Incorporation of Antibiotics into Solid Lipid Nanoparticles: A Promising Approach to Reduce Antibiotic Resistance Emergence

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health as current antibiotics are becoming useless against resistant infectious pathogens. Consequently, new antimicrobial strategies are urgently required. Drug delivery systems represent a potential solution to improve current antibiotic properties and reverse resistance mechanisms. Among different drug delivery systems, solid lipid nanoparticles represent a highly interesting option as they offer many advantages for nontoxic targeted drug delivery. Several publications have demonstrated the capacity of SLNs to significantly improve antibiotic characteristics increasing treatment efficiency. In this review article, antibiotic-loaded solid lipid nanoparticle-related works are analyzed to summarize all information associated with applying these new formulations to tackle the antibiotic resistance problem. The main antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and relevant solid lipid nanoparticle characteristics are presented to later discuss the potential of these nanoparticles to improve current antibiotic treatment characteristics and overcome antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. Moreover, solid lipid nanoparticles also offer new possibilities for other antimicrobial agents that cannot be administrated as free drugs. The advantages and disadvantages of these new formulations are also discussed in this review. Finally, given the progress of the studies carried out to date, future directions are discussed.This work was supported by grants from the University of the Basque Country grant number GIU18/229 and grant number COLAB19/08) and the Industry Department of the Basque Government grant number ELKARTEK2020 KK-2020/00007)

First detection of the bla OXA - 23 gene in a multidrug - resistant A. baumannii clinical isolate from Cochabamba, Bolivia

The University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU was the Institution where the research was conducted although the clinical data and preliminary experiments were done in the University of San Simon (Universidad Mayor de San Simon UMSS) and Viedma Hospital within a collaborative project. This work was supported by grant AE14/23 from the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU. Thanks to Dr. Bruno Lopes, School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, UK, for critically reading the manuscript

"We're staying at home". Association of self-perceptions of aging, Personal and family resources and loneliness with psychological distress during the lock-down period of COVID-19

Families are going through a very stressful time because of the COVID-19 outbreak, with age being a risk factor for this illness. Negative self-perceptions of aging, among other personal and relational variables, may be associated with loneliness and distress caused by the pandemic crisis. Method: Participants are 1,310 Spanish people (age range: 18–88 years) during a lock-down period at home. In addition to specific questions about risk for COVID-19, self-perceptions of aging, family and personal resources, loneliness, and psychological distress were measured. Hierarchical regression analyses were done for assessing the correlates of loneliness and psychological distress. Results: The measured variables allow for an explanation of 48% and 33% of the variance of distress and loneliness, respectively. Being female, younger, having negative self-perceptions about aging, more time exposed to news about COVID-19, more contact with relatives different to those that co-reside, fewer positive emotions, less perceived self-efficacy, lower quality of sleep, higher expressed emotion, and higher loneliness were associated with higher distress. Being female, younger, having negative self-perceptions about aging, more time exposed to news about COVID-19, lower contact with relatives, higher self-perception as a burden, fewer positive emotions, lower resources for entertaining oneself, lower quality of sleep, and higher expressed emotion were associated with higher loneliness. Discussion: Having negative self-perceptions of aging and lower chronological age, together with other measured family and personal resources, are associated with loneliness and psychological distress. Older adults with positive self-perceptions of aging seem to be more resilient during the COVID-19 outbrea

Comportamiento asertivo en cuidadores familiares de personas con demencia: desarrollo y validación del “Cuestionario de asertividad en el cuidado” (CAQ)

Dementia family caregivers´ assertiveness may play a significant role in the caregiving stress and coping process, but research analyzing this topic is still scarce. This study presents the psychometric properties of the Caregiving Assertiveness Questionnaire (CAQ) and analyzes the associations between assertiveness and other variables with a relevant role in the caregiving coping process. One hundred and forty-seven family dementia caregivers participated in the study. A three-factor structure (expressing discomfort, facing conflicts and setting limits) was found for the CAQ, which explained a 69.63% of the variance in assertiveness. Significant associations were found between scores in CAQ (total scale and subscales) and variables such as experiential avoidance, cognitive fusion and frequency of leisure. CAQ presents appropriate psychometric characteristics and is a useful assessment tool to take into consideration when designing comprehensive assessment protocols for dementia family caregivers, and designing interventions aimed at helping this populationLa asertividad podría tener un papel relevante en el proceso de estrés y afrontamiento del cuidado familiar de personas con demencia. Sin embargo, la investigación sobre esta cuestión es todavía escasa. Este estudio presenta las propiedades psicométricas del “Cuestionario de asertividad en el cuidado” (CAQ), y analiza las asociaciones entre esta variable y otras que presentan un papel importante en el afrontamiento del cuidado. Participaron 147 cuidadores de personas con demencia. Se identificó la estructura factorial del CAQ (expresión del malestar, hacer frente a los conflictos y poner límites), que explicaba el 69,63% de la varianza en asertividad. Se encontraron asociaciones significativas entre las puntuaciones en el CAQ (escala total y subescalas) y otras variables tales como la evitación experiencial, fusión cognitiva y frecuencia de ocio. El CAQ presenta adecuadas propiedades psicométricas y es un instrumento de potencial utilidad a tener en cuenta a la hora de diseñar protocolos de evaluación de los cuidadores familiares y diseñar intervenciones dirigidas a ayudar a estas personasThe preparation of this article was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under the grant PSI2012-31293 and the Ministry of Science and Innovation under the grant PID2019- 106714RB-C22. Both projects were reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Registration Number: 060720166616

Co-Existence of blaNDM-1, blaOXA-23, blaOXA-64, blaPER-7 and blaADC-57 in a Clinical Isolate of Acinetobacter baumannii from Alexandria, Egypt

The increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance among carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in the Middle East and North Africa are one of the major concerns for healthcare settings. We characterised the first A. baumannii isolate harbouring five β-lactamases identified in Egypt. The isolate Ale25 was obtained from an ICU patient of a hospital from Alexandria. The isolate was phenotypically and genotypically screened for carbapenemase genes. The isolate was resistant to carbapenems, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones and cefiderocol. Whole-Genome Sequencing identified five β-lactamase genes, blaNDM-1, blaOXA-23, blaOXA-64, blaPER-7 and blaADC-57, together with other antibiotic resistance genes, conferring resistance to sulfonamides, macrolides, tetracyclines, rifamycin and chloramphenicol. Virulome analysis showed the presence of genes involved in adhesion and biofilm production, type II and VI secretion systems, exotoxins, etc. Multi-Locus Sequence Typing analysis identified the isolate as Sequence Types 113Pas and 2246Oxf, belonging to International Clone 7. Sequencing experiments revealed the presence of four plasmids of 2.7, 22.3, 70.4 and 240.8 Kb. All the β-lactamase genes were located in the chromosome, except the blaPER-7, gene which was found within the plasmid of 240.8 Kb. This study highlights the threat of the emergence and dissemination of these types of isolates.This research was funded by the MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033), grant number PID2020-116495RB-I00; the DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OF THE BASQUE GOVERNMENT (Research Groups of the Basque University System 2021), grant number Group IT1578-22, GIC21/18; and the ARAB ACADEMY FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MARITIME TRANSPORT, grant number 2072

Influencia de las bajas temperaturas en la supervivencia y el perfil proteico de Vibrio harveyi

Poster presentado al XXII Congreso Nacional de Microbiología celebrado en Salamanca los días 11-14 julio de 2011.Gobierno Vasco IT376-1

Single-cell Atlas of common variable immunodeficiency shows germinal center-associated epigenetic dysregulation in B-cell responses.

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), the most prevalent symptomatic primary immunodeficiency, displays impaired terminal B-cell differentiation and defective antibody responses. Incomplete genetic penetrance and ample phenotypic expressivity in CVID suggest the participation of additional pathogenic mechanisms. Monozygotic (MZ) twins discordant for CVID are uniquely valuable for studying the contribution of epigenetics to the disease. Here, we generate a single-cell epigenomics and transcriptomics census of naïve-to-memory B cell differentiation in a CVID-discordant MZ twin pair. Our analysis identifies DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility and transcriptional defects in memory B-cells mirroring defective cell-cell communication upon activation. These findings are validated in a cohort of CVID patients and healthy donors. Our findings provide a comprehensive multi-omics map of alterations in naïve-to-memory B-cell transition in CVID and indicate links between the epigenome and immune cell cross-talk. Our resource, publicly available at the Human Cell Atlas, gives insight into future diagnosis and treatments of CVID patients.We thank the CERCA Program/Generalitat de Catalunya and the Josep Carreras Foundation for institutional support. This publication is part of the Human Cell Atlas; www.humancellatlas.org/publications. This study was funded by: Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant number PID2020-117212RB-I00/AEI/10.13038/501100011033) (E.B.), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Ref. AC18/00057, associated with i-PAD project (ERARE European Union program) (E.B.), the Jeffrey Modell Foundation (E.B.), Wellcome Sanger core funding (grant no. WT206194) (R.V.-T.), the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (grant 2020-216799) (R.V.-T. and E.B.), an EMBO short-term fellowship (J.R.U.), Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria Instituto de Salud Carlos III (FIS PI16/01605) (L.P.-M.), the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (SAF2017-89109-P; AEI/FEDER, UE) (H.H.), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministry of Health (PI16/00759) and European Regional Development Fund-European Social Fund—FEDER-FSE) (C.R-G.), Grupo DISA (OA18/017) (C.R.-G.), the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBS/E/B/000C0426) (G.K.) and Medical Research Council (MR/S000437/1) (G.K.). We are indebted to the donors for participating in this research. We thank Antonio Garcia-Gomez for graphical design support, Sarah Teichmann for her useful feedback, Hamish King for helping with single-cell germinal center dataset availability, Xi Chen for performing scATAC-seq analysis, Kirsty Ambridge and Elena Prigmore for their involvement in single-cell RNA library generation, Martin Prete for creating online visualizations for our cell atlas and Esther Castaño and Beatriz Barroso from CCiTUB Cytometry Unit for their support with single-cell sorting and Dr. Carla Gianelli and Dr. Rebeca Rodríguez Pena for the patient follow-up in the CVID cohort

Bronchoscopist's perception of the quality of the single-use bronchoscope (Ambu aScope4™) in selected bronchoscopies: a multicenter study in 21 Spanish pulmonology services

Background: The disposable bronchoscope is an excellent alternative to face the problem of SARS-CoV-2 and other cross infections, but the bronchoscopist’s perception of its quality has not been evaluated. Methods: To evaluate the quality of the Ambu-aScope4 disposable bronchoscope, we carried out a cross-sectional study in 21 Spanish pulmonology services. We use a standardized questionnaire completed by the bronchoscopists at the end of each bronchoscopy. The variables were described with absolute and relative frequencies, measures of cen‑ tral tendency and dispersion depending on their nature. The existence of learning curves was evaluated by CUSUM analysis. Results: The most frequent indications in 300 included bronchoscopies was bronchial aspiration in 69.3% and the median duration of these was 9.1 min. The route of entry was nasal in 47.2% and oral in 34.1%. The average score for ease of use, image, and aspiration quality was 80/100. All the planned techniques were performed in 94.9% and the bronchoscopist was satisfed in 96.6% of the bronchoscopies. They highlighted the portability and immediacy of the aScope4TM to start the procedure in 99.3%, the possibility of taking and storing images in 99.3%. The CUSUM analysis showed average scores>70/100 from the frst procedure and from the 9th procedure more than 80% of the scores exceeded the 80/100 score

Bronchoscopist's perception of the quality of the single-use bronchoscope (Ambu aScope4™) in selected bronchoscopies : a multicenter study in 21 Spanish pulmonology services

Background: The disposable bronchoscope is an excellent alternative to face the problem of SARS-CoV-2 and other cross infections, but the bronchoscopist's perception of its quality has not been evaluated. Methods: To evaluate the quality of the Ambu-aScope4 disposable bronchoscope, we carried out a cross-sectional study in 21 Spanish pulmonology services. We use a standardized questionnaire completed by the bronchoscopists at the end of each bronchoscopy. The variables were described with absolute and relative frequencies, measures of central tendency and dispersion depending on their nature. The existence of learning curves was evaluated by CUSUM analysis. Results: The most frequent indications in 300 included bronchoscopies was bronchial aspiration in 69.3% and the median duration of these was 9.1 min. The route of entry was nasal in 47.2% and oral in 34.1%. The average score for ease of use, image, and aspiration quality was 80/100. All the planned techniques were performed in 94.9% and the bronchoscopist was satisfied in 96.6% of the bronchoscopies. They highlighted the portability and immediacy of the aScope4TM to start the procedure in 99.3%, the possibility of taking and storing images in 99.3%. The CUSUM analysis showed average scores > 70/100 from the first procedure and from the 9th procedure more than 80% of the scores exceeded the 80/100 score. Conclusions: The aScope4™ scored well for ease of use, imaging, and aspiration. We found a learning curve with excellent scores from the 9th procedure. Bronchoscopists highlighted its portability, immediacy of use and the possibility of taking and storing images

La ciudad como experiencia de conocimiento: nuevas metodologías de aprendizaje, iniciación a la investigación y extensión universitaria a partir de la historia urbana

Memoria que recoge las actividades desarolladas en el proyecto de Innovación docente 327 de 2020 con título La ciudad como experiencia de conocimiento: nuevas metodologías de aprendizaje, iniciación a la investigación y extensión universitaria a partir de la historia urbana y dirigido por Rubén Pallol Trigueros