211 research outputs found
Perinatal Tuberculosis: Is it a Forgotten Disease?
Perinatal tuberculosis is an uncommon condition but with a high mortality and a challenging diagnosis. We present four cases of perinatal tuberculosis managed between 1991-2014 in a Spanish Tertiary Hospital. The infection should be considered in patients with progressive respiratory symptoms and with a poor response to conventional antibiotic therapy, especially in those with positive epidemiologic risk. Bronchoscopy can be a useful tool for diagnosis
Cloning, characterization and analysis of cat and ben genes from the phenol degrading halophilic bacterium Halomonas organivorans.
Background: Extensive use of phenolic compounds in industry has resulted in the generation of saline wastewaters that
produce significant environmental contamination; however, little information is available on the degradation of phenolic
compounds in saline conditions. Halomonas organivorans G-16.1 (CECT 5995T) is a moderately halophilic bacterium that we
isolated in a previous work from saline environments of South Spain by enrichment for growth in different pollutants,
including phenolic compounds. PCR amplification with degenerate primers revealed the presence of genes encoding ringcleaving
enzymes of the b-ketoadipate pathway for aromatic catabolism in H. organivorans.
Findings: The gene cluster catRBCA, involved in catechol degradation, was isolated from H. organivorans. The genes catA,
catB, catC and the divergently transcribed catR code for catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (1,2-CTD), cis,cis-muconate
cycloisomerase, muconolactone delta-isomerase and a LysR-type transcriptional regulator, respectively. The benzoate
catabolic genes (benA and benB) are located flanking the cat genes. The expression of cat and ben genes by phenol and
benzoic acid was shown by RT-PCR analysis. The induction of catA gene by phenol and benzoic acid was also probed by the
measurement of 1,2-CTD activity in H. organivorans growth in presence of these inducers. 16S rRNA and catA gene-based
phylogenies were established among different degrading bacteria showing no phylogenetic correlation between both
genes.
Conclusions/Significance: In this work, we isolated and determined the sequence of a gene cluster from a moderately
halophilic bacterium encoding ortho-pathway genes involved in the catabolic metabolism of phenol and analyzed the gene
organization, constituting the first report characterizing catabolic genes involved in the degradation of phenol in moderate
halophiles, providing an ideal model system to investigate the potential use of this group of extremophiles in the
decontamination of saline environments
Prevalence and Risk Factors of MASLD and Liver Fibrosis amongst the Penitentiary Population in Catalonia: The PRISONAFLD Study
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease; Metabolic syndrome; PrisonMalaltia hepàtica esteatòtica associada a disfunció metabòlica; Síndrome metabòlica; PresóEnfermedad hepática esteatósica asociada a disfunción metabólica; Síndrome metabólico; PrisiónBackground and Aims: The prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases, particularly metabolic syndrome (MetS), has increased among the prison population. Nevertheless, we have limited data on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the hepatic manifestation of this syndrome. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of MASLD and MASLD-associated liver fibrosis in the penitentiary population in Catalonia, Spain. Method: A cross-sectional observational study involving eight penitentiary centers. Participants had at least one metabolic disorder and were at a closed-regimen penitentiary. Individuals with concomitant liver diseases and/or alcohol risk consumption were excluded. Significant fibrosis and MASLD were defined as liver stiffness ≥8 kPa and a controlled attenuation parameter ≥275 dB/m by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE), respectively. After exclusions, metabolic inmates with VCTE were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of MASLD and MASLD-associated significant fibrosis. Results: Out of the 4338 inmates studied, 1290 (29.7%) had metabolic disorders, and 646 (14.9%) underwent VCTE. The mean age was 48.0 years (SD 12.1), and 89.5% were male. MASLD prevalence was 33.9%. Significant fibrosis and MASLD-associated significant fibrosis were found in 16.4% and 9.4% of inmates, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, T2D, waist circumference, MetS, and higher ALT values were identified as independent risk factors for MASLD and MASLD-associated significant fibrosis amongst the prison population. Conclusions: Metabolic disorders including MASLD are highly prevalent among inmates. The prevalence of significant fibrosis seems notably higher than that of the general population, underscoring the need for targeted screening programs and therapeutic interventions in the incarcerated population
The impact of surgical practice on oncological outcomes in robot-assisted radical hysterectomy for early-stage cervical cancer, Spanish National Registry
Minimal invasive surgery (MIS) has been associated with lower disease-free survival than open surgery among women who underwent radical hysterectomy for early-stage cervical cancer. However, the mechanisms by which MIS increases mortality in cervical cancer remain uncertain. We aimed to determine if surgical practice among centers using robotic surgery has an impact on oncological outcomes. We evaluated 215 women with early-stage cervical cancer (≤IB1 or IIA1, FIGO 2009) who underwent robot-assisted radical hysterectomy in five Spanish tertiary centers between 2009 and 2018. A higher surgical volume, higher participation in clinical trials, higher rate of MRI use for diagnosis, greater use of sentinel lymph node biopsies, and a favorable learning curve with low rates of early recurrences were observed for the centers with better oncological outcomes. These factors might have a significant impact on oncological outcomes in all surgical approaches. Abstract: This study aimed to assess whether surgical practice had a significant impact on oncological outcomes among women who underwent robot-assisted radical hysterectomy for early-stage cervical cancer (≤IB1 or IIA1, FIGO 2009). The secondary objective was to audit the pre-surgical quality indicators (QI) proposed by the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO). The top 5 of 10 centers in Spain and Portugal were included in the analysis. The hospitals were divided into group A (n = 118) and group B (n = 97), with recurrence rates of 10%, respectively. After balancing both groups using the propensity score, the ORs for all events were higher and statistically significant for group B (recurrences OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.13-1.15, p-value = 0.001; death OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.02-1.18, p-value = 0.012; disease-specific mortality ORr = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.04-1.19, p-value = 0.002). A higher surgical volume, higher participation in clinical trials, higher rate of MRI use for diagnosis, greater use of sentinel lymph node biopsies, and a favorable learning curve with low rates of early recurrences were observed among the centers with better oncological outcomes. These factors might have a significant impact on oncological outcomes not only after robot-assisted surgery, but also after laparoscopies and open surgeries in the treatment of cervical cancer
Highlights from the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory is the world's largest cosmic ray observatory.
Our current exposure reaches nearly 40,000 km str and provides us with an
unprecedented quality data set. The performance and stability of the detectors
and their enhancements are described. Data analyses have led to a number of
major breakthroughs. Among these we discuss the energy spectrum and the
searches for large-scale anisotropies. We present analyses of our X
data and show how it can be interpreted in terms of mass composition. We also
describe some new analyses that extract mass sensitive parameters from the 100%
duty cycle SD data. A coherent interpretation of all these recent results opens
new directions. The consequences regarding the cosmic ray composition and the
properties of UHECR sources are briefly discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figures, talk given at the 33rd International Cosmic Ray
Conference, Rio de Janeiro 201
Characterization of manganese-bearing particles in the vicinities of a manganese alloy plant
Numerous studies have associated air manganese (Mn) exposure with negative health effects, primarily neurotoxic disorders. Despite there is not a specific European regulation, institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO) have proposed an annual average guideline value of 150 ng/m3. Bioaccessibility and toxicity mechanisms of Mn remain unclear, however it is generally agreed that adverse health effects are strongly linked to particle size and morphology, chemical composition and oxidation state. This study aims to deepen the understanding of the physico-chemical characteristics of PM10 and deposition samples collected in an urban area in the proximities of a ferromanganese alloy plant. Total Mn content was determined by ICP-MS after a microwave-assisted acid digestion. The size, morphology and chemical composition of individual particles were studied by SEM-EDX. XRD was used to identify the major crystalline phases. Most of the particles observed by SEM-EDX contain Mn. 60% of Mn-PM10 particles were spheres of small size and were attributed to condensation processes at the smelting unit. Mn-bearing particles present in deposition were characterized by irregular shapes and bigger sizes, most of them consisting of SiMn slags and Mn ores and alloys, and attributed to diffuse emissions from raw material and product handling and processing. Due to the differences in the characteristics of Mn-bearing particles found in the different matrices, further studies on the potential toxicity and health effects of these particles should be done, especially in relation with the small and spherical particles present in PM10, which are expected to be more problematic.This work has been financially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through the Project CTM2013-43904R. Ana Hernández-Pellón thanks the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for the FPI grant awarded, BES-2014-068790
Update on the correlation of the highest energy cosmic rays with nearby extragalactic matter
Data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory through 31 August 2007 showed
evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above the
Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuz'min energy threshold, \nobreak{eV}. The
anisotropy was measured by the fraction of arrival directions that are less
than from the position of an active galactic nucleus within 75 Mpc
(using the V\'eron-Cetty and V\'eron catalog). An updated
measurement of this fraction is reported here using the arrival directions of
cosmic rays recorded above the same energy threshold through 31 December 2009.
The number of arrival directions has increased from 27 to 69, allowing a more
precise measurement. The correlating fraction is , compared
with expected for isotropic cosmic rays. This is down from the early
estimate of . The enlarged set of arrival directions is
examined also in relation to other populations of nearby extragalactic objects:
galaxies in the 2 Microns All Sky Survey and active galactic nuclei detected in
hard X-rays by the Swift Burst Alert Telescope. A celestial region around the
position of the radiogalaxy Cen A has the largest excess of arrival directions
relative to isotropic expectations. The 2-point autocorrelation function is
shown for the enlarged set of arrival directions and compared to the isotropic
expectation.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics on 31 August 201
Anisotropy and chemical composition of ultra-high energy cosmic rays using arrival directions measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Collaboration has reported evidence for anisotropy in the
distribution of arrival directions of the cosmic rays with energies
eV. These show a correlation with the distribution
of nearby extragalactic objects, including an apparent excess around the
direction of Centaurus A. If the particles responsible for these excesses at
are heavy nuclei with charge , the proton component of the
sources should lead to excesses in the same regions at energies . We here
report the lack of anisotropies in these directions at energies above
(for illustrative values of ). If the anisotropies
above are due to nuclei with charge , and under reasonable
assumptions about the acceleration process, these observations imply stringent
constraints on the allowed proton fraction at the lower energies
Advanced functionality for radio analysis in the Offline software framework of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The advent of the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) necessitates the
development of a powerful framework for the analysis of radio measurements of
cosmic ray air showers. As AERA performs "radio-hybrid" measurements of air
shower radio emission in coincidence with the surface particle detectors and
fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory, the radio analysis
functionality had to be incorporated in the existing hybrid analysis solutions
for fluoresence and surface detector data. This goal has been achieved in a
natural way by extending the existing Auger Offline software framework with
radio functionality. In this article, we lay out the design, highlights and
features of the radio extension implemented in the Auger Offline framework. Its
functionality has achieved a high degree of sophistication and offers advanced
features such as vectorial reconstruction of the electric field, advanced
signal processing algorithms, a transparent and efficient handling of FFTs, a
very detailed simulation of detector effects, and the read-in of multiple data
formats including data from various radio simulation codes. The source code of
this radio functionality can be made available to interested parties on
request.Comment: accepted for publication in NIM A, 13 pages, minor corrections to
author list and references in v
High-resolution hepatitis C virus subtyping using NS5B deep sequencing and phylogeny, an alternative to current methods
HepatitisCvirus(HCV)is classified into seven major genotypesand67 subtypes. Recent studies haveshownthat inHCVgenotype 1-infected
patients, response rates to regimens containingdirect-acting antivirals(DAAs)are subtype dependent. Currently available genotypingmethods
have limited subtyping accuracy.Wehave evaluated theperformanceof adeep-sequencing-basedHCVsubtyping assay, developed for the
454/GS-Junior platform, in comparisonwith thoseof two commercial assays (VersantHCVgenotype 2.0andAbbott Real-timeHCVGenotype
II)andusingdirectNS5Bsequencing as a gold standard (direct sequencing), in 114 clinical specimenspreviously tested by first-generation
hybridization assay (82 genotype 1and32 with uninterpretable results). Phylogenetic analysis of deep-sequencing reads matched subtype
1 callingbypopulation Sanger sequencing(69%1b,31%1a) in 81 specimensandidentified amixed-subtype infection (1b/3a/1a) in one sample.
Similarly,amongthe 32previously indeterminate specimens, identical genotypeandsubtype results were obtained by directanddeep
sequencing in all but four samples with dual infection. In contrast, both VersantHCVGenotype 2.0andAbbott Real-timeHCVGenotype II
failed subtype 1 calling in 13 (16%) samples eachandwere unable to identify theHCVgenotype and/or subtype inmore than half of the nongenotype
1 samples.Weconcluded that deep sequencing ismore efficient forHCVsubtyping than currently available methodsandallows
qualitative identificationofmixed infectionsandmay bemorehelpfulwith respect to informing treatment strategies withnewDAA-containing
regimens across allHCVsubtypesThis study has been supported by CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico
Industrial), Spanish Ministry of Economics and Competitiveness
(MINECO), IDI-20110115; MINECO projects SAF 2009-10403; and
also by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (FIS)
projects PI10/01505, PI12/01893, and PI13/00456. CIBERehd is funded
by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain. Work at CBMSO was
supported by grant MINECO-BFU2011-23604, FIPSE, and Fundación
Ramón Areces.
X. Forns received unrestricted grant support from Roche and has
acted as advisor for MSD, Gilead, and Abbvie. M. Alvarez-Tejado, J. Gregori,
and J. M. Muñoz work in Roche Diagnostic
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