Multilocus sequence typing of Cronobacter sakazakii and Cronobacter malonaticus reveals stable clonal structures with clinical significance which do not correlate with biotypes

Background: The Cronobacter genus (Enterobacter sakazakii) has come to prominence due to its association with infant infections, and the ingestion of contaminated reconstituted infant formula. C. sakazakii and C. malonaticus are closely related, and are defined according their biotype. Due to the ubiquitous nature of the organism, and the high severity of infection for the immunocompromised, a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme has been developed for the fast and reliable identification and discrimination of C. sakazakii and C. malonaticus strains. It was applied to 60 strains of C. sakazakii and 16 strains of C. malonaticus, including the index strains used to define the biotypes. The strains were from clinical and non-clinical sources between 1951 and 2008 in USA, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the Far East. Results: This scheme uses 7 loci; atpD, fusA, glnS, gltB, gyrB, infB, and pps. There were 12 sequence types (ST) identified in C. sakazakii, and 3 in C. malonaticus. A third (22/60) of C. sakazakii strains were in ST4, which had almost equal numbers of clinical and infant formula isolates from 1951 to 2008. ST8 may represent a particularly virulent grouping of C. sakazakii as 7/8 strains were clinical in origin which had been isolated between 1977 - 2006, from four countries. C. malonaticus divided into three STs. The previous Cronobacter biotyping scheme did not clearly correspond with STs nor with species. Conclusion: In conclusion, MLST is a more robust means of identifying and discriminating between C. sakazakii and C. malonaticus than biotyping. The MLST database for these organisms is available online at http://pubmlst.org/cronobacter

Occupational Diseases and Perceived Health in Operating Room Nurses : A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Observational Study

Background: The surgical environment has multiple factors that could affect nurses' health. The aim was to determine the effects of the working environment of operating room nurses on their health compared to hospitalization nurses. Methods: A sample of operating room nurses and hospitalization nurses were included in the study and participated by filling in a self-report survey containing sociodemographic data items, the validated Nordic and SF12 scales and a list of medical conditions. Results: Three hundred and thirty-one nurses participated in the study. Statistically significant results had obtained for diagnoses of musculoskeletal disorders and contact dermatitis among the operating room nurses. Conclusion/Application to Practice: Continuous training in ergonomics is essential. Moreover, surgical protocols for preventing infection should be revised, optimizing the chlorhexidine content of soaps to reduce the risk of lesions among the surgical staff

El pánico miedo en el asma bronquial: relación con parámetros socio-demográficos y de evaluación clínica

El pánico-miedo (P-M) describe 2 dimensiones diferentes: la experiencia subjetiva de pánico y ansiedad durante crisis asmáticas y una dimensión estable de personalidad. Nuestro objetivo es el estudio de la relación entre P-M y variables sociodemográficos y clínicas. Para ello valoramos ambas dimensiones en 77 pacientes asmáticos en régimen ambulatorio mediante la subescala pánico-miedo del Asthma Symptom Checklist (ASC-PM) y la subescala pánico-miedo del MMPI (MMPI-PM). El P-M centrado en los síntomas era mayor en mujeres, pacientes con síntomas asmáticos más frecuentes y graves y aquellos pacientes que recibían fármacos más potentes. En cuanto a la personalidad P-M, también indicaron mayores valores las mujeres, los pacientes con tratamiento farmacológico más agresivo y aquellos con más visitas de urgencia y función pulmonar más deteriorada. Finalmente, analizamos las propiedades psicométricas de cada escala y la relación entre ambas, que se manifestó en 7 patrones o estilos de afrontamiento que se distribuían diferencialmente según el sexo de los pacientesPanic-fear (P-F) describes two different dimensions: the subjective experience of panic and anxiety during asthmatic crises and a stable personality dimension. Our aim is the study of the relation between P-F and sociodemographic and clinical variables. For that purpose, both dimensions were analized in 77 asthmatic outpatients using the panic-fear sub-scale of the Asthma Symptom Checklist (ASC-PF) and the panic-fear subscale of the MMPI (MMPI-PF). The P-F focused on symptoms was higher in women, patients who had asthmatic symptoms more often and severe, and patients who received aggressive pharmacological treatment. With respect to the P-F personality, it was found again that higher levels were in women as well as patients who received aggressive pharmacological treatment and these who showed more emergency attention and worst pulmonary function. Finally, it was analized the psychometrics properties of each scale and the relation between them, which proved to be evident in 7 patterns or response styles differentially distributed according to the patients’ sexSubvencionado por la Xunta de Galicia. XUGA 21105A94S

TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF ATMOSPHERIC PARTICLE NUMBER SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS ACROSS SPAIN

This study synthesizes for the first time results from simultaneous aerosol measurements performed at seven diverse locations distributed all over the Spanish geography. The observations were carried out during two field campaigns in 2012–2013, one-month each and during different seasons. These field campaigns were performed in the framework of the Spanish Network of DMAs (REDMAAS) activities. Measurement sites were grouped as polluted sites (urban background) and clean sites (rural background and high-altitude sites). Seasonal differences were more important at polluted sites, mainly related to meteorology and aerosol sources. Higher total particle concentrations were found during the cold period, driven mainly by Aitken-mode particles (traffic-related aerosol particles).This work has been financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2011-15008-E, CGL2010-1777, CGL2011-27020, CGL2014-52877-R, CGL2010-11095-E, CGL2012-39623-C02-01, CGL2014-55230-R & PI15/0051

Ventajas y riesgos del uso de pastas dentales con nanotecnologías

El presente artículo de actualización analiza las ventajas y riesgos del uso de nanopartículas en pastas dentales. La nanotecnología puede mejorar sus propiedades ayudando al proceso de remineralización del diente, controlar el crecimiento bacteriano o proporcionar minerales para mejorar el control del pH. Con este fin se han agregado: nanohidroxiapatita, nanocalcio, fosfato de calcio, trimetafosfato de sodio, nanopartículas de plata, quitosán, entre otras. Por otro lado, se han descripto algunos efectos nocivos de estas nanotecnologías, lo que nos motiva a intensificar su estudio. Conclusiones: La nano-odontología ha otorgado nuevas herramientas para la atención preventiva de la salud. La toxicidad oral para los nanodentífricos es baja, pero algunos pueden llegar al intestino, y a través de él a la circulación sanguínea y causar disturbios sistémicos. Es necesario profundizar las investigaciones en estos materiales, a fin de mejorar sus efectos beneficiosos, e identificar y eliminar sus riesgo

Atmospheric particle size distributions in the Spanish Network of Environmental DMAs (REDMAAS)

The present work is a first approach to the study of the spatio-temporal variability of the submicrometer atmospheric aerosol in Spain. The aerosol measurements have been obtained simultaneously at seven monitoring stations that compose the REDMAAS network during two measurement campaigns corresponding to summer and winter seasons. In both summer and winter periods those measurement stations with a direct influence of anthropogenic emissions recorded the highest concentrations of particle number. In the summer campaign, the average daily pattern of the aerosol size distribution in the traffic and background urban stations was conditioned by the traffic emissions and secondary aerosol formation through photochemical reactions (new particle formation events, NPF). However, the secondary aerosol had a higher contribution to the aerosol total number concentration in the rural background and high-altitude stations. In the winter campaign, in all sampling sites with the exception of Izaña station, the traffic and domestic activity emissions had a greater contribution than secondary aerosol formation on particle number total concentration. New particle formation events were identified at all sites during the summer period, and at sites without direct influence of anthropogenic emissions during the winter campaign. Some aerosol shrinkage processes were also observed at the Madrid and El Arenosillo stations.This work has been financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2011-15008-E, CGL2010-1777, CGL2011-27020, CGL2014-52877-R & CGL2014-55230-R), Xunta de Galicia (GRC2013-047 potentially cofounded by ERDF) and the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) ACTRIS under grant agreement no. 262254

Kv7 Channels Can Function without Constitutive Calmodulin Tethering

M-channels are voltage-gated potassium channels composed of Kv7.2-7.5 subunits that serve as important regulators of neuronal excitability. Calmodulin binding is required for Kv7 channel function and mutations in Kv7.2 that disrupt calmodulin binding cause Benign Familial Neonatal Convulsions (BFNC), a dominantly inherited human epilepsy. On the basis that Kv7.2 mutants deficient in calmodulin binding are not functional, calmodulin has been defined as an auxiliary subunit of Kv7 channels. However, we have identified a presumably phosphomimetic mutation S511D that permits calmodulin-independent function. Thus, our data reveal that constitutive tethering of calmodulin is not required for Kv7 channel function

Health care and societal costs of the management of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Spain: a descriptive analysis.

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition in childhood (5.3% to 7.1% worldwide prevalence), with substantial overall financial burden to children/adolescents, their families, and society. The aims of this study were to describe the clinical characteristics of children and adolescents with ADHD in Spain, estimate the associated direct/indirect costs of the disorder, and assess whether the characteristics and financial costs differed between children/adolescents adequately responding to currently available pharmacotherapies compared with children/adolescents for whom pharmacotherapies failed. Methods: This was a multicenter, cross-sectional, descriptive analysis conducted in 15 health units representative of the overall Spanish population. Data on demographic characteristics, socio-occupational status, social relationships, clinical variables of the disease, and pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments received were collected in 321 children and adolescents with ADHD. Direct and indirect costs were estimated over one year from both a health care system and a societal perspective. Results: The estimated average cost of ADHD per year per child/adolescent was ¿5733 in 2012 prices; direct costs accounted for 60.2% of the total costs (¿3450). Support from a psychologist/educational psychologist represented 45.2% of direct costs and 27.2% of total costs. Pharmacotherapy accounted for 25.8% of direct costs and 15.5% of total costs. Among indirect costs (¿2283), 65.2% was due to caregiver expenses. The total annual costs were significantly higher for children/adolescents who responded poorly to pharmacological treatment (¿7654 versus ¿5517; P = 0.024), the difference being mainly due to significantly higher direct costs, particularly with larger expenses for non-pharmacological treatment (P = 0.012). Conclusions: ADHD has a significant personal, familial, and financial impact on the Spanish health system and society. Successful pharmacological intervention was associated with lower overall expenses in the management of the disorder