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Low Baseline Pneumococcal Antibody Titers Predict Specific Antibody Deficiency, Increased Upper Respiratory Infections, and Allergy Sensitization.
Background:Inadequate titers of pneumococcal antibody (PA) are commonly present among patients with recurrent respiratory infections. Objective:We sought to determine the effect of the degree of inadequacy in baseline PA titers on the subsequent polysaccharide vaccine response, the incidence of sinusitis, and allergic conditions. Methods:A total of 313 patients aged 6 to 70 years with symptoms of recurrent respiratory infections were classified by baseline-pPA (percentage of protective [≥1.3 µg/mL] PA serotypes/total tested serotypes) and postvaccination pPA (post-pPA): Group A (adequate baseline-pPA), Group B (inadequate baseline-pPA, adequate post-pPA, responders), and Group C (inadequate baseline-pPA, inadequate postpPA, nonresponders, specific antibody deficiency [SAD]). Immunity against Streptococcus pneumoniae was defined as adequate when the pPA was ≥70%. Each group and combined groups, Group AB (inadequate baseline-pPA), and Group BC (adequate post-pPA) were analyzed for demographics, history of sinusitis, recurrent sinusitis in the following year, allergic conditions, and association with inadequate individual serotype titers. Results:Over 80% of patients with respiratory symptoms had inadequate baseline-pPA. Baseline-pPA and SAD prevalence are inversely related (odds ratio = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.15-3.57, P = .01). Inadequate serotype 3 antibody titer is highly associated with SAD (odds ratio = 2.02, 96% CI: 1.61-5.45, P < .01). The groups with inadequate pPA (Group B and C, or BC) had significantly higher percentage of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (P < .001), allergic sensitization, and allergic rhinitis (P < .05). Group A contained higher percentage of patients with recurrent upper airway infections (P < .001). Conclusion:Low baseline-pPA and low antibody titers to serotype 3 are highly associated with SAD, increased incidence of respiratory infections including CRS and allergic conditions
Electromagnetic Composites: from Effective Medium Theories to Metamaterials
Electromagnetic (EM) composites have stimulated tremendous fundamental and
practical interests owing to their flexible electromagnetic properties and
extensive potential engineering applications. Hence, it is necessary to
systematically understand the physical mechanisms and design principles
controlling EM composites. In this tutorial, we first provide an overview of
the basic theory of electromagnetism about electromagnetic constitutive
parameters that can represent the electromagnetic properties of materials. We
show how this corpus allows a consistent construction of effective medium
theories and allows for numerical simulation of EM composites to deal with
structure-property relationships. We then discuss the influence of spatial
dispersion of shaped inclusions in the material medium on the EM properties of
composites, which has not been systematically illustrated in the context of
this interdisciplinary topic. Next, artificial composites or metamaterials with
peculiar properties not readily available in nature are highlighted with
particular emphasis on the control of the EM interaction with composites. We
conclude by discussing appropriate methods of electromagnetic measurement and
practical aspects for implementing composites for specific applications are
described. Overall, this tutorial will serve the purpose of introducing the
basics and applications of electromagnetic composites to newcomers in this
field. It is also anticipated that researchers from different backgrounds
including materials science, optics, and electrical engineering can communicate
to each other with the same language when dealing with this interdisciplinary
subject and further push forward this advancement from fundamental science to
technological applications.Comment: 63 pages, 20 figure
Filling the Gaps to Solve the Extensin Puzzle
Extensins (EXTs) are highly repetitive plant O-glycoproteins that require several post-translational modifications (PTMs) to become functional in plant cell walls. First, they are hydroxylated on contiguous proline residues; then they are O-glycosylated on hydroxyproline and serine. After secretion into the apoplast, O-glycosylated EXTs form a tridimensional network organized by inter- and intra-Tyr linkages. Recent studies have made significant progress in the identification of the enzymatic machinery required to process EXTs, which includes prolyl 4-hydroxylases, glycosyltransferases, papain-type cysteine endopeptidases, and peroxidases. EXTs are abundant in plant tissues and are particularly important in rapidly expanding root hairs and pollen tubes, which grow in a polar manner. Small changes in EXT PTMs affect fast-growing cells, although the molecular mechanisms underlying this regulation are unknown. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of EXT modifications throughout the secretory pathway, EXT assembly in cell walls, and possible sensing mechanisms involving the Catharanthus roseus cell surface sensor receptor-like kinases located at the interface between the apoplast and the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane. This review describes recent progress in our understanding of extensin post-translational modifications throughout the secretory pathway, extensin secretion and assembly in the cell walls, and possible sensing mechanisms at the interface between the apoplast and the cytoplasmic side of the cell surface.Fil: Marzol, Eliana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones BioquĂmicas de Buenos Aires. FundaciĂłn Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones BioquĂmicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Borassi, Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones BioquĂmicas de Buenos Aires. FundaciĂłn Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones BioquĂmicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Bringas, Mauro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de QuĂmica, FĂsica de los Materiales, Medioambiente y EnergĂa. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de QuĂmica, FĂsica de los Materiales, Medioambiente y EnergĂa; ArgentinaFil: Sede, Ana RocĂo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones BioquĂmicas de Buenos Aires. FundaciĂłn Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones BioquĂmicas de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en IngenierĂa GenĂ©tica y BiologĂa Molecular "Dr. HĂ©ctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: RodrĂguez Garcia, Diana Rosa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones BioquĂmicas de Buenos Aires. FundaciĂłn Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones BioquĂmicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Capece, Luciana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de QuĂmica, FĂsica de los Materiales, Medioambiente y EnergĂa. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de QuĂmica, FĂsica de los Materiales, Medioambiente y EnergĂa; ArgentinaFil: Estevez, Jose Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones BioquĂmicas de Buenos Aires. FundaciĂłn Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones BioquĂmicas de Buenos Aires; Argentin
Applied microbiology on poultry industry: from nutrition to the gut microbiota
Poultry products (i.e., meat and eggs) are one of the major protein sources for the human diet. The animal’s diet is one of the key elements that the poultry industry has been focused on, to improve the animal’s performance, maintaining their healthy growth and, ultimately, high quality end products. The incorporation of functional ingredients in feed formulations, aiming to provide extra benefits and/or prevent diseases, has been considered efficient in maintaining the animal’s productivity and simultaneously ensure its well-being. Nutrient’s bioavailability varies throughout digestion and absorption within the poultry’s gastrointestinal tract (GIT). A reliable in vitro model, as the one developed and used in this study, capable of mimicking all digestion, absorptive and cecal fermentation processes, is a useful tool to study the potential benefits of feed supplemented with functional and/or bioactive ingredients. The developed in vitro gastrointestinal model simulates the chemical, enzymatic, and mechanical conditions prevailing in the chicken´s GIT, from beak to cecum. Fresh broiler’s cecal samples were used as inoculum for batch cecal fermentation and the impact of different feed formulations, on bacteria modulation, organic acids, and total ammonia nitrogen production, were assessed. Overall, this approach enables to evaluate, as close to reality as possible, the potential of target additives, providing a trustworthy tool for the development of functional feeds.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
Strategies to assess the impact of sustainable functional food ingredients on gut microbiota
Nowadays, it is evident that food ingredients have different roles and distinct health benefits to the consumer. Over the past years, the interest in functional foods, especially those targeting gut health, has grown significantly. The use of industrial byproducts as a source of new functional and sustainable ingredients as a response to such demands has raised interest. However, the properties of these ingredients can be affected once incorporated into different food matrices. Therefore, when searching for the least costly and most suitable, beneficial, and sustainable formulations, it is necessary to understand how such ingredients perform when supplemented in different food matrices and how they impact the host's health. As proposed in this manuscript, the ingredients' properties can be first evaluated using in vitro gastrointestinal tract (GIT) simulation models prior to validation through human clinical trials. In vitro models are powerful tools that mimic the physicochemical and physiological conditions of the GIT, enabling prediction of the potentials of functional ingredients per se and when incorporated into a food matrix. Understanding how newly developed ingredients from undervalued agro-industrial sources behave as supplements supports the development of new and more sustainable functional foods while scientifically backing up health-benefits claims.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Human and animal in vitro gastrointestinal models: importance and applications
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Supporting information for National, regional, and worldwide estimates of low birthweight rates in 2015, with trends from 2000: a systematic analysis
Data produced by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, LSHTM and Johns Hopkins University to estimate national low birthweight (LBW) and numbers for 195 countries. LBW data was collated through a systematic review of national routine/registration systems, nationally representative surveys, and other data sources, and subsequently modelled using restricted maximum likelihood estimation with country-level random effects. Data includes a list of 1447 rate data points used as an input to the modelled estimates, yearly national-level covariates for each of the 195 countries studied from 2000 to 2015, and information on estimated low birthweight rates from 2000 to 2015 for 148 countries with data. Stata code used to generate these estimates is provided
Human Q fever in Spain (2016-2020)
ArtĂculo BES V.31N.1IntroducciĂłn: La fiebre Q es una antropozoonosis causada por Coxiella burnetii. una bacteria extremadamente resistente a condiciones medioambientales adversas. Se transmite por vĂa aĂ©rea de animales a personas y, en España, paĂs que más casos anuales notifica a Europa, los reservorios principales son los rumiantes domĂ©sticos.
Método: Análisis epidemiológico descriptivo de los casos de fiebre Q notificados a la Red Nacional
de Vigilancia EpidemiolĂłgica (RENAVE) entre 2016 y 2020 en 45 provincias. Se analizaron variables
temporales y espaciales. Análisis espacial en las zonas de mayor incidencia y cálculo del riesgo relativo
suavizado (RRs) por municipio.
Resultados: 1749 casos totales, de los cuales1249 son hombres (71,2%). La mayorĂa se producen entre
los 35 y los 55 años. La incidencia aumenta de marzo a junio. La distribución espacial es heterogénea
y se concentra en las Islas Canarias, el PaĂs Vasco, La Rioja, Navarra y AndalucĂa Occidental. Las zonas
más afectadas tienen patrones espaciales con distintos niveles de RRs. En Canarias el RRs parece
superior en las islas orientales. En las provincias del norte peninsular es superior las provincias occidentales.
En AndalucĂa y Badajoz es mayor en el sureste de Badajoz y norte de Sevilla.
Conclusiones: La situaciĂłn epidemiolĂłgica de la fiebre Q parece mantenerse estable. La infecciĂłn es
más frecuente en varones en edades medias. El aumento de casos en primavera puede relacionarse
con el ciclo reproductivo del ganado. Factores ambientales pueden condicionar la distribuciĂłn espacial.
Dado el carácter zoonótico y geográfico-estacional, serán necesarios futuros estudios orientados
desde una perspectiva Una Salud.N
Mating, but Not Male Accessory Gland Products, Changes Female Response to Olfactory Cues in Anastrepha Fruit Flies
Copulation and/or ejaculate components can alter female physiological state and female post-mating behavior. The objective of the present study was to determine if copulation and male reproductive accessory gland products (MAGs) modify the behavior of female Anastrepha ludens (Loew) and Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart; Diptera: Tephritidae) in response to two stimuli: male-emitted pheromone and oviposition host volatiles. Olfactometry studies revealed that mated females of both A. ludens and A. obliqua have a stronger response for host volatiles compared to unmated females, which have a stronger response for male pheromone. We also examined olfactory responses of females mated to testectomized males who could transfer MAGs but not sperm. In both species, MAGs alone did not cause the change in the olfactory response observed after copulation, unlike what has been found in Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Females mated to testectomized males responded equally to the male sex pheromone or to host volatiles, thus suggesting that the whole ejaculate is needed to elicit the complete behavioral switch in olfactory response. The function of MAGs is still unknown in these two pests of economic importance. The response for host volatiles by mated females has implications for the development of baits and traps that should preferably attract and target this population.Fil: CĂłrdova GarcĂa, Guadalupe. Universidad Veracruzana; MĂ©xicoFil: Sirot, Laura. The College Of Wooster; Estados UnidosFil: Abraham, Solana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales MicrobiolĂłgicos; ArgentinaFil: DĂaz Fleischer, Francisco. Universidad Veracruzana; MĂ©xicoFil: Flores Estevez, Norma. Universidad Veracruzana; MĂ©xicoFil: LĂłpez Ortega, Maurilio. Universidad Veracruzana; MĂ©xicoFil: PĂ©rez Staples, Diana. Universidad Veracruzana; MĂ©xic
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