Recurrent urinary tract infections in healthy and nonpregnant women

AbstractRecurrent urinary tract infections (RUTI) are prevalent and pose significant clinical challenges. Although the term RUTI has long been vaguely defined, a consensus definition has emerged in recent years. The exact etiology behind RUTI remains under debate, with valid arguments for both ascending reinfections as well as persistent infection inside the bladder. These persistent infections exist in the form of quiescent intracellular reservoirs in the mouse model and may represent a novel concept to explain UTI recurrence in humans. Manageable risk factors such as behavioral patterns alongside nonmanageable risk factors including genetic susceptibility are growing fields of investigation. Acute UTI have been studied through two model bacterial strains: Escherichia coli UTI89 and CFT073. However, the clinical relevance to RUTI of these two strains has not been firmly established. Current treatment strategies for RUTI are limited and remain dominated by antibiotic usage despite variable efficacy. The majority of studies in humans have focused on younger groups of women with little information available about the postmenopausal population despite a heightened risk of RUTI in this age group

Fucose Sensing Regulates Bacterial Intestinal Colonization

The mammalian gastrointestinal (GI) tract provides a complex and competitive environment for the microbiota1. Successful colonization by pathogens depends on scavenging nutrients, sensing chemical signals, competing with the resident bacteria, and precisely regulating expression of virulence genes2. The GI pathogen enterohemorrhagic E.coli (EHEC) relies on inter-kingdom chemical sensing systems to regulate virulence gene expression3–4. Here we show that these systems control the expression of a novel two-component signal transduction system, named FusKR, where FusK is the histidine sensor kinase (HK), and FusR the response regulator (RR). FusK senses fucose and controls expression of virulence and metabolic genes. This fucose-sensing system is required for robust EHEC colonization of the mammalian intestine. Fucose is highly abundant in the intestine5. Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (B.theta) produces multiple fucosidases that cleave fucose from host glycans, resulting in high fucose availability in the gut lumen6. During growth in mucin, B.theta contributes to EHEC virulence by cleaving fucose from mucin, thereby activating the FusKR signaling cascade, modulating EHEC’s virulence gene expression. Our findings suggest that EHEC uses fucose, a host-derived signal made available by the microbiota, to modulate EHEC pathogenicity and metabolism

Efectos de la salinidad sobre el crecimiento, la fluorescencia de clorofila y el drift de la microalga bentónica Cylindrotheca closterium

Trabajo presentado en el XVII Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies, celebrado en San Sebastián del 11 a 14 de septiembre de 2012.En el presente trabajo se evaluó el efecto de la salinidad sobre el crecimiento poblacional, la fluorescencia de clorofila y el drift (desplazamiento pasivo en la corriente de agua) de Cylindrotheca closterium. C. closterium es una microalga bentónica que habita zonas estuarinas formando parte del microfitobentos. Entre los factores de estrés que pueden afectar a la especie C. closterium se encuentran los cambios de salinidad. En una primera fase, estos efectos se evaluaron en base al crecimiento poblacional en ensayos de toxicidad estándar realizados en matraz. Las células de C. closterium fueron expuestas a diferentes salinidades, que variaron de 37 (control) hasta 5, durante 72 h, bajo condiciones controladas temperatura y luz constante. El drift y la fluorescencia de clorofila se midieron simultáneamente como marcadores de exposición al estrés. Para ello se diseñó y construyó un sistema de flujo continuo (Figura 1) que permitiera examinar la capacidad de C. closterium de evitar los efectos de la salinidad mediante el drift. El sistema estaba compuesto de 3 compartimentos interconectados de 35 mL cada uno. Los dos compartimentos iniciales fueron usados para reducir la turbulencia del agua y evitar el arrastre de las microalgas colocadas en el tercer compartimento. Un flujo de agua constante de 480±15 mL min-1 era generado mediante una bomba contenida en un recipiente donde era recogida el agua una vez salía del sistema, creando así un circuito cerrado y continuo. La entrada de agua de la bomba fue cubierta con un filtro de 5 µm de luz de malla para evitar que las microalgas que realizaban drift retornaran al sistema. El circuito contenía 500 mL de agua de mar filtrada a la que se añadió medio f/2 y silicatos. Seis horas antes del inicio del ensayo se colocaban las microalgas, con una concentración de 104 células mL-1, en el tercer compartimento del sistema para garantizar que estas decantaran en el fondo. A continuación el sistema era puesto en marcha durante 12 h y en oscuridad para evitar el crecimiento de la población de microalgas. Se realizaron ensayos a diferentes salinidades (37, 30, 24, 19, 15, 12 y 9) que fueron repetidos cuatro veces en el tiempo. El número de células que hizo drift fue determinado en función de la fluorescencia de clorofila de modo que ambas respuestas, drift y reducción en la fluorescencia de clorofila fueron integradas en una misma medida. Los datos de inhibición de crecimiento indican que la salinidad que causa una reducción en la población del 50% (ES50) fue de 19±4; por otro lado la ES50 calculada a partir del sistema de drift integrando la fuga y la fluorescencia de clorofila fue de 15±3. Los resultados del estudio mostraron que un descenso de la salinidad provoca una disminución en el crecimiento de C. closterium, además produce una disminución en la fluorescencia de clorofila y desencadena la respuesta de drift.Peer Reviewe

Mesenteric hypoperfusion and inflammation induced by brain death are not affected by inhibition of the autonomic storm in rats

OBJECTIVES: Brain death is typically followed by autonomic changes that lead to hemodynamic instability, which is likely associated with microcirculatory dysfunction and inflammation. We evaluated the role of the microcirculation in the hemodynamic and inflammatory events that occur after brain death and the effects of autonomic storm inhibition via thoracic epidural blockade on mesenteric microcirculatory changes and inflammatory responses. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated. Brain death was induced via intracranial balloon inflation. Bupivacaine (brain death-thoracic epidural blockade group) or saline (brain death group) infusion via an epidural catheter was initiated immediately before brain death induction. Sham-operated animals were used as controls (SH group). The mesenteric microcirculation was analyzed via intravital microscopy, and the expression of adhesion molecules was evaluated via immunohistochemistry 180 min after brain death induction. RESULTS: A significant difference in mean arterial pressure behavior was observed between the brain death-thoracic epidural blockade group and the other groups, indicating that the former group experienced autonomic storm inhibition. However, the proportion of perfused small vessels in the brain death-thoracic epidural blockade group was similar to or lower than that in the brain death and SH groups, respectively. The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 was similar between the brain death-thoracic epidural blockade and brain death groups but was significantly lower in the SH group than in the other two groups. The number of migrating leukocytes in the perivascular tissue followed the same trend for all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although thoracic epidural blockade effectively inhibited the autonomic storm, it did not affect mesenteric hypoperfusion or inflammation induced by brain death

Avaliação da assistência à saúde da mulher e da criança em localidade urbana da região Sudeste do Brasil

OBJECTIVE: To describe and analyze primary health care provided to mother-and-child population in Teresópolis, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS: A population survey was performed at the main vaccination station on the local Vaccine National Day, to collect information about the use of health care services and preventive primary care. RESULTS: Information was collected from 329 mothers and their children. More than 90% of children had at least one pediatric visit in the past three months. Almost all had their growth chart, but in 30% of them the child's weight was not registered. There was a positive association between having a routine visit and the registration of the child's weight in the card (RP = 1.34; IC: 1.13-1.58; p = 0.0002). Around 59% of the mothers had a medical visit after giving after birth; 25% said they had never had a Pap smear test before, and 36% never had a breast examination. There was a positive association between the mother's age being over 20 years and ever having a Pap smear test (RP = 1.56; IC: 1.08-2.26; p = 0.03). Almost 70% of the mothers referred the use of any contraceptional method, and the most common used were contraceptive pills, condoms and tubal ligation. CONCLUSIONS: Despite some limitations, the results suggest a valid and useful methodology, which allows the identification of important needs in primary health care delivery to children and their mothers.OBJETIVO: Analisar e comparar os cuidados primários prestados à população materno-infantil e contribuir para a avaliação da assistência integral a esse grupo. MÉTODOS: Inquérito populacional realizado por entrevistas, no principal posto de vacinação do Município de Teresópolis, RJ, no Dia Nacional de Vacinação, que abrangeu questões sobre utilização de serviços de saúde e prestação de cuidados primários preventivos. RESULTADOS: Foram colhidas informações de 329 crianças e suas respectivas mães. Mais de 90% das crianças haviam comparecido à consulta pediátrica nos três meses anteriores e quase todas possuíam o cartão da criança, embora em 30% desses cartões não havia qualquer peso registrado no período. Observou-se associação positiva entre consulta de puericultura e registro de peso no cartão da criança (RP = 1,34; IC: 1,13-1,58; p = 0,0002). Cerca de 59% das mães compareceram à consulta de revisão de parto, mas 25% referiram nunca ter feito exame colpocitológico-oncótico e 36% nunca haviam realizado exame de mama. Observou-se associação positiva entre a idade materna acima de 20 anos e a realização de algum exame colpocitológico-oncótico durante a vida reprodutiva (RP = 1,56; IC: 1,08-2,26; p = 0,03). Quase 70% das mães relataram uso de algum método anticoncepcional, principalmente pílula, condom e laqueadura tubária. CONCLUSÕES: Apesar de algumas limitações, os resultados sugerem a viabilidade da metodologia utilizada, permitindo a identificação de deficiências importantes na prestação de cuidados primários de saúde para crianças e principalmente para mães

Enhancing Network Slicing Architectures with Machine Learning, Security, Sustainability and Experimental Networks Integration

Network Slicing (NS) is an essential technique extensively used in 5G networks computing strategies, mobile edge computing, mobile cloud computing, and verticals like the Internet of Vehicles and industrial IoT, among others. NS is foreseen as one of the leading enablers for 6G futuristic and highly demanding applications since it allows the optimization and customization of scarce and disputed resources among dynamic, demanding clients with highly distinct application requirements. Various standardization organizations, like 3GPP's proposal for new generation networks and state-of-the-art 5G/6G research projects, are proposing new NS architectures. However, new NS architectures have to deal with an extensive range of requirements that inherently result in having NS architecture proposals typically fulfilling the needs of specific sets of domains with commonalities. The Slicing Future Internet Infrastructures (SFI2) architecture proposal explores the gap resulting from the diversity of NS architectures target domains by proposing a new NS reference architecture with a defined focus on integrating experimental networks and enhancing the NS architecture with Machine Learning (ML) native optimizations, energy-efficient slicing, and slicing-tailored security functionalities. The SFI2 architectural main contribution includes the utilization of the slice-as-a-service paradigm for end-to-end orchestration of resources across multi-domains and multi-technology experimental networks. In addition, the SFI2 reference architecture instantiations will enhance the multi-domain and multi-technology integrated experimental network deployment with native ML optimization, energy-efficient aware slicing, and slicing-tailored security functionalities for the practical domain.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figure

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016