Notes on Reproduction of the Cuban Lesser Racer, Caraiba andreae (Squamata: Dipsadidae)

The reproductive biology of the Cuban Lesser Racer (Caraiba andreae) is very poorly known, despite the species being among the most common and widely distributed snakes in Cuba. Herein we provide data obtained mostly in captivity on eggs and hatchlings, incubation time, hatching behavior, and courtship behavior

Patrimonio geopaleontológico de los depósitos aluviales situados sobre la terraza +28 m del Jarama. Nuevos datos micropaleontológicos y cronológicos (Solar de la Real Fábrica de Paños de San Fernando de Henares)

Trabajo presentado en la Reunión de Arqueología Madrileña, celebrada en Alcalá de Henares el 20 y 21 de noviembre de 2014.[ES] Durante los trabajos de vigilancia de los movimientos de tierras asociados a la obra de la construcción de viviendas en el solar de la Real Fábrica de Paños (en adelante RFP) de San Fernando de Henares se documentaron materiales geológicos de edad miocena y cuaternaria con un contacto lateral dinámico entre ellos, constituido por una falla extensional de dirección norte-sur. En los niveles cuaternarios se registraron numerosos restos paleontológicos y algunas piezas de industria lítica. Según los estudios preliminares geomorfológicos y de macromamíferos (Tapias y Arango 2008; Yravedra et al. 2008; Dones et al. 2011) se asignó una cronología genérica de Pleistoceno Medio, confirmada por la datación obtenida por racemización de aminoácidos de un molar de Equus caballus (304 ka). En este trabajo se aportan nuevos datos a partir de la revisión y estudio de los restos de micromamíferos recuperados en la unidad 3. La presencia de Microtus brecciensis y M. arvalis en la base de los depósitos aluviales posibilita su adscripción cronológica al Pleistoceno Medio avanzado (MIS 8 o MIS 6).[EN] During the monitoring of the movements of land associated with the work of the construction of homes in the Solar of the Royal Factory of Cloths of San Fernando de Henares, some geological materials of Miocene and Quaternary age were documented. Numerous paleontological remains and some stone tools have been registered in these quaternary levels. According to geomorphological preliminary studies and macromammals (Tapias y Arango 2008; Yravedra et al. 2008; Dones et al. 2011) a generic Middle Pleistocene chronology was assigned. This was confirmed by the aminoacids racemization dating of Equus caballus molar (304 ka) This paper provides new data of the remains of micromammals recovered. The faunal assemblage, with Microtus brecciensis and M arvalis found at the base of the alluvial deposits, has allowed reviewing previous studies. It could be more specific on the geochronological and paleoenviromental contextualization of remains and materials that could be assigned to advanced Middle Pleistocene (MIS 8 or MIS 6).Peer reviewe

Ambition meets reality:Achieving GHG emission reduction targets in the livestock sector of Latin America

Livestock production is a very relevant source of income and agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Mexico, and Peru. Several management and technological options with enteric methane mitigation potential have been evaluated and their scaling is anticipated to contribute toward achieving GHG emission reduction targets in the framework of the Paris Agreement. Yet, widespread adoption of promising mitigation options remains limited, raising questions as to whether envisaged emission reduction targets are achievable. Using findings from local studies, we explore the mitigation potentials of technologies and management practices currently proposed to mitigate enteric methane emissions from cattle production systems in the higher emitting countries of Latin America. We then discuss barriers for adopting innovations that significantly reduce cattle-based enteric methane emissions and the major shifts in policy and practice that are needed to raise national ambitions in the high emitting countries. Using the latest science and current thinking, we provide our perspective on an inclusive approach and re-imagine how the academic, research, business and public policy sectors can support and incentivize the changes needed to raise the level of ambition and achieve sustainable development goals (SDG), considering actions from the farm to the national scale

The role of premorbid iq and age of onset as useful predictors of clinical, functional outcomes, and recovery of individuals with a first episode of psychosis

Background: premorbid IQ (pIQ) and age of onset are predictors of clinical severity and long-term functioning after a first episode of psychosis. However, the additive influence of these variables on clinical, functional, and recovery rates outcomes is largely unknown. Methods: we characterized 255 individuals who have experienced a first episode of psychosis in four a priori defined subgroups based on pIQ (low pIQ < 85; average pIQ = 85) and age of onset (early onset < 18 years; adult onset = 18 years). We conducted clinical and functional assessments at baseline and at two-year follow-up. We calculated symptom remission and recovery rates using the Positive and Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia Schedule (PANSS) and the Global Assessment Functioning (GAF or Children-GAF). We examined clinical and functional changes with pair-wise comparisons and two-way mixed ANOVA. We built hierarchical lineal and logistic regression models to estimate the predictive value of the independent variables over functioning or recovery rates. Results: early-onset patients had more severe positive symptoms and poorer functioning than adult-onset pa-tients. At two-year follow-up, only early-onset with low pIQ and adult-onset with average pIQ subgroups differed consistently, with the former having more negative symptoms (d = 0.59), poorer functioning (d = 0.82), lower remission (61% vs. 81.1%), and clinical recovery (34.1% vs. 62.2%). Con-clusions: early-onset individuals with low pIQ may present persistent negative symptoms, lower functioning, and less recovery likelihood at two-year follow-up. Intensive cognitive and functional programs for these individuals merit testing to improve long-term recovery rates in this subgroup. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Prognostic Role of 14F7 Mab Immunoreactivity against N-Glycolyl GM3 Ganglioside in Colon Cancer

Purpose. To assess the prognostic role of 14F7 Mab immunoreactivity, against N-Glycolyl GM3 ganglioside, in patients with colon cancer (CC) and to evaluate the relationship between its expression and clinicopathological features. Methods. Paraffin-embedded specimens were retrospectively collected from 50 patients with CC operated between 2004 and 2008. 14F7 Mab staining was determined by immunohistochemistry technique and its relation with survival and clinicopathologic features was evaluated. Results. The reactivity of 14F7 Mab was detected in all cases. Most cases had high level of immunostaining (70%) that showed statistical correlation with TNM stage (P=0.025). In univariate survival analysis, level of 14F7 Mab immunoreactivity (P=0.0078), TNM Stage (P=0.0007) and lymphovascular invasion (0.027) were significant prognostic factors for overall survival. Among these variables, level of 14F7 Mab immunoreactivity  (HR=0.268; 95%  CI  0.078–0.920; P=0.036) and TNM stage (HR=0.249; 95%  CI   0.066–0.932; P=0.039) were independent prognostic factors on multivariate analysis. Conclusions. This study is the first approach on the prognostic significance of 14F7 Mab immunoreactivity in patients with colon adenocarcinoma and this assessment might be used in the prognostic estimate of CC, although further studies will be required to validate these findings

The Role of Premorbid IQ and Age of Onset as Useful Predictors of Clinical, Functional Outcomes, and Recovery of Individuals with a First Episode of Psychosis

Background: premorbid IQ (pIQ) and age of onset are predictors of clinical severity and long-term functioning after a first episode of psychosis. However, the additive influence of these variables on clinical, functional, and recovery rates outcomes is largely unknown. Methods: we characterized 255 individuals who have experienced a first episode of psychosis in four a priori defined subgroups based on pIQ (low pIQ < 85; average pIQ ≥ 85) and age of onset (early onset < 18 years; adult onset ≥ 18 years). We conducted clinical and functional assessments at baseline and at two-year follow-up. We calculated symptom remission and recovery rates using the Positive and Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia Schedule (PANSS) and the Global Assessment Functioning (GAF or Children-GAF). We examined clinical and functional changes with pair-wise comparisons and two-way mixed ANOVA. We built hierarchical lineal and logistic regression models to estimate the predictive value of the independent variables over functioning or recovery rates. Results: early-onset patients had more severe positive symptoms and poorer functioning than adult-onset patients. At two-year follow-up, only early-onset with low pIQ and adult-onset with average pIQ subgroups differed consistently, with the former having more negative symptoms (d = 0.59), poorer functioning (d = 0.82), lower remission (61% vs. 81.1%), and clinical recovery (34.1% vs. 62.2%). Conclusions: early-onset individuals with low pIQ may present persistent negative symptoms, lower functioning, and less recovery likelihood at two-year follow-up. Intensive cognitive and functional programs for these individuals merit testing to improve long-term recovery rates in this subgroup

The Role of Premorbid IQ and Age of Onset as Useful Predictors of Clinical, Functional Outcomes, and Recovery of Individuals with a First Episode of Psychosis

Background: premorbid IQ (pIQ) and age of onset are predictors of clinical severity and long-term functioning after a first episode of psychosis. However, the additive influence of these variables on clinical, functional, and recovery rates outcomes is largely unknown. Methods: we characterized 255 individuals who have experienced a first episode of psychosis in four a priori defined subgroups based on pIQ (low pIQ < 85; average pIQ ≥ 85) and age of onset (early onset < 18 years; adult onset ≥ 18 years). We conducted clinical and functional assessments at baseline and at two-year follow-up. We calculated symptom remission and recovery rates using the Positive and Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia Schedule (PANSS) and the Global Assessment Functioning (GAF or Children-GAF). We examined clinical and functional changes with pair-wise comparisons and two-way mixed ANOVA. We built hierarchical lineal and logistic regression models to estimate the predictive value of the independent variables over functioning or recovery rates. Results: early-onset patients had more severe positive symptoms and poorer functioning than adult-onset patients. At two-year follow-up, only early-onset with low pIQ and adult-onset with average pIQ subgroups differed consistently, with the former having more negative symptoms (d = 0.59), poorer functioning (d = 0.82), lower remission (61% vs. 81.1%), and clinical recovery (34.1% vs. 62.2%). Conclusions: early-onset individuals with low pIQ may present persistent negative symptoms, lower functioning, and less recovery likelihood at two-year follow-up. Intensive cognitive and functional programs for these individuals merit testing to improve long-term recovery rates in this subgroup

How does neighbourhood socio-economic status affect the interrelationships between functioning dimensions in first episode of psychosis? A network analysis approach

The links between psychosis and socio-economic disadvantage have been widely studied. No previous study has analysed the interrelationships and mutual influences between functioning dimensions in first episode of psychosis (FEP) according to their neighbourhood household income, using a multidimensional and transdiagnostic perspective. 170 patients and 129 controls, participants in an observational study (AGES-CM), comprised the study sample. The WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) was used to assess functioning, whereas participants' postcodes were used to obtain the average household income for each neighbourhood, collected by the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE). Network analyses were conducted with the aim of defining the interrelationships between the different dimensions of functioning according to the neighbourhood household income. Our results show that lower neighbourhood socioeconomic level is associated with lower functioning in patients with FEP. Moreover, our findings suggest that “household responsibilities” plays a central role in the disability of patients who live in low-income neighbourhoods, whereas “dealing with strangers” is the most important node in the network of patients who live in high-income neighbourhoods. These results could help to personalize treatments, by allowing the identification of potential functioning areas to be prioritized in the treatment of FEP according to the patient's neighbourhood characteristic

Opposite cannabis-cognition associations in psychotic patients depending on family history

The objective of this study is to investigate cognitive performance in a first-episode psychosis sample, when stratifying the interaction by cannabis use and familial or non-familial psychosis. Hierarchical-regression models were used to analyse this association in a sample of 268 first-episode psychosis patients and 237 controls. We found that cannabis use was associated with worse working memory, regardless of family history. However, cannabis use was clearly associated with worse cognitive performance in patients with no family history of psychosis, in cognitive domains including verbal memory, executive function and global cognitive index, whereas cannabis users with a family history of psychosis performed better in these domains. The main finding of the study is that there is an interaction between cannabis use and a family history of psychosis in the areas of verbal memory, executive function and global cognition: that is, cannabis use is associated with a better performance in patients with a family history of psychosis and a worse performance in those with no family history of psychosis. In order to confirm this hypothesis, future research should explore the actual expression of the endocannabinoid system in patients with and without a family history of psychosis

Strategies to achieve the GHG Mitigation Goals of the livestock sector in Latin America

Livestock production is a fundamental source of income and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Latin American countries. 20 percent of the region's emissions come from agriculture, 70 percent of which comes from livestock. There are several management and technology options with enteric methane mitigation potential that have been evaluated and their scale is expected to contribute to achieving the GHG emission reduction targets under the Paris Agreement. These technologies include management of the animal diet, reproductive control, administration of supplements, and reduction of the age at slaughter, among others. However, widespread adoption of promising mitigation options remains limited, raising questions about whether the planned emission reduction targets are achievable. Using the results of local studies, we have explored the mitigation potentials of currently proposed management technologies and practices to mitigate enteric methane emissions from livestock production systems in Latin American countries with the highest emissions. We then discuss the barriers to adopting innovations that significantly reduce enteric methane emissions from livestock and the main changes in policies and practices necessary to raise national ambitions in high-emission countries. Drawing on today's latest science and thought, we take our perspective to an inclusive approach and reimagine how the academic, research, business and public policy sectors can support and incentivize the changes necessary to raise the level of ambition and achieve goals of sustainable development, taking into account actions from the farm to the national scale. Some improvements identified and that need to be made are improving access to information through effective technology transfer plans, access to financial products by small producers, and establishing seed multiplication systems for fodder materials