Clinical efficacy of antiparasite treatments against intestinal helminths and haematic protozoa in Gallotia caesaris (lizards)

Intestinal helminths and blood protozoa are common parasites of lizards. In captivity they can be a serious problem, but no information on treatments is available. In this study, several antiparasitic drugs were studied in Gallotia caesaris (Lacertida) from La Gomera, the Canary Islands, Spain. A lack of efficacy of chloroquine, and a decrease in haemogregarine (Apicomplexa) infection by atovaquone-proguanil was demonstrated. Furthermore, a positive effect of fenbendazole against intestinal nematode infection was observed. In the Canary Islands, Gallotia bravoana and Gallotia simonyi (Lacertida) are included in a captive breading recovery plan. The present results are useful in order to keep these animals in good condition and to control their parasites. Moreover, these results are important for reptiles kept as pets, due to the previous lack of knowledge of parasite management.     

Pregnant female lizards Iberolacerta cyreni adjust refuge use to decrease thermal costs for their body condition and cell-mediated immune response

Lizards often respond to increased predation risk by increasing refuge use, but this strategy may entail a loss of thermoregulatory opportunities, which may lead to a loss of body condition. This may be especially important for pregnant oviparous female lizards, because they need to maintain optimal body temperatures as long as possible to maximize developmental embryos rate until laying. However, little is known about how increased time spent at low temperatures in refuges affects body condition and health state of pregnant female lizards. Furthermore, it is not clear how initial body condition affects refuge use. Female Iberian rock lizards forced to increase time spent at low temperatures showed lower body condition and tended to show lower cell-mediated immune responses than control females. Therefore, the loss of thermoregulatory opportunities seems to be an important cost for pregnant females. Nevertheless, thereafter, when we simulated two repeated predatory attacks, females modified refuge use in relation to their body condition, with females with worse condition decreasing time hidden after attacks. In conclusion, female lizards seemed able to compensate increased predation risk with flexible antipredatory strategies, thus minimizing costs for body condition and health state.     

A Tolerant Behavior in Salt-Sensitive Tomato Plants can be Mimicked by Chemical Stimuli

Lycopersicon esculentum plants exhibit increased salt stress tolerance following treatment with adipic acid monoethylester and 1,3-diaminepropane (DAAME), known as an inducer of resistance against biotic stress in tomato and pepper. For an efficient water and nutrient uptake, plants should adapt their water potential to compensate a decrease in water soil potential produced by salt stress. DAAME-treated plants showed a faster and stronger water potential reduction and an enhanced proline accumulation. Salinity-induced oxidative stress was also ameliorated by DAAME treatments. Oxidative membrane damage and ethylene emission were both reduced in DAAME-treated plants. This effect is probably a consequence of an increase of both non-enzymatic antioxidant activity as well as peroxidase activity. DAAME-mediated tolerance resulted in an unaltered photosynthetic rate and a stimulation of the decrease in transpiration under stress conditions without a cost in growth due to salt stress. The reduction in transpiration rate was concomitant with a reduction in phytotoxic Na⁺ and Cl⁻ accumulation under saline stress. Interestingly, the ABA deficient tomato mutant sitiens was insensitive to DAAME-induced tolerance following NaCl stress exposure. Additionally, DAAME treatments increased the ABA content of leaves, therefore, an intact ABA signalling pathway seems to be important to express DAAME-induced salt tolerance. Here, we show a possibility of enhance tomato stress tolerance by chemical induction of the major plant defences against salt stress. DAAME-induced tolerance against salt stress could be complementary to or share elements with induced resistance against biotic stress. This might be the reason for the observed wide spectrum of effectiveness of this compound.Key Words: adipic acid monoethyl ester, 1,3-diaminepropane, Lycopersicon esculentum, salt stress, oxidative stress, ethylene, chemical induced tolerance     

Regulation of Nitrate Transport in Citrus Rootstocks Depending on Nitrogen Availability

Previously, we reported that in Citrus plants, nitrate influx through the plasmalemma of roots cells follows a biphasic pattern, suggesting the existence of at least two different uptake systems, a high and low affinity transport system (HATS and LATS, respectively). Here, we describe a novel inducible high affinity transport system (iHATS). This new nitrate transport system has a high capacity to uptake nitrate in two different Citrus rootstocks (Cleopatra mandarin and Troyer citrange). The iHATS was saturable, showing higher affinity than constitutive high affinity transport system (cHATS) to the substrate NO₃⁻. The V_max for this saturable component iHATS was higher than cHATS, reaching similar values in both rootstocks.Additionally, we studied the regulation of root NO₃⁻ uptake mediated by both HATS (iHATS and cHATS) and LATS. In both rootstocks, cHATS is constitutive and independent of N-status. Concerning the regulation of iHATS, this system is upregulated by NO₃⁻ and down-regulated by the N status and by NO₃⁻ itself when plants are exposed to it for a longer period of time. LATS in Cleopatra mandarin and Troyer citrange rootstocks is repressed by the N-status.The use of various metabolic uncouplers or inhibitors indicated that NO₃⁻ net uptake mediated by iHATS and LATS was an active transport system in both rootstocks.Key Words: Citrus, inducible high affinity transport system (iHATS), constitutive high affinity transport system (cHATS), nitrate uptake, regulation     

Outdoor Activity Associated with Higher Self-Reported Emotional Well-Being During COVID-19

EcoHealth - Shifts in activity patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic might have impacted the benefits of outdoor activities for mental health. By leveraging an existing mobile application, we...     

Exploring the protein–protein interaction landscape in plants

Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) represent an essential aspect of plant systems biology. Identification of key protein players and their interaction networks provide crucial insights into the regulation of plant developmental processes and into interactions of plants with their environment. Despite the great advance in the methods for the discovery and validation of PPIs, still several challenges remain. First, the PPI networks are usually highly dynamic, and the in vivo interactions are often transient and difficult to detect. Therefore, the properties of the PPIs under study need to be considered to select the most suitable technique, because each has its own advantages and limitations. Second, besides knowledge on the interacting partners of a protein of interest, characteristics of the interaction, such as the spatial or temporal dynamics, are highly important. Hence, multiple approaches have to be combined to obtain a comprehensive view on the PPI network present in a cell. Here, we present the progress in commonly used methods to detect and validate PPIs in plants with a special emphasis on the PPI features assessed in each approach and how they were or can be used for the study of plant interactions with their environment.     

First proposal of quality indicators and standards and recommendations to improve the healthcare in the Spanish National Registry of Hip Fracture

BackgroundThe Spanish National Hip Fracture Registry (or Registro Nacional de Fractura de Cadera, RNFC) is a database of hip fracture patients admitted to Spanish hospitals. Its goals include assessment and continuous improvement of the care process.ObjectivesTo (1) establish a series of indicators, (2) evaluate their initial fulfillment, (3) propose quality standards, (4) suggest recommendations to facilitate standards compliance, and (5) monitor the indicators.MethodThe indicators fulfilled the criteria of (1) evaluating the process or outcome, (2) being clinically relevant for patients, (3) being modifiable through changes in healthcare practice, and (4) being considered important by the RNFC participants. The first quartile obtained by the group of hospitals in each of the respective variables was proposed as the standard. The Indicators Advisory Committee (IAC) elaborated a list of recommendations for each indicator, based on the available evidence.ResultsSeven indicators were chosen. These indicators (its baseline compliance vs. the standard to be reached, respectively) were: the proportion of patients receiving surgery within 48 h (44% vs. 63%), mobilized the first postoperative day (56% vs. 86%), with antiosteoporotic medication at discharge (32% vs. 61%), with calcium supplements at discharge (46% vs. 77%), with vitamin D supplements at discharge (67% vs. 92%), who developed pressure ulcers during hospitalization (7.2% vs. 2.1%) and with independent mobility at 30 days (58% vs. 70%). The IAC has established 25 recommendations for improving care.ConclusionThe indicators and standards chosen are presented, as well as the list of recommendations. This process completes the first step to improve quality of care. The results will be evaluated 6 months after implementing the recommendations.     

The embryo culture media in the era of epigenetics: is it time to go back to nature?

This review is intended to draw attention to the importance of the culture media composition on the health of the embryos, fetuses, newborns, and adults derived from assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Although current research and industry trends are to use chemically defined media because of their suitability for manufacturing, commercialization, and regulatory purposes, compelling evidence indicates that those media fail to adequately account for the biological demands of early embryogenesis. Here, we list the main undesirable consequences of the ART described in the literature and results we and others have obtained over the past decade exploring an alternative and more natural way to support embryo growth in vitro: inclusion of endogenous reproductive fluids as additives in the ART culture media for pigs, cows, and humans. This review systematically assesses the pros and cons of using reproductive fluid additives, as well as the requirements to implement this approach in the future.