Short-term effects of air pollution and weather on physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Introduction: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) accumulate low levels of physical activity. How environmental factors affect their physical activity in the short-term is uncertain.

Aim: to assess the short-term effects of air pollution and weather on physical activity levels in COPD patients.

[Translated article] Spanish COPD Guidelines (GesEPOC) 2021 Update. Diagnosis and Treatment of COPD Exacerbation Syndrome.

This article details the GesEPOC 2021 recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of COPD exacerbation syndrome (CES). The guidelines propose a definition-based syndromic approach, a new classification of severity, and the recognition of different treatable traits (TT), representing a new step toward personalized medicine. The evidence is evaluated using GRADE methodology, with the incorporation of 6 new PICO questions.

Eukaryotic Cell Capture by Amplified Magnetic Hybridization Using Yeast as a Model.

A non-destructive approach based on magnetic hybridization (MISH) and hybridization chain reaction (HCR) for the specific capture of eukaryotic cells has been developed. As a prerequisite, a HCR-MISH procedure initially used for tracking bacterial cells was here adapted for the first time to target eukaryotic cells using a universal eukaryotic probe, Euk-516R. Following labeling with superparamagnetic nanoparticles, cells from the model eukaryotic microorganism were hybridized and isolated on a micro-magnet array.

Infectious diseases experts as part of the antibiotic stewardship team in primary care: protocol for a cluster-randomised blinded study (IDASP).

Introduction: Antibiotic overuse is directly related to antibiotic resistance, and primary care is one of the main reasons for this overuse. This study aims to demonstrate that including experts on infectious diseases (ID) within the antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programme team in primary care settings achieves higher reductions in overall antibiotic consumption and increases the quality of prescription.

Methods And Analysis: A multicentre, cluster-randomised, blinded clinical trial will be conducted between 2021 and 2023.

Spanish COPD Guidelines (GesEPOC) 2021 Update Diagnosis and Treatment of COPD Exacerbation Syndrome.

This article details the GesEPOC 2021 recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of COPD exacerbation syndrome (CES). The guidelines propose a definition-based syndromic approach, a new classification of severity, and the recognition of different treatable traits (TT), representing a new step toward personalized medicine. The evidence is evaluated using GRADE methodology, with the incorporation of 6 new PICO questions.

Spanish COPD Guidelines (GesEPOC) 2021: Updated Pharmacological treatment of stable COPD.

The Spanish COPD Guidelines (GesEPOC) were first published in 2012, and since then have undergone a series of updates incorporating new evidence on the diagnosis and treatment of COPD. GesEPOC was drawn up in partnership with scientific societies involved in the treatment of COPD and the Spanish Patients' Forum. Their recommendations are based on an evaluation of the evidence using GRADE methodology, and a narrative description of the evidence in areas in which GRADE cannot be applied.

Isolation of Insect Bacteriocytes as a Platform for Transcriptomic Analyses.

Over the past few decades, various techniques have been developed and optimized for the accurate measurement of RNA abundance in cells or tissues. These methods have been instrumental in gaining insight in complex systems such as host-symbiont associations. The pea aphid model has recently emerged as a powerful and experimentally tractable system for studying symbiotic relationships and it is the subject of a growing number of molecular studies.

Variability in the Response of Bacterial Community Assembly to Environmental Selection and Biotic Factors Depends on the Immigrated Bacteria, as Revealed by a Soil Microcosm Experiment.

Exploring the assembly mechanism of microbiota is critical for understanding soil ecosystem functions. However, the relative importance of different biotic and abiotic factors in determining the bacterial community has not been properly clarified. In this study, the effects of inocula and recipients on the assembly of the soil community were investigated to evaluate their importance by inoculation experiments with sterile soil.

Bacteriocyte Reprogramming to Cope With Nutritional Stress in a Phloem Sap Feeding Hemipteran, the Pea Aphid .

Nutritional symbioses play a central role in the ability of insects to thrive on unbalanced diets and in ensuring their evolutionary success. A genomic model for nutritional symbiosis comprises the hemipteran , and the gamma-3-proteobacterium, , with genomes encoding highly integrated metabolic pathways. feeds exclusively on plant phloem sap, a nutritionally unbalanced diet highly variable in composition, thus raising the question of how this symbiotic system responds to nutritional stress.

Long-term efficacy and effectiveness of a behavioural and community-based exercise intervention (Urban Training) to increase physical activity in patients with COPD: a randomised controlled trial.

There is a need to increase and maintain physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We assessed 12-month efficacy and effectiveness of the Urban Training intervention on physical activity in COPD patients.This randomised controlled trial (NCT01897298) allocated 407 COPD patients from primary and hospital settings 1:1 to usual care (n=205) or Urban Training (n=202).

Critical knowledge gaps and research needs related to the environmental dimensions of antibiotic resistance.

There is growing understanding that the environment plays an important role both in the transmission of antibiotic resistant pathogens and in their evolution. Accordingly, researchers and stakeholders world-wide seek to further explore the mechanisms and drivers involved, quantify risks and identify suitable interventions. There is a clear value in establishing research needs and coordinating efforts within and across nations in order to best tackle this global challenge.

Human dissemination of genes and microorganisms in Earth's Critical Zone.

Earth's Critical Zone sustains terrestrial life and consists of the thin planetary surface layer between unaltered rock and the atmospheric boundary. Within this zone, flows of energy and materials are mediated by physical processes and by the actions of diverse organisms. Human activities significantly influence these physical and biological processes, affecting the atmosphere, shallow lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

Gate-Defined One-Dimensional Channel and Broken Symmetry States in MoS van der Waals Heterostructures.

We have realized encapsulated trilayer MoS devices with gated graphene contacts. In the bulk, we observe an electron mobility as high as 7000 cm/(V s) at a density of 3 × 10 cm at a temperature of 1.9 K.

Alternative splicing of CNOT7 diversifies CCR4-NOT functions.

The CCR4-associated factor CAF1, also called CNOT7, is a catalytic subunit of the CCR4-NOT complex, which has been implicated in all aspects of the mRNA life cycle, from mRNA synthesis in the nucleus to degradation in the cytoplasm. In human cells, alternative splicing of the CNOT7 gene yields a second CNOT7 transcript leading to the formation of a shorter protein, CNOT7 variant 2 (CNOT7v2). Biochemical characterization indicates that CNOT7v2 interacts with CCR4-NOT subunits, although it does not bind to BTG proteins.

Metagenomic-based impact study of transgenic grapevine rootstock on its associated virome and soil bacteriome.

For some crops, the only possible approach to gain a specific trait requires genome modification. The development of virus-resistant transgenic plants based on the pathogen-derived resistance strategy has been a success story for over three decades. However, potential risks associated with the technology, such as horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of any part of the transgene to an existing gene pool, have been raised.

Spanish Guidelines for Management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (GesEPOC) 2017. Pharmacological Treatment of Stable Phase.

The clinical presentation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) varies widely, so treatment must be tailored according to the level of risk and phenotype. In 2012, the Spanish COPD Guidelines (GesEPOC) first established pharmacological treatment regimens based on clinical phenotypes. These regimens were subsequently adopted by other national guidelines, and since then, have been backed up by new evidence.

Survival and electrotransformation of Pseudomonas syringae strains under simulated cloud-like conditions.

To diversify their genetic material, and thereby allow adaptation to environmental disturbances and colonization of new ecological niches, bacteria use various evolutionary processes, including the acquisition of new genetic material by horizontal transfer mechanisms such as conjugation, transduction and transformation. Electrotransformation mediated by lightning-related electrical phenomena may constitute an additional gene-transfer mechanism occurring in nature. The presence in clouds of bacteria such as Pseudomonas syringae capable of forming ice nuclei that lead to precipitation, and that are likely to be involved in triggering lightning, led us to postulate that natural electrotransformation in clouds may contribute to the adaptive potential of these bacteria.

Oscillating Magnetoresistance in Graphene p-n Junctions at Intermediate Magnetic Fields.

We report on the observation of magnetoresistance oscillations in graphene p-n junctions. The oscillations have been observed for six samples, consisting of single-layer and bilayer graphene, and persist up to temperatures of 30 K, where standard Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations are no longer discernible. The oscillatory magnetoresistance can be reproduced by tight-binding simulations.

Microbial soil community analyses for forensic science: Application to a blind test.

Soil complexity, heterogeneity and transferability make it valuable in forensic investigations to help obtain clues as to the origin of an unknown sample, or to compare samples from a suspect or object with samples collected at a crime scene. In a few countries, soil analysis is used in matters from site verification to estimates of time after death. However, up to date the application or use of soil information in criminal investigations has been limited.

Prevalence and incidence of bronchiectasis in Catalonia, Spain: A population-based study.

Background: Insufficient epidemiological data are available on bronchiectasis in southern European populations. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and incidence of bronchiectasis in Catalonia, Spain and describe the characteristics of patients with an active diagnosis of bronchiectasis in 2012.

Methods: This study used data from a population database containing information from 5.

Soil characterisation by bacterial community analysis for forensic applications: A quantitative comparison of environmental technologies.

The ubiquity and transferability of soil makes it a resource for the forensic investigator, as it can provide a link between agents and scenes. However, the information contained in soils, such as chemical compounds, physical particles or biological entities, is seldom used in forensic investigations; due mainly to the associated costs, lack of available expertise, and the lack of soil databases. The microbial DNA in soil is relatively easy to access and analyse, having thus the potential to provide a powerful means for discriminating soil samples or linking them to a common origin.

A specific anti-citrullinated protein antibody profile identifies a group of rheumatoid arthritis patients with a toll-like receptor 4-mediated disease.

Background: Increased expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and its endogenous ligands, is characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovitis. In this study, we evaluated how these TLR4 ligands may drive pathogenic processes and whether the fine profiling of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) based on their target specificity might provide a simple means to predict therapeutic benefit when neutralizing TLR4 in this disease.

Methods: The capacity of RA synovial fluids (RASF) to stimulate cytokine production in monocytes from patients with RA was analyzed by ELISA.