Evaluation of genotypic and phenotypic methods to distinguish clinical from environmental Vibrio vulnificus strains.

V. vulnificus is a heterogeneous bacterial species that comprises virulent and avirulent strains from environmental and clinical sources that have been grouped into three biotypes. To validate the typing methods proposed to distinguish clinical from environmental isolates, we performed phenotypic (API 20E, API20NE and BIOLOG tests) and genetic (ribotyping and DNA polymorphisms at several loci) studies with a large strain collection representing different biotypes, origins and host range. No phenotypic method was useful for biotyping or grouping strains with regard to origin of the isolate and only BIOLOG system was reliable to identify the strains at species level. The DNA polymorphisms divided the population into three major profiles: profile 1 were vcg type C, 16S rRNA type B and vvh type 1 and included most of biotype 1 human septicemic isolates; profile 2 were vcg type E, 16S rRNA type A and vvh type 2 and included all biotype 2 isolates together with biotype 1 isolates from fish, water and some human isolates; and the last one, profile 3, were vcg type E, 16S rRNA type AB and vvh type 2 and composed by biotype 3 strains. Ribotyping divided the species into two groups, one that included profile 1 isolates of biotype 1, and the other including isolates of all three biotypes belonging to the three profiles described. In conclusion, no genotyping system was able to distinguish neither clinical from environmental strains nor biogroups within V. vulnificus species, which suggests that new typing methodologies useful for Public Health have to be developed for this species

Electron- versus neutrino-nucleus scattering

We illustrate the connection between electron and neutrino scattering off nuclei and show how the former process can be used to constrain the description of the latter. After reviewing some of the nuclear models commonly used to study lepton-nucleus reactions, we describe in detail the SuSAv2 model and show how its predictions compare with the available electron- and neutrino-scattering data over the kinematical range going from the quasi-elastic peak to pion-production and highly inelastic scattering.Comment: Shortened version, 71 pages, review article, 52 figure

pilF polymorphism-based real-time PCR to distinguish Vibrio vulnificus strains of human health relevance

The Gram-negative bacterium Vibrio vulnificus is a common inhabitant of estuarine environments. Globally, V. vulnificus is a significant foodborne pathogen capable of causing necrotizing wound infections and primary septicemia, and is a leading cause of seafood-related mortality. Unfortunately, molecular methods for the detection and enumeration of pathogenic V. vulnificus are hampered by the genetically diverse nature of this pathogen, the range of different biotypes capable of infecting humans and aquatic animals, and the fact that V. vulnificus contains pathogenic as well as non-pathogenic variants. Here we report an alternative approach utilizing the development of a real-time PCR assay for the detection of pathogenic V. vulnificus strains based on a polymorphism in pilF, a gene previously indicated to be associated with human pathogenicity. Compared to human serum reactivity, the real-time PCR assay successfully detected pathogenic strains in 46 out of 47 analysed V. vulnificus isolates (97.9%). The method is also rapid, sensitive, and more importantly can be reliably utilised on biotype 2 and 3 strains, unlike other current methods for V. vulnificus virulence differentiation

Impact of analytic provenance in genome analysis

Many computational methods are available for assembly and annotation of newly sequenced microbial genomes. However, when new genomes are reported in the literature, there is frequently very little critical analysis of choices made during the sequence assembly and gene annotation stages. These choices have a direct impact on the biologically relevant products of a genomic analysis - for instance identification of common and differentiating regions among genomes in a comparison, or identification of enriched gene functional categories in a specific strain. Here, we examine the outcomes of different assembly and analysis steps in typical workflows in a comparison among strains of Vibrio vulnificus

Incretins in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background: The precise mechanism linking systemic inflammation with insulin resistance (IR) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains elusive. In the present study, we determined whether the incretin-insulin axis and incretin effect are disrupted in patients with RA and if they are related to the IR found in these patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study that encompassed 361 subjects without diabetes, 151 patients with RA, and 210 sex-matched control subjects. Insulin, C-peptide, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) soluble form, and IR indexes by homeostatic model assessment (HOMA2) were assessed. A multivariable analysis adjusted for IR-related factors was performed. Additionally, ten patients and ten control subjects underwent a 566-kcal meal test so that we could further study the postprandial differences of these molecules between patients and control subjects. Results: Insulin, C-peptide, and HOMA2-IR indexes were higher in patients than in control subjects. This was also the case for GLP-1 (0.49 ± 1.28 vs. 0.71 ± 0.22 ng/ml, p = 0.000) and GIP (0.37 ± 0.40 vs. 1.78 ± 0.51 ng/ml, p = 0.000). These differences remained significant after multivariable adjustment including glucocorticoid intake. Disease Activity Score in 28 joints with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (? coefficient 46, 95% CI 6?87, p = 0.026) and Clinical Disease Activity Index (? coefficient 7.74, 95% CI 1.29?14.20, p = 0.019) were associated with DPP-4 serum levels. GLP-1 positively correlated with ?-cell function (HOMA2 of ?-cell production calculated with C-peptide) in patients but not in control subjects (interaction p = 0.003). The meal test in patients with RA revealed a higher total and late response AUC for glucose response, a later maximal response of C-peptide, and a flatter curve in GIP response. Conclusions: The incretin-insulin axis, both during fasting and postprandial, is impaired in patients with RA.This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Health, Subdirección General de Evaluación y Fomento de la Investigación, Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2013–2016 Instituto de Salud Carlos III [ISCIII] PI14/00394) and by the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (to IFA). The research of MAGG was supported by European Union FEDER funds and by the “Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria” (grants PI06/0024, PS09/00748, PI12/00060, and PI15/00525) of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII; Spanish Health Ministry). The research of MAGG was also partially supported by RETICS Programs RD12/0009 (RIER) and RD12/0009/0013 from the ISCIII (Spanish Health Ministry)

A new mathematical model for nucleation of spherical agglomerates by the immersion mechanism

Initial wetting of crystals by binder droplets is a key rate process in spherical agglomeration, however there are no models to predict the kinetics and formation of agglomerate nuclei. Two new mathematical models are introduced for agglomerate nucleation by an immersion mechanism; immersion rate limited model and collision rate limited model. The agglomerate nucleation number developed in this work predicts different regimes; immersion rate limited, collision rate limited and intermediate. In an immersion rate limited regime, agglomerate size increases with square root of time. In a collision rate limited regime, size increases linearly with time if the bulk crystal volume fraction, φPb, is constant, or with an exponential decay rate for batch crystallisation with decreasing φPb. The timescale for nucleation is less than ten minutes for a broad range of conditions, significantly less than most crystallisation timescales. These models have great promise for population balance modelling and spherical agglomeration optimisation

HDL cholesterol efflux capacity in rheumatoid arthritis patients: contributing factors and relationship with subclinical atherosclerosis

Background: Lipid profiles appear to be altered in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients because of disease activity and inflammation. Cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC), which is the ability of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to accept cholesterol from macrophages, has been linked not only to cardiovascular events in the general population but also to being impaired in patients with RA. The aim of this study was to establish whether CEC is related to subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in patients with RA. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study that encompassed 401 individuals, including 178 patients with RA and 223 sex-matched control subjects. CEC, using an in vitro assay, lipoprotein serum concentrations, and standard lipid profile, was assessed in patients and control subjects. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and carotid plaques were assessed in patients with RA. A multivariable analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship of CEC with RA-related data, lipid profile, and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis. Results: Mean (SD) CEC was not significantly different between patients with RA (18.9 ± 9.0%) and control subjects (16.9 ± 10.4%) (p = 0.11). Patients with RA with low (? coefficient ?5.2 [?10.0 to 0.3]%, p = 0.039) and moderate disease activity (? coefficient ?4.6 [?8.5 to 0.7]%, p = 0.020) were associated with lower levels of CEC than patients in remission. Although no association with CIMT was found, higher CEC was independently associated with a lower risk for the presence of carotid plaque in patients with RA (odds ratio 0.94 [95% CI 0.89?0.98], p = 0.015). Conclusions: CEC is independently associated with carotid plaque in patients with RA

Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation and Postoperative Rehabilitation for Avoiding Complications in Patients Undergoing Resection of Colon Cancer: Rationale, Design, and Methodology of the ONCOFIT Study

ONCOFIT is a randomized clinical trial with a two-arm parallel design aimed at determining the influence of a multidisciplinary Prehabilitation and Postoperative Program (PPP) on post-surgery complications in patients undergoing resection of colon cancer. This intervention will include supervised physical exercise, dietary behavior change, and psychological support comparing its influence to the standard care. Primary and secondary endpoints will be assessed at baseline, at preoperative conditions, at the end of the PPP intervention (after 12 weeks) and 1-year post-surgery, and will include: post-surgery complications (primary endpoint); prolonged hospital length of stay; readmissions and emergency department call within 1-year after surgery; functional capacity; patient reported outcome measures targeted; anthropometry and body composition; clinical/tumor parameters; physical activity levels and sedentariness; dietary habits; other unhealthy habits; sleep quality; and fecal microbiota diversity and composition. Considering the feasibility of the present intervention in a real-life scenario, ONCOFIT will contribute to the standardization of a cost-effective strategy for preventing and improving health-related consequences in patients undergoing resection of colon cancer with an important clinical and economic impact, not only in the scientific community, but also in clinical practice.This study was funded by the University of Granada, Plan Propio de Investigación 2016-Excellence actions: Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES). P.C. was supported by the Margarita Salas postdoctoral grant, convened by de University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), funded by the Ministry of Universities of Spain and the European Union-Next Generation EU

Influence of elevated-CRP level-related polymorphisms in non-rheumatic Caucasians on the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis

Association between elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) serum levels and subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular (CV) events was described in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). CRP, HNF1A, LEPR, GCKR, NLRP3, IL1F10, PPP1R3B, ASCL1, HNF4A and SALL1 exert an influence on elevated CRP serum levels in non-rheumatic Caucasians. Consequently, we evaluated the potential role of these genes in the development of CV events and subclinical atherosclerosis in RA patients. Three tag CRP polymorphisms and HNF1A, LEPR, GCKR, NLRP3, IL1F10, PPP1R3B, ASCL1, HNF4A and SALL1 were genotyped in 2,313 Spanish patients by TaqMan. Subclinical atherosclerosis was determined in 1,298 of them by carotid ultrasonography (by assessment of carotid intima-media thickness-cIMT-and presence/absence of carotid plaques). CRP serum levels at diagnosis and at the time of carotid ultrasonography were measured in 1,662 and 1,193 patients, respectively, by immunoturbidimetry. Interestingly, a relationship between CRP and CRP serum levels at diagnosis and at the time of the carotid ultrasonography was disclosed. However, no statistically significant differences were found when CRP, HNF1A, LEPR, GCKR, NLRP3, IL1F10, PPP1R3B, ASCL1, HNF4A and SALL1 were evaluated according to the presence/absence of CV events, carotid plaques and cIMT after adjustment. Our results do not confirm an association between these genes and CV disease in RA

Inflammation and insulin resistance according to body composition in European adolescents: the HELENA study

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Open access journalIntroduction: Inflammation is related to insulin resistance in adults, especially on those individuals with high levels of body composition. Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between a set of inflammatory biomarkers and insulin resistance by levels of body composition in a sample of European adolescents. Material and methods: 962 adolescents (442 boys and 520 girls) from 9 European countries met the inclusion criteria of having measurements for the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) and a set of inflammation-related biomarkers: C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL-6), complement factors C3 and C4 and selected cell adhesion molecules. Body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI) and waist circumference (WC) were categorized using tertiles. To assess the associations stratifying by body composition indexes, ANOVA and linear regression models were performed Results: Mean biomarkers’ concentrations differed across BMI, FMI and WC tertiles (p<0.05), by sex. In both sexes, insulin, HOMA, CRP, C3 and C4 were significantly different between categories (p<0.001), always showing the highest mean concentration in the upper category of BMI, FMI and WC. The most consistent finding was an association between insulin resistance and C3 concentrations (p<0.05), in the adolescents in the highest tertile of BMI, FMI and WC, except in the case of FMI in girls. Conclusion: Inflammatory and glucose metabolism markers differed by tertiles of body composition, being usually higher in the highest tertile. C3 complement factor was associated with insulin resistance in adolescents, especially those with high total and abdominal adiposity