Publications by authors named "J Castella"

Ticks are important vectors of pathogens, producing diseases in animals and humans. The planning of information campaigns or prevention programs is heavily based on the knowledge of highly detailed data on tick distribution. This study reports unpublished data on the distribution of more than 30,000 tick specimens, collected by active surveys in the years 1985-2024 in Spain, from 2285 surveys in 1636 unique sites, providing coordinates with variable accuracy.

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Article Synopsis
  • Crop booms refer to sudden and intense expansions of specific crops, but they are unpredictable and difficult to control.
  • This study uses complex systems theory to analyze the dynamics of crop booms, particularly focusing on rubber and banana plantations in northern Laos.
  • Key factors influencing these booms include previous agricultural trends, policy and market changes, and internal feedback mechanisms that create self-reinforcing behaviors, which help define the growth patterns and thresholds of these crop expansions.
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Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is still the leading cause of death for newborns in developed countries. The pathophysiological mechanisms have not been fully clarified, but in some of SIDS cases variants of genes associated with inherited cardiac conditions are found. In this study, an analysis of SCD-related genes was performed to determine the prevalence of rare pathogenic (P) or likely pathogenic (LP) variants that could provide an unambiguous explanation for the fatal event.

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Transmission of pathogens between farms via animal transport vehicles is a potential concern; however, the available information on driver routines and biosecurity measures implemented during transport is limited. Given the above, the aim of this study was to describe and characterize the prevailing practices and biosecurity measures adopted by cattle transport drivers in Spain. Eighty-two drivers were surveyed via face-to-face or remotely.

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Molecular screening for pathogenic mutations in sudden cardiac death (SCD)-related genes is common practice for SCD cases. However, test results may lead to uncertainty because of the identification of variants of unknown significance (VUS) occurring in up to 70% of total identified variants due to a lack of experimental studies. Genetic variants affecting potential splice site variants are among the most difficult to interpret.

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