Identification of an Emergent and Atypical Pseudomonas viridiflava Lineage Causing Bacteriosis in Plants of Agronomic Importance in a Spanish Region

Pseudomonas strains with an atypical LOPAT profile (where LOPAT is a series of determinative tests: L, levan production; O, oxidase production; P, pectinolitic activity; A, arginine dihydrolase production; and T, tobacco hypersensibility) can be regarded as emergent pathogens in the Principality of Asturias (Spain), where they have been causing, since 1999, severe damage in at least three taxonomically unrelated orchard plants of agronomic importance: common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa), and lettuce (Lactuca sativa). These strains are mainly differentiated by production of yellowish mucoid material in hypersucrose medium, used for the levan test, and by a variable pectinolytic activity on different potato varieties. The atypical organisms were identified as Pseudomonas viridiflava based on their 16S rRNA sequences. Among them a certain intraspecies genetic heterogeneity was detected by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) typing. To differentiate between isolates of P. viridiflava and Pseudomonas syringae pathovars, a 16S ribosomal DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism method employing the restriction endonucleases SacI and HinfI was developed. This could be used as a means of reliable species determination after the usual phenotypical characterization, which includes the LOPAT tests

Reacción del precio de las acciones a los cambios de estructura de capital en empresas chilenas: Examinando los efectos de la estructura de propiedad, oportunidades de crecimiento y leverage

We analyzed the effects of ownership structure, capital structure and growth opportunities on stock price reactions when companies issued debt or equity.Our results, based on event study methodology and IV regressions from a sample of 70 Chilean firms, indicate that controlling shareholder ownership has a negative effect on stock price reactions for debt issuances and a positive effect for equity issuance. These results indicate that debt issuances are a substitute for majority shareholder monitoring, and that equity issuances are associated with superior corporate performance. Equity issuances are a means for expropriating wealth from non-controlling shareholders. Debt and growth opportunities have a non-linear effect.En este artículo analizamos los efectos de la estructura de propiedad, estructura de capital y las oportunidades de crecimiento sobre la reacción del precio delas acciones cuando las empresas emiten deuda o capital. Nuestros resultados, basados en la metodología de análisis de eventos y regresiones IV sobre unamuestra de 70 empresas chilenas, indican que la propiedad de los accionistas controladores tiene un efecto negativo en la reacción del precio de las acciones cuando las empresas emiten deuda y positivo cuando emiten acciones. Este resultado indica que las emisiones de deuda son un sustituto del control mayoritario de los accionistas y las emisiones de capital se asocian con un mayor desempeño corporativo. Las emisiones de capital son un medio para expropiar riqueza de los accionistas no controladores. Las oportunidades de deuda y crecimiento tienen un efecto no lineal

Reacción del precio de las acciones a los cambios de estructura de capital en empresas chilenas: Examinando los efectos de la estructura de propiedad, oportunidades de crecimiento y leverage

We analyzed the effects of ownership structure, capital structure and growth opportunities on stock price reactions when companies issued debt or equity. Our results, based on event study methodology and IV regressions from a sample of 70 Chilean firms, indicate that controlling shareholder ownership has a negative effect on stock price reactions for debt issuances and a positive effect for equity issuance. These results indicate that debt issuances are a substitute for majority shareholder monitoring, and that equity issuances are associated with superior corporate performance. Equity issuances are a means for expropriating wealth from non-controlling shareholders. Debt and growth opportunities have a non-linear effect.En este artículo analizamos los efectos de la estructura de propiedad, estructura de capital y las oportunidades de crecimiento sobre la reacción del precio de las acciones cuando las empresas emiten deuda o capital. Nuestros resultados, basados en la metodología de análisis de eventos y regresiones IV sobre una muestra de 70 empresas chilenas, indican que la propiedad de los accionistas controladores tiene un efecto negativo en la reacción del precio de las acciones cuando las empresas emiten deuda y positivo cuando emiten acciones. Este resultado indica que las emisiones de deuda son un sustituto del control mayoritario de los accionistas y las emisiones de capital se asocian con un mayor desempeño corporativo. Las emisiones de capital son un medio para expropiar riqueza de los accionistas no controladores. Las oportunidades de deuda y crecimiento tienen un efecto no lineal

Relocation and seismotectonic interpretation of the seismic swarm of August – December of 2012 in the Linares area, northeastern Mexico

We relocated 52 events of 2.5 ≤ Mc ≤ 3.6 from a seismic sequence of over 250 events that occurred during July-December 2012 southwest of the Linares area, northeastern Mexico. To examine this swarm four seismic stations were installed in the region and operated during different time periods from September to December. Relocation of the swarm showed that the earthquake hypocentral depths were at 8 (±5) km, and the time residuals had values ≤ 0.38 s. The fault plane solutions were generated for individual earthquakes and through the use of the composite mechanism technique. The focal mechanism solutions show pure reverse faulting; the SW dipping NNW – SSE trending nodal plane is the inferred fault plane (strike ~150°, dip ~50° and rake ~67°), which reveals that maximum horizontal stress (SHmax > Shmin > Sv) predominates in the area. RESUMEN En este trabajo relocalizamos 52 sismos en el rango de 2.5 ≤ Mc ≤ 3.6 de una secuencia sísmica de más de 250 eventos que ocurrió al suroeste de la ciudad de Linares, N.L., durante los meses de julio – diciembre de 2012, en el noreste de México. Para estudiar este enjambre se instalaron cuatro estaciones sismológicas en la región de interés, las cuales operaron durante diferentes periodos entre septiembre y diciembre. La relocalización de la secuencia demostró que las profundidades hipocentrales fueron de 8 (±5) km, y los residuales de los tiempos de arribo tuvieron valores ≤ 0.38 s. Se generaron soluciones del plano de falla para sismos individuales, así como a través de la técnica de mecanismos compuestos. La solución de los mecanismos focales encontrada corresponde con fallamiento inverso con rumbo NNW-SSE y buzamiento hacia el SW para el plano nodal inferido (rumbo ~150°, buzamiento ~50° y ángulo de deslizamiento ~67°), el cual revela que el esfuerzo horizontal máximo predomina en el área de estudio (SHmax > Shmin > Sv)

Efeitos da propriedade estrangeira e das Normas Internacionais de Relato Financeiro no vencimento da dívida em empresas chilenas

The objective of this article is to determine the effects of foreign ownership and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on debt maturity in Chilean companies. The study uses a fractional response model (FRM) on 20,586 companies. The results show foreign ownership has a negative and non-linear effect. Foreign ownership in Chilean firms is a substitute control means in relation to long-term debt. IFRS reduces maturity in large companies and extends them in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). These results suggest it is more important for large firms to control agency conflicts, while it is more important for SMEs to reduce information asymmetry.El objetivo de este artículo es determinar los efectos de la propiedad extranjera y de las Normas Internacionales de Información Financiera (NIIF) sobre la madurez de la deuda en las empresas chilenas. En el estudio se utiliza un modelo de respuesta fraccional (MRF) sobre 20.586 empresas. Los resultados demuestran que la propiedad extranjera tiene un efecto negativo y no lineal, transformándose en un medio de control sustituto en relación con la deuda de largo plazo. Las NIIF reducen la madurez en empresas grandes y la extiende en las pequeñas y medianas empresas (Pymes). Estos resultados sugieren que para las firmas grandes es más importante controlar conflictos de agencia, mientras que para las Pymes es más importante reducir las asimetrías de información.O objetivo deste artigo é determinar os efeitos da propriedade estrangeira e das Normas Internacionais de Relato Financeiro (IFRS) no ven- cimento da dívida em empresas chilenas. O estudo utiliza um Modelo de Resposta Fracionária (MRF) em 20.586 empresas. Os resultados mostram que a propriedade estrangeira tem efeito negativo e não linear, tornando-se um meio de controle substituto em relação à dívida de longo prazo. O IFRS reduz a maturidade em grandes empresas e as estende em Pequenas e Médias Empresas (PMEs). Esses resultados sugerem que, para grandes empresas, é mais importante controlar conflitos entre agências, enquanto para as PMEs é mais importante reduzir as assimetrias de informações

Late presentation of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 infection in Spain reflects suboptimal testing strategies

Diagnosis; Myelopathy; Sexually transmitted infectionsDiagnóstico; Mielopatía; Infecciones de transmisión sexualDiagnòstic; Mielopatia; Infeccions de transmissió sexualObjectives Although only 10% of persons infected with human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) may develop virus-associated illnesses over their lifetime, missing the earlier diagnosis of asymptomatic carriers frequently leads to late presentation. Methods A nationwide HTLV-1 register was created in Spain in 1989. We examined the main demographics and clinical features at the time of the first diagnosis for more than three decades. Results A total of 428 individuals infected with HTLV-1 had been reported in Spain until the end of 2021. Up to 96 (22%) individuals presented clinically with HTLV-1-associated conditions, including subacute myelopathy (57%), T-cell lymphoma (34%), or Strongyloides stercoralis infestation (8%). Since 2008, HTLV-1 diagnosis has been made at blood banks (44%) or clinics (56%). Native Spaniards and Sub-Saharan Africans are overrepresented among patients presenting with HTLV-1-associated illnesses suggesting that poor epidemiological and/or clinical suspicion, which led to the late presentation are more frequent in them than carriers from Latin America (LATAM) (31.7% vs 20.4%, respectively; P = 0.015). Conclusion HTLV-1 infection in Spain is frequently diagnosed in patients presenting with characteristic illnesses. Although screening in blood banks mostly identifies asymptomatic carriers from LATAM, a disproportionately high number of Spaniards and Africans are diagnosed too late at the time of clinical manifestations. Expanding testing to all pregnant women and clinics for sexually transmitted infections could help to unveil HTLV-1 asymptomatic carriers.This work was supported in part by grants from FIS-ISCIII PI-21/1717 and Fundación Mutua Madrileña AP-174112020

Reliability of 4-m and 6-m walking speed tests in elderly people with cognitive impairment

[Abstract] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interrater and test–retest reliability of 4-m and 6-m walking speed tests in elderly people with cognitive impairment. 50 subjects aged 65 and over with cognitive impairment were selected from an adult day-care centre and a nursing home. To examine interrater reliability, 21 people were evaluated independently by two researchers who administered the 4-m and 6-m walking tests in each evaluation. For test–retest reliability, two observers administered the tests to the same 29 subjects, with a time interval of one week. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to examine interrater and test–retest reliability. The ICCs for interrater reliability reached values of 0.96 and 0.88 for the 4-m and 6-m walking tests, respectively. In the test–retest study, the time interval was 7.4 1.17 days. The ICCs were 0.91 for the 4-m test and 0.86 for the 6-m test. The results support the use of walking tests in elderly people with cognitive impairment

Ultra high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for cyclosporine a quantification in biological samples and lipid nanosystems

Cyclosporine A (CyA) is an immunosuppressant cyclic undecapeptide used for the prevention of organ transplant rejection and in the treatment of several autoimmune disorders. An ultra high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method (UHPLC–MS/MS) to quantify CyA in lipid nanosystems and mouse biological matrices (whole blood, kidneys, lungs, spleen, liver, heart, brain, stomach and intestine) was developed and fully validated. Chromatographic separation was performed on an Acquity UPLC® BEH C18 column with a gradient elution consisting of methanol and 2 mM ammonium acetate aqueous solution containing 0.1% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. Amiodarone was used as internal standard (IS). Retention times of IS and CyA were 0.69 min and 1.09 min, respectively. Mass spectrometer operated in electrospray ionization positive mode (ESI+) and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transitions were detected, m/z 1220.69 → 1203.7 for CyA and m/z 646 → 58 for IS. The extraction method from biological samples consisted of a simple protein precipitation with 10% trichloroacetic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile and 5 μL of supernatant were directly injected into the UHPLC–MS/MS system. Linearity was observed between 0.001 μg/mL–2.5 μg/mL (r ≥ 0.99) in all matrices. The precision expressed in coefficient of variation (CV) was below 11.44% and accuracy in bias ranged from −12.78% to 7.99% including methanol and biological matrices. Recovery in all cases was above 70.54% and some matrix effect was observed. CyA was found to be stable in post-extraction whole blood and liver homogenate samples exposed for 6 h at room temperature and 72 h at 4 °C. The present method was successfully applied for quality control of lipid nanocarriers as well as in vivo studies in BALB/c mice