VARIACIÓN ESTACIONAL DE LA AVIFAUNA ASOCIADA A HÁBITAT FLUVIORRIBEREÑOS INUNDABLES DE ISLA DE MAMO, EN EL RÍO ORINOCO, ESTADO ANZOÁTEGUI, VENEZUELA

Los pulsos de inundación del río Orinoco producen variaciones espacio-temporales en las diversas comunidades de plantas, con diferentes etapas sucesionales, generando ofertas variadas para la avifauna, tanto de hábitats como de recursos alimentarios. El objetivo principal de esta investigación fue inventariar, mediante puntos de conteo y capturas con redes de niebla, la riqueza y diversidad de especies y uso de las aves de los hábitats transitorios, y su vulnerabilidad, en isla de Mamo, en el bajo río Orinoco, a lo largo de un gradiente que abarca seis biotopos: Playones (PLA), Matorrales (MAT), Bosques Ribereños de Cubeta (BRC), Bambusales de Guadua (BAG), Arbustales-Gamelotales (ARG) e Hidromacrófitas (HMA), los cuales experimentan notorias modificaciones por efecto de los pulsos de inundación del río, a saber: Aguas Bajas (AB), Subida de Aguas (SA), Aguas Altas (AA) y Bajada de Aguas (BA). En total se identificaron 141 especies, agrupadas en 43 familias. El hábitat BRC presentó el mayor número de especies, siguiendo este orden: BRC ARG MAT PLA HMA BAG. Los biotopos MAT, BRC y PLA mostraron la mayor vulnerabilidad. La riqueza de especies por período siguió el patrón: AB SA AA BA. Solo quince especies estuvieron presentes durante los cuatro pulsos hidrológicos analizados. El mayor índice de similitud (diversidad ) se presentó entre ARG x MAT (34,28%), sin embargo, en el resto de las combinaciones la similitud fue menor del 9%. Existe una alta dependencia de las aves hacia estos hábitats por lo que es un factor a tomarse en cuenta en los planes de conservación. La alteración mecánica y/o físico-química en los patrones del flujo estacional regular del río pudiera ocasionar el éxodo o desaparición de especies aviares habituales de este rico ecosistema

Antibiotic resistance genes in phage particles isolated from human feces and induced from clinical bacterial isolates

Phage particles have emerged as elements with the potential to mobilize antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in different environments, including the intestinal habitat. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of ARGs in phage particles present in fecal matter and induced from strains isolated from feces. Nine ARGs (blaTEM, blaCTX-M-1-group, blaCTX-M-9-group, blaOXA-48, qnrA, qnrS, mecA, sul1 and armA) were quantified by qPCR in the phage DNA fractions of 150 fecal samples obtained from healthy individuals. These subjects had not received antibiotic treatment or travelled abroad in the three months prior to the sample collection. On the suspicion that the detected particles originated from bacterial flora, 82 Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates possessing at least one identified ARG (blaTEM, blaCTX-M-1-group, blaCTX-M-9-group, armA, qnrA, qnrS, and sul1) were isolated and their capacity to produce phage particles carrying these ARGs after induction was evaluated. Seventy-two percent of samples were positive for at least one ARG, with blaTEM and blaCTX-M-9-group being the most prevalent and abundant. Fifty-one isolates (62%) showed an increase in the number of copies of the respective ARG in the phage fraction after induction, with blaTEM, blaCTX-M-1-group, blaCTX-M-9-group and sul1 being the most abundant. Phages induced from the isolates were further purified and visualized using microscopy and their DNA showed ARG levels of up to 10(10) gene copies/ml. This study highlights the abundance of phage particles harboring ARGs and indicates that bacterial strains in the intestinal habitat could be sources of these particles

Bioenergetic and Autophagic Characterization of Skin Fibroblasts from C9orf72 Patients.

The objective of this study is to describe the alterations occurring during the neurodegenerative process in skin fibroblast cultures from C9orf72 patients. We characterized the oxidative stress, autophagy flux, small ubiquitin-related protein SUMO2/3 levels as well as the mitochondrial function in skin fibroblast cultures from C9orf72 patients. All metabolic and bioenergetic findings were further correlated with gene expression data obtained from RNA sequencing analysis. Fibroblasts from C9orf72 patients showed a 30% reduced expression of C9orf72, ~3-fold increased levels of oxidative stress and impaired mitochondrial function obtained by measuring the enzymatic activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes, specifically of complex III activity. Furthermore, the results also reveal that C9orf72 patients showed an accumulation of p62 protein levels, suggesting the alteration of the autophagy process, and significantly higher protein levels of SUMO2/3 (p = 0.03). Our results provide new data reinforcing that C9orf72 cells suffer from elevated oxidative damage to biomolecules and organelles and from increased protein loads, leading to insufficient autophagy and an increase in SUMOylation processes

The Conners Continuous Performance Test CPT3™: Is it a reliable marker to predict neurocognitive dysfunction in Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome?

Chronic fatigue syndrome; Continuous performance test; Neurocognitive dysfunctionSíndrome de fatiga crónica; Prueba de rendimiento continuo; Disfunción neurocognitivaSíndrome de fatiga crònica; Prova de rendiment contínua; Disfunció neurocognitivaIntroduction: The main objective is to delimit the cognitive dysfunction associated with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) in adult patients by applying the Continuous Performance Test (CPT3™). Additionally, provide empirical evidence on the usefulness of this computerized neuropsychological test to assess ME/CFS. Method: The final sample (n = 225; 158 Patients/67 Healthy controls) were recruited in a Central Sensitization Syndromes (CSS) specialized unit in a tertiary hospital. All participants were administered this neuropsychological test. Results: There were significant differences between ME/CFS and healthy controls in all the main measures of CPT3™. Mainly, patients had a worse indicator of inattentiveness, sustained attention, vigilance, impulsivity, slow reaction time, and more atypical T-scores, which is associated with a likelihood of having a disorder characterized by attention deficits, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In addition, relevant correlations were obtained between the CPT3™ variables in the patient's group. The most discriminative indicators of ME/CFS patients were Variability and Hit Reaction Time, both measures of response speed. Conclusion: The CPT3™ is a helpful tool to discriminate neurocognitive impairments from attention and response speed in ME/CFS patients, and it could be used as a marker of ME/CFS severity for diagnosing or monitoring this disease

The Conners Continuous Performance Test CPT3™: Is it a reliable marker to predict neurocognitive dysfunction in Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome?

IntroductionThe main objective is to delimit the cognitive dysfunction associated with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) in adult patients by applying the Continuous Performance Test (CPT3™). Additionally, provide empirical evidence on the usefulness of this computerized neuropsychological test to assess ME/CFS.MethodThe final sample (n = 225; 158 Patients/67 Healthy controls) were recruited in a Central Sensitization Syndromes (CSS) specialized unit in a tertiary hospital. All participants were administered this neuropsychological test.ResultsThere were significant differences between ME/CFS and healthy controls in all the main measures of CPT3™. Mainly, patients had a worse indicator of inattentiveness, sustained attention, vigilance, impulsivity, slow reaction time, and more atypical T-scores, which is associated with a likelihood of having a disorder characterized by attention deficits, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In addition, relevant correlations were obtained between the CPT3™ variables in the patient’s group. The most discriminative indicators of ME/CFS patients were Variability and Hit Reaction Time, both measures of response speed.ConclusionThe CPT3™ is a helpful tool to discriminate neurocognitive impairments from attention and response speed in ME/CFS patients, and it could be used as a marker of ME/CFS severity for diagnosing or monitoring this disease

The CARMA study: early infant antiretroviral therapy-timing impacts on total HIV-1 DNA quantitation 12 Years later

Background Strategies aimed at antiretroviral therapy (ART)–free remission will target individuals with a limited viral reservoir. We investigated factors associated with low reservoir measured as total human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in perinatal infection (PaHIV). Methods Children from 7 European centers in the Early Treated Perinatally HIV Infected Individuals: Improving Children’s Actual Life (EPIICAL) consortium who commenced ART aged 5 years were included. Total HIV-1 DNA was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction per million PBMCs. Factors associated with total HIV-1 DNA were analyzed using generalized additive models. Age, VL at ART initiation, and baseline CD4% effects were tested including smoothing splines to test nonlinear association. Results Forty PaHIV, 27 (67.5%) female 21 (52.5%) Black/Black African, had total HIV-1 DNA measured; median 12 (IQR, 7.3–15.4) years after ART initiation. Eleven had total HIV-1 DNA 6 logs. The effect of CD4% (coefficient = 0.03 ± 0.01, P = .049) was not maintained >40%. Conclusions In this PaHIV cohort, reduced total HIV-1 DNA levels were associated with younger age and lower VL at ART initiation. The impact of early-infant treatment on reservoir size persists after a decade of suppressive therapy

The Conners Continuous Performance Test CPT3 ™ : Is it a reliable marker to predict neurocognitive dysfunction in Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome?

The main objective is to delimit the cognitive dysfunction associated with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) in adult patients by applying the Continuous Performance Test (CPT3 ™). Additionally, provide empirical evidence on the usefulness of this computerized neuropsychological test to assess ME/CFS. The final sample (n = 225; 158 Patients/67 Healthy controls) were recruited in a Central Sensitization Syndromes (CSS) specialized unit in a tertiary hospital. All participants were administered this neuropsychological test. There were significant differences between ME/CFS and healthy controls in all the main measures of CPT3 ™. Mainly, patients had a worse indicator of inattentiveness, sustained attention, vigilance, impulsivity, slow reaction time, and more atypical T-scores, which is associated with a likelihood of having a disorder characterized by attention deficits, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In addition, relevant correlations were obtained between the CPT3 ™ variables in the patient's group. The most discriminative indicators of ME/CFS patients were Variability and Hit Reaction Time, both measures of response speed. The CPT3 ™ is a helpful tool to discriminate neurocognitive impairments from attention and response speed in ME/CFS patients, and it could be used as a marker of ME/CFS severity for diagnosing or monitoring this disease

Epidemiological and clinical features of Kawasaki disease in Spain over 5 years and risk factors for aneurysm development. (2011-2016): KAWA-RACE study group

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute self-limited systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology affecting mainly children less than 5 years of age. Risk factors for cardiac involvement and resistance to treatment are insufficiently studied in non-Japanese children. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology, clinical features and risk factors for resistance to treatment and coronary artery lesions (CAL) in KD in Spain. Methods: Retrospective study (May 2011-June 2016) of all patients less than 16 years of age diagnosed with KD included in KAWA-RACE network (84 Spanish hospitals). Results: A total of 625 cases were analyzed, 63% were males, 79% under 5 year-olds and 16.8% younger than 12 months. On echocardiographic examination CAL were the most frequent findings (23%) being ectasia the most common (12%). Coronary aneurysms were diagnosed in 9.6%, reaching 20% in infants under 12 months (p 900,000 cells/mm3, maximum temperature 10 days and fever before treatment ≥ 8 days as independent risk factors for developing coronary aneurysms. Conclusions: In our population, children under 12 months develop coronary aneurysms more frequently and children with KD with anemia and leukocytosis have high risk of cardiac involvement. Adding steroids early should be considered in those patients, especially if the treatment is not started before 8 days of fever. A score applicable to non-Japanese children able to predict the risk of aneurysm development and IVIG resistance is necessary

Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Confirmed and Negative Kawasaki Disease Patients During the Pandemic in Spain

Introduction: COVID-19 has a less severe course in children. In April 2020, some children presented with signs of multisystem inflammation with clinical signs overlapping with Kawasaki disease (KD), most of them requiring admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). This study aimed to describe the prevalence and clinical characteristics of KD SARS-CoV-2 confirmed and negative patients during the pandemic in Spain. Material and Methods: Medical data of KD patients from January 1, 2018 until May 30, 2020 was collected from the KAWA-RACE study group. We compared the KD cases diagnosed during the COVID-19 period (March 1-May 30, 2020) that were either SARS-CoV-2 confirmed (CoV+) or negative (CoV-) to those from the same period during 2018 and 2019 (PreCoV). Results: One hundred and twenty-four cases were collected. There was a significant increase in cases and PICU admissions in 2020 (P-trend = 0.001 and 0.0004, respectively). CoV+ patients were significantly older (7.5 vs. 2.5 yr) and mainly non-Caucasian (64 vs. 29%), had incomplete KD presentation (73 vs. 32%), lower leucocyte (9.5 vs. 15.5 × 109) and platelet count (174 vs. 423 × 109/L), higher inflammatory markers (C-Reactive Protein 18.5vs. 10.9 mg/dl) and terminal segment of the natriuretic atrial peptide (4,766 vs. 505 pg/ml), less aneurysm development (3.8 vs. 11.1%), and more myocardial dysfunction (30.8 vs. 1.6%) than PreCoV patients. Respiratory symptoms were not increased during the COVID-19 period. Conclusion: The KD CoV+ patients mostly meet pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19/multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children criteria. Whether this is a novel entity or the same disease on different ends of the spectrum is yet to be clarified

What remains of the future: sustainability through heritage

Coordinators : Felipe Criado Boado (INCIPIT, CSIC), Blanca Ramírez Barat (CENIM, CSIC).Heritage is increasingly being recognized as a key element for social cohesion, sustainable socioeconomic development and people’s welfare. Resources dedicated to heritage conservation have gone from being considered an expense to being regarded as an investment, with a high revenue. The heritage industry has been an active part of this transformations in recent decades, it has generated employment, contributed to the worldwide expansion of tourism and has become a coveted sign of identity for political communities. Today there is no social or political process that does not use heritage in some way. Hence the actuality of the subject, and the importance of an organization such as the CSIC having research capabilities in this field