High genomic diversity and heterogenous origins of pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli in household settings represent a challenge to reducing transmission in low-income settings

Escherichia coli; is present in multiple hosts and environmental compartments as a normal inhabitant, temporary or persistent colonizer, and as a pathogen. Transmission of; E. coli; between hosts and with the environment is considered to occur more often in areas with poor sanitation. We performed whole-genome comparative analyses on 60; E. coli; isolates from soils and fecal sources (cattle, chickens, and humans) in households in rural Bangladesh. Isolates from household soils were in multiple branches of the reconstructed phylogeny, intermixed with isolates from fecal sources. Pairwise differences between all strain pairs were large (minimum, 189 single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]), suggesting high diversity and heterogeneous origins of the isolates. The presence of multiple virulence and antibiotic resistance genes is indicative of the risk that; E. coli; from soil and feces represent for the transmission of variants that pose potential harm to people. Analysis of the accessory genomes of the Bangladeshi; E. coli; relative to; E. coli; genomes available in NCBI identified a common pool of accessory genes shared among; E. coli; isolates in this geographic area. Together, these findings indicate that in rural Bangladesh, a high level of; E. coli; in soil is likely driven by contributions from multiple and diverse; E. coli; sources (human and animal) that share an accessory gene pool relatively unique to previously published; E. coli; genomes. Thus, interventions to reduce environmental pathogen or antimicrobial resistance transmission should adopt integrated One Health approaches that consider heterogeneous origins and high diversity to improve effectiveness and reduce prevalence and transmission.; IMPORTANCE; Escherichia coli; is reported in high levels in household soil in low-income settings. When; E. coli; reaches a soil environment, different mechanisms, including survival, clonal expansion, and genetic exchange, have the potential to either maintain or generate; E. coli; variants with capabilities of causing harm to people. In this study, we used whole-genome sequencing to identify that; E. coli; isolates collected from rural Bangladeshi household soils, including pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant variants, are diverse and likely originated from multiple diverse sources. In addition, we observed specialization of the accessory genome of this Bangladeshi; E. coli; compared to; E. coli; genomes available in current sequence databases. Thus, to address the high level of pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant; E. coli; transmission in low-income settings, interventions should focus on addressing the heterogeneous origins and high diversity

Incidence, clinical characteristics and management of inflammatory bowel disease in Spain: large-scale epidemiological study

(1) Aims: To assess the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Spain, to describe the main epidemiological and clinical characteristics at diagnosis and the evolution of the disease, and to explore the use of drug treatments. (2) Methods: Prospective, population-based nationwide registry. Adult patients diagnosed with IBD—Crohn’s disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC) or IBD unclassified (IBD-U)—during 2017 in Spain were included and were followed-up for 1 year. (3) Results: We identified 3611 incident cases of IBD diagnosed during 2017 in 108 hospitals covering over 22 million inhabitants. The overall incidence (cases/100, 000 person-years) was 16 for IBD, 7.5 for CD, 8 for UC, and 0.5 for IBD-U; 53% of patients were male and median age was 43 years (interquartile range = 31–56 years). During a median 12-month follow-up, 34% of patients were treated with systemic steroids, 25% with immunomodulators, 15% with biologics and 5.6% underwent surgery. The percentage of patients under these treatments was significantly higher in CD than UC and IBD-U. Use of systemic steroids and biologics was significantly higher in hospitals with high resources. In total, 28% of patients were hospitalized (35% CD and 22% UC patients, p < 0.01). (4) Conclusion: The incidence of IBD in Spain is rather high and similar to that reported in Northern Europe. IBD patients require substantial therapeutic resources, which are greater in CD and in hospitals with high resources, and much higher than previously reported. One third of patients are hospitalized in the first year after diagnosis and a relevant proportion undergo surgery. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Effect of different coating-forming agents on the efficacy of the biocontrol agent Candida sake CPA-1 for control of Botrytis cinerea on grapes

[EN] Multiple formulations of known biocontrol agent (BCA) Candida sake, containing different coatingforming polymers and surfactants were tested at different polymer:BCA ratios, in order to improve control of Botrytis cinerea on grapes. The BCA cell viability on the grape surface was analyzed and reduction in disease incidence and severity was determined. Coating-forming solids improved the survival and effi- cacy of C. sake as a BCA against B. cinerea, depending on the polymer type and ratio. The incorporation of surfactants did not improve survival or disease control, although they promoted a better cell dispersion on the grape surface. Cell growth of the antagonist during incubation led to the formation of aggregates, even when surfactants were present. Sodium caseinate and starch were the most suitable polymers to formulate C. sake preparations to obtain coating-forming systems with this BCA and to increase its survival and efficacy at the minimum economic cost of the ingredients. 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reservedThe authors are grateful to the Spanish Government for the financial support from the national project RTA2012-00067-C02 (Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria, Spain and FEDER founds) and to the Conselleria d'Educacio of the Generalitat Valenciana, (Spain) for A. Marin's PhD grant.Marín-Gozalbo, A.; Cháfer Nácher, MT.; Atarés Huerta, LM.; Chiralt, A.; Torres, R.; Usall, J.; Teixidó, N. (2016). Effect of different coating-forming agents on the efficacy of the biocontrol agent Candida sake CPA-1 for control of Botrytis cinerea on grapes. Biological Control. 96:108-119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2016.02.012S1081199

Espacio y territorios: razón, pasión e imaginarios

En este caleidoscopio de acercamientos hacia lo espacial y territorial, las visiones se mueven desde aquellas románticas y existencialistas, pasando por aquellas objetivistas y positivistas, hasta las estructuralistas y postestructuralistas. Por el espacio y el territorio se interesan con enfoques diversos numerosas disciplinas, desde la psicología, la etología o la literatura, y las ciencias naturales como la biología o la ecología, hasta las ciencias sociales y políticas, como la geografía, la antropología, la economía y la sociología. Este interés multidisciplinario demuestra la importancia y la complejidad del tema espacial y territorial, y reclama la necesidad de su estudio y comprensión interdisciplinarios, como se intenta con esta publicación

Impact of Adding White Pomace to Red Grapes on the Phenolic Composition and Color Stability of Syrah Wines from a Warm Climate

The influence of the fermentative addition of Pedro Ximenez grape pomace (PXGP, white variety) on the phenolic composition and color of Syrah red wines from a warm climate was studied. Changes on phenolic composition (HPLC), copigmentation/polymerization (spectrophotometry), and color (tristimulus colorimetry) allowed differences among the maceration treatments to be established. PXGP additions at the rates studied increased the extraction of total phenolics, phenolic acids, and monomeric flavanols. However, the effect on the anthocyanins, copigmentation, and polymerization depended on the doses applied, with important consequences on the color. PXGP addition at 10% led to wines with higher polymerization, more stable colors, and bluish hues. in contrast, perceptibly lighter and less intense wines were obtained with PXGP addition at 20%. Thus, the use of white grape byproducts as wine additives at appropriate levels (10% w/w) could improve the phenolic potential of red young wines from a warm climate, contributing to preserve their color characteristic.Junta de Andalucía P10-AGR06331Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación AGL2011-30254-C02-0