MYCOBACTERIUM AVIUM SUBSP. PARATUBERCULOSIS IN DAIRY CATTLE IN THE LIMA AREA DETECTED THROUGH THREE DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo evidenciar la presencia de Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map), en el ganado bovino lechero del departamento de Lima, Perú. Se evaluaron 60 vacas procedentes de tres establos, mediante la prueba tuberculínica intradérmica y dos kits comerciales de ELISA específicos contra Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. Resultaron positivos 22 animales (36.7%) a una de las tres técnicas diagnósticas (8 a una de las pruebas de ELISA y 18 a la prueba intradérmica). Se tomó muestras de heces a los 22 animales positivos y se cultivaron en el medio de Herrold con yema de huevo, resultando cinco muestras positivas al aislamiento de Map. Asimismo, se realizó el PCR a partir del cultivo, encontrándose dos muestras positivas. Se encontró una concordancia ligera (0.15, prueba Kappa) entre las técnicas que evalúan la respuesta inmune celular y humoral y se estableció que estas pruebas no son reemplazables (5.55>3.84, prueba de Mc Nemar). Los resultados permitieron evidenciar la presencia de Map en ganado bovino lechero de Lima, Perú.The objective of the study was to determine the presence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) in dairy cattle in Lima, Peru. The Intradermal Tuberculin Test was applied to 60 cows from three herds and serum samples were tested using two commercial ELISA kits for antibodies against Map. Twenty-two cows (36.7%) were positive to at least to one of these diagnostic techniques (8 to one of the ELISA tests and 18 to the intradermal test). Feacal samples from the 22 positive animals were cultured on Herrold’s egg-yolk medium (HEYM) yielding five Map positive samples. PCR was used in the isolated strains and Map DNA was confirmed in two cows. A slight concordance (0.15, Kappa test) was found between techniques evaluating cellular and humoral immune response, establishing that these tests are not interchangeable (5.55> 3.84, Mc Nemar test). The results confirm the presence of Map in dairy cattle in Lima, Peru

Metástasis Vertebrales

La incidencia de las metástasis en columna vertebral está aumentando por el incremento de la población anciana, la mayor esperanza de vida y las mejores en el tratamiento de los pacientes con cáncer. Revi - samos el diagnóstico y tratamiento de estos pacientes.The incidence of spinal metastases is increasing with increasingly older populations, longer life expectancy and improvements in medical treatment of the patients with cancer. So, metastases to the spine repre - sent a challenging problem. We review diagnosis and treatment these patients

Arabidopsis HAP2/GCS1 is a gamete fusion protein homologous to somatic and viral fusogens

Cell–cell fusion is inherent to sexual reproduction. Loss of HAPLESS 2/GENERATIVE CELL SPECIFIC 1 (HAP2/GCS1) proteins results in gamete fusion failure in diverse organisms, but their exact role is unclear. In this study, we show that Arabidopsis thaliana HAP2/GCS1 is sufficient to promote mammalian cell–cell fusion. Hemifusion and complete fusion depend on HAP2/GCS1 presence in both fusing cells. Furthermore, expression of HAP2 on the surface of pseudotyped vesicular stomatitis virus results in homotypic virus–cell fusion. We demonstrate that the Caenorhabditis elegans Epithelial Fusion Failure 1 (EFF-1) somatic cell fusogen can replace HAP2/GCS1 in one of the fusing membranes, indicating that HAP2/GCS1 and EFF-1 share a similar fusion mechanism. Structural modeling of the HAP2/GCS1 protein family predicts that they are homologous to EFF-1 and viral class II fusion proteins (e.g., Zika virus). We name this superfamily Fusexins: fusion proteins essential for sexual reproduction and exoplasmic merger of plasma membranes. We suggest a common origin and evolution of sexual reproduction, enveloped virus entry into cells, and somatic cell fusion

Endotoxin-induced lung alveolar cell injury causes brain cell damage

Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII

Clinical and laboratory features of anti-MAG neuropathy without monoclonal gammopathy

Antibodies against myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) almost invariably appear in the context of an IgM monoclonal gammopathy associated neuropathy. Very few cases of anti-MAG neuropathy lacking IgM-monoclonal gammopathy have been reported. We investigated the presence of anti-MAG antibodies in 69 patients fulfilling diagnostic criteria for CIDP. Anti-MAG antibodies were tested by ELISA and confirmed by immunohistochemistry. We identified four (5.8%) anti-MAG positive patients without detectable IgM-monoclonal gammopathy. In two of them, IgM-monoclonal gammopathy was detected at 3 and 4-year follow-up coinciding with an increase in anti-MAG antibodies titers. In conclusion, anti-MAG antibody testing should be considered in chronic demyelinating neuropathies, even if IgM-monoclonal gammopathy is not detectable

The Disk Population of the Taurus Star-Forming Region

We have analyzed nearly all images of the Taurus star-forming region at 3.6-24um that were obtained during the cryogenic mission of the Spitzer Space Telescope (46 deg^2) and have measured photometry for all known members of the region that are within these data, corresponding to 348 sources. We have classified the members of Taurus according to whether they show evidence of disks and envelopes (classes I, II, and III). The disk fraction in Taurus is 75% for solar-mass stars and declines to 45% for low-mass stars and brown dwarfs (0.01-0.3 M_sun). This dependence on stellar mass is similar to that measured for Cha I, although the disk fraction in Taurus is slightly higher overall, probably because of its younger age (1 vs. 2-3 Myr). In comparison, the disk fraction for solar-mass stars is much lower (20%) in IC 348 and Sigma Ori, which are denser than Taurus and Cha I and are roughly coeval with the latter. These data indicate that disk lifetimes for solar-mass stars are longer in regions that have lower stellar densities. Through an analysis of multiple epochs of photometry that are available for ~200 Taurus members, we find that stars with disks exhibit significantly greater mid-IR variability than diskless stars. Finally, we have used our data in Taurus to refine the criteria for primordial, evolved, and transitional disks. The number ratio of evolved and transitional disks to primordial disks in Taurus is 15/98 for K5-M5, indicating a timescale of 0.15 x tau(primordial)=0.45 Myr for the clearing of the inner regions of optically thick disks. After applying the same criteria to older clusters (2-10 Myr), we find that the proportions of evolved and transitional disks in those populations are consistent with the measurements in Taurus when their star formation histories are properly taken into account. ERRATUM: In Table 7, we inadvertently omitted the spectral type bins in which class II sources were placed in Table 8 based on their bolometric luminosities (applies only to stars that lack spectroscopic classifications). The bins were K6-M3.5 for FT Tau, DK Tau B, and IRAS 04370+2559, M3.5-M6 for IRAS 04200+2759, IT Tau B, and ITG 1, and M6-M8 for IRAS 04325+2402 C. In addition, the values of K_s-[3.6] in Table 13 and Figure 26 for spectral types of M4-M9 are incorrect. We present corrected versions of Table 13 and Figure 26.Comment: revised version with Erratum (in press

Ozone Eliminates SARS-CoV-2 from Difficult-to-Clean Office Supplies and Clinical Equipment.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to cause profound health, economic, and social problems worldwide. The management and disinfection of materials used daily in health centers and common working environments have prompted concerns about the control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection risk. Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent that has been widely used in disinfection processes for decades. The aim of this study was to assess the optimal conditions of ozone treatment for the elimination of heat-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 from office supplies (personal computer monitors, keyboards, and computer mice) and clinical equipment (continuous positive airway pressure tubes and personal protective equipment) that are difficult to clean. (2) Methods: The office supplies and clinical equipment were contaminated in an area of 1 cm2 with 1 × 104 viral units of a heat-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 strain, then treated with ozone using two different ozone devices: a specifically designed ozonation chamber (for low–medium ozone concentrations over large volumes) and a clinical ozone generator (for high ozone concentrations over small volumes). SARS-CoV-2 gene detection was carried out using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). (3) Results: At high ozone concentrations over small surfaces, the ozone eliminated SARS-CoV-2 RNA in short time periods—i.e., 10 min (at 4000 ppm) or less. The optimum ozone concentration over large volumes was 90 ppm for 120 min in ambient conditions (24 °C and 60–75% relative humidity). (4) Conclusions: This study showed that the appropriate ozone concentration and exposure time eliminated heat-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 RNA from the surfaces of different widely used clinical and office supplies, decreasing their risk of transmission, and improving their reutilization. Ozone may provide an additional tool to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.TRUEInstituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain, and by the European Regional Development Funds (FEDER)Fundación Canaria del Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Canarias (FIISC), Las PalmasFundación Mapfre Guanarteme, Las PalmasGobierno de Canarias, Las Palmaspu

Optimization of total anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity of a Hibiscus sabdariffa infusion using response surface methodology

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. calyces are underutilized sources of health-promoting anthocyanins. Infusions are the most common way to consume them, but because anthocyanins are thermosensitive, prolonged extraction times at high temperatures may reduce their bioactivities, suggesting the need to identify optimal preparation conditions. Response surface methodology was used to establish calyces-to-water ratio (X1: 1–20 g/100 mL), temperature (X2: 70–100 °C), and time (X3: 1–30 min) that would produce an infusion with optimized total anthocyanin content (TAC) and antioxidant activity. Under optimum conditions (X1=10 g/100 mL, X2=88.7 °C, and X3=15.5 min) TAC was 132.7±7.8 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents (C3G)/100 mL, and antioxidant activity was 800.6±69.9 (DPPH assay), and 1792.0±153.5 (ABTS assay) μmol Trolox equivalents (TE)/100 mL. Predicted and experimental results were statistically similar. Identifying ideal processing conditions can promote consumption of an H. sabdariffa-based functional beverage with high anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity that exert health-promoting bioactivities on the consumer

Large-scale movements of common bottlenose dolphins in the Atlantic : dolphins with an international courtyard

Wide-ranging connectivity patterns of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are generally poorly known worldwide and more so within the oceanic archipelagos of Macaronesia in the North East (NE) Atlantic. This study aimed to identify long-range movements between the archipelagos of Macaronesia that lie between 500 and 1,500 km apart, and between Madeira archipelago and the Portuguese continental shelf, through the compilation and comparison of bottlenose dolphin's photo-identification catalogues from different regions: one from Madeira (n = 363 individuals), two from different areas in the Azores (n = 495 and 176), and four from different islands of the Canary Islands (n = 182, 110, 142 and 281), summing up 1791 photographs. An additional comparison was made between the Madeira catalogue and one catalogue from Sagres, on the southwest tip of the Iberian Peninsula (n = 359). Results showed 26 individual matches, mostly between Madeira and the Canary Islands (n = 23), and between Azores and Madeira (n = 3). No matches were found between the Canary Islands and the Azores, nor between Madeira and Sagres. There were no individuals identified in all three archipelagos. The minimum time recorded between sightings in two different archipelagos (≈ 460 km apart) was 62 days. Association patterns revealed that the individuals moving between archipelagos were connected to resident, migrant and transient individuals in Madeira. The higher number of individuals that were re-sighted between Madeira and the Canary Islands can be explained by the relative proximity of these two archipelagos. This study shows the first inter-archipelago movements of bottlenose dolphins in the Macaronesia region, emphasizing the high mobility of this species and supporting the high gene flow described for oceanic dolphins inhabiting the North Atlantic. The dynamics of these long-range movements strongly denotes the need to review marine protected areas established for this species in each archipelago, calling for joint resolutions from three autonomous regions belonging to two EU countries.Partnership Program (US) and project ‘‘Cetáceos, Oceanografía y Biodiversidad de las Aguas Profundas de La Palma y El Hierro’’ funded by ‘‘Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación’’ of the Spanish Government, grant number CETOBAPH-CGL2009-1311218 supported the work in the Canary Island. In Madeira, this study was supported by the Oceanic Observatory of Madeira through the project M1420-01-0142-FEDER-000001 and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology through the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2020. Ana Dinis and Filipe Alves have grants funded by ARDITI— Madeira’s Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation, throughout the project M1420-09- 5369- FSE- 000002, and Annalisa Sambolino is supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology through the PhD grant number SFRH/BD/1416092018. In Azores, the MONICET platform is supported by project MEEMO (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000079) and Marta Tobena is supported by a PhD grant (M31a/F/0722015). There was no additional external funding received for this study. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Spitzer/IRAC view of Sh 2-284: Searching for evidence of triggered star formation in an isolated region in the outer Milky Way

Using Spitzer/IRAC observations of a region to be observed by the CoRoT satellite, we have unraveled a new complex star-forming region at low metallicity in the outer Galaxy. We perform a study of S284 in order to outline the chain of events in this star-forming region. We used four-band Spitzer/IRAC photometry as well as Halpha imaging obtained with INT/WFC. Combining these data with the optical photometry obtained in the frame of CoRoTs preparation and the 2MASS catalog we analysed the properties and distribution of young stellar objects (YSOs) associated with point-like sources. We also studied the SEDs of regions of extended emission, complementing our dataset with IRAS and MSX data. We find that S284 is unique in several ways: it is very isolated at the end of a spiral arm and both the diffuse dust and ionized emission are remarkably symmetric. We have partially resolved the central clusters of the three bubbles present in this region. Despite the different scales present in its multiple-bubble morphology, our study points to a very narrow spread of ages among the powering high-mass clusters. In contrast, the particular sawtooth structure of the extended emission at the rim of each ionized bubble harbours either small lower-mass clusters with a younger stellar population or individual young reddened protostars. In particular, triggered star formation is considered to be at work in these regions.Comment: Accepted by A&A. 13 pages, 10 figures, 2 Table