Influencia de los factores de riesgo cardiovascular en la Enfermedad de Alzheimer preclínica

156 p.La Enfermedad de Alzheimer es una enfermedad neurodegenerativa crónica que se caracteriza principalmente por una perdida gradual de memoria. Actualmente, no dispone de tratamiento y su etiopatogenia es desconocida, siendo la cascada amiloide una de hipótesis más aceptadas. En esta hipótesis, se sugiere una fase inicial en la que se produce la acumulación del péptido amiloide en losespacios interneuronales que posteriormente conlleva la formación de ovillos neurofibrilares y lesiones a nivel neuronal. En la fase preclínica, los individuos afectados no muestran sintomatología más allá de manifestaciones a nivel bioquímico. Más adelante, comienzan los primeros síntomas y se desarrollará la fase clínica con un deterioro progresivo del paciente. La Enfermedad de Alzheimer se considera una patología con origen multifactorial. Aunque algunos de estos factores no son modificables, como la edad,el gen APOE y el sexo femenino, otros si son modificables, como los factores asociados al riesgo cardiovascular. Este estudio se centra en la fase preclínica de la enfermedad, y su objetivo principal es determinar la asociación de las características sociodemográficas y el estado de salud en una muestra de personas adultas cognitivamente sanas con la evolución de los biomarcadores de la Enfermedad de Alzheimer en el líquido cefalorraquídeo.Para ello, se desarrolló un estudio prospectivo longitudinal enmarcado dentro del Proyecto Gipuzkoa Alzheimer, en el que se reclutaron 180 hombres y mujeres cognitivamente sanos. Todos ellos dieron su consentimiento para participar en dos fases del estudio (PGA1 y PGA2) y para la recogida de líquido cefalorraquídeo. Se recogieron las siguientes variables: edad, antecedentes familiares de demencia,parámetros de salud cardiovascular (antropometría, tensión arterial, glucemia y valores lipídicos), así como los niveles de los biomarcadores proteínas Tau y pTau, péptidos Beta amiloide 40 y 42 en líquido cefalorraquídeo, y el genotipo APOE. Posteriormente se llevó cabo un análisis estadístico de los valores obtenidos.Los parámetros de salud de los participantes en ambas fases del estudio se situaron en los límites recomendados, salvo los valores antropométricos y lipídicos, que fueron superiores a lo recomendado.Estos valores, mejoraron entre las fases PGA1 y PGA2 del estudio. Los niveles de los biomarcadoresmedidos en líquido cefalorraquídeo aumentaron sus valores a lo largo de las dos fases del estudio. Alcorrelacionar los factores de riesgo cardiovascular y los biomarcadores, no se obtuvieron asociaciones estadísticamente significativas en el caso de los valores antropométricos ni de glucemia, pero sí con respecto al perfil lipídico y la tensión arterial. Tras la realización de modelos de regresión lineal, se pudo comprobar que la edad y ser portador del alelo ApoE-4 se asociaba un peor perfil de los biomarcadores de la Enfermedad de Alzheimer y que la tensión arterial sistólica elevada se asociaba a menores niveles del péptido amiloide, independiente del sexo, del consumo de medicación o de la predisposición genética de los portadores del alelo ApoE-4.La principal conclusión de este trabajo es que los factores de riesgo cardiovascular están relacionados con la evolución de los biomarcadores de la Enfermedad de Alzheimer en líquido cefalorraquídeo, variando dichas asociaciones según el sexo, la toma de medicación, la edad y el alelo ApoE-4

Allelopathy for weed control in acid solis with high organic matter

6 páginas.- 5 figuras.[EN] Weeds are one of the major limiting factors in agriculture under temperate humid conditions. Weed control faces a challenge nowadays because developed societies reject synthetic herbicides based on risks for health and environmental conservation. Chemical weed control is dangerous for humans and the environment, and mechanical weeding is too expensive and labor consuming. Some of the new alternatives for weed control are based on allelopathy, which meets some of the new requirements in modern societies. Allelopathy opens interesting solutions that can be used for a sustainable agriculture and even for organic agriculture. The allelopathy approach does not intend the elimination of weeds but the reasonable control of weed population at low levels that allow a sustainable agricultural production. Allelopathy can be made with alternative crops or with forest or agricultural residues. Some of the plants with allelopathy potential are leguminous such as faba been, but also forest residues as the green leaf of eucalyptus can be capitalized. These are partial solutions that can help in minimizing herbicide applications but further research is required.[ES] La flora arvense es uno de los factores limitantes de la agricultura en climas templados húmedos. El control de la flora arvense es un reto actualmente porque las sociedades más avanzadas rechazan el uso de herbicidas sintéticos ya que suponen un riesgo para la salud humana y el medio ambiente. El control químico es peligroso para las personas y el mecánico es costoso y laborioso. Algunas de las nuevas alternativas para el control de la flora se basan en la alelopatía, que responde a los requisitos actuales de la sociedad. La alelopatía abre soluciones interesantes que pueden ser usadas en agricultura sostenible y ecológica. La solución alelopática no intenta la eliminación de las hierbas sino un control razonable que permita el cultivo con bajas poblaciones de hierbas para una agricultura sostenible. La alelopatía se puede hacer con cultivos alternativos o con residuos agroforestales. Algunas plantas con valor potencial para la alelopatía son las habas, pero también residuos forestales como las hojas verdes de eucalipto pueden ser aprovechadas. Estas soluciones son parciales y pueden ayudar a minimizar la aplicación de herbicidas, pero se requieren más investigaciones.Peer reviewe

A simple, fast and accurate screening method to estimate maize (Zea mays L) tolerance to drought at early stages

There is a great need for the selection of plants with higher drought tolerance, so that fast and effective techniques to identify variations in drought tolerance are mandatory for screening large numbers of genotypes. This work presents a protocol for easy and reliable assessment of responses of maize genotypes to water stress conditions imposed during early stages of development. Three experiments using 11 commercial maize hybrids under four levels of water stress were carried out: i) germination, ii) seedling growth, and iii) early growth bioas- says. Constant and uniform water stress was imposed using solutions of polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG 6000). Plant material was evaluated for several morphological, physiological and biochemical traits and monitored for photosynthetic efficiency. Principal component analysis (PCA) of these joint experiments revealed that germination percentage, early root development and stomatal conductance were the most useful traits for discriminating maize hybrids according to their tolerance to water stress. A subsequent greenhouse assay performed with two hybrids with contrasting responses under soil drying conditions validated the previous results. According to our results, the key of drought tolerance was a rapid response of stomatal conductance, which allowed a longer survival to stress even under severe desiccation. This work provides the researcher with a simple and reliable screening method that could be implemented as a decision support tool in the selection of the most suitable genotypes for cultivation in areas where water availability is a problem, as well as for the selection of tolerant genotypes to early drought in breeding programs

Variability and mechanisms of drought tolerance in maize populations from Honduras

Maize breeding for drought tolerance requires searching mechanisms and sources of drought tolerance. We assessed drought tolerance at juvenile stages of development in a collection of open-pollinated maize populations from a dry area of Honduras. Eighteen Honduran populations were evaluated for the response of morphological, physiological and photosynthetic traits to increasing levels of water stress during germination, seedling and early growth. Water stress was imposed by using solutions of polyethylene glycol6000. The population Natual Olote Gordo faced drought by increasing root elongation; the population Langueño was able to maintain natural photosynthetic traits under drought conditions at a reasonable level; Capulin was drought tolerant at germination and early growth, and Maicito Montecristo maintained root biomass at seedling and early growth stages. At early growth, Castaño Sur, Maicito Montecristo, Negrito, Sangre de Cristo, and Tuy showed diminished conductance while there was no significantreduction in Langueño. Considering photosynthetic performance, the response to drought can be classifiedas resistance (Langueño) or tolerance (Capulín). Therefore, diverse mechanisms of drought adaptation are displayed by these populations depending on the feature measured and the stage of development. Different adaptive traits to drought at early stages of development could be combined by crossing the appropriate populations

Plastic Dialogues between Tàpies and Black African Art

Considering the ethnocentric pespectives mediating most approaches to Black-African art by Western artists, Tàpies eganges in a more profound search for a meaningfulness that gives sense to the particular shapes of Black-African carvings and masks. The aim of this paper is to analyse the ways in which Tàpies' oeuvre absoerved and reflected the influence of black African art, establishing a conceptual rather than formal dialogue. In contrast with other painters like Picasso, whose relationship with African art did not go beyond the formal appropriation within the primitivistic paradigms of colonialism, Tàpies establishes a dialogue with African art in conceptual terms, approaching the artistic problems of an intercultural synthesis while respecting the context that black African art generates and defines beyond particular manifestations.

Diálogo entre Tàpies y el Arte Africano a partir del Lenguaje Plástico

Dentro de los planteamientos etnocéntricos que rigen el acercamiento de los artistas occidentales al arte negroafricano, Tàpies se desmarca de los mismos para realizar una búsqueda más profunda de las significatividades que den sentido a la forma de las tallas y máscaras negroafricanas. En este artículo planteamos como Tàpies ha vinculado su obra al arte negroafricano, estableciendo un diálogo conceptual más que formal. Frente a otros autores, como Picasso, en el que la influencia del arte negroafricano no va más allá de una apropiación formal, dentro de los paradigmas coloniales del primitivismo, Tàpies establece un diálogo con el arte negroafricano, en términos conceptuales pretendiendo una aproximación a los problemas artísticos desde una síntesis intercultural que respeta el contexto que genera y define la obra negroafricana, por encima de las manifestaciones aparentes. Considering the ethnocentric pespectives mediating most approaches to BlackAfrican art by Western artists, Tapies eganges in a more profound search for a meaningfulness that gives sense to the particular shapes of Black-African carvings and masks. The aim of this paper is to analyse the ways in which Tapies' oeuvre absoerved and reflected the influence of black African art, establishing a conceptual rather than formal dialogue. In contrast with other painters like Picasso, whose relationship with African art did not go beyond the formal appropriation within the primitivistic paradigms of colonialism, Tapies establishes a dialogue with African art in conceptual terms, approaching the artistic problems of an intercultural synthesis while respecting the context that black African art generates and defines beyond particular manifestations

Epigenetic Modification Mechanisms Involved in Inflammation and Fibrosis in Renal Pathology

The growing incidence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, coupled with the aging of the population, is increasing the prevalence of renal diseases in our society. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by persistent inflammation, fibrosis, and loss of renal function leading to end-stage renal disease. Nowadays, CKD treatment has limited effectiveness underscoring the importance of the development of innovative therapeutic options. Recent studies have identified how epigenetic modifications participate in the susceptibility to CKD and have explained how the environment interacts with the renal cell epigenome to contribute to renal damage. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate critical processes involved in gene regulation and downstream cellular responses. The most relevant epigenetic modifications that play a critical role in renal damage include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and changes in miRNA levels. Importantly, these epigenetic modifications are reversible and, therefore, a source of potential therapeutic targets. Here, we will explain how epigenetic mechanisms may regulate essential processes involved in renal pathology and highlight some possible epigenetic therapeutic strategies for CKD treatment.This work was supported by Instituto de Salud Carlos III and Fondos FEDER European Union (PI14/00041, PI15/00960, PI16/01354, PI17/00119, and PI17/01244), Red de Investigación Renal (REDinREN; RD16/0009), Comunidad de Madrid (B2017/BMD-3751 NOVELREN-CM), Fondecyt 1181574 (BK), Sociedad Española de Nefrología, and the “Juan de la Cierva Formacion” training program of the Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad which supported the salary of S.R-M (FJCI-2016-29050). V. Marchant has a CONICYT Scholarship for his graduate studies at the PhD program in Medical Science, Universidad Austral de Chile. The Centro de Estudios Científicos is funded by the Chilean Government through the Centers of Excellence Basal Financing Program of CONICYT

Patterns and correlates of claims for brown bear damage on a continental scale

Wildlife damage to human property threatens human-wildlife coexistence. Conflicts arising from wildlife damage in intensively managed landscapes often undermine conservation efforts, making damage mitigation and compensation of special concern for wildlife conservation. However, the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of damage and claims at large scales are still poorly understood. Here, we investigated the patterns of damage caused by brown bears Ursus arctos and its ecological and socio-economic correlates at a continental scale. We compiled information about compensation schemes across 26 countries in Europe in 2005-2012 and analysed the variation in the number of compensated claims in relation to (i) bear abundance, (ii) forest availability, (iii) human land use, (iv) management practices and (v) indicators of economic wealth. Most European countries have a posteriori compensation schemes based on damage verification, which, in many cases, have operated for more than 30 years. On average, over 3200 claims of bear damage were compensated annually in Europe. The majority of claims were for damage to livestock (59%), distributed throughout the bear range, followed by damage to apiaries (21%) and agriculture (17%), mainly in Mediterranean and eastern European countries. The mean number of compensated claims per bear and year ranged from 0·1 in Estonia to 8·5 in Norway. This variation was not only due to the differences in compensation schemes; damage claims were less numerous in areas with supplementary feeding and with a high proportion of agricultural land. However, observed variation in compensated damage was not related to bear abundance. Synthesis and applications. Compensation schemes, management practices and human land use influence the number of claims for brown bear damage, while bear abundance does not. Policies that ignore this complexity and focus on a single factor, such as bear population size, may not be effective in reducing claims. To be effective, policies should be based on integrative schemes that prioritize damage prevention and make it a condition of payment of compensation that preventive measures are applied. Such integrative schemes should focus mitigation efforts in areas or populations where damage claims are more likely to occur. Similar studies using different species and continents might further improve our understanding of conflicts arising from wildlife damage

Measuring rewilding progress

Rewilding is emerging as a promising restoration strategy to enhance the conservation status of biodiversity and promote self-regulating ecosystems whilst re-engaging people with nature. Overcoming the challenges in monitoring and reporting rewilding projects would improve its practical implementation and maximise its conservation and restoration outcomes. Here, we present a novel approach for measuring and monitoring progress in rewilding that respond to a pressing need for developing monitoring guidelines informed by the best available science. We devised a bi-dimensional framework for assessing the recovery of processes and their natural dynamics through a) decreasing human forcing on ecological processes and b) increasing natural complexity of ecosystems. The framework incorporates the reduction of material inputs and outputs associated with human management, as well as the restoration of natural stochasticity and disturbance regimes, landscape connectivity and trophic complexity. Furthermore, we provide a list of potential activities for increasing ecosystem complexity after reviewing the evidence for the effectiveness of common restoration actions. For illustration purposes, we apply the framework to three flagship restoration projects in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Argentina. This approach has the potential to broaden the scope of ecological restoration, facilitate sound decision-making and connect the science and practice of rewilding.Comunidad de MadridREMEDINAL-3National Science Centre in Polan