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Resumen Este artículo reflexiona acerca de cómo se vinculan la historia, la memoria y el arte, a partir del testimonio y obra del artista Esteban Marconi. Se recupera el valor del arte como herramienta política que puede recobrar el pasado, deconstruir significados y abrir nuevos modos de percepción. Todo sujeto es protagonista de la construcción de la memoria social que se teje en una compleja trama de intersubjetividades que arrastra voces y relatos de otros tiempos. Así, el trabajo del artista tiene una doble dimensión: es una creación individual que implica a otro que lo recibe, quien, a su vez, la reconstruye en un juego dialéctico donde el sentido está vivo, se comparte y resignifica. Abstract This article reflects on how history, memory and art are linked, based on the testimony and work of the artist Esteban Marconi. The value of art is recovered as a political tool that can recover the past, deconstruct meanings and open new modes of perception. All this is the protagonist of the construction of social memory that is woven into a complex web of intersubjectivities that draws voices and stories from other times. Thus, the artist’s work has a double dimension: it is an individual creation that implies an other that receives it, who, in turn, reconstructs it in a dialectical game where meaning is alive, shared and resignified. Resumo Este artigo reflete sobre como a história, a memória e a arte estão ligadas, com base no testemunho e no trabalho do artista Esteban Marconi. O valor da arte é recuperado como uma ferramenta política que pode recuperar o passado, desconstruir significados e abrir novos modos de percepção. Tudo isso é o protagonista da construção da memória social que é tecida em uma teia complexa de intersubjetividades que atrai vozes e histórias de outros tempos. Assim, a obra do artista tem uma dupla dimensão: é uma criação individual que implica uma outra que a recebe, a qual, por sua vez, a reconstrói em um jogo dialético em que o significado é vivo, compartilhado e ressignificado.

HIGHLIGHTS • What is the primary question addressed by this study? Can PEARLS, a brief, home-based intervention focused on problem solving treatment and behavioral activation for low-income older adults living with depression, improve social connectedness for underserved older populations? • What is the main finding of this study? PEARLS participants significantly improved on all three social connectedness constructs (social interactions and satisfaction with social support; perceived isolation; loneliness) six-months after PEARLS enrollment. Though most improvements persisted during early COVID-19 pandemic, additional supports may be needed for older persons with complex health and social needs. • What is the meaning of the finding? PEARLS is a promising intervention for increasing social connectedness among underserved older adults living with depression., Objective To evaluate PEARLS effectiveness for increasing social connectedness among underserved older adults with depression. Design Multi-site, pre-post single-group evaluation. Setting Community-based social service organizations (N=16) in five U.S. states, purposively sampled for maximum variation of participants and providers. Participants 320 homebound older adults (mean(SD) age 72.9(9.6), 79% female, 44% people of color, 81% low-income, 61% living alone, average four chronic conditions) with clinically significant depression (PHQ-9 mean(SD) 12.7(4.6)). Intervention 4-6 month home-based depression care management model delivered by trained front-line providers. Measurements Brief validated social connectedness scales: Duke Social Support Index 10-item (DSSI-10), PROMIS-Social Isolation (6-item), UCLA-Loneliness (3-item); sociodemographic and health measures. Results At baseline, PEARLS participants overall and with >/=1 of the following characteristics were less socially connected: younger (50-64), white, LGBTQ+, not partnered, not caregiving, living alone, financial limitations, chronic conditions, and/or recently hospitalized. Six-months post-PEARLS enrollment, participants significantly increased social interactions and satisfaction with social support (DSSI-10 t[312]=5.2, p

BackgroundWhether people living with HIV (PLWH) are at greater risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection is currently unknown. Prospective serologic studies may allow seroincidence analyses, where all infections are accurately identified. Because of this, we evaluated the incidence of and associated factors with SARS-CoV-2 infection in PLWH in Southern Spain.MethodsThis was a prospective cohort study including PLWH from a University Hospital in Southern Spain. Patients were enrolled if 1) they had attended as outpatients our Unit from August 1st, 2019 to February 8th, 2020; 2) had two subsequent evaluations from February 9th, 2020 to February 15th, 2021. Serum antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were determined in baseline and intra-pandemic samples.Results710 PLWH were included in the study. Of them, 46 [6.5%, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 4.8%-8.5%] patients developed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Between May 18th and November 29th, 2020, the rate of seroconversion was 5.3% (95% CI: 3.1%-9%) for the general population in the area of Seville and 2.3% (95% CI: 1.3%-3.6%) for PLWH in this study (p=0.001). After multivariate analysis, adjusted by age and sex, active tobacco smoking was the only factor independently associated with lower risk of SARS-Cov-2 infection (Incidence rate ratio 0.35, 95% CI: 0.18-0.68, p=0.002).ConclusionsThe incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among PLWH in Southern Spain during the ongoing pandemic was lower than that reported for the general population in the same area. Tobacco smoking was the only factor independently associated with a lower risk of incident SARS-CoV-2 infection.SummaryThe incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among people living with HIV is lower than that of general population in Southern Spain. Active tobacco smoking could be associated with a lower risk of developing COVID-19.

Whether people living with HIV (PLWH) are at greater risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection is currently unknown. Prospective serologic studies may allow seroincidence analyses, where all infections are accurately identified. Because of this, we evaluated the incidence of associated factors with and the clinical outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection in PLWH in Southern Spain. This prospective cohort study included PLWH from a Tertiary University Hospital in Southern Spain. Patients were enrolled in the study if (1) they had attended as outpatients our Unit from 1 August 2019 to 8 February 2020 and (2) had two subsequent evaluations from 9 February 2020 to 4 March 2021. SARS-CoV-2 infections were diagnosed by PCR, antigen detection or serology. Seven hundred and nine PLWH were included in the study. Of them, 55 [7.8%, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 5.9%-9.9%] patients developed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Between 18 May and 29 November 2020, the rate of seroconversion was 5.3% (95% CI: 3.1%-9.0%) for the general population in the area of Seville and 2.3% (95% CI: 1.3%-2.6%) for PLWH in this study (p = .001). After multivariable analysis, adjusted by age, sex, and risk factors for HIV infection, active tobacco use and CDC stage, active tobacco smoking was the only factor independently associated with lower risk of SARS-Cov-2 infection [Incidence rate ratio: 0.29 (95% CI 0.16-0.55) p < .001]. In conclusion, the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among PLWH in Southern Spain during the ongoing pandemic was lower than that reported for the general population in the same area. This work was supported in part by the Instituto de Salud CarlosIII (Project ‘PI16/01443’), integrated in the national I+D+i 2013–2016andco-fundedbytheEuropeanUnion(ERDF/ESF,‘Investinginyour future’), by the Spanish Network for AIDS investigation (RIS)(www.red.es/redes/inicio)(RD16/0025/0010,RD16/0025/0040),asapartoftheNacionalI+D+I,ISCIIISubdirecciónGeneraldeEvaluaciónand the European Fund for Development of Regions (FEDER). JuanA.PinedareceivedaresearchextensiongrantfromtheProgramadeIntensificacióndelaActividaddeInvestigacióndelServicioNacionaldeSaludCarlosIII(I3SNS).FedericoGarciareceivedaresearchextensiongrantfromtheProgramadeIntensificacióndelaActividaddeInves-tigacióndelServicioAndaluzdeSalud.AnaïsCorma-GomezreceivedaRíoHortegagrantfromtheInstitutodeSaludCarlosIII(grantnum-ber CM19/00251). Funding for open access charge: Universidad deMálaga/CBUA

Aim Initiatives aimed at reducing the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) attempt to increase the community's level of psychosis literacy. Most of these efforts, however, have failed to reduce DUP. One plausible explanation is that the campaigns do not actually increase psychosis literacy. To date, there have been few efforts to assess whether the campaign messaging does indeed increase psychosis literacy prior to or during the campaign. This study evaluated whether the message of the La CLAve DUP reduction program delivered during the campaign increased the psychosis literacy of a U.S. Latinx community. Methods The sample consisted of 81 Latinx community residents aged 15-84. Two community health educators of the La CLAve campaign facilitated workshops using a narrative film to initiate a conversation in the community about the signs of psychosis and the importance of professional help-seeking early in the illness course. Psychosis literacy was assessed via questionnaires pertaining to a hypothetical vignette administered before and after the workshops. Results The psychosis literacy of participants increased after the workshops in several domains. Participants' knowledge of multiple psychotic symptoms, self-efficacy in their ability to recognize psychosis in others, and correct attributions of a hypothetical vignette's psychotic symptoms significantly increased. No changes were observed in recommendations for professional help-seeking. Conclusions These findings provide support for the effectiveness of the La CLAve messaging in increasing psychosis literacy of U.S. Latinx community residents. Evidence-based campaign messaging is needed to increase the success of DUP reduction programs especially among underserved communities.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of sample pooling compared to the individual analysis for the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by using different commercial platforms for nucleic acid extraction and amplification. Methods A total of 3519 nasopharyngeal samples received at nine Spanish clinical microbiology laboratories were processed individually and in pools (342 pools of ten samples and 11 pools of nine samples) according to the existing methodology in place at each centre. Results We found that 253 pools (2519 samples) were negative and 99 pools (990 samples) were positive; with 241 positive samples (6.85%), our pooling strategy would have saved 2167 PCR tests. For 29 pools (made out of 290 samples), we found discordant results when compared to their correspondent individual samples, as follows: in 22 of 29 pools (28 samples), minor discordances were found; for seven pools (7 samples), we found major discordances. Sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values for pooling were 97.10% (95% confidence interval (CI), 94.11–98.82), 100%, 100% and 99.79% (95% CI, 99.56–99.90) respectively; accuracy was 99.80% (95% CI, 99.59–99.92), and the kappa concordant coefficient was 0.984. The dilution of samples in our pooling strategy resulted in a median loss of 2.87 (95% CI, 2.46–3.28) cycle threshold (Ct) for E gene, 3.36 (95% CI, 2.89–3.85) Ct for the RdRP gene and 2.99 (95% CI, 2.56–3.43) Ct for the N gene. Conclusions We found a high efficiency of pooling strategies for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA testing across different RNA extraction and amplification platforms, with excellent performance in terms of sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values.

We evaluated the utility of Architect core antigen assay® Abbott Diagnostics (HCVAg) for monitoring patients with HCV infection and compared to HCV-RNA quantification (Cobas Ampliprep TaqMan-Roche Diagnostics). Samples from 262 patients were studied. Mean baseline HCV RNA and HCVAg levels were similar for responders (6.2 log IU/mL and 3.4 log fmol/L) and non-responders (6.1 log IU/mL and 3.2 log fmol/L), respectively. Only 10 patients failed to achieve SVR12 and all were detected by both assays. To evaluate HCVAg quantification as a tool for the detection of failure to DAAs, we performed a retrospective study of 132 non-responder patients. Mean HCV RNA and HCVAg levels at the time of detection of therapeutic failure were 5.88±0.97 log IU/mL and 3.19±0.79 log fmol/L, respectively. HCVAg (>3 fmol/L) was detected in 130/132 patients (98.5%). HCVAg assay was useful for patient selection and for evaluating virological response to DAAs in the real world.

Outpatient urine samples are among the most commonly processed in a microbiology laboratory, which involves a high economic burden. The aim of this study was compare cost and efficiency to process uropathogens between MicroScan system (2010–2011) versus a chromogenic medium and the disk diffusion method (2013–2014). In the first period, a total 9918 bacterial populations were isolated from urine samples. Annual estimated costs during 2010 and 2011 for processing were EUR 53,818 and EUR 57,306, respectively (EUR 111,124 total). In the second period, a total 11,728 bacterial isolates were processed, with annual estimated costs of EUR 21,078 and EUR 23,248, respectively (EUR 44,326 total). We included the cost for a laboratory technician (252 h worked per year), estimated at EUR 2500 per year. The mean estimated savings were EUR 66,797 (60%).The identification by chromogenic media and antibiotic susceptibility patterns by disk diffusion method was similar to MicroScan in both study periods. Only some isolated Citrobacter spp., Enterobacter spp., Morganella morganii, and Providencia spp. were misidentified. The strategy reported here did not affect the quality of the results and yielded substantial cost savings.

Background and aim: undiagnosed hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and/or inadequate access to care are barriers to the elimination of HCV. Reflex testing has proven to facilitate referral to care, treatment and viral elimination. In this study, a reflex testing program was implemented in Andalusia and its impact on access to care was evaluated. Patients and methods: an observational, retrospective and prospective study was performed across diagnostic laboratories responsible for HCV diagnosis in southern Spain. After surveying the barriers to performing reflex testing, the number of patients that were not referred for care in 2016 was retrospectively studied (pre-reflex cohort). Subsequently, several measures were proposed to overcome the identified barriers. Finally, reflex testing was implemented and its impact evaluated. Results: the pre-reflex cohort included information from 1,053 patients. Slightly more than half of the patients (n = 580; 55%) visited a specialist for treatment evaluation during a median period of 71 days (interquartile range = 35-134) since the date of diagnosis. The post-reflex cohort (September 2017 to March 2018) included 623 patients. Only 17% (n = 106) of the patients had not been referred for care or evaluated for treatment in a median period of 52 days (interquartile range = 28-86). Conclusions: in 2016, nearly half of new HCV diagnoses in southern Spain were not referred for care. Barriers to the implementation of reflex testing were overcome in our study. Moreover, this strategy was effectively implemented in 2017. Reflex testing contributed to improving referral for care. This program will contribute to the micro-elimination of hepatitis C in Spain.

We are constantly exposed to infectious diseases, and they cause millions of deaths per year. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that antibiotic resistance could cause 10 million deaths per year by 2050. Multidrug-resistant bacteria are the cause of infection in at least one in three people suffering from septicemia. While antibiotics are powerful agents against infectious diseases, the alarming increase in antibiotic resistance is of great concern. Alternatives are desperately needed, and nanotechnology provides a great opportunity to develop novel approaches for the treatment of infectious diseases. One of the most important factors in the prognosis of an infection caused by an antibiotic resistant bacteria is an early and rigorous diagnosis, jointly with the use of novel therapeutic systems that can specifically target the pathogen and limit the selection of resistant strains. Nanodiamonds can be used as antimicrobial agents due to some of their properties including size, shape, and biocompatibility, which make them highly suitable for the development of efficient and tailored nanotherapies, including vaccines or drug delivery systems. In this review, we discuss the beneficial findings made in the nanodiamonds field, focusing on diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. We also highlight the innovative platform that nanodiamonds confer for vaccine improvement, drug delivery, and shuttle systems, as well as their role in the generation of faster and more sensitive clinical diagnosis.

Background: SPARC/osteonectin is an evolutionarily conserved matricellular protein that modulates cell–matrix interaction and cell function. In all vertebrates, SPARC is dynamically expressed during embryogenesis. However, the precise function of SPARC and the regulatory elements required for its expression in particular during early embryogenesis are largely unknown. Results: The present study was undertaken to explore the molecular mechanisms that regulate sparc gene expression by in vivo functional characterization of the sparc promoter and identification of possible putative regulatory elements that govern basal promoter activity. We report here transient expression analyses of eGFP expression from transgenic zebrafish containing a Sparc-iTol2-eGFP-BAC and/or 7.25 kb-sparc-Tol2-eGFP constructs. eGFP expression was specifically found in the notochord, otic vesicle, fin fold, intermediate cell mass, and olfactory placode of BAC and Tol2 transposon vectors injected embryos. Deletion analysis revealed that promoter activity resides in the unique 5′-untranslated intronic region. Computer-based analysis revealed a putative CpG island immediately proximal to the translation start site within the intron sequence. Global inhibition of methylation with 5-Aza-2-deoxycytidine promoted sparc expression in association with decreasing CpG methylation. Conclusions: Taken together, these data identify a contributory role for DNA methylation in regulating sparc expression in zebrafish embryogenesis. Developmental Dynamics 244:693–702, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Objectives] The Escherichia coli O25b-associated ST131 clonal group was recently found to be prevalent in our area as a cause of community-acquired urinary tract infections. We evaluated the transmission dynamics and longitudinal persistence of E. coli O25b-ST131 between patients with nosocomial and community-acquired infections and their contacts., [Methods] Prevalence and transmission of O25b/pabB3/B23 isolates were compared in 38 community clusters, 30 nosocomial clusters and 50 healthy volunteers. Duration of colonization was studied at 1 to 4 months and 6 to 12 months after the first sample. Isolates exhibiting a three-band or less difference by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis were assigned to the same pulsotype., [Results] Colonization was found to be more frequent in index cases (31/68, 45.6%) than in contacts (25/118, 21.2%; p 0.0009) or volunteers (1/50, 2%; p 0.0009). Seven (11%) of 64 isolates were extended-spectrum β-lactamase producers. Transmission occurred in 61% (8/13) community clusters and in 12% (1/8) nosocomial clusters. Thirteen (56.5%) of the 23 initial carriers assessed at 1 to 4 months remained colonized. Only 2 (13.3%) of 15 positive patients followed for 6 to 12 months showed prolonged carriage, and none was infected with extended-spectrum β-lactamase producers. Six previously positive individuals acquired a different ST131 pulsotype (5/23 at sample 2 and 1/15 at sample 3), and three previously negative individuals became positive (2/46 at 1–4 months and 1/33 at 6–12 months)., [Conclusions] Person-to-person transmission or acquisition from a common source of E. coli O25b-associated ST131 is more frequent in the household setting than in the nosocomial setting. The carrier state does not usually last beyond 4 months, with new acquisitions in certain individuals., This study was funded by Plan Nacional de I+D+i 2013–2016 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD12/0015/0010 and REIPI RD16/0016/0001), cofinanced by European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe”, Operative Programme INtelligent Growth 2014–2020, Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (070190, 10/02021, 10/01955 and 10/00795) and the Junta de Andalucía (0048/2008, and CTX-5259 and CTS210)..

New insights on the amantadine resistance mechanism of the V27A mutant were obtained through the study of novel, easily accessible 4-(1- and 2-adamantyl)piperidines, identified as dual binders of the wild-type and V27A mutant M2 channels of influenza A virus. Their antiviral activity and channel blocking ability were determined using cell-based assays and two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) technique on M2 channels, respectively. In addition, electrophysiology experiments revealed two interesting findings: (i) these inhibitors display a different behavior against the wild-type versus V27A mutant A/M2 channels, and (ii) the compounds display antiviral activity when they have k(d) equal or smaller than 10(-6) while they do not exhibit antiviral activity when k(d) is 10(-5) or higher although they may show blocking activity in the TEV assay. Thus, caution must be taken when predicting antiviral activity based on percent channel blockage in electrophysiological assays. These findings provide experimental evidence of the resistance mechanism of the V27A mutation to wild-type inhibitors, previously predicted in silico, offer an explanation for the lack of antiviral activity of compounds active in the TEV assay, and may help design new and more effective drugs.

The synthesis of several [4,4,3], [4,3,3], and [3,3,3]azapropellanes is reported. Several of the novel amines displayed low-micromolar activities against an amantadine-resistant H1N1 strain, but they did not show activity against an amantadine-sensitive H3N2 strain. None of the tested compounds inhibit the influenza A/M2 proton channel function. Most of the compounds did not show cytotoxicity for MDCK cells.

We have synthesized and characterized a series of compounds containing the 3-azatetracyclo[5.2.1.1(5,8).0(1,5)]undecane scaffold designed as analogues of amantadine, an inhibitor of the M2 proton channel of influenza A virus. Inhibition of the wild-type (WT) M2 channel and the amantadine-resistant A/M2-S31N and A/M2-V27A mutant ion channels were measured in Xenopus oocytes using two-electrode voltage clamp (TEV) assays. Most of the novel compounds inhibited the WT ion channel in the low micromolar range. Of note, several compounds inhibited the A/M2 V27A mutant ion channel, one of them with submicromolar IC50. None of the compounds was found to inhibit the S31N mutant ion channel. The antiviral activity of three novel dual WT and A/M2-V27A channels inhibitors was confirmed by influenza virus yield assays.

Simple, secondary 2,4,6-triisopropyl benzoates (TIB esters) and secondary dialkyl N,N-diisopropyl carbamates have been reported to be resistant to deprotonation by strong bases. We have found that the combination of sBuLi (1.6 equiv) and TMEDA (6 equiv) in CPME at -60 °C enables deprotonation of unactivated secondary dialkyl TIB esters, but not the carbamates. These carbanions were reacted with a range of neopentyl boronic esters which, after 1,2-metalate rearrangement and oxidation, gave a range of tertiary alcohols in high yield and universally high er. Further functional group transformations of the tertiary boronic esters were demonstrated (conversion to quaternary centers, C-tertiary amines) together with application of the methodology to the synthesis of the simplest unbranched hydrocarbon bearing a quaternary center, (R)-4-ethyl-4-methyloctane, validating the synthetic utility of the methodology.

A total of 2,643 samples from patients with gastroenteritis in Galicia (NW Spain) were tested for the presence of Norovirus (NoV). NoV genogroup GI was detected in 416 (15.7%) samples, while NoV genogroup GII was detected in 278 (10.5%) samples. Mixed infections of NoV GI and GII were observed in 53 (2%) samples. Total prevalence of NoV in the analyzed samples was 28.3%. Besides NoV diagnosis assay, all the specimens were also submitted to routine clinical bacteriology tests. Cryptosporidium spp. as well as adenovirus (AdV) and rotavirus (RV) were determined on some samples after specific request by hospital units. The results obtained allowed to determine the disease etiology in 14.4% of the patients. Taking into account all the microorganisms studied, the etiological agent was determined for 39.5% of the cases. The results indicated that NoVs are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in all age-groups in Northwestern Spain, and that the lack of routine NoV diagnosis contributes to the underestimation of the importance of this virus, not only in outbreaks, but also in sporadic cases of acute gastroenteritis.

Resumen Introduccion La sepsis neonatal es una importante causa de morbimortalidad. Un diagnostico precoz y el inicio rapido del tratamiento son fundamentales en la evolucion del recien nacido. El hemocultivo, considerado tecnica de referencia para el diagnostico de sepsis, presenta una baja sensibilidad en este grupo de pacientes. Se planteo evaluar la utilidad de la PCR multiple LightCycler ® SeptiFast (LC-SF) en el diagnostico de la sepsis neonatal, comparandola con el hemocultivo tradicional. Metodos Se recogieron 42 muestras de sangre correspondientes a 35 recien nacidos con episodios febriles ingresados en la unidad de cuidados intensivos neonatal del Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves. Por cada episodio febril se procesaron 2 muestras de sangre venosa periferica para la realizacion del ensayo LC-SF y del hemocultivo, respectivamente. Resultados La sensibilidad y la especificidad de LC-SF, comparada con el diagnostico clinico de sepsis, fueron del 79 y del 87%, respectivamente. La tasa de hemocultivos contaminados fue del 16,7%, detectandose Staphylococcus coagulasa negativa (SCN) y Streptococcus grupo viridans . En LC-SF la tasa de SCN contaminantes fue del 2,4%. La concordancia entre las 2 tecnicas diagnosticas fue moderada (indice kappa: 0,369). La tecnica LC-SF demostro una mayor concordancia con el diagnostico clinico final (indice kappa: 0,729) que el hemocultivo (indice kappa: 0,238). Conclusion LC-SF podria ser una herramienta util, empleada en paralelo con el hemocultivo en recien nacidos, al confirmar o descartar los casos que el hemocultivo no resuelve, ademas de disminuir el tiempo de obtencion de resultado a 7 h.

The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of retail chicken and turkey meat colonized by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBLEC) in Seville, Spain. ESBLEC recovered from meat samples purchased in 2010 were characterized by specific PCR analysis for bla genes, phylogenetic groups and subgroups (genotypes) and O25b/pabB/B2 traits of ST131. Results were compared with those obtained in a previous study in 2007, when a high percentage of retail meat samples were found to be colonized by ESBLEC. The prevalence of retail poultry meat colonized by ESBLEC increased from 62.5% in 2007 to 93.3% in 2010 (p = 0.005). Non-pathogenic B1 and A1 genotypes accounted for more than 60% of the 60 isolates recovered. Sequence type ST131 or B2 phylogroup isolates were not detected. Clonal relatedness was detected in just 2 CTX-M-1-producing isolates from 2 chicken samples belonging to phylogenetic group A, genotype A1. There continued to be a significantly high quinolone resistance, with 85.4% and 32.2% of isolates showing resistance to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin, respectively. SHV-12 was the most common ESBL harbored by E. coli, although it has decreased in prevalence since 2007. Meanwhile, CTX-M ESBLs prevalence has increased. We conclude that the trend of colonization by ESBLECs—particularly CTX-M-producing isolates—in raw poultry meat has increased in a short period of time in our area.

The synthesis of several 6,7,8,9,10,11-hexahydro-9-methyl-5,7:9,11-dimethano-5H-benzocyclononen-7-amines is reported. Several of them display low micromolar NMDA receptor antagonist and/or trypanocidal activities. Two compounds are endowed with micromolar anti vesicular stomatitis virus activity, while only one compound shows micromolar anti-influenza activity. The anti-influenza activity of this compound does not seem to be mediated by blocking of the M2 protein. ispartof: Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry vol:20 issue:2 pages:942-948 ispartof: location:England status: published

Amantadine inhibits the M2 proton channel of influenza A virus, yet its clinical use has been limited by the rapid emergence of amantadine-resistant virus strains. We have synthesized and characterized a series of polycyclic compounds designed as ring-contracted or ring-expanded analogues of amantadine. Inhibition of the wild-type (wt) M2 channel and the A/M2-S31N and A/M2-V27A mutant ion channels were measured in Xenopus oocytes using two-electrode voltage clamp (TEV) assays. Several bisnoradamantane and noradamantane derivatives inhibited the wt ion channel. The compounds bind to a primary site delineated by Val27, Ala30, and Ser31, though ring expansion restricts the positioning in the binding site. Only the smallest analogue 8 was found to inhibit the S31N mutant ion channel. The structure-activity relationship obtained by TEV assay was confirmed by plaque reduction assays with A/H3N2 influenza virus carrying wt M2 protein. ispartof: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry vol:54 issue:8 pages:2646-2657 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Introduction: Female immigration from less developed countries into Spain has grown in number over the years, and could contribute to changing the prevalence of routine serological markers in pregnant women. Material and methods: From April 2007 until May 2008 we studied the prevalence of serum antibodies against Treponema pallidum, Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV 1/2), and hepatitis B virus (HBV) in samples from 4,171 immigrant and Spanish pregnant women in Granada. Results: The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant immigrants was higher than in non-immigrants (44% vs. 14.4%). The overall prevalence against rubella was 97.3%. Sub-Saharan and North African women showed the lowest prevalence (88% and 89%). The prevalence of HBsAg was higher in immigrants than in Spanish women (2.6% vs. 0.4%), and especially high among the Eastern European (6.9%) and Asian (8.1%) pregnant women. The seroprevalences of HIV (0.9% vs. 0.1%) and syphilis (TPHA) (3.5% vs. 0.07%), were higher in immigrants. Seroprevalence against T. pallidum was higher among Eastern European (11.5%) and Latin-American (3.5%) women, whereas sub-Saharan (11.8%) and North African (1%) women showed the highest anti-HIV prevalence. Conclusion: Hepatitis B, anti-HIV, syphilis, and antibodies against T. gondii are found more frequently in immigrants than in Spanish pregnant women, whereas rubella protection in Spanish women is higher than immigrant pregnant women.

Introduction: Glycopeptide resistance in Enterococcus spp. is a clinical problem because of the rapid dissemination of these microorganisms, possible transfer of vancomycin resistance to more virulent pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus, and the limited therapeutic possibilities for the infections they cause. In this study, 10 strains of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolated from 10 different patients in our hospital during 2004 to 2005 were characterized. Methods: PCR was used to analyze the gene implicated in glycopeptide resistance. Molecular analysis of clinical isolates was performed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The presence of genes previously associated with epidemicity/virulence (esp, hyl, asa1, gel, cyl) was also studied. Risk factors were determined in a case-control study. Results: The most commonly detected gene was vanA. PFGE analysis revealed 5 different genotypes (A-E), with a predominance of genotype A (n ¼ 3) and B (n ¼ 3). The esp (surface protein) and hyl (hyaluronidase) genes were detected in all strains, with the exception of genotypes B and D. The purK1 allele, associated with clonal complex 17 was demonstrated in all strains.

One hundred and one randomly selected (2003–2005) clinical isolates ofPseudomonas aeruginosawere used to assess the quantitative (MIC) and qualitative (susceptibility category) agreement between the microdilution broth reference method (RM) and disc diffusion (DD), Etest and the VITEK 2 automated susceptibility test system for determination of the susceptibility ofP. aeruginosato piperacillin (PIP), PIP–tazobactam (TZP), ceftazidime (CAZ), aztreonam (ATM) cefepime (FEP) and imipenem (IMP). The results obtained by the RM were compared with those obtained by the other methods. The RM and DD were performed according to CLSI criteria. Etest and VITEK 2 were according to the manufacturer's instructions. The Advanced Expert System (AES), which interprets MICs generated by VITEK 2, was modified with new rules of interpretation. Overall, VITEK 2 showed the lowest MIC90values for the six antibiotics. The RM categorical testing (susceptibility and resistance) rates withP. aeruginosawere 11.8 and 88.1 for PIP, 22.7 and 77.2 for TZP, 14.8 and 78.2 for CAZ, 12.8 and 54.4 for ATM, 16.8 and 75.3 for FEP, and 7.9 and 90.1 for IMP, respectively. Very major errors (false susceptible) were only detected for ATM and FEP with DD and for IMP with three methods. Major errors (false resistant) were generally acceptable for all antibiotics except TZP. VITEK 2 yielded a high level of minor errors (trends toward false susceptibility), mainly with CAZ and FEP. A good agreement was obtained for all antibiotics/methods assayed, thus highlighting the importance of the AES for categorization ofβ-lactam susceptibility inP. aeruginosa.

[Objective] Our objective was to evaluate the impact of low versus borderline MIC of piperacillin/tazobactam on the clinical outcomes of patients with bacteraemia caused by Enterobacteriaceae who were treated with that antimicrobial., [Patients and methods] A prospective observational multicentre cohort study was conducted in 13 Spanish university hospitals. Patients >17 years old with bacteraemia due to Enterobacteriaceae who received empirical piperacillin/tazobactam treatment for at least 48 h were included. Outcome variables were clinical response at day 21, clinical response at end of treatment with piperacillin/tazobactam and all-cause 30 day mortality. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed., [Results] Overall, 275 patients were included in the analysis; 248 (90.2%) in the low MIC group (≤4 mg/L) and 27 (9.8%) in the borderline MIC group (8–16 mg/L). The biliary tract was the most common source of infection (48.4%) and Escherichia coli was the most frequent pathogen (63.3%). Crude 30 day mortality rates were 10.5% and 11.1% for the low MIC group and the borderline MIC group, respectively (relative risk = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.34–3.27, P = 1). Multivariate analysis of failure at day 21 and at end of treatment with piperacillin/tazobactam and 30 day mortality showed no trend towards increased clinical failure or mortality with borderline MICs (OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.18–4.88, P = 0.96; OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.10–2.26, P = 0.35; OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 0.33–6.68, P = 0.6)., [Conclusions] We did not find that higher piperacillin/tazobactam MIC within the susceptible or intermediate susceptibility range had a significant influence on the outcome for patients with bacteraemia due to Enterobacteriaceae., The study was funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Spain (FIS; PI10/02021) co-financed by European Development Regional Fund ‘A way to achieve Europe’ ERDF, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD12/0015). J. A. R. is funded, in part, by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Research Fellowship (APP1048652).