Hemoptisis y derrame pleural derecho en paciente con amiloidosis nodular pulmonar

Pulmonary amyloidosis is characterized by extracellular amyloid deposition in the lungs. It is presented as tracheobronchial infiltration, parenchymal opacities, diffuse or interstitials nodular lesions. Woman 67 years WITH nodular amyloidosis, stable that consult for coughing episodes with hemoptysis, dyspnea and costal pain. Imaging scans show a right basal pleural effusion, multiple pulmonary masses and nodularidades and growth of one of the nodules previously observed and the appearance of new one. Pleural effusion as a manifestation of a pulmonary amyloidosis, although rare, is possible. It is important to distinguish those produced by amyloid cardiopathy.La amiloidosis pulmonar se caracteriza por depósito extracelular de amiloide en los pulmones. Se presenta como infiltrado traqueobronquial, lesiones nodulares parenquimatosas u opacidades difusas intersticiales. Mujer de 67 años portadora de amiloidosis nodular pulmonar estable que consulta por episodios de tos con expectoración hemoptoica, dolor costal y disnea. Las exploraciones de imagen muestran un derrame pleural basal derecho, múltiples nodularidades y masas pulmonares ya observadas previamente, crecimiento de uno de los nódulos y aparición de alguno nuevo. El derrame pleural como manifestación de una amiloidosis pulmonar, aunque raro, es posible. Es importante distinguirlo de los producidos por cardiopatía amiloidea

High Serum Cyclophilin C levels as a risk factor marker for Coronary Artery Disease

Cyclophilins (Cyps) are ubiquitous proteins that belong to the immunophilins family consistently associated with inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. While levels of CypA have been extensively studied, less data are available for other Cyps. The purpose of this case-control study was to determine the relationship of Cyps (A, B, C and D) with coronary artery disease (CAD) and eight inflammation markers. Serum levels of Cyps, interleukins and metalloproteinases were measured in serum collected from 84 subjects. Participants were divided into two sub-groups based on CAD diagnosis: 40 CAD patients and 44 control volunteers. Serum levels of CypA, CypB and CypC, IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly higher in CAD patients. Bivariate correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between Cyps and several blood and biochemical parameters. When the ability of Cyps levels for CAD diagnosis was evaluated, higher sensitivity and selectivity values were obtained with CypC (c-statistic 0.891, p < 0.001) indicating that it is a good marker of CAD disease, while less conclusive results were obtained with CypA (c-statistic 0.748, p < 0.001) and CypB (c-statistic 0.655, p < 0.014). In addition, significant correlations of traditional CAD risk factors and CypC were observed. In summary, high levels of CypC are a risk factor for CAD and therefore it can be proposed as a new biomarker for this disease.This work could not have been done without the invaluable collaboration of the staff at the Servicio Vixilancia da Saude from Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (Andrea Vidal Dopazo) and at the Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti (Maria Jesús Basanta-Castro, Maria del Carmen Cabarcos Leal, Clara Jimenez-Serrano, Leonor Ortega- Fernández, Maria Jesus Palacios Pool, Sofía Seco-Aldegunde). The research leading to these results has received funding from the following FEDER cofunded-grants. From Conselleria de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria, Xunta de Galicia, 2017 GRC GI-1682 (ED431C 2017/01). From CDTI and Technological Funds, supported by Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, AGL2016-78728-R (AEI/FEDER, UE), ISCIII/PI16/01830, ISCIII/PI16/01816 and RTC-2016-5507-2, ITC-20161072. From European Union POCTEP 0161-Nanoeaters -1-E-1, Interreg AlertoxNet EAPA-317-2016, Interreg Agritox EAPA-998-2018, and H2020 778069-EMERTOX. Sandra Gegunde was supported by a fellowship from FIDIS, Spain

A hypothetico-deductive approach to assessing the social function of chemical signalling in a non-territorial solitary carnivore

The function of chemical signalling in non-territorial solitary carnivores is still relatively unclear. Studies on territorial solitary and social carnivores have highlighted odour capability and utility, however the social function of chemical signalling in wild carnivore populations operating dominance hierarchy social systems has received little attention. We monitored scent marking and investigatory behaviour of wild brown bears Ursus arctos, to test multiple hypotheses relating to the social function of chemical signalling. Camera traps were stationed facing bear ‘marking trees’ to document behaviour by different age sex classes in different seasons. We found evidence to support the hypothesis that adult males utilise chemical signalling to communicate dominance to other males throughout the non-denning period. Adult females did not appear to utilise marking trees to advertise oestrous state during the breeding season. The function of marking by subadult bears is somewhat unclear, but may be related to the behaviour of adult males. Subadults investigated trees more often than they scent marked during the breeding season, which could be a result of an increased risk from adult males. Females with young showed an increase in marking and investigation of trees outside of the breeding season. We propose the hypothesis that females engage their dependent young with marking trees from a young age, at a relatively ‘safe’ time of year. Memory, experience, and learning at a young age, may all contribute towards odour capabilities in adult bears

The genetic architecture of low-temperature adaptation in the wine yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

[Background] Low-temperature growth and fermentation of wine yeast can enhance wine aroma and make them highly desirable traits for the industry. Elucidating response to cold in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is, therefore, of paramount importance to select or genetically improve new wine strains. As most enological traits of industrial importance in yeasts, adaptation to low temperature is a polygenic trait regulated by many interacting loci.[Results] In order to unravel the genetic determinants of low-temperature fermentation, we mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) by bulk segregant analyses in the F13 offspring of two Saccharomyces cerevisiae industrial strains with divergent performance at low temperature. We detected four genomic regions involved in the adaptation at low temperature, three of them located in the subtelomeric regions (chromosomes XIII, XV and XVI) and one in the chromosome XIV. The QTL analysis revealed that subtelomeric regions play a key role in defining individual variation, which emphasizes the importance of these regions’ adaptive nature.[Conclusions] The reciprocal hemizygosity analysis (RHA), run to validate the genes involved in low-temperature fermentation, showed that genetic variation in mitochondrial proteins, maintenance of correct asymmetry and distribution of phospholipid in the plasma membrane are key determinants of low-temperature adaptation.This work has been financially supported from the Spanish Government through MINECO and FEDER funds (AGL2013-47300-C3-3-R and PCIN-2015-143 grants) and from Generalitat Valenciana through PROMETEOII/2014/042 grant, awarded to JMG. This study has been carried out in the context of the European Project ERA-IB “YeastTempTation” EGR thanks the Spanish government for an FPI grant BES-2011-044498 and MM also thanks the Generalitat Valenciana for a VALi+d ACIF/2015/194 grant. We acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).Peer reviewe

The membrane-spanning 4-domains, subfamily A (MS4A) gene cluster contains a common variant associated with Alzheimer's disease

Background\ud In order to identify novel loci associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in the Spanish population.\ud \ud Methods\ud We genotyped 1,128 individuals using the Affymetrix Nsp I 250K chip. A sample of 327 sporadic AD patients and 801 controls with unknown cognitive status from the Spanish general population were included in our initial study. To increase the power of the study, we combined our results with those of four other public GWAS datasets by applying identical quality control filters and the same imputation methods, which were then analyzed with a global meta-GWAS. A replication sample with 2,200 sporadic AD patients and 2,301 controls was genotyped to confirm our GWAS findings.\ud \ud Results\ud Meta-analysis of our data and independent replication datasets allowed us to confirm a novel genome-wide significant association of AD with the membrane-spanning 4-domains subfamily A (MS4A) gene cluster (rs1562990, P = 4.40E-11, odds ratio = 0.88, 95% confidence interval 0.85 to 0.91, n = 10,181 cases and 14,341 controls).\ud \ud Conclusions\ud Our results underscore the importance of international efforts combining GWAS datasets to isolate genetic loci for complex diseases

Taxonomic and Environmental Variability in the Elemental Composition and Stoichiometry of Individual Dinoflagellate and Diatom Cells from the NW Mediterranean Sea

Here we present, for the first time, the elemental concentration, including C, N and O, of single phytoplankton cells collected from the sea. Plankton elemental concentration and stoichiometry are key variables in phytoplankton ecophysiology and ocean biogeochemistry, and are used to link cells and ecosystems. However, most field studies rely on bulk techniques that overestimate carbon and nitrogen because the samples include organic matter other than plankton organisms. Here we used X-ray microanalysis (XRMA), a technique that, unlike bulk analyses, gives simultaneous quotas of C, N, O, Mg, Si, P, and S, in single-cell organisms that can be collected directly from the sea. We analysed the elemental composition of dinoflagellates and diatoms (largely Chaetoceros spp.) collected from different sites of the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean Sea). As expected, a lower C content is found in our cells compared to historical values of cultured cells. Our results indicate that, except for Si and O in diatoms, the mass of all elements is not a constant fraction of cell volume but rather decreases with increasing cell volume. Also, diatoms are significantly less dense in all the measured elements, except Si, compared to dinoflagellates. The N:P ratio of both groups is higher than the Redfield ratio, as it is the N:P nutrient ratio in deep NW Mediterranean Sea waters (N:P = 20–23). The results suggest that the P requirement is highest for bacterioplankton, followed by dinoflagellates, and lowest for diatoms, giving them a clear ecological advantage in P-limited environments like the Mediterranean Sea. Finally, the P concentration of cells of the same genera but growing under different nutrient conditions was the same, suggesting that the P quota of these cells is at a critical level. Our results indicate that XRMA is an accurate technique to determine single cell elemental quotas and derived conversion factors used to understand and model ocean biogeochemical cycles

Methodologies used to estimate tobacco-attributable mortality: a review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>One of the most important measures for ascertaining the impact of tobacco on a population is the estimation of the mortality attributable to its use. To measure this, a number of indirect methods of quantification are available, yet there is no consensus as to which furnishes the best information. This study sought to provide a critical overview of the different methods of attribution of mortality due to tobacco consumption.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>A search was made in the Medline database until March 2005 in order to obtain papers that addressed the methodology employed for attributing mortality to tobacco use.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the total of 7 methods obtained, the most widely used were the prevalence methods, followed by the approach proposed by Peto et al, with the remainder being used in a minority of studies.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Different methodologies are used to estimate tobacco attributable mortality, but their methodological foundations are quite similar in all. Mainly, they are based on the calculation of proportional attributable fractions. All methods show limitations of one type or another, sometimes common to all methods and sometimes specific.</p

The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe

From around 2750 to 2500 bc, Bell Beaker pottery became widespread across western and central Europe, before it disappeared between 2200 and 1800 bc. The forces that propelled its expansion are a matter of long-standing debate, and there is support for both cultural diffusion and migration having a role in this process. Here we present genome-wide data from 400 Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age Europeans, including 226 individuals associated with Beaker-complex artefacts. We detected limited genetic affinity between Beaker-complex-associated individuals from Iberia and central Europe, and thus exclude migration as an important mechanism of spread between these two regions. However, migration had a key role in the further dissemination of the Beaker complex. We document this phenomenon most clearly in Britain, where the spread of the Beaker complex introduced high levels of steppe-related ancestry and was associated with the replacement of approximately 90% of Britain’s gene pool within a few hundred years, continuing the east-to-west expansion that had brought steppe-related ancestry into central and northern Europe over the previous centuries