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Introduction: Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) is a serious threat to public health. Globally, carbapenemases-producing CRPA isolates mainly belong to ‘high-risk’ clones; however, the molecular epidemiology of CRPA isolates circulating in Chile are scarce, where this pathogen is the main aetiological agent of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Objectives: To characterize the phylogenomics and molecular features of ST654 CRPA isolates collected in Chile between 2016 and 2022. Methods: Eighty-nine CRPA isolates collected in different Chilean hospitals from clinical specimens between 2005 and 2022 were analysed. Antibiotic susceptibility tests and carbapenemases production were carried out on the CRPA ST654 isolates. Also, they were subjected to whole-genome sequencing, from which in silico analyses were performed. Results: Thirty-four strains (38.2%) belonged to the ST654 high-risk clone, being the most predominant lineage of the collection. Most of these isolates belonged to a subclade including KPC producers that also clustered with strains from Argentina and the United States, whereas few VIM and NDM co-producers clustered in two different smaller subclades. The isolates exhibited a broad resistome encompassing genes mediating resistance to several other clinically relevant drugs. Additionally, all the 34 ST654 isolates were ExoS+ as a virulence factor and associated to the O4-serotype. Conclusions: Our report represents the most comprehensive phylogenomic study of a CRPA high-risk clone ST654 to date. Our analyses suggest that this lineage is undergoing a divergent evolutionary path in Chile, because most of the isolates were KPC producers and were O4 serotype, differing from previous descriptions, which underline the relevance of performing molecular surveillance on this pathogen.

The emergence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections at the end of the 20th century represents a significant shift in the epidemiology of staphylococcal infections and, consequently, their clinical management. There are diverse CA-MRSA clones that are widely spread worldwide, showing differences in their regional dissemination, which has been dynamically changing over time. Although the first CA-MRSA description occurred about 30 years ago, its epidemiology in certain regions, such as South America, has been poorly explored, resulting in a gap in the understanding of the epidemiology of CA-MRSA in under-represented countries/regions. This report describes the first four clinical cases of invasive infections caused by CA-MRSA in a tertiary hospital in the central-southern region of Chile. It also associates the clinical characteristics of the infections with the microbiological and molecular features of the isolates. The four S. aureus isolates belong to sequence type 8, which has been widely described as a cause of community-acquired infections. All of them presented a wide resistome and virulome. Additionally, in two of them, it was possible to reconstruct the COMER genetic element, present in the USA300-Latin American variant clone. Considering these findings, it is crucial to prepare for a potential increase in invasive CA-MRSA infections in Chile. This would involve enhancing current surveillance systems and maintaining a low threshold of suspicion for these infections among clinicians.

Este artículo examina cómo la separabilidad y unidad mente-cuerpo resultan clave para poner de manifiesto lo inapropiado del “teatro cartesiano”, metáfora creada por Daniel Dennett para criticar la experiencia consciente unificada en Descartes. La primera sección introduce al problema de la separabilidad cartesiana. La segunda examina cómo mente y cuerpo, separables mediante lo concebible según Descartes, resultan ser cosas metafísicamente distintas. La tercera enfatiza como separables no implica separados. La última sección enfatiza el argumento de la dis-analogía del piloto y el navío, y cómo, según el filósofo francés, aunque separables, mente y cuerpo son substancias estrechamente unidas, formando un ens per se. En vista de este, criticamos la metáfora del “teatro cartesiano” de Dennett: es imposible que la mente sea un espectador, puesto que la experiencia consciente ya es unificada e incluso somatizada. Notamos, por último, que pese a Dennett, hay investigadores de la Ciencia Cognitiva que coinciden con Descartes en relación con la estrecha unión mente-cuerpo, i.e., quienes defienden que la mente es encarnada, incrustada o incluso extendida.

Escherichia coli is a major player in foodborne illnesses, capable of forming biofilms on dairy facilities, leading to milk contamination. Thus, we examined the capacity of E. coli strains from raw milk bulk tanks to form biofilms on surfaces made of polystyrene, stainless steel, and silicone; the potential links between biofilm formation with genes responsible for fimbriae and virulence factors of extra-intestinal E. coli (ExPEC); and the susceptibility of biofilm-forming isolates to iodine and chlorhexidine digluconate. Out of 149 E. coli strains, 42.28% (63/149) formed biofilm on polystyrene, 56.38% (84/149) on silicone, and 21.48% (32/149) on stainless steel. The frequency of genes was: fimH (100%), hlyA (5.4%), irp2 (2.7%), sitA (10.7%), ompT (43.6%), and traT (98%). No biofilm developed when disinfectants were used prior to biofilm formation. However, iodine and chlorhexidine digluconate allowed 25.40% (16/63) of isolates displaying growth after a mature biofilm was formed. The presence of biofilm on different surfaces emphasizes the vital need for thorough equipment cleaning, both in farms and in industrial dairy settings. Rapid disinfection is crucial, given the reduced susceptibility of potentially pathogenic E. coli after biofilm maturity.

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the genomic features of a carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-hvKp) isolate (K-2157) collected in Chile. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined using the disk diffusion and broth microdilution methods. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and hybrid assembly were performed, using data generated on the Illumina and Nanopore platforms. The mucoid phenotype was analyzed using both the string test and sedimentation profile. The genomic features of K-2157 (e.g., sequence type, K locus, and mobile genetic elements) were retrieved using different bioinformatic tools. Strain K-2157 exhibited resistance to carbapenems and was identified as a high-risk virulent clone belonging to capsular serotype K1 and sequence type 23 (ST23). Strikingly, K-2157 displayed a resistome composed of β-lactam resistance genes (blaSHV-190, blaTEM-1, blaOXA-9, and blaKPC-2), the fosfomycin resistance gene fosA, and the fluoroquinolones resistance genes oqxA and oqxB. Moreover, several genes involved in siderophore biosynthesis (ybt, iro, and iuc), bacteriocins (clb), and capsule hyperproduction (plasmid-borne rmpA [prmpA] and prmpA2) were found, which is congruent with the positive string test displayed by K-2157. In addition, K-2157 harbored two plasmids: one of 113,644 bp (KPC+) and another of 230,602 bp, containing virulence genes, in addition to an integrative and conjugative element (ICE) embedded on its chromosome, revealing that the presence of these mobile genetic elements mediates the convergence between virulence and antibiotic resistance. Our report is the first genomic characterization of a hypervirulent and highly resistant K. pneumoniae isolate in Chile, which was collected during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Due to their global dissemination and public health impact, genomic surveillance of the spread of convergent high-risk K1-ST23 K. pneumoniae clones should be highly prioritized. IMPORTANCE Klebsiella pneumoniae is a resistant pathogen involved primarily in hospital-acquired infections. This pathogen is characterized by its notorious resistance to last-line antibiotics, such as carbapenems. Moreover, hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKp) isolates, first identified in Southeast Asia, have emerged globally and are able to cause infections in healthy people. Alarmingly, isolates displaying a convergence phenotype of carbapenem resistance and hypervirulence have been detected in several countries, representing a serious threat to public health. In this work, we analyzed the genomic characteristics of a carbapenem-resistant hvKp isolate recovered in 2022 from a patient with COVID-19 in Chile, representing the first analysis of this type in the country. Our results will provide a baseline for the study of these isolates in Chile, which will support the adoption of local measures aimed at controlling their dissemination.

In the present study, models were developed to determine the monthly and annual spatio-temporal variation of temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation based on topoclimatic analysis of Arica-Parinacota and Tarapacá in northern Chile. To construct the equations of the topoclimatic model, the data from meteorological stations and physiographic factors (latitude, longitude, altitude, and distance to bodies of water) obtained from a digital terrain model with a resolution of 90 m were compiled in a database. The equations of the topoclimatic model were generated by a stepwise regression with a backward selection technique. The equations for average monthly temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation were determined by linear combinations. The results were statistically significant with coefficients of determination greater than 90%, in addition to being greater than the existing climate databases for this area.

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the genomic features of an extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate (P-469) emerging in Chile. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion and “colistin agar” test. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed by the Illumina NextSeq 2000 platform, and epidemiologically and clinically relevant data (i.e., sequence-type, serotype, mobile genetic elements, virulome, resistome, plasmidome, prophages, and CRISPR-Cas systems) were retrieved using multiple bioinformatic tools. The P-469 strain displayed an XDR profile, remaining susceptible to colistin. Genomic analysis revealed that this isolate belonged to the “high-risk” clone ST654 (CC654), serotype O4, and genotype exoS+. Strikingly, two CRISPR-Cas systems, five intact prophages sequences, and a broad resistome that included blaNDM-1 and the novel blaVIM-80 carbapenemase genes were predicted. Our results revealed the genomic characteristics of P. aeruginosa belonging to the high-risk clone ST654/O4 coproducing NDM-1 and VIM-80 in Chile, supporting that genomic surveillance is necessary to track the emergence and spread of epidemiologically successful WHO’s critical priority pathogens in order to prevent their rapid dissemination.

In this paper, I raise the problem of dealing with counterpossible conditionals for theories of subject matter. I argue that existing accounts of subject matter need to be revised and extended to be able to a) provide reasonable (potentially non-degenerate) verdicts about what counterpossibles are about, b) explain the intuition that counterpossibles are in some sense about what would happen if the antecedent were true, and c) explain in what sense counterpossibles can be about individuals. I sketch how one could extend atom-based and way-based theories of subject matters to handle the problem. Then, I raise the problem that it might be desirable for a theory of subject matter to prevent the inference that certain counterpossibles are about the kinds of things that they seem to mention.

Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after colorectal surgery, but the mechanism behind this complication is still not fully understood. Despite the advances in surgical techniques and perioperative care, the complication rates have remained steady. Recently, it has been suggested that colon microbiota may be involved in the development of complications after colorectal surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of gut microbiota in the development of colorectal AL and their possible virulence strategies to better understand the phenomenon. Using 16S rRNA sequencing of samples collected on the day of surgery and the sixth day following surgery, we analyzed the changes in tissue-associated microbiota at anastomotic sites created in a model of rats with ischemic colon resection. We discovered a trend for lower microbial diversity in the AL group compared to non-leak anastomosis (NLA). There were no differences in relative abundance in the different types of microbial respiration between these groups and the high abundance of the facultative anaerobic Gemella palaticanis is a marker species that stands out as a distinctive feature.

Cooling and freezing processes cause physical and chemical damage to sperm by cold shock and oxidative stress. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of two antioxidants on sperm parameters of cooled and frozen-thawed ram semen diluted in an egg yolk-based extender. Semen was collected from 30 rams and processed in two consecutive experiments to test the inclusion of different concentrations of quercetin and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in an egg yolk-based semen extender. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was added as a solvent to the semen extender in a ratio of 1 mL DMSO for 90 mg of quercetin and 1 mL DMSO for 880 mg of BHT. After collection, semen was diluted at 200 × 106 motile sperm/mL (control) and split into different groups in each experiment. In experiment 1, semen was diluted with the extender containing quercetin (Q5, 5 µg/mL; Q10, 10 ug/mL; Q15, 15 ug/mL) or DMSO alone (DMSO1, 0.055 uL DMSO per mL; DMSO2, 0.165 uL DMSO per mL). In experiment 2, semen was diluted with the extender with BHT (BHT1, 0.5 ug/mL; BHT2, 1 ug/mL; BHT3, 1.5 ug/mL) or DMSO alone (DMSO3, 0.375 uL DMSO per mL; DMSO4, 1.125 uL DMSO per mL). After dilution, the semen was divided into two aliquots. Treated ram sperm samples were also subjected to different storage methods. The first set of samples was cooled at 5 °C for 24 h, whereas the second set of samples was frozen-thawed. Sperm motility parameters and plasma membrane integrity (PMI) were evaluated immediately after dilution (0h) and 24 h after cooling and in the frozen-thawed samples via computer-assisted sperm analysis and epifluorescence microscopy, respectively. The inclusion of quercetin or BHT did not affect sperm motility parameters or PMI of fresh, cooled, or frozen-thawed sperm in this study (P < 0.05). However, further studies are needed to test the effects of these antioxidants on the fertility of cryopreserved ram semen.

Abstract Background Protective mechanical ventilation (MV) aims at limiting global lung deformation and has been associated with better clinical outcomes in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients. In ARDS lungs without MV support, the mechanisms and evolution of lung tissue deformation remain understudied. In this work, we quantify the progression and heterogeneity of regional strain in injured lungs under spontaneous breathing and under MV. Methods Lung injury was induced by lung lavage in murine subjects, followed by 3 h of spontaneous breathing (SB-group) or 3 h of low V t mechanical ventilation (MV-group). Micro-CT images were acquired in all subjects at the beginning and at the end of the ventilation stage following induction of lung injury. Regional strain, strain progression and strain heterogeneity were computed from image-based biomechanical analysis. Three-dimensional regional strain maps were constructed, from which a region-of-interest (ROI) analysis was performed for the regional strain, the strain progression, and the strain heterogeneity. Results After 3 h of ventilation, regional strain levels were significantly higher in 43.7% of the ROIs in the SB-group. Significant increase in regional strain was found in 1.2% of the ROIs in the MV-group. Progression of regional strain was found in 100% of the ROIs in the SB-group, whereas the MV-group displayed strain progression in 1.2% of the ROIs. Progression in regional strain heterogeneity was found in 23.4% of the ROIs in the SB-group, while the MV-group resulted in 4.7% of the ROIs showing significant changes. Deformation progression is concurrent with an increase of non-aerated compartment in SB-group (from 13.3% ± 1.6% to 37.5% ± 3.1%), being higher in ventral regions of the lung. Conclusions Spontaneous breathing in lung injury promotes regional strain and strain heterogeneity progression. In contrast, low V t MV prevents regional strain and heterogeneity progression in injured lungs.

Sponge-associated microorganisms are essential for sponge survival. They play an important role in recycling nutrients and, therefore, in the maintenance of the ecosystem. These microorganisms are diverse, species-specific, and different from those in the surrounding seawater. Bacterial sponge symbionts have been extensively studied in the tropics; however, little is known about these microorganisms in sponges from high-latitude environments. Sponges can cover up to 80% of the benthos in Antarctica and are crucial architects for the marine food web. In this study, we present analyses of the bacterial symbionts of three sponges: Haliclona (Rhizoniera) sp., Hymeniacidon torquata, and Isodictya kerguelenensis from the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) with the aim to determine variations on the specificity of the bacteria–sponge interactions and potential signatures on their predicted functional profiles. We use high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 30 sponge individuals inhabiting South Bay (Palmer Archipelago, WAP) to describe their microbiome taxonomy and diversity and predict potential functional profiles based on this marker gene. Our work shows similar bacterial community composition profiles among the same sponge species, although the symbiotic relationship is not equally conserved among the three Antarctic sponges. The number of species-specific core operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of these Antarctic sponges was low, with important differences between the total abundance accounted for these OTUs. Only eight OTUs were shared between the three sponge species. Analyses of the functional potential revealed that despite the high host–symbiont specificity, the inferred functions are conserved among these microbiomes, although with differences in the abundance of specific functions. H. torquata showed the highest level of intra-specificity and a higher potential of pathways related to energy metabolism, metabolisms of terpenoids and polyketides, and biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites. Overall, this work shows variations in the specificity of the sponge-associated bacterial communities, differences in how hosts and symbionts establish their relations, and in their potential functional capabilities.

The identification of hazards and risk assessment are key factors in the safety of the industries, including power plants. This paper contains an original risk analysis method that increases the level of safety in commissioning and start-up operations. With the proposed method, which has been tested in real industrial facilities, it has been possible to increase the safety of the system and reduce the likelihood of incidents and accidents in one of the most dangerous stages of project construction activities. This paper also gives an overview of the processes and procedures used in the construction of power plants compared to other industry sectors, proposing some areas for potential improvement. It has been verified that temporary systems used during commissioning apply risk evaluation techniques that do not consider some aspects related to process hazards, something that can be important for the prevention of accidents that historically happen at this stage. Analysis of the data has determined that, in these stages, there have been incidents and accidents, some of them severe. Thus, in this paper, a methodology is proposed. The method allows addressing the particularities of the execution of temporary systems in a safe way by putting into practice an agile and flexible method that can be applied to these particular systems, so that the risk levels can be reduced. The method was applied to one real application representative of this kind of system and yielded excellent results. The proposed methodology is highly recommended as an improvement for the power industry.

El creciente desarrollo de resistencia a antibióticos por parte de mundo microbiano es un problema cada vez mayor y en respuesta nuevas moléculas con potencial antimicrobiano están siendo estudiadas, entre ellas los péptidos antimicrobianos como las Cruzioseptinas. Este trabajo presenta un estudio computacional preliminar de la Cruzioseptina CC-16 extraída del exudado de la piel de la rana Cruziohyla calcarifer. Con base en la secuencia de aminoácidos del péptido se llevaron a cabo diferentes estudios computacionales, entre ellos, la predicción de las propiedades fisicoquímicas y la estructura secundaria. Además de esto se efectuó el acoplamiento molecular de la Cruzioseptina CC-16 con diferentes enzimas de importancia biológica para microrganismos como Escherechia coli, Staphylococcus aureus y Candida albicans, y con moléculas presentes en la membrana celular bacteriana. Los resultados mostraron que la Cruzioseptina CC-16 es un péptido de 23 residuos de largo con una conformación alfa helicoidal predominante, un punto isoeléctrico de 10,73, una carga de +3 de carácter básica y una carga neta a pH 7 de +3,1, además de tener más del 50 % de su estructura conformada por aminoácidos hidrofóbicos, clasificando como un péptido antimicrobiano catiónico. Los estudios preliminares de acoplamiento molecular muestran que un mecanismo de acción basado en inhibición enzimática no es posible, debido principalmente al tamaño del péptido, mientras que un mecanismo con base en un ataque concentrado en la membrana microbiana puede ser viable, debido a las interacciones electrostáticas de la Cruzioseptina CC-16 con diferentes componentes de la membrana.

High-gradient and high-efficiency acceleration in plasma-based accelerators has been demonstrated, showing its potential as the building block for a future collider operating at the energy frontier of particle physics. However, generating and accelerating the required spin-polarized beams in such a collider using plasma-based accelerators have been a long-standing challenge. Here we show that the passage of a highly relativistic, high-current electron beam through a single-species (ytterbium) vapor excites a nonlinear plasma wake by primarily ionizing the two outer 6s electrons. Further photoionization of the resultant Yb^{2+} ions by a circularly polarized laser injects the 4f^{14} electrons into this wake, generating a highly spin-polarized beam. Combining time-dependent Schrödinger equation simulations with particle-in-cell simulations, we show that a subfemtosecond, high-current (4 kA) electron beam with up to 56% net spin polarization can be generated and accelerated to 15 GeV in just 41 cm. This relatively simple scheme solves the perplexing problem of producing spin-polarized relativistic electrons in plasma-based accelerators.

Background: Depressive disorder is one of the main health problems worldwide. Many risk factors have been associated with this pathology. However, while the association between risks factors and adult depression is well established, the mechanisms behind its impact remains poorly understood. A possible, yet untested explanation is the mediating impact of levels of personality functioning, i.e., impairments with regard to self and interpersonal.Method: Around 162 patients were assessed at the beginning of their therapy, with regard to risk factors, such as sociodemographic, physical, hereditary (Information Form), and adverse childhood experiences (ACE; CTQ). Depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) and personality functioning (OPD-SQ) were also measured. Associations between the related variables as well as other possible covariates were examined by means of zero-order correlations and bootstrapping-based mediation analysis.Results: Of all the risk factors taken into account, level of education and physical illness were associated with depression. On the other hand, the most significant predictor of depressive symptomatology was ACE, and this relationship was mediated by personality functioning. This indicates that patients presenting adverse childhood experiences are more likely to develop deficiencies in personality functioning, which in turn increases their likelihood of developing depressive symptomatology.Conclusion: These results reaffirm the importance of incorporating risk and vulnerability factors such as personality functioning in understanding depression.

ABSTRACT: Etiology, multiple antibiotic resistance index, and acute-phase protein profile in the serum and synovial fluid of 44 horses presenting septic arthritis were investigated. Young animals up to 24 months of age not yet submitted to taming were sampled. Synovial samples from the horses were submitted to culture and bacterial isolates subjected to 18 antimicrobials to investigate the in vitro multidrug resistance pattern. Also, hematological aspects, fibrinogen, and serum levels of some acute-phase proteins (total protein, albumin, globulin, amyloid A, and C-reactive protein) were assessed. To statistical analysis, microbiological isolation were divided into four groups: G1 = animals with negative isolation, G2 = isolation of Gram-negative bacteria, G3 = isolation of Gram-positive bacteria), and G4 = isolation of fungi. Microbial isolation was obtained from 77.2% (32/44) of the synovial samples. Escherichia coli (7/44 = 15.9%), Staphylococcus aureus (5/44 = 11.4%), Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (3/44 = 6.8%), Aspergillus niger (3/44 = 6.8%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2/44 = 4.5%), Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (1/44 = 2.3%), Trueperella pyogenes (1/44 = 2.3%), and Rhodococcus equi (1/44 = 2.3%) were prevalent bacterial agents. Aspergillus niger is reported by the first time as a primary agent of septic arthritis in horses. Gentamicin (84.9%), marbofloxacin (79.3%) and ceftriaxone (72.4%) were the most effective antimicrobials, whereas high resistance of the isolates (>50%) was found to erythromycin (75.9%), clarithromycin (75.9%), penicillin (69%), clindamycin (58.6%), and streptomycin (55.2%). Multiple antibiotic resistance index (≥ 0.3) was identified in 50% (16/32) of the isolates, with highest resistance in Gram-negative bacterial isolates. Serum levels of amyloid A, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, globulin, and total protein, as well as the number of nucleated cells in the synovial fluid had values above the reference for horses, reinforcing acute-phase proteins as biomarkers in diagnosis of septic arthritis. We highlighted the diversity of microorganisms that may be involved in equine septic arthritis, the high resistance of bacterial isolates to conventional antimicrobials, the high lethality of young horses with septic arthritis, and importance of in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility pattern tests to therapeutic approaches in the disease.

Attosecond pulses are useful in exploring processes involving ultrafast electron motion in atomic and molecular systems. Here the authors discuss a method to characterize the complex time-varying polarization state of broadband attosecond pulses by using asymmetry in photoelectron spectra.

Colistin-heteroresistant (CST-HR) Enterobacterales isolates have been identified recently, challenging the clinical laboratories since routine susceptibility tests fail to detect this phenotype. In this work we describe the first CST-HR phenotype in extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in South America. Additionally, we determine the genomic mechanisms of colistin heteroresistance in these strains. The CST-HR phenotype was analyzed by the population analysis profile (PAP) method, and mutations associated with this phenotype were determined by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and the local BLAST+ DB tool. As a result, 8/60 isolates were classified as CST-HR according to the PAP method. From WGS, we determined that the CST-HR isolates belong to three different Sequence Types (STs) and four K-loci: ST11 (KL15 and KL81), ST25 (KL2), and ST1161 (KL19). We identified diverse mutations in the two-component regulatory systems PmrAB and PhoPQ, as well as a disruption of the mgrB global regulator mediated by IS1-like and IS-5-like elements, which could confer resistance to CST in CST-HR and ESBL-producing isolates. These are the first descriptions in Chile of CST-HR in ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae isolates. The emergence of these isolates could have a major impact on the effectiveness of colistin as a “last resort” against these isolates, thus jeopardizing current antibiotic alternatives; therefore, it is important to consider the epidemiology of the CST-HR phenotype.

Coxiella burnetii, the zoonotic agent of Q fever, has a worldwide distribution. Despite the vast information about the circulating genotypes in Europe and North America, there is a lack of data regarding C. burnetii strains in South America. Here, we show the presence of novel multispacer sequence typing (MST) genotypes of C. burnetii in two clusters detected in Brazil and Argentina that seem to be distant in parenthood. Argentinian strains isolated from a tick belongs to a new phylogenetic branch of C. burnetii, and the Brazilians strains may be related to MST 20 and 61. Multilocus variable number tandem repeats analysis (MLVA) typing provided a deeper resolution that may be related to host clusters of bovines, caprine, ovine, and ticks. Our results corroborate with the reports of geotypes of C. burnetii. Thus, we highlight the need for more genotyping studies to understand the genetic diversity of C. burnetii in South America and to confirm the hypothesis of host-related genotypes. We also emphasize the importance of virulence studies for a better understanding of Q fever in the region, which may help in surveillance and disease prevention programs.

Antecedentes: La incidencia de embarazo ectópico es 20/1000 embarazos y en la región cornual se presentan en el 2-4%. La mola hidatiforme ocurre en 1/1000 embarazos en EEUU y 1/500 en México. La presentación simultánea es muy rara. Se han descrito solamente 40 casos en la literatura médica, con una incidencia estimada de 0,04% de localización cornual. Caso clínico: Primigesta de 30 años, que cursando un embarazo de 8 semanas, acude de urgencia por presentar náuseas y vómitos de 1 día de evolución, con dolor abdominal y sangrado vaginal. Prueba de embarazo positiva. A la exploración física presenta dolor abdominal difuso y signos de irritación peritoneal. El ultrasonido transvaginal mostró imagen ecogénica multiquística intrauterina cercana a la región cornual, por lo que se sospecha embarazo molar. En la laparotomía exploradora se realizó resección cornual y posteriormente dilatación y curetaje de la cavidad uterina. La anatomía patológica confrmó el diagnóstico. Negativizó ß-hGC a las 7 semanas después de la cirugía.Background: The incidence of ectopic pregnancy is 20 per 1,000 pregnancies. The cornual ectopic pregnancy is found in 2-4%. Hydatidiform moles occur in 1 per 1000 pregnancies in USA and 1 per 500 in Mexico. Thus, the incidence of the two occurring together is very rare. Only 40 cases have been reported in the medical literature, the incidence estimate is 0.04%. Clinic case: We analyzed a 30 year old woman patient case, gravida 1, with 8 weeks’ gestation by last menstrual period, came at the Hospital Universitario “Dr. José Eleuterio González”, Monterrey, Nuevo León, with complaints of nausea and vomiting for 1 day and abdominal pain, and transvaginal bleeding. A cualitative pregnancy test was positive. Physical examination revealed diffuse abdominal tenderness and peritoneal signs. The transvaginal ultrasonography showed a multicystic echogenic mass within the uterus near cornual region consistent with a molar pregnancy. A cornual resection was performed followed by dilation and curettage. Pathologic diagnosis was confrmed. The monitoring of ß-hGC titers was negative 7 weeks after surgery.

El objetivo principal de la investigación fue encontrar las concentraciones efectivas de cadmio y níquel que inhibieran en un 50% la producción de metano de un lodo anaerobio. El experimento consistió en someter el lodo al efecto de 10 concentraciones de cada metal, escogidas a partir de una serie geométrica aplicada a un intervalo de concentraciones obtenidas en ensayos preliminares; simultáneamente por cada metal se evaluó un control. Para el cálculo de las concentraciones efectivas se utilizó el método probit modificado. La concentración efectiva encontrada para el níquel fue de 526.8 mg/l en un intervalo de 403.8 mg/L a 690.6 mg/L y para el cadmio fue de 54.2 mg/l en un intervalo de 47.7 mg/L a 60.9 mg/L. Con base en resultados anteriores se puede concluir que el cadmio es más tóxico que el níquel, lo que se corrobora con los resultados que a concentraciones de níquel menores a 20 mg/L, se presentó un efecto estimulante sobre la producción de metano durante todo el tiempo del ensayo.

Tunnel ionization of noble gas atoms driven by a strong circularly polarized laser field in combination with a counter-rotating second harmonic generates spin-polarized electrons correlated to the spin-polarized ionic core. Crucially, such two-color field can bring the spin-polarized electrons back to the parent ion, enabling the scattering of the spin-polarized electron on the spin-polarized parent ion. Here we show how one can control the degree of spin polarization as a function of electron energy and recollision time by tuning the laser parameters, such as the relative intensities of the counter-rotating fields. The attosecond precision of the control over the degree of spin polarization opens the door for attosecond control and spectroscopy of spin-resolved dynamics.

Nonadiabatic processes play a fundamental role in the understanding of photochemical processes in excited polyatomic molecules. A particularly important example is that of radiationless electronic relaxation at conical intersections (CIs). We discuss new opportunities for controlling coupled electron–nuclear dynamics at CIs, offered by the advent of nearly single-cycle, phase-stable, mid-infrared laser pulses. To illustrate the control mechanism, a two-dimensional model of the NO _2 molecule is considered. The key idea of the control scheme is to match the time scale of the laser field oscillations to the characteristic time scale of the wave packet transit through the CI. The instantaneous laser field changes the shape and position of the CI as the wave packet passes through. As the CI moves in the laser field, it ‘slices’ through the wave packet, sculpting it in the coordinate and momentum space in a way that is sensitive to the carrier-envelope phase of the control pulse. We find that the electronic coherence imparted on the sub-laser-cycle time scale manifests during much longer nuclear dynamics that follow on the many tens of femtosecond time scale. Control efficiency as a function of molecular orientation is analyzed, showing that modest alignment is sufficient for showing the described effects.

We present an analytical model based on the time-dependent WKB approximation to reproduce the photoionization spectra of an H _2 molecule in the autoionization region. We explore the nondissociative channel, which is the major contribution after one-photon absorption, and we focus on the features arising in the energy differential spectra due to the interference between the direct and the autoionization pathways. These features depend on both the timescale of the electronic decay of the autoionizing state and the time evolution of the vibrational wavepacket created in this state. With full ab initio calculations and with a one-dimensional approach that only takes into account the nuclear wavepacket associated to the few relevant electronic states we compare the ground state, the autoionizing state, and the background continuum electronic states. Finally, we illustrate how these features transform from molecular-like to atomic-like by increasing the mass of the system, thus making the electronic decay time shorter than the nuclear wavepacket motion associated with the resonant state. In other words, autoionization then occurs faster than the molecular dissociation into neutrals.

We discuss the connection between strong-field ionization, saturation of the Kerr response and the formation of the Kramers–Henneberger (KH) atom and long-living excitations in intense infrared (IR) external fields. We present a generalized model for the intensity-dependent response of atoms in strong IR laser fields, describing deviations in the nonlinear response at the frequency of the driving field from the standard model. We show that shaping the driving laser pulse allows one to reveal signatures of the excited KH states in the Kerr response of an individual atom.

Children at increased genetic risk for type 1 diabetes (T1D) after environmental exposures may develop pancreatic islet autoantibodies (IA) at a very young age. Metabolic profile changes over time may imply responses to exposures and signal development of the first IA. Our present research in The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study aimed to identify metabolome-wide signals preceding the first IA against GAD (GADA-first) or against insulin (IAA-first). We profiled metabolomes by mass spectrometry from children's plasma at 3-month intervals after birth until appearance of the first IA. A trajectory analysis discovered each first IA preceded by reduced amino acid proline and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), respectively. With independent time point analysis following birth, we discovered dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA) contributing to the risk of each first IA, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAs) associated with the first autoantibody against insulin (IAA-first). Methionine and alanine, compounds produced in BCAA metabolism and fatty acids, also preceded IA at different time points. Unsaturated triglycerides and phosphatidylethanolamines decreased in abundance before appearance of either autoantibody. Our findings suggest that IAA-first and GADA-first are heralded by different patterns of DHAA, GABA, multiple amino acids, and fatty acids, which may be important to primary prevention of T1D.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has surprisingly burst into today’s digital society. This study focuses on the use of generative AI in the reinterpretation and updating of classic literary texts, where the mediation of this technology can be a valuable resource. Through a literature review, the incipient use of AI in the field of education and in the area of Language and Literature Didactics is explored. It also highlights the problems that arise from the decontextualizing of reading practices with society and underlines the need to address contemporary issues in the education of future citizens, in order to give rise to practices that encourage interest in reading based on their interests and needs. This paper proposes to take advantage of the potential of these AI-mediated reinterpretations and the principles of dialogical learning to enrich literary education and foster a dialogue that is relevant and updated to social demands in dialogic literary gatherings. In this way, by employing IA in this cultural and educational activity, we can develop new reflective and discursive approaches to bring current social issues and topics closer to these gatherings, while also promoting interest in reading among participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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OBJECTIVE: To assess anxiety and risk perception among parents whose children screened positive for islet autoantibodies, indicating elevated risk for type 1 diabetes (T1D). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The Autoimmunity Screening for Kids (ASK) study identified 319 children age 1 to 17 years at risk for T1D via screening for islet autoantibodies; 280 children with confirmed islet autoantibodies and their caregivers enrolled in a follow-up education and monitoring program to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis. Parents completed questionnaires at each monitoring visit, including a 6-item version of the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI), to assess anxiety about their child developing T1D, and a single question to assess risk perception. RESULTS: At the first ASK follow-up monitoring visit, mean parental anxiety was elevated above the clinical cutoff of 40 (SAI 46.1 ± 11.2). At the second follow-up monitoring visit (i.e., visit 2), mean anxiety remained elevated but started to trend down. Approximately half (48.9%) of parents reported their child was at increased risk for T1D at the initial follow-up monitoring visit (visit 1). Parents of children with more than one islet autoantibody and a first-degree relative with T1D were more likely to report their child was at increased risk. CONCLUSIONS: Most parents of autoantibody-positive children have high anxiety about their child developing T1D. Information about the risk of developing T1D is difficult to convey, as evidenced by the wide range of risk perception reported in this sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate gastrointestinal infection episodes (GIEs) in relation to the appearance of islet autoantibodies in The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) cohort. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: GIEs on risk of autoantibodies against either insulin (IAA) or GAD (GADA) as the first-appearing autoantibody were assessed in a 10-year follow-up of 7,867 children. Stool virome was characterized in a nested case-control study. RESULTS: GIE reports (odds ratio [OR] 2.17 [95% CI 1.39–3.39]) as well as Norwalk viruses found in stool (OR 5.69 [1.36–23.7]) at <1 year of age were associated with an increased IAA risk at 2–4 years of age. GIEs reported at age 1 to <2 years correlated with a lower risk of IAA up to 10 years of age (OR 0.48 [0.35–0.68]). GIE reports at any other age were associated with an increase in IAA risk (OR 2.04 for IAA when GIE was observed 12–23 months prior [1.41–2.96]). Impacts on GADA risk were limited to GIEs <6 months prior to autoantibody development in children <4 years of age (OR 2.16 [1.54–3.02]). CONCLUSIONS: Bidirectional associations were observed. GIEs were associated with increased IAA risk when reported before 1 year of age or 12–23 months prior to IAA. Norwalk virus was identified as one possible candidate factor. GIEs reported during the 2nd year of life were associated with a decreased IAA risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]