Principales factores de riesgo asociados a sepsis neonatal, en recién nacidos, atendidos en el Hospital Luis Felipe Moncada en el período de Enero a Octubre 2015

El presente es un estudio analítico Observacional de Casos y Controles, de corte transversal y retrospectivo. Basado en los expedientes de los recién nacidos en el periodo de Enero a Octubre 2015 en el Hospital Luis Felipe Moncada. Encontrándose una evidente asociación entre el desarrollo de sepsis neonatal y el peso del recién nacido menor de 2499 gramos y la edad gestacional comprendida entre 22-36 semanas de gestación; sin embargo no hay una asociación en este estudio que relacione de manera directa la aparición de sepsis neonatal con el antecedente de una ruptura prematura de membranas mayor de 24 horas. Dentro de los resultados llamativos se encontró que las madres que presentaron infección de vías urinarias, Vaginosis y preclampsia, sus productos tuvieron mayor riesgo de sepsis neonatal, comportándose como un factor de Riesgo importante

'Artilysation' of endolysin λSa2lys strongly improves its enzymatic and antibacterial activity against streptococci

Endolysins constitute a promising class of antibacterials against Gram-positive bacteria. Recently, endolysins have been engineered with selected peptides to obtain a new generation of lytic proteins, Artilysins, with specific activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we demonstrate that artilysation can also be used to enhance the antibacterial activity of endolysins against Gram-positive bacteria and to reduce the dependence on external conditions. Art-240, a chimeric protein of the anti-streptococcal endolysin λSa2lys and the polycationic peptide PCNP, shows a similar species specificity as the parental endolysin, but the bactericidal activity against streptococci increases and is less affected by elevated NaCl concentrations and pH variations. Time-kill experiments and time-lapse microscopy demonstrate that the killing rate of Art-240 is approximately two-fold higher compared to wildtype endolysin λSa2lys, with a reduction in viable bacteria of 3 log units after 10 min. In addition, lower doses of Art-240 are required to achieve the same bactericidal effect.This research study was supported by grants AGL2012-40194-C02-01 (Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain), FEDER founds and GRUPIN14-139 (Program of Science, Technology and Innovation 2013–2017, Principado de Asturias, Spain), bacteriophage network FAGOMA and research grant 1.5.171.15N of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO). DG was a fellow of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain. LR-R was a FWO Pegasus Marie Curie Fellow. PG, BM, RL and AR are members of the FWO Vlaanderen funded “Phagebiotics” research community (WO.016.14).Peer Reviewe

Phage lytic proteins: Biotechnological applications beyond clinical antimicrobials

Most bacteriophages encode two types of cell wall lytic proteins: endolysins (lysins) and virion-associated peptidoglycan hydrolases. Both enzymes have the ability to degrade the peptidoglycan of Gram-positive bacteria resulting in cell lysis when they are applied externally. Bacteriophage lytic proteins have a demonstrated potential in treating animal models of infectious diseases. There has also been an increase in the study of these lytic proteins for their application in areas such as food safety, pathogen detection/diagnosis, surfaces disinfection, vaccine development and nanotechnology. This review summarizes the more recent developments, outlines the full potential of these proteins to develop new biotechnological tools and discusses the feasibility of these proposals.Peer Reviewe

Herramientas para automatizar la evaluación presencial

La evaluación de la actividad del alumno durante el desarrollo de las asignaturas, es una tarea importante pero a la vez, difícil de realizar. El plantear numerosas pruebas y correcciones de trabajos y/o exámenes durante el curso, conlleva mucho tiempo y trabajo del profesor, a la vez que resulta difícil integrarlo en el desarrollo de las sesiones presenciales. En este artículo se describen los procedimientos y las aplicaciones, que se han desarrollado para ayudar a la evaluación de pruebas presenciales -con exámenes en papel- de forma casi-automática

Phage sensitivity and prophage carriage in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from foods in Spain and New Zealand

Bacteriophages (phages) are a promising tool for the biocontrol of pathogenic bacteria, including those contaminating food products and causing infectious diseases. However, the success of phage preparations is limited by the host ranges of their constituent phages. The phage resistance/sensitivity profile of eighty seven Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated in Spain and New Zealand from dairy, meat and seafood sources was determined for six phages (Φ11, K, ΦH5, ΦA72, CAPSa1 and CAPSa3). Most of the S. aureus strains were sensitive to phage K (Myoviridae) and CAPSa1 (Siphoviridae) regardless of their origin. There was a higher sensitivity of New Zealand S. aureus strains to phages isolated from both Spain (ΦH5 and ΦA72) and New Zealand (CAPSa1 and CAPSa3). Spanish phages had a higher infectivity on S. aureus strains of Spanish dairy origin, while Spanish strains isolated from other environments were more sensitive to New Zealand phages. Lysogeny was more prevalent in Spanish S. aureus compared to New Zealand strains. A multiplex PCR reaction, which detected ΦH5 and ΦA72 sequences, indicated a high prevalence of these prophages in Spanish S. aureus strains, but were infrequently detected in New Zealand strains. Overall, the correlation between phage resistance and lysogeny in S. aureus strains was found to be weak.This research was supported by grants AGL2012-40194-C02-01, PRI-AIBNZ-2011-1043 (Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain), SPN12-01 (Royal Society of New Zealand), GRUPIN14-139 (FEDER funds and program of Science, Technology and Innovation 2013-2017, Principado de Asturias, Spain). DG is a fellow of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain.Peer reviewe

Role of the pre-neck appendage protein (Dpo7) from phage vB_SepiS-phiIPLA7 as an anti-biofilm agent in staphylococcal species

Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus are important causative agents of hospital-acquired infections and bacteremia, likely due to their ability to form biofilms. The production of a dense exopolysaccharide (EPS) matrix enclosing the cells slows the penetration of antibiotic down, resulting in therapy failure. The EPS depolymerase (Dpo7) derived from bacteriophage vB_SepiS-phiIPLA7, was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and characterized. A dose dependent but time independent response was observed after treatment of staphylococcal 24 h-biofilms with Dpo7. Maximum removal (>90%) of biofilm-attached cells was obtained with 0.15 μM of Dpo7 in all polysaccharide producer strains but Dpo7 failed to eliminate polysaccharide-independent biofilm formed by S. aureus V329. Moreover, the pre-treatment of polystyrene surfaces with Dpo7 reduced the biofilm biomass by 53-85% in the 67% of the tested strains. This study supports the use of phage-encoded EPS depolymerases to prevent and disperse staphylococcal biofilms, thereby making bacteria more susceptible to the action of antimicrobials.This research study was supported by grants AGL2012-40194-C02-01 (Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain), GRUPIN14-139 (Program of Science, Technology and Innovation 2013–2017 and FEDER EU funds, Principado de Asturias, Spain) and bacteriophage network FAGOMA. DG is a fellow of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain. PG, BM, RL, and AR are members of the FWO Vlaanderen funded “Phagebiotics” research community (WO.016.14).Peer Reviewe

Relevance of infections on the outcomes of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, and acute myeloid leukemia treated with hypomethylating agents: a cohort study from the GESMD

Hypomethylating agent; Infection; Myelodysplastic syndromeAgente hipometilante; Infección; Síndrome mielodisplásicoAgent hipometilant; Infecció; Síndrome mielodisplàsticBackground: The consequences of infectious toxicity of hypomethylating agents (HMAs) on overall survival (OS) of patients diagnosed with high-risk myeloid neoplasms have not been thoroughly investigated. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate whether infectious events (IEs) negatively influenced the results of HMA treatment in a real-world setting. Design: Observational study. Methods: We obtained data from 412 non-selected consecutive patients from 23 Spanish hospitals who were diagnosed with high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, or acute myeloid leukemia and were treated with HMA. HMAs received after chemotherapy or stem cell transplant were excluded. All IEs were recorded. Outcomes included OS, modifications to the pre-planned treatment, incidence and characteristics of IEs, hospitalization, red blood cell transfusions, and factors associated with infection. Results: The rate of infection was 1.2 per patient/year. Next-cycle delay (p = 0.001) and hospitalizations (p = 0.001) were significantly influenced by IEs. Transfusion requirements during each cycle were significantly higher after infection compared with cycles without infection (coefficient = 1.55 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.26–1.84], p 20% (HR = 1.57 [95% CI = 1.19–2.01], p 9 g/dl (HR = 0.65 [95% CI = 0.51–0.82], p < 0.001) and higher platelet count (HR = 0.997 [95% CI = 0.996–0.998], p = 0.016) protected from it. Conclusion: HMA infectious toxicity worsens OS, hinders the adherence to antineoplastic treatment and results in significant morbidity. Preventive strategies are fundamental in vulnerable patients

Capital social, competitividad empresarial en la minería de materiales de construcción de Valencia de Jesús, Colombia

Valencia de Jesús, es un corregimiento ubi- cado al suroriente, del caso urbano de Va- lledupar, &nbsp;que &nbsp;desde &nbsp;décadas &nbsp;anteriores &nbsp;se extrae arcilla, para la elaboración de ladrillos, al igual de otras actividades agrícolas, tales como ganadería, Palma Africana. La inves- tigación se centró en los planteamientos de Durston (2000) sobre Capital Social y Brenuen (2011) &nbsp;sobre &nbsp;competitividad &nbsp;empresarial. &nbsp;El objetivo del proyecto se centra en Establecer la influencia del capital social en las organiza- ciones del tercer sector productoras de ladri- llo de Valencia de Jesús, Cesar. Se destaca sobre &nbsp;los &nbsp;resultados &nbsp;que &nbsp;las &nbsp;organizaciones campesinas &nbsp;de &nbsp;tercer &nbsp;sector &nbsp;dedicadas &nbsp;a la elaboración de ladrillo que en su mayoría poseen un perfil organizacional, con graves falencias en lo burocrático, racional y relacio- nes humanas fraccionando la eficiencia de los elementos del capital social tales como trabajo &nbsp;en &nbsp;equipo, &nbsp;solidaridad &nbsp;y &nbsp;confianza. Además de lo anterior, posee en su perfil de competitividad

Temocillin versus meropenem for the targeted treatment of bacteraemia due to third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales (ASTARTÉ): protocol for a randomised, pragmatic trial

Introduction: Alternatives to carbapenems are needed in the treatment of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales (3GCR-E). Temocillin is a suitable candidate, but comparative randomised studies are lacking. The objective is to investigate if temocillin is non-inferior to carbapenems in the targeted treatment of bacteraemia due to 3GCR-E. Methods and analysis: Multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled, pragmatic phase 3 trial. Patients with bacteraemia due to 3GCR-E will be randomised to receive intravenously temocillin (2 g three times a day) or carbapenem (meropenem 1 g three times a day or ertapenem 1 g once daily). The primary endpoint will be clinical success 7–10 days after end of treatment with no recurrence or death at day 28. Adverse events will be collected; serum levels of temocillin will be investigated in a subset of patients. For a 10% non-inferiority margin, 334 patients will be included (167 in each study arm). For the primary analysis, the absolute difference with one-sided 95% CI in the proportion of patients reaching the primary endpoint will be compared in the modified intention-to-treat population. Ethics and dissemination: The study started after approval of the Spanish Regulatory Agency and the reference institutional review board. Data will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number: NCT04478721.Instituto de Salud Carlos III ICI19/00093Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad y Fondos FEDER RD16/0016/0001, 0002, 0004, 0008, 0009, 0010, 0011, 0013, 001