Factors associated with risk behavior in travelers to tropical and subtropical regions

BACKGROUND: Recent decades have seen a rise in population movements and, therefore, the spread of tropical diseases and changes in the epidemiology of global disease patterns. Only 50% of travelers to tropical areas receive pre-travel advice and most of them present risk behaviors for acquiring infections. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of travelers and identify factors associated with risk behaviors. METHODS: We made a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study of 772 travelers consulting a tropical medicine clinic in Barcelona in 2010. Data on demographic and clinical variables, travel characteristics and risk behaviors were collected. RESULTS: Among all travelers studied, 65.8% (466/708) received pre-travel advice and 30.7% (209/680) took malaria prophylaxis. At least one risk behavior was reported by 82.6% (587/711) of travelers. People travelling for 1-6 months had a 3-fold higher likelihood of experiencing risk behaviors than people travelling for <1 month (95% CI 1.54-5.81, p=0.001), and those travelling for >6 months had a 13-fold higher likelihood (95% CI 3.11-56.14, p<0.001) compared with the same group. Increasing age was associated with presenting less risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Younger travelers and those making longer trips have a higher number of risk behaviors. Strategies emphasizing advice on risk behavior should focus on these groups

Immunogenicity and immunization costs of adjuvanted versus non-adjuvanted hepatitis B vaccine in chronic kidney disease patients

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination is recommended for all susceptible chronic pre-hemodialysis and hemodialysis patients. This study assessed the immunogenicity of HBV vaccines (adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted) in chronic kidney disease patients vaccinated at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona (Spain) between January 2007 and July 2012. In addition, the costs for the health system were evaluated according to the proportion of vaccine responders after receiving either vaccine. Patients receiving three doses of hepatitis B adjuvanted vaccine were three times more likely to seroconvert than patients immunized with non-adjuvanted vaccines, OR 3.56 (95% CI 1.84-6.85). This resulted in fewer patients requiring a second course of HBV vaccination and fewer outpatient visits, saving more than euro9,500 per 100 patients. The higher immunogenicity of the adjuvanted HBV vaccine would counterbalance the lower costs associated with the non-adjuvanted vaccine

La terapia génica ante el nuevo milenio

Not availableNo disponibl

Nanoespumas de carbono: Producción por láser, propiedades químico-físicas y potenciales aplicaciones electroquímicas y en catálisis

Trabajo presentado a la "XII Reunion del Grupo Español del Carbón" celebrada en Madrid del 20 al 23 de octubre de 2013.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por la Comisión Europea (proyecto LIFE11/ENV/ES 560 “CERAMGLASS”) y el Gobierno de Aragón (Proyecto PI119/09).Peer Reviewe

Oral administration of melatonin counteracts several of the effects of chronic stress in rainbow trout

To assess a possible antistress role of melatonin in fish, we orally administered melatonin to rainbow trout for 10 d and then kept the fish under normal or high stocking density conditions during the last 4 d. Food intake; biochemical parameters in plasma (cortisol, glucose, and lactate concentrations); liver (glucose and glycogen concentrations, and glycogen synthase activity); enzyme activities of amylase, lipase, and protease in foregut and midgut; and content of the hypothalamic neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, as well as their oxidized metabolites, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid, were evaluated under those conditions. High stocking density conditions alone induced changes indicative of stress conditions in plasma cortisol concentrations, liver glycogenolytic potential, the activities of some digestive enzymes, and the 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid-to-dopamine and 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid-to-serotonin ratios in the hypothalamus. Melatonin treatment in nonstressed fish induced an increase in liver glycogenolytic potential, increased the activity of some digestive enzymes, and enhanced serotoninergic and dopaminergic metabolism in hypothalamus. The presence of melatonin in stressed fish resulted in a significant interaction with cortisol concentrations in plasma, glycogen content, and glycogen synthase activity in liver and dopaminergic and serotoninergic metabolism in the hypothalamus. In general, the presence of melatonin mitigated several of the effects induced by stress, supporting an antistress role for melatonin in rainbow trout.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. AGL2010-22247-C03-03Xunta de Galicia | Ref. CN2012/ 00

Transformación vía Agrobacterium tumefaciens para inducir tolerancia a la podredumbre blanca del aguacate

Comunicación presentada en el VII World Avocado Congress, celebrado en Cairns (Australia) del 5 al 9 de septiembre de 2011.[EN] One of the most important limiting factors for avocado production in Spain is the disease caused by the fungus Rosellinia necatrix . Genetic manipulation could be useful for the introduction of fungal resistance traits into this crop. A n efficient Agrobacterium - mediated transformation protocol for avocado using AGL1 Agrobacterium strain and somatic embryos as the target material has been established by our group, although embryo conversion rate into plants needs to be improved. For that reason, we are using the strawberry, another Rosellinia necatrix ́s host, as model species to test the effect of several transgenes (two of fungal origin, chit 42 chitinase and β - 1,3 - glucanase from Trichoderma harzianum , and one of plant origin, At NPR1), on inducing tolerance to this fungus. Strawberry transformation with the β - 1,3 - glucanase gene has allowed the selection of two lines, β6 and β10, with enhanced tolerance to R. necatrix while no positive results were obtained following transformation with the chit - 42 gene. In relation to the At NPR1 gene more than 30 independent transgenic lines have been obtained whose tolerance to R. necatrix is currently under evaluation. Concerning avocado transformation, more than 10 independent transgenic lines (derive d from an embryogenic line of an immature Duke7 zygotic embryo) have been obtained with At NPR1 gene. Plants have been recovered from one line and efforts are underway to recover plants from other lines following micrografting of the transgenic sprouted sho ots onto in vitro germinated seedlings.[ES] Uno de los factores limitantes de la producción de aguacate en España es la enfermedad causada por el hongo R. necatrix. La manipulación genética podría ser de utilidad para introducir caracteres de resistencia en este cultivo. Se ha establecido un sistema eficiente de transformación en aguacate usando la cepa de Agrobacterium AGL1 y células embriogénicas como diana, sin embargo, la conversión en plantas de los embriones transgénicos necesita ser mejorada. Por esta razón, estamos utilizando la fresa, otro huésped de R. necatrix, como especie modelo para testar el efecto de varios transgenes (2 de origen fúngico, la quitinasa chit-42 y la β-1,3-glucanasa de Trichoderma harzianum, y uno derivado de plantas, AtNPR1), en la inducción de tolerancia a este patógeno tras la transformación de esta especie. La transformación de fresa con el gen de β -1,3-glucanasa ha permitido la selección de dos líneas, β6 y β10, con mayor tolerancia a R. necatrix, mientras que no se han obtenido resultados positivos con el gen chit-42. En relación con el gen AtNPR1, se han obtenido más de 30 líneas transgénicas independientes, cuya tolerancia frente a R. necatrix se está evaluando en la actualidad. En relación con la transformación de aguacate, más de 10 líneas transgénicas independientes (derivadas de una línea embriogénica obtenida a partir de un embrión zigótico inmaduro del cv. Duke 7) se han obtenido con el gen AtNPR1. Se han recuperado plantas de una línea y actualmente se está intentando recuperar plantas de otras líneas mediante microinjerto de los embriones transgénicos germinados.Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco del proyecto AGL2008 - 05453 - C02 - 01/AGR.Peer Reviewe

Changes in the Serotype Distribution of Streptococcus Pneumoniae Causing Otitis Media After PCV13 Introduction in Spain

One of the beneficial effects of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) has been a decrease in the incidence of non-invasive infections, such as otitis media (OM) caused by vaccine serotypes. In this study, we analyzed the epidemiology of pneumococcal OM before and after PCV13 introduction in 2010. Between 2008 and 2016, the middle ear exudates from 2653 children under 14 years of age with OM were studied in two Spanish provinces (Gipuzkoa and Barcelona), and S. pneumoniae was isolated in 235 (8.9%) of cases. The 204 available isolates were serotyped and distributed in three 3-year periods: one before and two after PCV13 introduction (early and late post-PCV13). A significant decrease in the rate of OM caused by S. pneumoniae was observed mainly due to a decrease in infections caused by all PCV13 serotypes, although exceptions were observed including the persistence of serotype 3 in Gipuzkoa and a weak re-emergence of serotype 19F in both regions. The rate and diversity of non-PCV13 serotypes increased in both regions and an emerging clone causing OM was detected in each region: serotype 23B ST2372 in Gipuzkoa and serotype 11A ST838/ST6521 in Barcelona. The introduction of PCV13 has been followed by a change in the epidemiology of pneumococcal OM, with a decrease in the rate of vaccine serotypes accompanied by an increase in the diversity of non-vaccine serotype and the clonal spreading of different single clones in each region.JMM was funded in part by the Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES-26). CMA was funded in part by the Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de de Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBERESP-57). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. This work was funded in part by the Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES-26) and de Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBERESP-57)

Tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium caprae in sheep

Tuberculosis was diagnosed in three flocks of sheep in Galicia, Spain, in 2009 and 2010. Two flocks were infected with Mycobacterium bovis and one flock was infected with Mycobacterium caprae. Infection was confirmed by the comparative intradermal tuberculin test, bacteriology, molecular analysis and histopathology. Sheep have the potential to act as a reservoir for tuberculosis

Self-organized single crystal mixed magnetite/cobalt ferrite films grown by infrared pulsed-laser deposition

We have grown mixed magnetite/cobalt ferrite epitaxial films on SrTiO3 by infrared pulsed-laser deposition. Diffraction experiments indicate epitaxial growth with a relaxed lattice spacing. The films are flat with two distinct island types: nanometric rectangular mounds in two perpendicular orientations, and larger square islands, attributed to the two main components of the film as determined by Mössbauer spectroscopy. The origin of the segregation is suggested to be the oxygen-deficiency during growth.Peer Reviewe