The impact of burial depth on Centaurea diluta emergence and modelling of its growth using a nonlinear regression and artificial neural network.

BACKGROUND: Centaurea diluta Aiton (North African knapweed) is a major weed concern in Spain as a result of the limited herbicides capable of controlling it, and the limited knowledge of its biology hinders the development of integrated weed management strategies. RESULTS: The current study presents results from two experiments that aimed to: (i) determine the effect of seed burial on seedling emergence; and (ii) model its phenology progression using sigmoidal (SRM) and artificial neural network models (ANN) based on different cohort emergence times. In the first experiment, burial at 2 cm and 5 cm decreased C. diluta emergence by 54% and 90%, respectively, compared to the emergence at 0 cm. In the second experiment, without crop-weed competition conditions, the emergence delay led to reductions in leaf number, rosette diameter, plant height and dry biomass by 63%, 50%, 59% and 93%, respectively. Seed production per plant exceeded 21 469. According to the growth model, leaf number was the most consistent morphological trait and critical for timing weed control actions, so it was used to compare SRMs and ANNs. On average, ANNs increased the precision in 5.72% (± 2.4 leaves) compared to SRMs. This slight performance of ANNs may be valuable for controlling C. diluta because control methods must be applied at the 4-leaf stage to achieve good efficacy. CONCLUSION: Seed burial at 5 cm depth is an effective method reducing C. diluta emergence. ANNs accurately predicted the leaf number employing environmental variables can help increase the efficiency of C. diluta control actions and reduce the risk of escapes. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease VM1: phenotypic and molecular characterization of a novel subtype of human prion disease.

The methionine (M)-valine (V) polymorphic codon 129 of the prion protein gene (PRNP) plays a central role in both susceptibility and phenotypic expression of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases (sCJD). Experimental transmissions of sCJD in humanized transgenic mice led to the isolation of five prion strains, named M1, M2C, M2T, V2, and V1, based on two major conformations of the pathological prion protein (PrPSc, type 1 and type 2), and the codon 129 genotype determining susceptibility and propagation efficiency. While the most frequent sCJD strains have been described in codon 129 homozygosis (MM1, MM2C, VV2) and heterozygosis (MV1, MV2K, and MV2C), the V1 strain has only been found in patients carrying VV. We identified six sCJD cases, 4 in Catalonia and 2 in Italy, carrying MV at PRNP codon 129 in combination with PrPSc type 1 and a new clinical and neuropathological profile reminiscent of the VV1 sCJD subtype rather than typical MM1/MV1. All patients had a relatively long duration (mean of 20.5 vs. 3.5 months of MM1/MV1 patients) and lacked electroencephalographic periodic sharp-wave complexes at diagnosis. Distinctive histopathological features included the spongiform change with vacuoles of larger size than those seen in sCJD MM1/MV1, the lesion profile with prominent cortical and striatal involvement, and the pattern of PrPSc deposition characterized by a dissociation between florid spongiform change and mild synaptic deposits associated with coarse, patch-like deposits in the cerebellar molecular layer. Western blot analysis of brain homogenates revealed a PrPSc type 1 profile with physicochemical properties reminiscent of the type 1 protein linked to the VV1 sCJD subtype. In summary, we have identified a new subtype of sCJD with distinctive clinicopathological features significantly overlapping with those of the VV1 subtype, possibly representing the missing evidence of V1 sCJD strain propagation in the 129MV host genotype.

[Pharmacological treatment of dementia: when, how and for how long. Recommendations of the Working Group on Dementia of the Catalan Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology]. / Tratamiento farmacológico de la demencia: cuándo, cómo y hasta cuándo. Recomendaciones del Grupo de Trabajo de Demencias de la Sociedad Catalana de Geriatría y Gerontología.

Dementia in general--and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in particular--are bound to loom large among the most acute healthcare, social, and public health problems of the 21st century. AD shows a degenerative progression that can be slowed down--yet not halted--by today's most widely accepted specific treatments (those based on cholinesterase inhibitors as well as those using memantine). There is enough evidence to consider these treatments advisable for the mild, moderate and severe phases of the illness. However, in the final stage of the disease, a decision has to be made on whether to withdraw such treatment or not. In this paper, the Working Group on Dementia for the Catalan Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology reviews the use of these specific pharmacological treatments for AD, and, drawing on the scientific evidence thus gathered, makes a series of recommendations on when, how, and for how long, the currently existing specific pharmacological treatments should be used.

[Informing of the diagnosis in dementia]. / La información del diagnóstico en la demencia.

Dementia is a syndrome characterized by a progressive deterioration of cognitive functions, accompanied by psychiatric symptoms and behavioral disturbances that produce a progressive and irreversible disability. The way it should communicate the diagnosis of dementia is a key discussion point on which there is no unanimous agreement so far. The communicating of the diagnosis of dementia is a complex issue that affects not only, the patient but also to caregivers and health professionals who care and must conform to the ethical principles governing medical practice (autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice). Therefore, from the Dementia Working Group of the Catalan Geriatric Society (Grupo de Trabajo de Demencia de la Sociedad Catalana de Geriatría) arises the need to review the issue and propose a course of action for the disclosure of diagnosis.

[High prevalence of neuroleptic drug use in elderly people with dementia]. / Alta prevalencia de consumo de neurolépticos en las personas ancianas con demencia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The management of psychological and behavioural symptoms associated with dementia frequently requires the use of neuroleptic drugs. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, characteristics and possible differential factors of people aged > or = 65 years with dementia who take or not neuroleptic drugs. The subgroup with Alzheimer disease was analysed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five-hundred and fifteen patients aged > or = 65 years with dementia were prospectively evaluated. Data were collected on sociodemographic variables, type of dementia, Barthel Index (BI), Lawton Index (LI), Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), Charlson Index, treatment with neuroleptic, antidepressants, benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine hypnotic-sedatives drugs, specific dementia treatments, vascular risk factors and comorbidities. The stage and severity of dementia were evaluated by the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), creating two groups: Mild-moderate (GDS 3, 4 and 5) and severe (GDS 6 and 7) disease. RESULTS: There were 364 women (70%) and 151 men, with a mean age of 81+/-6 years, of whom 10.1% were institutionalized. Two hundred and seventy patients (52.5%) had mild-moderate disease and 245 had severe disease (47.5%). Neuroleptic drugs were being taken by 233 (45.2%) patients. In the multivariate analysis, neuroleptic drug use was associated with male gender, institutionalization, worse LI scores, more severe dementia and not having heart failure. The subgroup with Alzheimer disease was associated with worse IB and not having arterial hypertension. CONCLUSION: A high percentage of elderly patients with dementia are treated with neuroleptic drugs. There are significant differences in the prescription of neuroleptic drugs according to patient sociodemographic characteristics, severity of dementia and comorbidities.