Exotic Dark Matter Search with the Majorana Demonstrator.

With excellent energy resolution and ultralow-level radiogenic backgrounds, the high-purity germanium detectors in the Majorana Demonstrator enable searches for several classes of exotic dark matter (DM) models. In this work, we report new experimental limits on keV-scale sterile neutrino DM via the transition magnetic moment from conversion to active neutrinos ν_{s}→ν_{a}. We report new limits on fermionic dark matter absorption (χ+A→ν+A) and sub-GeV DM-nucleus 3→2 scattering (χ+χ+A→ϕ+A), and new exclusion limits for bosonic dark matter (axionlike particles and dark photons). These searches utilize the (1-100)-keV low-energy region of a 37.5-kg y exposure collected by the Demonstrator between May 2016 and November 2019 using a set of ^{76}Ge-enriched detectors whose surface exposure time was carefully controlled, resulting in extremely low levels of cosmogenic activation.

Variance sum rule for entropy production.

Entropy production is the hallmark of nonequilibrium physics, quantifying irreversibility, dissipation, and the efficiency of energy transduction processes. Despite many efforts, its measurement at the nanoscale remains challenging. We introduce a variance sum rule (VSR) for displacement and force variances that permits us to measure the entropy production rate σ in nonequilibrium steady states. We first illustrate it for directly measurable forces, such as an active Brownian particle in an optical trap. We then apply the VSR to flickering experiments in human red blood cells. We find that σ is spatially heterogeneous with a finite correlation length, and its average value agrees with calorimetry measurements. The VSR paves the way to derive σ using force spectroscopy and time-resolved imaging in living and active matter.

Constraints on the Decay of

^{180m}Ta is a rare nuclear isomer whose decay has never been observed. Its remarkably long lifetime surpasses the half-lives of all other known ß and electron capture decays due to the large K-spin differences and small energy differences between the isomeric and lower-energy states. Detecting its decay presents a significant experimental challenge but could shed light on neutrino-induced nucleosynthesis mechanisms, the nature of dark matter, and K-spin violation. For this study, we repurposed the Majorana Demonstrator, an experimental search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of ^{76}Ge using an array of high-purity germanium detectors, to search for the decay of ^{180m}Ta. More than 17 kg, the largest amount of tantalum metal ever used for such a search, was installed within the ultralow-background detector array. In this Letter, we present results from the first year of Ta data taking and provide an updated limit for the ^{180m}Ta half-life on the different decay channels. With new limits up to 1.5×10^{19} yr, we improved existing limits by 1-2 orders of magnitude which are the most sensitive searches for a single ß and electron capture decay ever achieved. Over all channels, the decay can be excluded for T_{1/2}<0.29×10^{18} yr.

Erratum: Search for Spontaneous Radiation from Wave Function Collapse in the Majorana Demonstrator [Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 080401 (2022)].

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.080401.

Rhinitis associated with asthma is distinct from rhinitis alone: The ARIA-MeDALL hypothesis.

Asthma, rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis (AD) are interrelated clinical phenotypes that partly overlap in the human interactome. The concept of "one-airway-one-disease," coined over 20 years ago, is a simplistic approach of the links between upper- and lower-airway allergic diseases. With new data, it is time to reassess the concept. This article reviews (i) the clinical observations that led to Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA), (ii) new insights into polysensitization and multimorbidity, (iii) advances in mHealth for novel phenotype definitions, (iv) confirmation in canonical epidemiologic studies, (v) genomic findings, (vi) treatment approaches, and (vii) novel concepts on the onset of rhinitis and multimorbidity. One recent concept, bringing together upper- and lower-airway allergic diseases with skin, gut, and neuropsychiatric multimorbidities, is the "Epithelial Barrier Hypothesis." This review determined that the "one-airway-one-disease" concept does not always hold true and that several phenotypes of disease can be defined. These phenotypes include an extreme "allergic" (asthma) phenotype combining asthma, rhinitis, and conjunctivitis. Rhinitis alone and rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity represent two distinct diseases with the following differences: (i) genomic and transcriptomic background (Toll-Like Receptors and IL-17 for rhinitis alone as a local disease; IL-33 and IL-5 for allergic and non-allergic multimorbidity as a systemic disease), (ii) allergen sensitization patterns (mono- or pauci-sensitization versus polysensitization), (iii) severity of symptoms, and (iv) treatment response. In conclusion, rhinitis alone (local disease) and rhinitis with asthma multimorbidity (systemic disease) should be considered as two distinct diseases, possibly modulated by the microbiome, and may be a model for understanding the epidemics of chronic and autoimmune diseases.

Final Result of the Majorana Demonstrator's Search for Neutrinoless Double-ß Decay in

The Majorana Demonstrator searched for neutrinoless double-ß decay (0νßß) of ^{76}Ge using modular arrays of high-purity Ge detectors operated in vacuum cryostats in a low-background shield. The arrays operated with up to 40.4 kg of detectors (27.2 kg enriched to ∼88% in ^{76}Ge). From these measurements, the Demonstrator has accumulated 64.5 kg yr of enriched active exposure. With a world-leading energy resolution of 2.52 keV FWHM at the 2039 keV Q_{ßß} (0.12%), we set a half-life limit of 0νßß in ^{76}Ge at T_{1/2}>8.3×10^{25} yr (90% C.L.). This provides a range of upper limits on m_{ßß} of (113-269) meV (90% C.L.), depending on the choice of nuclear matrix elements.

Search for Spontaneous Radiation from Wave Function Collapse in the Majorana Demonstrator.

The Majorana Demonstrator neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment comprises a 44 kg (30 kg enriched in ^{76}Ge) array of p-type, point-contact germanium detectors. With its unprecedented energy resolution and ultralow backgrounds, Majorana also searches for rare event signatures from beyond standard model physics in the low energy region below 100 keV. In this Letter, we test the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model, one of the mathematically well-motivated wave function collapse models aimed at solving the long-standing unresolved quantum mechanical measurement problem. While the CSL predicts the existence of a detectable radiation signature in the x-ray domain, we find no evidence of such radiation in the 19-100 keV range in a 37.5 kg-y enriched germanium exposure collected between December 31, 2015, and November 27, 2019, with the Demonstrator. We explored both the non-mass-proportional (n-m-p) and the mass-proportional (m-p) versions of the CSL with two different assumptions: that only the quasifree electrons can emit the x-ray radiation and that the nucleus can coherently emit an amplified radiation. In all cases, we set the most stringent upper limit to date for the white CSL model on the collapse rate, λ, providing a factor of 40-100 improvement in sensitivity over comparable searches. Our limit is the most stringent for large parts of the allowed parameter space. If the result is interpreted in terms of the Diòsi-Penrose gravitational wave function collapse model, the lower bound with a 95% confidence level is almost an order of magnitude improvement over the previous best limit.

Search for Solar Axions via Axion-Photon Coupling with the Majorana Demonstrator.

Axions were originally proposed to explain the strong-CP problem in QCD. Through axion-photon coupling, the Sun could be a major source of axions, which could be measured in solid state detection experiments with enhancements due to coherent Primakoff-Bragg scattering. The Majorana Demonstrator experiment has searched for solar axions with a set of ^{76}Ge-enriched high purity germanium detectors using a 33 kg-yr exposure collected between January, 2017 and November, 2019. A temporal-energy analysis gives a new limit on the axion-photon coupling as g_{aγ}<1.45×10^{-9} GeV^{-1} (95% confidence level) for axions with mass up to 100 eV/c^{2}. This improves laboratory-based limits between about 1 eV/c^{2} and 100 eV/c^{2}.

α -event characterization and rejection in point-contact HPGe detectors.

P-type point contact (PPC) HPGe detectors are a leading technology for rare event searches due to their excellent energy resolution, low thresholds, and multi-site event rejection capabilities. We have characterized a PPC detector's response to α particles incident on the sensitive passivated and p + surfaces, a previously poorly-understood source of background. The detector studied is identical to those in the Majorana Demonstrator experiment, a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay ( 0 ν ß ß ) in 76 Ge. α decays on most of the passivated surface exhibit significant energy loss due to charge trapping, with waveforms exhibiting a delayed charge recovery (DCR) signature caused by the slow collection of a fraction of the trapped charge. The DCR is found to be complementary to existing methods of α identification, reliably identifying α background events on the passivated surface of the detector. We demonstrate effective rejection of all surface α events (to within statistical uncertainty) with a loss of only 0.2% of bulk events by combining the DCR discriminator with previously-used methods. The DCR discriminator has been used to reduce the background rate in the 0 ν ß ß region of interest window by an order of magnitude in the Majorana Demonstrator  and will be used in the upcoming LEGEND-200 experiment.

Measuring TB drug levels in the hair in adults and children to monitor drug exposure and outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Testing for anti-TB drugs in small hair samples may serve as a non-invasive tool to measure cumulative drug exposure and/or adherence, as these determine treatment success. We aimed to assess how well hair assays of TB drugs predict TB treatment outcomes.METHODS: A small thatch of hair, ~30 strands, was cut from the occipital region in adults and children from a prospective TB cohort in India. Isoniazid (INH), acetyl-INH and pyrazinamide (PZA) were extracted from the hair samples and quantified using liquid-chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The relationship between drug concentrations in hair and time to unfavourable outcomes was assessed using Cox-proportional hazards regression models.RESULTS: A two-fold increase in hair acetyl-INH concentrations in the 264 participants in our cohort with hair assays for TB drugs indicated a lower hazard of unfavourable TB treatment outcomes (aHR 0.67, 95%CI 0.44-1.02) and TB treatment failure (aHR 0.65, 95%CI 0.42-1.01). Higher summed concentrations (a summed measure of INH and acetyl-INH) indicated a lower hazard of treatment failure (aHR 0.69, 95%CI 0.45-1.05)CONCLUSION: Hair levels of INH and its metabolite may predict TB treatment outcomes, indicating the potential utility of this measure to assess and optimise TB treatment outcomes.

Tirotoxicosis por enfermedad trofoblástica gestacional: revisión a partir de 3 casos / Thyrotoxicosis due to gestational trophoblastic disease: clinical cases

La enfermedad trofoblástica gestacional (ETG) es una complicación del embarazo poco común. Corresponde a un espectro de lesiones proliferativas del tejido trofoblástico: Mola Hidatiforme (MH) en sus formas parcial y completa, Coriocarcinoma, Tumor Trofoblástico y Tumor Trofoblástico Epiteloide. Los distintos tipos de ETG presentan en común la hipersecreción de gonadotrofina coriónica humana (hCG). La hCG es una hormona glicoproteica con una estructura muy similar a la TSH, por lo cual puede estimular la función tiroidea en condiciones fisiológicas y en algunas condiciones patológicas. La ETG puede cursar con hipertiroidismo, el cual puede variar en intensidad, desde una presentación asintomática con alteración leve de hormonas tiroideas a un cuadro de hipertiroidismo manifiesto. Se presentan 3 casos clínicos de pacientes con ETG, específicamente MH que evolucionaron con tirotoxicosis transitoria. Los casos presentaron un cuadro leve de hipertiroidismo con pocos síntomas asociados. La taquicardia fue el único síntoma en la mayoría de los casos. En todas las pacientes las hormonas tiroideas se normalizaron después del tratamiento de la ETG. Conclusión: Se debe tener presente la posibilidad de hipertiroidismo en toda paciente con ETG. Un alto nivel de sospecha permitirá identificar a aquellas pacientes que cursen con hipertiroidismo, permitiendo así un diagnóstico y tratamiento oportuno.

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) is a rare complication of pregnancy. GTD includes a group of proliferative lesions of trophoblastic tissue: partial and complete hydatidiform mole, choriocarcinoma, epithelioid trophoblastic tumor, and placental site trophoblastic tumor. The different types of GTD have in common the hypersecretion of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). HCG is a glycoprotein hormone with a similar structure to TSH. In physiological and pathological conditions hCG can stimulate thyroid function. GTD can present with hyperthyroidism, which can vary in intensity, from an asymptomatic presentation with mild alteration of thyroid hormones to a manifest hyperthyroidism. We present 3 clinical cases of patients with GTD thyrotoxicosis. All cases presented mild hyperthyroidism. Tachycardia was the only symptom in most cases. In all patients thyroid hormones return to normal after treatment of GTD. Conclusion: In patients with GTD the possibility of hyperthyroidism should be kept in mind. A high level of suspicion will allow to identifying patients with hyperthyroidism.

Estrategia Integral para la Ampliación del Rol de Enfermería en la Atención Primaria de Salud / Primary Healthcare Nursing Role Enhancement Integral Strategy / Estratégia Integral para a Ampliação do Papel de Enfermagem na Atenção Primária de Saúde

RESUMEN Introducción: Los desequilibrios entre la carga de enfermedades crónicas y la insuficiente respuesta del sistema de salud, agudizan las desigualdades en cobertura así como el acceso efectivo a los servicios. La Secretaría de Salud, integró grupos de trabajo para diseñar una estrategia que contribuya a la solución de esta problemática a través de la optimización y distribución de las funciones de enfermería. Objetivo: Explicar la Estrategia Integral para la Ampliación del Rol de Enfermería, con el fin de establecer la política de formación de recursos humanos e incorporar este nuevo rol al sistema público de salud en México. Metodología: Este documento describe cómo se realizó la Estrategia, su proceso de desarrollo y los componentes que la integran; así como el Marco Mexicano de Competencias para la Ampliación del Rol de Enfermería. Resultados: Se identificaron las acciones necesarias para la implementación de la Estrategia y se clasificaron en tres componentes: Laboral, Educativo/formación y Legal/normativo; así como los ejes transversales de Abogacía y Difusión. Discusión: Las estrategias para fortalecer el modelo de prestación de servicios de salud a nivel comunitario no han cambiado en muchos años. La implementación de la Estrategia proyecta la transformación hacia un modelo resolutivo donde los recursos humanos se desplieguen a la comunidad activamente. Conclusiones: La Estrategia busca adaptar la composición de la fuerza laboral en el Primer Nivel de Atención y optimizar su desempeño, para contribuir a mejorar la respuesta a las necesidades progresivas de salud.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Disparities between the burdens resulting from chronic illnesses and the corresponding responses by the health systems increase the inequalities in terms of coverture and effective access to the health services. In response to this situation, the Secretaría de Salud de México integrated diverse groups to work with the aim of designing strategies which can contribute to finding solutions to this problematic through the optimization and distribution of the nursing functions. Objective: To Inform on the Nursing Role Enhancement Integral Strategy in order to establish corresponding policies related to human resources formation, and incorporate this new role into the health public system in Mexico. Methodology: This document informs on how this Strategy was designed, its development process, and the components which integrate it, all within the Mexican Framework on Competencies to the Enhancement of the Nursing Role. Results: The needed actions to implement this Strategy were identified and further classified into three components: Work-related, Education-formation-related, and Legal-normative-related. Advocacy and Diffusion were determined as the transversal axes. Discussion: Strategies to strengthen the health service provision model in a community level have not changed in many years. The implementation of the Strategy, matter of this document, projects a transformation towards a resolutive model in that human resources are actively deployed into the community. Conclusions: This Strategy seeks adapting the composition of the primary healthcare working force and optimizing its performance in order to better address the health needs of the community.

RESUMO Introdução: Os desequilíbrios entre a carga de doenças crónicas e a resposta insuficiente do sistema de saúde, agudizam as desigualdades na cobertura e acesso efetivo aos serviços. O Secretaría de Salud integrou grupos de trabalho para traçar uma estratégia que contribua para a solução desta problemática, através da otimização e distribuição de funções de enfermagem. Objetivo: Explicar a Estratégia Integral para a Ampliação do Papel de Enfermagem, para estabelecer a política de formação de recursos humanos e incorporar este novo rolo ao sistema público de saúde no México. Metodologia: Este documento descreve como se realizou a Estratégia, seu processo de desenvolvimento e os componentes que a compõem, bem como o Quadro Mexicano de Competências para a Ampliação do Papel de Enfermagem. Resultados: Foram identificadas as ações necessárias para a implementação da Estratégia e classificaram-se em três componentes: Trabalhista, Educacional/formativo e Jurídica/normativo; bem como os eixos transversais de Advocacia e Difusão. Discussão: As estratégias para fortalecer o modelo de prestação de serviços de saúde a nível comunitário não cambiou em muitos anos. A implementação da Estratégia projeta a transformação para um modelo de resolução onde os recursos humanos ativamente direcionam-se à comunidade. Conclusões: A Estratégia busca adaptar a composição da força laboral no Primeiro Nível de Atenção e otimizar seu desempenho, para contribuir a melhorar a resposta às necessidades progressivas de saúde.

Hipertiroidismo en personas mayores de 65 años: serie de casos de un hospital universitario / Thyrotoxicosis in the elderly: case series report from a university hospital

Introducción: En Chile en las últimas décadas ha aumentado la población de personas mayores de 65 años. La tirotoxicosis en este grupo está asociada a complicaciones como fibrilación auricular (FA), insuficiencia cardiaca (ICC), osteoporosis y aumento de la mortalidad. En algunos casos puede presentarse con síntomas no específicos, cuadro conocido como hipertiroidismo apático. Objetivos: Evaluar las características clínicas de la tirotoxicosis en personas mayores. Método: Serie de casos retrospectiva. Se analizaron fichas clínicas de pacientes mayores de 65 años con el diagnóstico de tirotoxicosis controlados en nuestro centro entre enero de 2012 y mayo de 2018. Resultados: En el periodo estudiado 54 pacientes fueron diagnosticados de tirotoxicosis. Se excluyen 4 por datos incompletos. El 80% corresponden a mujeres. La mediana de edad fue 71 años (rango 65-94), sin diferencias por género (p=0,61). La etiología más frecuente fue enfermedad de Graves (EG) en 64%, seguido por bocio multinodular hiperfuncionante en 20%, adenoma tóxico en 10% y asociada a fármacos en 6%. De los pacientes con EG, 28% presentó orbitopatía distiroidea (OD) clínicamente evidente. Un 30% se diagnosticó en contexto de baja de peso, deterioro cognitivo o patología cardiovascular, sin presentar síntomas clásicos de hipertiroidismo. Un 16% presentó FA, 14% ICC y 6% fractura osteoporótica. El 28% fue diagnosticado durante una hospitalización o requirió ser hospitalizado durante los meses siguientes. Los mayores de 75 años presentan una mayor probabilidad de hipertiroidismo apático (OR 5,1, IC95% 1,15-22,7 p=0,01). Además, las complicaciones aumentan en mayores de 75 años, encontrándose en este grupo todos los casos de FA. Conclusiones: La etiología más común de tirotoxicosis fue la EG, a diferencia de lo reportado en otras poblaciones. Un número importante de pacientes debutó sin síntomas clásicos de hipertiroidismo, principalmente mayores de 75 años, por lo que se debe tener una alta sospecha en este grupo etario.

Introduction: Hyperthyroidism in the elderly can produce severe complications such as atrial fibrillation (AF), heart failure (CHF) and osteoporosis. In the elderly, thyrotoxicosis may have only nonspecific symptoms, known as apathetic hyperthyroidism. Objective: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of thyrotoxicosis in the elderly. Methods: Retrospective case series. We reviewed clinical records of patients with thyrotoxicosis older than 65 years, between January 2012 and March 2019. Results: During this period, 54 patients were diagnosed with thyrotoxicosis. Four patients were excluded due to incomplete data. 80% were women. The average age was 73 years (range 65-94), without age difference between gender (p=0,61). The most frequent etiology was Graves' disease in 64%. Hyperfunctioning multinodular goiter was confirmed in 20%, toxic adenoma in 10% and drug-associated in 6%. Twenty eight percent of Graves' disease patients had dysthyroid orbitopathy. Thirty percent presented as apathetic hyperthyroidism. Sixteen percent of the patients presented AF, 14% CHF, and 6% osteoporotic fracture. Twenty-eight percent were diagnosed during hospitalization or required hospitalization in the following months. Those older than 75 years had a greater probability of presenting apathetic hyperthyroidism (OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.15- 22.7 p=0.01). Complications increase in this age group, with all cases of AF. Conclusions: The most common etiology of thyrotoxicosis in this group was GD. This differs from other populations. A significant number of patients presented without classic symptoms of hyperthyroidism, especially in people older than 75 years. Special attention should be paid to atypical symptoms of hyperthyroidism in this group.

Initial results from the New Horizons exploration of 2014 MU69, a small Kuiper Belt object.

The Kuiper Belt is a distant region of the outer Solar System. On 1 January 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft flew close to (486958) 2014 MU69, a cold classical Kuiper Belt object approximately 30 kilometers in diameter. Such objects have never been substantially heated by the Sun and are therefore well preserved since their formation. We describe initial results from these encounter observations. MU69 is a bilobed contact binary with a flattened shape, discrete geological units, and noticeable albedo heterogeneity. However, there is little surface color or compositional heterogeneity. No evidence for satellites, rings or other dust structures, a gas coma, or solar wind interactions was detected. MU69's origin appears consistent with pebble cloud collapse followed by a low-velocity merger of its two lobes.

Experimental and theoretical studies of the Xe-OH(A/X) quenching system.

New multi-reference, global ab initio potential energy surfaces (PESs) are reported for the interaction of Xe atoms with OH radicals in their ground X2Π and excited A2Σ+ states, together with the non-adiabatic couplings between them. The 2A' excited potential features a very deep well at the collinear Xe-OH configuration whose minimum corresponds to the avoided crossing with the 1A' PES. It is therefore expected that, as with collisions of Kr + OH(A), electronic quenching will play a major role in the dynamics, competing favorably with rotational energy transfer within the 2A' state. The surfaces and couplings are used in full three-state surface-hopping trajectory calculations, including roto-electronic couplings, to calculate integral cross sections for electronic quenching and collisional removal. Experimental cross sections, measured using Zeeman quantum beat spectroscopy, are also presented here for comparison with these calculations. Unlike similar previous work on the collisions of OH(A) with Kr, the surface-hopping calculations are only able to account qualitatively for the experimentally observed electronic quenching cross sections, with those calculated being around a factor of two smaller than the experimental ones. However, the predicted total depopulation of the initial rovibrational state of OH(A) (quenching plus rotational energy transfer) agrees well with the experimental results. Possible reasons for the discrepancies are discussed in detail.

Assessment of pasteurisation of edible insects using enzymatic tests (activity of alkaline phosphatase and lactoperoxidase) applied in dairy products.

Industrialising edible insects goes along with quality control and hazard analysis and critical control points. One of those steps is assessing heat treatment. For the present contribution, the potential of enzymatic heat assessment tests used in the dairy industry (alkaline phosphatase and lactoperoxidase) to detect heat treatment in several insect species ( Acheta domesticus, Gryllus assimilis, Gryllus bimaculatus, Locusta migratoria, Schistocerca gregaria, Chilecomadia moorei, Galleria mellonella, Bombyx mori, Pachnoda marginata, Tenebrio molitor, Zophobas atratus, Apis mellifera, and Hermetia illucens) was evaluated. Insect material was homogenised, diluted, and the enzymatic tests (Lactognost®, Peroxtesmo®) were carried with these liquids as if they were milk. All species but C. moorei, B. mori, P. marginata, and A. mellifera showed alkaline phosphatase activity in raw samples and none in heated (10 min at 100 ℃) ones, while only G. mellonella, T. molitor, and Z. atratus reacted accordingly with lactoperoxidase. In trial 2 focusing only on alkaline phosphatase activity, inactivation of the enzyme after 5, 10, and 15 min of heating occurred species specific within a range of 60-86 ℃, i.e. within ordinary pasteurisation schemes. Thus and for the time being, heat treatment in many edible insect species can be assessed using alkaline phosphatase activity test kits. In contrast to milk samples, positive results may display bluish or greenish colours, and the time until a reliable reading is possible is extended to 1-1.5 h (24 h in the case of Gryllidae).

Simultaneous and individual quantitative estimation of Salmonella, Shigella and Listeria monocytogenes on inoculated Roma tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum var. Pyriforme) and Serrano peppers (Capsicum annuum) using an MPN technique.

Simultaneous and individual enumeration of Salmonella, Shigella and Listeria monocytogenes was compared on inoculated Roma tomatoes and Serrano peppers using an Most Probable Number (MPN) technique. Samples consisting of tomatoes (4 units) or peppers (8 units) were individually inoculated with a cocktail of three strains of Salmonella, Shigella or L. monocytogenes, or by simultaneous inoculation of three strains of each pathogen, at low (1.2-1.7 log CFU/sample) and high (2.2-2.7 log CFU/sample) inocula. Samples were analyzed by an MPN technique using universal pre-enrichment (UP) broth at 35 °C for 24 ±â€¯2 h. The UP tubes from each MPN series were transferred to enrichment and plating media following adequate conventional methods for isolating each pathogen. Data were analyzed using multifactorial analysis of variance (p < 0.05) and LSD multiple rang test. There were differences (p < 0.05) in recovery of simultaneous and individual bacteria inoculated (individual > simultaneous), type of bacteria (Salmonella > Shigella and L. monocytogenes), type of sample (UP broth > pepper and tomato), and inoculum level (high > low). The MPN technique was effective for Salmonella on both commodities. Shigella counts were higher on tomatoes compared to peppers, (p < 0.05), and for L. monocytogenes on peppers (p < 0.05).

Neurenteric cyst of the conus medullaris.

BACKGROUND: Neurenteric cysts (NECs) are rare developmental malformations of the central nervous system (CNS) which originate as benign congenital lesions. They originate from developmental foregut precursors, and are presumed to be the result of abnormal partitioning of the embryonic notochord plate. Such NECs predominantly arise in the cervical region in patients around 6 years of age or in their twenties or thirties. Notably, NECs of the conus medullaris are exceedingly rare, especially in patients of advanced age. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 70-year-old male presented with bilateral upper thigh and leg pain of over 20 years duration. His pain worsened over the past 3 years, and he sought surgical management. Although his neurological exam was normal, the lumbar magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intradural, nonenhancing, thin-walled, cystic lesion at L1/conus medullaris. The lesion was successfully resected without any adverse sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: NECs are rare congenital legions that involve the spine. Here, an L1 intradural extramedullay neuroenteric cyst of the conus medullaris was resected without complications.

Protective T Cell and Antibody Immune Responses against Hepatitis C Virus Achieved Using a Biopolyester-Bead-Based Vaccine Delivery System.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major worldwide problem. Chronic hepatitis C is recognized as one of the major causes of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver failure. Although new, directly acting antiviral therapies are suggested to overcome the low efficacy and adverse effects observed for the current standard of treatment, an effective vaccine would be the only way to certainly eradicate HCV infection. Recently, polyhydroxybutyrate beads produced by engineered Escherichia coli showed efficacy as a vaccine delivery system. Here, an endotoxin-free E. coli strain (ClearColi) was engineered to produce polyhydroxybutyrate beads displaying the core antigen on their surface (Beads-Core) and their immunogenicity was evaluated in BALB/c mice. Immunization with Beads-Core induced gamma interferon (IFN-γ) secretion and a functional T cell immune response against the HCV Core protein. With the aim to target broad T and B cell determinants described for HCV, Beads-Core mixed with HCV E1, E2, and NS3 recombinant proteins was also evaluated in BALB/c mice. Remarkably, only three immunization with Beads-Core+CoE1E2NS3/Alum (a mixture of 0.1 µg Co.120, 16.7 µg E1.340, 16.7 µg E2.680, and 10 µg NS3 adjuvanted in aluminum hydroxide [Alum]) induced a potent antibody response against E1 and E2 and a broad IFN-γ secretion and T cell response against Core and all coadministered antigens. This immunological response mediated protective immunity to viremia as assessed in a viral surrogate challenge model. Overall, it was shown that engineered biopolyester beads displaying foreign antigens are immunogenic and might present a particulate delivery system suitable for vaccination against HCV.