Analysis of the P. lividus sea urchin genome highlights contrasting trends of genomic and regulatory evolution in deuterostomes.

Sea urchins are emblematic models in developmental biology and display several characteristics that set them apart from other deuterostomes. To uncover the genomic cues that may underlie these specificities, we generated a chromosome-scale genome assembly for the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and an extensive gene expression and epigenetic profiles of its embryonic development. We found that, unlike vertebrates, sea urchins retained ancestral chromosomal linkages but underwent very fast intrachromosomal gene order mixing. We identified a burst of gene duplication in the echinoid lineage and showed that some of these expanded genes have been recruited in novel structures (water vascular system, Aristotle's lantern, and skeletogenic micromere lineage). Finally, we identified gene-regulatory modules conserved between sea urchins and chordates. Our results suggest that gene-regulatory networks controlling development can be conserved despite extensive gene order rearrangement.

Factors associated with bacterial vaginosis in women with homosexual, bisexual and heterosexual practices.

BACKGROUND: The factors associated with bacterial vaginosis in women with homosexual, bisexual and heterosexual practices are still poorly explored. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the factors associated with bacterial vaginosis in women with different sexual practices. METHODS: Cross-sectional study that included 453 women, 149 Women with Homosexual practice (WSW); 80 bisexual Women (WSWM) and 224 Women with heterosexual practice (WSM). The diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis was performed by microscopic examination of the vaginal smears stained by Gram method and classified according to the Nugent et al. (1991) score. Data analysis was performed by Cox multiple regression. RESULTS: Bacterial vaginosis was associated to years of education among WSW (0.91 [95% CI 0.82‒0.99]; p = 0.048) and non-white skin color (2.34 [95% CI 1.05‒5.19]; p = 0.037) between WSWM. Changing partners in the last 3-months (2.09 [95% CI 1.14‒3.82]; p = 0.017), inconsistent use of condoms (2.61 [95% CI 1.10‒6.20]; p = 0.030) and positive diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis (2.40 [95% CI 1.01‒5.73]; p = 0.048) were associated with bacterial vaginoses only in WSH. CONCLUSIONS: The factors associated to bacterial vaginosis differ between different sexual practices, suggesting that the type of sexual partner may influence the risk of developing this classic dysbiosis.

Factors associated with bacterial vaginosis in women with homosexual, bisexual and heterosexual practices

Abstract Background The factors associated with bacterial vaginosis in women with homosexual, bisexual and heterosexual practices are still poorly explored. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the factors associated with bacterial vaginosis in women with different sexual practices. Methods Cross-sectional study that included 453 women, 149 Women with Homosexual practice (WSW); 80 bisexual Women (WSWM) and 224 Women with heterosexual practice (WSM). The diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis was performed by microscopic examination of the vaginal smears stained by Gram method and classified according to the Nugent et al. (1991) score. Data analysis was performed by Cox multiple regression. Results Bacterial vaginosis was associated to years of education among WSW (0.91 [95% CI 0.82‒0.99]; p= 0.048) and non-white skin color (2.34 [95% CI 1.05‒5.19]; p= 0.037) between WSWM. Changing partners in the last 3-months (2.09 [95% CI 1.14‒3.82]; p= 0.017), inconsistent use of condoms (2.61 [95% CI 1.10‒6.20]; p= 0.030) and positive diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis (2.40 [95% CI 1.01‒5.73]; p= 0.048) were associated with bacterial vaginoses only in WSH. Conclusions The factors associated to bacterial vaginosis differ between different sexual practices, suggesting that the type of sexual partner may influence the risk of developing this classic dysbiosis.

eIF4B mRNA Translation Contributes to Cleavage Dynamics in Early Sea Urchin Embryos.

During the first steps of sea urchin development, fertilization elicits a marked increase in protein synthesis essential for subsequent cell divisions. While the translation of mitotic cyclin mRNAs is crucial, we hypothesized that additional mRNAs must be translated to finely regulate the onset into mitosis. One of the maternal mRNAs recruited onto active polysomes at this stage codes for the initiation factor eIF4B. Here, we show that the sea urchin eIF4B orthologs present the four specific domains essential for eIF4B function and that Paracentrotus lividus eIF4B copurifies with eIF4E in a heterologous system. In addition, we investigated the role of eIF4B mRNA de novo translation during the two first embryonic divisions of two species, P. lividus and Sphaerechinus granularis. Our results show that injection of a morpholino directed against eIF4B mRNA results in a downregulation of translational activity and delays cell division in these two echinoids. Conversely, injection of an mRNA encoding for P. lividus eIF4B stimulates translation and significantly accelerates cleavage rates. Taken together, our findings suggest that eIF4B mRNA de novo translation participates in a conserved regulatory loop that contributes to orchestrating protein synthesis and modulates cell division rhythm during early sea urchin development.

Vaginal Microbiome Components as Correlates of Cervical Human Papillomavirus Infection.

BACKGROUND: Interplay between vaginal microbiome and human papillomavirus (HPV) remains unclear, partly due to heterogeneity of microbiota. METHODS: We used data from 546 women enrolled in a cross-sectional study in 5 Brazil. We genotyped vaginal samples for HPV and sequenced V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA gene for vaginal microbiome analysis. We used stepwise logistic regression to construct 2 linear scores to predict high-risk HPV (hrHPV) positivity: one based exclusively on presence of individual bacterial taxa (microbiome-based [MB] score) and the other exclusively on participants' sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical (SBC) characteristics. MB score combined coefficients of 30 (of 116) species. SBC score retained 6 of 25 candidate variables. We constructed receiver operating characteristic curves for scores as hrHPV correlates and compared areas under the curve (AUC) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Overall, prevalence of hrHPV was 15.8%, and 26.2% had a Lactobacillus-depleted microbiome. AUCs were 0.8022 (95% CI, .7517-.8527) for MB score and 0.7027 (95% CI, .6419-.7636) for SBC score (P = .0163). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed MB score is strongly correlated with hrHPV positivity-exceeding the predictive value of behavioral variables-suggesting its potential as an indicator of infection and possible value for clinical risk stratification.

Cervicovaginal levels of human beta defensins during bacterial vaginosis.

AIMS: To compare the cervicovaginal levels of human beta defensin (hBD)-1, 2 and 3 of women according to the status of Nugent-defined bacterial vaginosis (BV). METHODS: A total of 634 women of reproductive age were included in the study. Participants were equally distributed in two groups: according to the classification of vaginal smears according to Nugent criteria in normal (scores 0 to 3) and BV (scores ≥7). Cervicovaginal fluid samples were used for measurements of hBDs1, 2 and 3 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Levels of each hBD were compared between the two study groups using Mann-Whitney test, with p-value <0.05 considered as significant. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated for sociodemographic variables and hBD1-3 levels associated with BV a multivariable analysis. Correlation between Nugent score and measured levels of hBDs1-3 were calculated using Spearman's test. RESULTS: Cervicovaginal fluids from women with BV showed lower levels of hBD-1 [median 2,400.00 pg/mL (0-27,800.00); p<0.0001], hBD-2 [5,600.00 pg/mL (0-45,800.00); p<0.0001] and hBD-3 [1,600.00 pg/mL (0-81,700.00); p = 0.012] when compared to optimal microbiota [hBD-1: [median 3,400.00 pg/mL (0-35,600.00), hBD-2: 12,300.00 pg/mL (0-95,300.00) and hBD-3: 3,000.00 pg/mL (0-64,300.00), respectively]. Multivariable analysis showed that lower levels of hBD-1 (OR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.46-2.87), hBD-2 (OR: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.32-2.60) and hBD-3 (OR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.37-2.64) were independently associated BV. Significant negative correlations were observed between Nugent scores and cervicovaginal levels of hBD-1 (Spearman's rho = -0.2118; p = 0.0001) and hBD-2 (*Spearman's rho = -0.2117; p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Bacterial vaginosis is associated with lower cervicovaginal levels of hBDs1-3 in reproductive-aged women.

QCloud2: An Improved Cloud-based Quality-Control System for Mass-Spectrometry-based Proteomics Laboratories.

QCloud is a cloud-based system to support proteomics laboratories in daily quality assessment using a user-friendly interface, easy setup, and automated data processing. Since its release, QCloud has facilitated automated quality control for proteomics experiments in many laboratories. QCloud provides a quick and effortless evaluation of instrument performance that helps to overcome many analytical challenges derived from clinical and translational research. Here we present an improved version of the system, QCloud2. This new version includes enhancements in the scalability and reproducibility of the quality-control pipelines, and it features an improved front end for data visualization, user management, and chart annotation. The QCloud2 system also includes programmatic access and a standalone local version.

Drivers of autochthonous and imported malaria in Spain and their relationship with meteorological variables.

Since the early twentieth century, the intensity of malaria transmission has decreased sharply worldwide, although it is still an infectious disease with a yearly estimate of 228 million cases. The aim of this study was to expand our knowledge on the main drivers of malaria in Spain. In the case of autochthonous malaria, these drivers were linked to socioeconomic and hygienic and sanitary conditions, especially in rural areas due to their close proximity to the wetlands that provide an important habitat for anopheline reproduction. In the case of imported malaria, the main drivers were associated with urban areas, a high population density and international communication nodes (e.g. airports). Another relevant aspect is that the major epidemic episodes of the twentieth century were strongly influenced by war and military conflicts and overcrowding of the healthcare system due to the temporal overlap with the pandemic flu of 1918. Therefore, military conflicts and overlap with other epidemics or pandemics are considered to be drivers of malaria that can-in a temporary manner-exponentially intensify transmission of the disease. Climatic factors did not play a relevant role as drivers of malaria in Spain (at least directly). However, they did influence the seasonality of the disease and, during the epidemic outbreak of 1940-1944, the climate conditions favored or coadjuvated its spread. The results of this study provide additional knowledge on the seasonal and interannual variability of malaria that can help to develop and implement health risk control measures. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41207-021-00245-8.

Rootstock effect on fruit quality, anthocyanins, sugars, hydroxycinnamic acids and flavanones content during the harvest of blood oranges 'Moro' and 'Tarocco Rosso' grown in Spain.

The physico-chemical quality parameters (external and internal color, firmness, acidity, total soluble solids, anthocyanins, sugars, hydroxycinnamic acids and flavanones) of 'Moro' and 'Tarocco Rosso' blood oranges grafted onto eight different rootstocks at three harvest time were studied. The rootstocks were 'Carrizo', 'C-35', 'Cleopatra' mandarin, 'Citrus volkameriana', 'Citrus macrophylla', 'Swingle' citrumelo, 'Forner-Alcaide 5' and 'Forner-Alcaide 13'. All studied parameters were highly rootstock/scion-dependent and showed changes throughout harvest. The content of the main anthocyanins revealed their relation with internal fruit color in both cultivars. The rootstocks that led to fruit with the lowest anthocyanins displayed the least sucrose content. The differences detected in the amount of hydroxycinnamic acids (chlorogenic, ferulic and sinapic) and flavanones (hesperidin, narirutin and didymin) related to anthocyanins content, explained phenylpropanoid pathway.

Physico-chemical, sensorial and nutritional quality during the harvest season of 'Tango' mandarins grafted onto Carrizo Citrange and Forner-Alcaide no. 5.

'Tango' mandarin is becoming one of the most demanded varieties in the Mediterranean Region. However, no information on the quality of 'Tango' fruit in this citrus area has been reported. In this study, the physico-chemical, nutritional and sensorial quality of 'Tango' mandarins grafted onto Carrizo Citrange and FA5 rootstocks from two locations (Sevilla and Huelva) was evaluated by harvest season. The fruit from Sevilla exhibited lower levels of acids and sugars than those from Huelva, which was associated with a higher sandy soil percentage in the Huelva orchard. In both orchards, the FA5-produced fruit had higher sugars and acids. Flavonoids were affected mainly by location, and the Huelva fruit exhibited the highest levels. The highest vitamin C was for the FA5 fruit. The decreased antioxidant capacity observed throughout the harvest season was related to reduced vitamin C. The sensorial evaluation corroborated changes in the quality parameters.

Diagnostic accuracy of a telemedicine tool for acute burns diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine technologies have a valuable potential when it comes to improving the accuracy of triage protocols in selecting severely injured patients who may benefit from transportation. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation of the urgent diagnosis made by telemedicine through an App with traditional face-to-face urgent care and the final diagnosis, made by scheduled consultation. METHODS: We carried out a descriptive cross-sectional study to evaluate the accuracy of telemedicine in burns evaluation compared to gold standard (in-person consultation). An App was designed. All patients enrolled were evaluated by both teleconsultation and face-to-face approach on burn emergencies. Diagnosis on presentation made by a physician constituted the gold standard. RESULTS: A total of 202 patients were included in the study. The use of TM was able to detect that 83.17% of the patients attending the BU could have been managed on as outpatient basis. The intra-observer concordance was k=0.94 (95% CI: 0.90-0.97). These results highlight a very high sensitivity and specificity (99.40 and 100% respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The telemedicine system for planning referrals is a useful tool that may make significant differences in the management of burned patients although further research needs to be taken in that direction.

mTOR Signaling at the Crossroad between Metazoan Regeneration and Human Diseases.

A major challenge in medical research resides in controlling the molecular processes of tissue regeneration, as organ and structure damage are central to several human diseases. A survey of the literature reveals that mTOR (mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin) is involved in a wide range of regeneration mechanisms in the animal kingdom. More particularly, cellular processes such as growth, proliferation, and differentiation are controlled by mTOR. In addition, autophagy, stem cell maintenance or the newly described intermediate quiescence state, Galert, imply upstream monitoring by the mTOR pathway. In this review, we report the role of mTOR signaling in reparative regenerations in different tissues and body parts (e.g., axon, skeletal muscle, liver, epithelia, appendages, kidney, and whole-body), and highlight how the mTOR kinase can be viewed as a therapeutic target to boost organ repair. Studies in this area have focused on modulating the mTOR pathway in various animal models to elucidate its contribution to regeneration. The diversity of metazoan species used to identify the implication of this pathway might then serve applied medicine (in better understanding what is required for efficient treatments in human diseases) but also evolutionary biology. Indeed, species-specific differences in mTOR modulation can contain the keys to appreciate why certain regeneration processes have been lost or conserved in the animal kingdom.

A Peak of H3T3 Phosphorylation Occurs in Synchrony with Mitosis in Sea Urchin Early Embryos.

The sea urchin embryo provides a valuable system to analyse the molecular mechanisms orchestrating cell cycle progression and mitosis in a developmental context. However, although it is known that the regulation of histone activity by post-translational modification plays an important role during cell division, the dynamics and the impact of these modifications have not been characterised in detail in a developing embryo. Using different immuno-detection techniques, we show that the levels of Histone 3 phosphorylation at Threonine 3 oscillate in synchrony with mitosis in Sphaerechinus granularis early embryos. We present, in addition, the results of a pharmacological study aimed at analysing the role of this key histone post-translational modification during sea urchin early development.

Physicochemical changes and chilling injury disorders in 'Tango' mandarins stored at low temperatures.

BACKGROUND: The susceptibility to chilling injury and quality changes of 'Tango' mandarins stored at different temperatures was evaluated in fruit grown at two locations in Andalusia (Spain) and grafted on Carrizo Citrange or FA5 rootstock. The peel disorders were also characterized by a microstructural study. RESULTS: Fruit developed chilling injuries, manifested as pitting lesions affecting the equatorial area of the fruit stored at 1 °C or 5 °C; fruit growing on FA5 rootstock showed a slightly lower incidence. The microstructural study revealed that only the upper layers of flavedo were affected in the damaged fruit, the epidermal and hypodermal tissues being dramatically collapsed. Although the fruit was prone to accumulate ethanol, especially after the shelf life that followed the different periods of cold storage, the ethanol did not compromise the overall flavor. CONCLUSIONS: Storage of 'Tango' fruit was limited by chilling injuries when stored at 1 °C or 5 °C for more than 20 days. Moreover, at these temperatures, the fruit was prone to accumulate ethanol and develop off flavors. At 9° C, the fruit could be stored for 30 days without compromising external or internal quality. Growing location and rootstock influenced some quality attributes at harvest but not during storage. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

In vivo analysis of protein translation activity in sea urchin eggs and embryos.

Protein synthesis is a major regulatory step of gene expression in different physiological processes including development. Translation of proteins in sea urchin is stimulated upon fertilization and is necessary for cell cycle progression and development. Translational control is exerted through multifactorial mechanisms, including mRNA recruitment into polysomes and increased rates of translational activity. In this chapter, we review the methods used in sea urchin eggs and embryos to analyze translation activity in vivo both from perspectives of the proteins and of the mRNAs. First, we describe methods to quantify or visualize newly synthesized proteins with radioactive and non-radioactive labeling techniques. Next we present the polysome isolation and profiling on sucrose gradients, allowing the identification of translated mRNAs. Finally, we outline a procedure to follow the translation of a reporter luciferase protein from an mRNA microinjected into the egg.

Translational Control of Canonical and Non-Canonical Translation Initiation Factors at the Sea Urchin Egg to Embryo Transition.

Sea urchin early development is a powerful model to study translational regulation under physiological conditions. Fertilization triggers an activation of the translation machinery responsible for the increase of protein synthesis necessary for the completion of the first embryonic cell cycles. The cap-binding protein eIF4E, the helicase eIF4A and the large scaffolding protein eIF4G are assembled upon fertilization to form an initiation complex on mRNAs involved in cap-dependent translation initiation. The presence of these proteins in unfertilized and fertilized eggs has already been demonstrated, however data concerning the translational status of translation factors are still scarce. Using polysome fractionation, we analyzed the impact of fertilization on the recruitment of mRNAs encoding initiation factors. Strikingly, whereas the mRNAs coding eIF4E, eIF4A, and eIF4G were not recruited into polysomes at 1 h post-fertilization, mRNAs for eIF4B and for non-canonical initiation factors such as DAP5, eIF4E2, eIF4E3, or hnRNP Q, are recruited and are differentially sensitive to the activation state of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. We discuss our results suggesting alternative translation initiation in the context of the early development of sea urchins.

Idade materna e resultados perinatais na gestação de alto risco / Maternal age and perinatal results in high-risk management

Objetiva-se analisar a influência da idade materna com os desfechos perinatais em gestações de alto risco. Trata-se de um estudo exploratório, descritivo com abordagem quantitativa. O estudo foi composto por gestantes de alto risco atendidas de setembro de 2012 a setembro de 2017. A variável independente foi a idade materna e as variáveis dependentes foram aquelas relacionadas com o recém-nascido: baixo peso ao nascer (< 2.500 g), prematuridade (idade gestacional < 37 semanas), baixo índice de Apgar no 1° e 5º minutos de vida (< 7), óbito fetal e óbito neonatal. Verificou-se que as adolescentes (≤19 anos) possuem chances maiores de terem filhos com baixo peso ao nascer (p=0,008), baixo escore de Apgar no 1° minuto (<7) (p<0,001) e óbito neonatal (p=0,037). No grupo de gestantes, ≥ 35 anos (gestação tardia), observa-se que estas possuem maiores chances de terem filhos prematuros (p=0,019). Os resultados deste estudo apontaram que na gestação de alto risco a idade materna também é um fator que está associado aos desfechos perinatais desfavoráveis. O estudo identificou associação da prematuridade com a idade avançada na gestação e o baixo peso ao nascer, baixo escore de Apgar no 1° minuto e óbito neonatal com a gestação na adolescência.

Aimed at analyse the influence of maternal age and perinatal outcomes in high-risk pregnancies. This is an exploratory, descriptive study with a quantitative approach. The study was composed of high-risk pregnant women attended from September 2012 to September 2017. The independent variable was maternal age and the dependent variables were those related to the new-born: low birth weight (LBW) (<2,500 g ), prematurity (gestational age <37 weeks), low Apgar score at 1 and 5 minutes of life (<7), fetal death and neonatal death. It was verified that adolescents (≤19 years old) had a higher odds of having children with LBW (p = 0.008), low Apgar score at 1 minute (<7) (p <0.001), and neonatal death (p = 0.037). In the group of pregnant women ≥ 35 years (late gestation) it is observed that they are more likely to have preterm children (p = 0.019). The results of this study pointed out that in high-risk pregnancy maternal age is also a factor that is associated with unfavourable perinatal outcomes. The study identified association of prematurity with advanced age in gestation and BPN, low Apgar score in the first minute and neonatal death with gestation in adolescence.

El objetivo es analizar la influencia de la edad materna con los resultados perinatales en gestaciones de alto riesgo. Se trata de un estudio exploratorio, descriptivo con abordaje cuantitativo. La variable independiente fue la edad materna y las variables dependientes fueron aquellas relacionadas con el recién nacido: bajo peso al nacer (BPN) (<2.500 g) ), prematuridad (edad gestacional <37 semanas), bajo índice de Apgar en el 1° y 5º minutos de vida (<7), óbito fetal y muerte neonatal. Se verificó que las adolescentes (≤19 años) poseen mayores posibilidades de tener hijos con BPN (p = 0,008), bajo puntaje de Apgar en el minuto 1 (<7) (p <0,001) y óbito neonatal (p = 0,037). En el grupo de gestantes ≥ 35 años (gestación tardía) se observa que éstas tienen más probabilidades de tener hijos prematuros (p = 0,019). Los resultados de este estudio apuntaron que en la gestación de alto riesgo la edad materna también es un factor que está asociado a los resultados perinatales desfavorables. El estudio identificó asociación de la prematuridad con la edad avanzada en la gestación y el BPN, bajo puntaje de Apgar en el 1 ° minuto y óbito neonatal con la gestación en la adolescencia.

Toward Multiscale Modeling of Molecular and Biochemical Events Occurring at Fertilization Time in Sea Urchins.

We review here previous theoretical and experimental works, which aim to model major events that occur at the time of fertilization in the sea urchin. We discuss works that perform experiments and develop hypotheses that link different scales of biological systems such as the intracellular Ca2+ concentration oscillations and the swimming behavior of sperm, the Ca2+ wave propagation and the fertilization membrane elevation of the egg, and the mRNA translational activation and the completion of the first mitotic division of the early embryo. The aim of this review is on one hand, to highlight the value of systems biology for understanding the mechanisms associated with fertilization and early embryonic development in sea urchins. On the other hand, this review attempts to illustrate, for mathematicians and bioinformaticians, the potential that represent these molecular and cellular events for modeling clear physiological processes.

Translatome analysis at the egg-to-embryo transition in sea urchin.

Early embryogenesis relies on the translational regulation of maternally stored mRNAs. In sea urchin, fertilization triggers a dramatic rise in translation activity, necessary for the onset of cell division. Here, the full spectrum of the mRNAs translated upon fertilization was investigated by polysome profiling and sequencing. The translatome of the early sea urchin embryo gave a complete picture of the polysomal recruitment dynamics following fertilization. Our results indicate that only a subset of maternal mRNAs were selectively recruited onto polysomes, with over-represented functional categories in the translated set. The increase in translation upon fertilization depends on the formation of translation initiation complexes following mTOR pathway activation. Surprisingly, mTOR pathway inhibition differentially affected polysomal recruitment of the newly translated mRNAs, which thus appeared either mTOR-dependent or mTOR-independent. Therefore, our data argue for an alternative to the classical cap-dependent model of translation in early development. The identification of the mRNAs translated following fertilization helped assign translational activation events to specific mRNAs. This translatome is the first step to a comprehensive analysis of the molecular mechanisms governing translation upon fertilization and the translational regulatory networks that control the egg-to-embryo transition as well as the early steps of embryogenesis.