Genetic characterization of the ABO blood group in Neandertals

Background: The high polymorphism rate in the human ABO blood group gene seems to be related to susceptibility to different pathogens. It has been estimated that all genetic variation underlying the human ABO alleles appeared along the human lineage, after the divergence from the chimpanzee lineage. A paleogenetic analysis of the ABO blood group gene in Neandertals allows us to directly test for the presence of the ABO alleles in these extinct humans. Results: We have analysed two male Neandertals that were retrieved under controlled conditions at the El Sidron site in Asturias (Spain) and that appeared to be almost free of modern human DNA contamination. We find a human specific diagnostic deletion for blood group O (O01 haplotype) in both Neandertal individuals. Conclusion: These results suggest that the genetic change responsible for the O blood group in humans predates the human and Neandertal divergence. A potential selective event associated with the emergence of the O allele may have therefore occurred after humans separated from their common ancestor with chimpanzees and before the human-Neandertal population divergence.

Obtención de líneas de trigo resistentes a Mayetiola destructor Say en la Campiña Sur de Extremadura

La línea H-93-33, homocigota para el gen H27, que confiere resistencia a Mayetiola destructor Say, ha sido cruzada con variedades comerciales de trigo seleccionadas por su calidad harinera y sus características agronómicas. Esos cruzamientos han producido numerosas líneas avanzadas. La línea Ma8, que contiene el gen H27, ha demostrado su resistencia al parásito en condiciones controladas de cámara y campo, y muestra mejores características agronómicas que las variedades comerciales con las que se ha cruzado.

Assessing changes in Cd phytoavailability to tomato in amended calcareous soils.

A plot study was conducted to assess changes in Cd phytoavailability to a tomato cultivar in an agricultural soil in Southeastern Spain amended in two different ways (A and B), under controlled conditions. The experimental soil corresponded to a fine-loamy carbonatic thermic Calcidic Haploxeroll (Soil Survey Staff, 1998). A) Soil was amended with a single application of sewage sludge from a municipal source that had a total Cd concentration of 0.5 mg kg-1 at a rate that represented a final average concentration in the mixture of soil and sludge of less than 50 µg Cd kg-1. B) The amendment consisted of the addition of a mineral fertiliser with the same amount of NPK as in the sewage sludge application. The final levels of Cd were supposed to be negligible. A plot series without amendments was also performed (C). DTPA plus triethanolamine, and ammonium acetate extractable fractions in soils were analysed for all the plots. The time-dependent Cd accumulation in different parts of the tomato plants was studied by means of a Cd salt treatment. For each block (A, B, and C) four levels of Cd (0, 3, 30, 100 mg kg-1) were added as CdCl2. There was a significant increase in plant Cd after the initial cropping. Tomato stems, leaves and fruits were analysed separately for Cd determination. Differential Cd distribution and accumulation in tomato parts was detected.

On the relationship between C and N fixation in nodulated alfalfa (Medicago sativa)

Legumes such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) are vital N2-fixing crops accounting for a global N2 fixation of ~35 MtNyear-1. Although enzymatic and molecular mechanisms of nodule N2 fixation are now well documented, some uncertainty remains as to whether N2 fixation is strictly coupled with photosynthetic carbon fixation. That is, the metabolic origin and redistribution of carbon skeletons used to incorporate nitrogen are still relatively undefined. Here, we conducted isotopic labelling with both 15N2 and 13C-depleted CO2 on alfalfa plants grown under controlled conditions and took advantage of isotope ratio mass spectrometry to investigate the relationship between carbon and nitrogen turn-over in respired CO2, total organic matter and amino acids. Our results indicate that CO2 evolved by respiration had an isotopic composition similar to that in organic matter regardless of the organ considered, suggesting that the turn-over of respiratory pools strictly followed photosynthetic input. However, carbon turn-over was nearly three times greater than N turn-over in total organic matter, suggesting that new organic material synthesised was less N-rich than pre-existing organic material (due to progressive nitrogen elemental dilution) or that N remobilisation occurred to sustain growth. This pattern was not consistent with the total commitment into free amino acids where the input of new C and N appeared to be stoichiometric. The labelling pattern in Asn was complex, with contrasted C and N commitments in different organs, suggesting that neosynthesis and redistribution of new Asn molecules required metabolic remobilisation. We conclude that the production of new organic material during alfalfa growth depends on both C and N remobilisation in different organs. At the plant level, this remobilisation is complicated by allocation and metabolism in the different organs. Additional keywords: carbon exchange, carbon isotopes, nitrogen fixation, nitrogen 15 isotope

Occurrence of inorganic arsenic in edible Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) products

The present study reports arsenic speciation analysis in edible Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) products. The study focused on the extraction, and accurate quantification of inorganic arsenic (iAs), the most toxic form of arsenic, which was selectively separated and determined using anion exchange LC-ICPMS. A wide variety of edible Shiitake products (fresh mushrooms, food supplements, canned and dehydrated) were purchased and analysed. A cultivated Shiitake grown under controlled conditions was also analysed. The extraction method showed satisfactory extraction efficiencies (>90%) and column recoveries (>85%) for all samples. Arsenic speciation revealed that iAs was the major As compound up to 1.38 mg As per kg dm (with a mean percentage of 84% of the total arsenic) and other organoarsenicals were found as minor species. Shiitake products had high proportions of iAs and therefore should not be ignored as potential contributors to dietary iAs exposure in populations with a high intake of Shiitake products.

Start-up conditions and the performance of women – and men- controlled businesses in manufacturating industries

Recent research on the economic performance of women-controlled firms suggests that their underperformance may not result from differences in the managerial ability of women as compared to men, but it can be the result of different levels of start-up resources. Using accounting data, this paper examines the effects that selected start-up conditions have on the economic performance observed in a sample of 4450 Spanish manufacturing firms. The results indicate significant differences regarding the initial conditions, showing lower levels of assets and number of employees what have implications on the economic performance of women-controlled firms.

Community pharmacist intervention in depressed primary care patients (PRODEFAR study): randomized controlled trial protocol.

Background: Treatment of depression, the most prevalent and costly mental disorder, needs to be improved. Non-concordance with clinical guidelines and non-adherence can limit the efficacy of pharmacological treatment of depression. Through pharmaceutical care, pharmacists can improve patients' compliance and wellbeing. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and costeffectiveness of a community pharmacist intervention developed to improve adherence and outcomes of primary care patients with depression. Methods/design: A randomized controlled trial, with 6-month follow-up, comparing patients receiving a pharmaceutical care support programme in primary care with patients receiving usual care. The total sample comprises 194 patients (aged between 18 and 75) diagnosed with depressive disorder in a primary care health centre in the province of Barcelona (Spain). Subjects will be asked for written informed consent in order to participate in the study. Diagnosis will be confirmed using the SCID-I. The intervention consists of an educational programme focused on improving knowledge about medication, making patients aware of the importance of compliance, reducing stigma, reassuring patients about side-effects and stressing the importance of carrying out general practitioners' advice. Measurements will take place at baseline, and after 3 and 6 months. Main outcome measure is compliance with antidepressants. Secondary outcomes include; clinical severity of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (STAI-S), health-related quality of life (EuroQol-5D), satisfaction with the treatment received, side-effects, chronic physical conditions and sociodemographics. The use of healthcare and social care services will be assessed with an adapted version of the Client Service Receipt Inventory (CSRI). Discussion: This trial will provide valuable information for health professionals and policy makers on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a pharmaceutical intervention programme in the context of primary care. Trial registration: NCT00794196

Analysis of linear networks with inconsistent initial conditions

This paper presents a new method to analyze timeinvariant linear networks allowing the existence of inconsistent initial conditions. This method is based on the use of distributions and state equations. Any time-invariant linear network can be analyzed. The network can involve any kind of pure or controlled sources. Also, the transferences of energy that occur at t=O are determined, and the concept of connection energy is introduced. The algorithms are easily implemented in a computer program.

Community pharmacist intervention in depressed primary care patients (PRODEFAR study): randomized controlled trial protocol.

Background: Treatment of depression, the most prevalent and costly mental disorder, needs to be improved. Non-concordance with clinical guidelines and non-adherence can limit the efficacy of pharmacological treatment of depression. Through pharmaceutical care, pharmacists can improve patients' compliance and wellbeing. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and costeffectiveness of a community pharmacist intervention developed to improve adherence and outcomes of primary care patients with depression. Methods/design: A randomized controlled trial, with 6-month follow-up, comparing patients receiving a pharmaceutical care support programme in primary care with patients receiving usual care. The total sample comprises 194 patients (aged between 18 and 75) diagnosed with depressive disorder in a primary care health centre in the province of Barcelona (Spain). Subjects will be asked for written informed consent in order to participate in the study. Diagnosis will be confirmed using the SCID-I. The intervention consists of an educational programme focused on improving knowledge about medication, making patients aware of the importance of compliance, reducing stigma, reassuring patients about side-effects and stressing the importance of carrying out general practitioners' advice. Measurements will take place at baseline, and after 3 and 6 months. Main outcome measure is compliance with antidepressants. Secondary outcomes include; clinical severity of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (STAI-S), health-related quality of life (EuroQol-5D), satisfaction with the treatment received, side-effects, chronic physical conditions and sociodemographics. The use of healthcare and social care services will be assessed with an adapted version of the Client Service Receipt Inventory (CSRI). Discussion: This trial will provide valuable information for health professionals and policy makers on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a pharmaceutical intervention programme in the context of primary care. Trial registration: NCT00794196

Efficacy of a dilemma-focused intervention for unipolar depression: study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial

Background Depression is one of the more severe and serious health problems because of its morbidity, disabling effects and for its societal and economic burden. Despite the variety of existing pharmacological and psychological treatments, most of the cases evolve with only partial remission, relapse and recurrence. Cognitive models have contributed significantly to the understanding of unipolar depression and its psychological treatment. However, success is only partial and many authors affirm the need to improve those models and also the treatment programs derived from them. One of the issues that requires further elaboration is the difficulty these patients experience in responding to treatment and in maintaining therapeutic gains across time without relapse or recurrence. Our research group has been working on the notion of cognitive conflict viewed as personal dilemmas according to personal construct theory. We use a novel method for identifying those conflicts using the repertory grid technique (RGT). Preliminary results with depressive patients show that about 90% of them have one or more of those conflicts. This fact might explain the blockage and the difficult progress of these patients, especially the more severe and/or chronic. These results justify the need for specific interventions focused on the resolution of these internal conflicts. This study aims to empirically test the hypothesis that an intervention focused on the dilemma(s) specifically detected for each patient will enhance the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression. Design A therapy manual for a dilemma-focused intervention will be tested using a randomized clinical trial by comparing the outcome of two treatment conditions: combined group CBT (eight, 2-hour weekly sessions) plus individual dilemma-focused therapy (eight, 1-hour weekly sessions) and CBT alone (eight, 2-hour group weekly sessions plus eight, 1-hour individual weekly sessions). Method Participants are patients aged over 18 years meeting diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder or dysthymic disorder, with a score of 19 or above on the Beck depression inventory, second edition (BDI-II) and presenting at least one cognitive conflict (implicative dilemma or dilemmatic construct) as assessed using the RGT. The BDI-II is the primary outcome measure, collected at baseline, at the end of therapy, and at 3- and 12-month follow-up; other secondary measures are also used. Discussion We expect that adding a dilemma-focused intervention to CBT will increase the efficacy of one of the more prestigious therapies for depression, thus resulting in a significant contribution to the psychological treatment of depression. Trial registration ISRCTN92443999; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01542957.

Efficacy of a dilemma-focused intervention for unipolar depression: study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial

Background Depression is one of the more severe and serious health problems because of its morbidity, disabling effects and for its societal and economic burden. Despite the variety of existing pharmacological and psychological treatments, most of the cases evolve with only partial remission, relapse and recurrence. Cognitive models have contributed significantly to the understanding of unipolar depression and its psychological treatment. However, success is only partial and many authors affirm the need to improve those models and also the treatment programs derived from them. One of the issues that requires further elaboration is the difficulty these patients experience in responding to treatment and in maintaining therapeutic gains across time without relapse or recurrence. Our research group has been working on the notion of cognitive conflict viewed as personal dilemmas according to personal construct theory. We use a novel method for identifying those conflicts using the repertory grid technique (RGT). Preliminary results with depressive patients show that about 90% of them have one or more of those conflicts. This fact might explain the blockage and the difficult progress of these patients, especially the more severe and/or chronic. These results justify the need for specific interventions focused on the resolution of these internal conflicts. This study aims to empirically test the hypothesis that an intervention focused on the dilemma(s) specifically detected for each patient will enhance the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression. Design A therapy manual for a dilemma-focused intervention will be tested using a randomized clinical trial by comparing the outcome of two treatment conditions: combined group CBT (eight, 2-hour weekly sessions) plus individual dilemma-focused therapy (eight, 1-hour weekly sessions) and CBT alone (eight, 2-hour group weekly sessions plus eight, 1-hour individual weekly sessions). Method Participants are patients aged over 18 years meeting diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder or dysthymic disorder, with a score of 19 or above on the Beck depression inventory, second edition (BDI-II) and presenting at least one cognitive conflict (implicative dilemma or dilemmatic construct) as assessed using the RGT. The BDI-II is the primary outcome measure, collected at baseline, at the end of therapy, and at 3- and 12-month follow-up; other secondary measures are also used. Discussion We expect that adding a dilemma-focused intervention to CBT will increase the efficacy of one of the more prestigious therapies for depression, thus resulting in a significant contribution to the psychological treatment of depression. Trial registration ISRCTN92443999; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01542957.

Efecto de la temperatura en la tasa de puesta de reinas de la hormiga argentina, Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868), (Hymenoptera, Dolichoderine) bajo condiciones experimentales de monoginia y poliginia = Effect of temperature on the oviposition rate of the argentine ant queens, Linepithema humile (Mayr 1868), (Hymenoptera, Dolichoderine) under experimental conditions

Data concerning the effect of temperature on different physiological parameters of an invasive species can be a useful tool to predict its potential distribution range through the use of modelling approaches. In the case of the Argentine ant these data are too scarce and incomplete. The aim of the present study is to compile new data regarding the effect of temperature on the oviposition rate of the Argentine ant queens. We analysed the oviposition rate of queens at twelve controlled temperatures, ranging from 10ºC to 34ºC under different monogynous and polygynous conditions. The oviposition rate of the Argentine ant queens is affected by temperature in the same manner, independently of the number of queens in the nest. The optimal temperature for egg laying was 28ºC, and its upper and lower limits depended on the degree of polygyny