Air quality assessment in biosphere reserves close to emission sources. The case of the Spanish "Tablas de Daimiel" national park.

This work shows that biosphere reserves, national parks and other protected natural areas require in situ tools to monitor and detect local and remote air pollution sources which are a threat to flora, fauna water and soil. Industries in surrounding areas, traffic and long-range transport of air pollution, can change with time and meteorology and so each national park should also have a historical database of the air quality in the site. This study reports surface measurements of ozone, NO, NO2, CO, SO2 and PM2.5 acquired from March 2020 to July 2021 in "Las Tablas de Daimiel", a wetland Mediterranean National Park bordered by different cities and new industries in the field of the revalorization of agricultural wastes. Simultaneous data from a background station in a rural area isolated from air pollution are considered as reference. Twelve campaigns of one week duration were also performed to sample air in sorbent tubes to analyse volatile organic compounds from anthropogenic sources. Data are discussed considering meteorology, especially wind speed and direction together with the assessment of back-trajectories of air masses from distant sources. The results show that the effects of pollution from local and faraway sources on air quality in the park were weak. Thus, except for the high levels of ozone, with a mean value of 71 µg.m-3, measured mass loadings for pollutants were low and not in exceedance of the air quality standards. Saharan dust events were frequent and contributed to PM2.5 levels in the site. NOx and SO2 average concentrations (3.2 and 0.4 µg.m-3, respectively) were below the recommended critical levels for vegetation and all the quantified VOCs were found in average concentration levels below 0.5 µg.m-3.

Activating stress memory: eustressors as potential tools for plant breeding.

Plants are continuously exposed to stress conditions, such that they have developed sophisticated and elegant survival strategies, which are reflected in their phenotypic plasticity, priming capacity, and memory acquisition. Epigenetic mechanisms play a critical role in modulating gene expression and stress responses, allowing malleability, reversibility, stability, and heritability of favourable phenotypes to enhance plant performance. Considering the urgency to improve our agricultural system because of going impacting climate change, potential and sustainable strategies rely on the controlled use of eustressors, enhancing desired characteristics and yield and shaping stress tolerance in crops. However, for plant breeding purposes is necessary to focus on the use of eustressors capable of establishing stable epigenetic marks to generate a transgenerational memory to stimulate a priming state in plants to face the changing environment.

Potential application of yeasts from Ecuadorian chichas in controlled beer and chicha production.

The potential of yeasts isolated from traditional chichas as starter cultures, either for controlled production of the native beverage or for industrial beer production, has been investigated. Three S. cerevisiae strains and one T. delbrueckii strain isolated from four different Ecuadorian chichas were compared to ale and lager beer strains with respect to fermentation performance, sugar utilisation, phenolic off-flavour production, flocculation and growth at low temperature. Fermentations were performed in 15 °P all-malt wort and in a model chicha substrate at 12 °C and 20 °C. Tall-tube fermentations (1.5 L) were also performed with both substrates to assess yeast performance and beer quality. Among the strains tested, only one Ecuadorian S. cerevisiae strain was able to ferment the wort sugars maltose and maltotriose. Fermentations with all Ecuadorian strains were poor in wort at 12 °C relative to 20 °C, but were similar in model chicha substrate at both temperatures. The aromatic profile was different between species and strains. These results indicate the potential of yeasts derived from traditional Andean fermented beverages for commercial applications. One of the chicha strains demonstrated traits typical of domesticated brewery strains and could be suitable for ale fermentation, while the other strains may have potential for low-alcohol beer or chicha production.

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 lockdown and de-escalation on air-quality parameters.

The SARS-CoV-2 health crisis has temporarily forced the lockdown of entire countries. This work reports the short-term effects on air quality of such unprecedented paralysis of industry and transport in different continental cities in Spain, one of the countries most affected by the virus and with the hardest confinement measures. The study takes into account sites with different sizes and diverse emission sources, such as traffic, residential or industrial emissions. This work reports new field measurement data for the studied pandemic period and assesses the air quality parameters within the historic trend of each pollutant and site. Thus, 2013-2020 data series from ground-air quality monitoring networks have been analysed to find out statistically significant changes in atmospheric pollutants during March-June 2020 due to this sudden paralysis of activity. The results show substantial concentration drops of primary pollutants, including NOx, CO, BTX, NMHC and NH3. Particulate matter changes were smaller due to the existence of other natural sources. During the lockdown the ozone patterns were different for each studied location, depending on the VOCs-NOx ratios, with concentration changes close to those expected from the historical series in each site and not statistically attributable to the health crisis effects. Finally, the gradual de-escalation and progressive increase of traffic density within cities reflects a slow recovery of primary pollutants. The results and conclusions for these cities, with different sizes and population, and specific emission sources, may serve as a behavioural model for other continental sites and help understand future crises.

Recommendations for the prevention and diagnosis of asthma in children: Evidence from international guidelines adapted for Mexico.

BACKGROUND: With the availability of high-quality asthma guidelines worldwide, one possible approach of developing a valid guideline, without re-working the evidence, already analysed by major guidelines, is the ADAPTE approach, as was used for the development of National Guidelines on asthma. METHODS: The guidelines development group (GDG) covered a broad range of experts from medical specialities, primary care physicians and methodologists. The core group of the GDG searched the literature for asthma guidelines 2005 onward, and analysed the 11 best guidelines with AGREE-II to select three mother guidelines. Key clinical questions were formulated covering each step of the asthma management. RESULTS: The selected mother guidelines are British Thoracic Society (BTS), GINA and GEMA 2015. Responses to the questions were formulated according to the evidence in the mother guidelines. Recommendations or suggestions were made for asthma treatment in Mexico by the core group, and adjusted during several rounds of a Delphi process, taking into account: 1. Evidence; 2. Safety; 3. Cost; 4. Patient preference - all these set against the background of the local reality. Here the detailed analysis of the evidence present in BTS/GINA/GEMA sections on prevention and diagnosis in paediatric asthma are presented for three age-groups: children with asthma ≤5 years, 6-11 years and ≥12 years. CONCLUSIONS: For the prevention and diagnosis sections, applying the AGREE-II method is useful to develop a scientifically-sustained document, adjusted to the local reality per country, as is the Mexican Guideline on Asthma.

Biotechnological impact of stress response on wine yeast.

Wine yeast deals with many stress conditions during its biotechnological use. Biomass production and its dehydration produce major oxidative stress, while hyperosmotic shock, ethanol toxicity and starvation are relevant during grape juice fermentation. Most stress response mechanisms described in laboratory strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are useful for understanding the molecular machinery devoted to deal with harsh conditions during industrial wine yeast uses. However, the particularities of these strains themselves, and the media and conditions employed, need to be specifically looked at when studying protection mechanisms.

Stem cell-like transcriptional reprogramming mediates metastatic resistance to mTOR inhibition.

Inhibitors of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) are currently used to treat advanced metastatic breast cancer. However, whether an aggressive phenotype is sustained through adaptation or resistance to mTOR inhibition remains unknown. Here, complementary studies in human tumors, cancer models and cell lines reveal transcriptional reprogramming that supports metastasis in response to mTOR inhibition. This cancer feature is driven by EVI1 and SOX9. EVI1 functionally cooperates with and positively regulates SOX9, and promotes the transcriptional upregulation of key mTOR pathway components (REHB and RAPTOR) and of lung metastasis mediators (FSCN1 and SPARC). The expression of EVI1 and SOX9 is associated with stem cell-like and metastasis signatures, and their depletion impairs the metastatic potential of breast cancer cells. These results establish the mechanistic link between resistance to mTOR inhibition and cancer metastatic potential, thus enhancing our understanding of mTOR targeting failure.

[Endometrial ablation with thermal balloon, experience in a private hospital]. / Ablación endometrial con balón térmico, experiencia en un hospital privado.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, the treatment for menorrhagia includes pharmacological therapies (hormones and uterotonics) or surgical (dilatation/curettage and hysterectomy). Recently the FDA approved a non-invasive therapeutic option, known as endometrial ablation. Which it consists in a thermal balloon delivers (ThermaChoice y Thermablate EAS) which energy destroys the uterine lining, thus reducing the bleeding and even producing amenorrhea. And could offer other benefits such as reduction of the surgical time, and therefore: anesthesia time, postoperative complications and costs. Highlighting a greater patient satisfaction. OBJECTIVE: Describe the demographic characteristics, outcomes and patient satisfaction, which were treated with endometrial ablation for menorrhagia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A descriptive, observational and retrospective study. During a period of 11 years (March 2012 to December 2013), in a private hospital, that includes 124 patients with menorrhagia, which were treated with endometrial ablation: 53 (43%) ThermaChoice y 71 (57%) Thermablate EAS. We used T Student and Fisher method to study the results. RESULTS: The 124 patients (100%) achieve all the criteria's of endometrial ablation according ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) were candidates for. The mean age of our patients were 38 years old, who didn't respond to pharmacologic treatment had a definitive contraception. Among these women, 119 (96%) had a reduction in bleeding en the first 12 months, 25 (31%) presented with amenorrhea and 1 (<1%) required a surgical approach. Overall, 119 patients (96%) were satisfied with their results. CONCLUSIONS: Endometrial ablation is an approved FDA treatment for menorrhagia, which is safe, accessible and effective. With an easy implementation and low rate of complications.

Ovariectomy increases the age-induced hyperphosphorylation of Tau at hippocampal CA1.

One of the main hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease includes the neurofibrillary tangles formation produced by hyperphosphorylation of the Tau protein, whose expression is putatively regulated by the ovarian hormones estradiol and progesterone. Hippocampus is a brain region that participates in many functions related to learning and memory; in addition, it is abundant in both estradiol and progesterone receptors. In this study, we explore the expression of Tau hyperphosphorylation at hippocampus and the performance of rats in an autoshaping learning task at 5, 10 and 15 months after the ovaries removal. In these animals, ovariectomy was performed at 3 months of age. These data were compared with those derived from intact rats at 8, 13 and 18 months old. A clear decrease in the number of conditioned responses of both intact and ovariectomized rats in the autoshaping learning task was observed. The interaction of both factors confirms that, in this test, learning varies depending on aging and the presence or absence of ovaries. A progressive increase in hippocampal Tau phosphorylation at Ser-396 was observed in either intact or ovariectomized rats. Interestingly, an interaction between the analyzed factors shows that such hyperphosphorylation was potentiated by the absence of ovaries. These results emphasize the importance of aging and the lack of ovarian hormones for an associative learning test and for the expression of one of the most important hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

Efficacy and safety of D. pteronyssinus immunotherapy in local allergic rhinitis: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.

The effects of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) on local allergic rhinitis (LAR) are largely unknown. We conducted the first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled (DBPC), phase II trial of D. pteronyssinus (DP) subcutaneous AIT (DP-AIT) on LAR (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02123316). Thirty-six LAR patients received Pangramin PLUS DP or placebo for 24 months. The primary endpoints were symptoms, medication scores, and medication-free days. The secondary included skin test, serum specific IgE and IgG4, nasal allergen provocation test (NAPT), and adverse events. AIT-DP produced significant improvements in both primary and secondary endpoints vs placebo. After 12 months of AIT-DP, we detected a significant and marked increase in allergen tolerance with negative NAPT in 50% of patients, and significant increases of serum sIgG4. Immunotherapy was well tolerated; no systemic reactions were reported. This study demonstrated that AIT-DP is a safe and clinically effective treatment for LAR, confirming that LAR is a new indication for AIT.

[Peripartum cardiomyopathy: a case report]. / Miocardiopatía periparto: reporte de un caso.

Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy also known as cardiomyopathy associated with pregnancy, is rarely a cause of heart failure, it affects pregnant or puerperal women in the first 5 months. Although the first case reported was in 1849, it was recognized until 1930. In 2010 the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on peripartum cardiomyopathy, defined this pathology as an idiopathic cardiomyopathy that affects pregnant women between the third trimester and five months after delivery. Characterized by a left ventricular failure with an ejection fraction of ≤45% and an end-diastolic dimension ≥2.7 cm/m2 , in absence of an identifiable cause of heart failure. Case report: We report a case of a 39-year-old patient, diagnosed with a peripartum cardiomyopathy in the early puerperium, characterized by hypertension, tachycardia, dyspnea and oxygen desaturation. The transesophageal echocardiogram reported heart failure, a hypokinetic left ventricle and a ventricular failure with an ejection fraction <40%. We could not identify an other cause to justify heart failure. Multidisciplinary management was administered successfully. Conclusion: The importance of this article relies in the fact that eripartum cardiomyopathy has a high morbidity and mortality. The impact of this pathology is unknow in our country. Here we establish and discuss the multidisciplinary management held in our hospital with this specific patient in order to improve the prognosis on future occasions.

Fine and ultrafine particles in small cities. A case study in the south of Europe.

Ultrafine particles, PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentration, NO(x), Ozone, SO2, back-trajectories of air masses and meteorological parameters were studied in a small city over the period February, 2013 to June, 2014. The profiles of PM2.5 and PM10 particles are provided, showing averaged values of 16.6 and 21.6 µg m(-3), respectively. The average number concentration of particles in the range of diameters 5.6-560 nm was 1.2 × 10(4)#/ cm(3) with contributions of 42, 51 and 7% from the nucleation, Aitken, and accumulation modes, respectively. The average number concentration of ultrafine particles was 1.1 × 10(4)#/ cm(3). The results obtained are evidence for some differences in the pollution of ambient air by particles in the studied town in comparison to bigger cities. Nucleation events due to emissions from the city were not observed, and traffic emissions amount to a small contribution to PM2.5 and PM10 particles which are mainly due to crustal origin from the arid surroundings and long-range transport from the Sahara Desert.

Influence of age on IgE response in peanut-allergic children and adolescents from the Mediterranean area.

BACKGROUND: Peanut allergens are common triggers of food allergy. Analyses of sensitization patterns, relationships with other allergens, clinical symptoms, and variation with age are needed. We studied sensitization to Ara h 2, Ara h 9, and Pru p 3 in a peanut allergic children/adolescents and the relationship with peach and pollen. METHODS: Peanut allergic patients aged between 1 and 20 years old were classified into two groups: A) allergic to peanut only and B) allergic to peach and peanut. The IgE response was measured to Ara h 2, Ara h 9, and Pru p 3. RESULTS: Of 964 subjects evaluated, 28% were allergic to peanut. From this group, 68% were also sensitized to pollen. Urticaria was the most frequent entity followed by anaphylaxis and OAS. Fifty-eight percent had Ara h 2- and/or Ara h 9-specific IgE. More than half reported symptoms with peanut alone (Group A) and 35% to peanut and peach (Group B). We observed significant differences in sex, age, onset of symptoms, and sensitization to Artemisia between groups. IgE response to Ara h 2 was more frequent in Group A, and Ara h 9 and Pru p 3 in Group B. We observed a decrease in sensitization to Ara h 2 and an increase to Ara h 9 and Pru p 3 with increasing age. CONCLUSION: Peanut allergy is frequent in subjects with allergy to plant foods, with Ara h 2 and Ara h 9 being two important allergens. In younger patients, Ara h 2 predominates over Ara h 9. The reverse was observed in older patients.

Performance of Dower's inverse transform and Frank lead system for Identification of Myocardial Infarction.

This study performs a comparison between Dower's inverse transform and Frank lead system for Myocardial Infarction (MI) identification. We have selected a set of relevant features for MI detection from the vectorcardiogram and used the lasso method after that to build a model for the Dower's inverse transform and one for the Frank leads system. Then we analyzed the performance between both models on MI detection. The proposed methods have been tested using PhysioNet PTB database that contains 550 records from which 368 are MIs. Two main conclusions are coming from this study. The first one is that Dower's inverse transform performs equally well than Frank leads in identification of MI patients. The second one is that lead positions have a large influence on the accuracy of MI patient identification.

Mitochondria inheritance is a key factor for tolerance to dehydration in wine yeast production.

UNLABELLED: Mitochondria are the cell's powerhouse when organisms are grown in the presence of oxygen. They are also the source of reactive oxygen species that cause damage to the biochemical components of the cell and lead to cellular ageing and death. Under winemaking conditions, Saccharomyces yeasts exclusively have a fermentative metabolism due to the high sugar content of grape must. However, their production as an active dry yeast (ADY) form required aerobic propagation and a dehydration process. In these industrial steps, oxidative stress is particularly harmful for the cell. In this work, we analysed the impact of the mitochondrial genome on oxidative stress response, longevity and dehydration tolerance using the synthetic interspecific hybrids obtained between two S. cerevisiae and S. uvarum strains. The isogenic nature of nuclear DNA of such hybrids allowed us to analyse the impact of mitochondrial DNA for fermentative and oxidative stress conditions. Under grape must conditions, the inheritance of mitochondrial DNA poorly impacted the fermentative performance of interspecific hybrids, unlike the hybrids with S. cerevisiae mitochondrial inheritance, which displayed increased tolerance to oxidative stress and dehydration, and showed an extended chronological longevity when cells were grown with aeration. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: In modern oenology, yeast starters are employed to inoculate grape juice, usually in the form of active dry yeast (ADY). The dehydration process implies stressful conditions that lead to oxidative damage. Other yeast species and interspecific hybrids other than Saccharomyces cerevisiae may be used to confer novel properties to the final product. However, these yeasts are usually more sensitive to drying. Understanding the causes of oxidative stress tolerance is therefore necessary for developing the use of these organisms in industry. This study indicates the impact of mitochondrial DNA inheritance for oxidative stress resistance in an interspecific context using isogenic Saccharomyces cerevisiae × Saccharomyces uvarum hybrids.

Basophil response to peanut allergens in Mediterranean peanut-allergic patients.

Ara h 1, Ara h 2, and Ara h 3 are important sensitizers in peanut allergy. Ara h 9 has also been shown to be relevant in the Mediterranean area. We evaluated the basophil response to peanut allergens and Pru p 3 in Mediterranean patients: Group 1, peanut and peach allergy; Group 2, peanut allergy and tolerance to peach; Group 3, peach allergy and tolerance to peanut; Group 4, nonallergic subjects that tolerate both peanut and peach. Compared to controls (Group 4), there was an increased basophil activation with Ara h 2 (P = 0.031) and Pru p 3 (P = 0.009) in Group 1 and with Ara h 1 (P = 0.016), Ara h 2 (P = 0.001), and Ara h 9 (P = 0.016) in Group 2. Importantly, only Ara h 2 showed an increased activation (P = 0.009) in Group 2 compared to Group 3. Ara h 2 is the best discriminating allergen for peanut allergy diagnosis in a Mediterranean population showing two patterns: patients also allergic to peach, responding to Ara h 2 and Pru p 3, and patients allergic only to peanut, responding to Ara h 1, Ara h 2, and Ara h 9.

[Wide QRS tachycardia preceded by pacemaker spikes]. / Taquicardias de complejo QRS ancho precedidas de espiga de marcapasos.

The differential diagnosis and therapeutic management of wide QRS tachycardia preceded by pacemaker spike is presented. The pacemaker-mediated tachycardia, tachycardia fibrillo-flutter in patients with pacemakers, and runaway pacemakers, have a similar surface electrocardiogram, but respond to different therapeutic measures. The tachycardia response to the application of a magnet over the pacemaker could help in the differential diagnosis, and in some cases will be therapeutic, as in the case of a tachycardia-mediated pacemaker. Although these conditions are diagnosed and treated in hospitals with catheterization laboratories using the application programmer over the pacemaker, patients presenting in primary care clinic and emergency forced us to make a diagnosis and treat the haemodynamically unstable patient prior to referral.

Diagnosis of immediate hypersensitivity reactions to radiocontrast media.

BACKGROUND: No consensus exists on the diagnostic approach for immediate hypersensitivity reactions (IHR) to radiocontrast media (RCM). We analyzed the diagnostic value of a skin test (ST), drug provocation test (DPT) and basophil activation test (BAT) in patients with symptoms compatible with IHR to RCM. METHODS: Ninety patients with symptoms suggestive of IHR to RCM were evaluated. ST with a panel of RCM was performed, and if negative, DPT was carried out with the culprit RCM. If ST or DPT were positive, tolerance was assessed with an alternative RCM and BAT was carried out with the same panel used for ST. RESULTS: Eight (8.9%) cases were confirmed as having IHR, 5 (62.5%) by ST and 3 (37.5%) by DPT. Five from those confirmed as IHR (62.5%) had a positive BAT. CONCLUSIONS: Hypersensitivity to RCM was confirmed in 9%, by ST or DPT. BAT proved a valuable method for diagnosis.

Synergy between RA and TLR3 promotes type I IFN-dependent apoptosis through upregulation of TRAIL pathway in breast cancer cells.

Due to its ability to regulate the growth, differentiation and apoptosis of cancer cells, retinoic acid (RA) is considered a signaling molecule with promising therapeutic potential in oncology. In this study, we show that RA is able to induce the intrinsic ability of breast cancer cells to recognize double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) through the upregulation of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) expression. RA, co-administered with the dsRNA mimicker polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), synergizes to mount a specific response program able to sense dsRNA through the concurrent upregulation of TLR3, the dsRNA helicases melanoma differentiation-associated antigen-5 (MDA-5) and RA-inducible gene-1 (RIG-1), and the dsRNA-activated protein kinase (PKR) expression, leading breast cancer cells to specifically express downstream transcriptional targets of dsRNA sensors, such as interferon-ß (IFNß), interleukin-8 (IL-8), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5 (CCL5), and C-X-C motif Chemokine 10 (CXCL10). A TLR3-dependent apoptotic program is also induced by RA and poly(I:C) co-treatment that correlates with the induction of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and contributes to block breast cancer cell proliferation. The mechanisms of apoptosis induced by RA/poly(I:C) in breast cancer cells involve type I IFN autocrine signaling, caspase-8 and caspase-3 activation, as well as TRAIL signaling. Our results reveal important links among RA, TLR3 and TRAIL and highlight the combined use of RA and poly(I:C) as a potential effective tumor therapy by improving the apoptotic response of cancer cells with low sensitivity to the action of synthetic dsRNA.

Dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay: a quantitative method for oxidative stress assessment of nanoparticle-treated cells.

No consensus exists on how to address possible toxicity of nanomaterials as they interfere with most in vitro screening tests based on colorimetric and fluorimetric probes such as the dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay for detection of oxidative species. In the present research, nanomaterial interaction with DCFH-DA was studied in relation to its nature and/or assay conditions (cell-based and time exposure) by incubating Rhodamine (Rhd)-labeled 25nm and 50nm silica (SiO2), naked and oleic acid coated magnetite, (Fe3O4) and maghemite (Fe2O3) iron oxide, titanium dioxide (TiO2) and poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(lactide/glycolide) acid (PLGA-PEO) nanoparticles (NPs) with metabolically active rat hepatocytes for 4 and 24-h periods. Data indicated that nanoparticle uptake correlated with quenching of dye fluorescence emission. In spite of their masking effect, the oxidative potential of NPs could be detected at a limited threshold concentration when exposed for periods of time longer than those frequently used for this test. However, changes in the experimental conditions did not systematically result in free radical formation for all nanomaterials tested. Overall data indicate that despite the quenching effect of nanoparticles on DCFH-DA assay, it can be considered as a useful tool for quantitative measurement of NPs-induced oxidative stress by minor modifications of standardized protocols.