Characterization of bacterial diversity and capacity to remove lead of a consortium from mining soil / Caracterización de la diversidad bacteriana y capacidad de remoción de plomo de un consorcio en suelo minero

Introduction: At present, the presence of lead (Pb2+) continues to be a problem in water bodies due to its continuous use and high toxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the bacterial diversity of a potential consortium used as a biosorbent for the removal of lead in an aqueous solution. Methods: The minimum inhibitory concentration and the mean lethal dose of the consortium were determined, and then the optimal variables of pH and temperature for the removal process were obtained. With the optimal conditions, the kinetic behavior was evaluated, and adjustments were made to different mathematical models. A Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis was performed to determine the functional groups of the biomass participating in the removal process, and the diversity of the bacterial consortium was evaluated during Pb2+ removal by an Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine System. Results: It was found that the intraparticle diffusion model was the one that described the adsorption kinetics showing a higher rate constant with a higher concentration of Pb2+, while the Langmuir model was that explained the isotherm at 35 °C, defining a maximum adsorption load for the consortium of 54 mg/g. In addition, it was found that Pb2+ modified the diversity and abundance of the bacterial consortium, detecting genera such as Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, among others. Conclusions: Thus, it can be concluded that the bacterial consortium from mining soil was a biosorbent with the ability to tolerate high concentrations of Pb2+ exposure. The population dynamics during adsorption showed enrichment of Proteobacteria phyla, with a wide range of bacterial families and genera capable of resisting and removing Pb2+ in solution.(AU)

Characterization of bacterial diversity and capacity to remove lead of a consortium from mining soil.

INTRODUCTION: At present, the presence of lead (Pb2+) continues to be a problem in water bodies due to its continuous use and high toxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the bacterial diversity of a potential consortium used as a biosorbent for the removal of lead in an aqueous solution. METHODS: The minimum inhibitory concentration and the mean lethal dose of the consortium were determined, and then the optimal variables of pH and temperature for the removal process were obtained. With the optimal conditions, the kinetic behavior was evaluated, and adjustments were made to different mathematical models. A Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis was performed to determine the functional groups of the biomass participating in the removal process, and the diversity of the bacterial consortium was evaluated during Pb2+ removal by an Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine System. RESULTS: It was found that the intraparticle diffusion model was the one that described the adsorption kinetics showing a higher rate constant with a higher concentration of Pb2+, while the Langmuir model was that explained the isotherm at 35 °C, defining a maximum adsorption load for the consortium of 54 mg/g. In addition, it was found that Pb2+ modified the diversity and abundance of the bacterial consortium, detecting genera such as Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, among others. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, it can be concluded that the bacterial consortium from mining soil was a biosorbent with the ability to tolerate high concentrations of Pb2+ exposure. The population dynamics during adsorption showed enrichment of Proteobacteria phyla, with a wide range of bacterial families and genera capable of resisting and removing Pb2+ in solution.

Bypass axilofemoral para pacientes con infección de prótesis aórtica. Experiencia en nuestro centro con el uso de la prótesis biosintética Omniflow II(R) y revisión de la bibliografía / Extraanatomic axillofemoral bypass in patients with aortic graft infection. Experience in our center with the use of Omniflow II(R) biosynthetic prosthesis and review of the bibliography

La infección abdominal de una prótesis aórtica en pacientes portadores de bypass aórticos, aortoilíacos o aortofemorales unilaterales o bilaterales es una de las complicaciones más temibles que a nivel vascular podemos encontrar dada su alta morbilidad y, sobre todo, su alta mortalidad. Su manejo siempre va a ser difícil y acompañado por lo general de mal pronóstico, pues su tratamiento quirúrgico requiere una indicación, un estudio y una programación individualizados en cada paciente. Sea cual sea la actitud terapéutica inicial, conservadora o agresiva, la resolución final de la infección va a llevar aparejada la exéresis de la prótesis infectada y la revascularización de las extremidades inferiores mediante técnicas y materiales diversos. En cuanto a las técnicas a emplear podemos optar por el empleo de una vía ortoanatómica o extraanatómica y actuar en un tiempo o en dos. Entre los materiales a emplear tenemos los injertos autólogos con vena, como los de elección en caso de disponer de ellos, o de otros materiales alternativos en caso contrario, de los que encontramos publicado en la literatura el uso de una prótesis biosintética. Describimos nuestra experiencia en el manejo de estos pacientes mediante el empleo de la prótesis Omniflow II(R) por vía extraanatómica

Abdominal infection of an aortic prosthesis in patients with aortic, aortoiliac or aortofemoral bypass is one of the most feared vascular complications that we can find, because its high morbidity and, above all, its high mortality. Its handling is always going to be difficult and usually accompanied by poor prognosis because surgical treatment requires an indication, study and programming individualized for each patient. Whatever the initial therapeutic approach, conservative or aggressive, the final resolution of the infection will be accompanied by the excision of the infected prosthesis and revascularization of the lower limbs using different techniques and materials. As for the techniques employed, we can choose to use an ortho-anatomic or extra-anatomic reconstruction and to act in one or two times. Among the materials used we have the autologous venous grafts, as those of choice in case of having them, or alternative materials otherwise, of which are reported in the literature the use of a biosynthetic prosthesis. We describe our experience in the management of these patients by using the Omniflow II(R) prosthesis extraanatomically

Challenging presentation of primary vasculitis of the central nervous system.

Objective: To show a patient with a diagnosis of primary vasculitis of the nervous system and review this entity's literature. Clinical case: Male 32 years, with two events; first, with a transient monoparesis of the right upper extremity, improve with steroids in days. Now, with a motor Jacksonian progression from the upper to the lower right extremities and generalized seizures. After; aphasia, right hemiparesis, and delirium. In the antiresonance, the finding of multiple arterial cerebral "beading." With an in-depth study, the diagnosis of primary cerebral vasculitis was made. The management with levetiracetam, steroids, and Azathioprine offers a satisfactory evolution. Discussion: The primary CNS vasculitis is an exclusion diagnosis, with angio-MRI is possible to suspect it, but it is always obligate to discard a secondary etiology by infection, systemic diseases, neoplasia, and drugs. Conclusion: Although this problem is infrequent, we must consider this possibility. Opportune treatment can restore the quality of life.

Microscopio como Lector de Absorbancia con Utilidad en Análisis Clínicos / Microscope as Absorbance Reader with Utility in Clinical Analysis

Resumen La descentralización de laboratorios clínicos, se encuentra en desarrollo, lo anterior ha llevado a diseñar instrumentos que ofrecen resultados rápidos, confiables y al lado del paciente, esta tendencia se le conoce como prueba en el punto de atención (point of core testing POCT) y brinda la posibilidad de dar un seguimiento inmediato al padecimiento. El objetivo de esta investigación fue la implementación de un medidor de absorbancia, empleando la estructura de un microscopio óptico, al cual se le ha adaptado un filtro de luz, y una cámara digital. Lo anterior permite obtener valores de intensidad promedio de imágenes sólidas microscópicas de reacciones enzimáticas, y a partir de ellas estimar absorbancia o concentración. Como resultados se presentan rectas de calibración de absorbancia y mediciones de concentraciones para los casos de violeta de genciana, un kit de glucosa oxidasa y muestras problemas de pacientes voluntarios. Concluimos que existe un error de medición menor de ±1mg/dL comparados con las mediciones de un lector de placas de Elisa y un analizador de química sanguínea semiautomatizado. Teniendo en cuenta lo anterior el sistema resulta ser una alternativa viable para la estimación de absorbancia y aumenta la funcionalidad de microscopios ópticos en clínicas de salud.

Abstract The decentralization of clinical laboratories is under development, which has led to the design of instruments that offer fast, reliable and patient-side results, this trend is known as point of core testing (POCT) and It offers the possibility of giving an immediate follow-up to the disease. The objective of this investigation was the implementation of an absorbance meter, using the structure of an optical microscope, to which a light filter and a digital camera have been adapted. This allows to obtain values of average intensity of solid images of enzymatic reactions, and from them to estimate absorbance or concentration. As results, we present absorbance calibration lines and concentration measurements for cases of gentian violet, a glucose oxidase kit and samples of volunteer patients. We conclude that there is a measurement error of less than ± 1mg / dl compared with the measurements of an Elisa plate reader and a semi-automated blood chemistry analyzer. Taking into account the above, the system turns out to be a viable alternative for estimating absorbance and increasing the functionality of optical microscopes in health clinics.

Differential Expression of Adhesion-Related Proteins and MAPK Pathways Lead to Suitable Osteoblast Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Subpopulations.

Cellular adhesion enables communication between cells and their environment. Adhesion can be achieved throughout focal adhesions and its components influence osteoblast differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Because cell adhesion and osteoblast differentiation are closely related, this article aimed to analyze the expression profiles of adhesion-related proteins during osteoblastic differentiation of two hMSCs subpopulations (CD105(+) and CD105(-)) and propose a strategy for assembling bone grafts based on its adhesion ability. In vitro experiments of osteogenic differentiation in CD105(-) cells showed superior adhesion efficiency and 2-fold increase of α-actinin expression compared with CD105(+) cells at the maturation stage. Interestingly, levels of activated ß1-integrin increased in CD105(-) cells during the process. Additionally, the CD105(-) subpopulation showed 3-fold increase of phosphorylated FAK(Y397) compared to CD105(+) cells. Results also indicate that ERK1/2 was activated during CD105(-) bone differentiation and participation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-p38 in CD105(+) differentiation through a focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-independent pathway. In vivo trial demonstrated that grafts containing CD105(-) showed osteocytes embedded in a mineralized matrix, promoted adequate graft integration, increased host vascular infiltration, and efficient intramembranous repairing. In contrast, grafts containing CD105(+) showed deficient endochondral ossification and fibrocartilaginous tissue. Based on the expression of α-actinin, FAKy,(397) and ERK1/2 activation, we define maturation stage as critical for bone graft assembling. By in vitro assays, CD105(-) subpopulation showed superior adhesion efficiency compared to CD105(+) cells. Considering in vitro and in vivo assays, this study suggests that integration of a scaffold with CD105(-) subpopulation at the maturation stage represents an attractive strategy for clinical use in orthopedic bioengineering.

Low concentrations of ethanol protect against synaptotoxicity induced by Aß in hippocampal neurons.

Epidemiological studies have reported a reduction in the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in individuals that ingest low amounts of alcohol. Also, it has been found that moderate consumption of ethanol might protect against ß-amyloid (Aß) toxicity. However, the mechanism underlying its potential neuroprotection is largely unknown. In the present study, we found that ethanol improved the cognitive processes of learning and memory in 3xTgAD mice. In addition, we found that a low concentration of ethanol (equivalent to moderate ethanol consumption) decreased the binding of Aß (1 and 5 µM) to neuronal membranes and, consequently, its synaptotoxic effect in rat hippocampal and cortical neurons under acute (30 minutes) and chronic (24 hours) incubation conditions. This effect appears to be exerted by a direct action of ethanol on Aß because electron microscopy studies showed that ethanol altered the degree of Aß aggregation. The action of ethanol on Aß also prevented the peptide from perforating the neuronal membrane, as assayed with patch clamp experiments. Taken together, these results contribute to elucidating the mechanism by which low concentrations of ethanol protect against toxicity induced by Aß oligomers in primary neuronal cultures. These results may also provide an explanation for the decrease in the risk of Alzheimer's disease in people who consume moderate doses of alcohol.

Characterization of mesenchymal stem cell subpopulations from human amniotic membrane with dissimilar osteoblastic potential.

Human fetal mesenchymal stem cells can be isolated from the amniotic membrane (AM-hMSCs) by enzymatic digestion. The biological properties of this cell population have been characterized; however, few studies have focused on the presence of stem cell subpopulations and their differentiation potential. The aim of the present study was to isolate homogeneous AM-hMSC subpopulations based on the coexpression of surface markers. In addition, we aimed to characterize stem cell subpopulations through the detection of typical stem cell markers and its differentiation potential. In this study, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) was used to positively select for the surface markers CD44, CD73, and CD105. Two subpopulations were isolated: CD44+ / CD73+ / CD105+ (CD105+), and CD44+ / CD73+ / CD105- (CD105-). To characterize the cell subpopulations, the expression of pluripotency-associated markers was analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence. Our results showed positive expression of SOX2, SOX3, PAX6, OCT3/4, and NANOG in the CD105+ and CD105(-) cell subpopulations. In contrast, we did not detect expression of SSEA4 or FOXD3 in either subpopulation. Immunophenotypes, such as mesenchymal and hematopoietic markers, were studied by FACS analyses. Our data revealed the expression of the CD49a, CD49d, CD29, integrin α9ß1, CD44, CD73, and CD105 antigens in both subpopulations. In contrast, CD90, CD45, CD34, CD14, and HLA-DR expression was not detected. The ability of both subpopulations to differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes was evidenced using Alizarin red, Oil-Red, and Alcian blue staining, respectively. Furthermore, neuronal differentiation was demonstrated by the expression of GFAP and NEURO-D. Interestingly, we observed a dissimilar osteoblastic differentiation potential between the subpopulations. CD105- cells showed stronger expression of secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) and osteonectin, which was associated with more effective calcium deposition, than CD105+ cells. In conclusion, we described a systematic method for the isolation of hMSCs that was highly reproducible and generated homogeneous cultures for osteoblast differentiation with an efficient capacity for mineralization.

Infecciones en pacientes no inmunocomprometidos y factores condicionantes de infección / Infections in the no-immunocompromised patients and conditional factors of infection

Se revisan de manera general los factores que condicionan procesos infecciosos, principalmente las características del huésped, agentes infecciosos y sus vías de transmisión, así como de las medidas preventivas de las mismas

Patrones radiológicos de tuberculosis pulmonar / X ray patterns in pulmonary tuberculosis

Fueron revisados en forma retrospectiva los patrones radiológicos de 88 pacientes con diagnóstico de tuberculosis pulmonar probado por frote o cultivo positivo, con el objeto de determinar el porcentaje de presentación atípica o poco usual. Las edades oscilaron entre 15 y 50 años, siendo 58 del sexo masculino y 30 del femenino. De ellos 79 (89.8/100) presentaron la forma usual de la enfermedad que incluyó: 63 (71.6/100) afección de lóbulos superiores, con 44(50.0/100) que presentaban cavitación única o múltiple, de los cuales 26(29.5/100)se encontraban en lóbulo superior derecho, segmento pico-posterior y 18 (20.4/100) en lóbulo superior izquierdo. Diez y nueve presentaron patrón alveolar: 11 (12.5/100) en lóbulo superior derecho y 8(9/100)en lóbulo superior izquierdo. En 16 (18/100) se documentó derrame pleural, de los cuales 10 (11.3/100) fueron derechos y 6 (6.8/100) izquierdos. En 9 casos (10.9/100) se encontró forma atípica de presentación que consistió principalmente en un patrón miliar, localización inferior (infiltrado, consolidación o cavidad) y masa mediastinal. El patrón radiológico de la tuberculosis pulmonar en nuestro medio sigue siendo el típico o usual (Rev Med Intern 1991; 2:64-66)