Los dobletes etimológicos en español (1611-1739)

OBJECTIVES: Bacterial translocation seems to precede the occurrence of overt bacterial infection in patients with cirrhosis. The presence of bacterial DNA in blood and ascites correlates with bacterial translocation and is frequent in patients with advanced cirrhosis without overt infection. Our aim was to search for bacterial DNA in patients with cirrhosis both with and without ascites, and to study its correlation with abnormal intestinal motility or permeability and the presence of bacterial overgrowth. METHODS: Blood and ascites samples were obtained on day 1, and blood samples were taken twice a day for the following 3 days. Bacterial DNA was assayed by polymerase chain reaction using universal primers for rRNA 16\u2009s. Oro-caecal transit time and bacterial overgrowth were assessed with Lactulose H(2) breath testing. Intestinal permeability was assessed by determining urinary lactulose and mannitol excretion with high performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: We studied seven patients (six were male, age range was 42-78 years). Aetiology was alcohol in four, HCV in two, HBV in one; ascites was present in four and Child-Pugh grade was A in four and B in three. All patients had increased intestinal permeability, six had decreased transit time and one had bacterial overgrowth. In only one patient (with ascites), polymerase chain reaction was positive for bacterial DNA both in ascites and serum for all 4 days on which samples were taken. CONCLUSION: Increased intestinal permeability and abnormal motility were frequent without evidence of bacterial translocation in cirrhosis even without ascites. They are likely to be facilitators for bacterial translocation and thus precede it

In vivo imaging of the lung inflammatory response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its modulation by azithromycin

Chronic inflammation of the airways is a central component in lung diseases and is frequently associated with bacterial infections. Monitoring the pro-inflammatory capability of bacterial virulence factors in vivo is challenging and usually requires invasive methods

Application of space technologies to the surveillance and modelling of waterborne diseases.

Earth observing satellites, global positioning and geographic information systems are new tools that currently enable the scientific community to integrate ecological, environmental and medical data to develop predictive models for disease surveillance and modelling. A number of investigators have explored remotely sensed environmental factors that might be associated with waterborne disease ecology and human transmission risk. However, health specialists have not been fully familiarized with the capabilities of space technology, and in some cases it has not proved to be the wonder tool that scientists expected. New satellite capabilities and new sensors now allow exploration of risk factors previously beyond the capabilities of remote sensing and put researchers in a position to analyze the effects of environment on disease outbreaks

Pore water transport of enterococci out of beach sediments

Enterococci are used to evaluate the safety of beach waters and studies have identified beach sands as a source of these bacteria. In order to study and quantify the release of microbes from beach sediments, flow column systems were built to evaluate flow of pore water out of beach sediments. Results show a peak in enterococci (average of 10% of the total microbes in core) released from the sand core within one pore water volume followed by a marked decline to below detection. These results indicate that few enterococci are easily removed and that factors other than simple pore water flow control the release of the majority of enterococci within beach sediments. A significantly larger quantity and release of enterococci were observed in cores collected after a significant rain event suggesting the influx of fresh water can alter the release pattern as compared to cores with no antecedent rainfall