Reinforced silica-carbon nanotube monolithic aerogels synthesised by rapid controlled gelation

This work introduces a new synthesis procedure for obtaining homogeneous silica hybrid aerogels with carbon nanotube contents up to 2.50 wt.%. The inclusion of nanotubes in the highly porous silica matrix was performed by a two-step sol–gel process, resulting in samples with densities below 80 mg/cm3. The structural analyses (N2 physisorption and SEM) revealed the hierarchical structure of the porous matrix formed by nanoparticles arranged in clusters of 100 and 300 nm in size, specific surface areas around 600 m2/g and porous volumes above 4.0 cm3/g. In addition, a relevant increase on the mechanical performance was found, and an increment of 50% for the compressive strength and 90% for the maximum deformation were measured by uniaxial compression. This reinforcement was possible thanks to the outstanding dispersion of the CNT within the silica matrix and the formation of Si–O–C bridges between nanotubes and silica matrix, as suggested by FTIR. Therefore, the original synthesis procedure introduced in this work allows the fabrication of highly porous hybrid materials loaded with carbon nanotubes homogeneously distributed in the space, which remain available for a variety of technological applications

Toscana Virus in Spain

Toscana virus (TOSV, Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae) infection is one of the most prevalent arboviruses in Spain. Within the objectives of a multidisciplinary network, a study on the epidemiology of TOSV was conducted in Granada, in southern Spain. The overall seroprevalence rate was 24.9%, significantly increasing with age. TOSV was detected in 3 of 103 sandfly pools by viral culture or reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction from a region of the L gene. Nucleotide sequence homology was 99%–100% in TOSV from vectors and patients and 80%–81% compared to the Italian strain ISS Phl.3. Sequencing of the N gene of TOSV isolates from patients and vectors indicated 87%–88% and 100% homology at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively, compared to the Italian strain. These findings demonstrate the circulation of at least 2 different lineages of TOSV in the Mediterranean basin, the Italian lineage and the Spanish lineage.Grant sponsor was Red EVITAR, Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias, Spanish Ministry of Health, grant no. G03/059. Ximena Collao has a research grant from Valparaiso University (MECESUP project, Chile). The study of vectors, i.e., capture of phlebotomines and taxonomic classification, was supported by the Junta de Andalucía, research grant CVI 176. Dr Sanbonmatsu-Gámez is a microbiologist on a fellowship from the EVITAR network (Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias, Spanish Ministry of Health; grant no. G03/059). Her research interest focuses on viral infectious diseases, especially arthropodborne viral diseases

Streptococcus agalactiae clones infecting humans were selected and fixed through the extensive use of tetracycline

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) is a commensal of the digestive and genitourinary tracts of humans that emerged as the leading cause of bacterial neonatal infections in Europe and North America during the 1960s. Due to the lack of epidemiological and genomic data, the reasons for this emergence are unknown. Here we show by comparative genome analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction of 229 isolates that the rise of human GBS infections corresponds to the selection and worldwide dissemination of only a few clones. The parallel expansion of the clones is preceded by the insertion of integrative and conjugative elements conferring tetracycline resistance (TcR). Thus, we propose that the use of tetracycline from 1948 onwards led in humans to the complete replacement of a diverse GBS population by only few TcR clones particularly well adapted to their host, causing the observed emergence of GBS diseases in neonates. \ua9 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved

Specimen storage in transport medium and detection of group B streptococci by culture

Recovery of group B streptococci (GBS) was assessed in 1,204 vaginorectal swabs stored in Amies transport medium at 4 or 21°C for 1 to 4 days either by direct inoculation onto Granada agar (GA) or by culture in blood agar (BA) and GA after a selective broth enrichment (SBE) step. Following storage at 4°C, GBS detection in GA was not affected after 72 h by either direct inoculation or SBE; however, GBS were not detected after SBE in the BA subculture in some samples after 48 h of storage and in GA after 96 h. After storage at 21°C, loss of GBS-positive results was significant after 48 h by direct inoculation in GA and after 96 h by SBE and BA subculture; some GBS-positive samples were not detected after 24 h of storage followed by SBE and BA subculture or after 48 h of storage followed by SBE and GA subculture. Storage of swabs in transport medium, even at 4°C, produced after 24 h an underestimation of the intensity of GBS colonization in most specimens. These data indicate that viability of GBS is not fully preserved by storage of vaginorectal swabs in Amies transport medium, mainly if they are not stored under refrigerationYe

Testing of Diagnostic Methods for Detection of Influenza Virusfor Optimal Performance in the Context of an Influenza Surveillance Network

Influenza surveillance networks must detect early the viruses that will cause the forthcoming annual epidemics and isolate the strains for further characterization. We obtained the highest sensitivity (95.4%) with a diagnostic tool that combined a shell-vial assay and reverse transcription-PCR on cell culture supernatants at 48 h, and indeed, recovered the strainYe