Methods of body temperature assessment in Conolophus subcristatus, Conolophus pallidus (Galápagos land iguanas), and Amblyrhynchus cristatus X C. subcristatus hybrid

Since cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic systems of reptiles are affected by temperature, accurate measurements are of great importance in both captive husbandry and research. Ectothermic animals generally have core body temperatures close to ambient temperature but can differ from the immediate environment if they are using sunlight to thermoregulate. Many zoological facilities and exotic pet caregivers have begun using infrared temperature guns to assess ambient temperatures of reptile enclosures but there are currently few studies assessing the efficacy of these devices for measuring the body temperatures of reptiles. Conolophus subcristatus, Conolophus pallidus (Galápagos land iguanas), and Amblyrhynchus cristatus X C. subcristatus hybrid are robust land iguanas endemic to the Galápagos archipelago. By comparing the infrared body temperature measurements of land iguanas against virtual simultaneous collection of cloacal temperatures obtained using a thermocouple thermometer, we sought to assess the efficacy of this non-invasive method. We found that internal body temperature can be predicted with a high level of accuracy from three external body temperature sites, providing a good non-invasive method that avoids the capture of animals

Excision of an Unstable Pathogenicity Island in Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis Is Induced during Infection of Phagocytic Cells

The availability of the complete genome sequence of several Salmonella enterica serovars has revealed the presence of unstable genetic elements in these bacteria, such as pathogenicity islands and prophages. This is the case of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis), a bacterium that causes gastroenteritis in humans and systemic infection in mice. The whole genome sequence analysis for S. Enteritidis unveiled the presence of several genetic regions that are absent in other Salmonella serovars. These regions have been denominated “regions of difference” (ROD). In this study we show that ROD21, one of such regions, behaves as an unstable pathogenicity island. We observed that ROD21 undergoes spontaneous excision by two independent recombination events, either under laboratory growth conditions or during infection of murine cells. Importantly, we also found that one type of excision occurred at higher rates when S. Enteritidis was residing inside murine phagocytic cells. These data suggest that ROD21 is an unstable pathogenicity island, whose frequency of excision depends on the environmental conditions found inside phagocytic cells

Infection of Mice by Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis Involves Additional Genes That Are Absent in the Genome of Serovar Typhimurium

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis causes a systemic, typhoid-like infection in newly hatched poultry and mice. In the present study, a library of 54,000 transposon mutants of S. Enteritidis phage type 4 (PT4) strain P125109 was screened for mutants deficient in the in vivo colonization of the BALB/c mouse model using a microarray-based negative-selection screening. Mutants in genes known to contribute to systemic infection (e.g., Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 [SPI-2], aro, rfa, rfb, phoP, and phoQ) and enteric infection (e.g., SPI-1 and SPI-5) in this and other Salmonella serovars displayed colonization defects in our assay. In addition, a strong attenuation was observed for mutants in genes and genomic islands that are not present in S. Typhimurium or in most other Salmonella serovars. These genes include a type I restriction/modification system (SEN4290 to SEN4292), the peg fimbrial operon (SEN2144A to SEN2145B), a putative pathogenicity island (SEN1970 to SEN1999), and a type VI secretion system remnant SEN1001, encoding a hypothetical protein containing a lysin motif (LysM) domain associated with peptidoglycan binding. Proliferation defects for mutants in these individual genes and in exemplar genes for each of these clusters were confirmed in competitive infections with wild-type S. Enteritidis. A ΔSEN1001 mutant was defective for survival within RAW264.7 murine macrophages in vitro. Complementation assays directly linked the SEN1001 gene to phenotypes observed in vivo and in vitro. The genes identified here may perform novel virulence functions not characterized in previous Salmonella models

Factores de riesgo maternos asociados a parto prematuro en gestantes adolescentes atendidas en el Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo año 2018 al 2019, Lima - Perú

INTRODUCTION: The most frequent cause of preterm birth is idiopathic; however, there are various risk factors that could trigger it, which with early diagnosis and timely management could reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality and subsequent sequelae. OBJECTIVE: To determine the maternal risk factors that predispose to premature birth in pregnant adolescents treated at the Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo, during the period 2018 - 2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Analytical, observational, retrospective, case-control study. 180 pregnant women aged 10-19 years were studied, divided into 60 cases and 120 controls. The information from the medical records was compiled using a data collection form, ensuring that the inclusion and exclusion criteria were met. The results were adjusted using a multivariate binary logistic regression model. RESULTS: The average maternal age was 17.49 years, 71.7% of pregnant women were in late adolescence (17-19 years). According to the multivariate analysis, the variables: anemia (OR: 2.074; 95% CI = 1.075 - 4.001; p = 0.030), urinary tract infection (OR: 3.863; 95% CI = 1.508 - 9.896; p = 0.005) and preeclampsia (OR: 3.714; 95% CI = 1.122 - 12.301; p = 0.032), were associated with an increased risk of preterm birth; While no statistically significant association was found with vaginal infection (OR: 2.111; 95% CI = 0.651 - 6.850; p = 0.205) and premature rupture of membranes (OR: 1.267; 95% CI = 0.609 - 2.633; p = 0.526 ). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the variables associated with an increased risk of preterm birth in pregnant adolescents were anemia, urinary tract infection and preeclampsia.INTRODUCCIÓN: La causa más frecuente de parto prematuro es idiopático, sin embargo se plantean diversos factores de riesgo que podrían desencadenarlo, que con un diagnóstico precoz y manejo oportuno podría disminuir la morbimortalidad neonatal y las secuelas posteriores. OBJETIVO: Determinar los factores de riesgo maternos que predisponen a parto prematuro en gestantes adolescentes atendidas en el Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo, durante el periodo 2018 – 2019. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Estudio analítico, observacional, retrospectivo, de tipo casos y controles. Se estudiaron 180 gestantes de 10 -19 años, divididas en 60 casos y 120 controles. Los resultados fueron ajustados mediante un modelo multivariado de regresión logística binaria. RESULTADOS: La edad materna promedio fue 17.49 años, el 71.7% de gestantes estuvieron en la etapa adolescencia tardía (17 – 19 años). Según el análisis multivariado, las variables: anemia (OR: 2,074; IC 95%= 1,075 - 4,001; p= 0,030), infección del tracto urinario (OR: 3,863; IC 95%= 1,508 - 9,896; p= 0,005) y preeclampsia (OR: 3,714; IC 95%=1,122 - 12,301; p= 0,032), se asociaron con un mayor riesgo de parto prematuro; mientras que no se encontró asociación estadísticamente significativa con la infección vaginal (OR: 2,111; IC 95%= 0,651 - 6,850; p= 0,205) y ruptura prematura de membranas (OR: 1,267; IC 95%= 0,609 - 2,633; p= 0,526). CONCLUSIONES: En nuestro estudio, Las variables asociadas a un mayor riesgo de parto prematuro en gestantes adolescentes fueron la anemia, infección del tracto urinario y preeclampsia

Genetic structure of drone congregation areas of Africanized honeybees in southern Brazil

As yet, certain aspects of the Africanization process are not well understood, for example, the reproductive behavior of African and European honeybees and how the first Africanized swarms were formed and spread. Drone congregation areas (DCAs) are the ideal place to study honeybee reproduction under natural conditions since hundreds of drones from various colonies gather together in the same geographical area for mating. In the present study, we assessed the genetic structure of seven drone congregations and four commercial European-derived and Africanized apiaries in southern Brazil, employing seven microsatellite loci for this purpose. We also estimated the number of mother-colonies that drones of a specific DCA originated from. Pairwise comparison failed to reveal any population sub-structuring among the DCAs, thus indicating low mutual genetic differentiation. We also observed high genetic similarity between colonies of commercial apiaries and DCAs, besides a slight contribution from a European-derived apiary to a DCA formed nearby. Africanized DCAs seem to have a somewhat different genetic structure when compared to the European

Are isomeric alkenes used in species recognition among neo-tropical stingless bees (Melipona spp)

The majority of our understanding of the role of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) in recognition is based largely on temperate ant species and honey bees. The stingless bees remain relatively poorly studied, despite being the largest group of eusocial bees, comprising more than 400 species in some 60 genera. The Meliponini and Apini diverged between 80-130 Myr B.P. so the evolutionary trajectories that shaped the chemical communication systems in ants, honeybees and stingless bees may be very different. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to study if a unique species CHC signal existed in Neotropical stingless bees, as shown for many temperate species, and if so what compounds are involved. This was achieved by collecting CHC data from 24 colonies belonging to six species of Melipona from North-eastern Brazil and comparing this new data with all previously published CHC studies on Melipona. We found that each of the eleven Melipona species studied so far each produced a unique species CHC signal based around their alkene isomer production. A remarkable number of alkene isomers, up to 25 in M. asilvai, indicated the diversification of alkene positional isomers among the stingless bees. The only other group to have really diversified in alkene isomer production are the primitively eusocial Bumblebees (Bombus spp), which are the sister group of the stingless bees. Furthermore, among the eleven Neotropical Melipona species we could detect no effect of the environment on the proportion of alkane production as has been suggested for some other species

Gobiernos municipales: por un desarrollo local basado en la gobernanza democrática

El presente reporte da cuenta del proceso de intervención universitaria en el municipio de Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco, México, a través del PAP “Gobiernos Municipales: por un desarrollo local basado en la gobernanza democrática”, cuyo propósito general es: Contribuir a la promoción de la cultura de paz, la economía social y solidaria y la promoción de los DDHH en Tlajomulco, desde la Dirección General de Cultura de Paz y Gobernanza, a través de analizar, conocer, difundir documentar y evaluar situaciones relacionadas con la construcción de espacios de paz basados en la economía social y solidaria y la difusión de los DDHH, en la construcción de una ciudad en paz y segura, que, desde una perspectiva interdisciplinar, da continuidad a los proyectos emprendidos durante el periodo anterior, referidos al rescate y apropiación social de los espacios públicos desde la perspectiva de la paz positiva, impulso a las iniciativas de emprendimiento y formación en finanzas para los jóvenes del municipio. En el periodo de primavera 2022, se tuvieron los siguientes objetivos: • Elaborar el diseño de un espacio público, como respuesta a una demanda de los vecinos del fraccionamiento Sendero Real, a través de las mesas de paz, que implementa el gobierno municipal de Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. • Responder a la demanda de apoyo del sector juvenil de Tlajomulco y El Salto, expresada en los talleres de diagnóstico promovidos por el Instituto de la Juventud Tlajomulquense y del Instituto de la Juventud del Salto. • Diseñar y aplicar una evaluación de los programas públicos de mesas de paz y chamba para todos. La metodología aplicada implico la intervención de estudiantes de diferentes disciplinas a partir de grupos sociales específicos que presentan demandas de atención para la recuperación de sus espacios públicos y por tanto requieren de acompañamiento para el diseño de estos, el impulso al emprendimiento través de la realización de Podcast dirigidos a los jóvenes, la integración y aplicación de una propuesta de evaluación de los programas públicos “mesas de paz” y “”chamba para todos”.ITESO, A.C

Safety and immunomodulatory effects of three probiotic strains isolated from the feces of breast-fed infants in healthy adults: SETOPROB study

We previously described the isolation and characterization of three probiotic strains from the feces of exclusively breast-fed newborn infants: Lactobacillus paracasei CNCM I-4034, Bifidobacterium breve CNCM I-4035 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-4036. These strains were shown to adhere to intestinal mucus in vitro, to be sensitive to antibiotics and to resist biliary salts and low pH. In the present study, a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 100 healthy volunteers in three Spanish cities was carried out to evaluate the tolerance, safety, gut colonization and immunomodulatory effects of these three probiotics. Volunteers underwent a 15-day washout period, after which they were randomly divided into 5 groups that received daily a placebo, a capsule containing one of the 3 strains or a capsule containing a mixture of two strains for 30 days. The intervention was followed by another 15-day washout period. Patients did not consume fermented milk for the entire duration of the study. Gastrointestinal symptoms, defecation frequency and stool consistency were not altered by probiotic intake. No relevant changes in blood and serum, as well as no adverse events occurred during or after treatment. Probiotic administration slightly modified bacterial populations in the volunteers’ feces. Intestinal persistence occurred in volunteers who received L. rhamnosus CNCM I-4036. Administration of B. breve CNCM I-4035 resulted in a significant increase in fecal secretory IgA content. IL-4 and IL-10 increased, whereas IL-12 decreased in the serum of volunteers treated with any of the three strains. These results demonstrate that the consumption of these three bacterial strains was safe and exerted varying degrees of immunomodulatory effects.Part of the research currently in progress in the authors' laboratory is funded by the company Hero Spain, S. A. through the grant #3582 managed by the Fundacion General Empresa-Universidad de Granada