Dues Localitats catalanes de "Cenchrus incertus" M. A. Curtis, gramínia nova per a la Península Ibèrica

Two records from Catalonia of an American grass (Cenchrus incertus M. A. Curtis) are reported. They are the first Iberian records and, probably, the first European records too

LEVADURAS EN AGUAS COSTERAS DEL MAR MENOR Y DESEMBOCADLIRA DEL RIO SEGURA

lnformation on marine yeasts and their significance in polluted waters is scarce. In this paper we report the results of isolations of yeasts and molds found in marine waters from the Mar Menor (Southeastern Spain) and the mouth of the Segura river. Compositional modifications of various culture media and a critica1 evaluation of the results obtained are also presented. Mold colonies are significantly reduced in the modified media so that direct yeast counting becomes improved. Yeast counts, including red species, have been significantly higher in sediments as compared to free waters. Candida albicans was detected in relatively high numbers in the most polluted sites. The survival ability in natural waters of two yeasts, C. utilis and C. albicans was investigated. The results show that both yeasts present a high death rate in marine and brackish waters. only 1-0'01% remaining viable after 25 days in sea water.Como parte de un trabajo más amplio sobre contaminación microbiana en áreas marinas, se ha llevado a cabo un estudio de aislamiento y recuento de levaduras en diversos puntos del Mar Menor y desembocadura del río Segura. El estudio ha abarcado, entre otros aspectos, la puesta a punto de medios de cultivo adecuados para el aislamiento directo de levaduras sin interferencia por contaminación bacteriana o crecimiento de hongos filamentosos. En los muestreos de las zonas indicadas se ha analizado la variación topográfica y estaciona1 de las poblaciones de levaduras. Los resultados destacan el aislamiento de Candida albicans en varios puntos de muestre0 y una mayor abundancia relativa de levaduras no patógenas en sedimentos en relación a los niveles detectados en aguas libres. Por otra parte se han realizado estudios de laboratorio sobre supervivencia simulando las condiciones del medio marino y determinando la influencia de algunos factores fisioquímicos en el crecimiento y viabilidad de las levaduras. En este sentido, se ha utilizado C. utilis como modelo representativo de levadura saprofítica y C. albicans como modelo de levadura potencialmente patógena. Los resultados obtenidos revelan una escasa viabilidad de ambos tipos de levaduras cuando se someten a condiciones análogas a las existentes en el medio marino

Lipidomics Reveals Reduced Inflammatory Lipid Species and Storage Lipids after Switching from EFV/FTC/TDF to RPV/FTC/TDF: A Randomized Open-Label Trial

HIV and antiretroviral therapy affect lipid metabolism. Lipidomics quantifies several individual species that are overlooked using conventional biochemical analyses, outperforming traditional risk equations. We aimed to compare the plasma lipidomic profile of HIV patients taking efavirenz (EFV) or rilpivirine (RPV). Patients >/= 18 years old on EFV co-formulated with emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (FTC/TDF) with HIV-RNA /=6 months were randomized to continue EFV/FTC/TDF (n = 14) or switch to RPV/FTC/TDF (n =15). Lipidomic analyses conducted by mass spectrometry (MS) were performed at baseline and after 12 and 24 weeks. OWLiver((R)) Care and OWLiver((R)) tests were performed to estimate the presence of fatty liver disease (NAFLD). No significant differences (83% male, median age 44 years, 6 years receiving EFV/FTC/TDF, CD4(+) count 740 cells/mm(3), TC 207 [57 HDL-C/133 LDL-C] mg/dL, TG 117 mg/dL) were observed between the groups at baseline. Significant reductions in plasma lipids and lipoproteins but increased circulating bilirubin concentrations were observed in patients who switched to RPV/FTC/TDF. Patients on RPV/FTC/TDF showed a decrease in the global amount of storage lipids (-0.137 log2 [fold-change] EFV vs. 0.059 log2 [fold-change] RPV) but an increase in lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) and total steroids. Compared with EFV, RPV increased metabolites with anti-inflammatory properties and reduced the repository of specific lipotoxic lipids

A new surgical model of skeletal muscle injuries in rats reproduces human sports lesions

Skeletal muscle injuries are the most common sports-related injuries in sports medicine. In this work, we have generated a new surgically-induced skeletal muscle injury in rats, by using a biopsy needle, which could be easily reproduced and highly mimics skeletal muscle lesions detected in human athletes. By means of histology, immunofluorescence and MRI imaging, we corroborated that our model reproduced the necrosis, inflammation and regeneration processes observed in dystrophic mdx-mice, a model of spontaneous muscle injury, and realistically mimicked the muscle lesions observed in professional athletes. Surgically-injured rat skeletal muscles demonstrated the longitudinal process of muscle regeneration and fibrogenesis as stated by Myosin Heavy Chain developmental (MHCd) and collagen-I protein expression. MRI imaging analysis demonstrated that our muscle injury model reproduces the grade I-II type lesions detected in professional soccer players, including edema around the central tendon and the typically high signal feather shape along muscle fibers. A significant reduction of 30% in maximum tetanus force was also registered after 2 weeks of muscle injury. This new model represents an excellent approach to the study of the mechanisms of muscle injury and repair, and could open new avenues for developing innovative therapeutic approaches to skeletal muscle regeneration in sports medicin

Treatment challenges in and outside a specialist network setting: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours

Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms comprise a group of rare tumours with special biology, an often indolent behaviour and particular diagnostic and therapeutic requirements. The specialized biochemical tests and radiological investigations, the complexity of surgical options and the variety of medical treatments that require individual tailoring, mandate a multidisciplinary approach that can be optimally achieved through an organized network. The present study describes currents concepts in the management of these tumours as well as an insight into the challenges of delivering the pathway in and outside a Network

Testicular germ-cell tumours and penile squamous cell carcinoma: Appropriate management makes the difference

Germ-cell tumours (GCT) of the testis and penile squamous cell carcinoma (PeSCC) are a rare and a very rare uro-genital cancers, respectively. Both tumours are well defined entities in terms of management, where specific recommendations - in the form of continuously up-to-dated guide lines-are provided. Impact of these tumour is relevant. Testicular GCT affects young, healthy men at the beginning of their adult life. PeSCC affects older men, but a proportion of these patients are young and the personal consequences of the disease may be devastating. Deviation from recommended management may be a reason of a significant prognostic worsening, as proper treatment favourably impacts on these tumours, dramatically on GCT and significantly on PeSCC. RARECAREnet data may permit to analyse how survivals may vary according to geographical areas, histology and age, leading to assume that non-homogeneous health-care resources may impact the cure and definitive outcomes. In support of this hypothesis, some epidemiologic datasets and clinical findings would indicate that survival may improve when appropriate treatments are delivered, linked to a different accessibility to the best health institutions, as a consequence of geographical, cultural and economic barriers. Finally, strong clues based on epidemiological and clinical data support the hypothesis that treatment delivered at reference centres or under the aegis of a qualified multi-institutional network is associated with a better prognosis of patients with these malignancies. The ERN EURACAN represents the best current European effort to answer this clinical need

Treatment challenges in and outside a network setting: Head and neck cancers

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a rare disease that can affect different sites and is characterized by variable incidence and 5-year survival rates across Europe. Multiple factors need to be considered when choosing the most appropriate treatment for HNC patients, such as age, comorbidities, social issues, and especially whether to prefer surgery or radiation-based protocols. Given the complexity of this scenario, the creation of a highly specialized multidisciplinary team is recommended to guarantee the best oncological outcome and prevent or adequately treat any adverse effect. Data from literature suggest that the multidisciplinary team-based approach is beneficial for HNC patients and lead to improved survival rates. This result is likely due to improved diagnostic and staging accuracy, a more efficacious therapeutic approach and enhanced communication across disciplines. Despite the benefit of MTD, it must be noted that this approach requires considerable time, effort and financial resources and is usually more frequent in highly organized and high-volume centers. Literature data on clinical research suggest that patients treated in high-accrual centers report better treatment outcomes compared to patients treated in low-volume centers, where a lower radiotherapy-compliance and worst overall survival have been reported. There is general agreement that treatment of rare cancers such as HNC should be concentrated in high volume, specialized and multidisciplinary centers. In order to achieve this goal, the creation of international collaboration network is fundamental. The European Reference Networks for example aim to create an international virtual advisory board, whose objectives are the exchange of expertise, training, clinical collaboration and the reduction of disparities and enhancement of rationalize migration across Europe. The purpose of our work is to review all aspects and challenges in and outside this network setting planned for the management of HNC patients

Low nadir CD4+ T-cell counts predict gut dysbiosis in HIV-1 infection

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection causes severe gut and systemic immune damage, but its effects on the gut microbiome remain unclear. Previous shotgun metagenomic studies in HIV-negative subjects linked low-microbial gene counts (LGC) to gut dysbiosis in diseases featuring intestinal inflammation. Using a similar approach in 156 subjects with different HIV-1 phenotypes, we found a strong, independent, dose-effect association between nadir CD4+ T-cell counts and LGC. As in other diseases involving intestinal inflammation, the gut microbiomes of subjects with LGC were enriched in gram-negative Bacteroides, acetogenic bacteria and Proteobacteria, which are able to metabolize reactive oxygen and nitrogen species; and were depleted in oxygen-sensitive methanogenic archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria. Interestingly, subjects with LGC also showed increased butyrate levels in direct fecal measurements, consistent with enrichment in Roseburia intestinalis despite reductions in other butyrate producers. The microbiomes of subjects with LGC were also enriched in bacterial virulence factors, as well as in genes associated with beta-lactam, lincosamide, tetracycline, and macrolide resistance. Thus, low nadir CD4+ T-cell counts, rather than HIV-1 serostatus per se, predict the presence of gut dysbiosis in HIV-1 infected subjects. Such dysbiosis does not display obvious HIV-specific features; instead, it shares many similarities with other diseases featuring gut inflammation

Lenguaje y Comunicación en los Niños de Edad Pre-Escolar

La capacidad de simbolizar es propia y distintiva de la especie humana, es esperable que aparezca alrededor de los dos años de edad, cuando el niño es capaz de evocar un objeto ausente mediante la palabra, del juego o de la imitación diferida. Acceder a la inteligencia representativa abre camino a otros modos de comprensión de la realidad y al manejo de nuevos instrumentos que posibilitan el desarrollo indisolublemente unido a las experiencias sociales del niño, a los intercambios que establece con las personas que le rodean y al tipo de estímulos que provee el mundo circundante. Objetivo. Indagar sobre los procesos de avance, retroceso y detenimiento del desarrollo del lenguaje en grupos sociales que se encuentran entre los cuatros y cinco años de edad. Metodología. Investigación de tipo cuantitativo y cualitativo, diseño descriptivo/correlacional no experimental. Resultados Preliminares. El contexto escolar en el nivel inicial, promueve habilidades, conocimientos y comportamientos que los niños necesitan para participar de las actividades sociales, íntimamente ligadas a la comunicación y al lenguaje. El lenguaje es el medio a través del cual se aprende, como también uno de los principales aspectos del desarrollo infantil que se quiere promover. Entendemos por lenguaje, al instrumento para comunicarnos con otras personas; representar la realidad para los otros y para nosotros mismos. Discusión. Observamos cómo el entorno social ejerce una enorme influencia en el desarrollo del lenguaje, dando o no oportunidades para afianzar los logros obtenidos

Identification of COVID-19 patients at risk of hospital admission and mortality: a European multicentre retrospective analysis of mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin

Background: Mid-Regional pro-Adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) is an inflammatory biomarker that improves the prognostic assessment of patients with sepsis, septic shock and organ failure. Previous studies of MR-proADM have primarily focussed on bacterial infections. A limited number of small and monocentric studies have examined MR-proADM as a prognostic factor in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, however there is need for multicenter validation. An evaluation of its utility in predicting need for hospitalisation in viral infections was also performed. Methods: An observational retrospective analysis of 1861 patients, with SARS-CoV-2 confirmed by RT-qPCR, from 10 hospitals across Europe was performed. Biomarkers, taken upon presentation to Emergency Departments (ED), clinical scores, patient demographics and outcomes were collected. Multiclass random forest classifier models were generated as well as calculation of area under the curve analysis. The primary endpoint was hospital admission with and without death. Results: Patients suitable for safe discharge from Emergency Departments could be identified through an MR-proADM value of ≤ 1.02 nmol/L in combination with a CRP (C-Reactive Protein) of ≤ 20.2 mg/L and age ≤ 64, or in combination with a SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) score < 2 if MR-proADM was ≤ 0.83 nmol/L regardless of age. Those at an increased risk of mortality could be identified upon presentation to secondary care with an MR-proADM value of > 0.85 nmol/L, in combination with a SOFA score ≥ 2 and LDH > 720 U/L, or in combination with a CRP > 29.26 mg/L and age ≤ 64, when MR-proADM was > 1.02 nmol/L. Conclusions: This international study suggests that for patients presenting to the ED with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, MR-proADM in combination with age and CRP or with the patient’s SOFA score could identify patients at low risk where outpatient treatment may be safe