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Los hongos micorrícicos arbusculares, un método prometedor para incrementar la calidad de cosecha agrícolas, pueden hacer frente a la creciente demanda de alimentos con altos aportes nutrimentales. El objetivo fue evaluar el efecto de la inoculación micorrícica nativa y comercial en Cucurbita moschata y Cucurbita pepo, var. “Grey Zucchini”, sobre variables de crecimiento morfológico, calidad de cosecha y postcosecha del fruto. La inoculación micorrícica inició en etapa de semillero con 60 esporas por tratamiento. En campo, se estableció un diseño de parcelas divididas (seis tratamientos-14 repeticiones). T1: Cepa nativa 1 (sistema agrícola) + 50% de fertilización química; T2: Cepa nativa 2 (sistema multipropósito) + 50% de fertilización química; T3: Cepa nativa 3 (vegetación secundaria) + 50% de fertilización química; T4: Cepa comercial + 50% de fertilización química; T5: Sin inoculación por 100% de fertilización química; Testigo: Sin inoculación por fertilización. Las variables evaluadas fueron: altura, grosor, brotes/flores; número de frutos, peso y diámetro; para calidad postcosecha: color, grosor de cáscara, textura, humedad, pH, cenizas, acidez titulable y sólidos solubles. C. pepo, representó la especie con mayor afinidad micorrícica. Asimismo, los resultados determinaron que las variables de crecimiento de los cultivos no presentaron diferencias estadísticas. Asimismo, en peso y tamaño del fruto se observó un efecto significativo entre la inoculación micorrícica nativa/comercial y el tratamiento con el 100% de fertilización. En calidad postcosecha, C. pepo, registró diferencias en textura, acidez titulable, colorimetría y grosor del fruto. C. moschata, en solidos solubles, textura y colorimetría. En conclusión, la inoculación micorrícica arbuscular en ambas especies, reduce el uso de fertilizantes químicos durante su cultivo, influyendo positivamente en la calidad de cosecha (peso y diámetro) y en atributos poscosecha (propiedades físicas y químicas) del fruto, relevantes para el consumo humano.

Abstract Enterobacter cloacae starred different pioneer studies that enabled the development of a widely accepted model for the peptidoglycan metabolism-linked regulation of intrinsic class C cephalosporinases, highly conserved in different Gram-negatives. However, some mechanistic and fitness/virulence-related aspects of E. cloacae choromosomal AmpC-dependent resistance are not completely understood. The present study including knockout mutants, β-lactamase cloning, gene expression analysis, characterization of resistance phenotypes, and the Galleria mellonella infection model fills these gaps demonstrating that: (i) AmpC enzyme does not show any collateral activity impacting fitness/virulence; (ii) AmpC hyperproduction mediated by ampD inactivation does not entail any biological cost; (iii) alteration of peptidoglycan recycling alone or combined with AmpC hyperproduction causes no attenuation of E. cloacae virulence in contrast to other species; (iv) derepression of E. cloacae AmpC does not follow a stepwise dynamics linked to the sequential inactivation of AmpD amidase homologues as happens in Pseudomonas aeruginosa; (v) the enigmatic additional putative AmpC-type β-lactamase generally present in E. cloacae does not contribute to the classical cephalosporinase hyperproduction-based resistance, having a negligible impact on phenotypes even when hyperproduced from multicopy vector. This study reveals interesting particularities in the chromosomal AmpC-related behavior of E. cloacae that complete the knowledge on this top resistance mechanism.

ABSTRACTThe use of immune compounds as antimicrobial adjuvants is a classic idea recovering timeliness in the current antibiotic resistance scenario. However, the activity of certain antimicrobial peptides against ESKAPE Gram-negatives has not been sufficiently investigated. The objective of this study was to determine the activities of human defensins HNP-1 and hBD-3 alone or combined with permeabilizing/peptidoglycan-targeting agents against clinical ESKAPE Gram-negatives [Acinetobacter baumannii (AB), Enterobacter cloacae (EC), Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP), and acute/chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA)]. Lethal concentrations (LCs) of HNP-1 and hBD-3 were determined in four collections of multidrug resistant EC, AB, KP, and PA clinical strains (10–36 isolates depending on the collection). These defensins act through membrane permeabilization plus peptidoglycan building blockade, enabling that alterations in peptidoglycan recycling may increase their activity, which is why different recycling-defective mutants were also included. Combinations with physiological lysozyme and subinhibitory colistin for bactericidal activities determination, and with meropenem for minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), were also assessed. HNP-1 showed undetectable activity (LC > 32 mg/L for all strains). hBD-3 showed appreciable activities: LC ranges 2–16, 8–8, 8->32, and 8->32 mg/L for AB, EC, KP, and PA, being PA strains from cystic fibrosis significantly more resistant than acute origin ones. None of the peptidoglycan recycling-defective mutants showed greater susceptibility to HNP-1/hBD-3. Combination with colistin or lysozyme did not change their bactericidal power, and virtually neither did meropenem + hBD-3 compared to meropenem MICs. This is the first study comparatively analyzing the HNP-1/hBD-3 activities against the ESKAPE Gram-negatives, and demonstrates interesting bactericidal capacities of hBD-3 mostly against AB and EC.IMPORTANCEIn the current scenario of critical need for new antimicrobials against multidrug-resistant bacteria, all options must be considered, including classic ideas such as the use of purified immune compounds. However, information regarding the activity of certain human defensins against ESKAPE Gram-negatives was incomplete. This is the first study comparatively assessing the in vitro activity of two membrane-permeabilizing/peptidoglycan construction-blocking defensins (HNP-1 and hBD-3) against relevant clinical collections of ESKAPE Gram-negatives, alone or in combination with permeabilizers, additional peptidoglycan-targeting attacks, or the blockade of its recycling. Our data suggest that hBD-3 has a notable bactericidal activity against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Enterobacter cloacae strains that should be considered as potential adjuvant option. Our results suggest for the first time an increased resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains from chronic infection compared to acute origin ones, and provide new clues about the predominant mode of action of hBD-3 against Gram-negatives (permeabilization rather than peptidoglycan-targeting).

América Latina enfrenta un proceso histórico, económico y político que exige la transformación del Estado, ello después de siglos de imposición del liberalismo y de décadas de imposición del neoliberalismo; tanto el pensamiento y las instituciones liberales han mostrado sus límites, deficiencias y efectos negativos, como el neoliberalismo ha llevado a varias crisis económicas, políticas y sociales en diversos países del continente. Es decir, que los ciudadanos y ciudadanas, la población, los pueblos, las culturas, las civilizaciones, las etnias y las naciones han cobrado conciencia de ello, por lo que se han organizado para explicar, comprender y transformar al Estado. Ahora bien, dicha transformación se da desde un conjunto de praxis producto de la reflexión, teorización, explicación y comprensión del mundo que lleva a plantear el sentido de la práctica de transformación consciente o de la práctica revolucionario, también consciente. La conjunción de la teorización y de la práctica consciente llevan a conformar una praxis transformadora o revolucionaria. En este artículo para explicar la praxis y las derivas que ha ido adquiriendo en América Latina se aborda el trabajo de un conjunto de autores que han producido su obra teórica desde América Latina, además del análisis de la praxis del Ejército de Liberación Nacional (EZLN).

The interplay between antibiotic resistance and bacterial fitness/virulence has attracted the interest of researchers for decades because of its therapeutic implications, since it is classically assumed that resistance usually entails certain biological costs. Reviews on this topic revise the published data from a general point of view, including studies based on clinical strains or in vitro-evolved mutants in which the resistance phenotype is seen as a final outcome, i.e., a combination of mechanisms. However, a review analyzing the resistance/fitness balance from the basic research perspective, compiling studies in which the different resistance pathways and respective biological costs are individually approached, was missing. Here we cover this gap, specifically focusing on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogen that stands out because of its extraordinary capacity for resistance development and for which a considerable number of recent and particular data on the interplay with fitness/virulence have been released. The revised information, split into horizontally-acquired vs. mutation-driven resistance, suggests a great complexity and even controversy in the resistance-fitness/virulence balance in the acute infection context, with results ranging from high costs linked to certain pathways to others that are seemingly cost-free or even cases of resistance mechanisms contributing to increased pathogenic capacities. The elusive mechanistic basis for some enigmatic data, knowledge gaps, and possibilities for therapeutic exploitation are discussed. The information gathered suggests that resistance-fitness/virulence interplay may be a source of potential antipseudomonal targets and thus, this review poses the elementary first step for the future development of these strategies harnessing certain resistance-associated biological burdens.

BackgroundSelf-management of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is challenging. Regular self-monitoring of blood glucose and healthy lifestyles are required to improve glycometabolic control, thus delaying diabetes complications, and reducing hospitalizations. Digital technologies can empower patients in their disease management promoting self-management and motivation to change behaviors. We report the results of an exploratory trial aimed at evaluating the metabolic outcomes of using digital solutions for T2D self-management developed in the ProEmpower project, a European Commission funded Pre-Commercial Procurement.MethodsTwo digital solutions, DM4All and DiaWatch, which were codesigned with providers, patients, and caregivers, enabled the collection of clinical parameters by the patient using a smartphone integrated with the medical devices (glucometer, sphygmomanometer, scale, smart watch for heart rate monitoring and step counter). Data were automatically sent to the shared care plan allowing professionals to monitor adherence to treatment, set goals, and communicate more effectively with patients. At baseline and after an average follow-up of 8 months, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), body weight, blood pressure, and blood lipids were measured in 100 T2D patients using the ProEmpower solutions across different diabetes centers in Campania Region, age 45–79 years, both genders, and compared with a Control cohort of T2D patients (n = 100) with similar clinical characteristics and followed for a comparable period of observation in the same centers.ResultsAt baseline, the ProEmpower participants and the Control subjects were on average overweight, with a similar BMI in the two cohorts, and mean HbA1c was at acceptable levels (around 7.0%). After the 8 month exploratory trial, body weight, HbA1c, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and plasma and LDL-cholesterol significantly decreased in the ProEmpower participants compared to baseline (p

The sarcomas of soft parts are malignancies that originate in the connective tissue, starting from the embryonic mesenchyme. Taking into account the existence of new and constant changes in the nature of these tumors, a review of the most recent publications was carried out to deepen in the genetic disorders, the predisposing syndromes and its relationship with sarcomas. It was concluded that the records that describe the identification of these syndromes are still very few as main link in the development of sarcomas.

ABSTRACT In the current scenario of growing antibiotic resistance, understanding the interplay between resistance mechanisms and biological costs is crucial for designing therapeutic strategies. In this regard, intrinsic AmpC β-lactamase hyperproduction is probably the most important resistance mechanism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, proven to entail important biological burdens that attenuate virulence mostly under peptidoglycan recycling alterations. P. aeruginosa can acquire resistance to new β-lactam–β-lactamase inhibitor combinations (ceftazidime-avibactam and ceftolozane-tazobactam) through mutations affecting ampC and its regulatory genes, but the impact of these mutations on the associated biological cost and the role that β-lactamase activity plays per se in contributing to the above-mentioned virulence attenuation are unknown. The same questions remain unsolved for plasmid-encoded AmpC-type β-lactamases such as FOX enzymes, some of which also provide resistance to new β-lactam–β-lactamase inhibitor combinations. Here, we assessed from different perspectives the effects of changes in the active center and, thus, in the hydrolytic spectrum resistance to inhibitors of AmpC-type β-lactamases on the fitness and virulence of P. aeruginosa, using site-directed mutagenesis; the previously described AmpC variants T96I, G183D, and ΔG229-E247; and, finally, blaFOX-4 versus blaFOX-8. Our results indicate the essential role of AmpC activity per se in causing the reported full virulence attenuation (in terms of growth, motility, cytotoxicity, and Galleria mellonella larvae killing), although the biological cost of the above-mentioned AmpC-type variants was similar to that of the wild-type enzymes. This suggests that there is not an important biological burden that may limit the selection/spread of these variants, which could progressively compromise the future effectiveness of the above-mentioned drug combinations. IMPORTANCE The growing antibiotic resistance of the top nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa pushes research to explore new therapeutic strategies, for which the resistance-versus-virulence balance is a promising source of targets. While resistance often entails significant biological costs, little is known about the bases of the virulence attenuations associated with a resistance mechanism as extraordinarily relevant as β-lactamase production. We demonstrate that besides potential energy and cell wall alterations, the enzymatic activity of the P. aeruginosa cephalosporinase AmpC is essential for causing the full attenuation associated with its hyperproduction by affecting different features related to pathogenesis, a fact exploitable from the antivirulence perspective. Less encouraging, we also show that the production of different chromosomal/plasmid-encoded AmpC derivatives conferring resistance to some of the newest antibiotic combinations causes no significantly increased biological burdens, which suggests a free way for the selection/spread of these types of variants, potentially compromising the future effectiveness of these antipseudomonal therapies.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of olive oil addition on the production, chemical composition, and fatty acid profile of sheep’s milk. Twenty-four lactating ewes with a live weight of 34.6 ± 4.61 kg were used. The animals were randomly distributed into four treatments (n = 6) with dietary addition of 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% (dry matter basis) olive oil for 45 days. Milk samples were taken every 7 days for fatty acid (FA) and chemical analyses. A decrease (p < 0.05) in dry matter and crude protein intake was observed with 4% oil inclusion. Milk production and milk components were similar between treatments. The kilograms of meat from weaned lambs linearly increased as the oil inclusion increased. Milk C4:0 to C17:0 decreased with 2% olive oil. The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FA content in the milk increased with the oil inclusion. There was an increase in the milk’s linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid content with 2% olive oil. Overall, the addition of 2% extra virgin olive oil is recommended to improve milk’s FA profile without negative effects on animal performance.

El maíz (Zea mays L.) en Yucatán es considerado como el principal cultivo en la milpa, seguido de la calabaza, frijol y chile. El maíz está presente en la alimentación básica por su aporte de compuestos activos y minerales esenciales. El objetivo de este trabajo fue la caracterización de diferentes maíces criollos en términos de composición mineral cultivados en diferentes regiones de Yucatán, para la selección de poblaciones de maíz, las cuales podrían tener un uso potencial para la biofortificación y el mejoramiento genético. Se realizó el análisis mineral mediante µ-Fluorescencia de Rayos X (µ-XRF, M4Tornado 100) para la detección de macronutrientes (P, K, S, Ca, Mg y Na) y micronutrientes (Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu y Se) en 20 genotipos de maíces provenientes de cinco regiones en Yucatán (R1: Tixmehuac, R2: Chacsinkín, R3: Peto, R4: Motul y R5: Maní) de las razas Nal t'eel (5), Ts´íit bakal (2), Xmejen-nal (5) y Xnuuk-nal (8). Se realizó un análisis de varianza de los minerales cuantificados, comparación de medias prueba por Tukey y diferencia mínima significativa. Se estableció una dispersión en el contenido total de macronutrientes y micronutrientes en cada genotipo. Con el promedio de los minerales se realizó un análisis de componentes principales (ACP). Los resultados indicaron diferencias significativas (P ≤ 0.05) en el contenido mineral entres los genotipos de maíz. El análisis de dispersión mineral mostró que tres genotipos de la R2 y uno de la R3 sobresalen por su contenido. El análisis de conglomerado delimitó cinco grupos con características distintas por su coloración y región. Las razas Xnuuk-nal y Xmejen-nal cultivadas en R2 presentaron el mayor contenido mineral con la coloración lila, anaranjado-rojo y anaranjado, por lo que podrían ser aprovechados para el mejoramiento genético y biofortificación del maíz.

Boron (B) toxicity is an important stressor that negatively affects maize yield and the quality of the produce. The excessive B content in agricultural lands is a growing problem due to the increase in arid and semi-arid areas because of climate change. Recently, two Peruvian maize landraces, Sama and Pachía, were physiologically characterized based on their tolerance to B toxicity, the former being more tolerant to B excess than Pachía. However, many aspects regarding the molecular mechanisms of these two maize landraces against B toxicity are still unknown. In this study, a leaf proteomic analysis of Sama and Pachía was performed. Out of a total of 2793 proteins identified, only 303 proteins were differentially accumulated. Functional analysis indicated that many of these proteins are involved in transcription and translation processes, amino acid metabolism, photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, protein degradation, and protein stabilization and folding. Compared to Sama, Pachía had a higher number of differentially expressed proteins related to protein degradation, and transcription and translation processes under B toxicity conditions, which might reflect the greater protein damage caused by B toxicity in Pachía. Our results suggest that the higher tolerance to B toxicity of Sama can be attributed to more stable photosynthesis, which can prevent damage caused by stromal over-reduction under this stress condition.

Abstract Species diversification in ancient lakes has enabled essential insights into evolutionary theory as they embody an evolutionary microcosm compared to continental terrestrial habitats. We have studied the high-altitude amphipods of the Andes Altiplano using mitogenomic, nuclear ribosomal and single-copy nuclear gene sequences obtained from 36 Hyalella genomic libraries, focusing on species of the Lake Titicaca and other water bodies of the Altiplano northern plateau. Results show that early Miocene South American lineages have recently (late Pliocene or early Pleistocene) diversified in the Andes with a striking morphological convergence among lineages. This pattern is consistent with the ecological opportunities (access to unoccupied resources, initial relaxed selection on ecologically-significant traits and low competition) offered by the lacustrine habitats established after the Andean uplift.

RESUMEN El objetivo de este trabajo es aportar a la discusión sobre la responsabilidad, pero reconstruyendo la perspectiva del filósofo español-mexicano Adolfo Sánchez Vázquez, pues, por un lado, llama la atención que se plantee la existencia de la responsabilidad social corporativa como algo que existiera de facto, como si fuera una relación de la cual se parte. De hecho, los problemas sociales, ecológicos y económicos a partir de los que se plantea la necesidad de la responsabilidad social corporativa no están resueltos y muchas veces ni siquiera los teóricos lo pueden plantear en las reflexiones que realizan. Por otro lado, hay quienes se atreven a plantear una agenda latinoamericana desde el mundo empresarial y desconociendo la realidad de los pueblos del sur global. Para superar estas dos carencias aquí se reconstruye hermenéuticamente los aspectos centrales que debería considerar toda reflexión sobre la responsabilidad: las contradicciones que produce el capitalismo, las posibles formas de superar dichas contradicciones y los mecanismos que no se pueden dejar de lado en dicha superación. Se discute también el ámbito de la responsabilidad, no es una relación vertical de arriba hacia abajo, sino abajo, de forma horizontal y de ahí con respaldo teórico y la necesidad de la acción para que de abajo vaya hacia arriba, a través de la praxis.

The clinical case of a 61-year-old patient, with a history of good health, treated at St. Paul’s Milennium Medical Hospital in Ethiopia for presenting, for 2 years, a lesion in the marginal gum, with bulging of the gums, is described. both cortices, which extended from the lower right to the left first premolar, for which it was decided to admit him to the Maxillofacial Surgery Service for study and treatment. It was a rare and large tumor, with extensive lymph node dissemination to levels IV and V in both parts of the neck, so the surgical procedure was performed. The evolution was favorable in the immediate postoperative period and he was discharged from the institution 7 days later, but continued with radiotherapy. And follow-up by outpatient service for 24 months afterwards.

Abstract Dermoid cysts usually occur later in the second decade of life; we present the approach of an unusual case of an infant who presented a cyst within the oral cavity, which is important because it can be confused with other pathologies.

ABSTRACT In the current scenario of antibiotic resistance magnification, new weapons against top nosocomial pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa are urgently needed. The interplay between β-lactam resistance and virulence is considered a promising source of targets to be attacked by antivirulence therapies, and in this regard, we previously showed that a peptidoglycan recycling blockade dramatically attenuated the pathogenic power of P. aeruginosa strains hyperproducing the chromosomal β-lactamase AmpC. Here, we sought to ascertain whether this observation could be applicable to other β-lactamases. To do so, P. aeruginosa wild-type or peptidoglycan recycling-defective strains (ΔampG and ΔnagZ) harboring different cloned β-lactamases (transferable GES, VIM, and OXA types) were used to assess their virulence in Galleria mellonella larvae by determining 50% lethal doses (LD50s). A mild yet significant LD50 increase was observed after peptidoglycan recycling disruption per se, whereas the expression of class A and B enzymes did not impact virulence. While the production of the narrow-spectrum class D OXA-2 entailed a slight attenuation, its extended-spectrum derivatives OXA-226 (W159R [bearing a change of W to R at position 159]), OXA-161 (N148D), and principally, OXA-539 (D149 duplication) were associated with outstanding virulence impairments, especially in recycling-defective backgrounds (with some LD50s being >1,000-fold that of the wild type). Although their exact molecular bases remain to be deciphered, these results suggest that mutations affecting the catalytic center and, therefore, the hydrolytic spectrum of OXA-2-derived enzymes also drastically impact the pathogenic power of P. aeruginosa. This work provides new and relevant knowledge to the complex topic of the interplay between the production of β-lactamases and virulence that could be useful to build future therapeutic strategies against P. aeruginosa. IMPORTANCE Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the leading nosocomial pathogens whose growing resistance makes the development of therapeutic options extremely urgent. The resistance-virulence interplay has classically aroused researchers’ interest as a source of therapeutic targets. In this regard, we describe a wide array of virulence attenuations associated with different transferable β-lactamases, among which the production of OXA-2-derived extended-spectrum β-lactamases stood out as a dramatic handicap for pathogenesis, likely as a side effect of mutations causing the expansion of their hydrolytic spectrums. Moreover, our results confirm the validity of disturbing peptidoglycan recycling as a weapon to attenuate P. aeruginosa virulence in class C and D β-lactamase production backgrounds. In the current scenario of dissemination of horizontally acquired β-lactamases, this work brings out new data on the complex interplay between the production of specific enzymes and virulence attenuation that, if complemented with the characterization of the underlying mechanisms, will likely be exploitable to develop future virulence-targeting antipseudomonal strategies.

Introduction Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with frequent exacerbations (ExCOPD) are commonly treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and are at risk of infections caused by potential pathogenic bacteria (PPB) including Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PsA).Objectives To investigate the association between the use of ICS and PsA infection among ExCOPD.Methods Case–control study with longitudinal follow-up that recruited ExCOPD after a hospitalisation due to exacerbation between 2012 and 2020. Patients with isolation of PsA (COPD-PsA) in sputum either during admission or follow-up were compared with those with other or no PPB. Clinical, functional characteristics, DDD, use of ICS and survival were evaluated. Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the risk factors associated to PsA infection and mortality.Results 358 patients (78% male, mean age 73±9 years) were enrolled and followed up for a median of 4 years (IQR=3–8). 173 patients (48.3%) had at least a positive culture for PsA. COPD-PsA had more frequent exacerbations, more severe airflow limitation and higher mortality (69.4% vs 46.5%, p

Objetivo: la inesperada ausencia del signo de polipunta o de polipunta onda (PPO) en el electroencefalograma (EEG) de dos casos, de 29 y 51 años, respectivamente, del Síndrome Lance Adams (SLA), que hemos visto y publicado con anterioridad, nos motivó a investigar la edad cuando este signo tiende a extinguirse, dejando de ser obligatorio para diagnosticar SLA a pacientes de edad madura. Métodos: de una muestra de 7137 trazados se incluyeron 6939, tras excluir 198 por referimientos no identificables. Estos EEG del Centro de Rehabilitación y el Centro Médico de la Universidad Central del Este (UCE), fueron realizados con electroencefalógrafos Nervus y Cadwell, de manera respectiva. Se revisaron buscando la presencia de PPO para estudiar la edad, la patología sospechada en cada indicación y el género de los pacientes. Resultados: PPO fue encontrada en 293 casos: 4.22 % de la muestra total. En 272 habría ocurrido antes de los 17 años, con la gráfica mostrando una elevación inicial máxima a las nueve. En cambio, de los 18 a los 65 solo apareció la PPO en 18 casos. 14 pacientes mostraron supresión de paroxismo o patrones de electro depresión sin PPO. Conclusión: la polipunta/polipunta onda prácticamente desaparece a los 17 años, a mayor edad, por lo tanto, el signo PPO deja de ser obligatorio para el diagnóstico del SLA en pacientes mayores. Es más frecuente en epilépticos y en varones.

Abstract Background In 2014, a notification of porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) was made by the National Services of Animal Health of Argentina (SENASA) to the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE). The notification was based on a serological diagnosis in a small farm with a morbidity rate of 2.3% without enteric clinical signs. In order to determine if TGEV was circulating before the official report, a retrospective study on cases of neonatal diarrhea was performed. The selection criteria was a sudden increase in mortality in 1- to 21-day-old piglets with watery diarrhea that did not respond to antibiotics. Based on these criteria, three clinical cases were identified during 2010–2015. Results All animals that were evaluated presented histological lesions consistent with enteric viral infection. The feces and ultrathin sections of intestine that were evaluated by electron microscopy confirmed the presence of round particles of approximately 80 nm in size and characterized by finely granular electrodense nucleoids consistent with complete particles of coronavirus. The presence of the TGEV antigen was confirmed by monoclonal specific immunohistochemistry, and final confirmation of a metabolically-active virus was performed by in situ hybridization to detect a TGE mRNA encoding spike protein. All sections evaluated in this case were negative for PEDV and rotavirus A. Conclusions This is the first case series describing neonatal mortality with etiological confirmation of TGEV in Argentina. The clinical diagnosis of TGEV infections in endemic regions is challenging due to the epidemiological distribution and coinfection with other enteric pathogens that mask the clinical presentation.

Este trabajo se plantea a partir la ecología política y la filosofía de la liberación, con el objetivo de presentar una crítica a los Acuerdos de Cambio Climático en París 2015, dada la poca o nula efectividad de las políticas ambientales que se proponen. Para tal fin, se realizó un ensayo teórico crítico al modelo capitalista vigente y sus conflictos frente al desarrollo sostenible. La metodología utilizada es un ensayo crítico a la contradicción producción-tecnología que el capitalismo plantea a la civilización y a la humanidad. Los resultados indican que existen conflictos entre las políticas ambientales especificadas en dicho Acuerdo de Cambio Climático firmado, en función de su efectividad para la humanidad y la naturaleza, como reproducción ampliada del capital versus vida. The objective of this paper is to start from the political ecology and the philosophy of the liberation, to present a critique to the Agreements of Climatic Change in Paris 2015, given the little or null effectiveness of the environmental policies that are proposed. For this purpose, a critical theoretical essay was carried out on the current capitalist model and its conflicts regarding sustainable development. The methodology used is a critical test to the productiontechnology contradiction that capitalism poses to civilization and humanity. The results indicate that there are conflicts between the environmental policies specified in said signed climate change agreement, based on their effectiveness for humanity and nature, such as an expanded reproduction of capital vs. life. O objetivo deste trabalho é partir da ecologia política e da filosofia da libertação, apresentar uma crítica aos Acordos de Mudança Climática em Paris 2015, dada a pouca ou nula eficácia das políticas ambientais propostas. Para este propósito, um ensaio teórico crítico foi realizado sobre o modelo capitalista atual e seus conflitos em relação ao desenvolvimento sustentável. A metodologia utilizada é um teste crítico para a contradição de tecnologia de produção que o capitalismo representa para a civilização e para a humanidade. Os resultados indicam que existem conflitos entre as políticas ambientais especificadas no referido acordo de mudança climática assinado, com base na sua eficácia para a humanidade e a natureza, como uma reprodução ampliada do capital versus vida.

Abstract Cave shrimps from the genera Typhlatya, Stygiocaris and Typhlopatsa (Atyidae) are restricted to specialised coastal subterranean habitats or nearby freshwaters and have a highly disconnected distribution (Eastern Pacific, Caribbean, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Madagascar, Australia). The combination of a wide distribution and a limited dispersal potential suggests a large-scale process has generated this geographic pattern. Tectonic plates that fragment ancestral ranges (vicariance) has often been assumed to cause this process, with the biota as passive passengers on continental blocks. The ancestors of these cave shrimps are believed to have inhabited the ancient Tethys Sea, with three particular geological events hypothesised to have led to their isolation and divergence; (1) the opening of the Atlantic Ocean, (2) the breakup of Gondwana, and (3) the closure of the Tethys Seaway. We test the relative contribution of vicariance and dispersal in the evolutionary history of this group using mitochondrial genomes to reconstruct phylogenetic and biogeographic scenarios with fossil-based calibrations. Given that the Australia/Madagascar shrimp divergence postdates the Gondwanan breakup, our results suggest both vicariance (the Atlantic opening) and dispersal. The Tethys closure appears not to have been influential, however we hypothesise that changing marine currents had an important early influence on their biogeography.

ABSTRACT The hyperproduction of the chromosomal AmpC β-lactamase is the main mechanism driving β-lactam resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, one of the leading opportunistic pathogens causing nosocomial acute and chronic infections in patients with underlying respiratory diseases. In the current scenario of the shortage of effective antipseudomonal drugs, understanding the molecular mechanisms mediating AmpC hyperproduction in order to develop new therapeutics against this fearsome pathogen is of great importance. It has been accepted for decades that certain cell wall-derived soluble fragments (muropeptides) modulate AmpC production by complexing with the transcriptional regulator AmpR and acquiring different conformations that activate/repress ampC expression. However, these peptidoglycan-derived signals have never been characterized in the highly prevalent P. aeruginosa stable AmpC hyperproducer mutants. Here, we demonstrate that the previously described fragments enabling the transient ampC hyperexpression during cefoxitin induction (1,6-anhydro-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptides) also underlie the dacB (penicillin binding protein 4 [PBP4]) mutation-driven stable hyperproduction but differ from the 1,6-anhydro-N-acetylmuramyl-tripeptides notably overaccumulated in the ampD knockout mutant. In addition, a simultaneous greater accumulation of both activators appears linked to higher levels of AmpC hyperproduction, although our results suggest a much stronger AmpC-activating potency for the 1,6-anhydro-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide. Collectively, our results propose a model of AmpC control where the activator fragments, with qualitative and quantitative particularities depending on the pathways and levels of β-lactamase production, dominate over the repressor (UDP-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide). This study represents a major step in understanding the foundations of AmpC-dependent β-lactam resistance in P. aeruginosa, potentially useful to open new therapeutic conceptions intended to interfere with the abovementioned cell wall-derived signaling. IMPORTANCE The extensive use of β-lactam antibiotics and the bacterial adaptive capacity have led to the apparently unstoppable increase of antimicrobial resistance, one of the current major global health challenges. In the leading nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the mutation-driven AmpC β-lactamase hyperproduction stands out as the main resistance mechanism, but the molecular cues enabling this system have remained elusive until now. Here, we provide for the first time direct and quantitative information about the soluble cell wall-derived fragments accounting for the different levels and pathways of AmpC hyperproduction. Based on these results, we propose a hierarchical model of signals which ultimately govern ampC hyperexpression and resistance.

El frijol caupí (Vigna unguiculata(L) Walp) es un cultivo importante en varias regiones del mundo, pero en México no es muy explotado. La caracterización de variedades agrícolas se ha basado en descriptores morfológicos, en los que se incluyen: forma, color y tamaño de semilla, además de atributos cuantitativos como el contenido mineral. El objetivo del trabajo fue evaluar las características morfológicas y nutricionales de genotipos de frijol caupí de la Península de Yucatán, México. Se realizaron 15 colectas de octubre 2017 a enero 2018, a las que se evaluaron tres variables morfológicas cualitativas, 10 variables cuantitativas y se determinó el contenido de potasio, calcio, manganeso, hierro y zinc, mediante μ-fluorescencia de rayos-X. A los datos se les realizó un análisis de varianza y de componentes principales. El 80% de las colectas tienen forma ovoide, 73% textura suave a áspera y el 80% son de color negro. En las variables morfológicas cuantitativas, 53% de las colectas se consideran pequeñas, 40% medianas y 7% semillas grandes. La longitud, ancho y espesor de los genotipos fue de 6.26 a 9.56, 3.64 a 7.48 y de 2.86 a 5.56 mm, respectivamente, la colecta PET15 fue la de menor dimensión. Para el contenido mineral, la colecta OXC04 tuvo la mayor concentración de Ca, Mn, Fe y Zn, mientras que la colecta PET07 presentó mayor contenido de K. Hay altos niveles de diversidad fenotípica en las colectas estudiadas y se agrupan con base en sus características físicas y no al lugar de origen.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the first causes of acute nosocomial and chronic infections in patients with underlying respiratory pathologies such as cystic fibrosis (CF). It has been proposed that P. aeruginosa accumulates mutations driving to peptidoglycan modifications throughout the development of the CF-associated infection, as a strategy to lower the immune detection hence ameliorating the chronic persistence. As well, some studies dealing with peptidoglycan modifications driving to a better survival within the host have been published in other gram-negatives. According to these facts, the gram-negative peptidoglycan could be considered as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern with very important implications regarding the host’s detection-response, worthy to dissect in detail. For this reason, in this work we characterized for the first time the peptidoglycans of three large collections [early CF, late CF and acute infection (bloodstream) P. aeruginosa strains] from qualitative (HPLC), quantitative and inflammatory capacity-related perspectives. The final goal was to identify composition trends potentially supporting the cited strategy of evasion/resistance to the immune system and providing information regarding the differential intrinsic adaptation depending on the type of infection. Although we found several punctual strain-specific particularities, our results indicated a high degree of inter-collection uniformity in the peptidoglycan-related features and the absence of trends amongst the strains studied here. These results suggest that the peptidoglycan of P. aeruginosa is a notably conserved structure in natural isolates regardless of transitory changes that some external conditions could force. Finally, the inverse correlation between the relative amount of stem pentapeptides within the murein sacculus and the resistance to immune lytic attacks against the peptidoglycan was also suggested by our results. Altogether, this work is a major step ahead to understand the biology of peptidoglycan from P. aeruginosa natural strains, hopefully useful in future for therapeutic alternatives design.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of obesity among different types of employment status in the Italian working population, and to examine associated risk factors. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional survey of 36 814 people that declared to have been occupied with the same type of contract for at least 5 years was analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression models were built considering workers’ sex, age, education, family body mass index (BMI) category, leisure time and occupational physical activity, weight control habits, smoking habit, use of drugs, number of working hours per week, and type of working contract. Results: After adjusting for covariates, the importance of temporary-employment was confirmed by multivariate analysis, with odds ratio (OR) = 1.32 for obesity (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07–1.63) with respect to employed persons; the association was even more important in workers occupied for more than 40 h/week (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.07–2.66); moreover, shiftwork was confirmed as a risk factor for obesity in workers (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.94–1.2). Dealing with different occupational group, some categories were associated with obesity; in particular, this phenomenon involved people employed in agriculture (OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.22–1.7), transportation (OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.26–1.85), and public administration (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.1–1.55). Conclusions: Our analysis suggest that obesity is strongly correlated with temporary employment. Maybe the way out this pathway to obesity in the future might be working better, choosing organizational flexibility rather than fixed term. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(6):903–914

Antimicrobial resistance is a continuously increasing threat that severely compromises our antibiotic arsenal and causes thousands of deaths due to hospital-acquired infections by pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, situation further aggravated by the limited development of new antibiotics. Thus, alternative strategies such as those targeting bacterial resistance mechanisms, virulence or potentiating the activity of our immune system resources are urgently needed. We have recently shown that mutations simultaneously causing the peptidoglycan recycling blockage and the β-lactamase AmpC overexpression impair the virulence of P.aeruginosa. These findings suggested that peptidoglycan metabolism might be a good target not only for fighting antibiotic resistance, but also for the attenuation of virulence and/or potentiation of our innate immune weapons. Here we analyzed the activity of the innate immune elements peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) and lysozyme against P. aeruginosa. We show that while lysozyme and PGRPs have a very modest basal effect over P. aeruginosa, their bactericidal activity is dramatically increased in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of the permeabilizing agent colistin. We also show that the P. aeruginosa lysozyme inhibitors seem to play a very residual protective role even in permeabilizing conditions. In contrast, we demonstrate that, once the permeability barrier is overpassed, the activity of lysozyme and PGRPs is dramatically enhanced when inhibiting key peptidoglycan recycling components (such as the 3 AmpDs, AmpG or NagZ), indicating a decisive protective role for cell-wall recycling and that direct peptidoglycan-binding supports, at least partially, the activity of these enzymes. Finally, we show that recycling blockade when occurring simultaneously with AmpC overexpression determines a further decrease in the resistance against PGRP2 and lysozyme, linked to quantitative changes in the cell-wall. Thus, our results help to delineate new strategies against P. aeruginosa infections, simultaneously targeting β-lactam resistance, cell-wall metabolism and virulence, ultimately enhancing the activity of our innate immune weapons.

Se realizó un estudio prospectivo, longitudinal y aleatorizado de 29 pacientes con quiste de inclusión epidérmica en la región cervicofacial, no infectados, atendidos en el Servicio de Cirugía Maxilofacial del Hospital Clinicoquirúrgico Docente "Saturnino Lora Torres" de Santiago de Cuba, desde junio de 2011 hasta noviembre de 2012, tratados quirúrgicamente mediante los métodos de incisión lineal mínima o excisión en W, con vistas a comparar los resultados de ambos procederes. Se obtuvo que el tiempo operatorio promedio fue más corto en el grupo de incisión lineal mínima y que los quistes que medían entre menos de 1 y hasta 2 cm, localizados en las unidades estéticas faciales de mayor exigencia, eran mejor tratados con dicho método, lo cual produjo mejores resultados y un índice recurrencia no significativo en relación con la excisión en W

ABSTRACT Understanding the interplay between antibiotic resistance and bacterial fitness and virulence is essential to guide individual treatments and improve global antibiotic policies. A paradigmatic example of a resistance mechanism is the intrinsic inducible chromosomal β-lactamase AmpC from multiple Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major nosocomial pathogen. The regulation of ampC expression is intimately linked to peptidoglycan recycling, and AmpC-mediated β-lactam resistance is frequently mediated by inactivating mutations in ampD, encoding an N-acetyl-anhydromuramyl-l-alanine amidase, affecting the levels of ampC-activating muropeptides. Here we dissect the impact of the multiple pathways causing AmpC hyperproduction on P. aeruginosa fitness and virulence. Through a detailed analysis, we demonstrate that the lack of all three P. aeruginosa AmpD amidases causes a dramatic effect in fitness and pathogenicity, severely compromising growth rates, motility, and cytotoxicity; the latter effect is likely achieved by repressing key virulence factors, such as protease LasA, phospholipase C, or type III secretion system components. We also show that ampC overexpression is required but not sufficient to confer the growth-motility-cytotoxicity impaired phenotype and that alternative pathways leading to similar levels of ampC hyperexpression and resistance, such as those involving PBP4, had no fitness-virulence cost. Further analysis indicated that fitness-virulence impairment is caused by overexpressing ampC in the absence of cell wall recycling, as reproduced by expressing ampC from a plasmid in an AmpG (muropeptide permease)-deficient background. Thus, our findings represent a major step in the understanding of β-lactam resistance biology and its interplay with fitness and pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE Understanding the impact of antibiotic resistance mechanisms on bacterial pathogenesis is critical to curb the spread of antibiotic resistance. A particularly noteworthy antibiotic resistance mechanism is the β-lactamase AmpC, produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major pathogen causing hospital-acquired infections. The regulation of AmpC is linked to the cell wall recycling pathways, and frequently, resistance to β-lactams is caused by mutation of several of the components of the cell wall recycling pathways such as AmpD. Here we dissect the impact of the pathways for AmpC hyperproduction on virulence, showing that the lack of all three P. aeruginosa AmpD amidases causes a major effect in fitness and pathogenicity, compromising growth, motility, and cytotoxicity. Further analysis indicated that fitness-virulence impairment is specifically caused by the hyperproduction of AmpC in the absence of cell wall recycling. Our work provides valuable information for delineating future strategies for combating P. aeruginosa infections by simultaneously targeting virulence and antibiotic resistance.

A total of 183 patients were colonized or infected with multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates at a hospital in Spain during 2007–2010; prevalence increased over this period from 2.8% to 15.3%. To characterize these isolates, we performed molecular epidemiologic and drug resistance analysis. Genotyping showed that 104 (56.8%) isolates belonged to a single major clone (clone B), which was identified by multilocus sequence typing as sequence type (ST) 175. This clone was initially isolated from 5 patients in 2008, and then isolated from 23 patients in 2009 and 76 patients in 2010. PCR analysis of clone B isolates identified the blaVIM-2 gene in all but 1 isolate, which harbored blaIMP-22. ST175 isolates were susceptible to only amikacin (75%) and colistin (100%). Emergence of the ST175 clone represents a major health problem because it compromises therapy for treatment of P. aeruginosa nosocomial infections.

Some novel (phenyl-diazenyl)phenols (4a–m) were designed and synthesized to be evaluated for their antibacterial activity. Starting from an active previously-synthesized azobenzene chosen as lead compound, we introduced some modifications and optimization of the structure, in order to improve solubility and drug conveyance. Structures of all newly-synthesized compounds were confirmed by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Antibacterial activity of the new compounds was tested with the dilution method against the bacteria strains Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. All the compounds were selectively active against Gram-positive bacteria. In particular, compounds 4d, 4h, and 4i showed the highest activity against S. aureus and Listeria monocytogenes, reaching remarkable MIC100 values of 4 μg/mL and 8 μg/mL. The relationship between antimicrobial activity and compound structure has suggested that the presence of hydroxyl groups seems to be essential for antimicrobial activity of phenolic compounds.

It has long been recognized that the modification of penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) to reduce their affinity for beta-lactams is an important mechanism (target modification) by which Gram-positive cocci acquire antibiotic resistance. Among Gram-negative rods (GNR), however, this mechanism has been considered unusual, and restricted to clinically irrelevant laboratory mutants for most species. Using as a model Pseudomonas aeruginosa, high up on the list of pathogens causing life-threatening infections in hospitalized patients worldwide, we show that PBPs may also play a major role in beta-lactam resistance in GNR, but through a totally distinct mechanism. Through a detailed genetic investigation, including whole-genome analysis approaches, we demonstrate that high-level (clinical) beta-lactam resistance in vitro, in vivo, and in the clinical setting is driven by the inactivation of the dacB-encoded nonessential PBP4, which behaves as a trap target for beta-lactams. The inactivation of this PBP is shown to determine a highly efficient and complex beta-lactam resistance response, triggering overproduction of the chromosomal beta-lactamase AmpC and the specific activation of the CreBC (BlrAB) two-component regulator, which in turn plays a major role in resistance. These findings are a major step forward in our understanding of beta-lactam resistance biology, and, more importantly, they open up new perspectives on potential antibiotic targets for the treatment of infectious diseases.