Traumatic endophthalmitis caused by Nocardia kruczakiae in a patient with traumatic eye injury

Background: We describe a case of traumatic ocular endophthalmitis caused by Nocardia kruczakiae after vegetable trauma in an immunocompetent child. Findings: A 5-year-old boy suffered from a trauma with a palm tree leaflet. Two months later, he was diagnosed with traumatic infectious uveitis and intumescent cataract with anterior capsule rupture. Intensive treatment with systemic and topical vancomycin, ceftazidime and methylprednisolone began. After 1 month, he underwent phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation (IOL). After some episodes of reactivation, he was diagnosed with traumatic nocardial endophthalmitis from aqueous humour samples. Several operations and specific antibiotic therapy resolved the infection. Conclusions: In cases of traumatic endophthalmitis and several recurrences, it is extremely useful to make an etiologic diagnosis in order to treat the patient with specific antibiotics.This research was supported by grant MPY 1446/11-TE from the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III.S

Starkeya nomas sp. nov., a prosthecate and budding bacterium isolated from an immunocompromized patient

Strain HF14-78462T is an environmental bacterium found in clinical samples from an immunocompromized patient in 2014 at Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe (Valencia, Spain). Phenotypically, strain HF14-78462T cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-spore forming and non-motile small rods which formed mucous and whitish-translucent colonies when incubated at 20-36 °C. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA genes and the whole genomes of closest sequenced relatives confirmed that strain HF14-78462T is affiliated with the genus Starkeya. The strain was oxidase, catalase and urease positive; but indole, lysine decarboxylase, ornithine decarboxylase and DNase negative, did not produce H2S and was able to utilize a wide variety of carbon sources including acetamide, adonitol, amygdalin, l-arabinose, citric acid, glucose, mannitol and melibiose. Unlike Starkeya novella and Starkeya koreensis, strain HF14-78462T failed to grow in thiosulphate-oxidizing media and had a narrower temperature growth range. Its genome was characterized by a size of 4.83 Mbp and a C+G content of 67.75 mol%. Major fatty acids were C18:1 ω7c, cyclo C19 : 0 and C16 : 0, its polar acids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and an aminophospholipid; while the ubiquinones were Q9 (1.8 %) and Q10 (98.2 %). Digital DNA-DNA hybridization values were 41 and 41.4 against S. novella and S. koreensis, respectively, while average nucleotide identity values were around 84 %. Phenotypic, average nucleotide identity and phylogenomic comparative studies suggest that strain HF14-78462T is a new representative of the genus Starkeya and the name Starkeya nomas sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HF14-78462T (=CECT 30124T=LMG 31874T).Financial support was obtained by the IIS project 2013/0437.S

Comparison of seven prognostic tools to identify low-risk pulmonary embolism in patients aged <50 years

publishersversionPeer reviewe

Gold Behavior in Supergene Profiles Under Changing Redox Conditions: The Example of the Las Cruces Deposit, Iberian Pyrite Belt.

The Las Cruces deposit is in the eastern end of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (SW Spain). It is currently being mined by Cobre Las Cruces S.A. The main operation is focused on the supergene Cu-enriched zone (initial reserves of 17.6 Mt @ 6.2% Cu). An Au-Ag-Pb-rich gossan resource (3.6 Mt @ 3.3% Pb, 2.5 g/t Au, and 56.3 g/t Ag) occurs in the upper part of the deposit. The Au grade ranges from 0.01 ppm to >100 ppm, and occurs as three different Au ore types: (1) Au mineralization in the upper part of the gossan linked to Fe-oxides lithofacies, (2) Au concentration in the lower part of the gossan associated with leached black shales, and (3) Au ore in the cementation zone related to subvertical fractures. A hydroseparation device has been used to obtain heavy mineral concentrates from selected samples of different ore types. Reflected-light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) were used to study the separated Au particles. Significant differences between the defined ore types include the Au-bearing lithologies, mineral associations, textural features, particle sizes, morphologies, and fineness. Au-rich minerals include native Au, Au-Ag electrum, and Au-Ag-Hg amalgams. Gold-bearing mineral associations include Pb-oxihalides, Fe-oxides, galena, pyrite, cinnabar, and Ag-sulfosalts. The Au enrichment mechanism in the supergene profile involves (1) dissolution of Au from the primary sulfides as chloride-rich ionic complexes during the weathering of the deposit under subaerial exposure; dissolved Au is transported downward through the supergene profile under acidic and oxidized conditions; (2) destabilization of the Au complexes by Fe-controlled redox reactions; as a consequence, coarse-grained, high-fineness Au particles precipitated in association with Fe-oxyhydroxides. This resulted in secondary concentration in the upper gossan; and (3) after deposition of cover sediments took place a progressive change in the system conditions resulting in a later Au remobilization as hydroxidehalide, hydroxide, thiosulfate, and bisulfide complexes in the lowermost gossan and cementation zone. The main pathways for migration of enriched fluids to the cementation zone are secondary permeability zones linked to Alpine reactivated faults. Deposition of Au seems to be related to fluid interaction with reductant lithologies, including black shales and the primary sulfides

Gold Behavior in Supergene Profiles Under Changing Redox Conditions: The Example of the Las Cruces Deposit, Iberian Pyrite Belt.

The Las Cruces deposit is in the eastern end of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (SW Spain). It is currently being mined by Cobre Las Cruces S.A. The main operation is focused on the supergene Cu-enriched zone (initial reserves of 17.6 Mt @ 6.2% Cu). An Au-Ag-Pb-rich gossan resource (3.6 Mt @ 3.3% Pb, 2.5 g/t Au, and 56.3 g/t Ag) occurs in the upper part of the deposit. The Au grade ranges from 0.01 ppm to >100 ppm, and occurs as three different Au ore types: (1) Au mineralization in the upper part of the gossan linked to Fe-oxides lithofacies, (2) Au concentration in the lower part of the gossan associated with leached black shales, and (3) Au ore in the cementation zone related to subvertical fractures. A hydroseparation device has been used to obtain heavy mineral concentrates from selected samples of different ore types. Reflected-light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) were used to study the separated Au particles. Significant differences between the defined ore types include the Au-bearing lithologies, mineral associations, textural features, particle sizes, morphologies, and fineness. Au-rich minerals include native Au, Au-Ag electrum, and Au-Ag-Hg amalgams. Gold-bearing mineral associations include Pb-oxihalides, Fe-oxides, galena, pyrite, cinnabar, and Ag-sulfosalts. The Au enrichment mechanism in the supergene profile involves (1) dissolution of Au from the primary sulfides as chloride-rich ionic complexes during the weathering of the deposit under subaerial exposure; dissolved Au is transported downward through the supergene profile under acidic and oxidized conditions; (2) destabilization of the Au complexes by Fe-controlled redox reactions; as a consequence, coarse-grained, high-fineness Au particles precipitated in association with Fe-oxyhydroxides. This resulted in secondary concentration in the upper gossan; and (3) after deposition of cover sediments took place a progressive change in the system conditions resulting in a later Au remobilization as hydroxidehalide, hydroxide, thiosulfate, and bisulfide complexes in the lowermost gossan and cementation zone. The main pathways for migration of enriched fluids to the cementation zone are secondary permeability zones linked to Alpine reactivated faults. Deposition of Au seems to be related to fluid interaction with reductant lithologies, including black shales and the primary sulfides

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AimThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery.MethodsThis was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin.ResultsOverall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P ConclusionOne in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

Delaying surgery for patients with a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection

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