Global Antifungal Profile Optimization of Chlorophenyl Derivatives against Botrytis cinerea and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

Twenty-two aromatic derivatives bearing a chlorine atom and a different chain in the para or meta position were prepared and evaluated for their in vitro antifungal activity against the phytopathogenic fungi Botrytis cinerea and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The results showed that maximum inhibition of the growth of these fungi was exhibited for enantiomers S and R of 1-(40-chlorophenyl)- 2-phenylethanol (3 and 4). Furthermore, their antifungal activity showed a clear structure-activity relationship (SAR) trend confirming the importance of the benzyl hydroxyl group in the inhibitory mechanism of the compounds studied. Additionally, a multiobjective optimization study of the global antifungal profile of chlorophenyl derivatives was conducted in order to establish a rational strategy for the filtering of new fungicide candidates from combinatorial libraries. The MOOPDESIRE methodology was used for this purpose providing reliable ranking models that can be used later

Implant retention and prologued antibiotic treatment for an infected total hip replacement causing fungal periacetabular osteolysis.

We present a periprosthetic fungal infection with massive acetabular osteolysis due to a prologued treatment with antibiotics of a primary infection of a total hip arthroplasty (THA). This case exemplifies how this inadequate approach can lead to a severe complication. The resolution of the case was performed with a 2-stage revision of the THA

Patient safety culture in orthopaedics surgery. Influence of a training activities plan

Objetivo: Conocer las características de la cultura de seguridad clínica en cirugía ortopédica y traumatología, valorando la influencia de una intervención formativa en su tendencia evolutiva. Población y metodología: Estudio observacional ecológico con intervención formativa. La población objeto de estudio fueron los profesionales del Servicio de Cirugía Ortopédica y Traumatología del Hospital Clínic Universitario de Barcelona. Se utilizó la versión española del cuestionario HSOPS para valorar la cultura de seguridad clínica. Resultados: El porcentaje de respuestas válidas obtenidas fue superior al 60% en las dos mediciones de la cultura realizadas. Las 12 dimensiones consideradas mejoraron su tendencia. El trabajo en equipo dentro del servicio se identificó como una dimensión de fortaleza del modelo. Conclusiones: La intervención formativa ha consolidado una tendencia favorable. La mejora de la cultura de seguridad clínica requiere tiempo y actuaciones periódicas

Can the intra-operative measurement of the diameter of the femoral head help surgeons to choose the best size of the acetabular cup?

Purpose: We hypothesized that the intra-operative measurement of the femoral head may increase the accuracy of the acetabular cup size optimal selection in total hip arthroplasty (THA). The purpose of this clinical research was to analyze the correlation between the estimated cup size from intra-operative measurement of the femoral head and the pre-operative templated cup size. Methods: A prospective observational single-center study was conducted from June 2019 to January 2020 including primary THA (n = 100). All cases were pre-operatively templated. The measurement of the anterior-posterior diameter of the femoral head was routinely intra-operatively performed. Any definitive implanted cup was considered as 'oversized' when the size was > 4 mm than the diameter of the native head. Results: The median (interquartile range) size of the implanted cup, pre-operative planned cup size, and diameter of the femoral head were measured 52 (50-54) mm, 50 (48-54) mm and 49 (45-51) mm, respectively. Pre-operative planned size cup accurately predicted the implanted cup or differed in only one size (2 mm) in 77 (78%) cases. Otherwise, intra-operative femoral head measurement method accurately predicted the implanted or differed in only one size (2 mm) in 51 (87%) cases (p = 0.097). Conclusion: The intra-operative femoral head measurement is a simple and reliable tool to help the surgeons choose the best size of the acetabular cup and is as reliable as the pre-operative templating in order to avoid cup oversizing in THA. Utmost caution is warranted whenever the cup reamer is > 4 mm than the anterior-posterior diameter of the native head

First Salmonella spp. prevalence study in pigs and pork products from the province of Córdoba, Argentine

The study of the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in the pig and pork production chain is important to reduce the risk of spreading this pathogen into the human population. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in pigs and pork products from Córdoba. Mesenteric lymph nodes samples from 580 finishing pigs from different pig farms , and 420 samples (83 batches) of fresh pork products (the so-called “chorizo fresco de cerdo”) from different retailers were analyzed. ISO 6579:2002 standard protocol was used for Salmonella isolation. Prevalence of Salmonella spp. in finishing pigs in Córdoba was 41.5% (95%CI 37.6%- 45.6%). According to pig´s origin the province was split in North, Central and South region. The prevalence observed in each region was 49.5%, 43.0% and 36.0% respectively. The significantly higher prevalence observed in the North may be associated with the precarious conditions of the pig production sector in that area, compared to the better pig producing practices in the southern region. Prevalence of Salmonella spp. in fresh pork products was 17.4% (95%CI 15.8%-23.4%). Based on the Argentine Food Codex criteria, 34/83 (40.9%) of the analyzed batches should be rejected given the presence Salmonella spp. positive. In addition, total coliforms were also analyzed on these pork samples following national legislation and 42 (63.0%) of the batches should have been rejected according to coliform total count. Overall, only 13% of the batches fulfilled both criteria for acceptance. In conclusion, the high prevalence of Salmonella spp. in pig farms and of Salmonella spp. and coliforms in these type of pork products suggested important safety breakdowns along the pig production and pork elaboration processes. An important effort should be done to reach suitable hygienic and sanitary standards for pig and pork production in the province of Córdoba

Assessing systematic literature review bias: kaizen events in hospitals case study

A systematic literature review (SLR) is a protocol used to identify publications, select relevant publications, collect data, conduct scientometric analyses, and report research results (SLR outcomes or findings). Despite the increasing use of SLR to assess the maturity or evolution of a research field, as Engineering Management, there are a limit number of publications focused to test SLR biases. Therefore, the purposes of this investigation are to test search field bias (precise SLR vs. sensitive SLR) and to identify statistically significant differences between SLR outcomes. In order to achieve these goals, a three steps methodology was used in three platforms/databases. First, a precise SLR in ProQuest (search terms only in abstract) was conducted to identify publications describing a single Kaizen event in a hospital. From these publications, five metrics were assessed: new authors per year, number of authors per paper, number of publications per year, Kaizen event duration (days), and number of tools used during the Kaizen event per paper. Second, a sensitive SLR in ProQuest (search term in full text) was conducted using the same search terms, exclusion criteria, and metrics from the first step. Third, t-test hypotheses were conducted in SPSS version 20 to identify statistically significant difference for each metric between precise SLR vs. sensitive SLR. The same three steps were used in two more platforms/databases: EBSCOhost and Scopus. Initial results from this ongoing investigation show statistically significant differences between precise SLR and sensitive SLR for some of the five metrics assessed, such as the number of publications per year. Final results will be available in November 2018.N/

Mainstreaming nature-based solutions for climate resilient infrastructure in peri-urban sub-Saharan Africa

Despite a growing recognition of the importance of designing, rehabilitating, and maintaining green infrastructure to provide essential ecosystem services and adapt to climate change, many decision makers in sub-Saharan Africa continue to favour engineered solutions and short term economic growth at the expense of natural landscapes and longer term sustainability agendas. Existing green infrastructure is typically maintained in more affluent suburbs, inadvertently perpetuating historic inequalities. This is in part because there remains a lack of fine-grained, comparative evidence on the barriers and enablers to mainstreaming green infrastructure in peri-urban areas. Here, we developed an analytical framework based on a review of 155 studies, screened to include 29 studies in 24 countries. Results suggest eight overarching categories of interconnected barriers to green infrastructure in peri-urban areas. Using a combinatorial mixed method approach, we then surveyed households in nine settlements in drought-prone Windhoek (n=330) and seven settlements in flood-prone Dar es Salaam (n=502) and conducted key informant interviews (n=118). Peri-urban residents in Windhoek and Dar es Salaam indicated 18 forms of green infrastructure and 47 derived ecosystem services. The most frequently reported barriers were financial (40.8%), legal and institutional barriers (35.8%) followed by land use change and spatial trade-offs (33%) and finally ecosystem disservices (30.6%). The most significant barriers in Dar es Salaam were legal and institutional (22.7%) and in Windhoek were land use change and spatial trade-offs (24.4%). At the household level, the principal barrier was financial; at community and municipal levels the main barriers were related to design, performance, and maintenance; while at the national level, the main barriers were legal and institutional. Embracing institutional cultures of adaptive policymaking, equitable partnerships, co-designing futures, integrated landscape management and experimental innovation have potential to scale long term maintenance for urban green infrastructure and foster agency, creativity and more transformative relationships and outcomes

Chemically Induced Cryptic Sesquiterpenoids and Expression of Sesquiterpene Cyclases in Botrytis cinerea Revealed New Sporogenic (+)-4-Epieremophil-9-en-11-ols

The sequencing of the genomes of the B05.10 and T4 strains of the fungus Botrytis cinerea revealed an abundance of novel biosynthetic gene clusters, the majority of which were unexpected on the basis of the previous analyses of the fermentation of these and closely related species. By systematic alteration of easy accessible cultivation parameters, using chemical induction with copper sulfate, we have found a cryptic sesquiterpenoid family with new structures related to eremophil-9-ene, which had the basic structure of the sesquiterpene (+)-5-epiaristolochene ((+)-4-epieremophil-9- ene). An expression study of the sesquiterpene cyclase genes present in the Botrytis cinerea genome, under culture conditions, is reported. In general, a 3 day delay and a higher BcSTC genes expression were observed when copper (5 ppm) was fed to the fermentation broth. In addition, to the observed effect on the BcBOT2 (BcSTC1) gene, involved in the biosynthesis of the botrydial toxin, a higher expression level for BcSTC3 and BcSTC4 was observed with respect to the control in the strain B05.10. Interestingly, under copper conditions, the BcSTC4 gene was the most expressed gene in the Botrytis cinerea UCA992 strain. In vitro evaluation of the biological role of these metabolites indicates that they contributed to the conidial development in B. cinerea and appear to be involved in self-regulation of the production of asexual spores. Furthermore, they promoted the formation of complex appressoria or infection cushions

Terpenoid biotransformations by Mucor species

Terpenoids are natural products of great interest due to their widespread use in agrochemicals, drugs, fragrances, flavouring and pigments. Biocatalysts are increasingly being used in the search for new derivatives with improved properties especially to obtain structurally novel leads for new drugs which are difficult to obtain using conventional organic chemical methods. This review, covering up to the end of 2012, reports on the application of Mucor species as catalysts in terpenoid biotransformation to obtain new drug targets, enhance pharmacological activity or decrease the unwanted effects of starting material

X chromosome inactivation does not necessarily determine the severity of the phenotype in Rett syndrome patients

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurological disorder usually caused by mutations in the MECP2 gene. Since the MECP2 gene is located on the X chromosome, X chromosome inactivation (XCI) could play a role in the wide range of phenotypic variation of RTT patients; however, classical methylation-based protocols to evaluate XCI could not determine whether the preferentially inactivated X chromosome carried the mutant or the wild-type allele. Therefore, we developed an allele-specific methylation-based assay to evaluate methylation at the loci of several recurrent MECP2 mutations. We analyzed the XCI patterns in the blood of 174 RTT patients, but we did not find a clear correlation between XCI and the clinical presentation. We also compared XCI in blood and brain cortex samples of two patients and found differences between XCI patterns in these tissues. However, RTT mainly being a neurological disease complicates the establishment of a correlation between the XCI in blood and the clinical presentation of the patients. Furthermore, we analyzed MECP2 transcript levels and found differences from the expected levels according to XCI. Many factors other than XCI could affect the RTT phenotype, which in combination could influence the clinical presentation of RTT patients to a greater extent than slight variations in the XCI pattern