Occupational Therapy Interventions Using New Technologies in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review.

New technologies (NT) are increasingly used in Occupational Therapy (OT) interventions in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We conducted a scoping review to describe OT interventions investigated in scientific literature which use NT in children and adolescents with ASD. Two authors independently searched the scientific databases PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and Web of Science, carried out a peer-review screening of articles and extracted data. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. OT interventions lasted between 1 week and 12 months, consisted of between 1 session per day and 5 sessions per week, were carried out exclusively by an occupational therapist, and the most used NT was the computer (n = 12). The duration of the interventions and assessment measures used varied greatly between studies.

Campylobacter jejuni and other emerging Campylobacteraceae in retail beef liver - an underestimated potential source?

Bovine by-products, such as liver, could be an underestimated source of Campylobacter jejuni. Therefore, our aims were to evaluate the occurrence of C. jejuni and other Campylobacteraceae in retail beef liver and characterize their antibiotic resistance (ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, erythromycin and gentamicin) and potential genetic relationship by flagellin gene restriction fragment length polymorphism (flaA-RFLP) and multilocus sequence typing with clinical strains. Seventy-six out of 206 samples (36·9%) were positive for Campylobacter and related organisms. Arcobacter butzleri was the most frequently isolated species (21·8%), followed by C. jejuni (9·7%), C. fetus (7·8%) and C. coli (1%). The C. jejuni strains showed resistance to tetracycline (17·2%) or ciprofloxacin (6·9%), with only one strain resistant to both antibiotics. Meanwhile, 8·3% of ciprofloxacin resistance was observed in C. fetus. The other species showed no resistance. Most of the clonal complexes (CC) in which the C. jejuni genotypes were grouped (CC-21, 42, 48 and 52), coincided with genotypes of clinical strains previously reported in Chile. As such, this study provides evidence that beef liver could be an underestimated route for resistant C. jejuni to humans. Further studies should assess whether this food could play a role in the transmission of other emerging Campylobacteraceae such as those reported here.

Vocal universals and geographic variations in the acoustic repertoire of the common bottlenose dolphin.

Acoustical geographic variation is common in widely distributed species and it is already described for several taxa, at various scales. In cetaceans, intraspecific variation in acoustic repertoires has been linked to ecological factors, geographical barriers, and social processes. For the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), studies on acoustic variability are scarce, focus on a single signal type-whistles and on the influence of environmental variables. Here, we analyze the acoustic emissions of nine bottlenose dolphin populations across the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and identify common signal types and acoustic variants to assess repertoires' (dis)similarity. Overall, these dolphins present a rich acoustic repertoire, with 24 distinct signal sub-types including: whistles, burst-pulsed sounds, brays and bangs. Acoustic divergence was observed only in social signals, suggesting the relevance of cultural transmission in geographic variation. The repertoire dissimilarity values were remarkably low (from 0.08 to 0.4) and do not reflect the geographic distances among populations. Our findings suggest that acoustic ecology may play an important role in the occurrence of intraspecific variability, as proposed by the 'environmental adaptation hypothesis'. Further work may clarify the boundaries between neighboring populations, and shed light into vocal learning and cultural transmission in bottlenose dolphin societies.

Antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes profiles of Arcobacter butzleri strains isolated from back yard chickens and retail poultry meat in Chile.

This research aims to investigate the presence and pathogenic potential of Arcobacter in poultry meat samples purchased in the retail market of Valdivia (South of Chile) as well as in faecal samples from backyard chickens from rural areas around this city. The isolates obtained were identified by molecular methods. Furthermore, putative virulence genes were assessed by PCR and the antimicrobial resistance was tested by phenotypic methods. Arcobacter was present in 41·6% of the samples, with the highest value in retail poultry meat (55·7%) followed by backyard production (28·0%). Arcobacter butzleri was the most prevalent species (75·6%) followed by Arcobacter skirrowii (14·8%) and Arcobacter cryaerophilus (9·6%). An 8·5% of A. butzleri strains from meat were resistant to both ciprofloxacin and tetracycline and 6·1% were resistant to erythromycin, while none was resistant to gentamycin, unlike strains from domestic chickens, which showed no resistance. Furthermore, A. butzleri strains from chicken meat presented a higher prevalence of virulence genes than strains from domestic chickens. In fact, in this last group, some genes (hecA, hecB and irgA) were completely absent. Therefore, this study provides insight on the epidemiology of Arcobacter in Chilean poultry and suggests that under traditional breeding conditions strains are, apparently, less pathogenic and drug resistant.

Comparison of media and growth conditions for culturing enterohepatic Helicobacter species.

This research aims to compare the culturing conditions for enterohepatic Helicobacter, evaluating culture media, incubation atmosphere and susceptibility to antimicrobials used to generate selective conditions. Four common media for the closely related genus Campylobacter (Columbia, Bolton, Brucella and CCDA agar), as well as the need for hydrogen in the microaerobic incubation atmosphere, were evaluated. Serial dilutions of 13 strains belonging to six species (H. apodemus, H. bilis, H. canicola, H. canis, H. equorum and Helicobacter sp.) were inoculated in each media and incubated at 37°C for 48 to 96 h using CampyGen (OXOID) and gaseous exchange (including hydrogen) in parallel. Columbia or Brucella agars were the most appropriate for culturing EHH (P < 0·05). However, there was no significant difference between the atmospheres evaluated (P = 0·13). In addition, minimal inhibitory concentration for six antibiotics showed that all isolates were resistant to trimethoprim, whereas for the rest of the antibiotics (cephalothin, cefoperazone, cefsulodin, teicoplanin and vancomycin) the inhibition range was between 8 and 64 µg ml- 1 . Our findings suggest that Columbia or Brucella media, regardless of the use of hydrogen, can be used for the EHH isolation. In addition, the concentration of antibiotics included in commercial campylobacteria supplements is suitable for EHH species recovery. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Enterohepatic Helicobacter (EHH) infections have been associated with several diseases in humans such as acute gastroenteritis, inflammatory bowel disease and hepatobiliary diseases. Although they are frequently detected in clinical samples by molecular methods, only occasionally they are isolated using culture conditions described for the taxonomic related pathogen Campylobacter sp. This is because the optimal conditions for the isolation of EHH have not yet been described, which results in an underestimation of the prevalence and clinical importance of these emerging pathogens. Therefore, this study provides insight for culturing EHH species.

Coffee consumption and mortality from all causes of death, cardiovascular disease and cancer in an elderly Spanish population.

PURPOSE: The effect of coffee consumption on mortality has been scarcely investigated in the elderly. We assessed the association between coffee consumption and mortality from all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer, in an elderly population of Spain. METHODS: We studied 903 individuals (511 women) aged 65 years and older from two population-based studies, the EUREYE-Spain study and the Valencia Nutritional Survey. Coffee consumption and diet were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Information on education, anthropometry, sleeping time, smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity and pre-existing disease was collected at baseline. Deaths were ascertained during a 12-year follow-up period, and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR). RESULTS: There were 403 deaths during the 12-year period (40% from CVD), 174 of which occurred during the first 6 years. We observed evidence of a lower CVD mortality among coffee drinkers in the first 6 years of follow-up. Drinkers of ≤1 cup of coffee/day and > 1 cup/day showed lower CVD mortality than non-drinkers of coffee, HR 0.82 (95% CI 0.46-1.44) and HR 0.38 (0.15-0.96), respectively (p trend = 0.04). This association of coffee with CVD mortality attenuated after 12 years of follow-up. No significant association was observed with all-cause or cancer mortality, neither for caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, coffee consumption was associated with lower CVD mortality in elderly. Although this association should be further investigated, coffee consumption appears to be safe for the elderly since no increased mortality was observed in coffee drinkers.

Deconstructing the landscape of fear in stable multi-species societies.

Animal distributions are influenced by variation in predation risk in space, which has been described as the "landscape of fear." Many studies suggest animals also reduce predation risk by eavesdropping on heterospecific alarm calls, allowing them to occupy otherwise risky habitats. One unexplored area of study is understanding how different species' alarms vary in quality, and how this variation is distributed in the landscape. We tested this phenomenon in a unique system of avian mixed species flocks in Amazonian rainforests: flock mates (eavesdropping species) strongly associate with alarm-calling antshrikes (genus Thamnomanes), which act as sentinel species. Up to 70 species join these flocks, presumably following antshrike behavioral cues. Since flocks in this region of the Amazon are exclusively led by a single antshrike species, this provides a unique natural system to compare differences in sentinel quality between flocks. We simulated predation threat by flying three species of live trained raptors (predators) towards flocks to compare sentinel probability to (1) produce alarm calls, and (2) encode information about magnitude and type of threat within such alarm calls. Our field experiments show significant differences in the probability of different sentinel species to produce alarm calls and distinguish predators. This variation may have important fitness consequences and shape the "landscape of fear" for eavesdropping species.

'Arcobacter porcinus' sp. nov., a novel Arcobacter species uncovered by Arcobacter thereius.

Arcobacter thereius is a species associated with human disease. A group of A. thereius pork strains (represented by strain LMG 24487) clustered separately from the type strain (LMG 24486T) in the 16S rRNA and multilocus phylogenetic trees. In silico DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity results between their genomes (93.3 and 51.1%) confirmed 'Arcobacter porcinus' (LMG 24487T) as a new species.

Genotypic and phenotypic diversity in Enterococcus faecalis: is agar invasion a pathogenicity score?

OBJECTIVES: The main objective of the present study is to analyze different genotypic and phenotypic traits related to virulence in Enterococcus faecalis, as well as evaluated the agar invasion phenotype in a collection of isolates with different clinical origins. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy-nine E. faecalis isolates, with invasive and non-invasive clinical origins, have been used in this work. Presence of cytolysin activator (cylA), gelatinase (gelE), surface protein (esp), aggregation substance (asa1), endocarditis antigen (efaA), and collagen-binding protein (ace) have been analyzed by PCR. Phenotypic characterization included gelatinase activity, haemolysin production, biofilm formation and agar invasion. RESULTS: All the isolates tested harboured at least one of the virulence determinants. The 95.5% of isolates from haematologic samples were positive for agar invasion test, significantly higher than isolates from non-invasive diseases. A significant reduction in relative invasion area was observed in three selected agar-invasive strains after 15 serial passages. CONCLUSIONS: It has been observed a significant high prevalence of agar-invasion positive isolates among strains belonged to haematological samples. Agar invasiveness is reduced after adaptation of clinical isolates to laboratory conditions, showing that agar invasion phenotype can be modulate by culture conditions as other virulence factors observed in different bacterial species.

Composition and organization of the SCZ: a large germinal layer containing neural stem cells in the adult mammalian brain.

Two known germinal zones continue to generate new neurons and glia in the adult mammalian brain: the subventricular zone (SVZ), lining the lateral walls of the lateral ventricle, and the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus. Here we describe a region we will refer to as the subcallosal zone (SCZ). The SCZ is a caudal extension of the SVZ that is no longer associated to an open ventricle. It lies between the hippocampus and the corpus callosum. Cells isolated from the SCZ and cultured as neurospheres behave as neural stem cells in vitro. Using electron and light microscopy, we describe the cell types present in this region and how their organization differs from that of the SVZ. Using retroviral labeling and homotypic-homochronic microtransplantation techniques, we show that the majority of cells born in the SCZ migrate into the corpus callosum to become oligodendrocytes in vivo. This study defines the organization and fate of cells born in a large germinal region of the adult forebrain.

Dermatitis de contacto liquenoide por reveladores fotográficos / No disponible

Los agentes de revelado fotográfico son derivados de la parafenilendiamina, que pueden actuar como irritantes y/o sensibilizantes cutáneos en trabajadores de procesos fotográficos, manifestándose las lesiones no sólo en forma de eczema de contacto, sino también como lesiones liquenoides. La incidencia de dermatosis profesionales por reveladores de color ha disminuido en los últimos años debido a la automatización de los procesos de revelado y a la aparición de la fotografía digital. Presentamos un caso de dermatitis de contacto liquenoide secundaria al revelador CD2 en un trabajador de laboratorio fotográfico automatizado que ocasionalmente reparaba las averías que se presentaban en la maquinaria. Las lesiones eran clínica e histológicamente liquenoides y las pruebas epicutáneas resultaron positivas a CD2. Nuestro caso presenta además la particularidad de la diseminación de las lesiones hacia zonas donde no era evidente el contacto con el líquido revelador

Colour developing agents, derivatives of paraphenylendiamine, can be both irritants and sensitizers in photographic processing workers. They cause allergic contact dermatitis and also lichenoid reactions. The incidence of occupational dermatosis from colour developers has decreased in the last years because of the automation in the developer processing and the emergence of digital photography. We present a case of lichenoid contact dermatitis in a mechanized photographic laboratory worker, who occasionally repaired machinery's damages. Lesions were clinical and histhopatological lichenoid and patch test were positives to CD2. Our case presents the singularity of the dissemination of the lesions to areas of the skin where it was not evident the contact with the colour developers agents

Genetic variation in the physical properties of sweet potato starch.

Sweet potato starch, prepared from 44 genotypes adapted to Philippine conditions, showed wide variation and distinctly different pasting profiles in Rapid Visco-Analyzer (RVA) analysis at 11% and 7% starch concentration. At 11% starch concentration, the pasting profiles were type A, characterized by high to moderate peak with a major breakdown and low cold paste viscosity. At 7%, the pasting profile was generally type C, characterized by the absence of a distinct peak with none to very slight breakdown and high cold paste viscosity. However, differentiation among genotypes was better achieved from RVA pasting profiles at 11% starch concentration. Peak viscosity (PV) and hot paste viscosity (HPV) at 11% starch paste concentration had significant negative correlation with amylose content. PV, HPV, and setback ratio were significantly correlated to adhesiveness of the starch gel. Sweet potato starch generally had high swelling volume but low solubilities at 92.5 degrees C.

Accurate estimation of sweetpotato amylase activity by flour viscosity analysis.

Sweetpotato flour (SPF), prepared from 44 genotypes adapted to Philippine conditions, showed wide variation in Rapid Visco-Analyzer (RVA) pasting characteristics due to its variation in composition and endogenous amylase activity. The RVA pasting parameters of peak viscosity determined in water (PV1) and that determined in 0.05 mM AgNO(3) (used as an amylase inhibitor) (PV2) were successfully used to estimate alpha-amylase activity. The correlation of the ratio (PV2-PV1)/PV1 to alpha-amylase activity was 0.96 (p < 0.01, N = 44). Swelling volume measurements were not found to be suitable for prediction of alpha-amylase activity.

Ultrastructural changes in the endometrium of rabbit induced by spermatozoa.

Experiments were undertaken to investigate whether ultrastructural changes could be visualized in the endometrial epithelial linings brought about by the presence of spermatozoa. Female rabbits were inseminated with intact spermatozoa in one uterine horn, and the other horn was injected with inactive (dead) spermatozoa, which served as the control. Ruthenium red was used to enhance contrast of glycoproteins of epithelial plasma membranes. There was a decrease in the number and height of microvilli of epithelial cells in those horns injected with intact spermatozoa along with a decrease of ruthenium red deposits. In contrast, microvilli were numerous in those horns injected with inactive spermatozoa, and ruthenium red deposits also were numerous. This marker was not seen between neighboring epithelial cells in any of the injected horns. Control virgin animals, however, disclosed ruthenium red deposits in luminal plasma membranes and along the junctional complexes of epithelial cells. Intact spermatozoa could modify the synthesis or turnover of glycoproteins of outer coats owing to a possible cell-to-cell interaction between spermatozoa and endometrium. The lack of ruthenium red deposits in junctional complexes in the injected animals and their presence in the virgin control rabbits suggest the opening of communicating channels in the two former groups due possibly to the PMSG priming not present in the virgin control animals.