Topography influence on horizontal distribution of ichthyoplankton in neritic and oceanic waters in the surroundings of Cape Palos - Hormigas Islands marine reserve (Murcia, southeast Spain)

The present study examines the relationships between the horizontal distribution of ichthyoplankton populations and submarine topography, in both neritic and oceanic waters of Cape Palos - Hormigas Islands Marine Reserve (southeast Spain). Larvae from self-spawners (Sardina pilchardus, Walbaum, 1792; Gobiidae and Sparidae) constituted the shallow community which dominated neritic waters, whereas larvae of Myctophidae (Benthosema glaciale, Reinhardt, 1837, and Lampanyctinae) constituted another community present over the slope and beyond it. Such distribution is strongly related to bathymetry and imitated adult distribution. Variations of this general model along the coast reflects variations in slope width. Ichthyoplancton distribution suggested the presence of a haline front in the zone, such as the one described in the Catalan and Balearic Seas, responsible for limited dispersal (coast-ocean) of larval fishes (Sabatés, 1990).El presente estudio muestra la relación existente entre la distribución horizontal de los poblamientos de ictioplancton y la topografía submarina, en aguas neríticas y oceánicas del entorno de la reserva marina de cabo de Palos - islas Hormigas. Las larvas de peces que frezan sobre la plataforma (Sardina pilchardus Walbaum, 1792; Gobiidae y Sparidae) dominaron las estaciones someras, mientras que las larvas de Myctophidae (Benthosema glaciale, Reinhardt, 1837 y Lampanyctinae) constituyeron un poblamiento que dominó las estaciones situadas sobre y por fuera del talud continental. Esta distribución horizontal de los poblamientos de ictioplancton determinada por la batimetría, refleja la distribución de los adultos. Por otro lado, las variaciones en la estructura de la comunidad de larvas a lo largo de la costa responden a cambios en la amplitud de la plataforma. A partir de la distribución observada en los dos poblamientos, se sugiere la presencia de un frente halino en la zona, que limita la dispersión de las larvas según un eje costa - mar abierto (Sabatés, 1990).Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Circulating carotenoids are associated with favorable lipid and fatty acid profiles in an older population at high cardiovascular risk

Carotenoid intake has been reported to be associated with improved cardiovascular health, but there is little information on actual plasma concentrations of these compounds as biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk. The objective was to investigate the association between circulating plasma carotenoids and different cardiometabolic risk factors and the plasma fatty acid profile. This is a cross-sectional evaluation of baseline data conducted in a subcohort (106 women and 124 men) of an ongoing multi-factorial lifestyle trial for primary cardiovascular prevention. Plasma concentrations of carotenoids were quantified by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The associations between carotenoid concentrations and cardiometabolic risk factors were assessed using regression models adapted for interval-censored variables. Carotenoid concentrations were cross-sectionally inversely associated with serum triglyceride concentrations [-2.79 mg/dl (95% CI: -4.25, -1.34) and -5.15 mg/dl (95% CI: -7.38, -2.93), p-values = 0.0002 and <0.00001 in women and men, respectively], lower levels of plasma saturated fatty acids [-0.09% (95% CI: -0.14, -0.03) and -0.15 % (95% CI: -0.23, -0.08), p-values = 0.001 and 0.0001 in women and men, respectively], and higher levels of plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids [(0.12 % (95% CI: -0.01, 0.25) and 0.39 % (95% CI: 0.19, 0.59), p-values = 0.065 and 0.0001 in women and men, respectively] in the whole population. Plasma carotenoid concentrations were also associated with higher plasma HDL-cholesterol in women [0.47 mg/dl (95% CI: 0.23, 0.72), p-value: 0.0002], and lower fasting plasma glucose in men [-1.35 mg/dl (95% CI: -2.12, -0.59), p-value: 0.001]. Keywords: Mediterranean diet; PREDIMED-plus study; cardiovascular health; liquid chromatography; mass spectrometry; plasma carotenoids

Cognitive functioning throughout adulthood and illness stages in individuals with psychotic disorders and their unaffected siblings

Important questions remain about the profile of cognitive impairment in psychotic disorders across adulthood and illness stages. The age-associated profile of familial impairments also remains unclear, as well as the effect of factors, such as symptoms, functioning, and medication. Using cross-sectional data from the EU-GEI and GROUP studies, comprising 8455 participants aged 18 to 65, we examined cognitive functioning across adulthood in patients with psychotic disorders (n = 2883), and their unaffected siblings (n = 2271), compared to controls (n = 3301). An abbreviated WAIS-III measured verbal knowledge, working memory, visuospatial processing, processing speed, and IQ. Patients showed medium to large deficits across all functions (ES range = –0.45 to –0.73, p < 0.001), while siblings showed small deficits on IQ, verbal knowledge, and working memory (ES = –0.14 to –0.33, p < 0.001). Magnitude of impairment was not associated with participant age, such that the size of impairment in older and younger patients did not significantly differ. However, first-episode patients performed worse than prodromal patients (ES range = –0.88 to –0.60, p < 0.001). Adjusting for cannabis use, symptom severity, and global functioning attenuated impairments in siblings, while deficits in patients remained statistically significant, albeit reduced by half (ES range = –0.13 to –0.38, p < 0.01). Antipsychotic medication also accounted for around half of the impairment in patients (ES range = –0.21 to –0.43, p < 0.01). Deficits in verbal knowledge, and working memory may specifically index familial, i.e., shared genetic and/or shared environmental, liability for psychotic disorders. Nevertheless, potentially modifiable illness-related factors account for a significant portion of the cognitive impairment in psychotic disorders

La Historia en la literatura española del siglo XIX

Editors literaris: José Manuel González Herrán, Marisa Sotelo Vázquez, Cristina Carbonell, Hazel Gold, Dolores Thion Soriano-Mollá, Blanca Ripoll Sintes i Jessica Cáliz MontesEste volumen recoge los frutos del VII Coloquio de la Sociedad de Literatura Española del Siglo XIX, celebrado en Barcelona entre el 22 y el 24 de octubre de 2014. El encuentro contó con una nutrida participación de especialistas procedentes de universidades españolas y de otros países europeos, norteamericanas y japonesas. Las cuarenta y siete ponencias se agrupan en seis secciones que abordan los diferentes aspectos de las relaciones entre la literatura y la historia desde el Romanticismo hasta el fin de siglo, así como la interacción de la historia con los distintos géneros literarios, especialmente la novela y el teatro, sin olvidar otras vertientes culturales como la prensa. Asimismo, se dedican sendas secciones monográficas a Benito Pérez Galdós y Emilia Pardo Bazán

The utility of Next Generation Sequencing for molecular diagnostics in Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome (RTT) is an early-onset neurodevelopmental disorder that almost exclusively affects girls and is totally disabling. Three genes have been identified that cause RTT: MECP2, CDKL5 and FOXG1. However, the etiology of some of RTT patients still remains unknown. Recently, next generation sequencing (NGS) has promoted genetic diagnoses because of the quickness and affordability of the method. To evaluate the usefulness of NGS in genetic diagnosis, we present the genetic study of RTT-like patients using different techniques based on this technology. We studied 1577 patients with RTT-like clinical diagnoses and reviewed patients who were previously studied and thought to have RTT genes by Sanger sequencing. Genetically, 477 of 1577 patients with a RTT-like suspicion have been diagnosed. Positive results were found in 30% by Sanger sequencing, 23% with a custom panel, 24% with a commercial panel and 32% with whole exome sequencing. A genetic study using NGS allows the study of a larger number of genes associated with RTT-like symptoms simultaneously, providing genetic study of a wider group of patients as well as significantly reducing the response time and cost of the study