Estudio de la fenología floral de distintas especies de la Familia Poaceae en Córdoba

Premio extraordinario de Trabajo Fin de Máster curso 2015-2016. Cambio Global: Recursos Naturales y SostenibilidadEn el presente Trabajo Fin de Máster se ha llevado a cabo un estudio sobre la fenología floral de distintas especies de gramíneas primaverales durante 2016. Al mismo tiempo, se ha venido realizando un muestreo sobre el contenido de granos de polen en el aire, herramienta para conocer la fenología floral de especies con polinización anemófila. El principal motivo en la realización de este estudio ha sido conocer las especies de gramíneas que más contribuyen a la curva de polen, pues los granos de polen de la familia Poaceae se encuentran entre las principales causas de polinosis en Europa, y por tanto, una de los principales objetivos en estudios de salud ambiental. Al mismo tiempo se ha intentado estudiar el papel que han jugado distintas variables en el comportamiento fenológico durante este año de estudio, caracterizado especialmente por la falta de disponibilidad de agua, además de contar con un invierno caluroso y una primavera más suave. Estas condiciones meteorológicas han generado un retraso en la floración de las especies estudiadas en comparación con años anteriores. Así mismo, se ha observado el papel que ha jugado la lluvia en el contenido de polen en el aire, provocando un lavado de la atmósfera a principios del mes de mayo. Por otro lado, los vientos de inicio de junio han provocado procesos de resuspensión, encontrándose polen en el aire cuando la mayoría de las especies se encontraban al final de la floración. Así mismo, se ha observado diferente comportamiento fenológico para las especies de floración durante la primavera temprana y aquellas que florecen en primavera tardía. Durante el periodo de estudio se ha observado diferencias del periodo de floración en relación a la altitud, aunque estas diferencias no llegan a ser claras en todas las especies. Por otro lado, dado que el retraso de la floración ha generado periodos de floración más cortos, no se han llegado a observar grandes diferencias entre las especies presentes en las distintas coberturas de vegetación.This Final Master's Project has performed a study about the floral phenology of different grass species during spring 2016. At the same time, it has been conducting sampling on pollen concentration in the air, useful tool to know the floral phenology for anemophilous pollination species. The main reason for conducting this study was to determine the species of grasses that contribute most to the curve of pollen, because the pollen grains of the Poaceae family are among the leading causes of hay fever in Europe, one of the main goals on environmental health. At the same time it has tried to study the role played by different variables in the phenological behavior during this studied year, especially characterized by lack of water availability, and in addition represented by a warm winter and mild spring. These weather conditions have resulted in a delay in flowering of the studied species. Likewise, it has been studied the role of rainfall on the airborne pollen, with a washout of the atmosphere. Winds of early June have caused re-suspension processes, detecting airborne pollen when most species were at the end of flowering. Also, it has been observed different phenological behavior for species blooming in early or late spring. During the study period it has been observed different flowering period in relation to altitude, although these differences are not clear in all species. On the other hand, since the delay of flowering has generated shorter periods of flowering, during this year has not been detected large differences between species in different land cover

Fecal sacs attract insects to the nest and provoke an activation of the immune system of nestlings

Background: Nest sanitation is a widespread but rarely studied behavior in birds. The most common form of nest sanitation behavior, the removal of nestling feces, has focused the discussion about which selective pressures determine this behavior. The parasitism hypothesis, which states that nestling fecal sacs attract parasites that negatively affect breeding birds, was proposed 40 years ago and is frequently cited as a demonstrated fact. But, to our knowledge, there is no previous experimental test of this hypothesis. Results: We carried out three different experiments to investigate the parasitism hypothesis. First, we used commercial McPhail traps to test for the potential attraction effect of nestling feces alone on flying insects. We found that traps with fecal sacs attracted significantly more flies (Order Diptera), but not ectoparasites, than the two control situations. Second, we used artificial blackbird (Turdus merula) nests to investigate the combined attraction effect of feces and nest materials on arthropods (not only flying insects). Flies, again, were the only group of arthropods significantly attracted by fecal sacs. We did not detect an effect on ectoparasites. Third, we used active blackbird nests to investigate the potential effect of nestling feces in ecto- and endoparasite loads in real nestlings. The presence of fecal sacs near blackbird nestlings did not increase the number of louse flies or chewing lice, and unexpectedly reduced the number of nests infested with mites. The endoparasite prevalence was also not affected. In contrast, feces provoked an activation of the immune system as the H/L ratio of nestlings living near excrements was significantly higher than those kept under the two control treatments. Conclusions: Surprisingly, our findings do not support the parasitism hypothesis, which suggests that parasites are not the main reason for fecal sac removal. In contrast, the attraction of flies to nestling feces, the elevation of the immune response of chicks, and the recently described antimicrobial function of the mucous covering of fecal sacs suggest that microorganisms could be responsible of this important form of parental care behavior (microbial hypothesisPeer reviewe

Tumor expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is a prognostic biomarker and predicts outcome of oxaliplatin-treated metastatic colorectal cancer patients

In recent years, an increasing number of studies have shown that elevated expression of cyclin dependent kinase (Cdk5) contributes to the oncogenic initiation and progression of many types of cancers. In this study, we investigated the expression pattern of Cdk5 in colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines and in a large number of tumor samples in order to evaluate its relevance in this pathogenesis and possible use as a prognostic marker. We found that Cdk5 is highly expressed and activated in CRC cell lines and that silencing of the kinase decreases their migration ability. In tumor tissues, Cdk5 is overexpressed compared to normal tissues due to a copy number gain. In patients with localized disease, we found that high Cdk5 levels correlate with poor prognosis, while in the metastatic setting, this was only the case for patients receiving an oxaliplatin-based treatment. When exploring the Cdk5 levels in the consensus molecular subtypes (CMS), we found the lowest levels in subtype 1, where high Cdk5 again was associated with a poorer prognosis. In conclusion, we confirm that Cdk5 is involved in CRC and disease progression and that it could serve as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in this disease

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p<0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (<1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (<1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline

Molecular Characterization of Monocyte Subsets Reveals Specific and Distinctive Molecular Signatures Associated With Cardiovascular Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objectives: This study, developed within the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking project PRECISESADS framework, aimed at functionally characterize the monocyte subsets in RA patients, and analyze their involvement in the increased CV risk associated with RA.Methods: The frequencies of monocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood of 140 RA patients and 145 healthy donors (HDs) included in the PRECISESADS study were determined by flow cytometry. A second cohort of 50 RA patients and 30 HDs was included, of which CD14+ and CD16+ monocyte subpopulations were isolated using immuno-magnetic selection. Their transcriptomic profiles (mRNA and microRNA), proinflammatory patterns and activated pathways were evaluated and related to clinical features and CV risk. Mechanistic in vitro analyses were further performed.Results: CD14++CD16+ intermediate monocytes were extended in both cohorts of RA patients. Their increased frequency was associated with the positivity for autoantibodies, disease duration, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and the presence of atheroma plaques, as well as with the CV risk score. CD14+ and CD16+ monocyte subsets showed distinctive and specific mRNA and microRNA profiles, along with specific intracellular signaling activation, indicating different functionalities. Moreover, that specific molecular profiles were interrelated and associated to atherosclerosis development and increased CV risk in RA patients. In vitro, RA serum promoted differentiation of CD14+CD16− to CD14++CD16+ monocytes. Co-culture with RA-isolated monocyte subsets induced differential activation of endothelial cells.Conclusions: Our overall data suggest that the generation of inflammatory monocytes is associated to the autoimmune/inflammatory response that mediates RA. These monocyte subsets, -which display specific and distinctive molecular signatures- might promote endothelial dysfunction and in turn, the progression of atherosclerosis through a finely regulated process driving CVD development in RA

Study protocol for a non-randomised controlled trial : Community-based occupational therapy intervention on mental health for people with acquired brain injury (COT-MHABI)

The sequelae of moderate-severe acquired brain injury (ABI) encompass motor, cognitive, sensory, emotional and behavioural areas that affect meaningful occupational participation and quality of life, with a high prevalence of associated mental disorders. When the patient returns to community life after discharge from the hospital, specialised care is generally insufficient due to the lack of consideration of the dual condition of mental disorder and ABI. Since there is a negative impact on competence and thus on occupational participation, occupational therapy represents a convenient way of intervention. On these assumptions, a community-based occupational therapy protocol on mental health for people with moderate/severe acquired brain injury (COT-MHABI) is presented. It is focused on meaningful occupational participation and looks for improvement in the quality of life. This study aims: (i) to design a protocol to evaluate the effectiveness of a community occupational therapy intervention based on MOHO for patients with a dual (mental health/ABI) for improving quality of life and self-perceived occupational performance; (ii) to analyse the outcomes of occupational and social variables (occupational balance, participation level, satisfaction with occupation and performed roles and community integration) after the COT-MHABI process; (iii) to analyse the impact of quality of life on satisfaction with occupations performed by this population. A non-randomised controlled clinical trial will be performed. Patients assigned to the experimental group will receive over one year of on-site and telematic occupational therapy sessions, 16 sessions on average. Variables such as quality of life, community integration or satisfaction with occupational performance will be collected at baseline, 6, and 12 months. The needs for the dual mental/ABI population in their reintegration into the community are related to the associated deficits and to the absence of specialised services for the complexity of this patient profile. Few studies consider the coexistence of mental health and ABI issues. The COT-MHABI protocol is proposed to provide continuity to the community needs of this population, conceptualised from occupational participation, person-centred and focused on meaningful activities. Trial identifier and registry name ClinicalTrials.gov ID: ; Pre-results; Community-based Occupational Therapy Intervention on Mental Health for People With Acquired Brain Injury (COT-MHABI)

A Long-Term Experimental Study Demonstrates the Costs of Begging That Were Not Found over the Short Term

<div><p>Parent–offspring conflict theory predicts that begging behaviour could escalate continuously over evolutionary time if it is not prevented by costliness of begging displays. Three main potential physiological costs have been proposed: growth, immunological and metabolic costs. However, empirical evidence on this subject remains elusive because published results are often contradictory. In this study, we test for the existence of these three potential physiological costs of begging in house sparrow (<i>Passer domesticus</i>) nestlings by stimulating a group of nestlings to beg for longer and another group for shorter periods than in natural conditions. All nestlings were fed with the same quantity of food. Our study involves a long-term experimental treatment for begging studies (five consecutive days). Long-term studies frequently provide clearer results than short-term studies and, sometimes, relevant information not reported by the latter ones. Our long-term experiment shows (i) a clear effect on the immune response even since the first measurement (6 hours), but it was higher during the second (long-term) than during the first (short-term) test; (ii) evidence of a growth cost of begging in house sparrow nestlings not previously found by other studies; (iii) body condition was affected by our experimental manipulation only after 48 hour; (iv) a metabolic cost of begging never previously shown in any species, and (v) for the first time, it has shown a simultaneous effect of the three potential physiological costs of begging: immunocompetence, growth, and metabolism. This implies first, that a multilevel trade-off can occur between begging and all physiological costs and, second, that a lack of support in a short-term experiment for the existence of a tested cost of begging does not mean absence of that cost, because it can be found in a long-term experiment.</p></div

Outline of the COT-MHABI intervention process.

The intervention will begin with an initial comprehensive assessment during the first session. The goals are agreed with the participant in the following sessions based on a specific assessment. Subsequently, between the 4th and the 16th session (on-site and telematics), the intervention will be implemented according to the goals and through the three-level process (Exploration, Competence and Achievement) based on the Model of Human Occupation.</p