New laccase-producing fungi isolates with biotechnological potential in dye decolorization

Thirty six (36) native fungal strains from the state of Yucatan were first screened for ligninolytic activity on solid media containing ABTS. Molecular identification based on ITS rDNA region and PCR fingerprinting of seven selected fungi isolates were carried out. Molecular characterization based on genetic fingerprinting was helpful in determining unequivocally the differences between isolates at genera and species levels. The seven isolates showed ABTS oxidation zones in plates but only five strains produced extracellular laccase. The strains identified as Trametes hirsuta (GenBank accession numbers GQ280372 and GQ280373) showed the highest laccase production. The strain Bm-2 displayed the greatest laccase activity and dye decolourization ability in 72 h without the addition of mediators. Both the high laccase activity shown by Bm-2 and its ability to decolorize dyes are a good indication of its possible use in the treatment of textile effluents.Key words: Laccase, Trametes hirsuta, dye decolorization, PCR fingerprinting

SALUD Y RESERVA EN EL EJÉRCITO DE TIERRA

In today's society increased life expectancy has led to an increase in the number of people in early retirement. This phenomenon is not unique to the civilian population but is also found in the military population known as “Reserva”. In the Army, depending on the position held, each soldier sooner or later reaches retirement. The goal of this study is to determine how the health of army people who in 1 or 2 years will retire is affected. To evaluate the health variable in this population, we used the Goldberg Health Questionnaire GHQ-28. The results showed that over 80% of the subjects interviewed are either “well” or “very well”.El aumento de las expectativas de vida en la sociedad actual determina que cada vez sea mayor el número de personas en la fase de prejubilación. Este fenómeno no es exclusivo de la población civil sino que también se da en la población militar, llamado en ella “Reserva”. En el Ejército de Tierra, dependiendo del status militar que se desempeñe, pasas antes o después a la Reserva. El objetivo del presente estudio ha sido conocer de qué manera se ve afectada la salud en las personas del Ejército de Tierra que están a 1 ó 2 años de pasar a la Reserva. Para la evaluación de la variable salud se ha utilizado el cuestionario de salud de Goldberg GHQ-28. Los resultados indican que más del 80% de la población estudiada está “bien” o “muy bien” según dicho cuestionario

La pérdida de fitness de Acinetobacter baumannii resistente a colistina está asociada con una menor capacidad para crecer en condiciones deficientes en hierro.

Motivación: En un estudio anterior demostramos que las cepas de Acinetobacter baumannii que adquieren resistencia a colistina gracias a mutaciones en el sistema PmrAB presentan reducción in vivo del fitness y disminución de la virulencia1. El objetivo del presente estudio es caracterizar el papel del hierro libre en el fitness in vitro de estas cepas. Métodos: Se utilizaron las cepas de A. baumannii ATTCC 19606 (CMI colistina = 0,5 mg/L) y RC64, su derivado colistina-resistente obtenido mediante crecimiento en presencia de colistina (CMI colistina = 64 mg/L)2. Se realizaron curvas de crecimiento durante 24 horas en Mueller Hinton Broth (MHB) y suero humano (SH). Posteriormente, se determinó el crecimiento en Mueller Hinton Agar (MHA) con o sin el quelante de hierro 2,2'-bipiridil (Bip) mediante el cultivo en gotas de concentraciones decrecientes de las cepas (de 8 a 3 Log10 UFC/mL). Además, se determinó la CMI de Bip para ambas cepas, así como la concentración de hierro necesaria para permitir el crecimiento en SH. Por último, se caracterizó el crecimiento de ambas cepas en SH suplementado con Fe2+. Resultados: Ambas cepas presentaron un crecimiento similar al ser cultivadas en MHB; sin embargo, en SH la cepa RC64 mostró un crecimiento reducido. Adicionalmente, RC64 presentó un menor crecimiento en comparación con ATCC 19606 en placas de MHA suplementadas con Bip; sin embargo, cuando se crecieron en MHA sin Bip el crecimiento fue similar. La CMI de Bip en MHB fue de 64 mg/L para la cepa ATCC 19606 y 32 mg/L para RC64. Cuando se suplementó el SH con Fe2+, ATCC 19606 creció sin necesidad de dicho suplemento, mientras que RC64 requirió la adición de 0,5 mg/L de Fe2+. La cepa RC64 presentó una mayor tasa de crecimiento en SH suplementado con Fe2+ en comparación con su crecimiento en SH no suplementado. Conclusiones: La pérdida de fitness y virulencia en Acinetobacter baumannii asociada a la resistencia a colistina adquirida por mutaciones en el sistema PmrAB podría estar relacionada con una menor capacidad para crecer en condiciones pobres en hierro libre

Leucaena leucocephala in ruminant nutrition

It is a common situation in extensive ruminant production systems in tropical countries to have low production indicators due to nutrient deficiencies in the diet. An economic alternative to increase animal production is the incorporation of legumes (fodder and fruits) in the diet. This review, presents an analysis of the positive and negative effects of Leucaena leucocephala consumption by ruminants, with particular emphasis on the secondary compound mimosine. Leucaena due to its high nutrient content, rumen by-pass protein supply and its possible effect on the reduction of greenhouse gas (attributed to tannins) has become one of the legumes most commonly used in ruminant feeding practices. However, in countries where leucaena has been introduced, its use is still limited to levels below 30% inclusion in the diet, due to the secondary compound mimosine and its isomers (3,4 and 2,3 DHP), which can induce toxicity, even when animals are inoculated with rumen fluid containing the bacteria Synergistes jonesii reported as responsible for degrading these compounds in the rumen. In the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, ruminants consuming leucaena can tolerate more than 50% inclusion in the diet, without having a negative impact on production, attributed intake to mimosine and its isomers. We conclude that in animals not adapted, the intake would be limited to low inclusion levels (less than 30% inclusion in the diet), mainly because of mimosine and its derivatives. The decrease in intake or diet digestibility seem to better explain the reduction in methane production, however, in vivo studies are required to clearly establish the mechanism of action. It has been reported the presence of different bacteria to S. jonessi that would have the ability to degrade mimosine and its derivatives, however, the activity of these bacteria and its effectiveness must be confirmed in vivo

Antimicrobial effect of vancomycin electro-transferred water against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Background: There is a number of alternative and complementary therapeutics that are unproven or have not been properly tested. For past twenty years, the transfer of bio-energetic information has been recognized as a novel scientific approach capable of contributing to improved therapy in the management of several diseases through the so-called bio-resonance therapy (BRT). Although BRT was discovered in the late 1980s, it is still poorly studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effect of water samples transferred with electronic information of vancomycin, a well known drug against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), by using a BRT device on bacterial cultures.Material and Methods: MRSA cultures were treated with vancomycin electro-transferred water samples, vancomycin (4.0 and 8.0 μg/mL), sham electro-transferred (water to water) and non-transferred water samples (medium alone). Growth inhibition was evaluated in liquid and solid culture medium, spectrophotometrically and by CFU determination respectively.Results: The obtained data showed that by transferring vancomycin (4.0 and 8.0 μg/mL) information to water samples, the growth of cultured MRSA was significantly (p< 0.05) inhibited (up to 35%), compared with those cultures treated with electro-transferred water to water or cultured in medium alone (0% growth inhibition).Conclusion: This in vitro study suggests that water samples that are electronically transferred with vibration sustained information of vancomycin are capable of inhibiting growth of axenically cultured methicillin resistant S. aureus.Key words: Antimicrobial effect, electro-transferred water, bio-resonance, vancomycin, Sthaphylococcus aureus

Organizing health care: an ethical perspective

Indexación: Web of Science; Scielo.Health Care at population level is a complex problem. Having this in mind, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the goods that are ethically relevant in the process of caring for health at this level. We briefly analyze some of the Chilean health statistics that, although they show important improvements along the years, demonstrate that certain conditions are to be deemed as inadequate by both healthcare providers and patients. Ethics is a central component to determine how to structure and organize health care systems and how they should operate. We emphasize Human Dignity as an ethical corner stone of the Health Care System, along with other important values such as Justice and Humanization, under the scope of the Ends of Medicine, and other components such as technical competence of providers and the financing of the whole process. We conclude that as far as a health care system is organized in a way that medical practice is well ordered, primarily and fundamentally according the Ends of Medicine and the good of persons, such a health care system is ethically adequate.http://ref.scielo.org/9bt3z

Prognostic value of albumin-to-globulin ratio in COVID-19 patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and aims: The albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) has been used to predict severity and mortality in infectious diseases. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic value of the AGR in COVID-19 patients. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. We included observational studies assessing the association between the AGR values upon hospital admission and severity or all-cause mortality in COVID-19 patients. In the meta-analyses we used random effect models. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The effect measures were expressed as mean difference (MD) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). We performed Egger's test and funnel plots to assess the publication bias. Results: The included studies had a total of 11356 patients corresponding to 31 cohort studies. Severe COVID-19 patients had lower AGR values than non-severe COVID-19 patients (mean difference (MD), −0.27; 95% IC, −0.32 to −0.22; p < 0.001; I2 = 88%). Non-survivor patients with COVID-19 had lower AGR values than survivor patients (MD, −0.29; 95% IC, −0.35 to −0.24; p < 0.001; I2 = 79%). In the sensitivity analysis, we only included studies with low risk of bias, which decreased the heterogeneity for both outcomes (severity, I2 = 20%; mortality, I2 = 5%). Conclusions: Low AGR values upon hospital admission were found in COVID-19 patients with a worse prognosis.Revisión por pare

Algunas amenazas actuales a la confidencialidad en medicina

Social, technical and legal conditions of the current practice of medicine make it necessary to insist on certain actions and circumstances that may jeopardize the confidentiality of information, offered by patients to their health providers. Therefore, some effects of the current Chilean law are analyzed in this respect, regarding access to data from the clinical record of a patient. Also, the risks of putting certain data on social networking sites are analyzed, as well as some of its effects on clinical practice. The reasons because of mandatory reporting of diseases, meaning danger to public health, is allowed, are mentioned. We also discuss the difficulties involved in managing the results of preventative health screenings and its knowledge by third parties, as well as some possible violations of personal privacy, regarding dissemination of some people health information and its further mention or figuration in mass media. We conclude that it is a must for both physicians and other health team members, to safeguard confidentiality of data to which they have had access, as well as the need to know the relevant law, in order to respect human dignity of patients, each one as a person. We address the attention to the possibility that, practicing in a different way, it could endanger the reliability of clinical records, also impairing the quality of people’s health care. (Rev Med Chile 2015; 143: 358-366) Key words: Access to Information; Confidentiality; Information Dissemination; Medical Records; Social Networkin

Low and High Surface Brightness Galaxies at Void Walls

We study the relative fraction of low and high surface brightness galaxies (LSBGs and HSBGs) at void walls in the SDSS DR7. We focus on galaxies in equal local density environments. We assume that the host dark-matter halo mass (for which we use SDSS group masses) is a good indicator of local density. This analysis allows to examine the behavior of the abundance of LSBG and HSBG galaxies at a fixed local density and distinguish the large-scale environment defined by the void geometry. We compare galaxies in the field, and in the void walls; the latter are defined as the volume of void shells of radius equal to that of the void. We find a significant decrement, a factor $\sim 4$, of the relative fraction of blue, active star-forming LSBGs in equal mass groups at the void walls and the field. This decrement is consistent with an increase of the fraction of blue, active star-forming HSBGs. By contrast, red LSBGs and HSBGs show negligible changes. We argue that these results are consistent with a scenario where LSBGs with blue colors and strong star formation activity at the void walls are fueled by gas from the expanding void regions. This process could lead to LSBG to HSBG transformations.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter