Aberrant B-cell activation and B-cell subpopulations in rheumatoid arthritis: analysis by clinical activity, autoantibody seropositivity, and treatment.

Few studies analyze the role of B-cell subpopulations in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathophysiology. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the differences in B-cell subpopulations and B-cell activation according to disease activity, RA subtype, and absence of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) therapy. These subgroups were compared with control subjects (CS). One hundred and thirty-nine subjects were included, of which 114 were RA patients, and 25 were controls. Patients were divided into 99 with seropositive RA, 6 with seronegative RA, and 9 without DMARDs. The patients with seropositive RA were subclassified based on the DAS28 index. A seven-color multicolor flow cytometry panel was used to identify B-cell immunophenotypes and cell activation markers. There were no changes in total B-cell frequencies between RA patients and controls. However, a lower frequency of memory B cells and pre-plasmablasts was observed in seropositive RA compared to controls (P < 0.0001; P = 0.0043, respectively). In contrast, a higher frequency of mature B cells was observed in RA than in controls (P = 0.0002). Among patients with RA, those with moderate activity had a higher percentage of B cells (P = 0.0021). The CD69+ marker was increased (P < 0.0001) in RA compared to controls, while the CD40+ frequency was decreased in patients (P < 0.0001). Transitional, naïve, and double-negative B-cell subpopulations were higher in seronegative RA than in seropositive (P < 0.01). In conclusion, in seropositive and seronegative RA patients, there are alterations in B-cell activation and B-cell subpopulations, independently of clinical activity and DMARDs therapy.

Real-world effectiveness and safety of insulin glargine 300 U/ml in insulin-naïve people with type 2 diabetes in the Latin America region: A subgroup analysis of the ATOS.

AIM: To evaluate the real-world effectiveness and safety of insulin glargine 300 U/ml (Gla-300) in achieving glycaemic goals in insulin-naïve people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Mexico, Colombia and Peru (Latin America region) in the A Toujeo Observational Study (ATOS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: ATOS was a multicentre, prospective, 12-month observational study, which included 4422 insulin-naïve adults (age ≥ 18 years) with T2D uncontrolled (HbA1c > 7% and ≤11%) on at least one oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) who initiated Gla-300 treatment as per routine practice. The primary endpoint was the percentage of participants achieving their predefined individualized HbA1c goal at month 6. Key secondary endpoints included change from baseline in HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG), body weight and incidence of hypoglycaemia. RESULTS: In this subgroup analysis, a total of 314 participants with T2D received Gla-300. At baseline, mean ± SD age was 56.0 ± 11.6 years, duration of diabetes was 9.7 ± 6.6 years and 65.9% of participants were on at least two OADs. The individualized HbA1c target was achieved by 25.8% of participants (95% confidence interval [CI]: 20.3-31.9) at month 6 and by 35.3% (95% CI: 28.5-42.5) at month 12. Gla-300 treatment improved glycaemic control with meaningful reductions in mean HbA1c, FPG and fasting SMBG. The incidence of hypoglycaemia reported was low and body weight remained stable. CONCLUSIONS: In a real-world setting in the Latin America region, the initiation of Gla-300 in people with T2D uncontrolled on OADs resulted in improved glycaemic control with a low incidence of hypoglycaemia and no change in body weight.

Pulmonary Protection from Left Ventricular Distension During Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Review and Management Algorithm.

The use of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in adults for refractory cardiogenic shock has risen exponentially during the prior decade. Although VA-ECMO provides cardiopulmonary support, it can alter left ventricular (LV) loading conditions leading to LV distension, which makes the lungs susceptible to congestion and promotes intracardiac thrombosis. These conditions can be alleviated by pharmacologic and mechanical unloading, but gaps in knowledge remain on optimal timing and methods of this approach. This review provides an overview of the epidemiology of VA-ECMO, describes pathophysiology and methods for monitoring and reducing LV loading and summarizes contemporary studies examining the association between LV unloading and adverse events. We offer a simple protocol for implementing LV unloading during VA-ECMO to provide pulmonary protection and improve outcomes.

Lactate Dehydrogenase and Hemorrhagic Stroke During Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for COVID-19.

PURPOSE: Hemorrhagic stroke (HS) is a devastating complication during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) but markers of risk stratification during COVID-19 are unknown. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a readily available biomarker of cell injury and permeability. We sought to determine whether an elevated LDH before ECMO placement is related to the occurrence of HS during ECMO for COVID-19. METHODS: Adult patients with COVID-19 requiring ECMO between March 2020 and February 2022 were included. LDH values prior to ECMO placement were captured. Patients were categorized into high (> 750 U/L) or low (≤ 750 U/L) LDH groups. Multivariable regression modeling was used to determine the association between LDH and HS during ECMO. RESULTS: There were 520 patients that underwent ECMO placement in 17 centers and 384 had an available LDH. Of whom, 122 (32%) had a high LDH. The overall incidence of HS was 10.9%, and patients with high LDH had a higher incidence of HS than those with low LDH level (17% vs 8%, p = 0.007). At 100 days, the probability of a HS was 40% in the high LDH group and 23% in those with a low LDH, p = 0.002. After adjustment for clinical covariates, high LDH remained associated with subsequent HS (aHR: 2.64, 95% CI 1.39-4.92). Findings were similar when restricting to patients supported by venovenous ECMO only. CONCLUSION: Elevated LDH prior to ECMO cannulation is associated with a higher incidence of HS during device support. LDH can risk stratify cases for impending cerebral bleeding during ECMO.

CRK12: A Key Player in Regulating the Phaseolus vulgaris-Rhizobium tropici Symbiotic Interaction.

Cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases (CRKs) are a type of receptor-like kinases (RLKs) that are important for pathogen resistance, extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling, and programmed cell death in plants. In a previous study, we identified 46 CRK family members in the Phaseolus vulgaris genome and found that CRK12 was highly upregulated under root nodule symbiotic conditions. To better understand the role of CRK12 in the Phaseolus-Rhizobia symbiotic interaction, we functionally characterized this gene by overexpressing (CRK12-OE) and silencing (CRK12-RNAi) it in a P. vulgaris hairy root system. We found that the constitutive expression of CRK12 led to an increase in root hair length and the expression of root hair regulatory genes, while silencing the gene had the opposite effect. During symbiosis, CRK12-RNAi resulted in a significant reduction in nodule numbers, while CRK12-OE roots showed a dramatic increase in rhizobial infection threads and the number of nodules. Nodule cross sections revealed that silenced nodules had very few infected cells, while CRK12-OE nodules had enlarged infected cells, whose numbers had increased compared to controls. As expected, CRK12-RNAi negatively affected nitrogen fixation, while CRK12-OE nodules fixed 1.5 times more nitrogen than controls. Expression levels of genes involved in symbiosis and ROS signaling, as well as nitrogen export genes, supported the nodule phenotypes. Moreover, nodule senescence was prolonged in CRK12-overexpressing roots. Subcellular localization assays showed that the PvCRK12 protein localized to the plasma membrane, and the spatiotemporal expression patterns of the CRK12-promoter::GUS-GFP analysis revealed a symbiosis-specific expression of CRK12 during the early stages of rhizobial infection and in the development of nodules. Our findings suggest that CRK12, a membrane RLK, is a novel regulator of Phaseolus vulgaris-Rhizobium tropici symbiosis.

Communication System Based on Magnetic Coils for Underwater Vehicles.

In this work, a wireless communication system based on magnetic coils for underwater vehicles is presented. Firstly, the mathematical model of magnetic field induction using magnetic coils is discussed. Then, a description of the proposed communication system is presented, including the main components of the transmitter and receiver module. The experimental results show that due to the properties of the magnetic field, the proposed communication system can work properly in different environments such as air or water with the same efficiency. Underwater tests were carried out in different water circumstances: varying the temperature in a range from 10 °C to 35 °C, varying concentrations of clay in a range from 0% to 10%, and varying the salinity concentration in a range from 1000 ppm ( parts per million) to 35,000 ppm. It was observed that these conditions do not affect the information transfer. Finally, the advantages of using the proposed system compared to existing submarine communication systems are discussed.

Response of Mexican life and non-life insurers to the low interest rate environment.

The purpose of this research is to examine whether insurers have improved their economic performance through efficiency as a reaction to the prolonged period of low interest rates. The results of an analysis of 22 years of data, using a two-stage data envelopment analysis approach (DEA), show that there is an inverse relationship between efficiency and interest rate. The non-life insurance group had a superior level of efficiency compared with that of the life insurance group. It seems that life insurance companies, to some extent, transferred their inefficiency to customers to maintain their solvency. Additionally, this research shows that companies with substantial market power and bancassurance exceeded the performance of the rest of the industry.

Multifactorial mitigation strategy to reduce clinically relevant pancreatic fistula in high-risk pancreatojejunostomy following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is the most dreadful complication of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and previous literature focused on technical modifications of pancreatic remnant reconstruction. We developed a multifactorial mitigation strategy (MS) and the aim of the study is to assess its clinical impact in patients at high-risk of POPF. METHODS: All patients candidate to PD between 2012 and 2018 were considered. Only patients with a high Fistula Risk Score (FRS 7-10) were included. Patients undergoing MS were compared to patients receiving Standard Strategy (SS). Clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups. Multivariate hierarchical logistic regression analyses were performed to detect independent predictors of POPF. RESULTS: Out of 212 patients, 33 were finally included in MS Group and 29 in SS Group. POPF rate was significantly lower in MS Group (12.1% vs 44.8%, p = 0.005). Delayed gastric emptying, postoperative pancreatitis, complications and hospital stay were also significantly lower in MS Group. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses showed that Body Mass Index (OR = 1.196, p = 0.036) and MS (OR = 0.187, p = 0.032) were independently associated with POPF. CONCLUSION: A multifactorial MS can be helpful to reduce POPF rate in patients with high FRS following PD. Personalized approach for vulnerable patients should be investigated in the future.

Opportunistic and Serious Infections in Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors Treated with Everolimus: A Multicenter Study of Real-World Patients.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of infections is poorly studied in patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NET) treated with everolimus outside of clinical trials. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of and risk factors for opportunistic infections (Opl) or any serious infection in eligible patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective multicenter study of a Latin American cohort of consecutive patients with advanced NET treated with everolimus. Duration of everolimus, comorbidities, Charlson comorbidity score, type of prior treatment, institution, and concurrent immunosuppressive conditions were tested for possible associations with serious (grade 3-5) infections in univariate and multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS: One hundred eleven patients from 5 centers were included. The median duration of everolimus was 8.9 months. After a median follow-up of 32.9 months, 34 patients (30.6%; 95% CI 22.2-40.1) experienced infections of any grade, with 24 (21.6%; 95% CI 14.8-30.4) having a serious infection and 7 (6.3%; 95% CI 2.6-12.6) having at least 1 OpI (Candida sp., Toxoplasma gondi, Pneumocystis sp., Herpes sp., and Cryptococcus sp.). Four patients (3.6%) died from infections, but only 2 deaths (1.8%) were deemed to be related to everolimus. The multivariable analysis identified everolimus duration (every 6-month increase; OR = 1.28; 95% CI 1.02-1.60; p = 0.03) as an independent risk factor for serious infection. CONCLUSION: Infections are more frequent in NET patients using everolimus than previously reported in clinical trials. Patients on everolimus should be closely monitored for infections, especially those receiving it for several months.

Metabolic syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis patients: Relationship among its clinical components.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients is known to vary considerably across the world. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MetS in RA patients from western Mexico and to analyze the interrelation of the MetS components with the clinical variables of RA. METHODS: This case-control study included 216 RA patients and 260 control subjects (CS). MetS prevalence was determined according to the NCEP/ATP III and the Latin American Consensus of the Latin American Diabetes Association (ALAD) criteria. RESULTS: MetS was observed in 30.6% RA patients and 33.3% of controls (p > 0.05) according to NCEP/ATP III and 28.7% in RA patients and 31.1% for controls using ALAD criteria. Total cholesterol, LDL-C, and Castelli's I-II indexes were lower in RA (p < 0.001) than in CS. The RA patients with MetS had more swollen joints than those without MetS (p = 0.018). In RA patients with MetS, DAS-28 score correlated with smoking index (rho = 0.4601, p = 0.0004) and VLDL-C (rho = 0.3108, p = 0.0056); similarly, rheumatoid factor (RF) correlated with age (rho = 0.2031, p = 0.0027), smoking index (rho = 0.3404, p < 0.0001), triglycerides (rho = 0.1958, p = 0.0039), and VLDL-C (rho = 0.1761, p = 0.0162). CONCLUSIONS: The MetS prevalence in RA patients from western Mexico is not higher than controls; however, in RA patients with MetS, some inflammatory markers are associated with MetS components; thus, the control of MetS in RA could be beneficial to regulate disease activity.

Highly Discriminative Physiological Parameters for Thermal Pattern Classification.

Infrared Thermography (IRT) is a non-contact, non-intrusive, and non-ionizing radiation tool used for detecting breast lesions. This paper analyzes the surface temperature distribution (STD) on an optimal Region of Interest (RoI) for extraction of suitable internal heat source parameters. The physiological parameters are estimated through the inverse solution of the bio-heat equation and the STD of suspicious areas related to the hottest spots of the RoI. To reach these values, the STD is analyzed by means: the Depth-Intensity-Radius (D-I-R) measurement model and the fitting method of Lorentz curve. A highly discriminative pattern vector composed of the extracted physiological parameters is proposed to classify normal and abnormal breast thermograms. A well-defined RoI is delimited at a radial distance, determined by the Support Vector Machines (SVM). Nevertheless, this distance is less than or equal to 1.8 cm due to the maximum temperature location close to the boundary image. The methodology is applied to 87 breast thermograms that belong to the Database for Mastology Research with Infrared Image (DMR-IR). This methodology does not apply any image enhancements or normalization of input data. At an optimal position, the three-dimensional scattergrams show a correct separation between normal and abnormal thermograms. In other cases, the feature vectors are highly correlated. According to our experimental results, the proposed pattern vector extracted at optimal position a=1.6 cm reaches the highest sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Even more, the proposed technique utilizes a reduced number of physiological parameters to obtain a Correct Rate Classification (CRC) of 100%. The precision assessment confirms the performance superiority of the proposed method compared with other techniques for the breast thermogram classification of the DMR-IR.

Multiobjective Optimization of a Plate Heat Exchanger in a Waste Heat Recovery Organic Rankine Cycle System for Natural Gas Engines.

A multiobjective optimization of an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) evaporator, operating with toluene as the working fluid, is presented in this paper for waste heat recovery (WHR) from the exhaust gases of a 2 MW Jenbacher JMS 612 GS-N.L. gas internal combustion engine. Indirect evaporation between the exhaust gas and the organic fluid in the parallel plate heat exchanger (ITC2) implied irreversible heat transfer and high investment costs, which were considered as objective functions to be minimized. Energy and exergy balances were applied to the system components, in addition to the phenomenological equations in the ITC2, to calculate global energy indicators, such as the thermal efficiency of the configuration, the heat recovery efficiency, the overall energy conversion efficiency, the absolute increase of engine thermal efficiency, and the reduction of the break-specific fuel consumption of the system, of the system integrated with the gas engine. The results allowed calculation of the plate spacing, plate height, plate width, and chevron angle that minimized the investment cost and entropy generation of the equipment, reaching 22.04 m2 in the heat transfer area, 693.87 kW in the energy transfer by heat recovery from the exhaust gas, and 41.6% in the overall thermal efficiency of the ORC as a bottoming cycle for the engine. This type of result contributes to the inclusion of this technology in the industrial sector as a consequence of the improvement in thermal efficiency and economic viability.

The genetic heterogeneity of hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis in a sample of the Brazilian population.

To present the genetic heterogeneity of a sample of the Brazilian population with transthyretin (TTR) mutations. This cohort study was descriptive and retrospective, and enrolled patients with peripheral neuropathy of unknown cause that were found to have a mutation in the TTR gene during the process of etiological investigation, between July 1997 to January 2016. Over the study period, 129 point mutations were identified in 448 tested patients, of whom 128 were of Brazilian origin. The TTR Val30Met mutation was identified in 116 patients (90.6%); while 7 (4.7%) patients had a pathogenic non-TTR mutation and 7 (4.7%) carried non-pathogenic mutations (4.7%). The four non-TTRMet30 pathogenic mutations were TTR Aps38Tyr; TTR Ile107Val; TTR Val71Ala; and TTR Val122Ile. In the non-pathogenic group, we only found two mutations, including TTR Gly6Ser and TTR Thr119Thr. Our study depicts a scenario of greater genetic heterogeneity among Brazilian hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR) patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP). We expect that this number will grow fast over a short period of time, due to increasing availability of genetic tests, increasing knowledge of the disease and the multivariate origin of our population.

African swine fever virus does not express viral microRNAs in experimentally infected pigs.

BACKGROUND: African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the etiological agent of African swine fever (ASF), a re-expanding devastating and highly lethal hemorrhagic viral disease. microRNAs (miRNAs) are a new class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. The discovery of virus specific miRNAs has increased both in number and importance in the past few years. We have recently described the differential expression of several porcine miRNAs during in vivo infection with attenuated and virulent ASFV strains. Here, we have extended these studies trying to identify the presence of viral miRNAs encoded by ASFV in an in vivo infection in pigs. RESULTS: Sixteen small RNA libraries were analyzed from spleen and submandibular lymph nodes obtained from eight pigs, seven infected with either the virulent E75 ASFV strain or its attenuated counterpart E75CV1, or from pigs surviving E75CV1-infection and challenged with BA71 (heterologous challenge) and one non infected as negative control. Samples were recovered at different times post-infection. Libraries were analyzed by next-generation sequencing. Some viral miRNA candidates were initially identified, which did not correspond to porcine miRNAs. Further structural analyses were carried out in order to confirm if they met the conformational requirements to be considered a viral miRNA. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of sixteen small RNA libraries prepared from two different tissues obtained from pigs experimentally infected with E75, E75CV1 or with E75CV1 plus BA71, revealed the presence of six potential miRNA sequences but none of them met the requirements to be considered as viral miRNAs. Thus, we can conclude that ASFV does not express miRNAs in vivo, at least under the experimental conditions described here.

Coping flexibility and eudaimonic well-being in university students.

Despite the growing interest in the relationship between coping strategies and eudaimonic well-being, few studies have examined this issue from the perspective of coping flexibility. Therefore, the present study aimed to: (1) identify approach coping profiles in the university context and (2) analyze the differences between these profiles in terms of eudaimonic well-being. A prospective ex post facto design was used and 1,402 university students were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using validated self-reported instruments. A latent profile analysis was conducted to identify the participants' coping profiles. The relationship between profiles and eudaimonic well-being was determined using a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), with gender, age, and university degree as covariates. Six student profiles were identified based on the degree to which they combined positive reappraisal, support seeking, and planning strategies. The profiles that involved the use of these three strategies to a greater extent experienced more eudaimonic well-being, and vice versa. To analyze the impact of coping on eudaimonic well-being, it is necessary to consider students' ability to combine different approach coping strategies.

Motivational profiles in high school students: Differences in behavioural and emotional homework engagement and academic achievement.

This work examined whether combinations of academic and non-academic goals generated different motivational profiles in high school students. Besides, differences in homework behavioural engagement (i.e. amount of homework, time spent in homework, homework time management), homework emotional engagement (i.e. homework anxiety) and academic achievement were analysed. Participants were 714 high school students (43.4% boys and 56.6% girls). The study of potential motivational profiles was conducted by latent profile analysis, and the differences between the motivational profiles regarding homework variables and academic achievement were analysed using multivariate analysis. The results indicate the existence of five groups of motivational profiles: a group of students with multiple goals, a group of unmotivated students, two groups of students with a predominance of learning goals and, finally, a group comprising students with a high fear of failure. Both the group with multiple goals and the learning goals-oriented groups reported to do more homework, spending more time on homework, making better use of that time and having a higher academic achievement than counterparts. The avoidance-failure group and the group with multiple goals showed higher levels of homework anxiety. Globally, these results provide support for a person-centred approach.

Differential expression of porcine microRNAs in African swine fever virus infected pigs: a proof-of-concept study.

BACKGROUND: African swine fever (ASF) is a re-expanding devastating viral disease currently threatening the pig industry worldwide. MicroRNAs are a class of 17-25 nucleotide non- coding RNAs that have been shown to have critical functions in a wide variety of biological processes, such as cell differentiation, cell cycle regulation, carcinogenesis, apoptosis, regulation of immunity as well as in viral infections by cleavage or translational repression of mRNAs. Nevertheless, there is no information about miRNA expression in an ASFV infection. METHODS: In this proof-of-concept study, we have analyzed miRNAs expressed in spleen and submandibular lymph node of experimentally infected pigs with a virulent (E75) or its derived attenuated (E75CV1) ASFV strain, as well as, at different times post-infection with the virulent strain, by high throughput sequencing of small RNA libraries. RESULTS: Spleen presented a more differential expression pattern than lymph nodes in an ASFV infection. Of the most abundant miRNAs, 12 were differentially expressed in both tissues at two different times in infected animals with the virulent strain. Of these, miR-451, miR-145-5p, miR-181a and miR-122 presented up-regulation at late times post-infection while miR-92a, miR-23a, miR-92b-3p, miR-126-5p, miR-126-3p, miR-30d, miR-23b and miR-92c showed down-regulation. Of the 8 differentially expressed miRNAs identified at the same time post-infection in infected animals with the virulent strain compared with animals infected with its attenuated strain, miR-126-5p, miR-92c, miR-92a, miR-30e-5p and miR-500a-5p presented up-regulation whereas miR-125b, miR-451 and miR-125a were down-regulated. All these miRNAs have been shown to be associated with cellular genes involved in pathways related to the immune response, virus-host interactions as well as with several viral genes. CONCLUSION: The study of miRNA expression will contribute to a better understanding of African swine fever virus pathogenesis, essential in the development of any disease control strategy.

Impact of the 2016 Ecuador Earthquake on Zika Virus Cases.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of the April 2016 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Ecuador on the incidence of Zika virus (ZIKV) cases. METHODS: We used the national public health surveillance system for reportable transmissible conditions and included suspected and laboratory-confirmed ZIKV cases. We compared the number of cases before and after the earthquake in areas closer to and farther from the epicenter. RESULTS: From January to July 2016, 2234 patients suspected of having ZIKV infection were reported in both affected and control areas. A total of 1110 patients had a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay, and 159 were positive for ZIKV. The cumulative incidence of ZIKV in the affected area was 11.1 per 100 000 after the earthquake. The odds ratio of having ZIKV infection in those living in the affected area was 8.0 (95% CI = 4.4, 14.6; P < .01) compared with the control area and adjusted for age, gender, province population, and number of government health care facilities. CONCLUSIONS: A spike in ZIKV cases occurred after the earthquake. Patients in the area closest to the epicenter had a delay in seeking care.

Pseudorabies virus infection (Aujeszky's disease) in an Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) in Spain: a case report.

BACKGROUND: The only natural hosts of Pseudorabies virus (PRV) are members of the family Suidae (Sus scrofa scrofa). In species other than suids infection is normally fatal. In these mammals, including carnivores, PRV typically causes serious neurologic disease. The endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is a wild feline endemic to south-western Europe (Iberian Peninsula). The Iberian lynx was found to be the world's most endangered felid species in 2002. In wild felines, PRV infection has only been previously reported once in a Florida panther in 1994. No seropositive lynxes have ever been found, nor has PRV been detected in dead Iberian lynxes to date. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the first reported case of pseudorabies in an Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). Pseudorabies was diagnosed in a young wild Iberian lynx from Extremadura (SW Spain) by histopathological examination, immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis. Gross lesions included alopecia of the ventral neck, bloody gastro-intestinal contents and congestion of the brain. Histopathological analysis showed a moderate nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis with diffuse areas of demyelination, necrotizing gastritis and enteritis of the small intestine. Pseudorabies virus (PRV) antigen was found in neuronal and non-neuronal cells of the brain, tonsils, and gastric glandular epithelial cells by immunohistochemical analysis. The presence of the virus in the brain was confirmed by nested PCR. The sequence analysis of the 146 bp fragment (from the viral glycoprotein B gene) showed that the amplified sequence matched (with 100% identity) the PRV genome. Furthermore, specific DNA from glycoprotein D and E encoding-genes was detected by conventional and real-time PCR, respectively, confirming the latter that this infection was produced by a wild-type PRV strain. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the suspicion that PRV could infect the Iberian lynx. The detection of PRV in a dead Iberian lynx suggests that the virus may have a negative impact on the survival of endangered lynxes in the wild. However, because this is the first verified instance of lynx mortality resulting from pseudorabies, its true impact on the population is unknown.

Short-Chain Chitin Oligomers: Promoters of Plant Growth.

Chitin is the second most abundant biopolymer in nature after cellulose, and it forms an integral part of insect exoskeletons, crustacean shells, krill and the cell walls of fungal spores, where it is present as a high-molecular-weight molecule. In this study, we showed that a chitin oligosaccharide of lower molecular weight (tetramer) induced genes in Arabidopsis that are principally related to vegetative growth, development and carbon and nitrogen metabolism. Based on plant responses to this chitin tetramer, a low-molecular-weight chitin mix (CHL) enriched to 92% with dimers (2mer), trimers (3mer) and tetramers (4mer) was produced for potential use in biotechnological processes. Compared with untreated plants, CHL-treated plants had increased in vitro fresh weight (10%), radicle length (25%) and total carbon and nitrogen content (6% and 8%, respectively). Our data show that low-molecular-weight forms of chitin might play a role in nature as bio-stimulators of plant growth, and they are also a known direct source of carbon and nitrogen for soil biomass. The biochemical properties of the CHL mix might make it useful as a non-contaminating bio-stimulant of plant growth and a soil restorer for greenhouses and fields.