New Tools for Embryo Selection: Comprehensive Chromosome Screening by Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization

The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of comprehensive chromosome screening (CCS) using array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH). The study included 1420 CCS cycles for recurrent miscarriage (n = 203); repetitive implantation failure (n = 188); severe male factor (n = 116); previous trisomic pregnancy (n = 33); and advanced maternal age (n = 880). CCS was performed in cycles with fresh oocytes and embryos (n = 774); mixed cycles with fresh and vitrified oocytes (n = 320); mixed cycles with fresh and vitrified day-2 embryos (n = 235); and mixed cycles with fresh and vitrified day-3 embryos (n = 91). Day-3 embryo biopsy was performed and analyzed by aCGH followed by day-5 embryo transfer. Consistent implantation (range: 40.5–54.2%) and pregnancy rates per transfer (range: 46.0–62.9%) were obtained for all the indications and independently of the origin of the oocytes or embryos. However, a lower delivery rate per cycle was achieved in women aged over 40 years (18.1%) due to the higher percentage of aneuploid embryos (85.3%) and lower number of cycles with at least one euploid embryo available per transfer (40.3%). We concluded that aneuploidy is one of the major factors which affect embryo implantation

MEDIDAS PARA LA CONSERVACIÓN DE LA BIODIVERSIDAD DE LOS POLINIZADORES SILVESTRES EN LA PENÍNSULA IBÉRICA

Los científicos y científicas abajo firmantes consideramos muy importante hacer llegar a instituciones, agricultores/as y a la sociedad en general, la necesidad urgente de implementar conjuntamente medidas y cambios que consigan frenar el declive de los polinizadores silvestres ocasionado por la actividad humana. Durante la última década, son múltiples los estudios que alertan de la creciente desaparición de los polinizadores por todo el mundo, en concreto de las abejas silvestres, (Biesmeijer et al. 2006; Potts et al. 2010; Burkle et al. 2013), y de las graves consecuencias que su déficit podría provocar sobre la biodiversidad global (Biesmeijer et al. 2006; Burkle et al. 2013; Lundgren et al. 2016) y sobre la producción agrícola (Aizen y Harder 2009; Garibaldi et al. 2013). No debemos olvidar que la península Ibérica es, por su condición mediterránea y su proximidad al continente africano, uno de los lugares con mayor diversidad de polinizadores de la Unión Europea y, en concreto, una de las zonas con mayor diversidad de abejas del mundo (Michener 2007; Nieto et al. 2014). Hasta el momento, el número de especies de abejas en España presentes en la zona íbero-balear es algo superior a 1.100, cifra a la que cabe añadir algunas especies exclusivas de Portugal más los nuevos hallazgos de los últimos años (Ortiz-Sánchez 2011). Esta gran diversidad de abejas y polinizadores en general está asociada al gran número de especies de plantas con flor presentes en la península Ibérica, alrededor de las 7.000 especies (Aguado Martín et al. 2015). En cuanto al número de mariposas y polillas (lepidópteros) se estima que existen en la península Ibérica unas 5.000 especies (Stefanescu et al. 2018). Más difícil es estimar el número exacto de especies de escarabajos florícolas (coleópteros polinizadores), pero atendiendo a la riqueza de los principales géneros podemos estimar su número en más de 750 (Stefanescu et al. 2018). Somos conscientes de que, a pesar del desarrollo explosivo de los últimos 10 años de la investigación en ecología y gestión de la polinización de los cultivos por insectos silvestres, hoy en día son numerosas las lagunas de conocimiento básico y aplicado sobre el estado de conservación de los insectos polinizadores silvestres. Y es, bajo esta premisa, que presentamos este trabajo de revisión de la literatura científica sobre insectos polinizadores desde principios del siglo XX hasta ahora, cuyo resultado ha quedado plasmado en una lista, no exhaustiva, de los aspectos que consideramos fundamentales para el desarrollo y debate de esta relevante cuestió

Fifth European Dirofilaria and Angiostrongylus Days (FiEDAD) 2016

Peer reviewe

Los contratos sobre el buque en Derecho Español. Análisis práctico

Prólogo / José Luis Gabaldón García (pp. 9-13). -- Introducción (pp. 15-18). -- El contrato de construcción naval: aspectos prácticos / Gonzalo Alvar Ezquerra (pp. 19-37). -- El contrato de compraventa / Carlos López-Quiroga, Luz Martínez de Azcoitia y José Sánchez-Fayos Martín-Peña (pp. 39-58). -- El contrato de arrendamiento de buque / Rodolfo González Lebrero (pp. 59-75). -- El contrato de fletamento por tiempo / José María Alcántara González (pp. 77-102). -- El contrato de fletamento por viaje: contenido obligacional / Juan Pablo Rodríguez Delgado (pp. 103-144). -- El contrato de transporte marítimo en régimen de conocimiento de embarque / Javier del Corte (pp. 145-186). -- Los documentos de transporte / Carlos Llorente (pp. 187-205). -- Contratos de utilización del buque para fines distintos del transporte de mercancías / José Manuel G. Pellicer (pp. 207-221). -- El contrato de arrendamiento náutico / León von Ondarza (pp. 223-244). -- El contrato de pasaje marítimo / Hannah de Bustos, Antonio Quirós de Sas y Julio López Quiroga (pp. 245-260). -- Los contratos de gestión naval para la dotación del buque / Bernardo Ruiz Lima (pp. 261-279). -- El contrato de gestión naval / Víctor Mata Garrido (pp. 281-302). -- El contrato de consignación de buques /Jesús Barbadillo Eyzaguirre (pp. 303-323). -- El contrato de manipulación portuaria / Carlos Pérez (pp. 325-338). -- El contrato de practicaje / Alicia Velasco Nates (pp. 339-356). -- Los contratos de mediación en la explotación del buque / Carmen Codes Cid y Martín Prieto Sulleiro (pp. 357-372). -- El contrato de remolque / Ana Sánchez Horneros (pp. 373- 392). -- El contrato de remolque / Jaime de Castro (pp. 393-412). -- El contrato de salvamento / Luis Souto (pp. 413-430). -- El contrato de remoción de restos / Verónica Meana (pp. 431-446). -- El contrato de clasificación del buque / Jaime Rodrigo de Larrucea (pp. 447-463). -- El seguro de casco y máquina / Carlos Cerdá Donat y Diego de San Simón Palacios (pp. 465-491). -- Los clubes de protección e indemnización (P&I) / Miguel Caballero (pp. 493-504). -- El seguro de protección e indemnización (P&I) / Jaime Albors (pp. 505-524). -- El seguro del acreedor hipotecario / Luis F. Gómez de Mariaca Fernández (pp. 525-540)

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac Toxin-Binding and Pore-Forming Activity in Brush Border Membrane Vesicles Prepared from Anterior and Posterior Midgut Regions of Lepidopteran Larvae▿

It is generally accepted that Bacillus thuringiensis Cry toxins insert into the apical membrane of the larval midgut after binding to specific receptors, and there is evidence that the distribution of binding molecules along the midgut is not uniform. By use of the voltage-sensitive dye DiSC3(5) and 125I-labeled Cry1Ac, we have measured the effect of Cry1Ac in terms of permeabilization capacity and of binding parameters on brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) prepared from the anterior and the posterior regions of the larval midgut from two insect species, Manduca sexta and Helicoverpa armigera. The permeabilizing activity was significantly higher with BBMV from the posterior region than with the one observed in the anterior region in both insect species. Instead, 125I-Cry1Ac bound specifically to BBMV from the two midgut regions, with no significant differences in the binding parameters between the anterior and posterior regions within an insect species. N-acetylgalactosamine inhibition patterns on pore formation and binding differed between anterior and posterior midgut regions and between species, providing evidence of a multifaceted involvement of the sugar in the Cry1Ac mode of action. The analysis of binding and pore formation in different midgut regions could be an effective method to study differences in the mode of action of Cry1Ac toxin in different species

Identification of Dirofilaria immitis immunoreactive proteins recognized by sera from infected cats using two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry

9 páginas, 2 figuras, 1 tablaThe aim of the present work was to identify proteins of Dirofilaria immitis recognized by the immune system of naturally and experimentally infected cats, using two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Thirty-five immunoreactive proteins of D. immitis were identified. These proteins are involved in metabolism, plasminogen binding, anti-oxidant and detoxificant activity, up-regulation of the Th2 anti-inflammatory response and other processes. The timing evolution of this recognition pattern indicated that at 2 months post-infection a wide recognition of many parasite proteins belonging to many functional groups is still observed, increasing progressively during the course of the infection. The real effect on the vital capacity of D. immitis worms and on the development of pathological events of feline dirofilariosis will be investigated in the future.This research was supported by Agencia de Desarrollo Económico de Castilla y León (grant SA090/A09), Spain.Peer reviewe

Las técnicas de Proteómica aplicadas al estudio de las relaciones parásito/hospedador en la dilofilariosis animal y humana

Comunicaciones a congreso

Cross-resistance and mechanism of resistance to Cry1Ab toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis in a field-derived strain of European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis

The cross-resistance spectrum and biochemical mechanism of resistance to the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab toxin was studied in a field-derived strain of Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) that was further selected in the laboratory for high levels (>1000-fold) of resistance to Cry1Ab. The resistant strain exhibited high levels of cross-resistance to Cry1Ac and Cry1Aa but only low levels of crossresistance (<4-fold) to Cry1F. In addition, there was no significant difference between the levels of resistance to full-length and trypsin-activated Cry1Ab protein. No differences in activity of luminal gut proteases or altered proteolytic processing of the toxin were observed in the resistant strain. Significantly reduced binding of radiolabeled Cry1Aa was observed in the resistant strain whereas binding of Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac was practically the same in both resistant and susceptible strains. The interpretation of the overall data seems to suggest the involvement of an alteration in the binding of Cry1A toxins to a common receptor, which is more clearly revealed by the binding assays using radiolabeled Cry1Aa