Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment for the active substance terbuthylazine in light of confirmatory data submitted.

The conclusions of EFSA following the peer review of the initial risk assessment carried out by the competent authority of the rapporteur Member State, the United Kingdom, for the pesticide active substance terbuthylazine are reported. The context of the peer review was that requested by the European Commission following the submission and evaluation of confirmatory data on groundwater metabolites. The conclusions were reached on the basis of the evaluation of the representative uses of terbuthylazine as a herbicide on maize and sorghum.

Delftia rhizosphaerae sp. nov. isolated from the rhizosphere of Cistus ladanifer.

A bacterial strain, designated RA6T, was isolated from the rhizosphere of Cistus ladanifer. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequence placed the isolate into the genus Delftia within a cluster encompassing the type strains of Delftia lacustris, Delftia tsuruhatensis, Delftia acidovorans and Delftia litopenaei, which presented greater than 97 % sequence similarity with respect to strain RA6T. DNA-DNA hybridization studies showed average relatedness ranging from of 11 to 18 % between these species of the genus Delftia and strain RA6T.

Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance bromoxynil (variant evaluated bromoxynil octanoate).

The conclusions of EFSA following the peer review of the initial risk assessments carried out by the competent authorities of the rapporteur Member State, France, and co-rapporteur Member State, Germany, for the pesticide active substance bromoxynil. The context of the peer review was that required by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 844/2012. The conclusions were reached on the basis of the evaluation of the representative uses of bromoxynil as a herbicide on maize and straw cereals.

Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance mepanipyrim.

The conclusions of EFSA following the peer review of the initial risk assessments carried out by the competent authorities of the rapporteur Member State, Belgium, and co-rapporteur Member State, Greece, for the pesticide active substance mepanipyrim are reported. The context of the peer review was that required by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 844/2012. The conclusions were reached on the basis of the evaluation of the representative uses of mepanipyrim as a fungicide on table and wine grapes, and in field and protected strawberries and tomatoes.

Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance laminarin.

The conclusions of EFSA following the peer review of the initial risk assessments carried out by the competent authorities of the rapporteur Member State, the Netherlands, and co-rapporteur Member State, France, for the pesticide active substance laminarin are reported. The context of the peer review was that required by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 844/2012. The conclusions were reached on the basis of the evaluation of the representative uses of laminarin as elicitor on apple, pear, vine, kiwi, green bean, lettuce, strawberry, tomato, cucurbits, aubergine and pepper.

Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment for the active substance metazachlor in light of confirmatory data submitted.

The conclusions of EFSA following the peer review of the initial risk assessment carried out by the competent authority of the rapporteur Member State, the United Kingdom, for the pesticide active substance metazachlor are reported. The context of the peer review was that requested by the European Commission following the submission and evaluation of confirmatory data regarding the groundwater exposure of metabolites and their toxicological relevance triggering an assessment. The conclusions were reached on the basis of the evaluation of the representative uses of metazachlor as a herbicide on winter and spring rapeseed and on ornamental trees and shrubs.

Chemical exposure and infant leukaemia: development of an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) for aetiology and risk assessment research.

Infant leukaemia (<1 year old) is a rare disease of an in utero origin at an early phase of foetal development. Rearrangements of the mixed-lineage leukaemia (MLL) gene producing abnormal fusion proteins are the most frequent genetic/molecular findings in infant B cell-acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. In small epidemiological studies, mother/foetus exposures to some chemicals including pesticides have been associated with infant leukaemia; however, the strength of evidence and power of these studies are weak at best.

Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance mecoprop-P.

The conclusions of EFSA following the peer review of the initial risk assessments carried out by the competent authorities of the rapporteur Member State, the United Kingdom, and co-rapporteur Member State, Ireland, for the pesticide active substance mecoprop-P are reported. The context of the peer review was that required by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 844/2012. The conclusions were reached on the basis of the evaluation of the representative uses of mecoprop-P as a herbicide on winter and spring wheat (including durum and spelt), barley, rye, oats and triticale.

Investigation into experimental toxicological properties of plant protection products having a potential link to Parkinson's disease and childhood leukaemia.

In 2013, EFSA published a literature review on epidemiological studies linking exposure to pesticides and human health outcome. As a follow up, the EFSA Panel on Plant Protection Products and their residues (PPR Panel) was requested to investigate the plausible involvement of pesticide exposure as a risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD) and childhood leukaemia (CHL). A systematic literature review on PD and CHL and mode of actions for pesticides was published by EFSA in 2016 and used as background documentation.

Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment for the active substance isoxaflutole in light of negligible exposure data submitted.

The conclusions of EFSA following the peer review of the initial risk assessment carried out by the competent authority of the rapporteur Member State, Italy, for the pesticide active substance isoxaflutole are reported. The context of the peer review was that requested by the European Commission following the submission and evaluation of negligible exposure data. EFSA prepared a conclusion where the assessment of the information is presented according to the draft technical guidance on assessment of negligible exposure of an active substance in a plant protection product under realistic conditions of use.

A study of allelic diversity underlying flowering-time adaptation in maize landraces.

Landraces (traditional varieties) of domesticated species preserve useful genetic variation, yet they remain untapped due to the genetic linkage between the few useful alleles and hundreds of undesirable alleles. We integrated two approaches to characterize the diversity of 4,471 maize landraces. First, we mapped genomic regions controlling latitudinal and altitudinal adaptation and identified 1,498 genes.

X-ray Crystal Structure of a Metalled Double-Helix Generated by Infinite and Consecutive C*-Ag -C* (C*:N -Hexylcytosine) Base Pairs through Argentophilic and Hydrogen Bond Interactions.

The synthesis of a metalled double-helix containing exclusively silver-mediated C*-C* base pairs is reported herein (C*=N hexylcytosine). Remarkably, it is the first crystal structure containing infinite and consecutive C*-Ag -C* base pairs that form a double helix. The Ag ion occupies the center between two C* residues with N(3)-Ag bond lengths of 2.

Very low level viraemia and risk of virological failure in treated HIV-1-infected patients.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate whether very low level viraemia (VLLV) (20-50 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL) was associated with increased risk of virological failure (VF) as compared with persistent full suppression (< 20 copies/mL).

Methods: From the VACH Cohort database, we selected those patients who started antiretroviral therapy (ART) after January 1997 and who achieved effective viral suppression [two consecutive viral loads (VLs) < 50 copies/mL] followed by full suppression (at least one VL <20 copies/mL). We carried out survival analyses to investigate whether the occurrence of VLLV rather than maintaining full suppression at < 20 copies/mL was associated with virological failure (two consecutive VLs > 200 copies/mL or one VL > 200 copies/mL followed by a change of ART regimen, administrative censoring or loss to follow-up), adjusted for nadir CD4 cell count, sex, age, ethnicity, transmission group, type of ART and time on effective suppression at < 50 copies/mL.

Short Communication: Maraviroc Once-Daily: Experience in Routine Clinical Practice.

To assess the efficacy and safety of maraviroc (MVC) administered once-daily in routine clinical practice. A retrospective multicenter study (27 centers in Spain) was conducted. Data were collected from the records of patients starting a regimen with MVC.

Targeting the annexin 1-formyl peptide receptor 2/ALX pathway affords protection against bacterial LPS-induced pathologic changes in the murine adrenal cortex.

Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical dysfunction contributes to morbidity and mortality in a high proportion of patients with sepsis. Here, we provide new insights into the underlying adrenal pathology. Using a murine model of endotoxemia (LPS injection), we demonstrate that adrenal insufficiency is triggered early in the disease.

Monotherapy with darunavir/ritonavir is effective and safe in clinical practice.

Introduction: Monotherapy against HIV has undoubted theoretical advantages and has good scientific fundaments. However, it is still controversial and here we will analyze the efficacy and safety of MT with darunavir with ritonavir (DRV/r) on patients who have received this treatment in our hospitals.

Materials And Methods: Observational retrospective study that includes patients from 10 Andalusian hospitals that have received DRV/r in MT and that have been followed over a minimum of 12 months.

CNS safety at 48-week of switching to ATV/r plus 3TC or two nucleos(t)ides in HIV-suppressed patients on stable ART: the SALT neurocognitive sub-study.

Introduction: Due to their low CNS penetrance, there are concerns about the capacity of non-conventional PI-based ART (monotherapy and dual therapies) to preserve neurocognitive performance (NP).

Methods: We evaluated the NP change of aviremic participants of the SALT clinical trial (1) switching therapy to dual therapy (DT: ATV/r+3TC) or triple therapy (TT: ATV/r+2NRTI) who agreed to perform an NP assessment (NPZ-5) at baseline and W48. Neurocognitive impairment and NP were assessed using AAN-2007 criteria (2) and global deficit scores (GDS) (3).

Crystal structures and DFT calculations of new chlorido-dimethylsulfoxide-M(III) (M = Ir, Ru, Rh) complexes with the N-pyrazolyl pyrimidine donor ligand: kinetic vs. thermodynamic isomers.

New chlorido-dimethylsulfoxide-iridium(III), ruthenium(III) and rhodium(III) complexes with the 2-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-pyrimidine (pyrapyr) ligand (OC-6-N1)-[Rh(III)Cl3(DMSO-κS)(pyrapyr)] (1a, N = 3 and 1b, N = 4); (OC-6-N1)-[Ru(III)Cl3(DMSO-κS)(pyrapyr)] (2a, N = 3 and 2b, N = 4) and (OC-6-N1)-[Ir(III)Cl3(DMSO-κS)(pyrapyr)] (3a, N = 3 and 3b, N = 4) have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic techniques and by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, a disordered crystal 3a/3b and a cocrystal 3a·3b). In all cases, the metal centers show octahedral geometry coordinated to three chloride ligands and one S coordinated dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO-κS). The coordination sphere of the metal is completed by the pyrapyr molecule.

Experimental and theoretical studies on the coordination chemistry of the N1-hexyl substituted pyrimidines (uracil, 5-fluorouracil and cytosine).

N(1)-Hexyl substituted pyrimidines were shown to present solubility properties closer to the real bases than the commonly used methyl and ethyl derivatives, yielding bi-layered structures in the solid state. The study of their coordination capabilities, mainly with Ag(I) and Hg(II), is presented in order to prove their reactivity. A series of coordination complexes, namely, [Hg(N(1)-hexyl-5-fluorouracilate)2]4·6H2O (1), (Ag(+))·[Ag(N(1)-hexyl-5-fluorouracilate)2](-) (2), [Ag(NO3)(N(1)-hexyluracil-κO(4))4] (3), [ZnBr2(N(1)-hexylcytosine)2] (4), [CdBr2(N(1)-hexylcytosine)2] (5), [HgBr2(N(1)-hexylcytosine)2] (6) and [CoBr2(N(1)-hexylcytosine)2] (7), have been synthesized in good yields and X-ray characterized.

Comparison of high ribavirin induction versus standard ribavirin dosing, plus peginterferon-α for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients: the PERICO trial.

Background: Ribavirin (RBV) exposure seems to be critical to maximize treatment response in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Methods: HIV/HCV-coinfected individuals naive to interferon were prospectively randomized to receive peginterferon-α-2a (180 μg/d) plus either RBV standard dosing (1000 or 1200 mg/d if <75 or ≥ 75 kg, respectively) or RBV induction (2000 mg/d) along with subcutaneous erythropoietin β (450 IU/kg/wk), both during the first 4 weeks, followed by standard RBV dosing until completion of therapy. Early stopping rules at weeks 12 and 24 were applied in patients with suboptimal virological response.

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex with mottled pigmentation: a family report and review.

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex with mottled hyperpigmentation (EBS-MP) is an uncommon subtype of EBS. Its clinical features depend on the age of diagnosis, and clinical variations have been described even within family members. We present six cases from two unrelated Spanish families each with several affected members with EBS-MP and review the clinical and genetic findings in all reported patients.

Dyslipidaemia in HIV-infected women on antiretroviral therapy. Analysis of 922 patients from the Spanish VACH cohort.

Background: Information concerning lipid disturbances in HIV-infected women on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is scarce. The objective of the study is to describe the lipid profile in a large cohort of HIV-infected women on contemporary ART and analyse differences between regimes and patient's characteristics.

Methods: Observational, multicentre, cross-sectional study from the Spanish VACH Cohort.

Two novel recessive mutations in KRT14 identified in a cohort of 21 Spanish families with epidermolysis bullosa simplex.

Background: Basal epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) is a group of blistering genodermatoses mostly caused by mutations in the keratin genes, KRT5 and KRT14. Recessive mutations represent about 5% of all EBS mutations, being common and specific in populations with high consanguinity, where affected patients show severe phenotypes.

Objectives: To accomplish the first mutational analysis in patients of Spanish origin with EBS and to delineate a comprehensive genotype-phenotype correlation.