Vehicle Windshield Wiper Fluid as Potential Source of Sporadic Legionnaires' Disease in Commercial Truck Drivers.

Sporadic Legionnaires' disease is frequently detected in commercial truck drivers. We report 2 sporadic cases of this disease in Barcelona, Spain, that occurred during December 2019 and September 2020. Laboratory findings were consistent with windshield wiper fluid without added screen wash as a possible source of infection for both cases.

Molecular bases for drought tolerance in common vetch: designing new molecular breeding tools.

BACKGROUND: Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is a forage grain legume of high protein content and high nitrogen fixation, relevant in sustainable agriculture systems. Drought is the main limiting factor of this crop yield. Genetic resources collections are essential to provide genetic variability for breeding. The analysis of drought associated parameters has allowed us to identify drought tolerant and sensitive ecotypes in a vetch core collection. RESULTS: To understand the mechanisms involved in drought response we analysed transcriptomic differences between tolerant and sensitive accessions. Polymorphic variants (SNPs and SSRs) in these differential expressed genes (DEGs) have also been analysed for the design of drought-associated markers. A total of 1332 transcripts were commonly deregulated in both genotypes under drought. To know the drought adaptive response, we also analysed DEGs between accessions. A total of 2646 transcripts are DEG between sensitive and tolerant ecotypes, in watered and drought conditions, including important genes involved in redox homeostasis, cell wall modifications and stress-response. The integration of this functional and genetic information will contribute to understand the molecular mechanisms of drought response and the adaptive mechanisms of drought tolerance in common vetch. The identification of polymorphic variants in these DEGs has also been screened for the design of drought-associated markers that could be used in future breeding program strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies shed light for the first time in common vetch about the genes and pathways associated with drought tolerance. In addition, we identify over 100 potential drought associated polymorphism, as SNPs or SSRs, which are differently present in drought and tolerant genotypes. The use of these molecular markers for trait prediction would enable the development of genomic tools for future engineering strategies by screening of germplasm crop collections for traits related with crop drought resilience, adaptability or yield in vetch.

The transcription factor OBP4 controls root growth and promotes callus formation.

Plant growth and development require a continuous balance between cell division and differentiation. In root meristems, differentiated cells acquire specialized functions, losing their mitotic potential. Some plant cells, such as pericycle cells, have a remarkable plasticity to regenerate new organs. The molecular mechanisms underlying cell reprogramming are not completely known. In this work, a functional screening of transcription factors identified Arabidopsis OBP4 (OBF Binding Protein 4) as a novel regulator of root growth and cell elongation and differentiation. Overexpression of OBP4 regulates the levels of a large number of transcripts in roots, many involved in hormonal signaling and callus formation. OBP4 controls cell elongation and differentiation in root cells. OBP4 does not induce cell division in the root meristem, but promotes pericycle cell proliferation, forming callus-like structures at the root tip, as shown by the expression of stem cell markers. Callus formation is enhanced by ectopic expression of OBP4 in the wild-type or alf4-1, but is significantly reduced in roots that have lower levels of OBP4. Our data provide molecular insights into how differentiated root cells acquire the potential to generate callus, a pluripotent mass of cells that can regenerate fully functional plant organs.

Development of a real-time PCR for Bartonella spp. detection, a current emerging microorganism.

A real-time PCR assay using SYBR Green was optimized to detect those Bartonella that are most frequently described as pathogens. The assay was genus-specific. Sequencing allowed to distinguish species. Assay sensitivity was determined using 10-fold serial dilutions of genomic DNA. Dynamic range was 100 ng-100 fg and sensitivity was 50 copies/reaction.

Whole genome duplications in plants: an overview from Arabidopsis.

Polyploidy is a common event in plants that involves the acquisition of more than two complete sets of chromosomes. Allopolyploidy originates from interspecies hybrids while autopolyploidy originates from intraspecies whole genome duplication (WGD) events. In spite of inconveniences derived from chromosomic rearrangement during polyploidization, natural plant polyploids species often exhibit improved growth vigour and adaptation to adverse environments, conferring evolutionary advantages. These advantages have also been incorporated into crop breeding programmes. Many tetraploid crops show increased stress tolerance, although the molecular mechanisms underlying these different adaptation abilities are poorly known. Understanding the physiological, cellular, and molecular mechanisms coupled to WGD, in both allo- and autopolyploidy, is a major challenge. Over the last few years, several studies, many of them in Arabidopsis, are shedding light on the basis of genetic, genomic, and epigenomic changes linked to WGD. In this review we summarize and discuss the latest advances made in Arabidopsis polyploidy, but also in other agronomic plant species.

Genome-wide analysis of histone H3.1 and H3.3 variants in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Nucleosomes package eukaryotic DNA and are composed of four different histone proteins, designated H3, H4, H2A, and H2B. Histone H3 has two main variants, H3.1 and H3.3, which show different genomic localization patterns in animals. We profiled H3.1 and H3.3 variants in the genome of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana and found that the localization of these variants shows broad similarity in plants and animals, along with some unique features. H3.1 was enriched in silent areas of the genome, including regions containing the repressive chromatin modifications H3 lysine 27 methylation, H3 lysine 9 methylation, and DNA methylation. In contrast, H3.3 was enriched in actively transcribed genes, especially peaking at the 3' end of genes, and correlated with histone modifications associated with gene activation, such as histone H3 lysine 4 methylation and H2B ubiquitylation, as well as RNA Pol II occupancy. Surprisingly, both H3.1 and H3.3 were enriched on defined origins of replication, as was overall nucleosome density, suggesting a novel characteristic of plant origins. Our results are broadly consistent with the hypothesis that H3.1 acts as the canonical histone that is incorporated during DNA replication, whereas H3.3 acts as the replacement histone that can be incorporated outside of S-phase during chromatin-disrupting processes like transcription.

ANTI-SILENCING FUNCTION1 proteins are involved in ultraviolet-induced DNA damage repair and are cell cycle regulated by E2F transcription factors in Arabidopsis.

ANTI-SILENCING FUNCTION1 (ASF1) is a key histone H3/H4 chaperone that participates in a variety of DNA- and chromatin-related processes, including DNA repair, where chromatin assembly and disassembly are of primary relevance. Information concerning the role of ASF1 proteins in the post-ultraviolet (UV) response in higher plants is currently limited. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), an initial analysis of in vivo localization of ASF1A and ASF1B indicates that both proteins are mainly expressed in proliferative tissues. In silico promoter analysis identified ASF1A and ASF1B as potential targets of E2F corresponds to Adenovirus E2 Binding Factor. [corrected]. These observations were experimentally validated, both in vitro, by electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and in vivo, by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays and expression analysis using transgenic plants with altered levels of different E2F transcription factors. These data suggest that ASF1A and ASF1B are regulated during cell cycle progression through E2F transcription factors. In addition, we found that ASF1A and ASF1B are associated with the UV-B-induced DNA damage response in Arabidopsis. Transcript levels of ASF1A and ASF1B were increased following UV-B treatment. Consistent with a potential role in UV-B response, RNA interference-silenced plants of both genes showed increased sensitivity to UV-B compared with wild-type plants. Finally, by coimmunoprecipitation analysis, we found that ASF1 physically interacts with amino-terminal acetylated histones H3 and H4 and with acetyltransferases of the Histone Acetyl Transferase subfamily, which are known to be involved in cell cycle control and DNA repair, among other functions. Together, we provide evidence that ASF1A and ASF1B are regulated by cell cycle progression and are involved in DNA repair after UV-B irradiation.

Deciphering the molecular bases for drought tolerance in Arabidopsis autotetraploids.

Whole genome duplication (autopolyploidy) is common in many plant species and often leads to better adaptation to adverse environmental conditions. However, little is known about the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations. Drought is one of the major environmental conditions limiting plant growth and development. Here, we report that, in Arabidopsis thaliana, tetraploidy promotes alterations in cell proliferation and organ size in a tissue-dependent manner. Furthermore, it potentiates plant tolerance to salt and drought stresses and decreases transpiration rate, likely through controlling stomata density and closure, abscisic acid (ABA) signalling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis. Our transcriptomic analyses revealed that tetraploidy mainly regulates the expression of genes involved in redox homeostasis and ABA and stress response. Taken together, our data have shed light on the molecular basis associated with stress tolerance in autopolyploid plants.

Auxin and epigenetic regulation of SKP2B, an F-box that represses lateral root formation.

In plants, lateral roots originate from pericycle founder cells that are specified at regular intervals along the main root. Here, we show that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) SKP2B (for S-Phase Kinase-Associated Protein2B), an F-box protein, negatively regulates cell cycle and lateral root formation as it represses meristematic and founder cell divisions. According to its function, SKP2B is expressed in founder cells, lateral root primordia and the root apical meristem. We identified a novel motif in the SKP2B promoter that is required for its specific root expression and auxin-dependent induction in the pericycle cells. Next to a transcriptional control by auxin, SKP2B expression is regulated by histone H3.1/H3.3 deposition in a CAF-dependent manner. The SKP2B promoter and the 5' end of the transcribed region are enriched in H3.3, which is associated with active chromatin states, over H3.1. Furthermore, the SKP2B promoter is also regulated by H3 acetylation in an auxin- and IAA14-dependent manner, reinforcing the idea that epigenetics represents an important regulatory mechanism during lateral root formation.

Designing Novel Strategies for Improving Old Legumes: An Overview from Common Vetch.

Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is a grain legume used in animal feeding, rich in protein content, fatty acid, and mineral composition that makes for a very adequate component to enrich feedstuff. In addition, relevant pharmacological properties have been reported in humans. The common vetch, similar to other legumes, can fix atmospheric nitrogen, a crucial feature for sustainable agricultural systems. These properties enhance the use of vetch as a cover crop and its sowing in intercropping systems. Moreover, several studies have recently pointed out the potential of vetch in the phytoremediation of contaminated soils. These characteristics make vetch a relevant crop, which different potential improvements target. Varieties with different yields, flowering times, shattering resistance, nutritional composition, rhizobacteria associations, drought tolerance, nitrogen fixation capacity, and other agronomic-relevant traits have been identified when different vetch accessions are compared. Recently, the analysis of genomic and transcriptomic data has allowed the development of different molecular markers to be used for assisted breeding purposes, promoting crop improvement. Here, we review the potential of using the variability of V. sativa genetic resources and new biotechnological and molecular tools for selecting varieties with improved traits to be used in sustainable agriculture systems.

GameTeen: new tools for evaluating and training emotional regulation strategies.

The aim of this paper is to describe GameTeen, a novel instrument for the assessment and training of Emotional Regulation (ER) strategies in adolescent population. These new tools are based on the use of 3D serious games that can be played under different settings. The evolution of ER strategies will be monitored in two ways depending on the setting where the tool is presented. Firstly, in the laboratory, physiological signals and facial expressions of participants will be recorded. Secondly, in real life settings, ecological momentary assessment tools will be used to obtain answers from the subjects using their mobile phone. The goal is to obtain more attractive and reliable tools to evaluate and train ER strategies.

Combining Virtual Reality and Machine Learning for Leadership Styles Recognition.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the viability of a new selection procedure based on machine learning (ML) and virtual reality (VR). Specifically, decision-making behaviours and eye-gaze patterns were used to classify individuals based on their leadership styles while immersed in virtual environments that represented social workplace situations. The virtual environments were designed using an evidence-centred design approach. Interaction and gaze patterns were recorded in 83 subjects, who were classified as having either high or low leadership style, which was assessed using the Multifactor leadership questionnaire. A ML model that combined behaviour outputs and eye-gaze patterns was developed to predict subjects' leadership styles (high vs low). The results indicated that the different styles could be differentiated by eye-gaze patterns and behaviours carried out during immersive VR. Eye-tracking measures contributed more significantly to this differentiation than behavioural metrics. Although the results should be taken with caution as the small sample does not allow generalization of the data, this study illustrates the potential for a future research roadmap that combines VR, implicit measures, and ML for personnel selection.

Regulation of plant MSH2 and MSH6 genes in the UV-B-induced DNA damage response.

Deleterious effects of UV-B radiation on DNA include the formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproducts (6-4PPs). These lesions must be repaired to maintain the integrity of DNA and provide genetic stability. Of the several repair systems involved in the recognition and removal of UV-B-induced lesions in DNA, the focus in the present study was on the mismatch repair system (MMR). The contribution of MutSα (MSH2-MSH6) to UV-induced DNA lesion repair and cell cycle regulation was investigated. MSH2 and MSH6 genes in Arabidopsis and maize are up-regulated by UV-B, indicating that MMR may have a role in UV-B-induced DNA damage responses. Analysis of promoter sequences identified MSH6 as a target of the E2F transcription factors. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, MSH6 was experimentally validated as an E2F target gene, suggesting an interaction between MMR genes and the cell cycle control. Mutations in MSH2 or MSH6 caused an increased accumulation of CPDs relative to wild-type plants. In addition, msh2 mutant plants showed a different expression pattern of cell cycle marker genes after the UV-B treatment when compared with wild-type plants. Taken together, these data provide evidence that plant MutSα is involved in a UV-B-induced DNA damage response pathway.

Are 3D virtual environments better than 2D interfaces in serious games performance? An explorative study for the assessment of executive functions.

Executive functions refer to higher-order cognitive processes that supervise and guide goal-directed and adaptive behaviors in response to everyday situations. The traditional measures used to assess executive functions include paper-and-pencil tests and/or computerized tests that have been found to have a moderate level of ecological validity in predicting real-world performance. Serious games (SG) represent a novel methodological approach, allowing investigating subjects' performance in real-simulated situations. Serious games are computer games whose primary purposes include investigating human behaviors and changes. Furthermore, SG can also vary according to the technology used and the interaction. Indeed, a SG can be rendered via a nonimmersive screen-based (2D) or via an immersive virtual reality game (3D). Starting from these premises, we compared a narrative-contextualized SG in 2D and 3D, correlating them with traditional tests. Findings showed different condition correlations with the traditional tasks and the comparison between the two systems have revealed that 3D is able to generate lower reaction times, higher correct answers, and lower perseverative responses in attentional abilities, inhibition control, and cognitive shifting than 2D condition. The present study yielded evidence on the use of more ecological tools to identify the functional cognitive status in real-simulated contexts along with traditional evaluation.

Common Vetch, Valuable Germplasm for Resilient Agriculture: Genetic Characterization and Spanish Core Collection Development.

Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is a legume used for animal feed because of its high protein content and great capacity for nitrogen fixation, making this crop relevant in sustainable agriculture. The Spanish vetch collection, conserved at the Spanish Plant Genetic Resources Center (CRF), is one of the largest collections of this species worldwide, including landraces, wild relatives mainly collected in Spain, and commercial cultivars, but also accessions of international origin. The analysis of the genetic diversity of this material, whose genome has not been sequenced yet, and the assembly of a representative collection could play a pivotal role in conserving and exploiting these genetic resources in breeding programs mainly in those focused on consequences and demands of climate change. In this work, a set of 14 simple sequence repeat (SSR) reference alleles for genetic diversity analysis of the CRF vetch collection has been developed, used for genotyping more than 545 common vetch accessions from all over the world and validated. All the tested markers were polymorphic for the analyzed accessions. Overall, at least 86 different loci were identified with 2-11 alleles per locus with an average of 6.1 alleles per locus. Also, the analyses of the generated SSR database support that most of these SSR markers are transferable across closely related species of Vicia genus. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that wild relatives have a higher genetic diversity than landraces. However, cultivars have similar diversity than landraces, indicating that genetic variability has been barely lost due to the breeding of this legume. Low differences of genetic variations between Spanish and non-Spanish accessions have been observed, suggesting a high degree of diversity within Spanish genotypes, which provide 95% of the total genetic variation, so we have focused our efforts on characterizing genotypes of Spanish origin that were further studied using storage protein profiles. Based on SSR, seed protein profiles, and agromorphological and passport data, a vetch core collection (VCC) containing 47 V. sativa accessions of Spanish origin has been established. In this collection, the characterization has been expanded using ISSR markers, and it has been reevaluated with new agromorphological data, including drought tolerance characters. This VCC presents a minimum loss of genetic diversity concerning the total collection and constitutes an invaluable material that can be used in future breeding programs for direct use in a resilient agricultural system.

Do sign language videos improve Web navigation for Deaf Signer users?

The efficacy of video-based sign language (SL) navigation aids to improve Web search for Deaf Signers was tested by two experiments. Experiment 1 compared 2 navigation aids based on text hyperlinks linked to embedded SL videos, which differed in the spatial contiguity between the text hyperlink and SL video (contiguous vs. distant). Deaf Signers' performance was similar in Web search using both aids, but a positive correlation between their word categorization abilities and search efficiency appeared in the distant condition. In Experiment 2, the contiguous condition was compared with a text-only hyperlink condition. Deaf Signers became less disorientated (used shorter paths to find the target) in the text plus SL condition than in the text-only condition. In addition, the positive correlation between word categorization abilities and search only appeared in the text-only condition. These findings suggest that SL videos added to text hyperlinks improve Web search efficiency for Deaf Signers.

The many faces of chromatin assembly factor 1.

Chromatin organization requires that histones associate with DNA in the form of nucleosomes the position and composition of which is crucial for chromatin dynamics. Histone chaperones help to deliver specific histone proteins to the sites where chromatin is being newly formed or remodeled. Association of H3-H4 during DNA replication depends on the chromatin assembly factor 1. The study of Arabidopsis plants carrying loss-of-function alleles in each of the three chromatin assembly factor 1 subunits has highlighted the links between chromatin assembly in proliferating cells and other cellular processes. These are the G2 DNA damage checkpoint, homologous recombination, endoreplication control and transcriptional regulation of specific gene sets, all contributing to the plasticity of plants in dealing with alterations in DNA replication-associated chromatin assembly.

Virtual Reality as an Emerging Methodology for Leadership Assessment and Training.

In developed countries, companies are now substantially reliant on the skills and abilities of their leaders to tackle a variety of complex issues. There is a growing consensus that leadership development training and assessment methods should adopt more holistic methodologies, including those associated with the emotional and neuroendocrine aspects of learning. Recent research into the assessment of leadership competencies has proposed the use of objective methods and measurements based on neuroscience. One of the challenges to be faced in the development of a performance-based methodology to measure leadership skills is how to generate real-life situations with triggers that allow us to study management competencies under controlled laboratory conditions. A way to address this question is to take advantage of virtual environments to recreate real-life situations that might arise in performance-based assessments. We propose virtual reality (VR) as a very promising tool to observe various leadership related behavioral patterns during dynamic, complex and realistic situations. By seamlessly embedding assessment methods into virtual learning environments, VR can provide objective assessment methods with high ecological validity. VR also holds unlimited opportunities for leadership training providing subjects with intelligent tutoring systems that adapts situations in real time according to the observed behaviors.

EXPANSE: A novel narrative serious game for the behavioral assessment of cognitive abilities.

EFs are a set of processes that supports many cognitive domains as goal setting, monitoring, planning, and cognitive-behavioural flexible control. Currently, many standardized paper-and-pencil tests or scales are used to assess EFs. These tests are easy to administer, score, and interpret but present some limitations in terms of generalizability of behaviours in real life. More recently, Information and Communication Technology has provided a higher ecological validity in the EFs assessment. In order to increase the ecological validity, we have developed a serious game (SG), named EXPANSE, which aim was to compare the participants' game performance (latency times, and correct answers) with the results obtained in the traditional tasks and scales. 354 healthy subjects participated to the study and the findings showed significant correlations among standard tasks and the serious game. The exploratory nature of the present study, on one hand, highlighted that SG could be an additional behavioral tool to assess EFs and, on the other, we need further investigations, including clinical populations, for better defining the game sensitivity toward EF components. Finally, the results show that serious games are a promising technology for the evaluation of real cognitive behavior along with traditional evaluation.

Serotype, virulence profile, antimicrobial resistance and macrolide-resistance determinants in Streptococcus agalactiae isolates in pregnant women and neonates in Catalonia, Spain.

INTRODUCTION: Streptococcus agalactiae, or group B streptococci (GBS), is the main aetiological agent of early neonatal sepsis in developed countries. This microorganism belongs to the gastrointestinal tract microbiota wherefrom it can colonize the vagina and be vertically transmitted to the child either before or at birth, and subsequently cause infection in the newborn. Approximately, 50% of newborns born to women with GBS become colonized, with 1-2% developing early neonatal infection if no preventive intervention is performed. The aim of this study was to characterize and compare serotypes, virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance of GBS isolates collected from pregnant women and newborns in several hospitals in Catalonia. METHODS: 242 GBS strains were analyzed including 95 colonizers and 68 pathogenic strains isolated from pregnant women, and 79 strains isolated from neonates with sepsis in order to determine serotype, virulence and antimicrobial resistance. RESULTS: Serotype distribution was different among the three groups, with serotypes Ia and II being significantly more frequent among colonizing strains (p=0.001 and 0.012, respectively). Virulence factors bca and scpB were significantly more frequent among neonatal strains than pathogenic or colonizing strains (p=0.0001 and 0.002, respectively). Pathogenic strains were significantly more resistant to erythromycin, clindamycin and azithromycin than their non-pathogenic counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Taking into account that neonatal sepsis represents a significant problem on a global scale, epidemiological surveillance, antimicrobial resistance and GBS virulence at the local level could provide important knowledge about these microorganisms as well as help to improve treatment and prevent invasive infection caused by this microorganism.