Population collapse of habitat-forming species in the Mediterranean: a long-term study of gorgonian populations affected by recurrent marine heatwaves.

Understanding the resilience of temperate reefs to climate change requires exploring the recovery capacity of their habitat-forming species from recurrent marine heatwaves (MHWs). Here, we show that, in a Mediterranean highly enforced marine protected area established more than 40 years ago, habitat-forming octocoral populations that were first affected by a severe MHW in 2003 have not recovered after 15 years. Contrarily, they have followed collapse trajectories that have brought them to the brink of local ecological extinction. Since 2003, impacted populations of the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826) and the red coral Corallium rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758) have followed different trends in terms of size structure, but a similar progressive reduction in density and biomass. Concurrently, recurrent MHWs were observed in the area during the 2003-2018 study period, which may have hindered populations recovery. The studied octocorals play a unique habitat-forming role in the coralligenous assemblages (i.e. reefs endemic to the Mediterranean Sea home to approximately 10% of its species). Therefore, our results underpin the great risk that recurrent MHWs pose for the long-term integrity and functioning of these emblematic temperate reefs.

Effect of phenolic compounds on the growth of selected probiotic and pathogenic bacteria.

Fruit extracts from different tissues (pulp, seed and peel) have shown antimicrobial and prebiotic activities related to their phenolic profile, although structure-specific evaluations have not been reported yet. The effect of five phenolic compounds (catechin and gallic, vanillic, ferulic and protocatechuic acids) identified in different fruits, particularly in mango, was evaluated on the growth of two probiotic (Lactobacillus rhamnosusGG ATCC 53103 and Lactobacillus acidophilusNRRLB 4495) and two pathogenic (Escherichia coli 0157:H7 ATCC 43890 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC 14028) bacteria. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of phenolic acids ranged from 15-20 mmol l-1 and 20-30 mmol l-1 against E. coli and S. Typhimurium, respectively. For catechin, the MIC and MBC were 35 mmol l-1 and >35 mmol l-1 against E. coli and S. Typhimurium, respectively. The presence of catechin and gallic, protocatechuic and vanillic acids in MRS broth without dextrose allowed the growth of lactobacilli. Catechin combined with protocatechuic or vanillic acid mildly allowed the growth of both probiotics. In conclusion, phenolic compounds can selectively inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria without affecting the viability of probiotics. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study provides relevant information about the effects of phenolic compounds commonly present in fruit and vegetables on the growth of probiotic and pathogenic bacteria. The compounds selectively allowed the growth of probiotic lactobacilli (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus acidophilus) and inhibited pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium) at the same concentration (20 mmol l-1 ). These findings can contribute to the formulation of nutraceutical products, such as synbiotics, that can restore or maintain an optimal composition of human microbiota, potentially improving the overall health of the consumer.

The effect of cooling to different subzero temperatures on dog sperm cryosurvival.

The objective was to assess the effect of cooling to different subzero temperatures around ice formation (-5°C) on dog sperm cryosurvival and plasma membrane fluidity. Semen was centrifuged, and sperm were resuspended in a Tris-egg yolk medium (3% glycerol). Diluted sperm were cooled from 22 to 5°C, and then, a Tris-egg yolk medium containing 7% glycerol was added (final concentration of 5% glycerol and 200 × 106  cells/ml). Sperm were packaged in 0.5-ml plastic straws, and equilibration was done 16 hr at 5°C before freezing. I. Straws (n = 47) at 5°C were exposed to nitrogen vapours to determine the freezing point. II. Other straws (from different ejaculates) processed as mentioned, were further cooled to -3, -5 or -7°C and immediately rewarmed in a water bath at 37°C. Motility, plasma membrane functionality and acrosome integrity were assessed. III. Other straws (from different ejaculates) processed as mentioned were further cooled to -3 or -5°C, frozen over nitrogen vapours and stored in liquid nitrogen for one month. Straws were thawed in a water bath at 38°C for 30 s. Motility, plasma membrane functionality, plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, capacitation status and plasma membrane fluidity were assessed. Ice nucleation temperature was -14.3 ± 2.05°C (mean ± SD); cooling to +5, -3, -5 and -7°C, without freezing, produces no differences on sperm quality between target temperatures; cooling to +5, -3, and -5°C produced no differences on sperm survival and plasma membrane fluidity after freeze-thawing. In conclusion, cooling of dog spermatozoa to different subzero temperatures did not improve sperm cryosurvival and had no effect on plasma membrane fluidity after thawing.

A comparative study of two cooling protocols on stallion sperm cryosurvival.

There are many protocols for horse sperm cryopreservation, but results are inconsistent; sperm survival after freeze-thawing is usually poor; in consequence, fertility is low. The objective of this work was to see whether slow cooling before freezing to minus 3 °C instead of +5 °C, the traditional target temperature, could improve horse sperm cryosurvival, capability to carry out capacitation and the acrosome reaction induced by progesterone. Spermatozoa from five stallions were packaged in straws and slowly cooled to +5 °C. Half of the straws were frozen directly and the other half was further cooled to -3 °C before freezing. Progressive motility, viability, plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity and capacitation status were assessed. After thawing, there were no differences between cooling treatments on motility, viability, acrosome integrity and capacitation status; however, there was difference (P < 0.05) regarding plasma membrane integrity. Acrosome integrity decreased as incubation, without or with progesterone (2 µg ml(-1) ), progressed, but there were no differences between cooling treatments regardless of progesterone. Both capacitated and acrosome-reacted spermatozoa increased as incubation progressed, but there were no differences between cooling treatments regardless of progesterone. Slow cooling to -3 °C before freezing did not improve horse sperm cryosurvival or capability to undergo the acrosome reaction.

Lipid droplet analysis using in vitro bovine oocytes and embryos.

The aim of this study was to quantify the content of lipid droplets in bovine oocytes and embryos from Bos indicus (Bi), Bos taurus (Bt) and Bos indicus × Bos taurus (Bi × Bt). Oocytes were aspirated post-mortem and subjected to in vitro maturation, in vitro fertilization and in vitro development; the medium employed at each stage (TCM-199, TALP, SOF) was supplemented with (i) serum replacement (SR), (ii) foetal calf serum (FCS) or (iii) oestrous cow serum (ECS). The structure and distribution of the lipid droplets were established using electron microscopy, but were quantified using an optical microscope on semi-fine toluidine blue-stained sections. The highest percentage of embryos corresponded to those produced with FCS and ECS, which differed from embryos generated with SR (p < 0.05). The highest percentage of morulae and the lowest percentage of blastocysts were obtained with the SR supplement (p < 0.05). The oocytes cultured in FCS demonstrated a higher number of lipid droplets compared to those cultured in SR and ECS (p < 0.05). Less accumulation of lipids was observed in embryos supplemented with SR. The lowest and highest numbers of lipid droplets in oocytes corresponded to the Bi and Bt strain, respectively. The lowest amount of lipid droplets in embryos was observed in Bi (p < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation of the in vitro development culture medium (synthetic oviduct fluid) with a synthetic substitute serum produced similar results in terms of embryo development compared to those obtained with FCS, but a decreased degree of lipid droplet accumulation was observed in the in vitro-cultured embryos.

Metabolic power and cardiovascular response of a low cadence-high height bench stepping exercise in healthy young people.

AIM: The aim of this paper was to study the feasibility of bench stepping at a low cadence as a safe exercise that can provide enough cardiovascular fitness that be performed by any person. METHODS: Thirty-three men and twenty-one young women (age =23±3 yrs; weight =70±13 kg; height 170±9 cm) participated in this study. Each one held a continuous 20 minute (4 stages /5 min each) bench stepping workout session with two different step heights (31 and 41 cm) and two different intensities (60 and 90 steps∙min-1). Body weight (bw), total & trochanteric height, heart rate (HR, beats∙min-1), rated perceived exertion (RPE) and O2 consumption (VO2) were recorded. RESULTS: From the 1st through the 4th stage, the vertical distance (VD, m), RPE, HR and VO2 values were 4.6-9.23 m, 2.5-6.7, 118-168 beats∙min-1 and 20.8-34.0 ml∙kg-1∙min-1, respectively. The best regression model to calculate the O2 consumption (VO2) was: VO2 (L∙min-1) =-1.264+0.026∙bw (kg)+0.195∙VD (m). VD, bw, and gender determined, independently, the changes of caloric expenditure (R2=0.92). CONCLUSION: The energy expenditure of a low cadence stepping exercise (15-22 cycles∙min-1) at 31-41 cm bench height, is enough to improve aerobic fitness which in turn may benefit cardiovascular health.

Robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy for renal transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Renal transplantation remains the definitive treatment for end-stage renal disease. Currently employed minimally invasive techniques include robotic-assisted laparoscopy and laparoscopy. This study aims to determine whether either method provides an advantage. METHODS: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted. Data were analysed using Review Manager 5.3. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies were included. Operative time and operative bleeding were similar between both approaches, with a mean difference (MD) of 16min (95% confidence interval (CI) -4.06, 37.38; p = 0.11) and 10.44ml (95% CI -43.89, 64.78; p = 0.71), respectively. Robotics had longer warm ischemia time (MD 1.14min; 95% CI 0.65, 1.63; p = 0.00001) but reduced length of stay (LOS) (MD -0.23days; 95% CI -0.45, -0.01; p = 0.04) and pain (MD -1.26 VAS; 95% CI -1.77, 0.75). Similar complication and conversion rates were seen among groups. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic approaches provide a viable alternative to laparoscopic surgery. Operative time, bleeding volumes, complications and conversion rates are similar between both techniques; apparent robotic advantages on LOS and Pain need to be better analysed by future studies.

Correlation of average hydrophobicity, water/air interface surface rheological properties and foaming properties of proteins.

A comparative study on the behavior in the air-water interface of ß-lactoglobulin, α-lactoalbumin, glycinin and ß-conglycinin was performed. The behavior at the interface was evaluated by equilibrium surface tension and surface rheological properties of adsorbed films. There were significant differences (α ≤ 0.05) in the values of the constants of adsorption to the interface of the four proteins. The glycinin had the slowest rate of adsorption, due to its low average hydrophobicity, low molecular flexibility and large molecular size. Smaller proteins like ß-lactoglobulin and α-lactoalbumin tended to greater equilibrium pressure values than the larger proteins because of its higher rate of adsorption to the interface. The foam capacity of proteins showed a positive correlation with the average hydrophobicity; the maximal retained liquid volume or the initial rate of passage of liquid to foam were significantly lower (α ≤ 0.05) when protein was glycinin. The dilatational modulus of glycinin was the lowest, which implies lowest resistance to disruption of the film. Glycinin protein has lower proportion of gravitational drainage and higher disproportionation having perhaps a less resistant film. In conclusion, ß-conglycinin and whey proteins showed a similar behavior, so ß-conglycinin might be the best soybean protein to replace milk proteins in food formulations.

Exploring the response of a key Mediterranean gorgonian to heat stress across biological and spatial scales.

Understanding the factors and processes that shape intra-specific sensitivity to heat stress is fundamental to better predicting the vulnerability of benthic species to climate change. Here, we investigate the response of a habitat-forming Mediterranean octocoral, the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826) to thermal stress at multiple biological and geographical scales. Samples from eleven P. clavata populations inhabiting four localities separated by hundreds to more than 1500 km of coast and with contrasting thermal histories were exposed to a critical temperature threshold (25 °C) in a common garden experiment in aquaria. Ten of the 11 populations lacked thermotolerance to the experimental conditions provided (25 days at 25 °C), with 100% or almost 100% colony mortality by the end of the experiment. Furthermore, we found no significant association between local average thermal regimes nor recent thermal history (i.e., local water temperatures in the 3 months prior to the experiment) and population thermotolerance. Overall, our results suggest that local adaptation and/or acclimation to warmer conditions have a limited role in the response of P. clavata to thermal stress. The study also confirms the sensitivity of this species to warm temperatures across its distributional range and questions its adaptive capacity under ocean warming conditions. However, important inter-individual variation in thermotolerance was found within populations, particularly those exposed to the most severe prior marine heatwaves. These observations suggest that P. clavata could harbor adaptive potential to future warming acting on standing genetic variation (i.e., divergent selection) and/or environmentally-induced phenotypic variation (i.e., intra- and/or intergenerational plasticity).

Operative safety of orthotopic liver transplant in patients with prior transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts: A 20-year experience.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) is the definitive treatment of most types of liver failure. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) and portocaval shunt placement procedures reduce the systemic vascular complications of portal hypertension. TIPS placement remains a "bridge" therapy that enables treatment of refractory symptoms until transplantation becomes available. The aim of the present study was to describe the operative impact of TIPS prior to OLT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on patients that underwent liver transplant at the Hospital San José within the timeframe of 1999 and February 2020. RESULTS: We reviewed a total of 92 patients with OLT. Sixty-six patients were male and 26 were female, with a mean age of 52 years. Nine (9.8%) of the 92 patients had a TIPS, before the OLT. Preoperative Child-Pugh class, MELD score, and sodium and platelet levels were similar between groups. We found no difference in the means of intensive care unit stay, operative time, or blood transfusions for liver transplant, with or without previous TIPS. There was no significant difference between groups regarding vascular and biliary complication rates or the need for early intervention. The overall one-year mortality rate in the TIPS group was 11%. CONCLUSIONS: TIPS is an appropriate therapeutic bridge towards liver transplant. We found no greater operative or postoperative complications in patients with TIPS before OLT, when compared with OLT patients without TIPS. The need for transfusion, operative time, and ICU stay were similar in both groups.

Predicting the onset of major depression in primary care: international validation of a risk prediction algorithm from Spain.

BACKGROUND: The different incidence rates of, and risk factors for, depression in different countries argue for the need to have a specific risk algorithm for each country or a supranational risk algorithm. We aimed to develop and validate a predictD-Spain risk algorithm (PSRA) for the onset of major depression and to compare the performance of the PSRA with the predictD-Europe risk algorithm (PERA) in Spanish primary care. METHOD: A prospective cohort study with evaluations at baseline, 6 and 12 months. We measured 39 known risk factors and used multi-level logistic regression and inverse probability weighting to build the PSRA. In Spain (4574), Chile (2133) and another five European countries (5184), 11 891 non-depressed adult primary care attendees formed our at-risk population. The main outcome was DSM-IV major depression (CIDI). RESULTS: Six variables were patient characteristics or past events (sex, age, sex×age interaction, education, physical child abuse, and lifetime depression) and six were current status [Short Form 12 (SF-12) physical score, SF-12 mental score, dissatisfaction with unpaid work, number of serious problems in very close persons, dissatisfaction with living together at home, and taking medication for stress, anxiety or depression]. The C-index of the PSRA was 0.82 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.79-0.84]. The Integrated Discrimination Improvement (IDI) was 0.0558 [standard error (s.e.)=0.0071, Zexp=7.88, p<0.0001] mainly due to the increase in sensitivity. Both the IDI and calibration plots showed that the PSRA functioned better than the PERA in Spain. CONCLUSIONS: The PSRA included new variables and afforded an improved performance over the PERA for predicting the onset of major depression in Spain. However, the PERA is still the best option in other European countries.

Kinetic analysis and mathematical modeling of growth and lactic acid production of Lactobacillus casei var. rhamnosus in milk whey.

Lactobacillus casei is a lactic acid bacterium (LAB) that colonizes diverse ecological niches and that has found broad commercial application. The aim of this study was to characterize the kinetics of biomass production, lactic acid production, and substrate consumption of Lactobacillus casei var. rhamnosus cultured in deproteinized milk whey. Batch culture experiments were performed in an instrumented, 2-L, stirred tank bioreactor using different inoculum concentrations (0.5 to 1.0 g/L) and lactose levels (35 to 70 g/L). The time series of experimental data corresponding to biomass growth, lactose consumption, and lactic acid formation were differentiated to calculate the corresponding kinetic rates. Strong exponentially dependent product inhibition effects were evident at low lactic acid concentrations, and lactic acid production rate was partially associated with biomass growth. A mathematical model is presented that reproduces the experimental lactose, biomass, and lactic acid concentration profiles.

Controlled freezing studies on boar sperm cryopreservation.

Boar spermatozoa from different males were frozen at a number of cooling rates using a controlled-rate freezing machine designed to minimise thermal variables involved in the cooling process, to see whether inter-boar sperm cryosurvival may be improved by changing cooling rate. Four cooling rates in the range 3 degrees C min(-1) to 24 degrees C min(-1) from +5 degrees C to -5 degrees C and five cooling rates in the range 5 degrees C min(-1) to 80 degrees C min(-1) from -5 degrees C to -80 degrees C were tested. Motile spermatozoa were assessed by CASA, plasma membrane integrity by fluorescent probes (SYBR14/propidium iodide) and flow cytometry, and acrosome membrane integrity by lectins (PSA-rhodamine) and fluorescent microscopy. Cooling rate affected sperm cryosurvival from different boars in different ways; that is, spermatozoa from some individuals were less susceptible than those from others. For some individuals, sperm cryosurvival was poor regardless of cooling rate, but for others it was better with faster rates. This confirms cooling rate effects on sperm cryosurvival depend on inter-individual boar differences more than on the cooling process itself.

Oestrus cycle characteristics and prediction of ovulation in Catalonian jennies.

The Catalonian donkey breed is in danger of extinction, and much needs to be learned about the reproductive features of its females if breeding and conservation programmes are to be successful. This study reports the oestrous behaviour, oestrus cycle characteristics and dynamic ovarian events witnessed during 50 oestrous cycles (involving 106 ovulations) in 10 Catalonian jennies between March 2002 and January 2005. These jennies were teased, palpated transrectally and examined by ultrasound using a 5 MHz linear transducer-daily during oestrus and every other day during dioestrus. Predictors of ovulation were sought among the variables recorded. The most evident signs of oestrus were mouth clapping (the frequent vertical opening and closing of the mouth with ears depressed against the extended neck) and occasional urinating and winking of the vulval lips (homotypical behaviour). Interactions between jennies in oestrus were also recorded, including mounting, herding/chasing, the Flehmen response, and vocalization (heterotypical behaviour). Nine jennies ovulated regularly throughout the year; one had two anovulatory periods (54 and 35 days). The length of the oestrus cycle was 24.90 +/- 0.26 days, with oestrus itself lasting 5.64 +/- 0.20 days (mean +/- S.E.M.) and dioestrus 19.83 +/- 0.36 days. The incidence of single, double and triple ovulations was 55.66% (n=59), 42.45% (n=45) and 1.89% (n=2), respectively. No significant difference was seen in the number of ovulations involving the left and right ovaries (52.63% [n=70] compared to 47.37% [n=63] respectively; P>0.05). The mean interval between double ovulation was 1.44 +/- 3.98 days. The mean diameter of the preovulatory follicle at day -1 was 44.9 +/- 0.5 mm; the mean growth rate over the 5 days before ovulation was 3.7 mm/day. Data on preovulatory changes in oestrous behaviour, follicle size, follicle texture, the echographic appearance of the follicle and uterus, and uterine tone were subjected to stepwise logistic regression analysis to detect predictors of ovulation. The logit function showed the best predictors to be follicle size, follicular texture and oestrous behaviour. Certain combinations of these three variables allow the prediction of ovulation within 24 h with a probability of >75%.

Freeze-thawing induces alterations in the protamine-1/DNA overall structure in boar sperm.

The main aim of this work was to test the effects that freeze-thawing could have on the overall nuclear structure of boar sperm. This was done by analyzing both the DNA fragmentation and the protamine-1-DNA interaction of the boar-sperm nucleus. Our results indicate that freezing-thawing did not induce a significant degree of DNA fragmentation, as manifested through both the Sperm-Sus-Halomax stain and a random primed analysis prior to partial DNA digestion with enzymes BamHI-HinDIII. On the other hand, freeze-thawing induced significant changes in the protamine-1-DNA interaction, as revealed through both Western blot analysis and immunocytochemistry for protamine-1. These alterations caused, in turn, significant changes in the overall nuclear structure of boar sperm after thawing. Protamine-1-DNA alterations started to be apparent during the cooling phase of the freeze-thawing protocol. These results imply that one of the alterations that may be responsible for the loss of fertilizing ability of boar sperm after freeze-thawing may be an alteration in the correct formation of the overall nuclear structure, which, in turn, would induce alterations in the correct formation of the first nuclear structure after oocyte penetration.

Assessing the Relationship between Vitamin D Status and Impairments in Cognitive and Physical Performance in Older Adults Using a Dual Task Physical Performance Test.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of falls in older adults. Several studies have demonstrated an association between vitamin D deficiency and gait and cognitive impairments, which are two risk factors for falls in the elderly. There is lack of research about the role of vitamin D in cognitive function in the context of mobility. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between vitamin D status with the age-related changes in mobility through higher order cognitive function using a dual task physical performance test. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Community-dwelling older adult population located in Miami, Fl. PARTICIPANTS: Healthy participants over the age of 55 (n=97) who participated in the parent interventional study. MEASUREMENTS: Participants completed assessments that included serum levels of vitamin D, surveys, and dual task physical performance tests. Spearman's correlations, independent t-tests, repeated measures ANOVAs and multiple logistic regressions were used to examine the relationship between vitamin D insufficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D <30 ng/ml) and sufficiency (≥30 ng/ml) and dual task physical performance variables. The significance level was set at α=0.05. RESULTS: There were no significant associations between vitamin D insufficiency and gait velocity during either task. Using Spearman correlations, slower single (P=0.011) and dual task counting rates (P=0.006) were significantly associated with vitamin D insufficiency. Independent t-tests showed dual and single task counting rates were significantly lower in the vitamin D insufficient group compared to the sufficient group (P=0.018 and P=0.028, respectively). The results for the ANOVAs indicated that velocities and counting rates were not significantly different by vitamin D status (Wilk's Lambda =0.999; F (1, 95) =.11, P=.740) (Wilk's Lambda =.999, F(1,95)=.13, P=.718). Vitamin D status was not significantly associated with dual task physical performance (defined as the difference in dual and single task) in gait velocity (OR=1.00, 95% CI: 0.98; 1.02, P=0.772) and counting rate (OR=1.684, 95% CI: 0.15; 19.57, P=0.677), when controlling for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Since counting backward is a mental tracking task, which is a component of executive function, our results suggest a relationship between vitamin D insufficiency and executive dysfunction. Executive dysfunction has been previously associated with fall risks in the elderly, and it could be a possible mediator between vitamin D and falls. Our data suggest that cognition may play a significant role in vitamin D's influence on falls, while motor function may play a lesser role.

Whole genome sequencing of Shigella sonnei through PulseNet Latin America and Caribbean: advancing global surveillance of foodborne illnesses.

OBJECTIVES: Shigella sonnei is a globally important diarrhoeal pathogen tracked through the surveillance network PulseNet Latin America and Caribbean (PNLA&C), which participates in PulseNet International. PNLA&C laboratories use common molecular techniques to track pathogens causing foodborne illness. We aimed to demonstrate the possibility and advantages of transitioning to whole genome sequencing (WGS) for surveillance within existing networks across a continent where S. sonnei is endemic. METHODS: We applied WGS to representative archive isolates of S. sonnei (n = 323) from laboratories in nine PNLA&C countries to generate a regional phylogenomic reference for S. sonnei and put this in the global context. We used this reference to contextualise 16 S. sonnei from three Argentinian outbreaks, using locally generated sequence data. Assembled genome sequences were used to predict antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenotypes and identify AMR determinants. RESULTS: S. sonnei isolates clustered in five Latin American sublineages in the global phylogeny, with many (46%, 149 of 323) belonging to previously undescribed sublineages. Predicted multidrug resistance was common (77%, 249 of 323), and clinically relevant differences in AMR were found among sublineages. The regional overview showed that Argentinian outbreak isolates belonged to distinct sublineages and had different epidemiologic origins. CONCLUSIONS: Latin America contains novel genetic diversity of S. sonnei that is relevant on a global scale and commonly exhibits multidrug resistance. Retrospective passive surveillance with WGS has utility for informing treatment, identifying regionally epidemic sublineages and providing a framework for interpretation of prospective, locally sequenced outbreaks.

Contact angle studies on anodic porous alumina.

The preparation of nanostructures using porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) as templates involves the introduction of dissolved materials into the pores of the membranes; one way to determine which materials are preferred to fill the pores involves the measurement of the contact angles (theta) of different solvents or test liquids on the AAOs. Thus, we present measurements of contact angles of nine solvents on four different AAO sheets by tensiometric and goniometric methods. From the solvents tested, we found dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and N,N(')-dimethylformamide (DMF) to interact with the AAOs, the polarity of the solvents and the surfaces being the driving force.

Sperm motility patterns and metabolism in Catalonian donkey semen.

The Sperm-Class Analyzer detected four subpopulations of spermatozoa with different motility characteristics in the ejaculate of the Catalonian donkey. Significant differences (P < 0.001) in the distribution of these subpopulations, as well as in total sperm number and percentage total motility, were seen in the diluted semen of four sampled donkeys. All the ejaculates evaluated showed excellent semen quality characteristics; the sperm they contained was more rapid than horse sperm. Principal components analysis showed sperm l-lactate production to be a good predictor of semen condition. This, plus the characteristics of the motility patterns of the different sperm subpopulations, provides an excellent overall indicator of semen quality.