Evaluation of antimicrobial and antifungal activity of hydroethanolic extracts of in vitro and ex vitro seedlings of Dionaea muscipula J. Ellis

Objective: To assess the antibacterial and antifungal activity of hydroethanolic extracts of Dionaea muscipula J. Ellis against model bacteria and fungi of agricultural importance. Design/Methodology/Approach: In vitro plants of D. muscipula were propagated and acclimatized for three months. The antibacterial activity of the hydroethanolic extracts against Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus and the antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum and Pseudocercospora fijiensis were evaluated. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to compare the means obtained with a Tukey test (p?0.05). Results: The hydroethanolic extracts of D. muscipula in vitro and acclimatized showed a bacteriostatic activity against the bacteria E. coli (65.20 and 69.78% inhibition) and B. cereus (91.75 and 92.61% inhibition) and an antifungal activity against the fungus P. fijiensis of 7.56 and 14.21% of inhibition, respectively. Study Limitations/Implications: The hydroethanolic extracts of D. muscipula in vitro and acclimatized did not show antifungal activity against A. niger and F. oxysporum. Findings/Conclusions: The hydroethanolic extracts of D. muscipula in vitro and acclimatized showed a bacteriostatic activity against the bacteria E. coli and B. cereus and antifungal activity against the fungus P. fijiensis.Objective: To evaluate the antibacterial and antifungal activity of hydroethanolic extracts of Dionaea muscipula J. Ellis against bacteria models and fungi of agricultural importance. Design/Methodology/Approach: In vitro plants of D. muscipula were propagated and acclimatized for three months. The antibacterial activity of the hydroethanolic extracts against Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus was evaluated, and the antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum and Pseudocercospora fijiensis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out to compare the means obtained with Tukey’s test (p≤0.05). Results: The hydroethanolic extracts of in vitro and acclimatized D. muscipula presented bacteriostatic activity against the bacteria E. coli (65.20 and 69.78 % of inhibition) and B. cereus (91.75 and 92.61 % of inhibition), and antifungal activity against the fungus P. fijiensis of 7.56 and 14.21 % of inhibition, respectively. Study Limitations/Implications: The hydroethanolic extracts of in vitro and acclimatized D. muscipula did not show antifungal activity against A. niger and F. oxysporum. Findings/Conclusions: The hydroethanolic extracts of in vitro and acclimatized D. muscipula presented bacteriostatic activity against bacteria E. coli and B. cereus and antifungal activity against the fungus P. fijiensis

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Foods Contributing to Macronutrient Intake of Women Living in Puerto Rico Reflect Both Traditional Puerto Rican and Western-Type Diets

Lack of variability in dietary intake within a population makes identification of relationships between diet and disease difficult. Studies in populations with greater interindividual variation can provide important insights. The Puerto Rican diet is in transition from a traditional to a more Western-type diet, resulting in greater interindividual variability. We identified foods contributing to absolute intake and variability in the intake of macronutrients among Puerto Rican women. One hundred women, aged 30–79, residents of San Juan, Puerto Rico, completed three, interviewer-administered, 24-h dietary recalls from which foods contributing to absolute intake and intake variability in intake of energy, fat, protein, carbohydrate and dietary fiber were determined. The overall prevalence of intake of foods was also calculated. Traditional Puerto Rican foods such as legumes, rice, and plantains were important contributors to the intake of calories and macronutrients as were foods more typical of Western diets including white bread and sweetened carbonated beverages. Identification of food sources of nutrients for this population with a diet in transition can contribute to the development of instruments to measure dietary intake and to understand the contribution of diet to the etiology of chronic disease among Puerto Rican women

La educación para los medios de comunicación como tema transversal : elaboración de una guía curricular para el profesorado de Educación Primaria

Conocer y comparar programas curriculares para la educación audiovisual en Europa. Diseñar un proyecto curricular de educación para los medios de comunicación dirigido a Educación Primaria y un material curricular de apoyo al profesorado. Estudio 1: 229 profesores pertenecientes a 40 centros de la Comunidad Autónoma Canaria. Estudio 2: 8 expertos en temas educativos. Se realiza la identificación del problema y la fundamentación teórica del mismo, basándose en la teoría de la comunicación de masas y la teoría sobre el currículum y la innovación educativa. Se aplican los cuestionarios y se procede a su codificación y tabulación, analizando los resultados obtenidos, con el programa SPSS, según las variables género, edad y tipo de centro. Tras la realización de entrevistas estructuradas a los expertos, se categorizan las respuestas realizando matrices para cada pregunta. Se realiza un análisis comparativo de programas curriculares de educación en medios desarrollados en los sitemas escolares europeos. Se analizan los diseños curriculares de las etapas de Primaria y Secundaria en la Comunidad Autónoma Canaria y se comparan dos currícula de educación para los medios, el inglés y el catalán. Se elabora y presenta una guía curricular del tema transversal 'Educación para los medios de comunicación' para el profesorado de Educación Primaria, desarrollando diversas actividades para el aula. Porcentajes. El profesorado es consciente del problema que representan los medios de comunicación y su enseñanza, pues la mayor parte de los centros no cuentan con material audiovisual suficiente y es necesaria la formación del profesorado en la materia. Para introducir la educación para el consumo de los medios en el currículum se plantean tres posibilidades: asignatura, materia transversal y sistema de globalización. En los países de ambito europeo los medios se incorporan al currículum como apoyo a la docencia o integrados en asignaturas específicas, especialmente lengua. Se constata la existencia de una influencia bipolar, social y educativa y psicológica de los medios sobre la infancia. Se proponen diversas orientaciones para una política de desarrollo y evaluación curricular de la educación para los medios, referidas a su difusión, la formación del profesorado, la elaboración de materiales, la gestión de recursos y medios, la política de asesoramiento y apoyo externo y la evaluación e investigación sobre la educación para los medios.Ministerio Educación CIDEBiblioteca de Educación del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte; Calle San Agustín, 5 - 3 Planta; 28014 Madrid; Tel. +34917748000; Fax +34917748026; [email protected]

Differential and persistent risk of excess mortality from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico: a time-series analysis.

© 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license Background: Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on Sept 20, 2017, devastating the island. Controversy surrounded the official death toll, fuelled by estimates of excess mortality from academics and investigative journalists. We analysed all-cause excess mortality following the storm. Methods: We did a time-series analysis in Puerto Rico from September, 2017, to February, 2018. Mortality data were from the Puerto Rico Vital Statistics System. We developed two counterfactual scenarios to establish the population at risk. In the first scenario, the island\u27s population was assumed to track the most recent census estimates. In the second scenario, we accounted for the large-scale population displacement. Expected mortality was projected for each scenario through over-dispersed log-linear regression from July, 2010, to August, 2017, taking into account changing distributions of age, sex, and municipal socioeconomic development, as well as both long-term and seasonal trends in mortality. Excess mortality was calculated as the difference between observed and expected deaths. Findings: Between September, 2017, and February, 2018, we estimated that 1191 excess deaths (95% CI 836–1544) occurred under the census scenario. Under the preferred displacement scenario, we estimated that 2975 excess deaths (95% CI 2658–3290) occurred during the same observation period. The ratio of observed to expected mortality was highest for individuals living in municipalities with the lowest socioeconomic development (1·43, 95% CI 1·39–1·46), and for men aged 65 years or older (1·33, 95% CI 1·30–1·37). Excess risk persisted in these groups throughout the observation period. Interpretation: Analysis of all-cause mortality with vital registration data allows for unbiased estimation of the impact of disasters associated with natural hazards and is useful for public health surveillance. It does not depend on certified cause of death, the basis for the official death toll in Puerto Rico. Although all sectors of Puerto Rican society were affected, recovery varied by municipal socioeconomic development and age groups. This finding calls for equitable disaster preparedness and response to protect vulnerable populations in disasters. Funding: Forensic Science Bureau, Department of Public Safety, and Milken Institute School of Public Health of The George Washington University (Washington, DC, USA)

Differential and persistent risk of excess mortality from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico: a time-series analysis

Summary: Background: Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on Sept 20, 2017, devastating the island. Controversy surrounded the official death toll, fuelled by estimates of excess mortality from academics and investigative journalists. We analysed all-cause excess mortality following the storm. Methods: We did a time-series analysis in Puerto Rico from September, 2017, to February, 2018. Mortality data were from the Puerto Rico Vital Statistics System. We developed two counterfactual scenarios to establish the population at risk. In the first scenario, the island's population was assumed to track the most recent census estimates. In the second scenario, we accounted for the large-scale population displacement. Expected mortality was projected for each scenario through over-dispersed log-linear regression from July, 2010, to August, 2017, taking into account changing distributions of age, sex, and municipal socioeconomic development, as well as both long-term and seasonal trends in mortality. Excess mortality was calculated as the difference between observed and expected deaths. Findings: Between September, 2017, and February, 2018, we estimated that 1191 excess deaths (95% CI 836–1544) occurred under the census scenario. Under the preferred displacement scenario, we estimated that 2975 excess deaths (95% CI 2658–3290) occurred during the same observation period. The ratio of observed to expected mortality was highest for individuals living in municipalities with the lowest socioeconomic development (1·43, 95% CI 1·39–1·46), and for men aged 65 years or older (1·33, 95% CI 1·30–1·37). Excess risk persisted in these groups throughout the observation period. Interpretation: Analysis of all-cause mortality with vital registration data allows for unbiased estimation of the impact of disasters associated with natural hazards and is useful for public health surveillance. It does not depend on certified cause of death, the basis for the official death toll in Puerto Rico. Although all sectors of Puerto Rican society were affected, recovery varied by municipal socioeconomic development and age groups. This finding calls for equitable disaster preparedness and response to protect vulnerable populations in disasters. Funding: Forensic Science Bureau, Department of Public Safety, and Milken Institute School of Public Health of The George Washington University (Washington, DC, USA)

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortiu (INICC) report, data summary of 43 countries for 2007-2012. Device-associated module

We report the results of an International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) surveillance study from January 2007-December 2012 in 503 intensive care units (ICUs) in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. During the 6-year study using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) U.S. National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definitions for device-associated health care–associated infection (DA-HAI), we collected prospective data from 605,310 patients hospitalized in the INICC's ICUs for an aggregate of 3,338,396 days. Although device utilization in the INICC's ICUs was similar to that reported from ICUs in the U.S. in the CDC's NHSN, rates of device-associated nosocomial infection were higher in the ICUs of the INICC hospitals: the pooled rate of central line–associated bloodstream infection in the INICC's ICUs, 4.9 per 1,000 central line days, is nearly 5-fold higher than the 0.9 per 1,000 central line days reported from comparable U.S. ICUs. The overall rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia was also higher (16.8 vs 1.1 per 1,000 ventilator days) as was the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (5.5 vs 1.3 per 1,000 catheter days). Frequencies of resistance of Pseudomonas isolates to amikacin (42.8% vs 10%) and imipenem (42.4% vs 26.1%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to ceftazidime (71.2% vs 28.8%) and imipenem (19.6% vs 12.8%) were also higher in the INICC's ICUs compared with the ICUs of the CDC's NHSN