Potential of different species of actinobacteria in the management of Meloidogyne javanica.

Root-knot nematodes (RKN) are one of the most harmful soil-borne plant pathogens in the world. Actinobacteria are known phytopathogen control agents. The aim of this study was to select soil actinobacteria with control potential against the RKN (Meloidogyne javanica) in tomato plants and to determine mechanisms of action. Ten isolates were tested and a significant reduction was observed in the number of M. javanica eggs, and galls 46 days after infestation with the nematode. The results could be explained by the combination of different mechanisms including parasitism and induction of plant defense response. The M. javanica eggs were parasited by all isolates tested. Some isolates reduced the penetration of juveniles into the roots. Other isolates using the split-root method were able to induce systemic defenses in tomato plants. The 4L isolate was selected for analysis of the expression of the plant defense genes TomLoxA, ACCO, PR1, and RBOH1. In plants treated with 4L isolate and M. javanica, there was a significant increase in the number of TomLoxA and ACCO gene transcripts. In plants treated only with M. javanica, only the expression of the RBOH1 and PR1 genes was induced in the first hours after infection. The isolates were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Streptomyces sp. (1A, 3F, 4L, 6O, 8S, 9T, and 10U), Kribbella sp. (5N), Kitasatospora sp. (2AE), and Lentzea sp. (7P). The efficacy of isolates from the Kitasatospora, Kribbella, and Lentzea genera was reported for the first time, and the efficacy of Streptomyces genus isolates for controlling M. javanica was confirmed. All the isolates tested in this study were efficient against RKN. This study provides the opportunity to investigate bacterial genera that have not yet been explored in the control of M. javanica in tomatoes and other crops.

Integrating quality improvement into healthcare operations: A system's approach.

A palpable pulse on organizational culture is imperative for allowing senior leadership to understand the current state and use this as a starting point to measure the gap between the current state and where the organization should be to meet strategic goals related to quality and safety. Knowledge gleaned from causal analysis and coding of safety events provides the organization with that information. Our organization was unknowingly making decisions on a small quantity of coded and classified events, which led to mistakes on our journey to becoming a high-reliability organization. To remedy this, the Quality and Safety Team improved the user interface of the event reporting system and created standard work for all frontline staff, physicians, area managers and senior leaders. After several interventions, we reduced the time between reported events and documented resolution by 15.28% and increased the quantity of coded and classified safety events tenfold. These changes improved our organization's ability to make better informed decisions and plot a more precise course on the journey to becoming a high-reliability organization.

Potential anti-adhesion activity of novel carbosilane zwitterionic dendrimers against eukaryotic and prokaryotic pathogenic microorganisms.

The development of biofilms on different surfaces continues to be a major public health problem. The antimicrobial resistance and the difficulty of finding drugs capable of combating these established biofilms generates the urgent need to find compounds that prevent cells from settling and establishing of these complex communities of microorganisms. Zwitterionic modification of nanomaterials allows the formation of a hydration layer, and this highly hydrophilic surface provides antifouling properties as well as a good biocompatibility by preventing non-specific interactions. Thus, they are appropriate candidates to prevent microbial adhesion to different surfaces and, in consequence, avoid biofilm formation. For this reason, we have incorporated zwitterionic moieties in multivalent systems, as are carbosilane dendrimers. Characterization of these systems was performed using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. It has been analysed if the new molecules have capacity to inhibit the biofilm formation in Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results showed that they were more effective against S. aureus, observing a biofilm reduction of 81.5% treating with 32 mg/L of G2SiZWsf dendrimer and by 72.5% using 32 mg/L of the G3SiZWsf dendrimer. Finally, the absence of cytotoxicity was verified by haemolysis and cytotoxicity studies in human cells lines.

Learning a Healthy Rhythm: An Intervention to Increase Children's Resources for Stress Management.

This article describes a pilot test of a community engaged, culturally relevant, arts-based intervention. The purpose was to increase children's personal protective buffering resources. Protective buffering resources help children cope with stressful stimuli, reduce activation of their systemic stress response, mitigate allostatic load, and promote optimal health. The "Learning a Healthy Rhythm" intervention included a stress management component and an ongoing Afro-Latino percussion program for 18 children ages 9-11. The stress management component included educational content about stress, self-assessment of stress symptoms, and stress management techniques. A mixed-method intervention evaluation design was used. Qualitative data, quantitative data, and biometrics including hair cortisol were collected. Six intervention parameters were evaluated: effectiveness, fidelity, feasibility, acceptability, necessity, and safety. Positive results were obtained for all parameters. Reduction in physiological and subjective measures of stress was evident. This stress management intervention was well-received and supported by participants.

Multivalent glycocyclopeptides: conjugation methods and biological applications.

Click chemistry was extensively used to decorate synthetic multivalent scaffolds with glycans to mimic the cell surface glycocalyx and to develop applications in glycosciences. Conjugation methods such as oxime ligation, copper(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition, thiol-ene coupling, squaramide coupling or Lansbury aspartylation proved particularly suitable to achieve this purpose. This review summarizes the synthetic strategies that can be used either in a stepwise manner or in an orthogonal one-pot approach, to conjugate multiple copies of identical or different glycans to cyclopeptide scaffolds (namely multivalent glycocyclopeptides) having different size, valency, geometry and molecular composition. The second part of this review will describe the potential of these structures to interact with various carbohydrate binding proteins or to stimulate immunity against tumor cells.

The cognitive and psychiatric subacute impairment in severe Covid-19.

Neurologic impairment persisting months after acute severe SARS-CoV-2 infection has been described because of several pathogenic mechanisms, including persistent systemic inflammation. The objective of this study is to analyze the selective involvement of the different cognitive domains and the existence of related biomarkers. Cross-sectional multicentric study of patients who survived severe infection with SARS-CoV-2 consecutively recruited between 90 and 120 days after hospital discharge. All patients underwent an exhaustive study of cognitive functions as well as plasma determination of pro-inflammatory, neurotrophic factors and light-chain neurofilaments. A principal component analysis extracted the main independent characteristics of the syndrome. 152 patients were recruited. The results of our study preferential involvement of episodic and working memory, executive functions, and attention and relatively less affectation of other cortical functions. In addition, anxiety and depression pictures are constant in our cohort. Several plasma chemokines concentrations were elevated compared with both, a non-SARS-Cov2 infected cohort of neurological outpatients or a control healthy general population. Severe Covid-19 patients can develop an amnesic and dysexecutive syndrome with neuropsychiatric manifestations. We do not know if the deficits detected can persist in the long term and if this can trigger or accelerate the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.

Angioleiomioma uterino: a propósito de un caso / Uterine angioleiomyoma: report of clinical case

Resumen El angioleiomioma es un tumor benigno perivascular que raramente se localiza en el útero. Se expone el caso de un angioleiomioma de gran tamaño en una mujer de 30 años con sangrado menstrual abundante y masa abdominal palpable. La paciente fue sometida a miomectomía y diagnosticada de angioleiomioma por el estudio histológico. Ante síntomas persistentes, la angiomiomectomía o la histerectomía simple son eficaces.

Abstract Angioleiomyoma is a benign perivascular tumor that is rarely located in the uterus. This paper presents a case of a large angioleiomyoma in a 30-year-old woman with heavy menstrual bleeding and a palpable abdominal mass. The patient underwent myomectomy and was diagnosed with angioleiomyoma by histological examination. For persistent symptoms, angiomyomectomy or simple hysterectomy are effective.

Response of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Soil Chemical Properties to Brachiaria decumbens Grass Production Technologies

HIGHLIGHTS Brachiaria decumbens pasture associated with kudzu Pueraria phaseloides legume represents an alternative for higher arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Higher lime doses presented high rates of AMF and improved soil chemical properties (SCP). Higher lime doses were the most influential technological factor than the type of pasture and the N, P, K fertilizer sources on AMF.

Abstract In order to improve the sustainability of livestock systems at Cumaral, Meta, under tropical conditions of Colombia, implementation of different Brachiaria decumbens production technologies can be beneficial for a better soil fertility. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of two pastures type (Factor A): (a) Brachiaria decumbens grass (B1) and Brachiaria decumbens grass associated with kudzu Pueraria phaseloides legume (B2); (b) Factor B: Four lime (CaCO3) doses: L0 = 0 tons ha-1, L1 = 1.1 tons ha-1, L2 = 2.2 tons ha-1 and L3 = 3.3 tons ha-1; and (c) Factor C: three N, P, K fertilizers sources: 100 kg ha-1 Urea, 200 kg ha-1 triple superphosphate (TSP) and 100 kg ha-1 potassium chloride (PCl) on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and soil chemical properties (SCP). Cluster analysis showed that B2*L3, L2*Urea, TSP, PCl increased the number of AMF spores per g soil and improved soil chemical properties (SCP), as B1*L3*Urea, TSP, PCl, in cluster 1, higher lime doses were the most influential factor, indistinctly pasture type, as N, P, K fertilizer sources showed low effect in cluster conformation. Farmers in the area can implement these B. decumbens technological practices that help improve the sustainability of livestock systems at tropical zones.

Miocarditis fulminante y COVID-19. Respuesta / Fulminant myocarditis and COVID-19. Response

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Physical Activity Health Communication for Adults With Mood Disorders in the United States.

Using national representative data, this study sought to examine receipt of physical activity communication and counseling among adults with mood disorders in comparison to the general population in the United States. The sample consisted of adult primary-care visits in the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care and National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between mental health status and receipt of physical activity communication and counseling. Overall, less than 20% of visits included physical activity communication and counseling. Controlling for covariates, visits for adults with a mood disorder diagnosis were associated with an increased odds of including physical activity communication and counseling, odds ratio = 1.25, 95% confidence interval = [1.08, 1.45]. Although adults with mood disorders were more likely to receive physical activity communication and counseling, most primary-care visits for adults in the United States did not include physical activity communication and counseling.

Clinical, laboratory and immune aspects of Zika virus-associated encephalitis in children.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical, laboratory, and immune characteristics of Zika virus (ZIKV)-associated encephalitis in pediatric patients after the epidemic in Huila, southern Colombia. METHODS: A pediatric neuro-surveillance hospital study was conducted in a referral health center in southern Colombia, from October 2016 to October 2017. Cases of encephalitis were confirmed by nucleic acid amplification tests and serological methods in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), plasma, and/or urine. Levels of six cytokines were evaluated by flow cytometry. Patients underwent daily clinical and laboratory follow-up. RESULTS: Twenty children with probable encephalitis were included for further studies and 16 of them were confirmed. Four cases of bacterial meningoencephalitis (Streptococcus pneumoniae, group B Streptococcus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Escherichia coli) and 12 cases of viral encephalitis were identified, six of them associated with ZIKV infection. Other viral encephalitis cases were caused by herpes viruses (n=3), enterovirus (n=2), and dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2; n=1) infections. ZIKV-associated encephalitis symptoms subsided faster than those of patients with encephalitis caused by other agents. CSF analysis revealed lymphocytic pleocytosis. Compared to healthy controls, children with ZIKV-associated encephalitis presented modest plasma interleukin (IL)-10 but not IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Cytokine expression was differentially regulated, as dramatically elevated IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ levels were observed in CSF but not in paired plasma samples in one of the patients with ZIKV detectable in CSF. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that ZIKV is responsible for pediatric encephalitis in endemic areas, and the local presence of the virus may induce cephalic but not systemic expression of cytokines.

Miocarditis fulminante por COVID-19 / Fulminant myocarditis due to COVID-19

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Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour in the right ventricle of a 66-year-old man.

Herein, we present the case of a 66-year-old man with an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour. An inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour is an extremely rare entity, with only 60 cases having been reported to date in the literature. The origin of this type of tumour is unknown and the treatment of choice is surgical resection. We present the surgical technique of our case and a review of the literature regarding this tumour. This is the first case described in a man above 60 years of age with a tumour located in the right ventricle.

Early surgical treatment in patients with pulmonary embolism and thrombus-in-transit.

BACKGROUND: Floating right heart thrombi (RHT) are in transit from the legs to the pulmonary arteries and thus are a severe form of venous thromboembolism (VTE), with a high early mortality rate without treatment. There is a lack of evidence-based recommendations for its management. The objective of this study is to describe our experience in the surgical management of thrombus-in-transit and pulmonary embolism (PE) in a tertiary hospital. METHODS: We recruited four patients with thrombus-in-transit and PE treated with early surgical embolectomy and anticoagulation. Epidemiologic, laboratory, imaging and clinical data of the thromboembolic episode and the subsequent course were collected. RESULTS: The sample included 3 males and 1 female, with a mean age of 49.7. The most frequent initial symptoms were dyspnea, syncope, chest pain and signs of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) found the thrombus-in-transit in all the cases. The inicial treatment was unfractionated heparin (UFH) and urgent right atriectomy and manual removal of the thrombi. Three patients needed perioperative infusion of vasopressor drugs. All patients had right heart dysfunction at the time of diagnosis. The mean scoring in the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) was 90. All patients survived after 30 days of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Early surgical embolectomy of thrombus-in-transit is an effective option of management in selected patients, although the current evidence to support this approach is not definitive.

Treatment of T1D via optimized expansion of antigen-specific Tregs induced by IL-2/anti-IL-2 monoclonal antibody complexes and peptide/MHC tetramers.

Type 1 diabetes can be overcome by regulatory T cells (Treg) in NOD mice yet an efficient method to generate and maintain antigen-specific Treg is difficult to come by. Here, we devised a combination therapy of peptide/MHC tetramers and IL-2/anti-IL-2 monoclonal antibody complexes to generate antigen-specific Treg and maintain them over extended time periods. We first optimized treatment protocols conceived to obtain an improved islet-specific Treg/effector T cell ratio that led to the in vivo expansion and activation of these Treg as well as to an improved suppressor function. Optimized protocols were applied to treatment for testing diabetes prevention in NOD mice as well as in an accelerated T cell transfer model of T1D. The combined treatment led to robust protection against diabetes, and in the NOD model, to a close to complete prevention of insulitis. Treatment was accompanied with increased secretion of IL-10, detectable in total splenocytes and in Foxp3- CD4 T cells. Our data suggest that a dual protection mechanism takes place by the collaboration of Foxp3+ and Foxp3- regulatory cells. We conclude that antigen-specific Treg are an important target to improve current clinical interventions against this disease.

External Validation of the ISAN, A2DS2, and AIS-APS Scores for Predicting Stroke-Associated Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: The Prestroke Independence, Sex, Age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (ISAN), Age, Atrial Fibrillation, Dysphagia, male sex, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (A2DS2), and acute ischemic stroke-associated pneumonia score (AIS-APS) scores were created to predict stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP), one of the most important medical stroke complications. External validation of all such scores in an acute stroke population was the aim of our study. METHODS: Patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke were prospectively enrolled in the multicenter Stroke-Induced Pneumonia in Andalucía project between October 2014 and May 2016. Receiver operating characteristic curves and linear regression analyses were used to determine discrimination ability of the scores. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test and the plot of observed versus predicted SAP risk were used to assess model calibration. RESULTS: Among 201 included patients, SAP rate was 15.5% (31). Higher ISAN, A2DS2, and AIS-APS scores were related to SAP (all P < .001). The C statistic was .83 (95% confidence interval [CI], .76-.91) for the ISAN score, .80 (95% CI, .70-.89) for the A2DS2 score, and .82 (95% CI, .74-.90) for the AIS-APS score, suggesting good discrimination. The ISAN and AIS-APS scores showed good calibration (Cox and Snell R2 = .206 and .174, respectively). The A2DS2 score showed the highest sensitivity (87%), and the AIS-APS score showed the highest specificity (92.8%). CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, the external validation of ISAN, A2DS2, and AIS-APS scores have demonstrated their accurate prediction of SAP and the ability of these scores as screening tools to better manage SAP. The AIS-APS score would be recommendable for the development of future clinical trials.