Molecular Diversity of ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli from Foods of Animal Origin and Human Patients

9 p.Abstract: Dissemination of enterobacteria that produce extended spectrum -lactamases (ESBL) throughout the food chain has become an important health concern. This work aimed to evaluate the occurrence of ESBL-producing bacteria in foods of animal origin and to investigate the similarities between food and human isolates. The presence of beta-lactam-resistant Enterobacteriaceae was analyzed in 108 food samples, isolating 10 strains of Escherichia coli, one strain of Citrobacter freundi, and one of Hafnia alvei. E. coli isolates were compared to a group of 15 strains isolated from human patients by antibiotic susceptibility testing, characterization of ESBL genes (blaTEM, blaCTX,), multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Nineteen (14 clinical and five food) isolates carried blaCTX, 14 (six clinical and eight food) carried blaTEM, and three (one clinical and two food) carried blaSHV gen. MLST analysis revealed the prevalence of ST131 among the clinical strains, which grouped together in a PFGE cluster. Food isolates showed higher diversity and two of them (ST57) grouped with clinical strains, whereas another two belonged to clonal groups with virulence potential (ST59). In conclusion, the results showed that foods of animal origin must be regarded as a reservoir of ESBL-producing bacteria of clinical relevance, which might spread through the food chain.S

Synthesis and microstructural properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles prepared by selective leaching of zinc from spent alkaline batteries using ammoniacal ammonium carbonate

Two different precursors of zinc oxide were prepared via the ammoniacal ammonium carbonate leaching of the black mass obtained during the recycling of alkaline batteries. For a concentration of 0.1 mol/L of ammonium in the leaching solution, zinc basic carbonate, was obtained, while for higher ammonium concentrations (0.5 and 1 mol/L), zinc ammonium carbonate was the final product. These precursors were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FFIR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and calcined to obtain ZnO. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of the resulting zinc oxide samples indicated a wurtzite hexagonal lattice with a parameter values ranging from 3.23 angstrom to 3.30 angstrom, and c parameter values from 5.18 angstrom to 5.21 angstrom (values close to typical). The room temperature photoluminescence spectra of the zinc oxide samples showed two main bands: a high energy UV-blue band centred at either 412 or 382 nm (depending on the NH3 concentration of the leaching solution used), and a green band centred at 527 nm. These emission bands are comparable to those reported for pure zinc oxide

QUIJOTE scientific results – IX. Radio sources in the QUIJOTE-MFI wide survey maps

We present the catalogue of Q-U-I JOint TEnerife (QUIJOTE) Wide Survey radio sources extracted from the maps of the Multi-Frequency Instrument compiled between 2012 and 2018. The catalogue contains 786 sources observed in intensity and polarization, and is divided into two separate sub-catalogues: one containing 47 bright sources previously studied by the Planck collaboration and an extended catalogue of 739 sources either selected from the Planck Second Catalogue of Compact Sources or found through a blind search carried out with a Mexican Hat 2 wavelet. A significant fraction of the sources in our catalogue (38.7 per cent) are within the |b| ≤ 20° region of the Galactic plane. We determine statistical properties for those sources that are likely to be extragalactic. We find that these statistical properties are compatible with currently available models, with a ∼1.8 Jy completeness limit at 11 GHz. We provide the polarimetric properties of (38, 33, 31, 23) sources with P detected above the significance level at (11, 13, 17, 19) GHz respectively. Median polarization fractions are in the 2.8–4.7 per cent range in the 11–19 GHz frequency interval. We do not distinguish between Galactic and extragalactic sources here. The results presented here are consistent with those reported in the literature for flat- and steep-spectrum radio sources.Partial financial support was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under the projects AYA2007-68058-C03-01, AYA2007-68058-C03-02, AYA2010-21766-C03-01, AYA2010-21766-C03-02, AYA2014-60438-P, ESP2015-70646-C2-1-R, AYA2017-84185-P, ESP2017-83921-C2-1-R, AYA2017-90675-REDC (co-funded with EU FEDER funds), PGC2018-101814-B-I00, PID2019-110610RB-C21, PID2020-120514GB-I00, IACA13-3E-2336, IACA15-BE-3707, EQC2018-004918-P, the Severo Ochoa Programs SEV-2015-0548 and CEX2019-000920-S, the María de Maeztu Program MDM-2017-0765, and by the Consolider-Ingenio project CSD2010-00064 (EPI: Exploring the Physics of Inflation). DT acknowledges the support from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) President’s International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI) with Grant N. 2020PM0042. FP acknowledges support from the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) under grant number PID2019-105552RB-C43. We acknowledge support from the ACIISI, Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento y Empleo del Gobierno de Canarias, and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under grant with reference ProID2020010108. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement number 687312 (RADIOFOREGROUNDS).With funding from the Spanish government through the "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" accreditation (CEX2019-000920-S).Peer reviewe

QUIJOTE scientific results - V. The microwave intensity and polarization spectra of the Galactic regions W49, W51 and IC443

We present new intensity and polarization maps obtained with the QUIJOTE experiment towards the Galactic regions W49, W51 and IC443, covering the frequency range from 10 to 20 GHz at ∼ 1 deg angular resolution, with a sensitivity in the range 35–79 μK beam−1 for total intensity and 13–23 μK beam−1 for polarization. For each region, we combine QUIJOTE maps with ancillary data at frequencies ranging from 0.4 to 3000 GHz, reconstruct the spectral energy distribution and model it with a combination of known foregrounds. We detect anomalous microwave emission (AME) in total intensity towards W49 at 4.7σ and W51 at 4.0σ with peak frequencies νAME = (20.0 ± 1.4) GHz and νAME = (17.7 ± 3.6) GHz, respectively; this is the first detection of AME towards W51. The contamination from ultracompact H II regions to the residual AME flux density is estimated at 10 per cent in W49 and 5 per cent in W51, and does not rule out the AME detection. The polarized SEDs reveal a synchrotron contribution with spectral indices αs = −0.67 ± 0.10 in W49 and αs = −0.51 ± 0.07 in W51, ascribed to the diffuse Galactic emission and to the local supernova remnant, respectively. Towards IC443 in total intensity we measure a broken power-law synchrotron spectrum with cut-off frequency ν0,s = (114 ± 73) GHz, in agreement with previous studies; our analysis, however, rules out any AME contribution which had been previously claimed towards IC443. No evidence of polarized AME emission is detected in this study.Partial financial support was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under the projects AYA2007-68058-C03-01, AYA2007-68058-C03-02, AYA2010-21766-C03-01,AYA2010-21766-C03-02, AYA2014-60438-P, ESP2015-70646-C2-1-R, AYA2017-84185-P,ESP2017-83921-C2-1-R,AYA2017-90675-REDC (co-funded with EU FEDER funds), PGC2018-101814-B-I00, PID2019-110610RB-C21, PID2020-120514GB-I00, IACA13-3E-2336, IACA15-BE-3707, EQC2018-004918-P, the Severo Ochoa Programs SEV-2015-0548 and CEX2019-000920-S, the Maria de Maeztu Program MDM-2017-0765, and by the Consolider-Ingenio project CSD2010-00064 (EPI: Exploring the Physics of Inflation). We acknowledge support from the ACIISI, Consejeria de Economia, Conocimiento y Empleo del Gobierno de Canarias and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under grant with reference ProID2020010108. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement number 687312 (RADIOFOREGROUNDS). DT acknowledges the support from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) President’s International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI) with Grant N. 2020PM0042; DT also acknowledges the support from the South African Claude Leon Foundation, that partially funded this work. EdlH acknowledges partial financial support from the Concepción Arenal Programme of the Universidad de Cantabria. FG acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 101001897). FP acknowledges the European Commission under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions within the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement number 658499 (PolAME). FP acknowledges support from the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) under grant numbers PID2019-105552RB-C43. BR-G acknowledges ASI-INFN Agreement 2014-037-R.0.With funding from the Spanish government through the "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" accreditation (CEX2019-000920-S).Peer reviewe

QUIJOTE scientific results - XIII. Intensity and polarization study of the microwave spectra of supernova remnants in the QUIJOTE-MFI wide survey: CTB 80, Cygnus Loop, HB 21, CTA 1, Tycho, and HB 9

We use the new QUIJOTE-MFI wide survey (11, 13, 17, and 19 GHz) to produce spectral energy distributions (SEDs), on an angular scale of 1◦, of the supernova remnants (SNRs) CTB 80, Cygnus Loop, HB 21, CTA 1, Tycho, and HB 9. We provide new measurements of the polarized synchrotron radiation in the microwave range. The intensity and polarization SEDs are obtained and modelled by combining QUIJOTE-MFI maps with ancillary data. In intensity, we confirm the curved spectra of CTB 80 and HB 21 with a break frequency νb at 2.0+1.2−0.5 and 5.0+1.2 −1.0 GHz, respectively; and spectral indices above the break of −0.6+0.04−0.05 and −0.86+0.04−0.05. We provide constraints on the Anomalous Microwave Emission, suggesting that it is negligible towards these SNRs. From a simultaneous intensity and polarization fit, we recover synchrotron spectral indices as flat as −0.24, and the whole sample has a mean and scatter of −0.44 ± 0.12. The polarization fractions have a mean and scatter of 6.1 ± 1.9 per cent. When combining our results with the measurements from other QUIJOTE (Q-U-I JOint TEnerife CMB experiment) studies of SNRs, we find that radio spectral indices are flatter for mature SNRs, and particularly flatter for CTB 80 (−0.24+0.07 −0.06) and HB 21 (−0.34+0.04 −0.03). In addition, the evolution of the spectral indices against the SNRs age is modelled with a power-law function, providing an exponent −0.07 ± 0.03 and amplitude −0.49 ± 0.02 (at 10 kyr), which are conservative with respect to previous studies of our Galaxy and the Large Magellanic Cloud.Partial financial support was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under the projects AYA2007-68058-C03-01, AYA2007-68058-C03-02, AYA2010-21766-C03-01, AYA2010-21766-C03-02, AYA2014-60438-P, ESP2015-70646-C2-1-R, AYA2017-84185-P, ESP2017-83921-C2-1-R, PID2019-110610RB-C21, PID2020-120514GB-I00, PID2019-110614GB-C21, IACA13-3E-2336, IACA15-BE-3707, EQC2018-004918-P, the Severo Ochoa Programmes SEV-2015-0548 and CEX2019-000920-S, the Maria de Maeztu Programme MDM-2017-0765, and by the Consolider-Ingenio project CSD2010-00064 (EPI: Exploring the Physics of Inflation). We acknowledge support from the ACIISI, Consejeria de Economia, Conocimiento y Empleo del Gobierno de Canarias, and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under grant with reference ProID2020010108. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 687312 (RADIOFOREGROUNDS).With funding from the Spanish government through the "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" accreditation (CEX2019-000920-S).Peer reviewe

QUIJOTE Scientific Results – XVII. Studying the anomalous microwave emission in the Andromeda Galaxy with QUIJOTE-MFI

The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is the Local Group galaxy that is most similar to the Milky Way (MW). The similarities between the two galaxies make M31 useful for studying integrated properties common to spiral galaxies. We use the data from the recent QUIJOTE-MFI Wide Survey, together with new raster observations focused on M31, to study its integrated emission. The addition of raster data improves the sensitivity of QUIJOTE-MFI maps by almost a factor 3. Our main interest is to confirm if anomalous microwave emission (AME) is present in M31, as previous studies have suggested. To do so, we built the integrated spectral energy distribution of M31 between 0.408 and 3000 GHz. We then performed a component separation analysis taking into account synchrotron, free–free, AME, and thermal dust components. AME in M31 is modelled as a lognormal distribution with maximum amplitude, AAME, equal to 1.03 ± 0.32 Jy. It peaks at νAME = 17.2 ± 3.2 GHz with a width of WAME = 0.58 ± 0.16. Both the Akaike and Bayesian information criteria find the model without AME to be less than 1 per cent as probable as the one taking AME into consideration. We find that the AME emissivity per 100 μm intensity in M31 is 28.4 GHz AME = 9.6 ± 3.1 μK MJy−1 sr, similar to that of the MW. We also provide the first upper limits for the AME polarization fraction in an extragalactic object. M31 remains the only galaxy where an AME measurement has been made of its integrated spectrum.Partial financial support was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under the projects AYA2007-68058-C03-01, AYA2007-68058-C03-02, AYA2010-21766-C03-01, AYA2010-21766-C03-02, AYA2014-60438-P, ESP2015-70646-C2-1-R, AYA2017-84185-P,ESP2017-83921-C2-1-R, PID2019-110610RB-C21, PID2020-120514GB-I00, IACA13-3E-2336, IACA15-BE-3707, EQC2018-004918-P, the Severo Ochoa Programs SEV-2015-0548 and CEX2019-000920-S, the Maria de Maeztu Program MDM-2017-0765, and by the Consolider-Ingenio project CSD2010-00064 (EPI: Exploring the Physics of Inflation). We acknowledge support from the ACIISI, Consejeria de Economia, Conocimiento y Empleo del Gobierno de Canarias, and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under grant with reference ProID2020010108. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement number 687312 (RADIOFOREGROUNDS). MFT acknowledges support from the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) of the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU) and the European Social Fund (ESF) under grant with reference PRE-C-2018-0067. CA-T acknowledges support from the Millennium Nucleus on Young Exoplanets and their Moons (YEMS). FP acknowledges support from the Agencia Canaria de Investigación, Innovación y Sociedad de la Información (ACIISI) under the European FEDER (Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional) de Canarias 2014–2020 grant No. PROID2021010078.With funding from the Spanish government through the "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" accreditation (CEX2019-000920-S).Peer reviewe

The role of ascorbate in antioxidant protection of biomembranes: Interaction with vitamin E and coenzyme Q

One of the vital roles of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is to act as an antioxidant to protect cellular components from free radical damage. Ascorbic acid has been shown to scavenge free radicals directly in the aqueous phases of cells and the circulatory system. Ascorbic acid has also been proven to protect membrane and other hydrophobic compartments from such damage by regenerating the antioxidant form of vitamin E. In addition, reduced coenzyme Q, also a resident of hydrophobic compartments, interacts with vitamin E to regenerate its antioxidant form. The mechanism of vitamin C antioxidant function, the myriad of pathologies resulting from its clinical deficiency, and the many health benefits it provides, are reviewed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44796/1/10863_2004_Article_BF00762775.pd

The ALICE experiment at the CERN LHC

ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is a general-purpose, heavy-ion detector at the CERN LHC which focuses on QCD, the strong-interaction sector of the Standard Model. It is designed to address the physics of strongly interacting matter and the quark-gluon plasma at extreme values of energy density and temperature in nucleus-nucleus collisions. Besides running with Pb ions, the physics programme includes collisions with lighter ions, lower energy running and dedicated proton-nucleus runs. ALICE will also take data with proton beams at the top LHC energy to collect reference data for the heavy-ion programme and to address several QCD topics for which ALICE is complementary to the other LHC detectors. The ALICE detector has been built by a collaboration including currently over 1000 physicists and engineers from 105 Institutes in 30 countries. Its overall dimensions are 161626 m3 with a total weight of approximately 10 000 t. The experiment consists of 18 different detector systems each with its own specific technology choice and design constraints, driven both by the physics requirements and the experimental conditions expected at LHC. The most stringent design constraint is to cope with the extreme particle multiplicity anticipated in central Pb-Pb collisions. The different subsystems were optimized to provide high-momentum resolution as well as excellent Particle Identification (PID) over a broad range in momentum, up to the highest multiplicities predicted for LHC. This will allow for comprehensive studies of hadrons, electrons, muons, and photons produced in the collision of heavy nuclei. Most detector systems are scheduled to be installed and ready for data taking by mid-2008 when the LHC is scheduled to start operation, with the exception of parts of the Photon Spectrometer (PHOS), Transition Radiation Detector (TRD) and Electro Magnetic Calorimeter (EMCal). These detectors will be completed for the high-luminosity ion run expected in 2010. This paper describes in detail the detector components as installed for the first data taking in the summer of 2008

Engorde de pulpo Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 en jaulas flotantes alimentado exclusivamente con boga Boops boops (L., 1758) de descarte de la acuicultura

The first two experiences of ongrowing the octopus Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797, fed solely on fish of low commercial value, such as discarded bogue Boops boops (L., 1758) accidentally reared in seabream Sparus aurata L., 1758 culture cages, were carried out in the Canary Islands. The present study was made in a floating cage of galvanized mesh, divided vertically into two semi-cages. In a first experiment, individuals of two different initial average sizes were compared: 1.5 kg and 2.3 kg, both stocked at a density of 11 kg/m3. They were reared for 57 days, obtaining octopus of 2.643 kg from the 1.5 kg group, and of 3.812 kg from the 2.3 kg group. The survival rate was 91 % for the initially smaller group, and 82 % for the larger group. Density of individuals was increased in a second experience, in which the initial sizes were smaller, 1.0 kg and 0.8 kg, in each semi-cage. This second experience was carried out for 81 days, and the final weight of the octopus was 3.111 kg for the 1 kg group and 3.052 kg for the 0.8 kg group, with a survival rate of 44 % for the former and 50 % for the latter. The use of bogue as a single feed was found to be enough to sustain good growth in octopus cage rearing. Best results in terms of specific growth rate and average daily growth were obtained in the lowest size group, 0.8 kg of initial weight, with a SGR of 1.65 %, whereas the smallest rates of growth (SGR of 0.86 %) were in octopus of 2.337 kg of initial weight.Las dos primeras experiencias de engorde de pulpo Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 utilizando como único alimento peces de bajo valor comercial, como boga Boops boops (L., 1758), introducidos accidentalmente en las jaulas de engorde de dorada Sparus aurata L., 1758, se llevaron a cabo en las islas Canarias. El estudio se realizó en una jaula flotante de malla galvanizada, dividida verticalmente en dos mitades. En una primera experiencia se engordaron ejemplares con tamaños medios iniciales diferentes, 1,5 kg y 2,3 kg, en ambos casos a la densidad de 11 kg/m3. El engorde se realizó durante 57 días, obteniéndose al final individuos de 2,64 kg y 3,81 kg, respectivamente, con supervivencias del 91 % y el 82 %, también respectivamente. La densidad inicial fue incrementada en una segunda experiencia, donde se partió de tamaños inferiores a 1,0 kg y 0,8 kg en las semijaulas y que se prolongó durante 81 días; en ella, los pulpos alcanzaron un peso final de 3,11 kg y 3,05 kg, con una supervivencia del 44 y 50 %, respectivamente. La utilización de boga de descarte de acuicultura como único alimento en jaulas de engorde de pulpo parece proporcionar un buen crecimiento a este molusco. Los mejores resultados en términos de crecimiento específico (SGR) y crecimiento diario (IPD) fueron obtenidos en los ejemplares de menor tamaño inicial (0,8 kg), con un SGR de 1,65 %, mientras que las menores tasas de SGR (0,86 %) se registraron en ejemplares mayores de 2,34 kg de peso inicial

Application of item response theory to achieve cross-cultural comparability of occupational stress measurement

Our objective was to examine cross-cultural comparability of standard scales of the Effort-Reward Imbalance occupational stress scales by item response theory (IRT) analyses. Data were from 20,256 Japanese employees, 1464 Dutch nurses and nurses' aides, 2128 representative employees from post-communist countries, 963 Swedish representative employees, 421 Chinese female employees, 10,175 employees of the French national gas and electric company and 734 Spanish railroad employees, sanitary personnel and telephone operators. The IRT likelihood ratio model was used for differential item functioning (DIF) and differential test functioning (DTF) analyses. Despite the existence of DIF, most comparisons did not show discernible differences in the relations between Effort-Reward total score and level of the underlying trait across cultural groups. In the case that DTF was suspected, excluding an item with significant DIF improved the comparability. The full cross-cultural comparability of Effort-Reward Imbalance scores can be achieved with the help of IRT analysis