Serotypes, virulence genes, and PFGE patterns of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from Cuban pigs with diarrhea

Thirty-six enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from Cuban pigs with diarrhea were serotyped and screened by PCR for the presence of virulence genes. The 36 isolates belonged to 11 O serogroups and 14 O:H serotypes, with 53% of the isolates belonging to only two serotypes: O141:H– (13 isolates) and O157:H19 (6 isolates). Genes coding for STb, STa, VT2e, and LT toxins were identified in 69, 61, 53, and 6% of the isolates, respectively. The most prevalent fimbrial adhesin was F18, detected in 22 (61%) isolates. The gene encoding F6 (P987) colonization factor was identified in three (8%) isolates. None of the 36 isolates assayed contained genes encoding F4 (K88), F5 (K99), or F41. The seropathotype O141:H–:STa/STb/VT2e/F18 (13 isolates) was the most frequently detected, followed by O157:H19:VT2e/F18 (5 isolates). A genetic diversity study, carried out by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of 24 representative isolates, revealed 21 distinct restriction patterns clustered in 18 groups (I–XVIII). Isolates of the same serotype were placed together in a dendrogram, but isolates of serotype O157:H19 showed a high degree of polymorphism. The results of this study demonstrate the presence in Cuba of different clusters among one of the most prevalent serotypes isolated from pigs with diarrhea. Further experiments are needed to determine whether some of these clusters have appeared recently; if so, their evolution, as well as their possible association with pathogenicity in farms should be studied. [Int Microbiol 2006; 9(1):53-60

Caracterización etnológica de la raza bovina negra andaluza

La raza bovina Negra Andaluza o de las Campiñas, una de las razas mansas procedentes del Tronco Negro Ibérico, vio reducido su censo como consecuencia de la llegada de la mecanización del campo, por ello, en la actualidad, está catalogada como raza de protección oficial, quedando algunos rebaños en las zonas de sierra de las provincias de Córdoba y Huelva y en las tierras bajas de las provincias de Sevilla, Cádiz y Huelva. Pese a existir descripciones de la raza en la bibliografía clásica, hasta la fecha no se había realizado ningún estudio de caracterización detallada. Los estudios realizados para el presente trabajo se han desarrollado con este fin bajo la financiación del proyecto INIA identificado como RZ2004-0013. Se han analizado un total de 6 medidas zoométricas y 27 caracteres de índole morfológica y faneróptica en una muestra de 81 animales (78 hembras y 3 machos). Las medias obtenidas en las variables zoométricas son inferiores, tanto en las hembras como en los machos, a las aportadas por la bibliografía clásica (135-140 para la alzada a la cruz, 138-143 para la alzada a las palomillas y 60-66 para el diámetro bicostal). En cuanto a los caracteres cualitativos, se ha obtenido que éstos son poco polimórficos y que su forma de presentación más frecuente coincide en muchos de ellos con el estándar racial vigente.Proyecto INIA. Ministerio de Educación y Cienci

La edición digital de textos literarios: planteamientos y perspectivas de futuro

La edición digital de textos literarios se encuentra sumida en un proceso de evolución constante con amplísimas perspectivas de desarrollo gracias a las soluciones tecnológicas disponibles. Sin embargo, las posibilidades teóricas de la actual sociedad de la información contrastan ampliamente con el panorama real de edición que nos encontramos en España, donde la llamada “brecha digital” se hace patente. Este trabajo se ocupa, en primer lugar, de evaluar el panorama internacional de recursos, herramientas y proyectos en el ámbito de la edición digital de textos literarios para después analizar sus claves de evolución y otros aspectos relevantes, como el acceso a los contenidos en abierto, el uso de interfaces amigables y accesibles, el cumplimiento de los estándares, el trabajo interdisciplinar y la interoperabilidad. El objetivo fi nal de estos análisis y refl exiones es ofrecer nuevas pautas y perspectivas de futuro que trasciendan más allá del texto como mero objeto de estudio.Digital scholarly edition is conditioned by a continuous and challenging process of change due to the availability of many different technical solutions. However, those theoretical possibilities face with the real situation of editions in Spain, where the so-called “digital gap” grows constantly. This paper deals with the analysis of the international panorama of resources, tools and projects related to digital scholarly editions. Its objective is to study their ways of evolution and other relevant aspects, as open access, friendly interfaces, accessibility, standardization level, interdisciplinary work and interoperability. The fi nal aim of these analysis and refl ections is to offer new guidelines and perspectives for the future of the text, taking it further than a simple study object

Proceedings of the 8th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture

Under the banner: The Future of Farming – Profitable and Sustainable Farming with Conservation Agriculture, the 8WCCA highlighted the global contribution of Conservation Agriculture towards achieving these outcomes. It also explored how CA land use can help to address humankind’s major global challenges of climate change, environmental degradation and food security while safeguarding the livelihoods of small and large-scale farmers. The proven benefits of CA in terms of erosion control, carbon sequestration, biodiversity regeneration, and improved water and nutrient cycling are all contributing to the achievement of the manifold objectives of the international conventions and agreements including the Sustainable Development Goals, European Green Deal and F2F Strategy

Validation through finite element simulation of the behaviour of a polyurethane shock absorber under in-service and extreme conditions

ABSTRACT: The safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts, currently in force in Europe, include several requirements concerning the behaviour of the shock absorbers when stopping an elevator. In this paper, a finite element model simulating the behaviour of a cellular polyurethane shock absorber has been developed. The material mechanical behaviour was simulated by means of an elastomeric foam theoretical model, previously calibrated in a former paper. Several in-service and extreme condition scenarios have been analysed with this numerical model, thus verifying the fulfilment of the requirements of the standard

Characterization of mechanical properties of a shock absorber polyurethane foam for elevators. Numerical fitting of mechanical behavior models for hyperelastic and elastomeric foam materials

ABSTRACT: The elastic cellular polyurethane elastomer is widely used to manufacture shock absorbers for elevators, due to its excellent conditions for absorption of energy and vibration damping. In this paper, a complete mechanical characterization of this material was performed including the uniaxial compressive test, the planar test, and the volumetric and the simple shear test. From the experimental results, several models of behavior for hyperelastic and elastomeric foam materials have been analyzed by fitting their corresponding material parameters. The scope of this work includes the Ogden model, the Van der Waals model, and polynomial and elastomeric foam forms

Serotypes, virulence genes, and PFGE profiles of Escherichia coli isolated from pigs with postweaning diarrhoea in Slovakia

BACKGROUND: Postweaning diarrhoea (PWD) in pigs is usually the main infectious problem of large-scale farms and is responsible for significant losses worldwide. The disease is caused mainly by enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC). In this study a total of 101 E. coli isolated from pigs with PWD in Slovakia were characterized using phenotypic and genotypic methods. RESULTS: These 101 isolates belonged to 40 O:H serotypes. However, 57% of the isolates belonged to only six serotypes (O9:H51, O147:H-, O149:H10, O163:H-, ONT:H-, and ONT:H4), including two new serotypes (O163:H- and ONT:H4) not previously found among porcine ETEC and STEC isolated in other countries. Genes for EAST1, STb, STa, LT and Stx2e toxins were identified in 64%, 46%, 26%, 20%, and 5% of isolates, respectively. PCR showed that 35% of isolates carried genes for F18 colonization factor, and further analyzed by restriction endonuclease revealed that all of them were F18ac. Genes for F4 (K88), F6 (P987), F17, F5 (K99), F41, and intimin (eae gene) adhesins were detected in 19 %, 5%, 3%, 0.9%, 0.9%, and 0.9% of the isolates, respectively. The study of genetic diversity, carried out by PFGE of 46 representative ETEC and STEC isolates, revealed 36 distinct restriction profiles clustered in eight groups. Isolates of the same serotype were placed together in the dendrogram, but high degree of polymorphism among certain serotypes was detected. CONCLUSION: Seropathotype O149:H10 LT/STb/EAST1/F4 (14 isolates) was the most commonly detected followed by O163:H- EAST1/F18 (six isolates), and ONT:H4 STa/STb/Stx2e/F18 (five isolates). Interestingly, this study shows that two new serotypes (O163:H- and ONT:H4) have emerged as pig pathogens in Slovakia. Furthermore, our results show that there is a high genetic variation mainly among ETEC of O149:H10 serotype

El legado del manejo forestal en bosques tropicales: análisis de su influencia a largo plazo por medio de modelos ecosistémicos

Forest management can modify key ecosystem attributes, affecting tree growth long after the end of forest management. Long-term influence of current management on forest recovery has been explored with the FORECAST model in Pinus caribaea Morelet plantations in western Cuba. Management for three different products was simulated: biomass, fibre and timber, with differences in rotation length and harvest intensity. Our results show that biomass production can produce ecosystem degradation that may need centuries to recover. If fibre is the objective of management, ecosystem recovery would be faster than managing for bioenergy. However, only if timber is the final objective the ecosystem might be able to keep similar conditions to the natural forest. In conclusion, our results show that forest management legacies can be a key factor in accelerating of delaying forest ecosystem recovery, depending on the exploitation intensity. These results also show the utility of ecosystem-level management models to analyze alternative management scenarios and their effects on the forest ecosystem.El manejo forestal puede cambiar atributos clave del ecosistema, afectando al crecimiento de los árboles mucho después del cese de las actividades forestales. En este trabajo se ha explorado la influencia del manejo en la recuperación plantaciones de Pinus caribaea Morelet en el occidente cubano por medio del modelo FORECAST. Se simularon tres manejos diferentes: producción de biomasa, de fibra y de madera, difiriendo en la duración del turno y en la intensidad de la retirada de biomasa. Nuestros resultados muestran que la producción de biomasa puede producir una degradación del ecosistema que necesitaría varios siglos para recuperar su estado inicial. Esta recuperación sería más rápida si la plantación se destina a la producción de fibra, y si el objetivo es madera el ecosistema podría mantener unas condiciones similares a las existentes antes de la intervención humana. En conclusión, nuestros resultados muestran cómo el legado del manejo forestal puede ser un factor clave en acelerar o retrasar la recuperación de los ecosistemas forestales, dependiendo de la intensidad de la explotación. Estos resultados también muestran la utilidad de los modelos ecológicos de manejo forestal para analizar diferentes escenarios alternativos de manejo y sus efectos sobre el ecosistema forestal

Identification of two new intimin types in atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

Stool specimens of patients with diarrhea or other gastrointestinal alterations who were admitted to Xeral-Calde Hospital (Lugo, Spain) were analyzed for the prevalence of typical and atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC). Atypical EPEC strains (eae+ bfp–) were detected in 105 (5.2%) of 2015 patients, whereas typical EPEC strains (eae+ bfp+) were identified in only five (0.2%) patients. Atypical EPEC strains were (after Salmonella) the second most frequently recovered enteropathogenic bacteria. In this study, 110 EPEC strains were characterized. The strains belonged to 43 O serogroups and 69 O:H serotypes, including 44 new serotypes not previously reported among human EPEC. However, 29% were of one of three serogroups (O26, O51, and O145) and 33% belonged to eight serotypes (O10:H–, O26:H11, O26:H–, O51:H49, O123:H19, O128:H2, O145:H28, and O145:H–). Only 14 (13%) could be assigned to classical EPEC serotypes. Fifteen intimin types, namely, α1 (6 strains), α2 (4 strains), β1 (34 strains), ξR/β2 (6 strains), γ1 (13 strains), γ2/θ (16 strains), δ/k (5 strains), ε1 (9 strains), νR/ε2 (5 strains), ζ (6 strains), ι1 (1 strain), μR/ι2 (1 strain), νB (1 strain), ξB (1 strain), and ο (2 strains), were detected among the 110 EPEC strains, but none of the strains was positive for intimin types μ1, μ2, λ, or μB. In addition, in atypical EPEC strains of serotypes O10:H–, O84:H–, and O129:H–, two new intimin genes (eae-νB and eae-ο) were identified. These genes showed less than 95% nucleotide sequence identity with existing intimin types. Phylogenetic analysis revealed six groups of closely related intimin genes: (i) α1, α2, ζ, νB, and ο; (ii) ι1 and μR/ι2; (iii) β1, ξR/β2B, δ/β2O, and κ; (iv) ε1, ξB, η1,η2, and νR/ε2; (v) γ1, μB, γ2, and θ; and (vi) λ. These results indicate that atypical EPEC strains belonging to large number of serotypes and with different intimin types might be frequently isolated from human clinical stool samples in Spain. [Int Microbiol 2006; 9(2):103-110

EVALUACIÓN DE LA EFECTIVIDAD ANESTÉSICA DE LA ACUPUNTURA COMPARADA CON LA LIDOCAÍNA EN PROCEDIMIENTOS ODONTOLÓGICOS DE OPERATORIA: ESTUDIO PRELIMINAR

Objetivo: Evaluar la efectividad de la acupuntura comparada con la lidocaína para producir anestesia durante los procedimientos odontológicos de operatoria.Materiales y métodos: Se desarrolló un estudio experimental de tipo ensayo clínico no controlado en 41 individuos de 18 a 45 años, asistentes a las clínicas odontológicas de la Universidad Santo Tomás, que requerían tratamientos de operatoria. Se estableció la incidencia de dolor en los dos grupos de tratamiento y se describieron los posibles efectos secundarios en las dos intervenciones.Resultados: En total se evaluaron 41 individuos, el 36.6% pertenecían al grupo de acupuntura (n=15), y el 63.4%, al grupo de lidocaína (n=26). La distribución por género mostró para mujeres 58.54%, y para hombres 41.46%, con un promedio de edad de 25.7 y 31.15 años. De los 41 individuos evaluados, 16 (39.02%) sintieron dolor durante el tratamiento, 16 (39.02%) tuvieron adormecimiento muscular; 13 (31.71 %) sintieron dolor al insertar la aguja en el tejido; 8 (19.51 %) presentaron sangrado o hematoma; 4 (9.76%) presentaron irritación; 3 (7.32%) registraron dolor de cabeza, y 1 (2.44%) mostró sudoración.Conclusiones: Se podría sugerir que ambas técnicas son iguales en efectividad para los procedimientos de operatoria simple. Por medio de la acupuntura se puede evitar (60%) o disminuir (40%) el dolor ocasionado durante los procedimientos operatorios, para eliminar la dosis del fármaco administrado con este fin. Los resultados observados y la preferencia de los individuos que participaron, permiten concluir que se pueden obtener buenos resultados si la técnica es adecuada.[González D, Blanco R. Evaluación de la efectividad anestésica de la acupuntura comparada con la lidocaína en procedimientos odontológicos de operatoria: Estudio preliminar. Ustasalud Odontología 2004; 3: 86 - 91]Objective: To assess the effectiveness of the acupuncture compared with the lydocaine to produce anesthesia during dental restorative procedures.Materials and methods: A not controlled clinical experimental study was developed in subjects whose ages were 18 to 45 years, attending the dental clinics of Santo Tomas University. They required operative dental treatments. The pain incidence in the two treatment groups and the possible secondary effects were registered.Results: Forty one subjects were evaluated, 36.6% were in the acupuncture group (n=15) and 63.4% in the lydocaine group (n = 26). The distribution by gender showed that women 58.54% and men 41.46%. The average of age was 25.7 and 31.15 years, respectively, and the range was between 18 and 45 years. Of the 41 subjects, 16 (39.02%) felt pain during the treatment, 16 (39.02%) had muscular drowsiness, 13 (31.71%) felt pain when inserting the needle in the tissue, 8 (19.51%) bled, 4 (9.76%) presented irritation, 3 (7.32%) registered headache, and 1 (2.44%) was sweaty.Conclusions: Both techniques were similar in effectiveness during the procedures of operative. By means of the acupuncture you can avoid (60%) or diminish (40%) the pain caused during the restorative procedures, eliminating for the patient the medication dose administered with this purpose