Publications by authors named "Carreras C"

pv. is the main causal agent of bacterial canker in sweet cherry in Chile, causing significant economic losses. Cultivars exhibit diverse susceptibility in the field and the molecular mechanisms underlying the differential responses remain unclear.

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  • Loggerhead turtles, after hatching in the Northwest Atlantic, embark on a migration to Europe and northwestern Africa within their first few years of life, often entering the Mediterranean Sea.
  • Researchers used skeletochronology and stable isotope analysis on juvenile turtles found in the Balearic Islands to investigate their habitat changes and dietary patterns.
  • The study revealed that while these turtles move across different water masses, they settle in low salinity areas of the western Mediterranean around ten years old, preparing for their eventual return to their original nesting beaches.
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  • Invasive species, particularly tunicates like Styela plicata, pose significant threats to marine biodiversity amidst their thriving global presence.
  • A study genotyped 87 individuals from various locations, uncovering four chromosome inversions, population structure, and signs of local adaptation.
  • Findings indicate independent introduction events to the Atlantic and Pacific, highlighting complex historical processes affecting population distribution and suggesting genetic connections among populations, particularly in South Carolina.
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Disease severity and drought due to climate change present significant challenges to orchard productivity. This study examines the effects of spring inoculation with () on sweet cherry plants, cvs. Bing and Santina with varying defense responses, assessing plant growth, physiological variables (water potential, gas exchange, and plant hydraulic conductance), and the levels of abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA) under two summer irrigation levels.

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  • The black sea urchin (Arbacia lixula) is vital for Mediterranean coastal ecosystems, and researchers have developed the first complete genome assembly for this species, including both its nuclear and mitochondrial genomes.
  • Using advanced sequencing technologies, they achieved a chromosome-level assembly, revealing a total genome size of 607.91 Mb and found that it aligns with the organism's known karyotype.
  • The comprehensive annotation identified 72,767 transcripts, encompassing coding and non-coding genes, which will support further research on A. lixula and contribute valuable resources to the broader sea urchin research community.
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Intratumoral (IT) therapy is a powerful method of controlling tumor growth, but a major unsolved problem is the rapidity that injected drugs exit tumors, limiting on-target exposure and efficacy. We have developed a generic long acting IT delivery system in which a drug is covalently tethered to hydrogel microspheres (MS) by a cleavable linker; upon injection the conjugate forms a depot that slowly releases the drug and "bathes" the tumor for long periods. We established technology to measure tissue pharmacokinetics and studied MSs attached to SN-38, a topoisomerase 1 inhibitor.

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  • - The study investigates how seasonal changes in microbial communities affect the invasive ascidian species Styela plicata, which raises concerns about marine invasive species.
  • - Researchers collected samples quarterly from gills, tunics, and surrounding water over two years, finding that compartment type and harbour location were key factors in microbial differences.
  • - Seasonal patterns were mainly seen in seawater bacteria, with specific bacteria linked to adaptation and invasiveness, suggesting these microbes play a significant role in the survival of invasive species.
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Background: Genomic architecture is a key evolutionary trait for living organisms. Due to multiple complex adaptive and neutral forces which impose evolutionary pressures on genomes, there is a huge variability of genomic features. However, their variability and the extent to which genomic content determines the distribution of recovered loci in reduced representation sequencing studies is largely unexplored.

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Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) have been approved for once or twice daily oral use in the treatment of cancers with BRCA defects. However, for some patients, oral administration of PARPi may be impractical or intolerable, and a long-acting injectable formulation is desirable. We recently developed a long-acting PEGylated PARPi prodrug, PEG∼talazoparib (TLZ), which suppressed the growth of PARPi-sensitive tumors in mice for very long periods.

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  • The loggerhead sea turtle is adapting to climate change by increasing its nesting activity in the Western Mediterranean, particularly in Spain.
  • A study involving the genetic analysis of hatchlings and nesting data indicates that this increase is due to more colonizing turtles rather than local females returning to nest.
  • Findings suggest that conservation efforts, changes in population dynamics, and a higher proportion of females being born may contribute to this phenomenon, but further research is needed to ensure a stable breeding population in the region.
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  • The biodiversity crisis requires management strategies that are informed by scientific research.
  • Generating reference genomes is important for conservation efforts, but it doesn't fully represent the diversity of species.
  • The study by Nigenda-Morales et al. emphasizes using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) at the population level to gather essential genomic data for preserving Pacific fin whale populations.
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Bacterial canker caused by pv. (Pss) is responsible for substantial loss to the production of sweet cherry in Chile. To date, the molecular mechanisms of the Pss-sweet cherry interaction and the disease-related genes in the plant are poorly understood.

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  • The study examines how the microbiomes of invasive species, specifically an introduced ascidian, vary in different body parts (tunic, gill, gut) and across environments and life stages.
  • It discovered that microbiome differences not only occur locally in various harbors but also between juvenile and adult stages, indicating potential local adaptation.
  • The research links specific microbiome functions to environmental factors and suggests that these unique metabolic pathways might help the species thrive after being introduced, emphasizing the need for holistic studies on animal-microbiome interactions in the context of invasiveness.
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  • Conservation genomic studies often use reduced representation sequencing techniques to analyze population structure and local adaptation in non-model organisms, but the effectiveness can depend on the restriction enzyme and its GC content.
  • This study evaluated the distribution and function of sequenced loci from two fish species and two sea urchin species using different enzymes, mapping the loci to reference genomes and categorizing them as exonic, intronic, or intergenic.
  • Results showed that enzyme selection affects locus distribution and that many functional categories were similar across the species, emphasizing the importance of choosing the right restriction enzyme and relying on well-annotated genomes for accurate conservation genetics analysis.
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Unlabelled: Exatecan (Exa) is a very potent inhibitor of topoisomerase I and anticancer agent. It has been intensively studied as a single agent, a large macromolecular conjugate and as the payload component of antigen-dependent antibody-drug conjugates. The current work describes an antigen-independent conjugate of Exa with polyethylene glycol (PEG) that slowly releases free Exa.

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Mortality at early life stages of fishes is common in nature and can be shaped by stochastic and selective processes. Selective mortality has rarely been assessed in natural conditions but can now be studied by combining genomic data with information on different life stages that realates to fitness. Here we investigate selective mortality between settlers and six-month survivors of the sharpsnout seabream by genotype-phenotype/environmental association studies in three localities along a geographic gradient.

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We present herein the design, synthesis, and optimization of gut-restricted inhibitors of Na/H exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3). NHE3 is predominantly expressed in the kidney and gastrointestinal tract where it acts as the major absorptive sodium transporter. We desired minimally systemic agents that would block sodium absorption in the gastrointestinal tract but avoid exposure in the kidney.

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The C-natriuretic peptide (CNP) analog vosoritide has recently been approved for treatment of achondroplasia in children. However, the regimen requires daily subcutaneous injections in pediatric patients over multiple years. The present work sought to develop a long-acting CNP that would provide efficacy equal to or greater than that of vosoritide but require less frequent injections.

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  • The study investigates the effects of ruxolitinib, a JAK inhibitor, on patients with dominant-negative STAT3 (DN STAT3) syndromes, known for immune system issues similar to those seen in STAT1 gain-of-function (GOF) disorders.
  • The research used various techniques to analyze the levels of STAT1 and its activated form (pSTAT1) in cells from DN STAT3 patients compared to healthy individuals, finding that DN STAT3 patients exhibit heightened STAT1 activity when stimulated by certain cytokines.
  • Results showed that ruxolitinib successfully reduced cytokine-induced STAT1 signaling, suggesting its potential as a treatment option for patients with autoimmune or autoinflammatory symptoms associated with AD-HIES (Autosomal Dominant
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Due to changing environmental conditions, many species will have to migrate or occupy new suitable areas to avoid potential extinction in the current biodiversity crisis. Long-lived animals are especially vulnerable and ex-situ conservation actions can provide solutions through assisted colonisations. However, there is little empirical evidence on the process of founding new populations for such species or the feasibility of assisted colonisations as a viable conservation measure.

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  • Chédiak-Higashi syndrome (CHS) is a rare genetic immune disorder typically caused by various mutations, but this study reports a unique case involving a homozygous mutation from maternal uniparental isodisomy.
  • The researchers used Sanger sequencing and SNP-arrays to identify the mutation and explore how it was inherited, uncovering a mutation that leads to a premature stop codon in the LYST protein, linked to severe disease symptoms.
  • This case emphasizes the importance of combining different diagnostic methods for rare disorders like CHS and suggests that uniparental disomy is a relevant mechanism for its expression, even in families without a history of consanguinity.
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