Kihon Checklist to assess frailty in older adults: Some evidence on the internal consistency and validity of the Spanish version

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the internal consistency, hypothesis testing and criterion-related validity of the Spanish versions of the Kihon Checklist (KCL) - the original 25-item and reduced 15-item versions - for screening frailty in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out between March and September 2018 in Valencia province (Spain). A sample of 251 participants was recruited. Construct validity was assessed using four different frailty instruments, and alternative measures corresponding to the KCL domains (handgrip strength, gait speed, the Short Physical Performance Battery, skeletal muscle mass index, physical activity level, functional status, cognitive function, depressive mood, health-related quality of life and nutritional status). Fried's Frailty Phenotype was used to evaluate criterion validity. Results: Internal consistency assessed with Kuder-Richardson Formula had a value of 0.69 for the 25-item version, slightly lower than the usual 0.7 for considering good reliability, and 0.71 for the 15-item version. There were significant correlations between KCL versions and Fried's Frailty Phenotype, Edmonton Scale, Tilburg Indicator and FRAIL Scale. Consistent significant correlations were also obtained with all frailty measurements and instrumental activities of daily living, physical strength, eating, socialization, and mood domains of the KCL. The KCL closely correlated with other standardized measurements of physical function, cognitive function, depressive mood, and health-related quality of life. The KCL also showed satisfactory diagnostic accuracy for frailty (area under the curve 0.891 for KCL-25; area under the curve 0.857 for KCL-15). The optimal cut-off points were 5/6 and 3/4, respectively. Conclusions: The findings suggest that both versions of the KCL, especially KCL-15, showed adequate evidence of validity and internal consistency as a preliminary screening of frailty among community-dwelling older adults in Spain

Genetic variation and recombination of RdRp and HSP 70h genes of Citrus tristeza virus isolates from orange trees showing symptoms of citrus sudden death disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Citrus sudden death (CSD), a disease that rapidly kills orange trees, is an emerging threat to the Brazilian citrus industry. Although the causal agent of CSD has not been definitively determined, based on the disease's distribution and symptomatology it is suspected that the agent may be a new strain of <it>Citrus tristeza virus </it>(CTV). CTV genetic variation was therefore assessed in two Brazilian orange trees displaying CSD symptoms and a third with more conventional CTV symptoms.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 286 RNA-dependent-RNA polymerase (RdRp) and 284 heat shock protein 70 homolog (HSP70h) gene fragments were determined for CTV variants infecting the three trees. It was discovered that, despite differences in symptomatology, the trees were all apparently coinfected with similar populations of divergent CTV variants. While mixed CTV infections are common, the genetic distance between the most divergent population members observed (24.1% for RdRp and 11.0% for HSP70h) was far greater than that in previously described mixed infections. Recombinants of five distinct RdRp lineages and three distinct HSP70h lineages were easily detectable but respectively accounted for only 5.9 and 11.9% of the RdRp and HSP70h gene fragments analysed and there was no evidence of an association between particular recombinant mosaics and CSD. Also, comparisons of CTV population structures indicated that the two most similar CTV populations were those of one of the trees with CSD and the tree without CSD.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We suggest that if CTV is the causal agent of CSD, it is most likely a subtle feature of population structures within mixed infections and not merely the presence (or absence) of a single CTV variant within these populations that triggers the disease.</p

Comparison of Muscle Transcriptome between Pigs with Divergent Meat Quality Phenotypes Identifies Genes Related to Muscle Metabolism and Structure

Background: Meat quality depends on physiological processes taking place in muscle tissue, which could involve a large pattern of genes associated with both muscle structural and metabolic features. Understanding the biological phenomena underlying muscle phenotype at slaughter is necessary to uncover meat quality development. Therefore, a muscle transcriptome analysis was undertaken to compare gene expression profiles between two highly contrasted pig breeds, Large White (LW) and Basque (B), reared in two different housing systems themselves influencing meat quality. LW is the most predominant breed used in pig industry, which exhibits standard meat quality attributes. B is an indigenous breed with low lean meat and high fat contents, high meat quality characteristics, and is genetically distant from other European pig breeds. Methodology/Principal Findings: Transcriptome analysis undertaken using a custom 15 K microarray, highlighted 1233 genes differentially expressed between breeds (multiple-test adjusted P-value,0.05), out of which 635 were highly expressed in the B and 598 highly expressed in the LW pigs. No difference in gene expression was found between housing systems. Besides, expression level of 12 differentially expressed genes quantified by real-time RT-PCR validated microarray data. Functional annotation clustering emphasized four main clusters associated to transcriptome breed differences: metabolic processes, skeletal muscle structure and organization, extracellular matrix, lysosome, and proteolysis, thereb

Insights from the genome of the biotrophic fungal plant pathogen Ustilago maydis

Ustilago maydis is a ubiquitous pathogen of maize and a well-established model organism for the study of plant-microbe interactions. This basidiomycete fungus does not use aggressive virulence strategies to kill its host. U. maydis belongs to the group of biotrophic parasites (the smuts) that depend on living tissue for proliferation and development. Here we report the genome sequence for a member of this economically important group of biotrophic fungi. The 20.5-million-base U. maydis genome assembly contains 6,902 predicted protein-encoding genes and lacks pathogenicity signatures found in the genomes of aggressive pathogenic fungi, for example a battery of cell-wall-degrading enzymes. However, we detected unexpected genomic features responsible for the pathogenicity of this organism. Specifically, we found 12 clusters of genes encoding small secreted proteins with unknown function. A significant fraction of these genes exists in small gene families. Expression analysis showed that most of the genes contained in these clusters are regulated together and induced in infected tissue. Deletion of individual clusters altered the virulence of U. maydis in five cases, ranging from a complete lack of symptoms to hypervirulence. Despite years of research into the mechanism of pathogenicity in U. maydis, no 'true' virulence factors had been previously identified. Thus, the discovery of the secreted protein gene clusters and the functional demonstration of their decisive role in the infection process illuminate previously unknown mechanisms of pathogenicity operating in biotrophic fungi. Genomic analysis is, similarly, likely to open up new avenues for the discovery of virulence determinants in other pathogens. ©2006 Nature Publishing Group.J.K., M. B. and R.K. thank G. Sawers and U. Kämper for critical reading of the manuscript. The genome sequencing of Ustilago maydis strain 521 is part of the fungal genome initiative and was funded by National Human Genome Research Institute (USA) and BayerCropScience AG (Germany). F.B. was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (USA). J.K. and R.K. thank the German Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF) for financing the DNA array setup and the Max Planck Society for their support of the manual genome annotation. F.B. was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, B.J.S. was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canada Foundation for Innovation, J.W.K. received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, J.R.-H. received funding from CONACYT, México, A.M.-M. was supported by a fellowship from the Humboldt Foundation, and L.M. was supported by an EU grant. Author Contributions All authors were involved in planning and executing the genome sequencing project. B.W.B., J.G., L.-J.M., E.W.M., D.D., C.M.W., J.B., S.Y., D.B.J., S.C., C.N., E.K., G.F., P.H.S., I.H.-H., M. Vaupel, H.V., T.S., J.M., D.P., C.S., A.G., F.C. and V. Vysotskaia contributed to the three independent sequencing projects; M.M., G.M., U.G., D.H., M.O. and H.-W.M. were responsible for gene model refinement, database design and database maintenance; G.M., J. Kämper, R.K., G.S., M. Feldbrügge, J.S., C.W.B., U.F., M.B., B.S., B.J.S., M.J.C., E.C.H.H., S.M., F.B., J.W.K., K.J.B., J. Klose, S.E.G., S.J.K., M.H.P., H.A.B.W., R.deV., H.J.D., J.R.-H., C.G.R.-P., L.O.-C., M.McC., K.S., J.P.-M., J.I.I., W.H., P.G., P.S.-A., M. Farman, J.E.S., R.S., J.M.G.-P., J.C.K., W.L. and D.H. were involved in functional annotation and interpretation; T.B., O.M., L.M., A.M.-M., D.G., K.M., N.R., V. Vincon, M. VraneŠ, M.S. and O.L. performed experiments. J. Kämper, R.K. and M.B. wrote and edited the paper with input from L.-J.M., J.G., F.B., J.W.K., B.J.S. and S.E.G. Individual contributions of authors can be found as Supplementary Notes

Emergence and phylodynamics of Citrus tristeza virus in Sicily, Italy

[EN] Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) outbreaks were detected in Sicily island, Italy for the first time in 2002. To gain insight into the evolutionary forces driving the emergence and phylogeography of these CTV populations, we determined and analyzed the nucleotide sequences of the p20 gene from 108 CTV isolates collected from 2002 to 2009. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis revealed that mild and severe CTV isolates belonging to five different clades (lineages) were introduced in Sicily in 2002. Phylogeographic analysis showed that four lineages co-circulated in the main citrus growing area located in Eastern Sicily. However, only one lineage (composed of mild isolates) spread to distant areas of Sicily and was detected after 2007. No correlation was found between genetic variation and citrus host, indicating that citrus cultivars did not exert differential selective pressures on the virus. The genetic variation of CTV was not structured according to geographical location or sampling time, likely due to the multiple introduction events and a complex migration pattern with intense co- and recirculation of different lineages in the same area. The phylogenetic structure, statistical tests of neutrality and comparison of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution rates suggest that weak negative selection and genetic drift following a rapid expansion may be the main causes of the CTV variability observed today in Sicily. Nonetheless, three adjacent amino acids at the p20 N-terminal region were found to be under positive selection, likely resulting from adaptation events.A.W. and S.F.E. were supported by grant BFU2012-30805 from the Spanish Secretaria de Estado de Investigacion, Desarrollo e Innovacion and by a grant 22371 from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Davino, S.; Willemsen, A.; Panno. Stefano; Davino, M.; Catara, A.; Elena Fito, SF.; Rubio, L. (2013). Emergence and phylodynamics of Citrus tristeza virus in Sicily, Italy. PLoS ONE. 8:66700-66700. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066700S66700667008Domingo, E., & Holland, J. J. (1997). RNA VIRUS MUTATIONS AND FITNESS FOR SURVIVAL. Annual Review of Microbiology, 51(1), 151-178. doi:10.1146/annurev.micro.51.1.151Grenfell, B. T. (2004). Unifying the Epidemiological and Evolutionary Dynamics of Pathogens. Science, 303(5656), 327-332. doi:10.1126/science.1090727Moya, A., Holmes, E. C., & González-Candelas, F. (2004). The population genetics and evolutionary epidemiology of RNA viruses. 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Journal of Virology, 86(10), 5554-5561. doi:10.1128/jvi.00310-12Bar-Joseph, M., Marcus, R., & Lee, R. F. (1989). The Continuous Challenge of Citrus Tristeza Virus Control. Annual Review of Phytopathology, 27(1), 291-316. doi:10.1146/annurev.py.27.090189.001451Davino, S., Rubio, L., & Davino, M. (2005). Molecular analysis suggests that recent Citrus tristeza virus outbreaks in Italy were originated by at least two independent introductions. European Journal of Plant Pathology, 111(3), 289-293. doi:10.1007/s10658-003-2815-zAlbiach-Marti, M. R., Mawassi, M., Gowda, S., Satyanarayana, T., Hilf, M. E., Shanker, S., … Dawson, W. O. (2000). Sequences of Citrus Tristeza Virus Separated in Time and Space Are Essentially Identical. Journal of Virology, 74(15), 6856-6865. doi:10.1128/jvi.74.15.6856-6865.2000Rubio, L., Ayllon, M. A., Kong, P., Fernandez, A., Polek, M., Guerri, J., … Falk, B. W. (2001). 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F., Guerri, J., Moreno, P., Sambade, A., Rubio, L., … Vives, M. C. (2009). Contribution of recombination and selection to molecular evolution of Citrus tristeza virus. Journal of General Virology, 90(6), 1527-1538. doi:10.1099/vir.0.008193-0Vives, M. C., Rubio, L., Sambade, A., Mirkov, T. E., Moreno, P., & Guerri, J. (2005). Evidence of multiple recombination events between two RNA sequence variants within a Citrus tristeza virus isolate. Virology, 331(2), 232-237. doi:10.1016/j.virol.2004.10.037D’Urso, F., Sambade, A., Moya, A., Guerri, J., & Moreno, P. (2003). Variation of haplotype distributions of two genomic regions of Citrus tristeza virus populations from eastern Spain. Molecular Ecology, 12(2), 517-526. doi:10.1046/j.1365-294x.2000.01747.xSambade, A., Rubio, L., Garnsey, S. M., Costa, N., Muller, G. W., Peyrou, M., … Moreno, P. (2002). Comparison of viral RNA populations of pathogenically distinct isolates of Citrus tristeza virus : application to monitoring cross-protection. Plant Pathology, 51(3), 257-265. doi:10.1046/j.1365-3059.2002.00720.xReed, J. C., Kasschau, K. D., Prokhnevsky, A. I., Gopinath, K., Pogue, G. P., Carrington, J. C., & Dolja, V. V. (2003). Suppressor of RNA silencing encoded by Beet yellows virus. Virology, 306(2), 203-209. doi:10.1016/s0042-6822(02)00051-xFolimonova, S. Y., Robertson, C. J., Shilts, T., Folimonov, A. S., Hilf, M. E., Garnsey, S. M., & Dawson, W. O. (2009). Infection with Strains of Citrus Tristeza Virus Does Not Exclude Superinfection by Other Strains of the Virus. Journal of Virology, 84(3), 1314-1325. doi:10.1128/jvi.02075-09Kong, P., Rubio, L., Polek, M., & Falk, B. W. (2000). Virus Genes, 21(3), 139-145. doi:10.1023/a:1008198311398Powell, C. A., Pelosi, R. R., Rundell, P. A., & Cohen, M. (2003). Breakdown of Cross-Protection of Grapefruit from Decline-Inducing Isolates of Citrus tristeza virus Following Introduction of the Brown Citrus Aphid. 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Archives of Virology, 151(5), 875-894. doi:10.1007/s00705-005-0683-xMatos, L. A., Hilf, M. E., Cayetano, X. A., Feliz, A. O., Harper, S. J., & Folimonova, S. Y. (2013). Dramatic Change in Citrus tristeza virus Populations in the Dominican Republic. Plant Disease, 97(3), 339-345. doi:10.1094/pdis-05-12-0421-reDavino, S., Davino, M., Sambade, A., Guardo, M., & Caruso, A. (2003). The First Citrus tristeza virus Outbreak Found in a Relevant Citrus Producing Area of Sicily, Italy. Plant Disease, 87(3), 314-314. doi:10.1094/pdis.2003.87.3.314aRUBIO, L., AYLLONl, M. A., GUERRI, J., PAPPU, H., NIBLETT, C., & MORENO, P. (1996). Differentiation of citrus tristeza closterovirus (CTV) isolates by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of the coat protein gene. Annals of Applied Biology, 129(3), 479-489. doi:10.1111/j.1744-7348.1996.tb05770.xLarkin, M. A., Blackshields, G., Brown, N. P., Chenna, R., McGettigan, P. A., McWilliam, H., … Higgins, D. G. (2007). 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Muscle and meat: New horizons and applications for proteomics on a farm to fork perspective

Meat consumption is an important part of human diet with strong implications in health, economy and culture worldwide. Meat is a proteinaceous product and therefore proteomics holds a considerable value to the study of the protein events underlying meat production and processing. In this article we will review this subject in an integrated “farm to fork” perspective, i.e. focusing on all the major levels of the meat producing chain: farm, abattoir and transformation industry. We will focus on the use, importance and applications of proteomics, providing clear examples of the most relevant studies in the field. A special attention will be given to meat production, as well as quality control. In the latter, a particular emphasis will be given to microbial safety and the detection of frauds