Genomic Epidemiology of Salmonella enterica Circulating in Surface Waters Used in Agriculture and Aquaculture in Central Mexico.

Salmonella enterica can survive in surface waters (SuWa), and the role of nonhost environments in its transmission has acquired increasing relevance. In this study, we conducted comparative genomic analyses of 172 S. enterica isolates collected from SuWa across 3 months in six states of central Mexico during 2019. S. enterica transmission dynamics were assessed using 87 experimental and 112 public isolates from Mexico collected during 2002 through 2019. We also studied genetic relatedness between SuWa isolates and human clinical strains collected in North America during 2005 through 2020. Among experimental isolates, we identified 41 S. enterica serovars and 56 multilocus sequence types (STs). Predominant serovars were Senftenberg (n = 13), Meleagridis, Agona, and Newport (n = 12 each), Give (n = 10), Anatum (n = 8), Adelaide (n = 7), and Infantis, Mbandaka, Ohio, and Typhimurium (n = 6 each). We observed a high genetic diversity in the sample under study, as well as clonal dissemination of strains across distant regions. Some of these strains are epidemiologically important (ST14, ST45, ST118, ST132, ST198, and ST213) and were genotypically close to those involved in clinical cases in North America. Transmission network analysis suggests that SuWa are a relevant source of S. enterica (0.7 source/hub ratio) and contribute to its dissemination as isolates from varied sources and clinical cases have SuWa isolates as common ancestors. Overall, the study shows that SuWa act as reservoirs of various S. enterica serovars of public health significance. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms involved in SuWa contamination by S. enterica, as well as to develop interventions to contain its dissemination in food production settings. IMPORTANCE Surface waters are heavily used in food production worldwide. Several human pathogens can survive in these waters for long periods and disseminate to food production environments, contaminating our food supply. One of these pathogens is Salmonella enterica, a leading cause of foodborne infections, hospitalizations, and deaths in many countries. This research demonstrates the role of surface waters as a vehicle for the transmission of Salmonella along food production chains. It also shows that some strains circulating in surface waters are very similar to those implicated in human infections and harbor genes that confer resistance to multiple antibiotics, posing a risk to public health. This study contributes to expand our current knowledge on the ecology and epidemiology of Salmonella in surface waters.

Clinical outcomes report in different brachial plexus injury surgeries: a systematic review.

Brachial plexus injury is a lesion that results in loss of function of the arm, and there are multiple ways of surgically approaching its treatment. Controlled trials that compare all surgical repair strategies and their clinical outcomes have not been performed. A systematic review was conducted to identify all articles that reported clinical outcomes in different surgeries (nerve transfer, nerve graft, neurolysis, end-to-end, multiple interventions, and others). Advanced search in PubMed was performed using the Mesh terms "brachial plexus injury" as the main topic and "surgery" as a subtopic, obtaining a total of 2153 articles. The clinical data for eligibility extraction was focused on collecting motor, sensory, pain, and functional recovery. A statistical analysis was performed to find the superior surgical techniques in terms of motor recovery, through the assessment of heterogeneity between groups, and of relationships between surgery and motor recovery. The frequency and the manner in which clinical outcomes are recording were described. The differences that correspond to the demographics and procedural factors were not statistically significant among groups (p > 0.05). Neurolysis showed the highest proportion of motor recovery (85.18%), with significant results between preoperative and post-operative motor assessment (p = 0.028). The proportion of motor recovery in each group according to the surgical approach differed significantly (X2 = 82.495, p = 0.0001). The motor outcome was the most reported clinical outcome (97.56%), whereas the other clinical outcomes were reported in less than 15% of the included articles. Unexpectedly, neurolysis, a technique displaced by new surgical alternatives such as nerve transfer/graft, demonstrated the highest proportion of motor recovery. Clinical outcomes such as pain, sensory, and functional recovery were infrequently reported. These results introduce the need to re-evaluate neurolysis through comparative clinical trials, as well as to standardize the way in which clinical outcomes are reported.

Degree of Quantumness in Quantum Synchronization.

We introduce the concept of degree of quantumness in quantum synchronization, a measure of the quantum nature of synchronization in quantum systems. Following techniques from quantum information, we propose the number of non-commuting observables that synchronize as a measure of quantumness. This figure of merit is compatible with already existing synchronization measurements, and it captures different physical properties. We illustrate it in a quantum system consisting of two weakly interacting cavity-qubit systems, which are coupled via the exchange of bosonic excitations between the cavities. Moreover, we study the synchronization of the expectation values of the Pauli operators and we propose a feasible superconducting circuit setup. Finally, we discuss the degree of quantumness in the synchronization between two quantum van der Pol oscillators.

Multiqubit and multilevel quantum reinforcement learning with quantum technologies.

We propose a protocol to perform quantum reinforcement learning with quantum technologies. At variance with recent results on quantum reinforcement learning with superconducting circuits, in our current protocol coherent feedback during the learning process is not required, enabling its implementation in a wide variety of quantum systems. We consider diverse possible scenarios for an agent, an environment, and a register that connects them, involving multiqubit and multilevel systems, as well as open-system dynamics. We finally propose possible implementations of this protocol in trapped ions and superconducting circuits. The field of quantum reinforcement learning with quantum technologies will enable enhanced quantum control, as well as more efficient machine learning calculations.

Crude glycerin alters beef cow ruminal fluid degradability of nutrients in vitro.

Crude glycerin (GLY) is used as an energy supplement for cattle and has been shown to increase propionate and decrease acetate concentrations in the rumen. Glycerin also decreases ruminal NH3, and therefore, we hypothesized that GLY in rumen fluid would decrease protein degradability of feedstuffs. The objective was to evaluate the effect of GLY in bovine rumen fluid on extent of protein degradability of alfalfa hay (ALF), dried distiller's grains (DDG), and soybean meal (SBM). The study was conducted using an in vitro incubator with four incubation jars. Each incubation jar contained 18 filter bags with 0.5 g of ground feed sample (six bags contained ALF, six contained DDG, and six contained SBM), six blank bags, 1,600 mL of buffer solution, 400-mL rumen fluid (collected from two ruminally cannulated cows), and one of the two treatments. Treatments were 12.7 g of deionized water (-GLY) or 12.7 g of GLY (+GLY) added to the 2-liter contents of each jar. Incubation jars were purged with CO2 and allowed to incubate at 39°C for 48 h. The 48-h incubation period was repeated for a total of three runs (the study was a randomized complete block design). Fluid samples from incubation jars were collected at 0 and 48 h into 25-mL vials for measurement of pH and analysis of VFA and NH3. At the end of the 48-h incubation period, filter bags containing feed samples were collected for determination of DM, NDF, and CP disappearance. The pH and NH3 concentrations of the contents of jars were lower (P ≤ 0.01) and total VFA concentrations were greater (P < 0.01) for +GLY than -GLY after 48 h of incubation. Molar percentages of acetate, isobutyrate, and isovalerate were lower (P < 0.01) and molar percentages of propionate and valerate were greater (P ≤ 0.02), resulting in a lower (P < 0.01) acetate-to-propionate ratio for +GLY compared with -GLY after the 48-h incubation period. A GLY × feed interaction (P < 0.01) occurred for DM and CP disappearance, where +GLY decreased DM and CP disappearance of SBM more than that of ALF and DDG. Disappearance of NDF from ALF, DDG, and SBM was lower for +GLY compared with -GLY (GLY; P < 0.01). These results suggest that supplementing glycerin to ruminants may cause an increase in RUP fraction escaping to the small intestine for potential digestion and absorption.

Incoherent-mediator for quantum state transfer in the ultrastrong coupling regime.

We study quantum state transfer between two qubits coupled to a common quantum bus that is constituted by an ultrastrong coupled light-matter system. By tuning both qubit frequencies on resonance with a forbidden transition in the mediating system, we demonstrate a high-fidelity swap operation even though the quantum bus is thermally populated. We discuss a possible physical implementation in a realistic circuit QED scheme that leads to the multimode Dicke model. This proposal may have applications on hot quantum information processing within the context of ultrastrong coupling regime of light-matter interaction.

Sudden Transition between Classical to Quantum Decoherence in bipartite correlated Qutrit Systems.

Classical to quantum decoherence transition, an issue existing for incoherent superposition of Bell-diagonal states is studied for three dimensional bipartite AB mixed quantum systems. Depending on the initial conditions, the dynamics of classical and quantum correlations can exhibit a sudden transition between classical to quantum decoherence. This result is calculated numerically by using entropic and geometric measures of correlations. An alternative explanation for this effect could be obtained by extending the bipartite A ⊗ B qutrit system to a pure tripartite A ⊗ B ⊗ C system. The freezing of classical correlations in AB is related to a freezing of the entanglement in the AC bipartition.

Effect of Mg content on the thermal stability and mechanical behaviour of PLLA/Mg composites processed by hot extrusion.

In the field of bioabsorbable composites for biomedical applications, extrusion has been employed as a method to prepare homogeneous blends of polymeric matrices with bioactive ceramic fillers. In this work, the suitability of processing poly-l-lactic acid/Magnesium (PLLA/Mg) composites by hot extrusion has been assessed by a systematic characterization of PLLA/Mg composites containing different amounts of Mg particles up to 7wt%. The results show that extrusion causes a reduction of almost 20% in the viscosity average molecular weight of PLLA, which further decreases with increasing Mg content. Extrusion gave always rise to a homogeneous distribution of Mg particles within the PLLA matrix. This composite processing was not compromised by the degradation of the polymeric matrix because the processing temperature was always below the onset degradation temperature. In the processing conditions employed in the present work, degradation of the composite slightly increases as more Mg is added up to 5wt%, but is very high at 7wt%. This was also evident from the mechanical behaviour, so that Mg particles improved the stiffness and compression strength of neat PLLA until 5wt% of Mg content, which dropped drastically when the material had 7wt% of Mg. The filler strengthening factor decreases with the increment in Mg content. In order to obtain an optimised contribution of Mg particles, a balance between thermal degradation and mechanical resistance of PLLA must be achieved.

Sorption of indium (III) onto carbon nanotubes.

Indium has numerous applications in different industrial sectors and is not an abundant element. Therefore appropriate technology to recover this element from various process wastes is needed. This research reports high adsorption capacity of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) for In(III). The effects of pH, kinetics, isotherms and adsorption mechanism of MWCNT on In(III) adsorption were investigated and discussed in detail. The pH increases improves the adsorption capacity for In(III). The Langmuir adsorption model is the best fit with the experimental data. For the kinetic study, the adsorption onto MWCNT could be fitted to pseudo second-order. The adsorption of indium(III) can be described to a mechanism which consists of a film diffusion controlled process. Metal desorption can be achieved with acidic solutions.

Pre-gestational overweight in guinea pig sows induces fetal vascular dysfunction and increased rate of large and small fetuses.

In humans, obesity before and during pregnancy is associated with both fetal macrosomia and growth restriction, and long-term cardiovascular risk in the offspring. We aimed to determine whether overweighted pregnant guinea pig sows results in an increased fetal weight at term and the effects on the vascular reactivity in fetal systemic and umbilical arteries. Pregnant guinea pigs were classified as control (n=4) or high weight (HWS, n=5) according to their pre-mating weight, and their fetuses extracted at 0.9 gestation (~60 days). Segments of fetal femoral and umbilical arteries were mounted in a wire myograph, where the contractile response to KCl (5-125 mM), and the relaxation to nitric oxide synthase-dependent agents (insulin, 10-10-10-7 and acetylcholine, 10-10-10-5) and nitric oxide [sodium nitroprusside (SNP), 10-10-10-5] were determined. Fetuses from HWS (HWSF) were grouped according to their body weight as low (85 g) fetal weight, based on the confidence interval (76.5-84.9 g) of the control group. No HWSF were observed in the normal range. Umbilical arteries from HWSF showed a lower response to KCl and insulin compared with controls, but a comparable response with SNP. Conversely, femoral arteries from HWSF showed an increased response to KCl and acetylcholine, along with a decreased sensitivity to SNP. These data show that overweight sows have altered fetal growth along gestation. Further, large and small fetuses from obese guinea pig sows showed altered vascular reactivity at umbilical and systemic vessels, which potentially associates with long-term cardiovascular risk.

Preparation and characterization of activated carbon from the char produced in the thermolysis of granulated scrap tyres.

UNLABELLED: The char produced in the thermolysis of granulated scrap tyres has few market outlets, reducing the economic viability of the thermolytic process. This paper reports the potential of this char as a low-cost precursor of porous carbons. The tyre-derived char was demineralized in either alkaline or acidic media to reduce its ash, zinc, sulfur, and silica contents. The lowest impurity content was achieved with an HNO3/H2O treatment. The resulting demineralized char was then subjected to activation by KOH or CO2. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET)-specific surface area of the activated carbon produced by the KOH treatment was 242 m2/g, whereas that of the CO2-activated carbon was 720 m2/g. The textural properties of the latter product were similar to those of some commercial activated carbons. The use of tyre-derived char as a precursor of porous carbons could render the thermolytic treatment of scrap tyres more economically attractive. IMPLICATIONS: Char produced in thermolysis of granulated scrap tyres has a few market outlets; in this paper an alternative for its use is presented. The char was converted into activated carbon with textural properties similar to those of some commercial activated carbons. This process could render the thermolytic treatment of scrap tyres more economically attractive.

Mechanisms involved in the protective effects of metformin against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Metformin is an antidiabetic drug used widely in clinical practice. Its main clinical effect is to reduce blood glucose levels by improving insulin resistance. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is characterized by chronic liver damage and can develop into liver cirrhosis. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with obesity and contributes to insulin resistance, and metformin is used to treat individuals with these conditions. The mechanisms underlying the clinical effects of metformin in treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are unclear. This article summarizes the literature on the mechanisms associated with liver glucose metabolism and the beneficial effects of metformin on this common liver disease.

[Malnutrition incidence in surgical diabetic and non diabetic patients in general surgery department]. / Incidencia de desnutrición en pacientes quirúrgicos diabéticos y no diabéticos en el servicio de cirugía general.

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of hyponutrition among hospitalized patients varies between 30 to 50%, increasing both the morbidity and mortality rates. The aim of this study is to assess the incidence of hyponutrition in diabetic and non-diabetic patients at the General Surgery Department. METHODS: Prospective, observation, and longitudinal study assessing the nutritional status by means of VGS, CONUT, and MNA. RESULTS: 384 patients: 97 surgical diabetic patients, incidence of hyponutrition assessed by VGS 28.8%, by MNA among patients older than 65 years 54.28%. Two hundred and eighty seven non-diabetic surgical patients were assessed with an incidence of hyponutrition of 12.9%, and of 52.94% by MNA. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of hyponutrition in surgical diabetic patients is twofold higher than in non-diabetic patients. Elder diabetic and non-diabetic surgical patients show the same incidence of hyponutrition. Given the high incidence of hyponutrition in surgical patients admitted to the General Surgery Department, the nutritional status should be assessed by means of a protocolled method, at admission by VSG or MNA if they are older than 65 years, and admitted patients should be followed by using CONUT.

Situación actual de las unidades del dolor crónico en la Región de Murcia / No disponible

Objetivo: conocer la situación actual, en términos de organización y administración, de las Unidades del Dolor Crónico (UDO) de los hospitales públicos de la Región de Murcia. Material y método: encuesta on-line que exploraba aspectos de estructura y de proceso, dirigida a cada uno de los responsables de las UDO de todos los hospitales públicos del Servicio Murciano de Salud. Resultados: respondieron el 87,5% de las UDO, que representan una cobertura poblacional del 90% de la Región, todas ellas dirigidas por un anestesiólogo, de las que el 85,7% eran multi-disciplinares. Cada UDO realiza una media de 4,6 consultas y 0,75 quirófanos semanales. El 42,8% dedican a la asistencia menos de 8 h a la semana. Con una demora media para primera demanda de 66 días y de 49,2 para las revisiones, siendo la demanda mensual de primeras visitas de 32,5 pacientes. Algunas UDO expresan rechazar ciertos procesos dolorosos. El 42,8% realiza triaje, pero solo el 28,6% utiliza para ello criterios explícitos. Sólo el 28,6% emplea criterios explícitos de derivación, y solo el 57,1% dispone de protocolos de actuación clínica. Conclusiones: las UDO de la Región de Murcia presentan una gran disparidad en accesibilidad, presión asistencial, continuidad en los cuidados, gestión de la demanda y estructura, lo que hace muy difícil la posibilidad de comparación de resultados entre centros, al no disponer de la homogeneidad necesaria en la estructura y en los procesos asistenciales (AU)

Objective: to know about the current situation in terms of organization and management of Chronic Pain Clinics (UDO) of public hospitals in the Region of Murcia. Material and methods: on-line questionnaires that explored aspects of structure and process, addressed to each of the heads of the UDO of every public hospitals of Murcia Health Service. Results: the 87.5% of the UDO answered the questions, representing a 90% of population coverage in the region, all of them directed by an anaesthesiologist, 85.7% of which were multi-disciplinary. Each UDO develops an average of 4.6 consults per week and 0.75 operating rooms. 42.8% of them dedicate less than 8 h per week to assistance. With an average delay of 66 days for the first demand and 49.2 days for the reviews, being the monthly demand for the first visits of 32.5 patients. Some UDO expresses rejection to certain painful processes. 42.8% of them make triage, but only 28.6% use explicit criteria for it. Furthermore, only 28.6% use explicit criteria to send patients to another hospital, and only 57.1% have clinical intervention protocols. Conclusions: UDO in the Region of Murcia has a wide disparity in accessibility, workload, continuity of care, demand management and structure, making it very difficult to compare the results between units, due to the lack of the necessary homogeneity in the structure and care processes (AU)

Formation of metacinnabar by milling of liquid mercury and elemental sulfur for long term mercury storage.

In this paper we present the results of the formation of black HgS (metacinnabar) from liquid mercury and elemental sulfur using the mechanical energy provided by a ball mill in different conditions. Metacinnabar formation was observed even after short milling times (15 min) and unreacted liquid mercury was no longer detected after 60 min of milling. The reaction mechanism was monitored with a scanning electron microscope. The impact and friction forces of milling on the Hg and S mixture resulted in the formation of metacinnabar by reducing the size of mercury drops, giving rise to microspheres, and lowering the surface tension to allow sulfur grains to become adhered at the reaction interface. After 60 min of milling, the metacinnabar formation reaction was observed to be more than 99.99% complete, yielding a Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure value of 3.1 microg/L Hg. The reaction product thus complies with the limits of the most stringent Universal Treatment Standard requirements, which allow a maximum TCLP concentration of 25 microg/L.

Effect of Citrus paradisi extract and juice on arterial pressure both in vitro and in vivo.

Citrus paradisi (grapefruit) consumption is considered as beneficial and it is popularly used for the treatment of a vast array of diseases, including hypertension. In the present study, the coronary vasodilator and hypotensive effects of Citrus paradisi peel extract were assessed in the Langendorff isolated and perfused heart model and in the heart and lung dog preparation. In both models, Citrus paradisi peel extract decreased coronary vascular resistance and mean arterial pressure when compared with control values (60 +/- 15 x 10(7) dyn s cm(-5) vs 100 +/- 10 x 10(7) dyn s cm(-5) and 90 mmHg vs 130 +/- 15 mmHg, respectively). These decreases in coronary vascular resistance and mean arterial pressure were blocked when isolated and perfused hearts and mongrel dogs were pre-treated with L-NAME. In humans, Citrus paradisi juice decreased diastolic arterial pressure and systolic arterial pressure both in normotensive and hypertensive subjects. Citrus paradisi juice produced a greater decrease in mean arterial pressure when compared with Citrus sinensis juice, cow milk and a vitamin C-supplemented beverage. However, more detailed studies are required to isolate, purify and evaluate the chemical compounds responsible for this pharmacological effect and to clarify its possible role for treating hypertension.

Coronary vasodilator activity of vulgarenol, a sesquiterpene isolated from Magnolia grandiflora, and its possible mechanism.

The aim of this study was to investigate the biodynamic effects of vulgarenol, a sesquiterpene isolated from Magnolia grandiflora flower petals and its possible mechanism on the Langendorff isolated and perfused heart model. Vulgarenol (5 microm) caused a statistically significant decrease in coronary vascular resistance (15.21 +/- 6.00 dyn s cm(-5) vs 36.80 +/- 5.01 dyn s cm(-5), control group), increased nitric oxide release (223.01 +/- 8.76 pmol/mL vs 61.00 +/- 12.00 pmol/mL, control group) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate accumulation in left ventricular tissue samples (142.17 +/- 8.41 pmol/mg of tissue vs 43.94 +/- 5.00 pmol/mg of tissue, control group). Pre-treatment with 3 microm gadolinium chloride hexahydrate, 100 microm N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride, and 10 microm 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,2-a]quinoxalin-1-one significantly abolished the vulgarenol-induced coronary vascular resistance decrease, nitric oxide increased release and cGMP accumulation in left ventricular tissue samples. The results support the fact that nitric oxide and cyclic guanosine monophosphate are likely involved in the endothelium-dependent coronary vasodilation.

La producción científica española en anestesiología y reanimación 1983-1995 / Scientific productivity in anesthesia and postoperative recovery in Spain, 1983-1995

OBJETIVOS: Cuantificar y analizar la información disponible internacionalmente sobre la producción científica de la anestesiología española en el período 1983 a 1995. MATERIAL: Publicaciones realizadas por autores españoles que se hallan indizadas en tres repertorios o bases de datos electrónicas: el índice Médico Español (IME) Medline y Embase (correspondiente a Excerpta Médica). MÉTODO: Estudio bibliométrico de la producción contenida en las tres bases, determinando la cuantificación, evolución temporal de los documentos circulantes, el solapamiento y las características de la producción. RESULTADOS: Durante el período estudiado fueron indizados en los tres repertorios un total de 2.608 trabajos producidos por anestesiólogos españoles (IME 79 por ciento Medline 54 por ciento Excerpta 29,5 por ciento). El crecimiento medio anual fue del 16,7 por ciento, con un período de duplicación de 10,2 años. CONCLUSIONES: El crecimiento es exponencial, similar al de otras disciplinas y cumple la ley de Price. Las tres bases recogen mayoritariamente la producción científica de los anestesiólogos españoles. IME y Medflne son los repertorios más importantes para la literatura anestesiológica española. Excerpta presenta el mayor crecimiento en la recopilación de las tres bases. Es imprescindible la inclusión de las tres bases en búsquedas bibliográficas y estudios bibliométricos sobre la anestesiología española (AU)

Removal of copper ions from aqueous solutions by a steel-making by-product.

A study is made of the use of a steel-making by-product (rolling mill scale) as a material for removing Cu(2+) ions from aqueous solutions. The influence of contact time, initial copper ion concentration and temperature on removal capability is considered. The removal of Cu(2+) ions from an aqueous solution involves two processes: on the one hand, the adsorption of Cu(2+) ions on the surface of mill scale due to the iron oxides present in the latter; and on the other hand, the cementation of Cu(2+) onto metallic iron contained in the mill scale. Rolling mill scale is seen to be an effective material for the removal of copper ions from aqueous solutions.