The hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert, the driest and oldest desert on Earth, has experienced a number of highly unusual rain events over the past three years, resulting in the formation of ...previously unrecorded hypersaline lagoons, which have lasted several months. We have systematically analyzed the evolution of the lagoons to provide quantitative field constraints of large-scale impacts of the rains on the local microbial communities. Here we show that the sudden and massive input of water in regions that have remained hyperarid for millions of years is harmful for most of the surface soil microbial species, which are exquisitely adapted to survive with meager amounts of liquid water, and quickly perish from osmotic shock when water becomes suddenly abundant. We found that only a handful of bacteria, remarkably a newly identified species of Halomonas, remain metabolically active and are still able to reproduce in the lagoons, while no archaea or eukaryotes were identified. Our results show that the already low microbial biodiversity of extreme arid regions greatly diminishes when water is supplied quickly and in great volumes. We conclude placing our findings in the context of the astrobiological exploration of Mars, a hyperarid planet that experienced catastrophic floodings in ancient times.
Meat derived from pasture feeding, is associated with a high level of antioxidants. Antioxidants are incorporated within cell membranes and protect tissues against oxidation from reactive oxygen ...species. This maintains the overall quality of meat and secondary products. This paper reviews the implications of incorporating natural antioxidants into fresh beef, focusing on the benefits of feeding cattle good quality pasture. Pasture samples typically have higher levels of α-tocopherol, β-carotene, ascorbic acid and glutathione than feedlot samples. These compounds retard lipid and protein oxidation in fresh and stored meat, and preserve the color and odor quality of beef. The significance of antioxidant enzymes is variable, because their behavior depends on individual redox status before slaughter. Understanding total antioxidant activity requires information on antioxidant and pro-oxidant status. With an abundance of pasture, Argentina has a natural advantage in producing meat with a high antioxidant value.
Argentine meat has been traditionally produced on pasture. However, to comply with some market requirements, grain finishing is becoming more common among producers. The main goal of the present work ...was to study lipid oxidation in fresh meat from animals fed different diets in relationship with their antioxidant vitamin status. Attributes were evaluated in beef from pasture or grain-fed animals with (PE and GE) or without supplementation (P and G) with vitamin E (500 UI/head/day). Fresh meat produced on grain (G and GE) had higher fat (4.0
±
1.6 and 4.7
±
1.4 g/100 g) and cholesterol content (51.0
±
3.0 and 52.0
±
4.0 mg/100 g) than meat from pasture (P and PE) fed animals (2.7
±
1.2 to 2.9
±
1.1 g/100 g and 48.0
±
5.0 to 49.0
±
4.0 mg/100 g of intramuscular fat and cholesterol respectively). Fatty acid composition was clearly affected by diet. Beef from pasture-fed cattle had higher percentage of linolenic acid, less linoleic acid and, overall, higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids than beef from grain-fed animals (
P
<
0.05).
Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances number and volatile levels of hexanal, pentanal, heptanal, octanal and 3-methylbutanal were higher in grain than in pasture samples (
P
<
0.05). P
+
PE meat had higher content of antioxidant vitamins than G
+
GE samples (
P
<
0.001). Values ranged from: 15.92
±
3.48 (G) to 17.39
±
4.29 (GE) and 25.3
±
10.0 (P) to 21.98
±
5.11 (PE) μg/g of ascorbic acid; from 1.05
±
0.73 (G) to 1.76
±
0.97 (GE) and 3.08
±
0.45 to 3.91
±
0.74 μg/g of α-tocopherol; and from 0.06
±
0.03 (G) to 0.05
±
0.01 (GE) and 0.45
±
0.21 (P) to 0.63
±
0.27 (PE) μg/g of β-carotene. In addition, principal component analysis clearly separated grain from pasture samples regardless of their supplementation with vitamin E. This level of supplementation did not improve the antioxidant status of fresh meat (
P
>
0.05). We conclude that pasture diet contributes natural antioxidants in sufficient amounts and is an efficient way to prevent lipid oxidation in fresh beef.
•Supplementation of Moringa oleifera leaf meal as an additive was evaluated.•Fatty acid composition, in particular unsaturated, was improved with M. oleifera leaf meal supplementation.•Additive ...supplementation of M. oleifera leaf meal improved oxidative stability in meat.•At high inclusion levels, additive M. oleifera supplementation had no adverse effect on broiler performance.
Effects of diets supplemented with or without Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on fatty acid (FA) composition and oxidative stability of broiler breast meat during refrigerated storage was determined. Dietary treatments (T) were as follows: T1, positive control, 668g/ton Salinomycin and 500g/ton Albac; T2, T3 and T4 contained graded levels of MOLM at 1%, 3% and 5% of dry matter (DM) intake, respectively; and T5, a negative control (0% additives). Oxidative stability was evaluated by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) on day (D) 1–8 of storage at 4°C; and FA analysis was done on samples obtained on D1 and D8. Significant effects on TBARS were noted on day (D) 1, 3, 4 and 7; increased with increasing storage time, and with increase in MOLM supplementation. Highest (P<0.05) C18:0 and C15:0 levels were noted on D1 in T2; C20:0 in T4 on D8; C20:2, C20:3n6 and C22:6n3 in T2; C18:3n6 and P/S ratio in T4 on D1; and n-3 in T3. Thus, despite the high SFA content, additive supplementation of M. oleifera leaf meal up to 5% of the bird’s DMI improved the FA profile and reduced lipid oxidation in broiler breast meat.
Objective. To estimate the incidence of early arthritis (EA) and of RA in adults (>16 yrs) in Spain. Methods. Primary care physicians were instructed in the detection of new cases using a checklist. ...All cases were evaluated at EA units (EAUs) within 15 days of detection. ACR criteria for the classification of RA were assessed every 6 months thereafter. Results. In an area covering 4 342 378 inhabitants over the age of 16 yrs, 2467 patients were referred to the EAU, of whom 1063 fulfilled EA criteria (43.1%). After 6 months, 362 patients fulfilled RA criteria. The estimated annual incidence of EA was 25/100 000 population (95% CI: 23, 26). The annual incidence of RA was 8.3 cases/100 000 (95% CI: 7.5, 9.2): 11.3/100 000 in women (95% CI: 10.0, 12.8), and 5.2/100 000 in men (95% CI: 4.3, 6.3). The incidence of RA increased with age in both sexes. At the 6 months’ assessment, 187 (51.7%) of the patients with RA were RF positive. The presentation of RA was mainly polyarticular (n = 268; 74.0%). There were 701/1063 patients with EA who did not fulfil RA criteria by 6 months after the first rheumatologist visit. If all cases of undifferentiated arthritis (n = 118; 17%) became RA, the incidence would be in the range of 10 cases/100 000 population. Conclusions. RA incidence in Spain is in the lower range of published data. The incidence of EA is about three times that of RA.
The pictogram shows the grid area across central region of Spain where the study on sand fly vectors of leishmaniosis and its relations with environmental/meteorological factors was performed.
This ...paper reports on an entomological survey performed over the period 2006–2008 in Central Spain (mainly in the Madrid province) where canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is endemic. The study area was selected on the grounds of its wide altitude range, which determines both broad climate and vegetation ranges that could affect sand fly distributions. This area was surveyed from NE to SW across its mountain range (Sistema Central) and plateau area using sticky traps mainly on embankments. In 2006 and 2007, 123 sites were sampled (9557 sand flies captured) to establish possible relations between environmental or meteorological factors and vector densities (
Phlebotomus perniciosus and
Phlebotomus ariasi). The factors correlated with higher vector densities were: a sample site between villages or at the edge of a village, the lack of a paved road, a rural habitat, an east or south-facing wall or wall sheltered from the wind, the presence of livestock or birds, a holm-oak wood vegetation, a lower summer mean temperature and lower annual mean precipitation. This study was followed by a seasonal survey conducted at 16 selected sites (14,353 sand flies) sampled them monthly from May to November 2008.
P. perniciosus showed a diphasic seasonal trend with two abundance peaks in July and September whereas
P. ariasi showed a monophasic trend with one peak in August. Comparing with data from studies performed in 1991 in the same area, vector densities are significantly higher. A possible explanation for this is that the vectors (mainly
P. ariasi) are moving towards higher altitudes perhaps because of global change. This increasing trend could have an impact on CanL and its geographical distribution.
Angus steers were grazed on unsupplemented pasture (CNTRL), pasture supplemented with 0.7% BW cracked corn (FLAX-0), FLAX-0 with 0.125% and 0.250% BW of whole flaxseed (FLAX-1 and FLAX-2). Six steers ...were grazed per treatment for 70days, with start and finish weights of 458 and 508kg. At 24h post slaughter, longissimus thoracis were harvested, and steaks assigned to treatments of postmortem aging time under vacuum (PM; 3, 14 and 56days) with or without five days of aerobic exposure (AE). Meat antioxidant status was higher (P<0.05) when feeding CNTRL and FLAX-1 than FLAX-0 and FLAX-2. Under AE, lipid oxidation was highest for FLAX-2 (P<0.05), and lowest for FLAX-1. Greatest TBARs and lowest antioxidant capacity and redness values were obtained with AE and the longer PM (P<0.05). Beef oxidative stability through AE improved by adding a low flaxseed level to supplemented corn grain, but deteriorated by adding a high flaxseed level or by extending PM.
•Adding low flaxseed levels to pasture diets improves beef antioxidant status.•Adding high flaxseed levels to pasture diets increases beef oxidation.•Vacuum aging promoted longissimus thoracis lipid oxidation during aerobic exposure.•Meat redness decreased as antioxidants declined thru aging and aerobic exposure.
Summary
Background
Cancer risk following long‐term exposure to systemic immunomodulatory therapies in patients with psoriasis is possible.
Objectives
To assess a dose–response relationship between ...cumulative length of exposure to biological therapy and risk of cancer.
Methods
Four national studies (a healthcare database from Israel, and prospective cohorts form Italy, Spain and the U.K. and Republic of Ireland) collaborating through Psonet (European Registry of Psoriasis) participated in these nested case–control studies, including nearly 60 000 person‐years of observation. ‘Cases’ were patients who developed an incident cancer. Patients with previous cancers and benign or in situ tumours were excluded. Four cancer‐free controls were matched to each case on year of birth, sex, geographic area and registration year. Follow‐up for controls was censored at the date of cancer diagnosis for the matched case. Conditional logistic regression was performed by each registry. Results were pooled using random‐effects meta‐analysis.
Results
A total of 728 cases and 2671 controls were identified. After matching, differences between cases and controls were present for the Charlson Comorbidity Index in all three registries, and in the prevalence of previous exposure to psoralen–ultraviolet A and smoking (the British Association of Dermatologists Biologic Interventions Register only). The risk of first cancers was not significantly associated with cumulative exposure to biologics (adjusted odds ratio per year of exposure 1·02, 95% confidence interval 0·92–1·13). Results were similar if squamous and basal cell carcinomas were included in the outcome.
Conclusions
Cumulative length of exposure to biological therapies in patients with psoriasis in real‐world clinical practice does not appear to be linked to a higher risk of cancer after several years of use.
What's already known about this topic?
Systemic therapies, including biologics, are widely prescribed for patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis.
As a result of the immunomodulatory mechanism of biological therapies for psoriasis it is hypothesized that long‐term exposure to them may increase the risk of developing cancer.
What does this study add?
This study suggests that, in current clinical practice, the treatment of patients with psoriasis with biologics is not associated with an increased risk of cancer in the medium term, after a few years of use and latency.
Given the heterogeneity of the data sources and methodological limitations, it remains unclear if use of biologics may be associated with an increased (albeit small) risk of certain cancer subtypes.
Linked Editorial: Egeberg. Br J Dermatol 2018; 179:809–810.
Plain language summary available online
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