Demand for differentiated milk products : implications for price competition

We apply the Berry, Levinsohn and Pakes (1995) model to scanner data from Boston\ud supermarkets augmented with consumer characteristics data in order to analyze consumer\ud choices and price competition in a differentiated fluid milk market. Milk characteristics include\ud price, fat content, brand name and the organic and/or lactose-free nature of the product.\ud Empirical results show that consumer valuation of fat decreases with income but increases with\ud the number of children. Low-fat and specialty milks, such as organic and lactose-free milks, are\ud preferred by high-income consumers with no children. Although all milks are price elastic at the\ud individual brand level, the cross-price elasticities are quite low and negligible for specialty milks.\ud Based on calculated Lerner indexes, private label milks have the highest percent markups\ud despite their lower prices, while specialty milks have the lowest markups despite their higher\ud prices, which attests to a greater degree of market power for conventional and particularly for\ud private label milk

Physicochemical characteristics, minerals, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity in fig tree fruits with macronutrient deficiencies

In this research, effects of macronutrient deficiency (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) on the production, physicochemical characteristics, minerals, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity of fig fruits (Ficus carica L.) were evaluated using the missing element technique in a controlled hydroponic system under greenhouse conditions. N-deficient plants had no fruit production, while fruits with absence of P, K, and Ca were the most affected in terms of size, weight, and physicochemical characteristics. On the other hand, the concentration of minerals was significantly different (p<0.05), finding some interactions of synergism and antagonism between ions. Phenolic compounds increased in fruits with P and Ca deficiency, as well as the antioxidant capacity DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2'azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) in the fruits of the treatment -Ca. Regarding the FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) test, higher values were found for all treatments without minerals (-P, -K, -Ca, and -Mg) with respect to the control. The results obtained explain the responses of the fig tree subjected to nutritional deficiencies

Effects of lng Mutations on LngA Expression, Processing, and CS21 Assembly in Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli E9034A

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major cause of morbidity in children under 5 years of age in low- and middle-income countries and a leading cause of traveler's diarrhea worldwide. The ability of ETEC to colonize the intestinal epithelium is mediated by fimbrial adhesins, such as CS21 (Longus). This adhesin is a type IVb pilus involved in adherence to intestinal cells in vitro and bacterial self-aggregation. Fourteen open reading frames have been proposed to be involved in CS21 assembly, hitherto only the lngA and lngB genes, coding for the major (LngA) and minor (LngB) structural subunit, have been characterized. In this study, we investigated the role of the LngA, LngB, LngC, LngD, LngH, and LngP proteins in the assembly of CS21 in ETEC strain E9034A. The deletion of the lngA, lngB, lngC, lngD, lngH, or lngP genes, abolished CS21 assembly in ETEC strain E9034A and adherence to HT-29 cells was reduced 90%, compared to wild-type strain. Subcellular localization prediction of CS21 proteins was similar to other well-known type IV pili homologues. We showed that LngP is the prepilin peptidase of LngA, and that ETEC strain E9034A has another peptidase capable of processing LngA, although with less efficiency. Additionally, we present immuno-electron microscopy imagens to show that the LngB protein could be localized at the tip of CS21, and probably helps to control CS21 length. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the LngA, LngB, LngC, LngD, LngH, and LngP proteins are essential for CS21 assembly, as well as for bacterial aggregation and adherence to HT-29 cells

Hábitos de amamantamiento del ganado bovino Chinampo (Bos taurus) de México

RESUMENObjetivo. Conocer los hábitos de amamantamiento de becerros Chinampos (Bos taurus)en diferentes etapas de su lactancia. Materiales y métodos. Se utilizaron 20 vacas consu cría. A partir de los 30 hasta los 180 días de la lactancia los animales fueron observadosdurante 24 horas continuas cada mes registrando la frecuencia con la que los becerrosmamaron y la duración de cada amamantamiento. Resultados. Los becerros mamaroncon mayor frecuencia entre las 06:00 y las 07:00 hr, se observaron otros picos a las 10:00y a las 19:00 hr. La frecuencia promedio de amamantamiento en 24 horas fue de 4.9±0.21utilizando un total de 66.9 ± 3.1 minutos. Los becerros de 180 días de edad mamaronmenos veces comparados con los de edades inferiores a los 150 días; la duración delamamantamiento disminuyó a los 180 días de edad (p<0.05). Las hembras mamaron conmás frecuencia que los machos (p<0.05) pero el tiempo que utilizaron para esta actividadfue similar entre sexos (p>0.05). Conclusiones. La frecuencia de amamantamientos esmayor durante las primeras horas de la mañana y al final de la tarde. Hasta los 5 mesesde edad la frecuencia y el tiempo de amamantamiento no variaron pero se redujeron a los180 días y las hembras mamaron con más periodicidad que los machos

A Genome-Scale Insight into the Effect of Shear Stress During the Fed-Batch Production of Clavulanic Acid by Streptomyces Clavuligerus

Streptomyces clavuligerus is a filamentous Gram-positive bacterial producer of the β-lactamase inhibitor clavulanic acid. Antibiotics biosynthesis in the Streptomyces genus is usually triggered by nutritional and environmental perturbations. In this work, a new genome scale metabolic network of Streptomyces clavuligerus was reconstructed and used to study the experimentally observed effect of oxygen and phosphate concentrations on clavulanic acid biosynthesis under high and low shear stress. A flux balance analysis based on experimental evidence revealed that clavulanic acid biosynthetic reaction fluxes are favored in conditions of phosphate limitation, and this is correlated with enhanced activity of central and amino acid metabolism, as well as with enhanced oxygen uptake. In silico and experimental results show a possible slowing down of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) due to reduced oxygen availability in low shear stress conditions. In contrast, high shear stress conditions are connected with high intracellular oxygen availability favoring TCA activity, precursors availability and clavulanic acid (CA) production

Molecular Epidemiology of Multidrug-Resistant Uropathogenic Escherichia coli O25b Strains Associated with Complicated Urinary Tract Infection in Children.

BACKGROUND: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) has increased the incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI). It is the cause of more than 80% of community-acquired cystitis cases and more than 70% of uncomplicated acute pyelonephritis cases. AIM: The present study describes the molecular epidemiology of UPEC O25b clinical strains based on their resistance profiles, virulence genes, and genetic diversity. METHODS: Resistance profiles were identified using the Kirby-Bauer method, including the phenotypic production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs). The UPEC serogroups, phylogenetic groups, virulence genes, and integrons were determined via multiplex PCR. Genetic diversity was established using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and sequence type (ST) was determined via multilocus sequence typing (MLST). RESULTS: UPEC strains (n = 126) from hospitalized children with complicated UTIs (cUTIs) were identified as O25b, of which 41.27% were multidrug resistant (MDR) and 15.87% were extensively drug resistant (XDR). The O25b strains harbored the fimH (95.23%), csgA (91.26%), papGII (80.95%), chuA (95.23%), iutD (88.09%), satA (84.92%), and intl1 (47.61%) genes. Moreover, 64.28% were producers of ESBLs and had high genetic diversity. ST131 (63.63%) was associated primarily with phylogenetic group B2, and ST69 (100%) was associated primarily with phylogenetic group D. CONCLUSION: UPEC O25b/ST131 harbors a wide genetic diversity of virulence and resistance genes, which contribute to cUTIs in pediatrics

Thoracic limb salvage by fibular free flap

The treatment of most fractures of the ulna and radius is usually performed by anatomical reduction and internal fixation, when damage is extensive and local soft tissue cannot provide a complete wound coverage, locoregional flaps present a suitable reconstructive benefit. A 35-year-old male patient suffered an exposed diaphysio-metaphyseal fracture with multi-fragmented distal radius. The patient was evaluated during a 10-day period at the National Institute of Rehabilitation, where the osteosynthesis material and a severe infectious process with necrosis were identified. Necrosectomy of the posterior compartment and removal of the osteosynthesis material was performed, a skin defect of approximately 22x16 cm was observed with a bone gap of 6 cm of radius and ulna. a fibula-free flap is placed to correct the skin defect and an external fixative used for bone alignment. The fibular free flap presents an excellent therapeutic alternative in the resolution of bone gaps with extensive skin defect. Whenever a trained microsurgery team is available, current scales of limb injury should be considered but not utilized for therapeutic approach, always trying to shift amputation as the first option, to the very last one of them

Management of a ruptured epidural catheter, an anesthesiologist's dilemma: a case report

Epidural anesthesia is a widely used anesthetic technique in lower extremity surgeries although it is a relatively safe procedure, it can have complications, such as rupture of the epidural catheter. This is a 69-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of Wagner IV diabetic foot is presented, which was scheduled for left supracondylar amputation in which after epidural block, retention of the catheter tip in the epidural space at level L2-L3 was seen, so hemi laminectomy was performed in a second surgical stage in L2 and removal of the epidural catheter. Ideally a broken needle should be removed as soon as possible

México y Jalisco en la coyuntura : segundo semestre de 1998

Análisis de coyuntura sobre los principales sucesos del segundo semestre de 1998 en Jalisco y México. El caso del FOBAPROA, la seguridad pública, los derechos humanos, las elecciones efectuadas en el período y las estrategias de los partidos políticos en Jalisco son analizados por autores diversos. Se estudia también el caso de la industria electrónica en Guadalajara y la relación de los grupos de la sociedad civil con el gobierno.ITESO, A.C

Acinetobacter pittii: the emergence of a hospital-acquired pathogen analyzed from the genomic perspective

Acinetobacter pittii has increasingly been associated with several types of hospital-acquired severe infections. Genes implicated in carbapenem resistance, tigecycline resistance, or genes encoding extended spectrum cephalosporinases, such as blaADC, are commonly found in isolates implicated in these infections. A. pittii strains that are pandrug resistant have occasionally been identified. Food for human consumption, animals and plants are environmental sources of this pathogen. An alarming situation is that A. pitti has been identified as responsible for outbreaks in different regions worldwide. In this study, 384 genomes of A. pittii were analyzed, comprising sequences from clinical and non-clinical origins from 32 countries. The objective was to investigate if clinical strains possess genetic traits facilitating hospital adaptation. Results indicate significant genomic variability in terms of size and gene content among A. pittii isolates. The core genome represents a small portion (25–36%) of each isolate’s genome, while genes associated with antibiotic resistance and virulence predominantly belong to the accessory genome. Notably, antibiotic resistance genes are encoded by a diverse array of plasmids. As the core genome between environmental and hospital isolates is the same, we can assume that hospital isolates acquired ARGs due to a high selective pressure in these settings. The strain’s phylogeographic distribution indicates that there is no geographical bias in the isolate distribution; isolates from different geographic regions are dispersed throughout a core genome phylogenetic tree. A single clade may include isolates from extremely distant geographical areas. Furthermore, strains isolated from the environment or animal, or plant sources frequently share the same clade as hospital isolates. Our analysis showed that the clinical isolates do not already possess specific genes, other than antibiotic-resistant genes, to thrive in the hospital setting