Inoculum and Infection Dynamics of Polystigma amygdalinum in Almond Orchards in Spain.

Red leaf blotch (RLB) disease of almond, caused by Polystigma amygdalinum, is an important foliar disease in most production regions of the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East because severe infections may cause a premature defoliation of the tree. Some key aspects on the epidemiology of P. amygdalinum were studied in multiyear trials in two almond-growing regions in Spain, which included the seasonal development of perithecia and production and germination of ascospores along with the disease incubation and plant infectivity periods. Our results showed that primary inoculum was available in extended periods (January to August). Significant differences in ascospore amounts among regions, higher in the southern Andalusia and lower in the northern Catalonia, and years of study were detected. The factors geographical location, sampling period, and evaluation year were found significant on the development of P. amygdalinum perithecia. Variable ascospore germination rates were observed from April to July: >15% but rarely exceeding 30%. The RLB infectivity period in Catalonia extended from March to mid-June, whereas in Andalusia it was from March to May. The incubation period was mainly in a range of 5 to 10 weeks in Catalonia. The environmental conditions of October to January influence the available ascospore amounts in the next season. RLB infection occurs in spring to summer when mean temperatures are in the range 10 to 20°C. These results represent the first step in developing a prediction model of the disease that might serve as a tool for the control of RLB.

Transcriptome Profiling of the Liver in Nellore Cattle Phenotypically Divergent for RFI in Two Genetic Groups.

The identification and selection of genetically superior animals for residual feed intake (RFI) could enhance productivity and minimize environmental impacts. The aim of this study was to use RNA-seq data to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), known non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), specific biomarkers and enriched biological processes associated with RFI of the liver in Nellore cattle in two genetic groups. In genetic group 1 (G1), 24 extreme RFI animals (12 low RFI (LRFI) versus 12 high RFI (HRFI)) were selected from a population of 60 Nellore bulls. The RNA-seq of the samples from their liver tissues was performed using an Illumina HiSeq 2000. In genetic group 2 (G2), 20 samples of liver tissue of Nellore bulls divergent for RFI (LRFI, n = 10 versus HRFI, n = 10) were selected from 83 animals. The raw data of the G2 were chosen from the ENA repository. A total of 1811 DEGs were found for the G1 and 2054 for the G2 (p-value ≤ 0.05). We detected 88 common genes in both genetic groups, of which 33 were involved in the immune response and in blocking oxidative stress. In addition, seven (B2M, ADSS, SNX2, TUBA4A, ARHGAP18, MECR, and ABCF3) possible gene biomarkers were identified through a receiver operating characteristic analysis (ROC) considering an AUC > 0.70. The B2M gene was overexpressed in the LRFI group. This gene regulates the lipid metabolism protein turnover and inhibits cell death. We also found non-coding RNAs in both groups. MIR25 was up-regulated and SNORD16 was down-regulated in the LRFI for G1. For G2, up-regulated RNase_MRP and SCARNA10 were found. We highlight MIR25 as being able to act by blocking cytotoxicity and oxidative stress and RMRP as a blocker of mitochondrial damage. The biological pathways associated with RFI of the liver in Nellore cattle in the two genetic groups were for energy metabolism, protein turnover, redox homeostasis and the immune response. The common transcripts, biomarkers and metabolic pathways found in the two genetic groups make this unprecedented work even more relevant, since the results are valid for different herds raised in different ways. The results reinforce the biological importance of these known processes but also reveal new insights into the complexity of the liver tissue transcriptome of Nellore cattle.

Characterization of Differentially Expressed Circulating miRNAs in Metabolically Healthy versus Unhealthy Obesity.

Obese individuals without metabolic comorbidities are categorized as metabolically healthy obese (MHO). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may be implicated in MHO. This cross-sectional study explores the link between circulating miRNAs and the main components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the context of obesity. We also examine oxidative stress biomarkers in MHO vs. metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO). We analysed 3536 serum miRNAs in 20 middle-aged obese individuals: 10 MHO and 10 MUO. A total of 159 miRNAs were differentially expressed, of which, 72 miRNAs (45.2%) were higher and 87 miRNAs (54.7%) were lower in the MUO group. In addition, miRNAs related to insulin signalling and lipid metabolism pathways were upregulated in the MUO group. Among these miRNAs, hsa-miR-6796-5p and hsa-miR-4697-3p, which regulate oxidative stress, showed significant correlations with glucose, triglycerides, HbA1c and HDLc. Our results provide evidence of a pattern of differentially expressed miRNAs in obesity according to MetS, and identify those related to insulin resistance and lipid metabolism pathways.

Sudden Death Due to Thoracic Aortic Dissection in Young People: A Multicenter Forensic Study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) is infrequent in young people and its characteristics differ from those in the adult population. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and pathological characteristics of sudden death due to TAD in people aged 1 to 35 years. METHODS: Multicenter population-based study based on forensic autopsies conducted in the provinces of Biscay (1991-2016), Valencia (2000-2016), and Seville (2004-2016). RESULTS: We identified 35 individuals with sudden death due to TAD (80% males), with a mean age of 29±5 years. The incidence was 0.09/100 000 inhabitants/y. Eighteen persons had at least 1 risk factor for TAD, and this figure increased to 29 when postmortem findings were included: congenital heart disease (n=16), suspicion of familial TAD (n=11), cocaine use (n=6), and hypertension (n=5). Twenty-four individuals, 12 with at least 1 risk factor, had prodromal symptoms, and 16 of them visited their physician, but TAD was not suspected in any of them. The most frequent symptom was chest pain (n=12). The main autopsy findings were cystic degeneration of the media (n=27), dilatation of the ascending aorta (n=21), cardiac hypertrophy (n=20), and bicuspid aortic valve (n=14). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of sudden death due to TAD in young people was very low. The most frequent risk factors were congenital heart disease followed by suspicion of familial TAD and cocaine use. TAD should be included in the differential diagnosis of chest pain in young people, mainly male patients with at least 1 risk factor.

Starch Hydrolysis and Vessel Occlusion Related to Wilt Symptoms in Olive Stems of Susceptible Cultivars Infected by Verticillium dahliae.

This study investigated starch content, amount of pathogen DNA and density of occluded vessels in healthy and Verticillium dahliae infected olive shoots and stems. Starch hydrolysis is considered a mechanism to refill xylem vessels that suffered cavitation by either, drought conditions or pathogen infections. The main objective of this work was to evaluate this mechanism in olive plants subjected to V. dahliae infection or to drought conditions, in order to know the importance of cavitation in the development of wilting symptoms. In initial experiments starch content in the shoots was studied in trees of cultivars differing in the level of resistance growing in fields naturally infested with V. dahliae. The starch content, esteemed by microscopic observation of stem transversal sections stained with lugol, decreased with the level of symptom severity. Results were confirmed in a new experiment developed with young plants of cultivars 'Picual' (highly susceptible), 'Arbequina' (moderately susceptible) and 'Frantoio' (resistant), growing in pots under greenhouse conditions, either inoculated or not with V. dahliae. In this experiment, the pathogen DNA content, quantified by real-time PCR, and the density of occluded vessels, recorded by microscopic observations of transversal sections stained with toluidine blue, were related to the symptoms severity caused by the pathogen. Finally, a drought experiment was established with young plants of the cultivar 'Picual' grown in pots under greenhouse conditions in order to compare the effects caused by water deficit with those caused by the pathogen infection. In both cases, results show that starch hydrolysis occurred, what indirectly evidence the importance of xylem cavitation in the development of the symptoms caused by V. dahliae but in the water stressed plants no vessel occlusion was detected.

Strategies for single-drop microextraction optimisation and validation. Application to the detection of potential antimicrobial agents.

Convenient methods that are capable of determining potentially antimicrobial compounds in both vapour and liquid phases are required (inter alia) to facilitate the development of active packaging materials using natural substances. The suitability of single-drop microextraction (SDME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for this purpose has been assessed by evaluating its ability to determine a range of analytes (mainly terpenes) in vapour samples and three liquid food simulants - distilled water, 10% (v/v) water/ethanol, and 3% (w/v) acetic acid - by headspace-SDME (HS-SDME) and direct immersion-SDME (DI-SDME), respectively. In this contribution, a screening strategy based on the Hildebrand solubility parameter has been used to build a solvent priority list. Solvents were then tested following the list, taking into account additional factors such as low volatility for HS-SDME or buoyancy and relative miscibility for DI-SDME. Other experimental parameters affecting the performance of SDME (such as drop volume, sampling time and temperature, drop position in the sample vial, sample vial size, stirring rate, filling rate and ionic strength of the sample) were investigated using a Plackett-Burman screening design. The method optimisation was completed by means of response surface modelling (RSM). The methods were validated by characterising relevant performance parameters including their robustness, linear range, accuracy (trueness and precision) and capability of detection as described by the International Organization for Standardization.

Acute thromboembolism in a solitary kidney: revascularization by means of isolated transcatheter thrombus aspiration.

Acute renal infarction occurs usually secondary to thromboembolism rather than in situ thrombosis, with atrial fibrillation being the main predisposing factor. Its non-specific presentation, being similar to renal colic and pyelonephritis, often leads to diagnostic and treatment delays. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are crucial for the outcome, as the precise therapeutic window remains unclear. Renal Doppler ultrasound is the optimal initial diagnostic study, which, if inconclusive, should be followed by contrast-enhanced CT. Despite the lack of specific guidelines, treatment is mainly based on anticoagulation and percutaneous endovascular revascularization therapy; the latter includes pharmacomechanical thrombectomy; intra-arterial thrombolysis alone or in combination with thrombus aspiration; and angioplasty, with or without stenting. We present a case of renal thromboembolism diagnosed early during the postoperative period in a patient with a single functioning kidney. Renal arterial flow restoration was achieved by means of transcatheter thrombus aspiration. This is the first report showing the effectiveness of this procedure alone as an alternative to those used so far.

Facilitative effect of cognate words vanishes when reducing the orthographic overlap: The role of stimuli list composition.

Recent research has shown that cognate word processing is modulated by variables such as degree of orthographic and phonological overlap of cognate words and task requirements in such a way that the typical preferential processing observed in the literature for cognate words relative to non-cognate words can be annulled or even reversed (Comesaña et al., 2012; Dijkstra, Miwa, Brummelhuis, Sappelli, & Baayen, 2010). These findings beg the question about the precise representation and processing of identical cognates (e.g., plata-plata, silver in Spanish and Catalan, respectively) and non-identical cognates (e.g., braç-brazo [arm]). The aim of the present study was to further explore this issue by manipulating for the 1st time cross-linguistic similarities of identical and non-identical cognate words as well as stimuli list composition. Proficient balanced Catalan-Spanish bilinguals performed a lexical decision task in Spanish. In Experiment 1 identical and non-identical cognates along with non-cognates made up the experimental list, whereas in Experiment 2 identical cognates were excluded from the list. Results showed modulations in cognate processing as a function of their degree of orthographic and phonological overlap. These results confirm prior findings regarding the processing of cognates when cross-linguistic similarities are taken into account. Most important, the direction of the cognate effect was affected by the stimuli list composition (i.e., the preferential processing for cognate words was restricted to the list containing identical cognates). Results have important implications for the Bilingual Interactive Activation Plus model (BIA+; Dijkstra & van Heuven, 2002), especially regarding identical and non-identical cognate word representation.