Publications by authors named "Prat S"

Transcription factors of the CYCLING DOF FACTOR (CDF) family activate in potato the SP6A FT tuberization signal in leaves. In modern cultivars, truncated StCDF1.2 alleles override strict SD control by stabilizing the StCDF1 protein, which leads to StCOL1 suppression and impaired activation of the antagonic SP5G paralog.

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  • - The study investigates how ecology and social factors influence cognitive skills in primates by examining the size of specific brain regions related to metacognition and working memory in 16 primate species.
  • - Researchers found the volume of the frontal pole (FP) and dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is significantly related to body size, daily travel distance, and population density, indicating both ecological and social constraints play a role in cognitive evolution.
  • - The results suggest that ecological factors primarily drive brain region size, while social factors more strongly affect the FP, highlighting the importance of foraging and social interactions in the cognitive development of primates.
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  • Ethylene response factor StPti5 in potatoes is identified as a susceptibility factor that negatively impacts immunity against pathogens like potato virus Y and Ralstonia solanacearum, which operate through different mechanisms.
  • The study reveals that StPti5 is broken down in healthy plants through autophagy but accumulates in the nucleus during infection, indicating its role in the plant's defense response.
  • It also shows that StPti5 is regulated by the interaction of ethylene and salicylic acid pathways, influencing other ERFs and downregulating the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, contributing to understanding plant immunity regulation.
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Growth at the shoot apical meristem (SAM) is essential for shoot architecture construction. The phytohormones gibberellins (GA) play a pivotal role in coordinating plant growth, but their role in the SAM remains mostly unknown. Here, we developed a ratiometric GA signaling biosensor by engineering one of the DELLA proteins, to suppress its master regulatory function in GA transcriptional responses while preserving its degradation upon GA sensing.

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Background: Adverse childhood events (ACEs), psychopathy, and self-harming behaviours are prevalent among individuals in the forensic psychiatry system. While existing literature suggests that ACEs, self-harm, and psychopathy are interrelated, little is known about the interplay of psychopathic traits in this relationship. The present study aimed to determine the mediating role of psychopathy in the relationship between ACEs and self-harming behaviours in forensic patients.

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Increased day lengths and warm conditions inversely affect plant growth by directly modulating nuclear phyB, ELF3, and COP1 levels. Quantitative measures of the hypocotyl length have been key to gaining a deeper understanding of this complex regulatory network, while similar quantitative data are the foundation for many studies in plant biology. Here, we explore the application of mathematical modeling, specifically ordinary differential equations (ODEs), to understand plant responses to these environmental cues.

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In potato, maturity is assessed by leaf senescence, which, in turn, affects yield and tuber quality traits. Previously, we showed that the CYCLING DOF FACTOR1 (StCDF1) locus controls leaf maturity in addition to the timing of tuberization. Here, we provide evidence that StCDF1 controls senescence onset separately from senescence progression and the total life cycle duration.

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  • The Turkana Basin, despite being one of the driest areas in East Africa, has rich Plio-Pleistocene sediments that indicate the presence of freshwater resources for early hominins between 4.2 to 0.7 million years ago.
  • Research reveals that freshwater river and lake systems expanded in the Turkana Basin, providing vital drinking water and food sources during specific periods, notably from 4.20 Ma to 0.75 Ma.
  • Key milestones in hominin evolution and behavior, such as the emergence of new species and the development of stone tools, coincided with these freshwater conditions, highlighting their importance in early human development.
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  • Populations related to modern Europeans began migrating to Europe around 38,000-40,000 years ago, following a significant climatic disruption.
  • Two ancient genomes from individuals in Crimea (36,000-37,000 years old) indicate these migrants are linked to later Gravettian populations in southwestern Europe.
  • The study shows that this migration involved a mix with existing local human populations, with traces of these early ancestries still detectable in later European groups.
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Aims: Recurrence of arrhythmia after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the form of atypical atrial flutter (AFL) is common among a significant number of patients and often requires redo ablation with limited success rates. Identifying patients at high risk of AFL after AF ablation could aid in patient selection and personalized ablation approach. The study aims to assess the relationship between pre-existing atrial cardiomyopathy and the occurrence of AFL following AF ablation.

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In 1998, Bill Gray and colleagues showed that warm temperatures trigger arabidopsis hypocotyl elongation in an auxin-dependent manner. This laid the foundation for a vibrant research discipline. With several active members of the 'thermomorphogenesis' community, we here reflect on 25 years of elevated ambient temperature research and look to the future.

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Plants program their meristem-associated developmental switches for timely adaptation to a changing environment. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers differentiate from specialized belowground branches or stolons through radial expansion of their terminal ends.

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Aims: Heterogeneous tissue channels (HTCs) detected by late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) are related to ventricular arrhythmias, but there are few published data about their arrhythmogenic characteristics.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 34 consecutive patients with ischaemic and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy who were referred for ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation. LGE-CMR was performed prior to ablation, and the HTCs were analyzed.

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  • Forensic-correctional psychiatric services in Abu Dhabi are crucial for caring for mentally ill offenders and conducting legal assessments, but improvements in mental health care are still needed.
  • The study analyzed data from 398 male offenders, primarily diagnosed with schizophrenia, with an average age of 35.3 years and an average stay of 11.07 days in forensic-correctional units.
  • There is a significant demand for these services, highlighting the need for more trained professionals, resources, and a universal database to address mental health needs effectively.
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TGA (TGACG-binding) transcription factors, which bind their target DNA through a conserved basic region leucine zipper (bZIP) domain, are vital regulators of gene expression in salicylic acid (SA)-mediated plant immunity. Here, we investigated the role of StTGA2.1, a potato (Solanum tuberosum) TGA lacking the full bZIP, which we named a mini-TGA.

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Aims: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with left heart disease is an increasingly prevalent problem, orphan of targeted therapies, and related to a poor prognosis, particularly when pre- and post-capillary PH combine. The current study aimed to determine whether treatment with the selective β3 adrenoreceptor agonist mirabegron improves outcomes in patients with combined pre- and post-capillary PH (CpcPH).

Methods And Results: The β3 Adrenergic Agonist Treatment in Chronic Pulmonary Hypertension Secondary to Heart Failure (SPHERE-HF) trial is a multicentre, randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled clinical trial that enrolled stable patients with CpcPH associated with symptomatic heart failure.

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Aims: Electrical reconnection of pulmonary veins (PVs) is considered an important determinant of recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). To date, AF recurrences almost automatically trigger invasive repeat procedures, required to assess PVI durability. With recent technical advances, it is becoming increasingly common to find all PVs isolated in those repeat procedures.

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As the summer approaches, plants experience enhanced light inputs and warm temperatures, two environmental cues with an opposite morphogenic impact. Key components of this response are PHYTOCHROME B (phyB), EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3), and CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1). Here, we used single and double mutant/overexpression lines to fit a mathematical model incorporating known interactions of these regulators.

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Complex distal femoral fracture (DFF) in the elderly patient is an infrequent but challenging scenario. In these fragile patients, DFF is associated with a high rate of medical complications and mortality. The optimum treatment remains controversial.

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