A multidisciplinary approach to identify priority areas for the monitoring of a vulnerable family of fishes in Spanish Marine National Parks

Background Syngnathid fishes (Actinopterygii, Syngnathidae) are flagship species strongly associated with seaweed and seagrass habitats. Seahorses and pipefishes are highly vulnerable to anthropogenic and environmental disturbances, but most species are currently Data Deficient according to the IUCN (2019), requiring more biological and ecological research. This study provides the first insights into syngnathid populations in the two marine Spanish National Parks (PNIA—Atlantic- and PNAC—Mediterranean). Fishes were collected periodically, marked, morphologically identified, analysed for size, weight, sex and sexual maturity, and sampled for stable isotope and genetic identification. Due the scarcity of previous information, habitat characteristics were also assessed in PNIA. Results Syngnathid diversity and abundance were low, with two species identified in PNIA (Hippocampus guttulatus and Syngnathus acus) and four in PNAC (S. abaster, S. acus, S. typhle and Nerophis maculatus). Syngnathids from both National Parks (NP) differed isotopically, with much lower δ15N in PNAC than in PNIA. The dominant species were S. abaster in PNAC and S. acus in PNIA. Syngnathids preferred less exposed sites in macroalgal assemblages in PNIA and Cymodocea meadows in PNAC. The occurrence of very large specimens, the absence of small-medium sizes and the isotopic comparison with a nearby population suggest that the population of Syngnathus acus (the dominant syngnathid in PNIA) mainly comprised breeders that migrate seasonally. Mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence variants were detected for H. guttulatus, S. acus, and S. abaster, and a novel 16S rDNA haplotype was obtained in N. maculatus. Our data suggest the presence of a cryptic divergent mitochondrial lineage of Syngnathus abaster species in PNAC. Conclusions This is the first multidisciplinary approach to the study of syngnathids in Spanish marine NPs. Habitat preferences and population characteristics in both NPs differed. Further studies are needed to assess the occurrence of a species complex for S. abaster, discarding potential misidentifications of genus Syngnathus in PNAC, and evaluate migratory events in PNIA. We propose several preferential sites in both NPs for future monitoring of syngnathid populations and some recommendations for their conservation.Postprin

Complement component C4 structural variation and quantitative traits contribute to sex-biased vulnerability in systemic sclerosis

Altres ajuts: Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), "A way of making Europe".Copy number (CN) polymorphisms of complement C4 play distinct roles in many conditions, including immune-mediated diseases. We investigated the association of C4 CN with systemic sclerosis (SSc) risk. Imputed total C4, C4A, C4B, and HERV-K CN were analyzed in 26,633 individuals and validated in an independent cohort. Our results showed that higher C4 CN confers protection to SSc, and deviations from CN parity of C4A and C4B augmented risk. The protection contributed per copy of C4A and C4B differed by sex. Stronger protection was afforded by C4A in men and by C4B in women. C4 CN correlated well with its gene expression and serum protein levels, and less C4 was detected for both in SSc patients. Conditioned analysis suggests that C4 genetics strongly contributes to the SSc association within the major histocompatibility complex locus and highlights classical alleles and amino acid variants of HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DPB1 as C4-independent signals

Dietary α‐Linolenic Acid, Marine ω‐3 Fatty Acids, and Mortality in a Population With High Fish Consumption: Findings From the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) Study

Background: Epidemiological evidence suggests a cardioprotective role of α‐linolenic acid (ALA), a plant‐derived ω‐3 fatty acid. It is unclear whether ALA is beneficial in a background of high marine ω‐3 fatty acids (long‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) intake. In persons at high cardiovascular risk from Spain, a country in which fish consumption is customarily high, we investigated whether meeting the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids recommendation for dietary ALA (0.7% of total energy) at baseline was related to all‐cause and cardiovascular disease mortality. We also examined the effect of meeting the society's recommendation for long‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (≥500 mg/day). Methods and Results: We longitudinally evaluated 7202 participants in the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) trial. Multivariable‐adjusted Cox regression models were fitted to estimate hazard ratios. ALA intake correlated to walnut consumption (r=0.94). During a 5.9‐y follow‐up, 431 deaths occurred (104 cardiovascular disease, 55 coronary heart disease, 32 sudden cardiac death, 25 stroke). The hazard ratios for meeting ALA recommendation (n=1615, 22.4%) were 0.72 (95% CI 0.56–0.92) for all‐cause mortality and 0.95 (95% CI 0.58–1.57) for fatal cardiovascular disease. The hazard ratios for meeting the recommendation for long‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n=5452, 75.7%) were 0.84 (95% CI 0.67–1.05) for all‐cause mortality, 0.61 (95% CI 0.39–0.96) for fatal cardiovascular disease, 0.54 (95% CI 0.29–0.99) for fatal coronary heart disease, and 0.49 (95% CI 0.22–1.01) for sudden cardiac death. The highest reduction in all‐cause mortality occurred in participants meeting both recommendations (hazard ratio 0.63 [95% CI 0.45–0.87]). Conclusions: In participants without prior cardiovascular disease and high fish consumption, dietary ALA, supplied mainly by walnuts and olive oil, relates inversely to all‐cause mortality, whereas protection from cardiac mortality is limited to fish‐derived long‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.Controlled-trials.com/. Unique identifier: ISRCTN35739639

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

The use of commercial grape tannins can increase the 3-mercaptohexanol precursors in juice and affect the tropical fruity characteristics of wine

The so-called varietal thiol precursors 3-S-cysteinyl- and 3-S-glutathionyl-hexan-1-ol (Cys-3MH and GSH-3MH, respectively) were recently found for the first time in some commercial grape tannins (Larcher et al. 2013). The capacity of these additives or clarifying agents for increasing the thiol aroma of wine has been observed in lab scale (Larcher et al. 2014). In this paper we give further evidence of the possibility of enhancing the tropical and grapefruit¬-like aroma as well as the pleasantness of Aromatic Traminer (TR) and Sauvignon Blanc (SB) wines produced in semi-industrial scale. SB (n=3) and TR (n=3) juices were spiked with a grape tannin (500 mg/L) rich of precursors (Cys-3MH, 125 mg/kg; GSH-3MH, 162 mg/kg), and fermented in comparison with the same juices spiked with a grape tannin (500 mg/L) poor of precursors (Cys-3MH, 0.1 mg/kg; GSH-3MH, 0.3 mg/kg) and with control juices where no tannins were added. Fermentations were carried out at 18-20°C by 2 yeast strains (Vin13 and VL3, 300 mg/L) having lyase activity on the thiol precursors. Argon blanketing was used after inoculum at any winemaking step to prevent oxidation. Sensory analysis was performed by minimum 17 expert judges. The orthonasal olfaction of the sulfited, devatted and cold stabilised wines proved that only the addition of the tannin rich of thiol precursors significantly (p<0.05) increases - both in SB and in TR - the perception of a tropical, grapefruit-like aroma as a consequence of the release of 3-mercaptohexanol and the possible formation of its acetate. This "new" aroma did not penalize the pleasantness and typicality of TR wine aroma. When added at the end of fermentation, the rich tannin was ineffective. No differences were olfactorily perceived between yeast strains as regarded the thiol related arom

The impact of some clarifying agents on the precursors of the varietal thiols in juice

3-S-cysteinyl hexan-1-ol (Cys-3MH), 3-S-glutathionyl hexan-1-ol (GSH-3MH) and 4-S-cysteinyl-4-methylpentan-2-one (Cys-4MMP) are precursors of the so-called varietal thiols responsible for the tropical fruity notes produced during fermentation by some yeast strains having lyase activity. A very important step for saving/producing a remarkable level of precursors are grape and juice processing conditions (Larcher et al. 2013). In regards to this, the effects of the main clarifying agents on the content of the quoted precursors are not known up to day. For this reason, 19 juices were produced by direct pressing of white and red grapes according to protocols and with supplements (grape tannin having 224.2 mg/kg GSH-3MH and 25.5 mg/kg Cys-3MH) useful to reach in juice a remarkable level of precursors. These spiked juices, previously cold stabilised and with NTU <20, were treated with high doses (100 g /hL) of bentonite or PVPP or charcoal and cold settled (4°C x 48h), and compared with not spiked juices. Precursors were analysed in the juices using a UHPLC-MS/MS; accurate quantification was guaranteed by deuterated internal standards. Only charcoal caused statistically significant depletion; nevertheless, the changes in percentage terms were limited even with the high dose applied, being roughly 20% for GSH-3MH and 10% for Cys-3MH. No significant differences were found for Cys-4MMP, with a mean depletion due to the clarifying agents < 2% compared to the control treatmen

Inesperada riqueza de precursores de tioles polifuncionales en hollejos de Gewürztraminer

Se ha estudiado la concentración de precursores S-glutationilados y S-cisteinilados del 3- mercaphexan-1-ol (GSH-3MH y Cys-3MH respecivamente) en jugos y hollejos obtenidos en diferentes centros de producción vitivinicola a lo largo de toda la geografia trentina (Noreste de Italia). Diversas decenas de hollejos y mostos de las variedades Gewürztraminer (GWT) y Sauvignon Blanc (SB) fueron muestreados a madurez industrial durante la vendimia 2013. El análisis de los precursores evidencia cómo en los mostos, el contenido molar de GSH-3MH por unidad de masa fresca es superior al de Cys-3MH, mientras que es inferior en los hollejos. A madurez tecnológica equivalente, las muestras de hollejos de GWT presentan concentraciones medias de ambos precursores superiores respecto a las de SB, si bien la cantidad de éstos precursores es menor en los mostos de GWT. Los resultados obtenidos representan un primer acercamiento al estudio del potencial aromático “tropical” en uvas de GWT del Trentino, característico de los tioles polifuncionales liberados durante la fermentación alcohólica a partir de sus precursors no volátiles; los datos sugieren además cómo la adopción de adecuadas tecnicas enológicas pueda aumentar la complejidad aromática del GWT y la tipicidad de los vinos resultantes. Sugieren además que algunos pasajes de la producción del más tradicional de los destilados italianos, la grappa, puedan ser replanteado

Importance of polyfunctional thiols on semi-industrial Gew\uc3\ubcrztraminer wines and the correlation to technological treatments

Thiol compounds responsible for tropical fruit associated aroma have been extensively studied over the last 20 years. The occurrence of their non-aromatic precursors in grapes and musts is reported largely mainly for the cultivar Sauvignon Blanc. The presence of these thiols as precursors or free molecules in grape, juice, and wine has been reported in several different varieties, suggesting that they are more or less ubiquitous both for Vitis spp. and interspecific hybrids. The biosynthetic pathways resulting in these compounds are yet to be completely elucidated, but, in the meantime, industry needs to improve technological knowledge to better manage winemaking steps to enhance the variety-dependent aroma of wine. In this work, we studied the implications of the use of grape skin tannins\u2014rich and poor in thiol precursors\u2014 on the final content of 3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol (3MH) and its acetate (3MHA) in wine and the effect in terms of sensory appreciability. The evaluation of 36 vinifications carried out in a semi-industrial scale permitted us to prove that only a tannin originally rich in precursors (High), when added to juice at the beginning of fermentation, enhanced both the concentration of precursors in the juice and the final concentration of aromatic thiols in the resultant wine. The 3MH and 3MHA developed as a consequence of the juice supplementation with tannin High and increased pleasantness and typicality of Gew\ufcrztraminer wines. A later supplementation with tannin High at the end of the alcoholic fermentation was sensorially not effective