Virus Adaptation by Manipulation of Host's Gene Expression

Viruses adapt to their hosts by evading defense mechanisms and taking over cellular metabolism for their own benefit. Alterations in cell metabolism as well as side-effects of antiviral responses contribute to symptoms development and virulence. Sometimes, a virus may spill over from its usual host species into a novel one, where usually will fail to successfully infect and further transmit to new host. However, in some cases, the virus transmits and persists after fixing beneficial mutations that allow for a better exploitation of the new host. This situation would represent a case for a new emerging virus. Here we report results from an evolution experiment in which a plant virus was allowed to infect and evolve on a naïve host. After 17 serial passages, the viral genome has accumulated only five changes, three of which were non-synonymous. An amino acid substitution in the viral VPg protein was responsible for the appearance of symptoms, whereas one substitution in the viral P3 protein the epistatically contributed to exacerbate severity. DNA microarray analyses show that the evolved and ancestral viruses affect the global patterns of host gene expression in radically different ways. A major difference is that genes involved in stress and pathogen response are not activated upon infection with the evolved virus, suggesting that selection has favored viral strategies to escape from host defenses

Life-threatening infections in children in Europe (the EUCLIDS Project): a prospective cohort study

Background: Sepsis and severe focal infections represent a substantial disease burden in children admitted to hospital. We aimed to understand the burden of disease and outcomes in children with life-threatening bacterial infections in Europe. Methods: The European Union Childhood Life-threatening Infectious Disease Study (EUCLIDS) was a prospective, multicentre, cohort study done in six countries in Europe. Patients aged 1 month to 18 years with sepsis (or suspected sepsis) or severe focal infections, admitted to 98 participating hospitals in the UK, Austria, Germany, Lithuania, Spain, and the Netherlands were prospectively recruited between July 1, 2012, and Dec 31, 2015. To assess disease burden and outcomes, we collected demographic and clinical data using a secured web-based platform and obtained microbiological data using locally available clinical diagnostic procedures. Findings: 2844 patients were recruited and included in the analysis. 1512 (53·2%) of 2841 patients were male and median age was 39·1 months (IQR 12·4–93·9). 1229 (43·2%) patients had sepsis and 1615 (56·8%) had severe focal infections. Patients diagnosed with sepsis had a median age of 27·6 months (IQR 9·0–80·2), whereas those diagnosed with severe focal infections had a median age of 46·5 months (15·8–100·4; p<0·0001). Of 2844 patients in the entire cohort, the main clinical syndromes were pneumonia (511 [18·0%] patients), CNS infection (469 [16·5%]), and skin and soft tissue infection (247 [8·7%]). The causal microorganism was identified in 1359 (47·8%) children, with the most prevalent ones being Neisseria meningitidis (in 259 [9·1%] patients), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (in 222 [7·8%]), Streptococcus pneumoniae (in 219 [7·7%]), and group A streptococcus (in 162 [5·7%]). 1070 (37·6%) patients required admission to a paediatric intensive care unit. Of 2469 patients with outcome data, 57 (2·2%) deaths occurred: seven were in patients with severe focal infections and 50 in those with sepsis. Interpretation: Mortality in children admitted to hospital for sepsis or severe focal infections is low in Europe. The disease burden is mainly in children younger than 5 years and is largely due to vaccine-preventable meningococcal and pneumococcal infections. Despite the availability and application of clinical procedures for microbiological diagnosis, the causative organism remained unidentified in approximately 50% of patients

Plasma lipid profiles discriminate bacterial from viral infection in febrile children

Fever is the most common reason that children present to Emergency Departments. Clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of bacterial infection ar

SEDUREC 2009 International Symposium on Safety and Durability of Materials and Constructions

List of speakers , Inst. de Ciencias de la Construcción Eduardo Torroja, Spain C. Andrade , Univ. Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain A. Barbat Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel A. Bentur, , Politecnico di Milano, Italy F. Biondini University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy F. Bontempi, Univ. Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain J.R. Casas, Institut f. Baustatik und Konstruktion, Zürich, Switzerland M. Faber, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, USA D.M. Frangopol, Univ. Nacional de Colombia, Manizales, Colombia J. Hurtado, , University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK D.R. Jones Technische Universität Wien, Wien, Austria H. Mang, Univ. Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain A. Marí, , Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble, France J. Mazars , Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany G. Meschke , Univ. Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain X. Oliver , Univ. Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain E. Oñate , University of Swansea, UK R. Owen National Technical University of Athens, Greece M. Papadrakakis, Lab. des Fluides Complexes, UMR, Anglet, France G.Pijaudier-Cabot, University of Stuttgart, Germany H. Reinhardt, Inst. de Ciencias de la Construcción Eduardo Torroja, Spain O.I. Rio, Univ. Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain P. Roca, DRAGADOS, Madrid, Spain J. Rodríguez, Inst. of Fundamental Technological Research, Warsaw, Poland J. Rojek, , Univ. Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain V. Sánchez Galvez Univ. of Padova, Italy B. Schrefler, Tecnological Institute, USA S. Shah, Univ. Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain B. Suárez, Spain Inst. de Ciencas de la Construcción Eduardo Torroja, P. Tanner, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain M.Á. Toledo, Univ. of Tokyo, Japan F. Tomosawa, K.J. Willam Dept. of CEAE, Boulder, Colorado, USAThe ability to provide numerical simulations for predicting failure of structures with standard and new composite materials is advancing rapidly. Significant advances have been made in the formulation and dynamic problems involving implementation of algorithms for static and finite strains, complex contact interaction laws, constitutive material behaviours including multi-physics or multi-scale effects, progressive large scale fracturing, etc. Such advances, however, demand a closer interaction between numerical analysts and material scientists in order to produce theoretical models which provide a response in keeping with fundamental material principles and experimental observations. Numerical techniques, and in particular finite element and discrete element methods, are now extensively employed in non-linear structural analysis and very often offer the only means of solution for practical engineering problems. Experimental methodologies for structural analysis on the other hand, are undergoing significant technological changes. The development of wireless sensor networks (WSN) incorporating the advances in networked info-mechanical systems (NIMS) for intelligent control and operation of maintenance systems add new possibilities for enhanced safety and durability of constructions.Peer reviewe

Epidemiología de la Espondiloartritis en Colombia

2 páginasThere are no formal statistics about the incidence, prevalence or demographics of patients with spondyloarthropathies (SpAs) in colombia. However, information from a few studies provides a preliminary snapshot of SpAs in the country. In this article, the authors review what has been published; document what their group is doing and outline what they still need to do in the future. The analysis suggests that although information on SpA in Colombia is limited, it is known that the diagnostic entities of SpA are different than those reported at other latitudes. Thus, it is important to improve and expand the current database of SpA, particularly undifferentiated SpA, not only in Colombia but in all of Latin AmericaNo existen estadísticas formales sobre la incidencia, prevalencia o demografía de los pacientes con espondiloartropatías (EspA) en colombia. Sin embargo, la información de algunos estudios proporciona una instantánea preliminar de las SpA en el país. En este artículo, los autores revisan lo publicado; documentar lo que su grupo está haciendo y describir lo que aún deben hacer en el futuro. El análisis sugiere que si bien la información sobre las EspA en Colombia es limitada, se sabe que las entidades diagnósticas de las EspA son diferentes a las reportadas en otras latitudes. Por lo tanto, es importante mejorar y ampliar la base de datos actual de SpA, particularmente de SpA indiferenciadas, no sólo en Colombia sino en toda América Latina

Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Elevated Levels of Anti- Saccharomyces cerevisiae Antibodies Are Associated with Higher Disease Activity in Colombian Patients with Spondyloarthritis

9 páginasBackground. Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of articular inflammatory rheumatic diseases that their gastrointestinal manifestations are around 10% of their extra-articular symptoms, supporting that the inflammatory response of the intestinal mucosa could be associated with the clinical status. Objectives. To investigate the association between gastrointestinal symptoms and autoantibodies and disease activity between SpA patients, healthy subjects (HS), and patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods. 102 SpA patients, 29 IBD patients, and 117 HS were included. Autoantibodies as ASCA, ANCA, anti-tTG, anti-DGP, ANA, and IgA were measured. The patients were assessed to evaluate clinical and gastrointestinal symptoms. An association analysis was performed using Chi square test and a logistic regression. Results. Significant differences were found for ASCA levels in SpA (28.2%) compared to IBD (14.2%) and HS (6.0%) (), as well as for ANAS in SpA (49.5%) and IBD (37.9%) () and abdominal pain () between SpA (54.3%) and IBD (27.5%). Significant associations were found between BASDAI > 4 and gastrointestinal symptoms () and IgA (). The association for abdominal bloating was maintained (OR: 3.93, CI-95%, 1.14–13.56; ). Conclusions. Gastrointestinal symptoms, ASCA, ANAS, and IgA levels were associated with high disease activity in SpA compared with IBD and HS