María Sanz

Genome size in Echinops L. and related genera (Asteraceae, Cardueae): karyological, ecological and phylogenetic implications.

Abstract Genome size was assessed by flow cytometry in 33 species belonging to seven genera of the tribe Cardueae (Asteraceae), which can be grouped in three taxonomic complexes. 2C nuclear DNA content ranged from 1.49 to 16.98 pg, which is more than elevenfold variation. Genome size correlated well with some karyological traits. Nuclear DNA amount variations also have systematic and evolutionary implications and/or are linked to adaptations to ecological conditions.

Biology, Genome Evolution, Biotechnological Issues and Research Including Applied Perspectives in Artemisia (Asteraceae)

Abstract Artemisia is one of the largest genera of the family Asteraceae or Compositae, itself the biggest flowering plant family. It comprises around 600 taxa at specific and subspecific levels, present in all continents but Antarctica, mostly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, with no more than 25 taxa in the Southern Hemisphere. The genus displays a huge ecological plasticity, with species occurring from sea level to high mountains and from arid zones to wetlands. Some species are cosmopolitan, including landscape-dominating plants over large areas, and others are endemics with a quite restricted distribution area. Many species of the genus have economic uses at both folk and industrial levels, and some of them are widely cultivated and submitted to breeding programmes as crops. In this review, we will set out the state of art of Artemisia systematics and phylogeny, as well as all the biological aspects of the genus, with particular attention paid to those of genome organization, and of applied questions related to its useful taxa. In the first part of this chapter, we will review all the systematic points in the genus and in some closely related genera that constitute, with the core genus Artemisia, a pool with controversial structuring. Besides, the infrageneric classification will be addressed. All these questions will be treated in the light of recent molecular phylogenetic studies, which have had an important impact on its systematics and taxonomy. A second part will be devoted to genome organization and evolution in Artemisia, with special attention to cytogenetic data, including genome size, and genetic variability. These points are relevant for understanding the evolutionary pathways in the genus and for applied purposes. The third and fourth parts of the chapter will review, respectively, the uses of Artemisia species in different domains and the biotechnological issues linked to their productivity. Finally, the perspectives of the knowledge and applied aspects of the genus will be addressed.

Left ventricular dysfunction is related to the presence and extent of a septal flash in patients with right ventricular pacing

Aims Septal flash (SF), a marker of left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony in the presence of a left bundle branch block (LBBB), has been shown to predict improved ventricular function and outcome when corrected with cardiac resynchronization therapy. We hypothesized that a SF is present in patients receiving right ventricular (RV) pacing and its presence and extent could predict the development of LV dysfunction and remodelling. Methods and results Seventy‐four consecutive patients receiving conventional RV pacing (>6 months, >85% paced) were studied with two‐dimensional (2D) echocardiography. Indications for pacing were sinus‐node dysfunction and atrioventricular conduction disorders. The presence of a SF was determined on stepwise advanced 2D echocardiographic views and confirmed using greyscale M‐mode. Septal flash excursion was quantified by the amplitude of the early inward motion, measured from QRS onset to maximal inward motion. Fifty‐seven (of 74; 77%) patients receiving RV pacing had a detectable SF. Patients with a SF had lower LV ejection fraction (EF) (52 ± 10 vs. 60 ± 4%, P < 0.001) and greater indexed end‐systolic volume (33 ± 16 vs. 23 ± 5 mL/m2, P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that a SF of 3.5 mm was the optimal cut‐off value (area under the curve = 0.95) to identify reduced LV function (EF < 50%) with a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 90%. Conclusion A SF was present in a majority of patients receiving conventional RV pacing and its magnitude was related to LV dysfunction and adverse remodelling. Given the similarities observed in LBBB and pacemaker‐induced dyssynchrony, SF magnitude might be a predictor for the development of LV dysfunction and adverse remodelling in patients receiving conventional RV pacing.