Profilaxis antibiótica en cirugía

Existe una abundantísima documentación en la literatura acerca de la eficacia de los antibióticos utilizados profilácticamente en cirugía (1-10). Probablemente lo más útil para el trabajo diario de un hospital sea la adopción de pautas concretas que permitan ser evaluadas periódicamente a través de la colaboración, entre otros, de anestesistas, cirujanos y microbiólogos (11,12). En esta línea hemos revisado, de una manera intencionadamente esquemática, diversas facetas relativas a la profilaxis antibiótica en cirugía. Para ello comentaremos algunos aspectos generales de profilaxis de la infección postquirúrgica, unas breves normas para la utilización profiláctica de antibióticos y resumiremos determinadas indicaciones en función del tipo de intervención

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Hispanics: The University of Puerto Rico IBD Registry

A registry of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), was created at the University of Puerto Rico in 1995. Subjects with a documented diagnosis of IBD by clinical, radiologic, endoscopic, and/or pathologic criteria were recruited from the IBD clinics, support groups, and community practices, and demographic and medical data was collected. All entries from 1995 to 2009 were analyzed for demographics, family history, disease extent, extraintestinal manifestations, surgery, and smoking history. Results were described using summary statistics. 635 Hispanics living in Puerto Rico, 299 with UC and 336 with CD, were included. Mean ages were 40.3 for UC and 30.9 for CD. Over half (56%) of UC and 41% of CD were females. Family history was present in 19.3% of UC and 17.5% of CD. Surgery for IBD had been performed in 31.9% of UC and 51.2% of the CD patients. Over one-fourth of the patients reported extraintestinal manifestations, most frequently arthropathies. Our findings contribute to the limited epidemiologic and clinical data on Hispanics with IBD

Scavenger guild and consumption patterns of an invasive alien fish species in a Mediterranean wetland

Invasive Alien Species (IAS) alter ecosystems, disrupting ecological processes and driving the loss of ecosystem services. The common carp Cyprinus carpio is a hazardous and widespread IAS, becoming the most abundant species in many aquatic ecosystems. This species transforms ecosystems by accumulating biomass to the detriment of other species, thus altering food webs. However, some terrestrial species, such as vertebrate scavengers, may benefit from dead carps, by incorporating part of the carp biomass into the terrestrial environment. This study describes the terrestrial vertebrate scavenger assemblage that benefits from carp carcasses in a Mediterranean wetland. We also evaluate the seasonal differences in the scavenger assemblage composition and carrion consumption patterns. Eighty carp carcasses (20 per season) were placed in El Hondo Natural Park, a seminatural mesohaline wetland in south-eastern Spain, and we monitored their consumption using camera traps. We recorded 14 scavenger species (10 birds and four mammals) consuming carp carcasses, including globally threatened species. Vertebrates consumed 73% of the carrion biomass and appeared consuming at 82% of the carcasses. Of these carcasses consumed, 75% were completely consumed and the mean consumption time of carcasses completely consumed by vertebrates was 44.4 h (SD = 42.1 h). We recorded differences in species richness, abundance, and assemblage composition among seasons, but we did not find seasonal differences in consumption patterns throughout the year. Our study recorded a rich and efficient terrestrial vertebrate scavenger assemblage benefitting from carp carcasses. We detected a seasonal replacement on the scavenger species, but a maintenance of the ecological function of carrion removal, as the most efficient carrion consumers were present throughout the year. The results highlight the importance of vertebrate scavengers in wetlands, removing possible infectious focus, and moving nutrients between aquatic and terrestrial environments.JMPG was supported by Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities contracts (IJC-2019-038968). ESG received the grants PID 2021-124744NA-I00 and RYC2019-027216-I funded by MCIN/AEI/ https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 and by ESF Investing in your future

The Netrin-4/ Neogenin-1 axis promotes neuroblastoma cell survival and migration

Neogenin-1 (NEO1) is a transmembrane receptor involved in axonal guidance, angiogenesis, neuronal cell migration and cell death, during both embryonic development and adult homeostasis. It has been described as a dependence receptor, because it promotes cell death in the absence of its ligands (Netrin and Repulsive Guidance Molecule (RGM) families) and cell survival when they are present. Although NEO1 and its ligands are involved in tumor progression, their precise role in tumor cell survival and migration remain unclear. Public databases contain extensive information regarding the expression of NEO1 and its ligands Netrin-1 (NTN1) and Netrin-4 (NTN4) in primary neuroblastoma (NB) tumors. Analysis of this data revealed that patients with high expression levels of both NEO1 and NTN4 have a poor survival rate. Accordingly, our analyses in NB cell lines with different genetic backgrounds revealed that knocking-down NEO1 reduces cell migration, whereas silencing of endogenous NTN4 induced cell death. Conversely, overexpression of NEO1 resulted in higher cell migration in the presence of NTN4, and increased apoptosis in the absence of ligand. Increased apoptosis was prevented when utilizing physiological concentrations of exogenous Netrin-4. Likewise, cell death induced after NTN4 knock-down was rescued when NEO1 was transiently silenced, thus revealing an important role for NEO1 in NB cell survival. In vivo analysis, using the chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model, showed that NEO1 and endogenous NTN4 are involved in tumor extravasation and metastasis. Our data collectively demonstrate that endogenous NTN4/NEO1 maintain NB growth via both pro-survival and pro-migratory molecular signaling.Veronica Palma's work was supported by FONDECYT-1140697. Andrea A. Villanueva, Paulina Falcon and Luis Solano were beneficiaries of CONICYT Fellowships for PhD studies (21130521, AV; 21120358, PF; 21110302, LS).S

Unravelling the vertebrate scavenger assemblage in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia

Despite the essential role that vertebrate scavengers play in ecosystems, most studies have been conducted in Europe and North America, and there is a lack of information on vertebrate scavengers in vast regions of the world. Our aim was to describe the functioning and composition of the unknown vertebrate scavenger assemblage in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, and determine how carcass size and habitat type affect species composition and carrion use. We monitored carcasses with camera traps and we also conducted observation points to survey the raptor community and identify the proportion of raptor species making use of the carcasses. We recorded eight vertebrate scavenger species (five birds and three mammals) by camera trap and seven raptors at observation points. Over half of the raptor species recorded at the observation points were also found feeding on carrion. The two most threatened species were only recorded in the mountain habitat. Furthermore, scavenger abundance and consumption rates were higher at large carcasses. This study highlights the importance of scavenging by raptors and other vertebrate scavengers for carrion elimination in ecosystems with extreme climatic conditions.AOT, JMPG, ZMR, LNA and ESG were supported by Generalitat Valenciana (SEJI/2018/024), ZMR and LNA also by contracts co-funded by the Generalitat Valenciana and the European Social Fund (APOSTD/2019/016 and ACIF/2019/056, respectively), and JASZ by funds from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the European Regional Development Fund (RTI 2018-099609-B-C21)

Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 Controls Adult Neural Stem Cell Expansion by Regulating Sox2 Gene Expression

In the adult brain, continual neurogenesis of olfactory neurons is sustained by the existence of neural stem cells (NSCs) in the subependymal niche. Elimination of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (p21) leads to premature exhaustion of the subependymal NSC pool, suggesting a relationship between cell cycle control and long-term self-renewal, but the molecular mechanisms underlying NSC maintenance by p21 remain unexplored. Here we identify a function of p21 in the direct regulation of the expression of pluripotency factor Sox2, a key regulator of the specification and maintenance of neural progenitors. We observe that p21 directly binds a Sox2 enhancer and negatively regulates Sox2 expression in NSCs. Augmented levels of Sox2 in p21 null cells induce replicative stress and a DNA damage response that leads to cell growth arrest mediated by increased levels of p19(Arf) and p53. Our results show a regulation of NSC expansion driven by a p21/Sox2/p53 axis

Association between ribs shape and pulmonary function in patients with Osteogenesis Imperfecta

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that ribs shape changes in patients with OI are more relevant for respiratory function than thoracic spine shape. We used 3D geometric morphometrics to quantify rib cage morphology in OI patients and controls, and to investigate its relationship with forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), expressed as absolute value and as percentage of predicted value (% pred). Regression analyses on the full sample showed a significant relation between rib shape and FEV1, FVC and FVC % pred whereas thoracic spine shape was not related to any parameter. Subsequent regression analyses on OI patients confirmed significant relations between dynamic lung volumes and rib shape changes. Lower FVC and FEV1 values are identified in OI patients that present more horizontally aligned ribs, a greater antero-posterior depth due to extreme transverse curve at rib angles and a strong spine invagination, greater asymmetry, and a vertically short, thoracolumbar spine, which is relatively straight in at levels 1–8 and shows a marked kyphosis in the thoraco-lumbar transition. Our research seems to support that ribs shape is more relevant for ventilator mechanics in OI patients than the spine shapeThis project was funded by grants of the Fundacion Eresa (grant number: BF14_005), the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (grant number: CGL2015-63648-P), the Care4Brittlebones Foundation (grant number: OTR2016-15543INVES), and the University of Valencia (grant number: UV-INV_AE18-773873)

Imaging, Spectroscopy, Mechanical, Alignment and Biocompatibility Studies of Electrospun Medical Grade Polyurethane (Carbothane™ 3575A) Nanofibers and Composite Nanofibers Containing Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

In the present study, we discuss the electrospinning of medical grade polyurethane (Carbothane™ 3575A) nanofibers containing multi-walled-carbon-nanotubes (MWCNTs). A simple method that does not depend on additional foreign chemicals has been employed to disperse MWCNTs through high intensity sonication. Typically, a polymer solution consisting of polymer/MWCNTs has been electrospun to form nanofibers. Physiochemical aspects of prepared nanofibers were evaluated by SEM, TEM, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy, confirming nanofibers containing MWCNTs. The biocompatibility and cell attachment of the produced nanofiber mats were investigated while culturing them in the presence of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. The results from these tests indicated non-toxic behavior of the prepared nanofiber mats and had a significant attachment of cells towards nanofibers. The incorporation of MWCNTs into polymeric nanofibers led to an improvement in tensile stress from 11.40 ± 0.9 to 51.25 ± 5.5 MPa. Furthermore, complete alignment of the nanofibers resulted in an enhancement on tensile stress to 72.78 ± 5.5 MPa. Displaying these attributes of high mechanical properties and non-toxic nature of nanofibers are recommended for an ideal candidate for future tendon and ligament grafts

Pneumomediastinum as a complication of emphysematous cholecystitis: Case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Emphysematous cholecystitis is a variant of acute cholecystitis which is generally caused by gas-forming organisms. Emphysematous cholecystitis may cause gas spreading within the subcutaneous tissue, peritoneal cavity and retroperitoneum.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present a case of emphysematous cholecystitis in a middle-aged diabetic patient who, postoperatively, presented edema in both flanks and left chest crepitation on palpation, associated with hemodynamic worsening. Computed tomography scan of the chest and abdomen revealed a large pneumomediastinum, pneumoretroperitoneum, gas in subcutaneous tissue and flank abscesses. In both blood and surgical wound exudate cultures, <it>Escherichia coli </it>was found.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Emphysematous cholecystitis should be considered as a possible cause of pneumomediastinum.</p