Phylometagenomics of cycad coralloid roots reveals shared symbiotic signals.

Cycads are known to host symbiotic cyanobacteria, including Nostocales species, as well as other sympatric bacterial taxa within their specialized coralloid roots. Yet, it is unknown if these bacteria share a phylogenetic origin and/or common genomic functions that allow them to engage in facultative symbiosis with cycad roots. To address this, we obtained metagenomic sequences from 39 coralloid roots sampled from diverse cycad species and origins in Australia and Mexico. Culture-independent shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to validate sub-community co-cultures as an efficient approach for functional and taxonomic analysis. Our metanalysis shows a host-independent microbiome core consisting of seven bacterial orders with high species diversity within the identified taxa. Moreover, we recovered 43 cyanobacterial metagenome-assembled genomes, and in addition to Nostoc spp., symbiotic cyanobacteria of the genus Aulosira were identified for the first time. Using this robust dataset, we used phylometagenomic analysis to reveal three monophyletic cyanobiont clades, two host-generalist and one cycad-specific that includes Aulosira spp. Although the symbiotic clades have independently arisen, they are enriched in certain functional genes, such as those related to secondary metabolism. Furthermore, the taxonomic composition of associated sympatric bacterial taxa remained constant. Our research quadruples the number of cycad cyanobiont genomes and provides a robust framework to decipher cyanobacterial symbioses, with the potential of improving our understanding of symbiotic communities. This study lays a solid foundation to harness cyanobionts for agriculture and bioprospection, and assist in conservation of critically endangered cycads.

Healthy women show more experimentally induced central sensitization compared with men.

ABSTRACT: Women more often experience chronic pain conditions than men. Central sensitization (CS) is one key mechanism in chronic pain that can differ between the sexes. It is unknown whether CS processes are already more pronounced in healthy women than in men. In 66 subjects (33 women), a thermal CS induction protocol was applied to the dorsum of one foot and a sham protocol to the other. Spatial extent [cm 2 ] of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia (SMH) and dynamic mechanical allodynia were assessed as subjective CS proxy measures, relying on verbal feedback. Changes in nociceptive withdrawal reflex magnitude (NWR-M) and response rate (NWR-RR) recorded through surface electromyography at the biceps and rectus femoris muscles were used as objective CS proxies. The effect of the CS induction protocol on SMH was higher in women than in men (effect size 2.11 vs 1.68). Nociceptive withdrawal reflex magnitude results were statistically meaningful for women (effect size 0.31-0.36) but not for men (effect size 0.12-0.29). Differences between men and women were not meaningful. Nociceptive withdrawal reflex response rate at the rectus femoris increased in women after CS induction and was statistically different from NWR-RR in men (median differences of 13.7 and 8.4% for 120 and 140% reflex threshold current). The objective CS proxy differences indicate that dorsal horn CS processes are more pronounced in healthy women. The even larger sex differences in subjective CS proxies potentially reflect greater supraspinal influence in women. This study shows that sex differences are present in experimentally induced CS in healthy subjects, which might contribute to women's vulnerability for chronic pain.

Kidney transplant to vesicostomy: A safe strategy for children with end stage renal disease and lower urinary tract anomalies.

INTRODUCTION: Resolution of underlying urinary tract anomalies prior to kidney transplantation in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) secondary to uropathy, has been historically supported under the argument that this would help prevent infectious complications and graft loss. We propose to perform earlier kidney transplantation with a transient vesicostomy, deferring resolution of the uropathy to the post-transplantation period. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of kidney transplantation in children with a vesicostomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective, multicenter study was performed including all patients under 18 years of age who underwent kidney transplantation with a vesicostomy, between January 2005 and December 2020 and had at least one year of follow up. Data related with the indication and timing of vesicostomy, time until transplantation, post-transplantation complications, urinary tract infections (UTI) and graft survival rate were collected. RESULTS: Of the 758 transplantations performed in the study period, 16 patients met the inclusion criteria. Mean age at transplantation was 58 months (range 20-151), and mean weight was 13.5 Kg (range 8.4-20). Mean time from vesicostomy to kidney transplantation was 30 months (range 0-70). There were 2 (12.5%) ureteral complications that required reoperation. Eighteen episodes of UTI were identified in 8 patients (50%), accounting for 0.4 UTIs per patient-year of follow-up. UTIs did not lead to graft loss in any of the cases. Urinary tract reconstruction was performed in 5 patients (31.3%) at an interval of 1-91 months post-transplantation. After a mean follow-up of 44.8 months (range 13-200) from transplantation, patients with vesicostomy had a mean creatinine clearance of 86.6 ml/min/1.73 m2, with a mean serum creatinine level of 0.6 mg/dl. Graft survival rate was 100%. DISCUSSION: Early kidney transplantation into a vesicostomy permits a resolution of the ESRD, avoiding deleterious effects related to dialysis. With a low rate of UTIs, we found no graft loss due to infectious complications. This strategy permits careful planning and better timing for the urinary tract reconstruction without delaying kidney transplantation. CONCLUSION: Kidney transplantation in pediatric patients with vesicostomy seems to be a safe and effective strategy. UTI rate was similar to that reported in the literature of patients with corrected urinary anomalies undergoing kidney transplantation without urinary diversion.

Metagenomics Bioinformatic Pipeline.

Microbial communities' taxonomic and functional diversity has been broadly studied since sequencing technologies enabled faster and cheaper data obtainment. Nevertheless, the programming skills needed and the amount of software available may be overwhelming to someone trying to analyze these data. Here, we present a comprehensive and straightforward pipeline that takes shotgun metagenomics data through the needed steps to obtain valuable results. The raw data goes through a quality control process, metagenomic assembly, binning (the obtention of single genomes from a metagenome), taxonomic assignment, and taxonomic diversity analysis and visualization.

Ruxolitinib as a treatment strategy for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia: clinical experience in a real-world setting.

INTRODUCTION: Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection is characterised by a viral phase and a severe pro-inflammatory phase. The inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway limits the pro-inflammatory state in moderate to severe COVID-19. METHODOLOGY: We analysed the data obtained by an observational cohort of patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia treated with ruxolitinib in 22 hospitals of Mexico. The applied dose was determined based on physician's criteria. The benefit of ruxolitinib was evaluated using the 8-points ordinal scale developed by the NIH in the ACTT1 trial. Duration of hospital stay, changes in pro-inflammatory laboratory values, mortality, and toxicity were also measured. RESULTS: A total of 287 patients were reported at 22 sites in Mexico from March to June 2020; 80.8% received ruxolitinib 5 mg BID and 19.16% received ruxolitinib 10 mg BID plus standard of care. At beginning of treatment, 223 patients were on oxygen support and 59 on invasive ventilation. The percentage of patients on invasive ventilation was 53% in the 10 mg and 13% in the 5 mg cohort. A statistically significant improvement measured as a reduction by 2 points on the 8-point ordinal scale was described (baseline 5.39 ± 0.93, final 3.67± 2.98, p = 0.0001). There were 74 deaths. Serious adverse events were presented in 6.9% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Ruxolitinib appears to be safe in COVID-19 patients, with clinical benefits observed in terms of decrease in the 8-point ordinal scale and pro-inflammatory state. Further studies must be done to ensure efficacy against mortality.

Quiste congénito del conducto nasolacrimal/dacrio-cistocele: causa de dacriocistitis no diagnosticada / Congenital cyst of nasolacrimal duct/dacriocistocele: cause of non-diagnosed dacriocistitis

RESUMEN Se presenta dos casos de pacientes menores de 5 meses los cuales durante las primeras semanas de vida presentan descarga ocular muco-purulenta de manera recurrente. Posteriormente en la endoscopia se encuentra en los dos casos masas quísticas intranasales dando un diagnóstico de dacriocistocele más quiste congénito del conducto nasolagrimal. El dacriocistocele es una causa muy rara de obstrucción del conducto nasal y más raro cuando viene acompañado de un quiste congénito del conducto nasolagrimal. Debido a su rareza y a su sintomatología muchas veces atípica resulta en un diagnóstico complicado para el otorrinolaringólogo y para el oftalmólogo.

ABSTRACT Two cases of patients younger than 5 months are presented, who during the first weeks of life have recurrent muco-purulent ocular dis-charge. Subsequently, in endoscopy, in both cases, intranasal cystic masses were found, resulting in a diagnosis of dacryocystocele plus congenital cyst of the lacrimal duct. Dacryocystocele is an uncommon cause of nasal duct obstruction, but it becomes less common when accompanied by a congenital tear duct cyst. Due to its uncommonness and its often-atypical symptoms, it results in a complicated diagnosis for the ENT and the ophthalmologist.

Impacts of urban carbon dioxide emissions on sea-air flux and ocean acidification in nearshore waters.

Greatly enhanced atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels relative to well-mixed marine air are observed during periods of offshore winds at coastal sensor platforms in Monterey Bay, California, USA. The highest concentrations originate from urban and agricultural areas, are driven by diurnal winds, and peak in the early morning. These enhanced atmospheric levels can be detected across a ~100km wide nearshore area and represent a significant addition to total oceanic CO2 uptake. A global estimate puts the added sea-air flux of CO2 from these greatly enhanced atmospheric CO2 levels at 25 million tonnes, roughly 1% of the ocean's annual CO2 uptake. The increased uptake over the 100 km coastal swath is of order 20%, indicating a potentially large impact on ocean acidification in productive coastal waters.

[Prediabetes as a riskmarker for stress-induced hyperglycemia in critically ill adults]. / Prediabetes como marcador de riesgo para hiperglucemia inducida por estrés en pacientes adultos críticamente enfermos.

BACKGROUND: It is not known if patients with prediabetes, a subgroup of non-diabetic patients that usually present hyperinsulinemia, have higher risk to present stress-induced hyperglycemia. The objective was to determine if prediabetes is a risk marker to present stress-induced hyperglycemia. METHODS: Analytic, observational, prospective cohort study of non-diabetic critically ill patients of a third level hospital. We determined plasmatic glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) at admission to diagnose stress-induced hyperglycemia (glucose ≥ 140 mg/dL) and prediabetes (HbA1c between 5.7 and 6.4%), respectively. We examined the proportion of non-prediabetic and prediabetic patients that developed stress hyperglycemia with contingence tables and Fisher's exact test for nominal scales. RESULTS: Of 73 patients studied, we found a proportion of stress-induced hyperglycemia in 6.6% in those without prediabetes and 61.1% in those with prediabetes. The Fisher's exact test value was 22.46 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Prediabetes is a risk marker for stress-induced hyperglycemia in critically ill adults.

Introducción: no se conoce si los pacientes con prediabetes, un subgrupo de pacientes no diabéticos que generalmente cursan con hiperinsulinemia, tienen mayor riesgo de presentar hiperglucemia inducida por estrés. El objetivo fue determinar si la prediabetes es un marcador de riesgo para presentar hiperglucemia inducida por estrés. Métodos: estudio analítico, observacional, prospectivo de cohorte en pacientes críticos sin antecedentes de diabetes mellitus de un hospital de tercer nivel. Se determinó al ingreso la glucosa plasmática y la hemoglobina glucosilada (HbA1c) para diagnosticar hiperglucemia de estrés (glucosa ≥ 140 mg/dL) y prediabetes (HbA1c entre 5.7 y 6.4%), respectivamente. Se examinó la proporción de pacientes sin prediabetes y prediabéticos que desarrollaron hiperglucemia de estrés con tablas de contingencia y prueba exacta de Fisher para escalas nominales. Resultados: 73 pacientes se estudiaron y se encontró una proporción de hiperglucemia de estrés en pacientes sin prediabetes de 6.6 y 61.1% en los pacientes con prediabetes. La prueba exacta de Fisher dio 22.46 (p < 0.05). Conclusión: la prediabetes es un marcador de riesgo para hiperglucemia de estrés en el paciente adulto críticamente enfermo.

Concordancia entre la percepción materna y el estado nutricional de sus hijos antes y después de una intervención educativa / Concordance between maternal perception and child's nutritional status before and after an educational intervention

RESUMEN La malnutrición por exceso es un problema de salud y su rápida pesquisa mediante percepción materna (PM), permite intervenciones tempranas enfocadas a disminuir sus consecuencias y costos asociados. El objetivo fue determinar la concordancia entre PM y estado nutricional (EN) de sus hijos, antes y después de una intervención educativa. Participaron 116 diadas madre-hijo de 2 a 5 años, de 4 jardines de Viña del Mar, donde se determinó EN y PM mediante imágenes corporales de los niños. Posteriormente, 57 madres con PM erradas respecto a estado nutricional de su hijo participaron de una intervención educativa de 40 minutos cada 15 días por 3 meses. La concordancia entre el PM y estado nutricional fue evaluada con el test de Kappa. El EN de los niños fue: 3,4% bajo peso; 49,1% normal; 28,4% sobrepeso y 19,0% obesidad. Para la PM el 99,1% subestimó el EN de su hijo (Kappa= 0,022 y p= 0,610). Posterior a la intervención, mejoró la PM en 59,6% y un 40,3% continuó subestimando el EN (kappa= 0,362 y p= 0,000). En este estudio, la PM tiende a subestimar el EN de sus hijos y una intervención educativa mejoró la PM y la concordancia entre PM y el EN de ellos.

ABSTRACT Overnutrition is a health problem and its rapid diagnosis through maternal perception (MP), allows for early intervention focused on reducing consequences and associated costs. The objective of this study was to determine the concordance between MP and child's nutritional status, before and after an educational intervention. Participants were 116 mother-child (2 to 5 years old) dyads from, from 4 daycare centers in Viña del Mar, Chile. Nutritional status was determined and MP was performed using children's body images. Subsequently 57 mothers with MP discordant with child's nutritional status participated in a 40-minute educational intervention every 15 days for 3 months. Concordance between MP and child's nutritional status was evaluated with Kappa. Nutritional status of the 116 children was: 3.4% underweight; 49.1% normal; 28.4% overweight, 19.0% obesity. MP indicated that 99.1% underestimated their child's nutritional status (Kappa = 0.022 and p= 0.610). After intervention, MP improved to 59.6% and 40.3% continued to underestimating child's nutritional status (kappa= 0.362 and p= 0.000). In this study, mothers tended to underestimate the nutritional status of their children. An educational intervention improved MP and the agreement between MP and child's nutritional status.