First report of group A rotavirus and bovine coronavirus associated with neonatal calf diarrhea in the northwest of Argentina.

Group A rotavirus (RVA) and bovine coronavirus (BCoV) are the two main viral enteropathogens associated with neonatal calf diarrhea. The aim of the present survey was to investigate the epidemiology and the role of RVA and BCoV in the presentation of dairy and beef calf diarrhea in Lerma Valley of Salta province, within the Northwest region of Argentina. Stool samples of calves with or without diarrhea younger than 2 months of age were collected from 19 dairy farms and 20 beef farms between the years 2014 and 2016. Stool samples were screened for RVA and BCoV detection by ELISA. Heminested multiplex RT-PCR was used for RVA typing and RT-PCR to confirm BCoV. Positive samples were submitted to sequencing analysis. Bovine RVA and BCoV were circulating in 63% (12/19) and 10.52% (2/19) of the dairy farms, respectively, where 9.5% (46/484) of the calves were positives to RVA and 0.4% (2/484) to BCoV. In beef herds, RVA was detected in 40% (8/20) of the farms and in 6.75% (21/311) of the calves, without positives cases of BCoV. Molecular analysis showed that in dairy farms, G6P[11] and G10P[11] were the prevalent RVA strains, while in beef farms, G10P[11] was the prevalent. The main finding was the detection for the first time of a G15P[11] causing diarrhea in beef calves of Argentina that represents a new alert to be consider for future vaccine updates. Analysis of detected BCoV showed that it is related to the other circulating strains of Argentina.

[Acute confusion syndrome in the hospitalized elderly]. / Síndrome confusional agudo en el anciano internado.

Our purpose was to determine the in-hospital incidence of delirium among elderly patients, its relation to previous cognitive impairment and the time between admission and its development. We performed an observational study of follow-up in the internal medicine area of a university hospital. We included consecutively and prospectively every patient 70 years or older upon admission. Patients with delirium on admission were excluded, as also were those taking antipsychotic drugs, with severe language or audition impairment, or coming from other sites of internation. We subsequently eliminated patients whose follow-up had not ended by the time the study was concluded, and patients in whom psychosis was diagnosed. Clinical and laboratory data were collected, and patients were prospectively followed until discharge from the hospital, using the Confusion-Assessment-Method (CAM) for the diagnosis of delirium. We analyzed 61 patients of whom 13 developed delirium while hospitalized (in-hospital incidence: 21.31%--CI 95%: 11.03-31.59%). Patients with delirium had had lower scores on Mini Mental State upon admission (median 17 vs 22; p 0.001). During the first 4 days of hospitalization 58.3% of delirium cases occurred not modifying the duration of hospitalization (average: 10.22 days vs 14.38; p = NS). We conclude that the incidence of delirium is high among hospitalized elderly patients specially during the first days, and in those with previous cognitive impairment. We suggest that delirium could be an associated disorder in severe diseases among patients with previous cognitive damage.

Síndrome confusional agudo en el anciano internado. / [Acute confusion syndrome in the hospitalized elderly]

Our purpose was to determine the in-hospital incidence of delirium among elderly patients, its relation to previous cognitive impairment and the time between admission and its development. We performed an observational study of follow-up in the internal medicine area of a university hospital. We included consecutively and prospectively every patient 70 years or older upon admission. Patients with delirium on admission were excluded, as also were those taking antipsychotic drugs, with severe language or audition impairment, or coming from other sites of internation. We subsequently eliminated patients whose follow-up had not ended by the time the study was concluded, and patients in whom psychosis was diagnosed. Clinical and laboratory data were collected, and patients were prospectively followed until discharge from the hospital, using the Confusion-Assessment-Method (CAM) for the diagnosis of delirium. We analyzed 61 patients of whom 13 developed delirium while hospitalized (in-hospital incidence: 21.31

--CI 95

: 11.03-31.59

). Patients with delirium had had lower scores on Mini Mental State upon admission (median 17 vs 22; p 0.001). During the first 4 days of hospitalization 58.3

of delirium cases occurred not modifying the duration of hospitalization (average: 10.22 days vs 14.38; p = NS). We conclude that the incidence of delirium is high among hospitalized elderly patients specially during the first days, and in those with previous cognitive impairment. We suggest that delirium could be an associated disorder in severe diseases among patients with previous cognitive damage.

15N estimates of dinitrogen fixation in alfalfa-weeping lovegrass swards under field conditions.

Information on the amount and proportion of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) N derived from symbiotic N2 fixation is required in order to exploit this source of N in alfalfa-weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula Schrad Nees) pastures in semiarid Argentina. A field experiment was conducted to determine N2 fixation by a legume grown alone or in two different associations with weeping lovegrass, using pure or associated lovegrass as the reference crop. On average, alfalfa derived over 80% of its N from fixation during the seeding year, equivalent to about 140 kg N ha-1. Compared to N2 fixation in the pure alfalfa sward, the percentage of N derived from atmospheric N2 in alfalfa increased significantly in the associated pastures and even more so by increasing the seeding ratio of both crops sown in the same row. The atom % 15N excess in associated grass was sometimes slightly lower than that in pure lovegrass, suggesting any possible release of N from alfalfa and subsequent uptake by grass to have been small. The highest proportion of grass N that could have derived from the legume was estimated to be 23% in the second harvest, equivalent to only 6 kg N ha-1. Differences in atom % 15N excess of pure and associated grass reference plants did not significantly affect the estimated percentage of N derived from atmospheric N2 in alfalfa.