Publications by authors named "Francisco Montero"

Our objective in this article was to develop a predictive model for obesity in the third trimester of pregnancy using the plasma and clinical biomarkers that are managed within the Chromosomopathies Programme in the Andalusian Public Healthcare System. The epidemiological design was observational, of the unmatched case-control type. The geographical environment was the Seville Primary Healthcare District (DSAP Sevilla).

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Parasitism involves diverse evolutionary strategies, including adaptations for blood feeding, which provides essential nutrients for growth and reproduction. (Polyopisthocotyla: Microcotylidae), an ectoparasitic flatworm, infects the gills of gilthead seabream (), significantly affecting fish health, welfare and Mediterranean cage farm profitability. Despite its impact, limited information exists on its feeding behaviour.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on the diplectanid monogenean, a common gill parasite of the gilthead seabream found in the Mediterranean Sea, aiming to understand its population structure and genetic diversity through molecular analysis.
  • Researchers analyzed samples from wild and cage-reared gilthead seabream across fifteen locations in Tunisia, Italy, and Spain, revealing that there is likely just one species of the parasite widespread throughout the region, with evidence of recent population expansion.
  • The study shows high haplotype diversity and significant genetic variation among the parasite populations, with notable differences between those in the Adriatic Sea and other areas, suggesting considerable gene flow due to host movement.
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  • * Affected fish exhibited abdominal swelling and necropsy revealed xenomas (tumor-like structures) that were attached to internal organs, leading to chronic inflammation and necrosis.
  • * The research included detailed ultrastructural and molecular analyses of the spores, finding that the new strain shared close genetic links with other Glugea species, particularly G. sardinellesis and G. thunni.
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Proper temperature regulation of photovoltaic (PV) modules increases their performance. Among various cooling techniques, phase change materials (PCMs) represent an effective thermal management route, thanks to their large latent heat at constant temperatures. Radiative cooling (RC) is also recently explored as a passive option for PV temperature regulation.

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  • This research investigates how brain-encysting trematodes affect host fish behavior by mapping the distribution of metacercariae in both wild and farmed fish.
  • The study found that metacercariae primarily target specific brain regions, like the optic lobe and medulla oblongata, which could influence sensory and motor functions crucial for fish survival.
  • While the research provides valuable insights into the effects of these parasites on fish brains, further experiments are needed to determine if the observed brain occupancy causes behavioral changes in the hosts.
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  • Anelasma squalicola is a type of barnacle that attaches to sharks from various ocean regions, including the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and relies on the host's fluid for nutrition.
  • This study documents the first occurrence of Anelasma squalicola in the Mediterranean Sea, specifically found on a species of shark, Etmopterus spinax, during a survey in 2017.
  • The infection rate was low at 0.22%, and the health status index (HSI) of affected sharks suggested possible negative effects on their physiology compared to unaffected individuals.
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  • The study focuses on Sparicotyle chrysophrii, a parasite affecting the gilthead sea bream, which can lead to disease and death in aquaculture.
  • It investigates genetic variation and population structure using two molecular markers (28S rRNA and COI), analyzing samples from both wild and farmed fish in Italy and Spain.
  • Findings indicate low genetic diversity within S. chrysophrii from S. aurata, potential identification of a sister species from another host, and initial evidence of parasite transfer between wild and farmed populations.
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Anisakis spp. (Nematoda, Anisakidae) are parasites known by their economic and health impacts, as their L3 larval stages infect a variety of fish species, many of them commercial species, sometimes causing zoonotic episodes due to consumption of raw or undercooked fish. The aim of this study is to determine the infection process and the potential impact of A.

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The microcotylid is a pathogenic monogenean infecting , a candidate for species diversification in the Mediterranean aquaculture. Life-history stages of commonly co-occur in field infections, but to date, morphological data have only been provided for oncomiracidia and adults although identifying life-history stages can be useful in infection management. A total of 114 specimens of were analysed to characterize the developmental events and to assess morphological and morphometric variations before and after maturity.

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One of the most promising aquaculture species is the Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) with high market value; disease control is crucial to prevent and reduce mortality and monetary losses. Microsporidia (Fungi) are a potential source of damage to bluefin tuna aquaculture. A new microsporidian species is described from farmed bluefin tunas from the Spanish Mediterranean.

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Long-term sports training leads to myocardial adaptations, with remodelling of the heart chambers. However, while myocardial adaptations of the left heart are well described, remodelling of the right heart and its impact on the development of arrhythmias is still debated. To conduct a systematic review on right ventricle (RV) and right atrium (RA) structural and functional changes in athletes who participate in long-term endurance training.

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Objectives: Recognized the value of gestational diabetes (GD) as a health problem, our aim in this work has been to analyze the diagnostic performance of the different today's existing criteria (GEDE, O'Sullivan and Carpenter) after the overload of 100 g of glucose and revise how to increase its efficiency.

Materials And Methods: We carried out a description of all the variables. In the analytical phase of the work, we used Pearson's Chi square to see if there were differences in the percentage of cases collected in each health center and the proportions contrast test to study the differences between the experimental prevalence.

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The genus Cardicola Short, 1953 has the highest number of species within the family Aporocotylidae (Trematoda: Digenea). Five Cardicola species have been reported to date in the Mediterranean Sea, one of them in the gilthead seabream Sparus aurata L. Analyses of infected S.

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Background: Microcotyle erythrini van Beneden & Hesse, 1863 (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea) and other closely related species of the genus are often considered as cryptic. Records in hosts other than the type-host with no species confirmation by molecular analyses have contributed to this situation.

Methods: Gill parasites of five sparid fishes, Boops boops (L.

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Background: Despite their complex life-cycles involving various types of hosts and free-living stages, digenean trematodes are becoming recurrent model systems. The infection and penetration strategy of the larval stages, i.e.

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In this study, 542 individual fish from 20 species from the Patagonian continental shelf of Argentina were examined for acanthocephalans. A total of 1,547 acanthocephalans belonging to 5 species were collected from 18 species of fish. Adult forms were represented by 2 species: Aspersentis johni ( Baylis, 1929 ) (Heteracanthocephalidae) from longtail southern cod, Patagonotothen ramsayi (Regan) (new host record), and Breizacanthus aznari Hernández-Orts, Alama-Bermejo, Crespo, García, Raga and Montero, 2012 (Arhythmacanthidae) from raneya, Raneya brasiliensis (Kaup).

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Objective: One of the physiopathological hypothesis behind complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I involves the deep-tissue hypoxia of the affected areas. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) appears to be effective in the treatment of these patients. We evaluated whether ESCS modifies tissue oxygen saturation (StO ) measured with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in the affected limbs in patients diagnosed with CRPS type I.

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The taxonomy of the genus Diplectanum has been exclusively based on morphological features, with 28 nominal species parasitic on perciform fishes recognised. We used molecular data, to our knowledge for the first time, to evaluate the taxonomic framework of Diplectanum, infer the relationships amongst species attributed to this genus, re-assess the degree of host specificity and explore the population genetic structure of Diplectanum spp. parasitising Mediterranean sciaenids, which are potential target fish species for aquaculture diversification in the region.

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Acanthocephalans display a two-host life cycle that involves arthropods as intermediate hosts and vertebrates as definitive hosts. Some species also use paratenic hosts to bridge the trophic gap between both obligatory hosts. However, the relative role of these paratenic hosts in the transmission to definitive hosts has seldom been assessed quantitatively.

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Background: Evidence concerning the environmental influence on monogenean transmission and infection processes is widely accepted, although only the effects of a limited number of abiotic factors on particular monogenean species have been explored. The current context of climate change calls for further research both on this subject, and also that concerning monogenean hosts, especially in aquaculture.

Methods: In this study, four experiments were used to assess the response of the infective stages of Sparicotyle chrysophrii, a pathogenic monogenean from gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) cultures in the Mediterranean, to variations of temperature (from 10 °C to 30 °C), pH (7.

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Some people require special treatments for rehabilitating physical, cognitive or even social capabilities after an accident or degenerative illness. However, the ever-increasing costs of looking after an aging population, many of whom suffer chronic diseases, is straining the finances of healthcare systems around Europe. This situation has given rise to a great deal of attention being paid to the development of telerehabilitation (TR) systems, which have been designed to take rehabilitation beyond hospitals and care centers.

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Marine protected areas are considered a useful tool to preserve and recover the biodiversity of ecosystems. It is suggested that fisheries not only affect populations of target and bycatch species but also their parasite communities. Parasites can indicate fishery effects on host species and also on the whole local community, but the effects of fisheries and protection measures on parasite communities are relatively unknown.

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Many researchers have explored the relationship between recurrent neural networks and finite state machines. Finite state machines constitute the best-characterized computational model, whereas artificial neural networks have become a very successful tool for modeling and problem solving. The neurally-inspired lateral inhibition method, and its application to motion detection tasks, have been successfully implemented in recent years.

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Bacterial endosymbionts and their insect hosts establish an intimate metabolic relationship. Bacteria offer a variety of essential nutrients to their hosts, whereas insect cells provide the necessary sources of matter and energy to their tiny metabolic allies. These nutritional complementations sustain themselves on a diversity of metabolite exchanges between the cell host and the reduced yet highly specialized bacterial metabolism-which, for instance, overproduces a small set of essential amino acids and vitamins.

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