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Bacteria have been suggested as being partially responsible for avian-nest odours and, thus, volatiles from their metabolism could influence the intensity of selection pressures due to parasites detecting olfactory cues of their hosts. Here, we tested this hypothesis by exploring intra- and interspecific variability in microbial environments, volatile profiles, and intensity of ectoparasitism by Carnus hemapterus in nests of ten avian species. As expected, we found that (i) alpha and beta diversity of microbial and volatile profiles associated to each other. Moreover, (ii) alpha diversity of bacteria and volatiles of nest environment, as well as some particular bacteria and volatiles, associated with intensity of parasitism at early and late stage of the nestling period. Finally, (iii) alpha diversity of the nest microbiota, as well as some particular bacteria and volatiles, was correlated to fledging success. When considering them together, the results support the expected links between microbial environment and nest odours in different bird species, and between microbial environment and both ectoparasitism intensity and fledging success. Relative abundances of particular volatiles and bacteria predicted ectoparasitism and/or fledging success. Future research should prioritize experimental approaches directed to determine the role of bacteria and volatiles in the outcomes of host-ectoparasite interactions.
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BACKGROUND: Arthropods vector a multitude of human disease-causing organisms, and their geographic ranges are shifting rapidly in response to changing climatic conditions. This is, in turn, altering the landscape of disease risk for human populations that are brought into novel contact with the vectors and the diseases they carry. Sand flies in the genera Lutzomyia and Pintomyia are vectors of serious disease-causing agents such as Leishmania (the etiological agent of leishmaniasis) and may be expanding their range in the face of climate change. Understanding the climatic conditions that vector species both tolerate physiologically and prefer behaviorally is critical to predicting the direction and magnitude of range expansions and the resulting impacts on human health. Temperature and humidity are key factors that determine the geographic extent of many arthropods, including vector species. METHODS: We characterized the habitat of two species of sand flies, Lutzomyia longipalpis and Pintomyia evansi. Additionally, we studied two behavioral factors of thermal fitness-thermal and humidity preference in two species of sand flies alongside a key aspect of physiological tolerance-desiccation resistance. RESULTS: We found that Lu. longipalpis is found at cooler and drier conditions than Pi. evansi. Our results also show significant interspecific differences in both behavioral traits, with Pi. evansi preferring warmer, more humid conditions than Lu. longipalpis. Finally, we found that Lu. longipalpis shows greater tolerance to extreme low humidity, and that this is especially pronounced in males of the species. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our results suggest that temperature and humidity conditions are key aspects of the climatic niche of Lutzomyia and Pintomyia sand flies and underscore the value of integrative studies of climatic tolerance and preference in vector biology.
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Ecosistema , Humedad , Psychodidae , Temperatura , Animales , Psychodidae/fisiología , Psychodidae/clasificación , Femenino , Masculino , Insectos Vectores/fisiologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Some parasites use olfactory cues to detect their hosts and, since bacterial symbionts are partially responsible for animal odours, they could influence host parasitism. By autoclaving nest materials of hoopoe (Upupa epops) nests before reproduction started, we explored the hypothetical links between host-associated bacteria, volatiles and parasitism. During the nestling stage, we (i) estimated the level of ectoparasitism by chewing lice (Suborder Mallophaga) in adult hoopoe females and by Carnus haemapterus flies in nestlings, and (ii) characterized microbial communities and volatile profiles of nest environments (nest material and nest cavity, respectively) and uropygial secretions. RESULTS: Experimental nests had less diverse bacterial communities and more diverse volatile profiles than control nests, while occupants experienced lower intensity of parasitism in experimental than in control nests. The experiment also affected beta diversity of the microbial communities of nest material and of the volatiles of the nestling uropygial secretions. Moreover, microbial communities of uropygial secretions and of nest materials covaried with their volatile profiles, while the volatile profile of the bird secretions explained nest volatile profile. Finally, a subset of the volatiles and bacteria detected in the nest material and uropygial secretions were associated with the ectoparasitism intensity of both adult females and nestlings, and with fledging success. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that a component of animal odours is linked with the microbial communities of the host and its reproductive environment, and emphasize that the associations between bacteria, ectoparasitism and reproductive success are partially mediated by volatiles of bacterial origin. Future work should focus on mechanisms underlying the detected patterns.
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Background: Spodoptera frugiperda (FAW) is a pest that poses a significant threat to corn production worldwide, causing millions of dollars in losses. The species has evolved into two strains (corn and rice) that differ in their genetics, reproductive isolation, and resistance to insecticides and Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxins. The microbiota plays an important role in insects' physiology, nutrient acquisition, and response to chemical and biological controls. Several studies have been carried out on FAW microbiota from larvae guts using laboratory or field samples and a couple of studies have analyzed the corn strain microbiota across its life cycle. This investigation reveals the first comparison between corn strain (CS) and rice strain (RS) of FAW during different developmental insect stages and, more importantly, endosymbiont detection in both strains, highlighting the importance of studying both FAW populations and samples from different stages. Methods: The composition of microbiota during the life cycle of the FAW corn and rice strains was analyzed through high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene using the MiSeq system. Additionally, culture-dependent techniques were used to isolate gut bacteria and the Transcribed Internal Spacer-ITS, 16S rRNA, and gyrB genes were examined to enhance bacterial identification. Results: Richness, diversity, and bacterial composition changed significantly across the life cycle of FAW. Most diversity was observed in eggs and males. Differences in gut microbiota diversity between CS and RS were minor. However, Leuconostoc, A2, Klebsiella, Lachnoclostridium, Spiroplasma, and Mucispirilum were mainly associated with RS and Colidextribacter, Pelomonas, Weissella, and Arsenophonus to CS, suggesting that FAW strains differ in several genera according to the host plant. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla during FAW metamorphosis. Illeobacterium, Ralstonia, and Burkholderia exhibited similar abundancies in both strains. Enterococcus was identified as a conserved taxon across the entire FAW life cycle. Microbiota core communities mainly consisted of Enterococcus and Illeobacterium. A positive correlation was found between Spiroplasma with RS (sampled from eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults) and Arsenophonus (sampled from eggs, larvae, and adults) with CS. Enterococcus mundtii was predominant in all developmental stages. Previous studies have suggested its importance in FAW response to B. thuringensis. Our results are relevant for the characterization of FAW corn and rice strains microbiota to develop new strategies for their control. Detection of Arsenophonus in CS and Spiroplasma in RS are promising for the improvement of this pest management, as these bacteria induce male killing and larvae fitness reduction in other Lepidoptera species.
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Bacillus thuringiensis , Microbiota , Oryza , Animales , Masculino , Spodoptera/genética , Zea mays/genética , Oryza/genética , ARN Ribosómico 16S/genética , Estadios del Ciclo de Vida , Larva/genética , Bacillus thuringiensis/genética , Microbiota/genéticaRESUMEN
Two case studies of parenting programs for parents of children 0 to 36 months of age, developed and implemented by Save the Children/Ministry of Health/Khesar Gyalpo University in Bhutan and UNICEF Zambia, were conducted by an independent research group. The focus was on how program delivery and scale-up were revised on the basis of feedback from implementation research. Feedback on workforce delivery quality was based on observations of deliveries using a monitoring form, as well as survey and interview data collected from the workforce. In-depth interviews with the resource team during the fourth year of implementation revealed how the feedback was used to address horizontal and vertical scaling. Delivery quality was improved in some cases by revising the delivery manual, offering refresher courses, and instituting regular monitoring. Scaling challenges in Zambia included slow progress with regard to reaching families in the two districts, which they addressed by trialing group sessions, and stemming workforce attrition. The challenges in Bhutan were low attendance and reducing the workload of providers. Vertical scaling challenges for both countries concerned maintaining demand through continuous advocacy at community and government levels to sustain financing and to show effectiveness in outcomes.
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Cationic dendritic amphiphiles were prepared through the linkage of interesting hydrophobic molecules such as cholesterol or vitamin E to the focal point of carbosilane dendrons. These new dendritic systems self-assembled in saline, producing micellar aggregates with hydrodynamic diameters ranging from 6.5 to 9.2 nm, and critical micelle concentrations of approximately 5 and 10 µM for second- and third-generation systems, respectively. The assemblies were able to encapsulate drugs of different charges (anionic, neutral, and cationic). Surprisingly, a 92% encapsulation efficiency for diclofenac was achieved in micelles prepared from second-generation dendrons. Toxicity measurements on peripheral blood mononuclear cells indicated different behavior depending on the generation, corresponding to the micellar regime. In contrast to the third-generation system, the second-generation system was non-toxic up to 20 µM, opening a window for its use in a micellar regimen, thereby operating as a drug delivery system for different biomedical applications.
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The success of the Internet of Things (IoT) has driven the development, among others, of many different software architectures for producing, processing, and analyzing heterogeneous data. In many cases, IoT applications share common features, such as the use of a platform or middleware, also known as message broker, that collects and manages data traffic between endpoints. However, in general, data processing is very dependent on the case study (sensors that send temperature data, drones that send images, etc.). Thus, the applications responsible for receiving and processing data, which we call consumers, have to be built ad hoc, since some of their elements have to be specially configured to solve specific needs of the case study. This paper presents Flextory, a software factory tool to make it easier for IoT developers to automatically construct configurable consumer applications, which we call FLEX-consumers. Flextory guides developers through the process of generating Java consumers by selecting some desired features such as, for instance, the particular communication protocol to be used. This way, the developer only has to concentrate on designing the algorithm to process the data. In short, the use of Flextory will result in consumer applications with configurable behavior, namely FLEX-consumers, that can connect to a messaging server (for example RabbitMQ) and process the received messages.
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Electrospun polymer nanofibers, due to high surface area-to-volume ratio, high porosity, good mechanical strength, and ease of functionalization, appear as promising multifunctional materials for biomedical applications. Thanks to their unidirectional structure, imitating the extracellular matrix (ECM), they can be used as scaffolds for cell adhesion and proliferation. In addition, the incorporation of active groups inside nanofiber can give properties for bactericides. The proposed nanomats incorporate nanoparticles templated within the electrospun nanofibers that prevent infections and stimulate tissue regeneration. The generated hybrid electrospun nanofibers are composed of a copolymer of L-lactide-block-ε-caprolactone (PL-b-CL), 70:30, blended with homopolymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and gold (Au) nanoparticles. A low cytotoxicity and slightly increased immunoreactivity, stimulated by the nanomat, are observed. Moreover, the decoration of the hybrid nanomat with dendronized silver nanoparticles (Dend-Ag) improves their antibacterial activity against antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The use of Dend-Ag for decorating offers several functional effects; namely, it enhances the antibacterial properties of the produced nanomats and induces a significant increase within macrophages' cytotoxicity. The unidirectional nanostructures of the generated hybrid nanomats demonstrate unique collective physio-chemical and biological properties suitable for a wide range of biomedical applications. Here, the antibacterial properties facilitate an optimal environment, contributing to accelerated wound healing.
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Vendajes , Oro , Nanopartículas del Metal , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Plata , Cicatrización de Heridas , Plata/química , Plata/farmacología , Cicatrización de Heridas/efectos de los fármacos , Oro/química , Oro/farmacología , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/efectos de los fármacos , Nanopartículas del Metal/química , Antibacterianos/farmacología , Antibacterianos/química , Andamios del Tejido/química , Dendrímeros/química , Dendrímeros/farmacología , Animales , Ratones , Nanofibras/química , Humanos , Antiinfecciosos/farmacología , Antiinfecciosos/química , Poliésteres/química , Poliésteres/farmacologíaRESUMEN
Gastrointestinal bleeding due to portal hypertension is a major complication in patients with cirrhosis, commonly attributed to esophagogastric varices. However, bleeding from ectopic varices accounts for 5% of variceal bleeding cases and it may occur at lower pressures than esophageal varices. Thus, ectopic varices should be considered in patients with portal hypertension that present with gastrointestinal bleeding lacking evidence of esophagogastric variceal bleeding on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. We present the case of a patient with cirrhosis that had recurrent hemorrhagic shock due to small intestinal varices that were diagnosed via capsule endoscopy.
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This paper evaluates the effectiveness and safety of XEN63 stent, either standalone or in combination with phacoemulsification, in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Eighty eyes from 80 patients with medically uncontrolled POAG were assigned to undergo XEN63 implant. The primary outcome was the surgical success, defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering from preoperative values ≥ 20% and an IOP absolute value between 6 and 18 mmHg, with or without antiglaucoma medications. Forty-three (53.7%) eyes underwent XEN63-standalone and 37(46.2%) eyes a XEN63 + Phacoemulsification procedure. Success rate was 68.8% (55/80) eyes in the overall study sample, 69.8% (30/43) eyes in the XEN63-standalone group; and 67.6% (25/37) eyes in the XEN63 + Phaco group (p = 0.6133). Preoperative IOP was significantly lowered from 22.1 ± 4.9 mmHg and 19.8 ± 3.7 mmHg to 14.7 ± 5.3 mmHg and 13.8 ± 3.4 mmHg in the XEN63-standalone and XEN63 + Phaco groups, respectively (p < 0.0001 each, respectively); without significant differences between them at any of the time-points measured. Preoperative number of ocular-hypotensive drugs was significantly reduced from 2.3 ± 0.8 to 0.3 ± 0.7 drugs, from 2.5 ± 0.7 to 0.3 ± 0.7 drugs; and from 2.0 ± 0.8 to 0.3 ± 0.7 drugs, in the overall, XEN63-standalone, and XEN63 + Phaco groups, respectively. Regarding safety, 3(42.5%) eyes had transient hypotony at some point during the study, although only in one (1.2%) eye was clinically significant. Four (5.0%) eyes underwent a needling, 4 (5.0%) eyes underwent surgical-bleb-revision, 1 (1.2%) eye required a device replacement and 1 (1.2%) eye a device removal due to maculopathy. XEN63, either alone or in combination with phacoemulsification, significantly lowered IOP and reduced the number of ocular hypotensive medications. The rate of ocular hypotony was relatively high, although it was clinically relevant only in one eye.
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Extracción de Catarata , Glaucoma de Ángulo Abierto , Hipotensión Ocular , Facoemulsificación , Humanos , Glaucoma de Ángulo Abierto/tratamiento farmacológico , Glaucoma de Ángulo Abierto/cirugía , Resultado del Tratamiento , Presión Intraocular , Tonometría Ocular , Facoemulsificación/efectos adversos , Facoemulsificación/métodos , Antihipertensivos/efectos adversosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: National physical activity (PA) policy processes are only beginning to be studied in Latin America, and little attention has focused at the subnational level. This study examined national-subnational relations in the policy process (agenda setting, policy formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation) in selected Latin American countries. METHODS: The Global Observatory for Physical Activity's (GoPA!) INTEGRATE-PA-Pol tool was applied in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Mexico. Data were collected in matched pairs of the capital plus one noncapital city among national and subnational policymakers (n = 27), previously identified by the GoPA! Country Contacts. PA policy development and implementation were assessed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Twenty-three (response rate = 85.2%) informants provided data, mainly from the health sector (52.2%), followed by the sport (26.1%), transport (13.0%), and education (8.7%) sectors. Most informants reported that their countries had a current PA policy embedded within noncommunicable diseases prevention plans (46.2%), other plans (46.2%), or obesity prevention/management/control plans (7.7%). Respondents at the subnational level rated PA promotion as central (64.3%), while the national-level role was important but not central (75.0%). National and subnational policymakers indicated low-to-little involvement in the other level's PA policy processes across the 5 policy stages. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that collecting national and subnational PA policy data across countries with the active collaboration of the GoPA! network was feasible. We also successfully identified governmental interactions throughout the PA policy process, suggesting suboptimal engagement between national and subnational levels.
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Ejercicio Físico , Política de Salud , Humanos , Costa Rica , Ecuador , Colombia , México , Formulación de Políticas , Promoción de la Salud/organización & administración , DeportesRESUMEN
With the significant increase in cyber-attacks and attempts to gain unauthorised access to systems and information, Network Intrusion-Detection Systems (NIDSs) have become essential detection tools. Anomaly-based systems use machine learning techniques to distinguish between normal and anomalous traffic. They do this by using training datasets that have been previously gathered and labelled, allowing them to learn to detect anomalies in future data. However, such datasets can be accidentally or deliberately contaminated, compromising the performance of NIDS. This has been the case of the UGR'16 dataset, in which, during the labelling process, botnet-type attacks were not identified in the subset intended for training. This paper addresses the mislabelling problem of real network traffic datasets by introducing a novel methodology that (i) allows analysing the quality of a network traffic dataset by identifying possible hidden or unidentified anomalies and (ii) selects the ideal subset of data to optimise the performance of the anomaly detection model even in the presence of hidden attacks erroneously labelled as normal network traffic. To this end, a two-step process that makes incremental use of the training dataset is proposed. Experiments conducted on the contaminated UGR'16 dataset in conjunction with the state-of-the-art NIDS, Kitsune, conclude with the feasibility of the approach to reveal observations of hidden botnet-based attacks on this dataset.
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Objetivo Corynebacterium striatum (C. striatum) es un microorganismo emergente en la infección de pie diabético poco estudiado. El objetivo es evaluar los factores de riesgo (FR) relacionados con osteomielitis por C. striatum en paciente con pie diabético. Métodos Estudio casos-controles en la Unidad de Pie Diabético entre 2015 y 2021. Un número de 44 pacientes con osteomielitis por C. striatum (casos) y 44 con osteomielitis por microorganismo distinto (controles) fueron incluidos. Resultados Enfermedad arterial periférica (odds ratio [OR]: 2,8, p = 0,037), fibrilación auricular (OR: 3,7, p = 0,034), pie diabético isquémico (OR: 3,3, p = 0,020) y antibioterapia previa prolongada más de 14 días (OR: 3,4, p = 0,012) fueron FR para la osteomielitis por C. striatum. En el análisis multivariado la antibioterapia más de 14 días fue el único FR independiente (OR: 3,46; p = 0,017) para osteomielitis por C. striatum. Conclusiones La antibioterapia previa recibida durante más de 14 días es un FR independiente y estadísticamente significativo de osteomielitis por C. striatum en pacientes con pie diabético (AU)
Objective Corynebacterium striatum (CS) is an emerging micro-organism in diabetic foot infection for which there are currently few studies. The objective was to analyze the risk factors (RF) related to CS osteomyelitis in patients with diabetic foot. Methods A casecontrol study was conducted in the Diabetic Foot Unit between 2015 and 2021. Forty-four patients with osteomyelitis due to CS (cases) and 44 patients with osteomyelitis due a different micro-organism (controls) were included. Results Peripheral artery disease (OR: 2.8, p = 0.037), atrial fibrillation (OR: 3.7, p = 0.034), ischemic diabetic foot (OR: 3.3, p = 0.020) and previous prolonged antibiotic therapy more than 14 days (OR: 3.4, p = 0.012) were identified as RF for osteomyelitis due to CS. When performing the multivariate analysis antibiotic therapy >14 days was independent RF (OR: 3.46; p = 0.017). Conclusions Previous antibiotic therapy received more than 14 days is an independent and statistically significant RF for CS osteomyelitis in patients with diabetic foot (AU)
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Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Anciano , Infecciones por Corynebacterium/diagnóstico , Infecciones por Corynebacterium/microbiología , Osteomielitis/microbiología , Pie Diabético/microbiología , Estudios de Casos y ControlesRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Despite existing extensive literature, a comprehensive and clinically relevant classification system for osteoarthritis (OA) has yet to be established. In this study, we aimed to further characterize four knee OA (KOA) inflammatory phenotypes (KOIP) recently proposed by our group, by identifying the inflammatory factors associated with KOA severity and progression in a phenotype-specific manner. METHODS: We performed an analysis within each of the previously defined four KOIP groups, to assess the association between KOA severity and progression and a panel of 13 cytokines evaluated in the plasma and synovial fluid of our cohort's patients. The cohort included 168 symptomatic female KOA patients with persistent joint effusion. RESULTS: Overall, our analyses showed that associations with KOA outcomes were of higher magnitude within the KOIP groups than for the overall patient series (all p-values < 1.30e-16) and that several of the cytokines showed a KOIP-specific behaviour regarding their associations with KOA outcomes. CONCLUSION: Our study adds further evidence supporting KOA as a multifaceted syndrome composed of multiple phenotypes with differing pathophysiological pathways, providing an explanation for inconsistencies between previous studies focussed on the role of cytokines in OA and the lack of translational results to date. Our findings also highlight the potential clinical benefits of accurately phenotyping KOA patients, including improved patient stratification, tailored therapies, and the discovery of novel treatments.
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Osteoartritis de la Rodilla , Humanos , Femenino , Osteoartritis de la Rodilla/metabolismo , Líquido Sinovial/metabolismo , Síndrome , Articulación de la Rodilla/metabolismoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: This study aims to assess the sustained immunological response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRD) undergoing different treatment regimens. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study involving 157 AIRD patients without prior COVID-19 infection. Treatment regimens included non-treatment or glucocorticoid-only (not-treated/GCs), non-biological drugs, biological therapy, and JAK inhibitors. All participants completed the two-dose vaccine schedule, and 110 of them received an additional booster dose. Serum samples were collected approximately 3-6 months after the second and third vaccine doses to measure antibodies against the Spike protein (antiS-AB) and neutralizing antibodies (nAB) targeting six SARS-CoV-2 variants. RESULTS: Following the third dose, all patients exhibited a significant increase in antiS-AB (FC = 15, p < 0.0001). Patients under biological therapy had lower titres compared to the non-biological (66% decrease, p = 0.038) and the not-treated/GCs group (62% decrease, p = 0.0132), with the latter persisting after the booster dose (86% decrease, p = 0.0027). GC use was associated with lower antiS-AB levels in the biological group (87% decrease, p = 0.0124), although not statistically significant after confounders adjustment. nABs showed the highest positivity rates for the wild-type strain before (50%) and after the booster dose (93%), while the Omicron variant exhibited the lowest rates (11% and 55%, respectively). All variants demonstrated similar positivity patterns and good concordance with antiS-AB (AUCs from 0.896 to 0.997). CONCLUSIONS: The SARS-CoV-2 vaccine booster strategy effectively elicited a sustained antibody immune response in AIRD patients. However, patients under biological therapies exhibited a reduced response to the booster dose, particularly when combined with GCs.
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COVID-19 , Enfermedades Reumáticas , Humanos , COVID-19/prevención & control , Vacunas contra la COVID-19/uso terapéutico , Glucocorticoides/uso terapéutico , Vacunas de ARNm , Enfermedades Reumáticas/tratamiento farmacológico , SARS-CoV-2 , Estudios ProspectivosRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes an acute respiratory illness similar to influenza, although there are few data comparing both of them in adults. The existence of clinical differences between these two infections could have implications for their management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective observational cohort study including 63 adults with positive PCR for RSV and 221 for influenza during winter 2018-2019. Epidemiological, clinical characteristics and outcomes were contrasted between both groups. RESULTS: Compared to influenza, RSV-positive patients presented a higher association with active neoplasia (OR=2.9; 95% CI: 1.2-6.9), dependence for basic activities of daily living (OR=3.4; 95% CI: 1.4-8.2) and immunosuppression due to chronic glucocorticoid administration (OR=7.6; 95% CI: 1.6-36.1). At diagnosis, fever was less common (OR=0.3; 95% CI: 0.2-0.7), and C-reactive protein level ≥100mg/l was more frequent (OR=2.1; 95% CI: 1.0-4.5). They developed bacterial co-infection by Staphylococcus aureus in a higher proportion (OR=8.3; 95% CI: 1.5-46.9) and presented a greater need for admission to the intensive care unit (OR=5.4; 95% CI: 1.4-19.2). CONCLUSION: RSV is an important cause of respiratory illness in adults during the influenza season. It especially affects vulnerable patients with chronic underlying diseases, and has a higher morbidity than influenza. For all these reasons, specific detection, prevention and treatment of RSV is necessary in order to reduce the consumption of health care resources due to RSV disease in adults.
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Gripe Humana , Infecciones por Virus Sincitial Respiratorio , Virus Sincitial Respiratorio Humano , Adulto , Humanos , Infecciones por Virus Sincitial Respiratorio/complicaciones , Infecciones por Virus Sincitial Respiratorio/epidemiología , Gripe Humana/complicaciones , Gripe Humana/epidemiología , Gripe Humana/diagnóstico , Estudios Retrospectivos , Actividades Cotidianas , Enfermedad CrónicaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Corynebacterium striatum (CS) is an emerging micro-organism in diabetic foot infection for which there are currently few studies. The objective was to analyze the risk factors (RF) related to CS osteomyelitis in patients with diabetic foot. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted in the Diabetic Foot Unit between 2015 and 2021. Forty-four patients with osteomyelitis due to CS (cases) and 44 patients with osteomyelitis due a different micro-organism (controls) were included. RESULTS: Peripheral artery disease (OR: 2.8, p = 0.037), atrial fibrillation (OR: 3.7, p = 0.034), ischemic diabetic foot (OR: 3.3, p = 0.020) and previous prolonged antibiotic therapy more than 14 days (OR: 3.4, p = 0.012) were identified as RF for osteomyelitis due to CS. When performing the multivariate analysis antibiotic therapy >14 days was independent RF (OR: 3.46; p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Previous antibiotic therapy received more than 14 days is an independent and statistically significant RF for CS osteomyelitis in patients with diabetic foot.
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Diabetes Mellitus , Pie Diabético , Osteomielitis , Humanos , Pie Diabético/complicaciones , Pie Diabético/terapia , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Osteomielitis/etiología , Osteomielitis/microbiología , Factores de Riesgo , Antibacterianos/uso terapéutico , Diabetes Mellitus/tratamiento farmacológicoRESUMEN
Malaria remains a significant public health problem worldwide, particularly in low-income regions with limited access to healthcare. Despite the use of antimalarial drugs, transmission remains an issue in Colombia, especially among indigenous populations in remote areas. In this study, we used an SIR Ross MacDonald model that considered land use change, temperature, and precipitation to analyze eco epidemiological parameters and the impact of time lags on malaria transmission in La Pedrera-Amazonas municipality. We found changes in land use between 2007 and 2020, with increases in forested areas, urban infrastructure and water edges resulting in a constant increase in mosquito carrying capacity. Temperature and precipitation variables exhibited a fluctuating pattern that corresponded to rainy and dry seasons, respectively and a marked influence of the El Niño climatic phenomenon. Our findings suggest that elevated precipitation and temperature increase malaria infection risk in the following 2 months. The risk is influenced by the secondary vegetation and urban infrastructure near primary forest formation or water body edges. These results may help public health officials and policymakers develop effective malaria control strategies by monitoring precipitation, temperature, and land use variables to flag high-risk areas and critical periods, considering the time lag effect.
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Malaria , Animales , Humanos , Colombia/epidemiología , Estaciones del Año , Temperatura , AguaRESUMEN
As an active branch within the field of supramolecular polymers, chiral supramolecular polymers (SPs) are an excellent benchmark to generate helical structures that can clarify the origin of homochirality in Nature or help determine new exciting functionalities of organic materials. Herein, we highlight the most utilized strategies to build up chiral SPs by using chiral monomeric units or external stimuli. Selected examples of transfer of asymmetry, in which the point or axial chirality contained by the monomeric units is efficiently transferred to the supramolecular scaffold yielding enantioenriched helical structures, will be presented. The importance of the thermodynamics and kinetics associated with those processes is stressed, especially the influence that parameters such as the helix reversal and mismatch penalties exert on the achievement of amplification of asymmetry in co-assembled systems will also be considered. Remarkable examples of breaking symmetry, in which chiral supramolecular polymers can be attained from achiral self-assembling units by applying external stimuli like stirring, solvent or light, are highlighted. Finally, the specific and promising applications of chiral supramolecular polymers are presented with recent relevant examples.