Arabic gum plus colistin coated moxifloxacin-loaded nanoparticles for the treatment of bone infection caused by Escherichia coli

Osteomyelitis is an inflammatory process of bone and bone marrow that may even lead to patient death. Even though this disease is mainly caused by Gram-positive organisms, the proportion of bone infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, has significantly increased in recent years. In this work, mesoporous silica nanoparticles have been employed as platform to engineer a nanomedicine able to eradicate E. coli- related bone infections. For that purpose, the nanoparticles have been loaded with moxifloxacin and further functionalized with Arabic gum and colistin (AG+CO-coated MX-loaded MSNs). The nanosystem demonstrated high affinity toward E. coli biofilm matrix, thanks to AG coating, and marked antibacterial effect because of the bactericidal effect of moxifloxacin and the disaggregating effect of colistin. AG+CO-coated MX-loaded MSNs were able to eradicate the infection developed on a trabecular bone in vitro and showed pronounced antibacterial efficacy in vivo against an osteomyelitis provoked by E. coli. Furthermore, AG+CO-coated MX-loaded MSNs were shown to be essentially non-cytotoxic with only slight effect on cell proliferation and mild hepatotoxicity, which might be attributed to the nature of both antibiotics. In view of these results, these nanoparticles may be considered as a promising treatment for bone infections caused by enterobacteria, such as E. coli, and introduce a general strategy against bone infections based on the implementation of antibiotics with different but complementary activity into a single nanocarrier. Statement of significance: In this work, we propose a methodology to address E.coli bone infections by using moxifloxacin-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles coated with Arabic gum containing colistin (AG+CO-coated MX-loaded MSNs). The in vitro evaluation of this nanosystem demonstrated high affinity toward E. coli biofilm matrix thanks to the Arabic gum coating, a disaggregating and antibacterial effect of colistin, and a remarkable antibiofilm action because of the bactericidal ability of moxifloxacin and colistin. This anti-E. coli capacity of AG+CO-coated MX-loaded MSNs was brought out in an in vivo rabbit model of osteomyelitis where the nanosystem was able to eradicate more than 90% of the bacterial load within the infected boneFinancial support from the Eu-ropean Research Council through ERC-2015-AdG-694160 (VERDI) grant. AM is funded by grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III through the “Miguel Servet” program (CP15/00053

Monitoring Adherence to Asthma Inhalers Using the InspirerMundi App: Analysis of Real-World, Medium-Term Feasibility Studies

Background: Poor medication adherence is a major challenge in asthma and objective assessment of inhaler adherence is needed. InspirerMundi app aims to monitor inhaler adherence while turning it into a positive experience through gamification and social support. Objective: We assessed the medium-term feasibility of the InspirerMundi app to monitor inhaler adherence in real-world patients with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication). In addition, we attempted to identify the characteristics of the patients related to higher app use. Methods: Two real-world multicenter observational studies, with one initial face-to-face visit and a 4-month telephone interview, were conducted in 29 secondary care centers from Portugal. During an initial face-to-face visit, patients were invited to use the app daily to register their asthma medication intakes. A scheduled intake was considered taken when patients took a photo of the medication (inhaler, blister, or others) using the image-based medication detection tool. Medication adherence was calculated as the number of doses taken as a percentage of the number scheduled. Interacting with the app ≥30 days was used as the cut-off for higher app use. Results: A total of 114 patients {median 20 [percentile 25 to percentile 75 (P25-P75) 16-36] years, 62% adults} were invited, 107 (94%) installed the app and 83 (73%) completed the 4-month interview. Patients interacted with the app for a median of 18 [3-45] days, translated on a median use rate of 15 [3-38]%. Median inhaler adherence assessed through the app was 34 [4-73]% when considering all scheduled inhalations for the study period. Inhaler adherence assessed was not significantly correlated with self-reported estimates. Median adherence for oral and other medication was 41 [6-83]% and 43 [3-73]%, respectively. Patients with higher app use were slightly older (p = 0.012), more frequently taking medication for other health conditions (p = 0.040), and more frequently prescribed long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA, p = 0.024). After 4 months, Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) scores improved (p < 0.001), but no differences between patients interacting with the app for 30 days or less were seen. Conclusions: The InspirerMundi app was feasible to monitor inhaler adherence in patients with persistent asthma. The persistent use of this mHealth technology varies widely. A better understanding of characteristics related to higher app use is still needed before effectiveness studies are undertaken.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Safety and Revisit Related to Discharge the Sixty-one Spanish Emergency Department Medical Centers Without Hospitalization in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia. A Prospective Cohort Study UMC-Pneumonia COVID-19

Background: Information is needed on the safety and efficacy of direct discharge from the emergency department (ED) of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to study the variables associated with discharge from the ED in patients presenting with COVID-19 pneumonia, and study ED revisits related to COVID-19 at 30 days (EDR30d). Methods: Multicenter study of the SIESTA cohort including 1198 randomly selected COVID patients in 61 EDs of Spanish medical centers from March 1, 2020, to April 30, 2020. We collected baseline and related characteristics of the acute episode and calculated the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for ED discharge. In addition, we analyzed the variables related to EDR30d in discharged patients. Results: We analyzed 859 patients presenting with COVID-19 pneumonia, 84 (9.8%) of whom were discharged from the ED. The variables independently associated with discharge were being a woman (aOR 1.890; 95%CI 1.176-3.037), age 1200/mm(3) (aOR 4.667; 95%CI 1.045-20.839). The EDR30d of the ED discharged group was 40.0%, being lower in women (aOR 0.368; 95%CI 0.142-0.953). A total of 130 hospitalized patients died (16.8%) as did two in the group discharged from the ED (2.4%) (OR 0.121; 95%CI 0.029-0.498). Conclusion: Discharge from the ED in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia was infrequent and was associated with few variables of the episode. The EDR30d was high, albeit with a low mortality

Morphological and Postural changes in the foot during pregnancy and puerperium : a longitudinal study

The aim of this study is to observe the morphological and postural changes to the foot that take place during pregnancy and the puerperium. Method: In this descriptive, observational, longitudinal study, we analysed 23 pregnant women, with particular attention to morphological and postural aspects of the foot, at three time points during and after pregnancy: in weeks 9-13 of gestation, weeks 32-35 of gestation and weeks 4-6 after delivery. The parameters considered were changes in foot length, the Foot Posture Index (FPI) and the Hernández Corvo Index, which were analysed using a pedigraph and taking into account the Body Mass Index (BMI). The same procedure was conducted in each review. Results: The statistical analyses obtained for each foot did not differ significantly between the three measurement times. A pronator-type footprint was most frequently observed during the third trimester of pregnancy; it was predominantly neutral during the postpartum period. Statistically significant differences between the measurement times were obtained in the right foot for cavus vs. neutral foot type (between the first and third trimesters and also between the first trimester and the puerperium) (in both cases, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Foot length increases in the third trimester and returns to normal in the puerperium. According to FPI findings, the third trimester of pregnancy is characterised by pronation, while the posture returns to neutrality during the postpartum period. During pregnancy, the plantar arch flattens, and this persists during the puerperium. The incidence of cavus foot increases significantly in the third trimester and in the puerperium

A miniature world in decline: European Red List of Mosses, Liverworts and Hornworts

AimThis Red List is a summary of the conservation status of the European species of mosses, liverworts and hornworts, collectively known as bryophytes, evaluated according to IUCN’s Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional Level. It provides the first comprehensive, region-wide assessment of bryophytes and it identifies those species that are threatened with extinction at a European level, so that appropriate policy measures and conservation actions, based on the best available evidence, can be taken to improve their status.ScopeAll bryophytes native to or naturalised in Europe (a total of 1,817 species), have been included in this Red List. In Europe, 1,796 species were assessed, with the remaining 21 species considered Not Applicable (NA). For the EU 28, 1,728 species were assessed, with a remaining 20 species considered NA and 69 species considered Not Evaluated (NE). The geographical scope is continentwide, extending from Iceland in the west to the Urals in the east, and from Franz Josef Land in the north to theCanary Islands in the south. The Caucasus region is not included. Red List assessments were made at two regional levels: for geographical Europe and for the 28 Member States of the European Union.ResultsOverall, 22.5% of European bryophyte species assessed in this study are considered threatened in Europe, with two species classified as Extinct and six assessed as Regionally Extinct (RE). A further 9.6% (173 species) are considered Near Threatened and 63.5% (1,140 species) are assessed as Least Concern. For 93 species (5.3%), there was insufficient information available to be able to evaluate their risk of extinction and thus they were classified as Data Deficient (DD). The main threats identified were natural system modifications (i.e., dam construction, increases in fire frequency/intensity, and water management/use), climate change (mainly increasing frequency of droughts and temperature extremes), agriculture (including pollution from agricultural effluents) and aquaculture.RecommendationsPolicy measures• Use the European Red List as the scientific basis to inform regional/national lists of rare and threatened species and to identify priorities for conservation action in addition to the requirements of the Habitats Directive, thereby highlighting the conservation status of bryophytes at the regional/local level.• Use the European Red List to support the integration of conservation policy with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and other national and international policies. For example, CAP Strategic Plans should include biodiversity recovery commitments that could anticipate, among others, the creation of Important Bryophyte Areas. An increased involvement of national environmental agencies in the preparation of these strategic plans, and more broadly in ongoing discussions on the Future CAP Green Architecture, would likely also ensure the design of conservation measures better tailored to conserve bryophytes in agricultural landscapes.• Update the European Red List every decade to ensure that the data remains current and relevant.• Develop Key Biodiversity Areas for bryophytes in Europe with a view to ensuring adequate site-based protection for bryophytes.Research and monitoring• Use the European Red List as a basis for future targeted fieldwork on possibly extinct and understudied species.• Establish a monitoring programme for targeted species (for example, threatened species and/or arable bryophytes).• Use the European Red List to obtain funding for research into the biology and ecology of key targeted species.Action on the ground• Use the European Red List as evidence to support multi-scale conservation initiatives, including designation of protected areas, reform of agricultural practices and land management, habitat restoration and rewilding, and pollution reduction measures.• Use the European Red List as a tool to target species that would benefit the most from the widespread implementation of the solutions offered by the 1991 Nitrates Directive (Council Directive 91/676/EEC), including the application of correct amounts of nutrients for each crop, only in periods of crop growth under suitable climatic conditions and never during periods of heavy rainfall or on frozen ground, and the creation of buffer zones to protect waters from run-off from the application of fertilizers.Ex situ conservation• Undertake ex situ conservation of species of conservation concern in botanic gardens and spore and gene banks, with a view to reintroduction where appropriate.</p

Determinación de áreas y costos potenciales para alternativas de restauración ecológica en la zona alta de la Microcuenca del Río El Tablón, Chiapas, México

Tesis (Maestría) - CATIE. Turrialba (Costa Rica), 2019Los patrones de aprovechamiento de los recursos naturales en áreas rurales inciden directamente en la pérdida de integridad de los ecosistemas presentes en un territorio, siendo este uno de los problemas ambientales actuales más difíciles de atender. Debido a la complejidad social y ecológica de este problema, la búsqueda de soluciones a corto, mediano y largo plazo deben considerar las dimensiones técnicas, sociales, económicas y políticas. Una de esas soluciones que integra estos criterios es la restauración ecológica (RE). La restauración ecológica es el proceso de iniciar o acelerar la mejora de ecosistemas degradados, en objeto de restablecer las condiciones de estos, mantener o incrementar la disponibilidad de servicios ecosistémicos (SE) y mejorar el bienestar humano. Esta es de gran importancia en el manejo de los recursos naturales, por lo que requiere de procesos de negociación y de cooperación entre diversos actores de interés. Esta investigación se desarrolló en 5 ejidos localizados en la zona alta de la microcuenca del Río El Tablón, la cual está ubicada en los límites del área natural protegida (ANP), reserva de Biosfera la Sepultura (REBISE), sitio en el cual la conservación y restauración de los ecosistemas presentes es un punto toral, por lo que en estas comunidades se identificaron áreas potenciales para la restauración ecológica pasiva y activa, utilizando una metodología adaptada de Vargas et al (2010) en conjunto con SIG y criterios técnicos-sociales incidentes en la restauración ecológica. Asimismo se aplicaron diferentes herramientas de acción participativa (grupos focales, entrevistas semiestructura, mapa de los recursos naturales y uso del suelo y recorridos de validación) en objeto de conocer la percepción de las productores de las comunidades respecto a la RE y de los SE que perciben del bosque, la situación en el uso de suelo y ecosistemas presentes en el territorio de las comunidades estudiadas. Los resultados de la investigación permitieron identificar y validar juntamente con las comunidades estudiadas, la percepción de la restauración ecológica y los SE del bosque, las áreas potenciales a ser restauradas pasiva y activamente así como los costos estimados que implica la RE por cada ejido.CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza

Comportamiento agronómico del híbrido DICTA HQ-31 y evaluación de proceso en molienda húmeda

38 p.Cálix, Reina. 2002. Comportamiento agronómico del híbrido DICTA HQ-31 y evaluación de proceso en molienda húmeda. Proyecto de Graduación del Programa de Ingeniería en Agroindustria. Zamorano, Honduras. 24 p. Con el fin de contribuir en la reducción de la desnutrición y apoyar el desarrollo de la cadena agroalimentaria del maíz, DEMAHSA está introduciendo híbridos de alta calidad proteica en Honduras. Mediante este estudio se determinó el comportamiento del híbrido DICTA HQ-31 en el proceso de molienda húmeda y su desempeño agronómico en el campo. El estudio se realizó en dos etapas: a) Análisis comparativo de campo del híbrido DICTA HQ-31 y el híbrido comercial Dekalb C343, utilizando para ello un diseño estadístico completamente al azar (DCA) y un análisis de costo/beneficio; y b) Análisis comparativo de calidad en molienda húmeda, comparando los parámetros de rendimiento harina-masa, resistencia, adhesividad, color seco y húmedo con el estándar de la norma ISO 9002. La primera etapa se realizó en fincas de cinco productores de maíz miembros de la Cooperativa de Comercialización de Productos Agrícolas (COCPAL) en el departamento de Yoro; la segunda, en instalaciones de DEMAHSA. El análisis estadístico indicó una diferencia significativa entre los híbridos evaluados, siendo el híbrido DICTA HQ-31 inferior en rendimiento (3,228.55 Kg/ha) y rentabilidad (24%) comparado con el híbrido comercial, (5,471.05 Kg/ha y 94% respectivamente). El análisis de calidad indicó, según la norma ISO 9002, que el híbrido evaluado es apto para molienda húmeda, por los parámetros aceptables que presenta, por lo tanto el híbrido DICTA HQ-31 puede utilizarse en la elaboración de harinas nixtamalizadas, desde un punto de vista nutricional y mejorando su rendimiento en el campo.1. Indice de cuadros 2. Indice de figuras 3. Indice de anexos 4. Introducción 5. Revisión de literatura 6. Materiales y métodos 7. Resultados y discusión 8. Conclusiones 9. Recomendaciones 10. Bibliografía 11. Anexo

Estudio de factibilidad para el establecimiento de un rastro en Danlí.

45 p.Los rastros tienen la función de realizar la actividad de matanza de bovinos y porcinos y evitar la matanza clandestina de dichos animales. El rastro a ser construido en Danlí, tendrá instalaciones acondicionadas para poder comercializar res y cerdo en canal en condiciones legales y salubres aptas para el consumo humano. Las canales son demandadas por supermercados y carnicerías de la zona. En Danlí existen tres supermercados y 25 carnicerías, estos serán nuestros principales clientes, debido a que tienen las instalaciones y equipos para poder destazar y obtener cortes de la canal para ser vendidos a sus clientes. La maquinaria utilizada para obtener canales con las exigencias sanitarias y procesos que procuren el bienestar animal antes y después de su muerte, tiene un alto costo de inversión por lo que el objetivo de este estudio es determinar la factibilidad de establecer un rastro. La evaluación financiera muestra datos para la toma de decisiones y los resultados fueron: VAN L.25, 996,516.00, TIR 42%, PRI 2.55 años y demuestra que el proyecto es rentable

What Do We Know about Growth Patterns in Pakistan?

This paper explores stylized facts of Pakistan's growth patterns. It identifies the short-lived predominant character of its increasingly scarce growth accelerations, the average volatility of the growth rate by international standards, the high but decreasing correlation between overall growth and agricultural growth, the long term decline of its growth (potential) rate to around 4.5 percent, well below the 6 percent rate of the 1960s or from the 7 percent rate required for absorbing the young labor force. It also explores the dramatically steady fall in productivity during the 2000s (measured by Total Factor Productivity) and, to a lesser extent, capital accumulation as main reasons of such decline. The paper analyzes the role factor accumulation plays in long-term labor reallocation across sectors, with industry stalling, agriculture still playing a major role that goes beyond its own contribution to GDP, and services playing an increasing role in creating employment, but on low productivity jobs. Growth acceleration is not assured and Pakistan will need to create more jobs moving from agriculture to industry and services in activities where productivity is higher, but to do this, curbing the factors that constraint growth overall and sectoral and Total Factor Productivity in particular will be essential