The removal of dissolved organic matter by marine sponges is a function of its composition and concentration: An in situ seasonal study of four Mediterranean species.

Sponges are unique among metazoans in their ability to use dissolved organic matter (DOM), the largest pool of organic matter in the ocean, as a major food source. The effect of variations in DOM abundance and composition on its uptake by sponges has rarely been studied. We examined, in situ, the seasonal uptake of DOM by four sponges [2 species with high microbial abundance (HMA) and 2 with low microbial abundance (LMA)] in the northwestern Mediterranean. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) showed a strong seasonality with 3-fold higher concentrations in fall-winter (256 ± 16 µmol L-1, mean ± SE) than in spring-summer (88 ± 3 µmol L-1). Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) showed the opposite trend, with higher summer concentrations (8.9 ± 0.4 µmol L-1) and mean concentrations of 2.5-3.4 µmol L-1 in the other seasons. DOC removal by all sponge species increased linearly with its ambient concentration, but only above a DOC removal threshold that was threefold higher in fall-winter (198 µmol L-1) than in spring-summer (74 µmol L-1). All species showed a concentration-dependent DON removal, but LMA sponges removed more DON than HMA sponges. The DOC removal rate (normalized to sponge volume) was 2-3 times higher in fall-winter, when ambient DOC levels were high, than in spring-summer. Sponges efficiently removed clusters of the fluorescent DOM (FDOM) associated with protein-rich DOM, but not those associated with humic material. The clear threshold for DOC removal and the protein-like FDOM uptake pattern suggest that the quality and quantity of DOM control its removal and transformation by marine sponges. Our results indicate that marine sponges transform the composition of the coastal DOM pool, thereby affecting its fate. It is postulated that the DOM excreted by the sponges is more recalcitrant; consequently, sponge activity enhances carbon sequestration in benthic habitats in a similar fashion to that of the oceanic 'microbial pump'.

Lifestyle of sponge symbiont phages by host prediction and correlative microscopy.

Bacteriophages (phages) are ubiquitous elements in nature, but their ecology and role in animals remains little understood. Sponges represent the oldest known extant animal-microbe symbiosis and are associated with dense and diverse microbial consortia. Here we investigate the tripartite interaction between phages, bacterial symbionts, and the sponge host. We combined imaging and bioinformatics to tackle important questions on who the phage hosts are and what the replication mode and spatial distribution within the animal is. This approach led to the discovery of distinct phage-microbe infection networks in sponge versus seawater microbiomes. A new correlative in situ imaging approach ('PhageFISH-CLEM') localised phages within bacterial symbiont cells, but also within phagocytotically active sponge cells. We postulate that the phagocytosis of free virions by sponge cells modulates phage-bacteria ratios and ultimately controls infection dynamics. Prediction of phage replication strategies indicated a distinct pattern, where lysogeny dominates the sponge microbiome, likely fostered by sponge host-mediated virion clearance, while lysis dominates in seawater. Collectively, this work provides new insights into phage ecology within sponges, highlighting the importance of tripartite animal-phage-bacterium interplay in holobiont functioning. We anticipate that our imaging approach will be instrumental to further understanding of viral distribution and cellular association in animal hosts.

Wanted on Agave americana! Hymenobolus agaves, an overlooked introduced pathogen in the western palearctic region.

Hymenobolus agaves has been reported only in Europe and Africa on the American plant Agave americana (Asparagaceae). This fungus has never been found in the native range of its host, in arid ecosystems of northern and central Mexico and Texas, USA. It has been suggested to be a pathogen that can kill its host. The fungus grows on succulent leaf bases of the plant. The morphology - black apothecia with a hymenium that disintegrates when asci mature and dark ornamented ascospores - make this species very distinctive, but it has been collected and reported only a few times since its first description. Its systematic position has been unclear, and it has been treated as incertae sedis, that is of uncertain placement, in Leotiomycetes. With recent collections and additional data on the ecology of H. agaves, we use integrative taxonomy (DNA sequences, morphology, ecology) to show its relationships is with Cenangiaceae.

Regional and local environmental conditions do not shape the response to warming of a marine habitat-forming species.

The differential response of marine populations to climate change remains poorly understood. Here, we combine common garden thermotolerance experiments in aquaria and population genetics to disentangle the factors driving the population response to thermal stress in a temperate habitat-forming species: the octocoral Paramuricea clavata. Using eight populations separated from tens of meters to hundreds of kilometers, which were differentially impacted by recent mortality events, we identify 25 °C as a critical thermal threshold. After one week of exposure at this temperature, seven of the eight populations were affected by tissue necrosis and after 30 days of exposure at this temperature, the mean % of affected colonies increased gradually from 3 to 97%. We then demonstrate the weak relation between the observed differential phenotypic responses and the local temperature regimes experienced by each population. A significant correlation was observed between these responses and the extent of genetic drift impacting each population. Local adaptation may thus be hindered by genetic drift, which seems to be the main driver of the differential response. Accordingly, conservation measures should promote connectivity and control density erosion in order to limit the impact of genetic drift on marine populations facing climate change.

Restructuring of the sponge microbiome favors tolerance to ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification is increasing and affects many marine organisms. However, certain sponge species can withstand low-pH conditions. This may be related to their complex association with microbes. We hypothesized that species with greater microbial diversity may develop functional redundancy that could enable the holobiont to survive even if particular microbes are lost at low-pH conditions. We evaluated the effects of acidification on the growth and associated microbes of three ubiquitous Mediterranean sponges by exposing them to the present pH level and that predicted for the year 2100. We found marked differences among the species in the acquisition of new microbes, being high in Dysidea avara, moderate in Agelas oroides and null in Chondrosia reniformis; however, we did not observe variation in the overall microbiome abundance, richness or diversity. The relative abilities to alter the microbiomes contributes to survivorship in an OA scenario as demonstrated by lowered pH severely affecting the growth of C. reniformis, halving that of A. oroides, and unaffecting D. avara. Our results indicate that functional stability of the sponge holobiont to withstand future OA is species-specific and is linked to the species' ability to use horizontal transmission to modify the associated microbiome to adapt to environmental change.

Effect of luteinizing hormone on rabbit ovarian superstimulation and embryo developmental potential.

Assisted reproduction technologies require ovarian stimulation to increase the number of oocytes and embryos. Currently, superstimulation is achieved by gonadotropin treatment, but the embryo yield and quality are highly variable. Commonly, commercial preparations derived from pituitary and urinary origin are used to superovulate. Hence, ovarian superstimulation protocols have usually included both FSH and LH. The appearance of recombinant gonadotropins manufactured by genetic engineering techniques has ensured high quality and batch-to-batch consistency. Moreover, this enables us to assess the importance of LH in the ovarian stimulation. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of recombinant human LH supplementation (10%) on embryonic development produced by rabbit does superovulated with low or high concentration (18.75 or 37.50 IU) of recombinant human FSH (rhFSH). Females treated with rhFSH increased the ovulation rate, and it was significantly higher when the high FSH dose was supplemented with LH. The superstimulation treatment used did not significantly affect in vitro development rate until the expanded blastocyst stage. The results of this study seem to suggest that, in terms of superovulatory response, when rabbit does are treated with 37.5-IU rhFSH, the use of LH supplementation allows an increase in the number of follicles recruited and the quality of embryos, in terms of ability to develop in vitro until blastocyst, and the expression profile of OCT4, NANOG, and SOX2 genes is not affected.

P-O-B(3) linkages in borophosphate glasses evidenced by high field (11)B/(31)P correlation NMR.

The long-standing debate about the presence of P-O-B(3) linkages in glasses has been solved by high-field scalar correlation NMR. Previously suggested by dipolar NMR methods, the presence of such species has been definitively demonstrated by (11)B((31)P) J-HMQC NMR techniques. The results indicate that borophosphate networks contain P-O-B(3) bonds and thus present a higher degree of atomic homogeneity than previously thought.

Functional convergence of microbes associated with temperate marine sponges.

Most marine sponges establish a persistent association with a wide array of phylogenetically and physiologically diverse microbes. To date, the role of these symbiotic microbial communities in the metabolism and nutrient cycles of the sponge-microbe consortium remains largely unknown. We identified and quantified the microbial communities associated with three common Mediterranean sponge species, Dysidea avara, Agelas oroides and Chondrosia reniformis (Demospongiae) that cohabitate coralligenous community. For each sponge we quantified the uptake and release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON), inorganic nitrogen and phosphate. Low microbial abundance and no evidence for DOC uptake or nitrification were found for D. avara. In contrast A. oroides and C. reniformis showed high microbial abundance (30% and 70% of their tissue occupied by microbes respectively) and both species exhibited high nitrification and high DOC and NH(4) (+) uptake. Surprisingly, these unique metabolic pathways were mediated in each sponge species by a different, and host specific, microbial community. The functional convergence of microbial consortia found in these two sympatric sponge species, suggest that these metabolic processes may be of special relevance to the success of the holobiont.

Use of a mouse model of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors to find pericyte biomarkers of resistance to anti-angiogenic therapy.

The successful introduction of rationally targeted agents into standard cancer care is a testimony of the vast knowledge base in tumor biology. However, in order to provide individually tailored therapy to patients and to identify small subsets of patients with a high likelihood to benefit from treatment, the identification of biomarkers for response or resistance to a particular therapeutic regimen is imperative. Herein, by the use of a genetically engineered mouse model of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, we have assessed the utility of pericyte characteristics in terms of differential marker expression to serve as surrogate markers for response or evasive resistance to anti-angiogenic therapy. We found that tumors refractory to therapy following long-term treatment with a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 blocking antibody contained blood vessels with a prolific investment of pericytes expressing α-smooth muscle actin. Further analysis by simultaneous immunostaining for different pericyte markers led to the conclusion that the increased abundance of this particular subtype of blood vessels most likely occurred by co-option of vessels from the surrounding exocrine pancreas. Our findings may form the basis for retrospective analysis of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors from patients having undergone treatment with anti-angiogenic agents in order to validate the occurrence of pericytes expressing α-smooth muscle actin as a biomarker for tumors refractory to therapy.

Aplicación de nuevas metodologías de la información y la comunicación (tic) a la enseñanza práctica de física aplicada y físicoquímica / Application of new information and communication methodologies (ict) for laboratory teaching in applied physics and physical chemistry

The aim of this innovative teaching work is the improvement in the learning process of laboratory practical sessions of the subject ‘Applied Physics and Physical Chemistry’ of the Pharmacy degree syllabuses at the University of Granada. The laboratory practical sessions of several subjects in this Faculty have been traditionally carried out with the collaboration of ‘laboratory demonstrators’, who help to their classmates in the performance of the experiments, being always coordinated and supervised by a senior professor. This system has however some handicaps and limitations. With this project, we expect on one hand the figure of ‘laboratory demonstrators’ to disappear, and on the other hand to achieve that the student is more receptive and shows a higher interest in the practical sessions.Our experience proves that it is very important for the student to visualize the manipulation and methodology needed for the performance of the experiments in the laboratory. The new audiovisual Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) provide very didactic tools, which make the learning more attractive. With this purpose, we have prepared a DVD movie of each experiment planned in the practical sessions of the subject. These movies show the manipulation of the material and reagents, the use of specific instrumentation, good behaviour in the laboratory, and data acquisition and analysis, with the aim of guiding the student in the experimental work. The student will perform the experiments simultaneously to the movie projection, with the possibility of interacting with the movie itself and the senior professor present during the session. In short, we expect to enhance the motivation and own-initiative of the students, facilitating their self-learning, by means of an innovative teaching methodology that contributes to promote the adaptation to the European Space for Higher Education(AU)

The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) will change our teaching methodology with the implementation of new teaching strategies and greater participation of students in the learning process. The objective of our study is to evaluate the students’ views in three main areas: a) teaching strategies promoted by the lecturer for the teaching/learning process, b) evaluation methods and c) achieve good competence in other areas such as oral communication skills or team-work. Thus we designed a questionnaire which was filled by Pharmacy students from various years (n=118; 40.5% males and 59.5% females) registered in several subjects. Analysis of data revealed that 93.1% considered that attendance to lectures helped them to understand the topics covered. A good proportion (82.8%) was also of the view that participating in lectures was a good aid to learning. The students valued the teachers explanations and the use of the blackboard as the most useful for them to learn followed by practicals and exercises and lastly by PowerPoint presentations. Our data suggest that students value strategies that make them participate in their own learning process as well as a system of continuing evaluation. The results obtained highlight the importance of teaching strategies which stimulate student participation but also the high value the students allocate to the most classic and characteristic features of any classroom: teacher and blackboard(AU)

Mejora de la gestión de la demanda en un equipo de Atención Primaria / Improvement in the management of demand in a primary care team

Introducción La gestión de la demanda y en particular de la demanda sin cita constituye un reto que preocupa a gestores y profesionales. Aunque los motivos han sido ampliamente estudiados, la solución al problema no es sencilla. Introducción Dado que la excesiva demanda percibida era el principal motivo de insatisfacción de los profesionales de nuestro equipo, planificamos e implantamos un cambio organizativo con intervenciones sobre profesionales, organización y estructura con el objetivo de mejorar la gestión global de la demanda (en especial la generada sin citación previa), disminuir la hiperfrecuentación e incrementar además la calidad de la atención a todos los pacientes del equipo de Atención Primaria. Material y métodos Detección de los procesos a mejorar. Material y métodos Planificación multidisciplinar. Material y métodos Creación de dos sistemas independientes de atención a la visita programada y a la visita sin cita. Material y métodos Eliminación de los aspectos burocráticos de las consultas. Material y métodos laboración de pautas y unificación de critEerios de actuación sobre las visitas con y sin cita. Material y métodos Potenciación del rol de los profesionales de enfermería y administrativos en la atención a la población, tanto en la visita programada como en la visita sin cita. Material y métodos Cambios de ubicación para mejorar la colaboración médico-enfermera. Material y métodos Análisis estadístico y evaluación de resultados. Resultados Se ha conseguido una disminución significativa del número de visitas totales con o sin cita previa del centro así como las de los pacientes hiperfrecuentadores (ambas con p<0,001). Los roles de los profesionales no facultativos se han reforzado. Las encuestas de satisfacción de usuarios y profesionales con el nuevo sistema son positivas...(AU)

Introduction Demand management and particularly demand with no previous appointment is a challenge that concerns managers and professionals. Although the reasons have been extensively studied, the solution is not simple. Introduction Since perception of excessive demand was the main reason of dissatisfaction of our professional team, we planned and implemented an organizational change with interventions on professional organization and structure to improve overall management of demand and particularly that generated with no previous appointment, to reduce excessive use and also increase the quality of the care to all the patients of the Primary Care Team (PCT). Material and methods Detection of the processes to improve. Some of the most important interventions are summarized: multidisciplinary planning; creation of two separate care systems for the scheduled visit and the visit without an appointment; elimination of the bureaucratic aspects of the consultations; development of standards and standardization of performance criteria on visits with and without appointment; enhancing the role of nurses and administrative attention to the population in both the scheduled visit and in the spontaneous visit; changes of location to enhance the doctor-nurse collaboration. Material and methods A statistical analysis and evaluation of results were performed. Results A significant reduction was achieved in the total number of visits to the center of those with or without an appointment and in those patients with a high number of visits (both p<0.001). The roles of nurse and administrative were strengthened. The satisfaction surveys of the users and professionals regarding the new system have been positive. Conclusion A multidisciplinary strategy, developed and agreed on by the whole team, has a positive influence on demand and improves quality of care (AU)

Mejora de la gestión de la demanda en un equipo de Atención Primaria / Improvement in the management of demand in a primary care team

Introducción: La gestión de la demanda y en particular de la demanda sin cita constituye un reto que preocupa a gestores y profesionales. Aunque los motivos han sido ampliamente estudiados, la solución al problema no es sencilla. Introducción: Dado que la excesiva demanda percibida era el principal motivo de insatisfacción de los profesionales de nuestro equipo, planificamos e implantamos un cambio organizativo con intervenciones sobre profesionales, organización y estructura con el objetivo de mejorar la gestión global de la demanda (en especial la generada sin citación previa), disminuir la hiperfrecuentación e incrementar además la calidad de la atención a todos los pacientes del equipo de Atención Primaria. Material y métodos: Detección de los procesos a mejorar. Material y métodos: Planificación multidisciplinar. Material y métodos: Creación de dos sistemas independientes de atención a la visita programada y a la visita sin cita. Eliminación de los aspectos burocráticos de las consultas. Elaboración de pautas y unificación de criterios de actuación sobre las visitas con y sin cita. Potenciación del rol de los profesionales de enfermería y administrativos en la atención a la población, tanto en la visita programada como en la visita sin cita. Cambios de ubicación para mejorar la colaboración médico-enfermera. Análisis estadístico y evaluación de resultados. Se ha conseguido una disminución significativa del número de visitas totales con o sin cita previa del centro así como las de los pacientes hiperfrecuentadores (ambas con p<0,001). Los roles de los profesionales no facultativos se han reforzado. Las encuestas de satisfacción de usuarios y profesionales con el nuevo sistema son positivas. Conclusión: Una estrategia multidisciplinar, trabajada y consensuada por todo el equipo, consigue incidir de manera positiva sobre la demanda y mejorar la calidad asistencial (AU)

Introduction: Demand management and particularly demand with no previous appointment is a challenge that concerns managers and professionals. Although the reasons have been extensively studied, the solution is not simple. Introduction: Since perception of excessive demand was the main reason of dissatisfaction of our professional team, we planned and implemented an organizational change with interventions on professional organization and structure to improve overall management of demand and particularly that generated with no previous appointment, to reduce excessive use and also increase the quality of the care to all the patients of the Primary Care Team (PCT). Material and methods: Detection of the processes to improve. Some of the most important interventions are summarized: multidisciplinary planning; creation of two separate care systems for the scheduled visit and the visit without an appointment; elimination of the bureaucratic aspects of the consultations; development of standards and standardization of performance criteria on visits with and without appointment; enhancing the role of nurses and administrative attention to the population in both the scheduled visit and in the spontaneous visit; changes of location to enhance the doctor-nurse collaboration. Material and methods: A statistical analysis and evaluation of results were performed. Results: A significant reduction was achieved in the total number of visits to the center of those with or without an appointment and in those patients with a high number of visits (both p<0.001). The roles of nurse and administrative were strengthened. The satisfaction surveys of the users and professionals regarding the new system have been positive. Conclusion: A multidisciplinary strategy, developed and agreed on by the whole team, has a positive influence on demand and improves quality of care (AU)

Initial structure memory of pressure-induced changes in the phase-change memory alloy Ge2Sb2Te5.

We demonstrate that while the metastable face-centered cubic (fcc) phase of Ge2Sb2Te5 becomes amorphous under hydrostatic compression at about 15 GPa, the stable trigonal phase remains crystalline. Upon higher compression, a body-centered cubic phase is obtained in both cases around 30 GPa. Upon decompression, the amorphous phase is retained for the starting fcc phase while the initial structure is recovered for the starting trigonal phase. We argue that the presence of vacancies and associated subsequent large atomic displacements lead to nanoscale phase separation and loss of initial structure memory in the fcc staring phase of Ge2Sb2Te5.

Control y seguimiento de la nutrición artificial domiciliaria en Atención Primaria. Una experiencia de coordinación Hospital-Primaria / No disponible

La nutrición artificial es un tratamiento de indicación hospitalaria que puede administrarse de manera puntual o permanente. Cada vez más, existen situaciones clínicas que permiten que los pacientes a los que se les administra este tratamiento puedan ser atendidos en su domicilio, suponiendo una mayor eficiencia y satisfacción del propio paciente y su familia.No obstante, la atención sanitaria, cuando se realiza en el domicilio del paciente, supone una dificultad para el nivel hospitalario, mientras que ya se realiza con normalidad desde la Atención Primaria.El diálogo y la coordinación entre ambos niveles asistenciales nos han llevado a la realización y puesta en práctica de un protocolo de atención conjunta para los pacientes en tratamiento con nutrición artificial domiciliaria, mediante el cual estamos convencidos de que estamos incrementando la calidad de la atención prestada. Los puntos más destacados del proceso de implementación se exponen en este artículo

Artificial nutrition is a hospital level treatment that can be administered short or long term. There are an increasing number of clinical situations that allow patients to receive this treatment in the home, meaning greater efficiency and satisfaction for the patient and family.However, while health care performed in the patient’s home is already a normal part of primary health care, hospital treatment at home supposes greater difficulty.Dialogue and coordination between both care levels haveled to the formulation and application of a protocol for combined care for patients receiving Artificial Nutrition treatment in the home. We are convinced that this is increasing the care quality given. The most outstanding points in the implementation process are presented in this article

Embolismo de líquido amniótico durante el parto / Amniotic fluid embolism during delivery

El embolismo de líquido amniótico (ELA) es un cuadro extremadamente grave e infrecuente. Su pronóstico es fatal, tanto para la madre como para el feto. Incluso en los países desarrollados, donde se ha logrado disminuir la morbimortalidad de múltiples afecciones del embarazo, como la preeclampsia, continúa teniendo unas consecuencias devastadoras. A ello contribuye el desconocimiento que existe aún respecto a su fisiopatología, lo cual redunda en una mayor dificultad para su diagnóstico y tratamiento. Hoy día, el diagnóstico del ELA continúa siendo clínico y un diagnóstico de exclusión y, en muchas ocasiones, se hace tras la necropsia (AU)

Amniotic fluid embolism is an extremely serious and infrequent syndrome. Prognosis is fatal for the pregnant woman and the fetus. Even in developed countries, where morbidity and mortality from many disorders of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia, has decreased, amniotic fluid embolism still has catastrophic consequences. The pathogenesis of this syndrome remains unclear, increasing the difficulty of diagnosis and treatment. Currently, diagnosis of amniotic fluid embolism continues to be clinical and made on the basis of exclusion. On many occasions, diagnosis is made at autopsy (AU)

Pressure-induced site-selective disordering of Ge2Sb2Te5: a new insight into phase-change optical recording.

We demonstrate that , the material of choice in phase-change optical recording (such as DVD-RAM), can be rendered amorphous by the application of hydrostatic pressure. It is argued that this structural change is due to a very strong second-nearest-neighbor Te-Te interaction that determines the long-range order in the metastable cubic phase of and also to the presence of vacancies. This newly discovered phenomenon suggests that pressure is an important factor for the formation of the amorphous phase which opens new insight into the mechanism of phase-change optical recording.

The characterization of waste cathode-ray tube glass.

New re-use applications are needed to address the relatively large quantity of waste electronic products generated in the world. Cathode-ray tubes (CRTs) from computer monitors and TV sets are a large component of such waste. The three glass components of CRTs are the funnel, panel and neck, which are produced by various manufacturers and are now collected by asset-recovery centres. In this paper, we characterize waste funnel and panel glass from dismantled cathode-ray tubes with a view to assisting the development of new re-use applications. The heavy metal (lead, barium, and strontium) content of such glass represents an acute risk to the environment. Our results of the chemical composition for different kinds of waste CRT glass including black & white and color CRTs show that CRT glass from different producers have generally similar chemical compositions. In particular, the compositions of funnel and panel black & white CRT glass are similar, but are different to those of panel and funnel color CRT glass. We also measured the following specific properties of each type of CRT glass: density, glass transition temperature, and linear coefficient of thermal expansion. It was found that the coefficients of thermal expansion of CRT glass do not vary with their composition. In contrast, the measured densities and glass transition temperatures do vary with composition. On the basis of our experimental data and data found in the literature, we outline the main properties of several waste CRT glass currently in circulation. The aim of this study was to provide the data required to determine if this kind of waste could be entirely (or partially) re-used and to aid the search for promising methods of treatment.

Guía de práctica clínica sobre menopausia y posmenopausia: tratamiento de los síntomas vasomotores y vaginales (parte 1) / No disponible

No disponible