. PLoS ONE. 13(12). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209085S1312Billman, G. E. (2002). Aerobic exercise conditioning: a nonpharmacological antiarrhythmic intervention. Journal of Applied Physiology, 92(2), 446-454. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00874.2001Billman, G. E. (2006). A comprehensive review and analysis of 25 years of data from an in vivo canine model of sudden cardiac death: Implications for future anti-arrhythmic drug development. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 111(3), 808-835. doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2006.01.002Dor-Haim, H., Berenfeld, O., Horowitz, M., Lotan, C., & Swissa, M. (2013). Reduced Ventricular Arrhythmogeneity and Increased Electrical Complexity in Normal Exercised Rats. PLoS ONE, 8(6), e66658. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066658Hamer, M., & Stamatakis, E. (2008). Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Disease: Directions for Future Research. The Open Sports Sciences Journal, 1(1), 1-2. doi:10.2174/1875399x00801010001Powers, S. K., Smuder, A. J., Kavazis, A. N., & Quindry, J. C. (2014). Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced Cardioprotection. Physiology, 29(1), 27-38. doi:10.1152/physiol.00030.2013Hull, S. S., Vanoli, E., Adamson, P. B., Verrier, R. L., Foreman, R. D., & Schwartz, P. J. (1994). Exercise training confers anticipatory protection from sudden death during acute myocardial ischemia. Circulation, 89(2), 548-552. doi:10.1161/01.cir.89.2.548Hajnal, Á., Nagy, O., Litvai, Á., Papp, J., Parratt, J. R., & Végh, Á. (2005). Nitric oxide involvement in the delayed antiarrhythmic effect of treadmill exercise in dogs. Life Sciences, 77(16), 1960-1971. doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2005.02.015Such, L., Alberola, A. M., Such-Miquel, L., López, L., Trapero, I., Pelechano, F., … Chorro, F. J. (2008). Effects of chronic exercise on myocardial refractoriness: a study on isolated rabbit heart. Acta Physiologica, 193(4), 331-339. doi:10.1111/j.1748-1716.2008.01851.xZarzoso, M., Such-Miquel, L., Parra, G., Brines-Ferrando, L., Such, L., Chorro, F. J., … Alberola, A. (2011). The training-induced changes on automatism, conduction and myocardial refractoriness are not mediated by parasympathetic postganglionic neurons activity. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 112(6), 2185-2193. doi:10.1007/s00421-011-2189-4Billman, G. E. (2009). Cardiac autonomic neural remodeling and susceptibility to sudden cardiac death: effect of endurance exercise training. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 297(4), H1171-H1193. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00534.2009HAN, J., & MOE, G. K. (1964). Nonuniform Recovery of Excitability in Ventricular Muscle. Circulation Research, 14(1), 44-60. doi:10.1161/01.res.14.1.44Beaumont, E., Salavatian, S., Southerland, E. M., Vinet, A., Jacquemet, V., Armour, J. A., & Ardell, J. L. (2013). Network interactions within the canine intrinsic cardiac nervous system: implications for reflex control of regional cardiac function. The Journal of Physiology, 591(18), 4515-4533. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2013.259382Armour, J. A. (2008). Potential clinical relevance of the ‘little brain’ on the mammalian heart. Experimental Physiology, 93(2), 165-176. doi:10.1113/expphysiol.2007.041178Abramochkin, D. V., Nurullin, L. F., Borodinova, A. A., Tarasova, N. V., Sukhova, G. S., Nikolsky, E. E., & Rosenshtraukh, L. V. (2009). Non-quantal release of acetylcholine from parasympathetic nerve terminals in the right atrium of rats. Experimental Physiology, 95(2), 265-273. doi:10.1113/expphysiol.2009.050302CHORRO, F. J., CANOVES, J., GUERRERO, J., MAINAR, L., SANCHIS, J., SORIA, E., … LOPEZ-MERINO, V. (2000). Opposite Effects of Myocardial Stretch and Verapamil on the Complexity of the Ventricular Fibrillatory Pattern: An Experimental Study. Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology, 23(11), 1594-1603. doi:10.1046/j.1460-9592.2000.01594.xSuch, L., Rodriguez, A., Alberola, A., Lopez, L., Ruiz, R., Artal, L., … Chorro, F. J. (2002). Intrinsic changes on automatism, conduction, and refractoriness by exercise in isolated rabbit heart. Journal of Applied Physiology, 92(1), 225-229. doi:10.1152/jappl.2002.92.1.225Duytschaever, M., Mast, F., Killian, M., Blaauw, Y., Wijffels, M., & Allessie, M. (2001). Methods for Determining the Refractory Period and Excitable Gap During Persistent Atrial Fibrillation in the Goat. Circulation, 104(8), 957-962. doi:10.1161/hc3401.093156Wijffels, M. C. E. F., Kirchhof, C. J. H. J., Dorland, R., & Allessie, M. A. (1995). Atrial Fibrillation Begets Atrial Fibrillation. Circulation, 92(7), 1954-1968. doi:10.1161/01.cir.92.7.1954Zaitsev, A. V., Berenfeld, O., Mironov, S. F., Jalife, J., & Pertsov, A. M. (2000). Distribution of Excitation Frequencies on the Epicardial and Endocardial Surfaces of Fibrillating Ventricular Wall of the Sheep Heart. Circulation Research, 86(4), 408-417. doi:10.1161/01.res.86.4.408Armour, J. A., Collier, K., Kember, G., & Ardell, J. L. (1998). Differential selectivity of cardiac neurons in separate intrathoracic autonomic ganglia. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 274(4), R939-R949. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.1998.274.4.r939Armour, J. A., & Hopkins, D. A. (1990). Activity of in vivo canine ventricular neurons. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 258(2), H326-H336. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.1990.258.2.h326D’Souza, A., Bucchi, A., Johnsen, A. B., Logantha, S. J. R. J., Monfredi, O., Yanni, J., … Boyett, M. R. (2014). Exercise training reduces resting heart rate via downregulation of the funny channel HCN4. Nature Communications, 5(1). doi:10.1038/ncomms4775Sartiani, L., Romanelli, M., Mugelli, A., & Cerbai, E. (2015). Updates on HCN Channels in the Heart: Function, Dysfunction and Pharmacology. Current Drug Targets, 16(8), 868-876. doi:10.2174/1389450116666150531152047Herrmann, S., Layh, B., & Ludwig, A. (2011). Novel insights into the distribution of cardiac HCN channels: An expression study in the mouse heart. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 51(6), 997-1006. doi:10.1016/j.yjmcc.2011.09.005Welch, P. (1967). The use of fast Fourier transform for the estimation of power spectra: A method based on time averaging over short, modified periodograms. IEEE Transactions on Audio and Electroacoustics, 15(2), 70-73. doi:10.1109/tau.1967.116190

Second GHEP-ISFG exercise for DVI: “DNA-led” victims’ identification in a simulated air crash

The Spanish and Portuguese-Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics (GHEP-ISFG) has organized a second collaborative exercise on a simulated case of Disaster Victim Identification (DVI), with the participation of eighteen laboratories. The exercise focused on the analysis of a simulated plane crash case of medium-size resulting in 66 victims with varying degrees of fragmentation of the bodies (with commingled remains). As an additional difficulty, this second exercise included 21 related victims belonging to 6 families among the 66 missings to be identified. A total number of 228 post-mortem samples were represented with aSTR and mtDNA profiles, with a proportion of partial aSTR profiles simulating charred remains. To perform the exercise, participants were provided with aSTR and mtDNA data of 51 reference pedigrees —some of which deficient—including 128 donors for identification purposes. The exercise consisted firstly in the comparison of the post-mortem genetic profiles in order to re-associate fragmented remains to the same individual and secondly in the identification of the re-associated remains by comparing aSTR and mtDNA profiles with reference pedigrees using pre-established thresholds to report a positive identification. Regarding the results of the post-mortem samples re-associations, only a small number of discrepancies among participants were detected, all of which were from just a few labs. However, in the identification process by kinship analysis with family references, there were more discrepancies in comparison to the correct results. The identification results of single victims yielded fewer problems than the identification of multiple related victims within the same family groups. Several reasons for the discrepant results were detected: a) the identity/non-identity hypotheses were sometimes wrongly expressed in the likelihood ratio calculations, b) some laboratories failed to use all family references to report the DNA match, c) In families with several related victims, some laboratories firstly identified some victims and then unnecessarily used their genetic information to identify the remaining victims within the family, d) some laboratories did not correctly use “prior odds” values for the Bayesian treatment of the episode for both post-mortem/post-mortem re-associations as well as the ante-mortem/post-mortem comparisons to evaluate the probability of identity. For some of the above reasons, certain laboratories failed to identify some victims. This simulated “DNA-led” identification exercise may help forensic genetic laboratories to gain experience and expertize for DVI or MPI in using genetic data and comparing their own results with the ones in this collaborative exercise.This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.Peer reviewe

Malaria vector species in Colombia: a review

Here we present a comprehensive review of the literature on the vectorial importance of the major Anopheles malaria vectors in Colombia. We provide basic information on the geographical distribution, altitudinal range, immature habitats, adult behaviour, feeding preferences and anthropophily, endophily and infectivity rates. We additionally review information on the life cycle, longevity and population fluctuation of Colombian Anopheles species. Emphasis was placed on the primary vectors that have been epidemiologically incriminated in malaria transmission: Anopheles darlingi, Anopheles albimanus and Anopheles nuneztovari. The role of a selection of local, regional or secondary vectors (e.g., Anopheles pseudopunctipennis and Anopheles neivai) is also discussed. We highlight the importance of combining biological, morphological and molecular data for the correct taxonomical determination of a given species, particularly for members of the species complexes. We likewise emphasise the importance of studying the bionomics of primary and secondary vectors along with an examination of the local conditions affecting the transmission of malaria. The presence and spread of the major vectors and the emergence of secondary species capable of transmitting human Plasmodia are of great interest. When selecting control measures, the anopheline diversity in the region must be considered. Variation in macroclimate conditions over a species' geographical range must be well understood and targeted to plan effective control measures based on the population dynamics of the local Anopheles species

Candida albicans cell shaving uncovers new proteins involved in cell wall integrity, yeast to hypha transition, stress response and host-pathogen interaction.

The ability to switch from yeast to hyphal growth is essential for virulence in Candida albicans. The cell surface is the initial point of contact between the fungus and the host. In this work, a free-gel proteomic strategy based on tryptic digestion of live yeast and hyphae cells and protein identification using LC-MS/MS methodology was used to identify cell surface proteins. Using this strategy, a total of 943 proteins were identified, of which 438 were in yeast and 928 were in hyphae. Of these proteins, 79 were closely related to the organization and biogenesis of the cell wall, including 28 GPI-anchored proteins, such as Hyr1 and Sod5 which were detected exclusively in hyphae, and Als2 and Sap10which were detected only in yeast. A group of 17 proteins of unknown function were subsequently studied by analysis of the corresponding deletion mutants. We found that four new proteins, Pst3, Tos1, Orf19.3060 and Orf19.5352 are involved in cell wall integrity and in C. albicans' engulfment by macrophages. Moreover, the putative NADH-ubiquinone-related proteins, Ali1, Mci4, Orf19.287 and Orf19.7590, are also involved in osmotic and oxidative resistance, yeast to hypha transition and the ability to damage and invade oral epithelial cells