New insights into enterocin CRL35: mechanism of action and immunity revealed by heterologous expression in Escherichia coli

The role of the class IIa bacteriocin membrane receptor protein remains unclear, and the following two different mechanisms have been proposed: the bacteriocin could interact with the receptor changing it to an open conformation or the receptor might act as an anchor allowing subsequent bacteriocin insertion and membrane disruption. Bacteriocin-producing cells synthesize an immunity protein that forms an inactive bacteriocin–receptor–immunity complex. To better understand the molecular mechanism of enterocin CRL35, the peptide was expressed as the suicidal probe EtpM-enterocin CRL35 in Escherichia coli, a naturally insensitive microorganism since it does not express the receptor. When the bacteriocin is anchored to the periplasmic face of the plasma membrane through the bitopic membrane protein, EtpM, E. coli cells depolarize and die. Moreover, co-expression of the immunity protein prevents the deleterious effect of EtpM-enterocin CRL35. The binding and anchoring of the bacteriocin to the membrane has demonstrated to be a sufficient condition for its membrane insertion. The final step of membrane disruption by EtpM-enterocin CRL35 is independent from the receptor, which means that the mannose PTS might not be involved in the pore structure. In addition, the immunity protein can protect even in the absence of the receptor.Fil: Barraza, Daniela Estefanía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Ríos Colombo, Natalia Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Galván, Adriana Emilce. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Acuña, Leonardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Minahk, Carlos Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Bellomio, Augusto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Chalon, Miriam Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentin

Assessment of the length of sick leave in patients with ischemic heart disease

Background The prevalence of ischemic heart disease is high. Few recent studies have investigated the periods of sick leave of these patients. Our aim is to determine the length of sick leave after an acute coronary syndrome, its costs, associated factors and to assess the use of antidepressants and/or anxiolytics. Methods An observational study of a retrospective cohort of patients on sick leave due to ischemic heart disease in a health region between 2008-2011, with follow-up until the first return to work, death, or end of the study (31/12/2012). Measurements: length of sick leave, sociodemographic variables and medical prescriptions. Results Four hundred and ninety-seven patients (mean age 53 years, 90.7% male), diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction (60%), angina pectoris (20.7%) or chronic form of ischemic heart disease (19.1%). Thirty-seven per cent of patients took anxiolytics the year after diagnosis and 15% took antidepressants. The average duration of sick leave was 177 days (95% CI: 163-191 days). Patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction returned to work after a mean of 192 days, compared to 128 days in cases with angina pectoris. Patients who took antidepressants during the year after diagnosis returned to work after a mean of 240 days. The mean work productivity loss was estimated to be 9,673 euros/person. Conclusions The mean duration of sick leave due to ischemic heart disease was almost six months. Consumption of psychotropic medication doubled after the event. Older age, suffering an acute myocardial infarction and taking antidepressants were associated with a longer sick leave period

Estudio observacional del gasto farmacéutico en población inmigrante y autóctona de la región sanitaria de Lleida (Cataluña)

ResumenObjetivosAnalizar si hay diferencias en el gasto farmacéutico entre inmigrantes y autóctonos en la población general y si el ámbito de residencia (urbano/rural) está asociado al gasto en farmacia.DiseñoEstudio observacional transversal.EmplazamientoRegión Sanitaria Lleida.ParticipantesSe estudiaron 22.847 inmigrantes y 174.768 autóctonos de 15 a 64 años de edad, residentes en la Región Sanitaria Lleida.Mediciones principalesGasto en farmacia durante el año 2007, variables demográficas, zona de procedencia y área de residencia (urbana/rural).ResultadosEn todos los grupos terapéuticos, los individuos autóctonos gastaron más que los inmigrantes. En los hombres, la ratio de riesgo relativo de estar en el cuartil superior de gasto era de 3,2 (ICntervalo de confianza [IC] 95%: 2,96–3,44) en autóctonos respecto a inmigrantes y en las mujeres era de 2,1 (IC 95%: 1,97–2,27). Los inmigrantes de Europa del Este eran los que tenían un riesgo inferior de realizar gasto farmacéutico elevado (último cuartil), con diferencias estadísticamente significativas. Los residentes en el medio rural tenían riesgo superior de realizar gasto farmacéutico elevado respecto a los residentes en el medio urbano.ConclusiónSe observaron desigualdades en el gasto en medicamentos entre inmigrantes y autóctonos. Futuros estudios, cualitativos o mixtos, deberían indagar qué factores se asocian a estas diferencias y proponer acciones dirigidas a reducirlas.AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate whether there are differences in drug spending between immigrant and Spanish-born populations and to assess whether drug consumption is associated with living environment (urban/rural).DesignObservational cross-sectional study.SettingLleida Health Region (LHR).Participants22,847 immigrants and 174,768 native born subjects, aged 15 to 64 years, residing in the LHR.Main measurementsDrug spending during the year 2007, demographical variables, region of origin and residence area (urban/rural).ResultsNative-born subjects spent more in all therapeutic drug groups than immigrants. In men, the relative risk ratio (RRR) of being in the highest quartile of expenditure was 3.2 (95% CI: 2.96–3.44) for native born versus immigrant and in women it was 2.1 (95% CI: 1.97–2.27). Immigrants from eastern Europe had the lowest risk of being in the highest quartile of expenditure, with statistically significant differences. Residents in the rural environment were more likely to have a higher pharmaceutical consumption than residents in the urban environment.ConclusionInequalities in drug spending were observed between immigrants and native born subjects. Further studies, either qualitative or mixed, should explore which factors are related to these differences and propose strategies addressed to reducing them

Ischemic heart disease and primary care: identifying gender-related differences. An observational study

Background: Gender-related differences are seen in multiple aspects of both health and illness. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a pathology in which diagnostic, treatment and prognostic differences are seen between sexes, especially in the acute phase and in the hospital setting. The objective of the present study is to analyze whether there are differences between men and women when examining associated cardiovascular risk factors and secondary pharmacological prevention in the primary care setting. Methods: Retrospective descriptive observational study from January to December of 2006, including 1907 patients diagnosed with ischemic heart disease in the city of Lleida, Spain. The clinical data were obtained from computerized medical records and pharmaceutical records of medications dispensed in pharmacies with official prescriptions. Data was analyzed using bivariate descriptive statistical analysis as well as logistic regression. Results: There were no gender-related differences in screening percentages for arterial hypertension, diabetes, obesity, dyslipemia, and smoking. A greater percentage of women were hypertensive, obese and diabetic compared to men. However, men showed a tendency to achieve control targets more easily than women, with no statistically significant differences. In both sexes cardiovascular risk factors control was inadequate, between 10 and 50%. For secondary pharmaceutical prevention, the percentages of prescriptions were greater in men for anticoagulants, beta-blockers, lipid-lowering agents and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers, with age group variations up to 10%. When adjusting by age and specific diagnoses, differences were maintained for anticoagulants and lipid-lowering agents. Conclusion: Screening of cardiovascular risk factors was similar in men and women with IHD. Although a greater percentage of women were hypertensive, diabetic or obese, their management of risk factors tended to be worse than men. Overall, a poor control of cardiovascular risk factors was noted. Taken as a whole, more men were prescribed secondary prevention drugs, with differences varying by age group and IHD diagnosis

Investigating fragmentation of gas structures in OB cluster-forming molecular clump G33.92+0.11 with 1000 AU resolution observations of ALMA

We report new, $\sim$1000 AU spatial resolution observations of 225 GHz dust continuum emission towards the OB cluster-forming molecular clump G33.92+0.11. On parsec scales, this molecular clump presents a morphology with several arm-like dense gas structures surrounding the two central massive ($\gtrsim$100 $M_{\odot}$) cores. From the new, higher resolution observations, we identified 28 localized, spatially compact dust continuum emission sources, which may be candidates of young stellar objects. Only one of them is not embedded within known arm-like (or elongated) dense gas structures. The spatial separations of these compact sources can be very well explained by Jeans lengths. We found that G33.92+0.11 may be consistently described by a marginally centrifugally supported, Toomre unstable accretion flow which is approximately in a face-on projection. The arm-like overdensities are natural consequence of the Toomre instability, which can fragment to form young stellar objects in shorter time scales than the timescale of the global clump contraction. On our resolved spatial scales, there is not yet evidence that the fragmentation is halted by turbulence, magnetic field, or stellar feedback.Comment: 24 pages, 18 figures. Accepted to publish on December 04, 2018; updated to arXiv on December 05, 201

Processes, bacteria and archaea involved in the biological nitrogen cycle for the removal of nitrogen compounds in freshwater ecosystems, a systematic review

ABSTRACT: In aquatic ecosystems, water exchange is no longer considered a suitable option for management in aquaculture. As avoidance of this water exchange in generation of nitrogen-containing compounds has become an objective in the field, the best option to achieve it is the biological nitrogen cycle, where toxic nitrogen compounds accumulated in the metabolic waste of fish, uneaten food and organic matter, among others, are processed to less toxic nitrogen compounds and are released into the atmosphere as gases. Objective To describe processes, bacteria and archeobacteria reported in scientific literature as participants in the biological nitrogen cycle in freshwater ecosystems. Materials and methods A systematic review of scientific literature that included articles published from 2002 to 2012, available in the databases of the library system of the University of Antioquia (ScienceDirect, ACS, SpringerLink and PubMed) was carried out; the keywords employed in accordance to scientific database descriptors (DecS) were “nitrogen cycle”, “bacteria”, “archaea”, “freshwater”, “aquatics ecosystems” y “aquarium”. Results From a total of 383, 54 articles that complied with the inclusion criteria were selected. Such articles described the nitrogen cycle and the processes that occur in it as nitrification, denitrification and anammox process, as well as bacteria and archaea involved in these processes; the enzymes involved in each process and physicochemical factors affecting the biological nitrogen cycle were also described. In addition, some methods that have been proven effective in optimizing the removal of nitrogen compounds in freshwater ecosystems are briefly described. Conclusions Diversity of bacteria and archaea that are involved in the nitrogen cycle is overlooked due to the difficulty to isolate them by traditional methods in the laboratory. In addition, it is concluded that studies which show the various interactions of different types of microorganisms that are involved in nitrogen cycle in other natural habitats are required.RESUMEN: En los ecosistemas acuáticos, el intercambio de agua ya no se considera una opción adecuada para la gestión en la acuicultura, siendo entonces el interés particular evitar este recambio de agua en la generación de compuestos que contienen nitrógeno, la mejor opción para lograr evitar este recambio de agua es el ciclo biológico del nitrógeno, donde compuestos tóxicos del nitrógeno que se acumulan por los desechos del metabolismo de peces, alimentos no consumidos y materia orgánica, entre otros, son transformados a compuestos nitrogenados menos tóxicos y que se liberan a la atmósfera como gases. Objetivo Describir los procesos, bacterias y arqueobacterias reportados en la literatura científica como participes en el ciclo biológico del nitrógeno en ecosistemas de agua dulce. Materiales y métodos Se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura científica donde se incluyeron los artículos publicados desde el 2002 hasta 2012, disponibles en las bases de datos del sistema de bibliotecas de la Universidad de Antioquia (ScienceDirect, ACS, SpringerLink y PubMed), se utilizaron las palabras claves según la base de datos de descriptores científicos “DecS”, entre ellas “nitrogen cycle”, “bacteria”, “archaea”, “freshwater”, “aquatics ecosystems” y “aquarium”. Resultados De un total de 383 artículos, se seleccionaron 54 que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión, a partir de los cuales se describió el ciclo del nitrógeno y los procesos que en él se dan como la nitrificación, la desnitrificación y el proceso anammox, así como también se describen las bacterias y arqueobacterias que participan en estos procesos, las enzimas involucradas en cada proceso y los factores físico-químicos que influyen en el ciclo biológico del nitrógeno, adicionalmente se describen brevemente algunos métodos que han demostrado optimizar la eliminación de compuestos nitrogenados en ecosistemas de agua dulce. Conclusión La diversidad de bacterias y arqueobacterias que participan en el ciclo del nitrógeno esta subestimada, debido a la dificultad de aislarlas en el laboratorio por los métodos tradicionales, además se concluye que se necesitan estudios que demuestren las diversas interacciones de los diferentes tipos de microorganismos que participan en el ciclo del nitrógeno en otros hábitats naturales