Multidisciplinary consensus on the approach to hospital malnutrition in Spain

Rationale: Disease-related malnutrition constitutes a highly prevalent healthcare problem with high costs associated. In Spain, the prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized patients has been reported from 30% to 50%. Objectives: Main purposes of this consensus document were to establish recommendations that facilitate decision- making and action to prevent and early-diagnose disease-related hospital malnutrition, on the management of nutritional support methods and actions to evaluate nutritional treatment compliance and efficacy. Methods: A systematic bibliographical search of authors was performed, complemented by updated bibliography by author references up to 2010. From this review, some recommendations were defined, modified and critically evaluated by the representatives of scientific societies in a consensus conference (Dec 2010) following a structured brainstorming technique: the Metaplan® technique. A double validation process was undertaken until final recommendations were obtained. Results: 30 consensus recommendations for the prevention and management of hospital malnutrition are presented in this document. Recommendations cover all clinical care settings as well as prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of disease-related malnutrition. Conclusions: Nutritional screening is strongly recommended at all clinical settings when nutritional risk factors are identified or there is clinical suspicion of malnutrition. Nutritional assessment should be designed and performed according to centers’ resources, but clearly identified protocols should be available.

Assessing farmers' vulnerability to climate change : a case study in Karnataka, India

In the context of observed climate change impacts and their effect on agriculture and crop production, this study intends to assess the vulnerability of rural livelihoods through a study case in Karnataka, India. The social approach of climate change vulnerability in this study case includes defining and exploring factors that determine farmers’ vulnerability in four villages. Key informant interviews, farmer workshops and structured household interviews were used for data collection. To analyse the data, we adapted and applied three vulnerability indices: Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI), LVI-IPCC and the Livelihood Effect Index (LEI), and used descriptive statistical methods. The data was analysed at two scales: whole sample-level and household level. The results from applying the indices for the whole-sample level show that this community's vulnerability to climate change is moderate, whereas the household-level results show that most of the households' vulnerability is high-very high, while 15 key drivers of vulnerability were identified. Results and limitations of the study are discussed under the rural livelihoods framework, in which the indices are based, allowing a better understanding of the social behaviouraltrends, as well as an holistic and integrated view of the climate change, agriculture, and livelihoods processes shaping vulnerability. We conclude that these indices, although a straightforward method to assess vulnerability, have limitations that could account for inaccuracies and inability to be standardised for benchmarking, therefore we stress the need for further research.

Inestabilidad de la leche asociada a componentes lácteos y estacionalidad en vacas a pastoreo

El objetivo de este trabajo fue caracterizar rebaños lecheros que presentaban muestras de leche positivas a la prueba de alcohol sin estar ácidas, y compararlos con predios negativos a esta prueba, considerándose el efecto de la estacionalidad. Se estudiaron cuatro rebaños (tres positivos a la prueba de alcohol y uno negativo). En dos años, se muestreó leche durante tres meses en lactancias de invierno (época 1) y tres meses en lactancias de verano (época 2). En la dieta, se realizó análisis proximal relativo a EM, Ca, P, Mg y K. En leche, se determinó proteína, lactosa, Ca, P, Mg, K, pH, prueba de alcohol, acidez titulable y actividad proteásica. En casos negativos a la prueba de alcohol, se observó alta correlación entre proteína cruda láctea, proteína cruda en alimento, fósforo lácteo y lactosa. Los predios positivos a la prueba de alcohol se correlacionaron fuertemente con la menor concentración de materia seca y el alto contenido de fibra cruda, además presentaron menor concentración de proteína láctea. Ello indicaría que existió un efecto del manejo alimentario sobre la inestabilidad de la leche. Las lactancias desarrolladas durante la sequía estival sufren de un stress alimenticio, por lo cual podrían presentar inestabilidad láctea.

Gestió de banc solidari

Prototip d'aplicació web seguint l'arquitectura J2EE i el patró MVC. La seva funció és gestionar els processos i persones d'una associació sense ànim de lucre. S'utilitzaran diferents frameworks i tecnologies per a les diverses capes aconseguint una integració que faciliti la reusabilitat i escalabilitat.

Linhagens de alface-crespa para o verão resistentes ao Meloidogyne javanica e ao vírus mosaico-da-alface

O objetivo deste trabalho foi selecionar famílias F4 de alface, oriundas do cruzamento entre as cultivares Verônica e Salinas 88, para o cultivo no verão, com relação ao tipo de folha, e à resistência ao Lettuce mosaic virus (LMV) e ao nematóide-das-galhas Meloidogyne javanica. Primeiramente, avaliaram-se a coloração da folha, tipos de borda e limbo foliares, além da tolerância ao calor no campo, em blocos ao acaso compostos pelas 15 famílias F4 previamente selecionadas, pelas cultivares parentais e pela cultivar testemunha Regina 71 (folhas lisas e tolerante ao calor), com cinco repetições e oito plantas por parcela. Na segunda etapa, as famílias foram avaliadas quanto à resistência ao LMV e ao nematóide-das-galhas, em bandejas de 128 células acondicionadas em estufa. As médias das notas atribuídas a cada família foram comparadas às médias de cada cultivar parental pelo teste de Dunnet (5%). A família AFX007B-140-21, homozigota resistente aos nematóides e ao LMV e, também, tolerante ao calor, foi a mais promissora. O cruzamento entre uma cultivar de folhas crespas e soltas com uma de folhas crespas e repolhuda, pode originar linhagens promissoras tanto de folhas crespas quanto de folhas lisas.

Genetic polymorphisms related to meat traits in purebred and crossbred Nelore cattle

The objective of this work was to estimate the allelic and genotypic frequencies of CAST/XmnI, a calpastatin gene polymorphism, and CAPN530, a calpain 1 large subunit gene polymorphism, in different beef genetic groups (Nelore and Nelore x Bos taurus), and to investigate associations between these polymorphisms and carcass and meat traits. Three hundred animals - comprising 114 Nelore, 67 Angus x Nelore, 44 Rubia Gallega x Nelore, 41 Canchim, 19 Brangus three-way cross and 15 Braunvieh three-way cross- were genotyped by PCR-RFLP and phenotyped for rib-eye area (REA), back-fat thickness (BT), intramuscular fat (IF), shear force (SF) and myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI). The occurrence of the two alleles of the CAST/XmnI and CAPN530 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a B. indicus breed, which permitted association studies in purebred and crossbred Nelore cattle, was first shown in the present work. No relationship was found between the CAST or CAPN1 SNPs and growth-related traits (REA) or fat deposition (BT and IF), since calpastatin and µ-calpain are not physiologically involved with these traits. Moreover, the association results between genotypes and aged meat tenderness (assessed by SF and MFI) showed that these markers are useless in assisted selection for purebred Nelore and their crosses with B. taurus.

Spatio-temporal sequence of cross-regulatory events in root meristem growth.

A central question in developmental biology is how multicellular organisms coordinate cell division and differentiation to determine organ size. In Arabidopsis roots, this balance is controlled by cytokinin-induced expression of SHORT HYPOCOTYL 2 (SHY2) in the so-called transition zone of the meristem, where SHY2 negatively regulates auxin response factors (ARFs) by protein-protein interaction. The resulting down-regulation of PIN-FORMED (PIN) auxin efflux carriers is considered the key event in promoting differentiation of meristematic cells. Here we show that this regulation involves additional, intermediary factors and is spatio-temporally constrained. We found that the described cytokinin-auxin crosstalk antagonizes BREVIS RADIX (BRX) activity in the developing protophloem. BRX is an auxin-responsive target of the prototypical ARF MONOPTEROS (MP), a key promoter of vascular development, and transiently enhances PIN3 expression to promote meristem growth in young roots. At later stages, cytokinin induction of SHY2 in the vascular transition zone restricts BRX expression to down-regulate PIN3 and thus limit meristem growth. Interestingly, proper SHY2 expression requires BRX, which could reflect feedback on the auxin responsiveness of SHY2 because BRX protein can directly interact with MP, likely acting as a cofactor. Thus, cross-regulatory antagonism between BRX and SHY2 could determine ARF activity in the protophloem. Our data suggest a model in which the regulatory interactions favor BRX expression in the early proximal meristem and SHY2 prevails because of supplementary cytokinin induction in the later distal meristem. The complex equilibrium of this regulatory module might represent a universal switch in the transition toward differentiation in various developmental contexts.

Transcriptome of a mouse kidney cortical collecting duct cell line: effects of aldosterone and vasopressin.

Aldosterone and vasopressin are responsible for the final adjustment of sodium and water reabsorption in the kidney. In principal cells of the kidney cortical collecting duct (CCD), the integral response to aldosterone and the long-term functional effects of vasopressin depend on transcription. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome of a highly differentiated mouse clonal CCD principal cell line (mpkCCD(cl4)) and the changes in the transcriptome induced by aldosterone and vasopressin. Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) was performed on untreated cells and on cells treated with either aldosterone or vasopressin for 4 h. The transcriptomes in these three experimental conditions were determined by sequencing 169,721 transcript tags from the corresponding SAGE libraries. Limiting the analysis to tags that occurred twice or more in the data set, 14,654 different transcripts were identified, 3,642 of which do not match known mouse sequences. Statistical comparison (at P < 0.05 level) of the three SAGE libraries revealed 34 AITs (aldosterone-induced transcripts), 29 ARTs (aldosterone-repressed transcripts), 48 VITs (vasopressin-induced transcripts) and 11 VRTs (vasopressin-repressed transcripts). A selection of the differentially-expressed, hormone-specific transcripts (5 VITs, 2 AITs and 1 ART) has been validated in the mpkCCD(cl4) cell line either by Northern blot hybridization or reverse transcription-PCR. The hepatocyte nuclear transcription factor HNF-3-alpha (VIT39), the receptor activity modifying protein RAMP3 (VIT48), and the glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper protein (GILZ) (AIT28) are candidate proteins playing a role in physiological responses of this cell line to vasopressin and aldosterone.

Candidate SNPs for carcass and meat traits in Nelore animals and in their crosses with Bos taurus

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes IGF1 (AF_017143.1:g.198C>T), MSTN (AF_320998.1:g.433C>A), MYOD1 (NC_007313:g.1274A>G) and MYF5 (NC_007303:g.1911A>G) on carcass and meat traits in Nelore (Bos indicus) and Nelore x B. taurus. A total of 300 animals were genotyped and phenotyped for rib eye area (REA), backfat thickness (BT), intramuscular fat (IF), shear force (SF) and myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI). The effects of allele substitution for each SNP were estimated by regression of the evaluated phenotypes on the number of copies of a particular allele using the general linear model. The polymorphism at IGF1 was non-informative in Nelore animals. In crossbred animals, the IGF1 C allele was associated with greater REA. However, this relation was not significant after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. The A allele of the MSTN polymorphism was absent in Nelore cattle and was only found in two crossbred animals. The polymorphisms of MYOD1 and MYF5 were little informative in Nelore animals with G allele frequency of 0.097 and A allele frequency of 0.031, respectively. These markers show no association with the analyzed traits in the total sample of evaluated animals.

Desempenho de cultivares de arroz com uso de reguladores de crescimento, em diferentes sistemas de cultivo

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de reguladores de crescimento sobre o estabelecimento inicial e o desempenho agronômico de cultivares de arroz irrigado, em diferentes sistemas de cultivo. O experimento foi conduzido em ambiente controlado e em campo, com as cultivares Irga 424 e Irga 425, e os produtos ácido giberélico, tiametoxam e Haf Plus. Em campo, os tratamentos foram testados nos sistemas de cultivo convencional e pré-germinado. Em ambiente controlado, as substâncias avaliadas promoveram a germinação de Irga 425, com incremento de 50% na germinação com o uso de tiametoxam, e de 39% com Haf Plus e ácido giberélico. Em campo, esse desempenho foi dependente do sistema de cultivo e da cultivar utilizada. O ácido giberélico causou estiolamento inicial, com reflexos na estatura da planta, na emissão de perfilhos e na deposição de biomassa vegetal. Tiametoxam e Haf Plus estimularam o perfilhamento das cultivares de arroz, nos dois sistemas de cultivo. Apesar de todos os produtos estimularem o número de panículas por metro quadrado, sua influência na produtividade de grãos não foi observada nos sistemas avaliados.

Context-dependent dual role of SKI8 homologs in mRNA synthesis and turnover.

Eukaryotic mRNA transcription and turnover is controlled by an enzymatic machinery that includes RNA polymerase II and the 3' to 5' exosome. The activity of these protein complexes is modulated by additional factors, such as the nuclear RNA polymerase II-associated factor 1 (Paf1c) and the cytoplasmic Superkiller (SKI) complex, respectively. Their components are conserved across uni- as well as multi-cellular organisms, including yeast, Arabidopsis, and humans. Among them, SKI8 displays multiple facets on top of its cytoplasmic role in the SKI complex. For instance, nuclear yeast ScSKI8 has an additional function in meiotic recombination, whereas nuclear human hSKI8 (unlike ScSKI8) associates with Paf1c. The Arabidopsis SKI8 homolog VERNALIZATION INDEPENDENT 3 (VIP3) has been found in Paf1c as well; however, whether it also has a role in the SKI complex remains obscure so far. We found that transgenic VIP3-GFP, which complements a novel vip3 mutant allele, localizes to both nucleus and cytoplasm. Consistently, biochemical analyses suggest that VIP3-GFP associates with the SKI complex. A role of VIP3 in the turnover of nuclear encoded mRNAs is supported by random-primed RNA sequencing of wild-type and vip3 seedlings, which indicates mRNA stabilization in vip3. Another SKI subunit homolog mutant, ski2, displays a dwarf phenotype similar to vip3. However, unlike vip3, it displays neither early flowering nor flower development phenotypes, suggesting that the latter reflect VIP3's role in Paf1c. Surprisingly then, transgenic ScSKI8 rescued all aspects of the vip3 phenotype, suggesting that the dual role of SKI8 depends on species-specific cellular context.

DESENVOLVIMENTO INICIAL DA GRAVIOLEIRA SOB FONTES E NÍVEIS DE SALINIDADE DA ÁGUA

No período de fevereiro a julho de 1999, estudaram-se os efeitos de fontes salinas através da irrigação com água de barragem, rica em cloreto de sódio e em cloreto de magnésio, com níveis de condutividade elétrica de 0,5; 1,0; 2,0; 3,0; 6,0 e 9,0 dSm-1 sobre o crescimento inicial da gravioleira, Annona muricata L., cultivar Morada. Os resultados nos primeiros 150 dias, independentemente das fontes, indicam que área foliar e sua fitomassa cresceram com o aumento da salinidade das águas de 0,5 para 2,0 e até 3,0 dSm-1. No mesmo período, o índice de salinidade do substrato foi elevado para até fortemente salino, revelando que a gravioleira comportou-se como planta moderadamente tolerante aos sais durante o crescimento inicial. Apesar de a água rica em cloreto de magnésio ser a fonte que menos elevou a condutividade elétrica do substrato, foi a que mais contribuiu para a redução das variáveis estudadas, indicando que as plantas foram mais sensíveis a sua toxidade em relação à água de barragem e rica em cloreto de sódio.

Agenda deportiva

Aquesta memòria recull el procés seguit per al desenvolupament i implementació d’una aplicació Software. Aquest procés s’inicia amb la presentació del tema, estat de l’art i planificació temporal per continuar amb l’anàlisi de requeriments de l’aplicació —identificació dels interessats, entitats existents i les relacions d’aquestes...— el disseny de la mateixa —mètode de desenvolupament emprat, arquitectura...— la implementació de l’aplicació i les proves corresponents. Finalment la memòria es completa amb les conclusions i vies de continuació així com la bibliografia i annexos complementaris.