Phylogeography and Conservation Genetics of the Ibero-Balearic Three-Spined Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Genetic isolation and drift may imperil peripheral populations of wide-ranging species more than central ones. Therefore, information about species genetic variability and population structure is invaluable for conservation managers. The Iberian populations of three-spined stickleback lie at the southwestern periphery of the European distribution of Gasterosteus aculeatus. This teleost is a protected species in Portugal and Spain and local extinctions have been reported in both countries during the last decades. Our objectives were (i) to determine whether the Iberian populations of G. aculeatus are unique or composed of any of the major evolutionary lineages previously identified and (ii) to assess the evolutionary potential of these peripheral populations. We genotyped 478 individuals from 17 sites at 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci to evaluate the genetic variability and differentiation of the Ibero-Balearic populations. We also sequenced 1,165 bp of the mitochondrial genome in 331 of those individuals in order to complement the estimates of genetic diversity in the Ibero-Balearic region. We predicted the evolutionary potential of the different sites analysed based on the contribution of each of them to total allelic/mitochondrial diversity. An intraspecific phylogeny at European level was reconstructed using our data from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (755 bp) and published sequences. The so-called Transatlantic, European and Mediterranean mitochondrial lineages were found to be present in the Ibero-Balearic region. Their phylogeography suggests a history of multiple colonisations. The nuclear results show, however, a strong correlation between population structure and drainage system. The following basins should be prioritised by conservation policies in order to preserve those populations with the highest evolutionary potential: the Portuguese Vouga and Tagus as well as the Spanish Majorca and Limia. Maintenance of their connectivity, control of exotic species and monitoring of habitat properties are strongly recommended in those areas. Genetic variation alone cannot, however, ensure the persistence of these peripheral southern populations of G. aculeatus. On the one hand, the analysis of a historical sample from Eastern Spain (Penyscola) revealed no genetic erosion, which suggests a fairly sudden extinction of that population. On the other hand, the reintroduction program implemented in the Valencian Community has mostly failed despite our finding of similar level of genetic diversity between the wild source and the captive-bred released individuals.This work was supported by grants from Xunta de Galicia (PGIDIT06RF026101PR, GRC2014/050) and Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (CGL2010-15231/BOS). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscriptS

Yacimientos sin estratigrafía: Devesa do Rei, ¿un sitio cultual de la Prehistoria reciente y la Protohistoria de Galicia?

In this text we explore a singular site that offers a series of important novelties, both in terms of its discontinuous pattern of use in different periods (covering a lengthy period from the Neolithic to the Iron Age), and its apparent use for ritual purposes in all of them, as well as the possible identification of a funerary structure from the Galician Iron Age. At the same time, this work is proposed as a case for study that makes it possible to define a procedure to reconstruct the sequence and function of open sites from Late Prehistory in Galicia characterized by a lack of vertical stratigraphy. This problem is solved by combining different analytical techniques, all based on a record of high quality excavation that makes use of analyses of material culture, radiocarbon dating, distribution patterns, as well as soil and sediment analysis.Se estudia en este texto un yacimiento singular que ofrece importantes novedades, tanto por su reocupación discontinua en épocas distintas (con una secuencia amplia que cubre desde el Neolítico a la Edad del Hierro), como por su aparente funcionalidad ritual en todas ellas, y la posible identificación de una estructura funeraria de la Edad del Hierro de Galicia. Al mismo tiempo, este trabajo se plantea como caso de estudio que permite definir un procedimiento para reconstituir la secuencia y función de yacimientos abiertos de la Prehistoria Reciente de Galicia caracterizados por no presentar estratigrafía vertical. Este problema se solventa con el entrecruzamiento de diferentes técnicas de análisis basadas todas ellas en un registro de excavación de calidad que se sirve de análisis de cultura material, radiocarbónicos, distributivos, sedimentológicos y edafológicos

A cancer stem cell model as the point of origin of cancer-associated fibroblasts in tumor microenvironment

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the most prominent cell types in the stromal compartment of the tumor microenvironment. CAFs support multiple aspects of cancer progression, including tumor initiation, invasion, and metastasis. The heterogeneous nature of the stromal microenvironment is attributed to the multiple sources from which the cells in this compartment originate. The present study provides the first evidence that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are one of the key sources of CAFs in the tumor niche. We generated CSC-like cells by treating mouse induced pluripotent stem cells with conditioned medium from breast cancer cell lines. The resulting cell population expressed both CSC and pluripotency markers, and the sphere-forming CSC-like cells formed subcutaneous tumors in nude mice. Intriguingly, these CSC-like cells always formed heterogeneous populations surrounded by myofibroblast-like cells. Based on this observation, we hypothesized that CSCs could be the source of the CAFs that support tumor maintenance and survival. To address this hypothesis, we induced the differentiation of spheres and purified the myofibroblast-like cells. The resulting cells exhibited a CAF-like phenotype, suggesting that they had differentiated into the subpopulations of cells that support CSC self-renewal. These findings provide novel insights into the dynamic interplay between various microenvironmental factors and CAFs in the CSC niche

The volume of ERCP per endoscopist is associated with a higher technical success and a lower post-ERCP pancreatitis rate. A prospective analysis

Introduction: conflicting results have been reported regarding the influence of the annual volume of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) on outcome. Objective: to evaluate the influence of case volume on ERCP outcomes. Patients and methods: an analysis of a prospective database was performed, comparing the outcomes of ERCP in three consecutive periods defined by the number of endoscopists performing ERCP: five endoscopists in period I (P1), four in period II (P2) and three in period III (P3). Only patients with biliary ERCP in accessible and naïve papilla were included. Primary variables were cannulation rates and adverse effects (AE). The American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) complexity grades III and IV were considered as highly complex procedures. Results: a total of 2,561 patients were included: 727 (P1), 972 (P2) and 862 (P3). There were no differences in age and sex between groups (p > 0.05). The cannulation rate was significantly higher in P2 and P3: 92.4 % vs 93.3 % vs 93 % (p = 0.037). The AE rate was 13.8 %, 12.6 % and 10.3 % (p > 0.05), respectively. The rate of post-ERCP pancreatitis was significantly lower in P3: 8.5 %, 7.3 % and 5 % (p = 0.01). The rate of complex procedures was 12 %, 14.8 % and 27 % (p < 0.0001), respectively. Two endoscopists participated in all periods and only one had significantly improved outcomes. Cannulation and post-ERCP pancreatitis rates remained significantly better in P3 after adjusting for sex, complexity and endoscopist. Conclusion: a higher annual volume of ERCP per endoscopist was associated with a higher rate of cannulation and a lower rate of post-ERCP pancreatitis, despite the greater complexity of the procedures. These beneficial effects seem to differ between endoscopists

Acceptance and knowledge of evolutionary theory among third-year university students in Spain

The theory of evolution is one of the greatest scientific achievements in the intellectual history of humankind, yet it is still contentious within certain social groups. Despite being as robust and evidence-based as any other notable scientific theory, some people show a strong reluctance to accept it. In this study, we used the Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE) and Knowledge of Evolution Exam (KEE) questionnaires with university students from four academic degree programs (Chemistry, English, History, and Biology) of ten universities from Spain to measure, respectively, acceptance and knowledge of evolutionary theory among third-year undergraduate students (nMATE = 978; nKEE = 981). Results show that acceptance of evolution is relatively high (87.2%), whereas knowledge of the theory is moderate (5.4 out of 10) although there are differences across degrees (Biology>Chemistry>History>English), and even among various universities (ranging from 4.71 to 5.81). Statistical analysis reveals that knowledge of evolutionary theory among Biology students is partially explained by the relative weight of evolutionary themes within the curriculum, suggesting that an increase in the number of hours dedicated to this topic could have a direct influence on students’ knowledge of it. We also found that religion may have a significant—although relatively small—negative influence on evolutionary theory acceptance. The moderate knowledge of evolution in our undergraduate students, together with the potential problem of acceptance in certain groups, suggests the need for a revision of the evolutionary concepts in the teaching curricula of our students since primary school.This work was supported by Xunta de Galicia (ED431C 2016-037), FONDOS FEDER (“unha maneira de facer Europa”), and Spain’s Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (CGL2016-75904-C2-1-P), Dr. Emilio Rolán-Alvarez

Children with acute food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome from Spain and Italy usually tolerate all other food groups.

Acute food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome ('FPIES') is a potentially severe type of non IgE-mediated food allergy affecting mainly infants usually when foods are introduced [1]. Acute FPIES triggered by multiple unrelated foods ('multiple food FPIES') has been reported in up to two thirds of patients, particularly in the USA [2,3]. FPIES reactions are often traumatic experiences for parents and weaning leads to significant anxiety, as there is no test to identify safe new foods. This has led to complex weaning recommendations in children with FPIES in an attempt to support parents [4]. However, evidence suggests that multiple food FPIES is rare in other regions, such as Southern Europe [5,6], which questions the applicability of such weaning advice in this population. Studies including a detailed dietary history in children with FPIES are lacking

Clinical Presentation and Outcome of COVID-19 in a Latin American Versus Spanish Population: Matched Case-Control Study

Introduction: Increased mortality has been reported in the Latin American population. The objective is to compare the clinical characteristics and outcome of Latin American and Spanish populations in a cohort of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic. Methods: We retrospectively analysed all the Latin American patients (born in South or Central America) hospitalized in our centre from February 2020 to February 2021 and compared them with an age- and gender-matched group of Spanish subjects. Variables included were demographics, co-morbidities, clinical and analytical parameters at admission and treatment received. The primary outcomes were ICU admission and mortality at 60 days. A conditional regression analysis was performed to evaluate the independent baseline predictors of both outcomes. Results: From the 3216 patients in the whole cohort, 216 pairs of case-controls (Latin American and Spanish patients, respectively) with same age and gender were analysed. COPD was more frequent in the Spanish group, while HIV was more prevalent in the Latin American group. Other co-morbidities showed no significant difference. Both groups presented with similar numbers of days from symptom onset, but the Latin American population had a higher respiratory rate (21 vs. 20 bpm, P = 0.041), CRP (9.13 vs. 6.22 mg/dl, P = 0.001), ferritin (571 vs. 383 ng/ml, P = 0.012) and procalcitonin (0.10 vs. 0.07 ng/ml, P = 0.020) at admission and lower cycle threshold of PCR (27 vs. 28.8, P = 0.045). While ICU admission and IVM were higher in the Latin American group (17.1% vs. 13% and 9.7% vs. 5.1%, respectively), this was not statistically significant. Latin American patients received remdesivir and anti-inflammatory therapies more often, and no difference in the 60-day mortality rate was found (3.2% for both groups). Conclusion: Latin American patients with COVID-19 have more severe disease than Spanish patients, requiring ICU admission, antiviral and anti-inflammatory therapies more frequently. However, the mortality rate was similar in both groups

C-reactive protein cut-off for early tocilizumab and dexamethasone prescription in hospitalized patients with COVID-19

Dexamethasone and tocilizumab have been associated with reduction in mortality, however, the beneficial effect is not for all patients and the impact on viral replication is not well defined. We hypostatized that C-reactive protein (CRP) could help in the identification of patients requiring anti-inflammatory therapy. Patients admitted for > 48 h in our hospital for a confirmed or suspected infection by SARS-CoV-2 from February 2020 to February 2021 were retrospectively evaluated. The primary outcome was mortality at 30 days. Demographics and the most relevant variables related with the outcome were included. CRP was stratified by percentiles. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed. A total of 3218 patients were included with a median (IQR) age of 66 (74-78) years and 58.9% were males. The rate of intensive care unit admission was 24.4% and the 30-day mortality rate was 11.8%. Within the first 5 days from admission, 1018 (31.7%) patients received dexamethasone and 549 tocilizumab (17.1%). The crude analysis showed a mortality reduction in patients receiving dexamethasone when CRP was > 13.75 mg/dL and > 3.5 mg/dL for those receiving tocilizumab. Multivariate analysis identified the interaction of CRP > 13.75 mg/dL with dexamethasone (OR 0.57; CI 95% 0.37-0.89, P = 0014) and CRP > 3.5 mg/dL with tocilizumab (0.65; CI95%:0.44-0.95, P = 0.029) as independent predictors of mortality. Our results suggest that dexamethasone and tocilizumab are associated with a reduction in mortality when prescribed to patients with a certain inflammatory activity assessed by C-reactive protein

Adaptación y aplicación de escalas de adquisición de competencias en el aprendizaje práctico de la psicoterapia

El aprendizaje de la Psicoterapia requiere la adquisición de conocimientos teórico-prácticos que se ven recogidos en los planes de postgrado (fundamentalmente en el Master en Psicología General Sanitaria). Sin embargo, la adquisición de competencias y habilidades ha pasado a un segundo plano, delegando su adquisición a aprendizajes informales. En este proyecto se pretende aplicar una escala de competencias en psicoterapia (CTTS) a una muestra de psicólogos en formación, analizar sus resultados en función de la dificultad del caso y adoptar las medidas pedagógicas (fundamentalmente de supervisión) que sean necesarias para la potenciación de estas competencias