Environmental stressor assessment of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria biofilms from a marine oil spill.

The environmental and economic impact of an oil spill can be significant. Biotechnologies applied during a marine oil spill involve bioaugmentation with immobilised or encapsulated indigenous hydrocarbonoclastic species selected under laboratory conditions to improve degradation rates. The environmental factors that act as stressors and impact the effectiveness of hydrocarbon removal are one of the challenges associated with these applications. Understanding how native microbes react to environmental stresses is necessary for effective bioaugmentation. Herein, Micrococcus luteus and M. yunnanensis isolated from a marine oil spill mooring system showed hydrocarbonoclastic activity on Maya crude oil in a short time by means of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) at 144 h: M. luteus up to 98.79 % and M. yunnanensis 97.77 % removal. The assessment of Micrococcus biofilms at different temperature (30 °C and 50 °C), pH (5, 6, 7, 8, 9), salinity (30, 50, 60, 70, 80 g/L), and crude oil concentration (1, 5, 15, 25, 35 %) showed different response to the stressors depending on the strain. According to response surface analysis, the main effect was temperature > salinity > hydrocarbon concentration. The hydrocarbonoclastic biofilm architecture was characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Subtle but significant differences were observed: pili in M. luteus by SEM and the topographical differences measured by AFM Power Spectral Density (PSD) analysis, roughness was higher in M. luteus than in M. yunnanensis. In all three domains of life, the Universal Stress Protein (Usp) is crucial for stress adaptation. Herein, the uspA gene expression was analysed in Micrococcus biofilm under environmental stressors. The uspA expression increased up to 2.5-fold in M. luteus biofilms at 30 °C, and 1.3-fold at 50 °C. The highest uspA expression was recorded in M. yunnanensis biofilms at 50 °C with 2.5 and 3-fold with salinities of 50, 60, and 80 g/L at hydrocarbon concentrations of 15, 25, and 35 %. M. yunnanensis biofilms showed greater resilience than M. luteus biofilms when exposed to harsh environmental stressors. M. yunnanensis biofilms were thicker than M. luteus biofilms. Both biofilm responses to environmental stressors through uspA gene expression were consistent with the behaviours observed in the response surface analyses. The uspA gene is a suitable biomarker for assessing environmental stressors of potential microorganisms for bioremediation of marine oil spills and for biosensing the ecophysiological status of native microbiota in a marine petroleum environment.

Imported cysticercosis in Spain: A retrospective case series from the +REDIVI Collaborative Network.

BACKGROUND: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most common parasitic neurological disease worldwide and a major cause of epilepsy. Spain is the country reporting the highest number of NCC imported cases in Europe. METHODOLOGY: Retrospective case series of NCC patients registered in the +REDIVI Network from October 1, 2009 to July 2018. A specific questionnaire, including clinical and diagnostic characteristics, was created and sent to the collaborator centers. RESULTS: 46 cases were included in the analysis. 55% were male, mean age of 40 years. 95.6% were migrants. The median duration since migration from an endemic area was 10 years. Predominant nationalities were Ecuadorians (50%) and Bolivians (30.4%). Frequent locations were parenchymal (87%), subarachnoid (26.1%) and intraventricular cysts (10.9%). Serological analysis was performed in 91.3%, being 54.8% positive. Most prevalent clinical manifestations were persistent headache (60.9%), epilepsy (43.5%) and visual changes (13%). Patients were mainly treated with albendazole (76.1%), corticosteroids (67.4%), and anticonvulsionants (52.2%). 82.5% had a favorable clinical outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Most NCC cases were long-standing migrants. Few clinical differences were observed depending on the cysticerci location. The treatment was often not according to current recommendations, and no uniform criteria were followed when it came to the therapeutic regimen. NCC case management in Spain (including clinician awareness and laboratory capacity improvements) needs to be strengthened.

Influence of sperm filtration and the addition of glycerol to UHT skimmed milk- and TEST-based extenders on the quality and fertilizing capacity of chilled ram sperm.

The poor fertility of ram semen stored chilled for long periods has encouraged the development of protocols designed to improve the kinetic vigour and cervical barrier-crossing capacity of sperm. The present work evaluated the effect of sperm selection with Sephadex filtration and the supplementation of 2% glycerol (GLY) to extenders based on ultra-heat-treated skimmed milk (UHT) or Tris-Tes-Glucose (TEST) on ram sperm kinetic parameters, plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, mitochondrial function and fertilizing ability, over long chilling times. The results showed that for non-filtered semen, values for progressive sperm motility (%PSM), straight line velocity (VSL, µm/s) and the percentage of sperm with an intact plasma membrane/intact acrosome/a high mitochondrial function index (%IPIAHM) at all times up to 96 h of chilling were higher when the UHT extender (P < 0.01) was used compared to TEST extender irrespective of the presence of GLY. When semen was previously filtered with Sephadex, the addition of GLY to the UHT extender improved total motility (%TM), the %PSM and the VSL at 96 h compared to all other treatments (P < 0.01). The best results of all were obtained with non-filtered semen and UHT either with or without GLY. Heterologous IVF using zona-intact bovine oocytes was used to assess the fertilizing capacity of non-filtered fresh (FS0), chilled-for-24 h (CS24) or chilled-for-48 h (CS48) ram semen diluted in UHT extender (GLY-free). Heterologous IVF showed that ram sperm, either FS0, CS24 or CS48, were equally capable of penetrating zona pellucida intact bovine oocytes, leading to pronuclear formation and hybrid embryo cleavage (46.3 ±â€¯3.2; 48.8 ±â€¯3.2; and 43.3 ±â€¯3.5, respectively). No differences were seen with respect to fresh sperm in terms of sperm binding, penetration, polyspermy, pronucleus formation or cleavage rates (P > 0.05). In conclusion, neither Sephadex filtration nor addition of glycerol provided extra benefits to ram sperm chilled up to 96 h. Chilled, non-filtered sperm extended with UHT without GLY showed better sperm functionality than did similar sperm extended with TEST extenders. Indeed, sperm diluted in UHT extender, maintained fertilizing ability up to 48 h.

Pattern of brain activation during social cognitive tasks is related to social competence in siblings discordant for schizophrenia.

Measures of social competence are closely related to actual community functioning in patients with schizophrenia. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying competence in schizophrenia are not fully understood. We hypothesized that social deficits in schizophrenia are explained, at least in part, by abnormally lateralized patterns of brain activation in response to tasks engaging social cognition, as compared to healthy individuals. We predicted such patterns would be partly heritable, and therefore affected in patients' nonpsychotic siblings as well. We used a functional magnetic resonance image paradigm to characterize brain activation induced by theory of mind tasks, and two tests of social competence, the Test of Adaptive Behavior in Schizophrenia (TABS), and the Social Skills Performance Assessment (SSPA) in siblings discordant for schizophrenia and comparable healthy controls (n = 14 per group). Healthy individuals showed the strongest correlation between social competence and activation of right hemisphere structures involved in social cognitive processing, whereas in patients, the correlation pattern was lateralized to left hemisphere areas. Unaffected siblings of patients exhibited a pattern intermediate between the other groups. These results support the hypothesis that schizophrenia may be characterized by an abnormal functioning of nondominant hemisphere structures involved in the processing of socially salient information.

Significación clínica y distribución epidemiológica de Aeromonas spp aisladas en heces / No disponible

Fundamentos: El papel del género Aeromonas como enteropatógeno continúa en entredicho en numerosos trabajos. El objetivo es conocer en nuestra serie la distribución epidemiológica, sensibilidad antimicrobiana y el significado clínico de Aeromonas spp aisladas en el coprocultivo. Métodos: Se estudió retrospectivamente la evolución clínica de 152 casos de diarrea con aislamiento de Aeromonas spp. (1999-2004). Se utilizó el medio agar sangre ampicilina para aislar Aeromonas añadiendo el medio CIN en la segunda parte del estudio. Resultados: Se aisló Aeromonas spp. en 1,24% de 27.109 muestras, distribuidas entre A. caviae59,21%, A. hydrophila 17,76%, A. veronii var. sobria 21,05%, A. veronii var. veronii 1,31%, A. schubertii0,65%. En el área pediátrica se obtuvieron 124 aislamientos, 90 procedían de urgencias, de primaria17, de hepatología 9 de neonatología 6 y 2 de hematooncología. Los adultos la mayoría presentaban enfermedad de base. Conclusiones: A. caviae es la especie más prevalente. Son frecuentes las enfermedades de base asociadas a la diarrea. Para obtener óptimos resultados en el coprocultivo se requiere utilizar más de un medio. La mayoría de las cepas presentaron resistencia exclusivamente a amoxicilina. A falta de estudios de patogenicidad, el aislamiento de Aeromonas spp como único agente en el coprocultivo, adquiere significado clínico junto a la diarrea y una posible enfermedad de base (AU)

Fundaments: Aeromonas and their link to diarrheic disease have not been clearly established. Astudy has been performed to observe species distribution, drugs sensitivity and clinical signification of the Aeromonas species isolated from patients with diarrhea. Method: Retrospective study has been performed (1999-2004) to observe the clinical evolution from patients with diarrhea and Aeromonas species. To isolate Aeromonas two specific means were used, only blood agar with ampilicin in the first phase, and then adding CIN agar in the second phase of the study. Results: Aeromonas has been isolated in 1,24% of 27.109 samples, with A. caviae 59,21%, A. hydrophila17,76%, A. veronii var. sobria 21,05%, A. veronii var. veronii 1,31%, A. schubertii 0,65%.124 were children, 90 from emergencies, 17 from primary, 9 hepathology, 6 from neonathology and2 from hematooncology. Among the adult patients, most of them were frequently suffering from the basic disease. Conclusion: The A. caviae is the most prevalent species. Most of the stocks were only resistant tothe amoxicillin. Isolation of Aeromonas strains from stool specimens may require the use of more than one medium. Aeromonas are an important cause of diarrhea in patients infected with Aeromonas species and underlaying disease with clinical signification (AU)

Relation of depression to heart rate nonlinear dynamics in patients > or =60 years of age with recent unstable angina pectoris or acute myocardial infarction.

Depression is common among older patients and it has been related to a worsened coronary prognosis. The basis for this association is controversial. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether patients with a recent acute coronary event show depression-related changes of heart rate variability (HRV) nonlinear dynamics. Alterations of the HRV have been recently shown to predict mortality in patients recovering from an acute myocardial infarction. In 52 patients > or =60 years (52% women) with recent (within 24 to 72 hours) unstable angina pectoris or myocardial infarction, we obtained conventional time- and frequency-domain HRV measurements, along with nonlinear HRV measurements, including SD of the instantaneous beat-to-beat variability (SD1), scaling exponent alpha1 (alpha1), and approximate entropy (ApEn) from 10-minute RR-interval recordings. We also evaluated the presence of clinical depression and measured its severity by means of a 21-item Hamilton Depression Scale. On admission to the coronary care unit, 19 patients (37%) were depressed; alpha1 was higher (1.23 +/- 0.21 vs 1.03 +/- 0.30, p <0.05), whereas SD1 (10.4 +/- 3.7 vs 14.4 +/- 7.3, p <0.05) and ApEn (0.98 +/- 0.22 vs 1.16 +/- 0.15, p <0.001) were lower in depressed patients. Also, alpha1 increased (r = 0.31, p <0.05) and both SD1 (r = -0.46, p <0.01) and ApEn (r = -0.28, p <0.05) decreased with worsening depressive symptoms. In our sample, depression was associated with increased correlation and decreased complexity of the interbeat interval time series in older adults who had recently developed an acute coronary syndrome.

[IgG against A60 antigen and the tuberculin test in healthy individuals and tubercular patients]. / IgG frente al antígeno A60 y prueba de la tuberculina en individuos sanos y enfermos tuberculosos.

BACKGROUND: Study of the relation between the antibodies against the A60 antigen and the tuberculin test. METHODS: An indirect ELISA for detecting serum antibodies (IgG) against the antigen A60 and tuberculin test, has been applied to 20 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, and 52 healthy persons without tuberculous history. RESULTS: For the all people (healthy and patients) both techniques have had almost identical results in 76.4%. In the healthy people the ELISA A60 and tuberculin test positive results were: 20.7% and 26.9%, respectively. For the patients group this results were: 85% and 80%. These results were statistically significant (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In the healthy people the antibodies response against A60 antigen has a direct relationship with the results of the tuberculin test. The combined use of ELISA A60 and the tuberculin test improve their separate results.

[Antibodies against mycobacterial antigens in patients with non-tuberculous pathology]. / Anticuerpos frente a antígenos micobacterianos en enfermos con patología no tuberculosa.

Antibodies (type IgG) against the A 60 antigen (Mycobacterium bovis, BCG) and an antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were studied by ELISA in 79 patients with not tuberculous disease: 16 lung carcinoma, 16 hepatic cirrhosis and 47 patients with pulmonary disease. 59.5% and 50.6% of the patients showed antibodies against antigen A 60 and M. tuberculosis antigen respectively; more 25% were strongly positive against antigen A 60; in the patients with lung carcinoma this results were 62.5%. It is concluded than when this methods are use in the serologic diagnostic of tuberculosis the number of cirrhotic and not tuberculous pulmonary disease patients with antibodies against this antigens, obliges a careful study of the individual characteristics of each patient, and it is very important previously to discard a lung neoplastic pathology.

[Serological diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis using ELISA and the A60 antigen]. / Diagnóstico serológico de la tuberculosis pulmonar mediante ELISA y el antígeno A60.

BACKGROUND: Study of the utility of a serologic technic in the clinic diagnostic of the pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting serum antibodies (IgG) against the antigen A60 has been applied to 170 tuberculosis patients (151 adults and 19 children) and 35 healthy children not protected with BCG. RESULTS: The ELISA results obtained with tuberculosis patients were: 84.8% positive IgG in adults and 21.1% in children. The percentage of serologically positive cases in healthy children against the antigen A60 was 11.5%. All the results were statistically significant (p less than 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This test can be successfully applied as a support technique in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in adults, it will be necessary to know the endemic situation in each community analysed.

[Effect of chemotherapy on the antibody response to A60 antigen]. / Influencia de la quimioterapia en la respuesta de anticuerpos frente al antígeno A60.

BACKGROUND: Study of the serologic response in two groups of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis: with and without treatment. METHODS: Antibodies (type IgG) against the A60 antigen were studied in 103 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis: 46 without specific treatment and 57 after the application of the chemotherapy. RESULTS: 81.6% of the patients showed antibodies against the A60 antigen and 60.2% were strongly positive; 32.6% and 41.3% of the patients without treatment were negative and strongly positive respectively. In the patients with treatment this results were 7% and 75.4%. The differences found between both groups were statistically significant (p less than 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the application of the specific treatment modify in a high percentage the response of antibody against A60 antigen and which reduced the false negatives response, this fact could condition the clinic utility of the test.

[Peripheral neuropathy produced by cisplatin]. / Neuropatía periférica producida por cis-platino.

The authors tell about one case of peripheral neuropathy of the upper limbs as a complication of cis-diaminedichloroplatinum. It is a rare complication that has to be diagnosed early to prevent invalidating damage.