Enteric fever: a slow response to an old plague

Man is irremediably embedded in nature with complex interactions with all living organisms. Historically, the establishment of contemporary human societies has been influenced by our coexistence with other microorganisms living in highly interconnected habitats and ecologies. As a result, with the progression from unicellular to multicellular life, bacteria have coexisted with humans. In this biological journey, while there are important benefits provided by bacterial guests to the human host living in complex relationships and becoming part of their microbiome, some organisms are able to cause a wide spectrum of diseases. Among the large Enterobacteriaceae family, the genus Salmonella, a pathotype of Escherichia coli, is one example. Salmonella is further classified into S. enterica and S. bongori serotypes based on its lipopolysaccharide cell wall (somatic O antigen), its flagellar (H antigen), and its surface Vi antigen (present only in S. typhi, S. Paratyphi C, Citrobacter freundii, and S. Dublin) [1]. S. enterica subspecies I, one of the six subspecies of S. enterica, is a major contributor to human disease (Fig 1) [2]. This group of pathogens includes those frequently causing gastroenteritis, such as S. Typhimurium, those causing invasive disease in the forms of bacteremia, such as S. Choleraesius, or the typhoidal Salmonella species causing enteric fever, including S. typhi (typhoid fever) and S. Paratyphi A, B, and C (paratyphoid fever) [1,2]

Producción de Vegetales en Base Antártica Conjunta Marambio Antártida Argentina

La República Argentina sostiene su presencia en forma ininterrumpida en la Antártida desde 1904. Este logro requiere de un gran esfuerzo de orden logístico que incluye, entre otros aspectos, el abastecimiento de alimentos para el personal que habita y trabaja en las distintas bases del continente antártico. Es importante destacar que en las bases se emplean casi exclusivamente alimentos congelados y conservas para la elaboración de los alimentos, quedando el personal privado de la posibilidad de ingerir alimentos frescos por períodos prolongados.EEA Santa CruzFil: Birgi, Jorge Alberto. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina.Fil: Birgi, Jorge Alberto. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina.Fil: Gargaglione Verónica Beatriz. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina.Fil: Gargaglione Verónica Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina.Fil: Gargaglione Verónica Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Araujo Prado, César. Comando Conjunto Antártico; Argentina.Fil: Diaz, Boris Gaston. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina.Fil: Diaz, Boris Gaston. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina.Fil: Diaz, Martín. Dirección Nacional del Antártico; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez, Leonardo. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral. Instituto de Tecnología Aplicada; Argentina.Fil: Gesto, Esteban. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral. Instituto de Tecnología Aplicada; Argentina.Fil: Hallar, Karim. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral. Instituto de Tecnología Aplicada; Argentina.Fil: Laguia, Daniel. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral. Instituto de Tecnología Aplicada; Argentina.Fil: Sofia, Osiris. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austra. Instituto de Tecnología Aplicada; Argentina

Risk factors and outcome associated with the acquisition of linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecalis

Objectives: Linezolid is a synthetic oxazolidinone antibiotic frequently used to treat vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections. Vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus faecalis can develop resistance to linezolid in environments with excessive linezolid use. The aim of this study was to define risk factors and outcome associated with the acquisition of linezolid-resistant E. faecalis (LREfs). Methods: A retrospective case–control study was designed including patients hospitalised from January 2014 to October 2017 at Hospital Civil de Guadalajara ‘Fray Antonio Alcalde’ in Guadalajara, Mexico. A total of 50 patients culture-positive for LREfs and 100 control patients hospitalised in the same room and time as the cases were included. Clinical and demographic data were collected and analysed. Results: Risk factors for the presence of LREfs included prior linezolid use [odds ratio (OR) = 6.74], prior clindamycin use (OR = 6.72) and previous surgery (OR = 5.79). The mortality rate was 18% for LREfs cases versus 9% for controls. Conclusion: LREfs has emerged and spread in our hospital, an environment in which linezolid use is considerable. Risk factors for LREfs are prior antibiotic use, including linezolid, and previous surgery

The body mass index increases the genetic risk scores' ability to predict risk of hepatic damage in European adolescents: The HELENA study

Background Hepatic disorders are often complex and multifactorial, modulated by genetic and environmental determinants. During the last years, the hepatic disease has been progressively established from early stages in life. The use of genetic risk scores (GRS) to predict the genetic susceptibility to a particular phenotype among youth has gained interest in recent years. Moreover, the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) blood biomarker is often considered as hepatic screening tool, in combination with imaging techniques. The aim of the present study was to develop an ALT-specific GRS to help in the evaluation of hepatic damage risk in European adolescents. Methods A total of 972 adolescents (51.3% females), aged 12.5–17.5 years, from the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence study were included in the analyses. The sample incorporated adolescents in all body mass index (BMI) categories and was divided considering healthy/unhealthy ALT levels, using sex-specific cut-off points. From 1212 a priori ALT-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) extracted from candidate gene selection, a first screening of 234 SNPs univariately associated was established, selecting seven significant SNPs (p < .05) in the multivariate model. An unweighted GRS (uGRS) was developed by summing the number of reference alleles, and a weighted GRS (wGRS), by multiplying each allele to its estimated coefficient. Results The uGRS and wGRS were significantly associated with ALT (p < .001). The area under curve was obtained integrating BMI as clinical factor, improving the predictive ability for uGRS (.7039) and wGRS (.7035), using 10-fold internal cross-validation. Conclusions Considering BMI status, both GRSs could contribute as complementary tools to help in the early diagnosis of hepatic damage risk in European adolescents

Clostridium difficile outbreak caused by NAP1/BI/027 strain and non-027 strains in a Mexican hospital

Background: Clostridium difficile infections caused by the NAP1/B1/027 strain are more severe, difficult to treat, and frequently associated with relapses. Methods: A case–control study was designed to examine a C. difficile infection (CDI) outbreak over a 12-month period in a Mexican hospital. The diagnosis of toxigenic CDI was confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction, PCR (Cepheid Xpert C. difficile/Epi). Results: During the study period, 288 adult patients were evaluated and 79 (27.4%) patients had confirmed CDI (PCR positive). C. difficile strain NAP1/B1/027 was identified in 31 (39%) of the patients with confirmed CDI (240 controls were included). Significant risk factors for CDI included any underlying disease (p < 0.001), prior hospitalization (p < 0.001), and antibiotic (p < 0.050) or steroid (p < 0.001) use. Laboratory abnormalities included leukocytosis (p < 0.001) and low serum albumin levels (p < 0.002). Attributable mortality was 5%. Relapses occurred in 10% of patients. Risk factors for C. difficile NAP1/B1/027 strain infections included prior use of quinolones (p < 0.03). Risk factors for CDI caused by non-027 strains included chronic cardiac disease (p < 0.05), chronic renal disease (p < 0.009), and elevated serum creatinine levels (p < 0.003). Deaths and relapses were most frequent in the 027 group (10% and 19%, respectively). Conclusions: C. difficile NAP1/BI/027 strain and non-027 strains are established pathogens in our hospital. Accordingly, surveillance of C. difficile infections is now part of our nosocomial prevention program

Exploring the intrinsic Lorentz-violating parameters at DUNE

Neutrinos can push our search for new physics to a whole new level. What makes them so hard to be detected, what allows them to travel humongous distances without being stopped or deflected allows to amplify Planck suppressed effects (or effects of comparable size) to a level that we can measure or bound in DUNE. In this work we analyze the sensitivity of DUNE to CPT and Lorentz- violating interactions in a framework that allows a straightforward extrapolation of the bounds obtained to any phenomenological modification of the dispersion relation of neutrinos

Genetic Diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from Guadalajara, Mexico and Identification of a Rare Multidrug Resistant Beijing Genotype

Determining the genetic diversity of M. tuberculosis strains allows identification of the distinct Mycobacterium tuberculosis genotypes responsible for tuberculosis in different regions. Several studies have reported the genetic diversity of M. tuberculosis strains in Mexico, but little information is available from the state of Jalisco. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates from Western Mexico. Sixty-eight M. tuberculosis isolates were tested for susceptibility to first-line drugs using manual Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube method and genotyped using spoligotyping and IS6110-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) pattern analyses. Forty-seven (69.1%) isolates were grouped into 10 clusters and 21 isolates displayed single patterns by spoligotyping. Three of the 21 single patterns corresponded to orphan patterns in the SITVITWEB database, and 1 new type that contained 2 isolates was created. The most prevalent lineages were T (38.2%), Haarlem (17.7%), LAM (17.7%), X (7.4%), S (5.9%), EAI (1.5%) and Beijing (1.5%). Six (12.8%) of the clustered isolates were MDR, and type 406 of the Beijing family was among the MDR isolates. Seventeen (26.2%) isolates were grouped into 8 clusters and 48 isolates displayed single patterns by IS6110-RFLP. Combination of IS6110-RFLP and spoligotyping reduced the clustering rate to 20.0%. The results show that T, Haarlem, and LAM are predominant lineages among clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis in Guadalajara, Mexico. Clustering rates indicated low transmission of MDR strains. We detected a rare Beijing genotype, SIT406, which was a highly resistant strain. This is the first report of this Beijing genotype in Latin America

Fiber Optic Sensing System for Temperature and Gas Monitoring in Coal Waste Pile Combustion Environments

International audienceIt is presented an optical fiber sensing system projected to operate in the demanding conditions associated with coal waste piles in combustion. Distributed temperature measurement and spot gas sensing are requirements for such a system. A field prototype has been installed and is continuously gathering data, which will input a geological model of the coal waste piles in combustion aiming to understand their dynamics and evolution. Results are presented on distributed temperature and ammonia measurement, being noticed any significant methane emission in the short time period considered. Carbon dioxide is also a targeted gas for measurement, with validated results available soon. The assessment of this technology as an effective and reliable tool to address the problem of monitoring coal waste piles in combustion opens the possibility of its widespread application in view of the worldwide presence of coal related fires

Corrigendum: Suitability of potyviral recombinant virus-like particles bearing a complete food allergen for immunotherapy vaccines(Front. Immunol., (2023), 13, (986823), 10.3389/fimmu.2022.986823)

In the published article, there was an error in the author list, and author Marina Amores-Borge was erroneously excluded. The corrected author list appears below. “Diego Pazos-Castro, Clémence Margain, Zulema Gonzalez-Klein, Marina Amores- Borge, Carmen Yuste-Calvo, Maria Garrido-Arandia, Lucia Zurita, Vanesa Esteban, Jaime Tome-Amat, Araceli Diaz-Perales, Fernando Ponz”In the published article, there was an error. The missing author was not included in the Author Contributions section. A correction has been made to Author contributions. This sentence previously stated: “DP-C: Conceptualization, investigation, writing original draft. CM: Investigation. ZG-K: Conceptualization, investigation, writing review. CY-C: Investigation. MG-A: Investigation, writing review. LZ: Investigation. VE: Writing review, resources, funding acquisition. JT-A: Conceptualization, investigation, writing original draft. AD-P: Conceptualization, writing original draft, resources, funding acquisition. FP: Conceptualization, writing review,resources, funding acquisition. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.” The corrected sentence appears below: “DP-C: Conceptualization, investigation, writing original draft. CM: Investigation. ZG-K: Conceptualization, investigation, writing review. MA-B: Investigation. CY-C: Investigation. MG-A: Investigation, writing review. LZ: Investigation. VE: Writing review, resources, funding acquisition. JT-A: Conceptualization, investigation, writing original draft. AD-P: Conceptualization, writing original draft, resources, funding acquisition. FP: Conceptualization, writing review, resources, funding acquisition. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.” The authors apologize for these errors and state that they do not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated.Peer reviewe

Suitability of potyviral recombinant virus-like particles bearing a complete food allergen for immunotherapy vaccines

Peer reviewe