Government of Extremadura

STIM1 is a transmembrane protein localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where it acts as a calcium ion sensor, activating store-operated Ca2+ entry upon ER Ca2+ depletion. Via cellular calcium influx, STIM1 is thought to indirectly affect mitochondrial calcium content. Here we show that STIM1 also interacts with mitochondrial proteins such as PTPIP51 and GRP75, suggesting its presence in mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAMs), which are specialized ER regions that facilitate ER-mitochondria communication. Lowering STIM1 expression disrupts ER-to-mitochondria Ca2+ transfer, reduces basal mitochondrial Ca2+ levels, impairs maximal mitochondrial respiration, and reduces ATP production. The STIM1-GRP75 interaction depends on STIM1's Ca2+-sensing ability. ER Ca2+ depletion or the constitutive-open R429C mutation both reduce STIM1 binding to GRP75, suggesting that conformational changes in STIM1 play a role in this interaction. Deletion analysis revealed that the STIM1 (551-611) segment is crucial for GRP75 binding, as the peptide STIM1(551-611) binds GRP75, while STIM1(Δ551-611) shows reduced binding. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized role of STIM1 in direct inter-organelle communication.

Despite their substantial contributions to herd productivity, culled sows typically receive minimal economic valorisation. This study evaluated the feasibility of finishing culled Iberian sows under free-range conditions (montanera finishing system) and assessed the effects of immunocastration on productivity, welfare, and meat quality. Thirty-six culled Iberian sows were assigned to two treatments: entire sows (n = 18) and immunocastrated sows (n = 18). Following a maintenance phase and a pre-finishing transition, animals were finished under montanera conditions with ad libitum access to acorns and pasture. Productive traits, welfare indicators, carcass traits, and meat quality parameters were evaluated. Immunocastration effectively suppressed reproductive function without compromising productive traits or meat quality in culled Iberian sows. Both groups exhibited comparable body weight evolution, carcass characteristics, and meat quality attributes consistent with Iberian standards. The results indicate a clear potential for value generation, transforming animals from minimal-value culling categories to premium montanera products. This integrated approach combining immunocastration with traditional extensive finishing systems provides a viable way to add value to culled sow valorisation within circular economy frameworks, addressing economic, environmental, and welfare challenges of sustainable livestock production.

Actualmente, Tarteso es, sin duda, uno de los temas más controvertidos de nuestra historia. Su aparición en las fuentes clásicas y su posterior identificación con una cultura arqueológica, ha derivado en un intenso debate en el que hoy podemos avanzar gracias a las últimas novedades derivadas de su investigación. Así, en este trabajo se hace balance de las dos últimas décadas de producción científica (pasado), analizando el estado actual de la investigación (presente) y proponiendo una reflexión (futuro) que nos permita progresar en su conocimiento.

Fluoropyrimidines are chemotherapy treatments widely used in chemotherapeutic regimens for different types of cancer. Adverse effects produced by dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) enzyme deficiency due to single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in the limiting enzyme of fluoropyrimidine catabolism occur with a high frequency in the world population; however, clinical recommendation guidelines focus mainly on variants of DPD gene (DPYD), which are highly prevalent in European populations. The aim of this review is to identify clinically relevant DPYD variants considering ethnic origin in order to develop population-specific genotyping panels for Afro-Latin Americans. Current recommendations from clinical guidelines and scientific literature in populations of African origin, including Dominican, have been reviewed. Based on the high reported frequency, the inclusion of the c.557A>G variant (which leads to a decrease in DPD enzyme activity) in populations of Afro-Latin American ancestry is proposed.

This study aimed to model the effects of aw, pH, and OA, a compound commonly used as a plant elicitor, on the growth and mycotoxin production of Aspergillus welwitschiae and Aspergillus flavus on a fig-based model substrate. Using RSM with a BBD, the combined impact of aw (0.92–0.99), pH (5.6–6.3), and OA (1–2 mM) on growth and mycotoxin production was evaluated under fixed temperature cycle simulating field conditions. HPLC-FLD quantified OTA and AFs. The results revealed that aw was the most influential factor governing fungal behaviour. The driest aw (0.92) significantly delayed growth and completely inhibited the production of OTA and AFB1. Conversely, high aw (0.99) was a prerequisite for significant mycotoxin accumulation. While OA at the tested elicitor concentrations did not prove to be a potent independent inhibitor of mycotoxins, its interactions with aw and pH did significantly delay fungal growth. The high R2 values (>96%) for growth models indicated a strong goodness-of-fit for comparing the relative impact of the factors. The models for mycotoxins had more moderate R2 values, a common finding reflecting the complexity of secondary metabolism. Consequently, these models should be regarded as semi-quantitative tools for identifying high-risk trends rather than for precise prediction. Following internal validation, all developed models proved to be valuable semi-quantitative tools for identifying high-risk conditions, including those with more modest R2 values like the OTA model (R2 = 56.5%, validation R > 0.945).

Inferir soluciones a las necesidades y potencialidades de la coordinación de las redes de comunicación transeuropeas, transnacionales y multi regionales ibéricas justifica la necesidad e interés de agrupar unidades socioeconómicas en la economía espacial. Comparamos agrupamientos a partir de los métodos de clasificación jerárquica y de un procedimiento de redes neuronales con un modelo ideal construido para una base de datos de veinte años (2000-2019) de las unidades estadísticas espaciales NUTS 3 ibéricas. Los modelos más concordantes con el ideal son, en primer lugar, el de Redes Neuronales y, en segundo lugar, el método de Ward.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) enhances precision in predicting antimicrobial resistance and tracking Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) transmission. Due to MTB's slow-growing nature, genomic results are delayed; however, few efforts have sought to accelerate them by performing WGS directly on respiratory specimens. Most culture-free efforts have focused on accelerating resistance prediction. The present study provides further evidence to the only preceding study aiming to accelerate precise delineation of transmission, coupling culture-free WGS to a surveillance programme. Our study is distinguished from its predecessor by being the first to apply flexible nanopore sequencing to further accelerate the process. A total of 71 sputa were selected, in which we applied only a procedure to deplete human DNA, thus avoiding costly and cumbersome capture-bait alternatives. Optimal results (>90% genome covered, mean coverage >45× and >70% genome covered >20×) were obtained from 33.8% of cases, allowing the assignment to transmission clusters close to diagnosis of every new case. A further 12.6% of samples yielded suboptimal results (15.5%-90.92% at >10×), which were exploited through a rescue pipeline. This approach was based on identifying informative SNPs acting as markers for relevant transmission clusters in our population. The pipeline enabled pre-allocation of new cases to pre-existing clusters and, in some cases, precise genomic relationships with the preceding cases in the cluster. In summary, this study demonstrates that epidemiologically valuable information can be obtained directly from sputum in approximately half the samples analysed. It represents a new advancement in the pursuit of faster comparative genomics, with epidemiological purposes, at diagnosis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 2.5% dried oregano as a source of phytoestrogens in poultry diets on reproductive performance. A total of 120 hens of the Extremeña Blue breed and 10 cocks, 43 weeks old, housed individually without air conditioning in laying cages, were randomised into two groups and given water and feed ad libitum. After 90 days of feeding, an increase in the number of eggs laid was observed in the oregano supplemented group. However, none of the other parameters studied, such as fertility and hatchability, showed any significant difference. In the same way, the semen quality parameters did not differ between the two groups studied in terms of semen concentration, semen viability, semen motility and semen abnormalities (P>0.05).

The increasing pressure on water resources caused by agricultural intensification, the rising food demand and climate change requires new irrigation strategies that improve the sustainability and efficiency of agricultural production. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of the digital twin (DT), Irri_DesK, in a 15-hectare commercial processing tomatoes plot in Extremadura (Spain) over two growing seasons (2023 and 2024). Three irrigation strategies were compared: conventional farmer management, management based on a remote-sensing platform (Smart4Crops) and automated scheduling using Irri_DesK DT-integrated soil moisture sensors, climate data and simulation models to adjust irrigation doses daily. Results showed that the DT-based strategy allowed for the application of regulated deficit irrigation strategies while maintaining productivity or fruit quality. In 2023, it achieved an economic water efficiency of 284.81 EUR/mm with a yield of 140 t/ha using 413 mm of water. In 2024, it maintained high production levels (126 t/ha) under more challenging conditions of spatial variability. These results support the potential of DTs for improving irrigation management in water-limited environments.