Six-year multicenter study on short-term peripheral venous catheters-related bloodstream infection rates in 727 intensive care units of 268 hospitals in 141 cities of 42 countries of Africa, the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South East Asia, and Western Pacific Regions: International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) findings.

BACKGROUND: Short-term peripheral venous catheter-related bloodstream infection (PVCR-BSI) rates have not been systematically studied in resource-limited countries, and data on their incidence by number of device days are not available. METHODS: Prospective, surveillance study on PVCR-BSI conducted from September 1, 2013, to May 31, 2019, in 727 intensive care units (ICUs), by members of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC), from 268 hospitals in 141 cities of 42 countries of Africa, the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South East Asia, and Western Pacific regions. For this research, we applied definition and criteria of the CDC NHSN, methodology of the INICC, and software named INICC Surveillance Online System. RESULTS: We followed 149,609 ICU patients for 731,135 bed days and 743,508 short-term peripheral venous catheter (PVC) days. We identified 1,789 PVCR-BSIs for an overall rate of 2.41 per 1,000 PVC days. Mortality in patients with PVC but without PVCR-BSI was 6.67%, and mortality was 18% in patients with PVC and PVCR-BSI. The length of stay of patients with PVC but without PVCR-BSI was 4.83 days, and the length of stay was 9.85 days in patients with PVC and PVCR-BSI. Among these infections, the microorganism profile showed 58% gram-negative bacteria: Escherichia coli (16%), Klebsiella spp (11%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6%), Enterobacter spp (4%), and others (20%) including Serratia marcescens. Staphylococcus aureus were the predominant gram-positive bacteria (12%). CONCLUSIONS: PVCR-BSI rates in INICC ICUs were much higher than rates published from industrialized countries. Infection prevention programs must be implemented to reduce the incidence of PVCR-BSIs in resource-limited countries.

Strong dependence of a pioneer shrub on seed dispersal services provided by an endemic endangered lizard in a Mediterranean island ecosystem.

The accelerating rate of vertebrate extinctions and population declines threatens to disrupt important ecological interactions, altering key ecosystem processes such as animal seed dispersal. The study of highly specialized mutualistic interactions is crucial to predict the consequences of population declines and extinctions. Islands offer unique opportunities to study highly specialized interactions, as they often have naturally depauperated faunas and are experiencing high rates of human-driven extinctions. In this study, we assess the effect of seed dispersal on seedling recruitment of Ephedra fragilis (Ephedraceae) on a Mediterranean island ecosystem. We used field data and stochastic simulation modeling to estimate seed fate and recruitment patterns of this pioneer shrub typical of arid and semiarid areas, and to estimate the dependence of recruitment on the lizard Podarcis lilfordi (Lacertidae), its only known seed disperser. Ephedra fragilis recruitment highly depended on lizards: lizards produced 3.8 times more newly-emerged seedlings than non-dispersed seeds and no seedlings from undispersed seeds survived the study period. Seed dispersal by lizards was mostly to open sites, which was key for the increased success observed, while undispersed seeds, falling under mother plants, suffered higher predation and lower seedling emergence and survival. The ability of this pioneer shrub to get established in open ground is crucial for vegetation colonization and restoration, especially on degraded lands affected by desertification, where they act as nurse plants for other species. Lizards are key in this process, which has important consequences for community structure and ecosystem functioning.

Análise histopatológica da resposta celular inicial em lesões experimentais causadas por leishmania (L. )amazonensis em diferentes linhagens de camundongos / Histopathological analysis of the initial cellular reply in experimental injuries caused by leishmania (L. ) amazonensis in strains of mice

A leishmaniose é uma importante zoonose endêmica,sendo um problema de saúde pública em diversos países.No Brasil, a leishmaniose tegumentar é a forma mais comum da doença, com distribuição por todo o território nacional...Para elucidar a resposta inflamatória e a participação dos receptores TLR-2 e TLR-4 nas duas primeiras semanas após infecção por Leishmania(L.)amazonensis,utilizamos camundongos das linhagens BALB/c,C57BL/6,C3H/HeJ e TLR-2-/-.Os camundongos foram inoculados na região auricular externa com formas promastigotas de L.(L.)amazonensis e as áreas do inóculo foram retiradas com 1,7 e 15 dias de infecção e processadas para microscopia de luz e microscopia eletrônica de transmissão.Para análise histopatológica da pele e para caracterização das fibras colágenas,as biópsias foram fixadas em formalina a 10 por cento,incluídas em parafina e os cortes corados por HE ou Sirius-red,respectivamente.Para a análise ultra-estrutural,os fragmentos das áreas do inóculo foram fixados em glutaraldeído a 2,5 por cento e tetróxido de ósmio a 1 por cento e incluídos em resina Polybed 812. Cortes semi-finos foram corados por azul de toluidina e utilizados para avaliação do perfil celular e da carga parasitária.Cortes ultra-finos foram contrastados para análise das células presentes no infiltrado inflamatório. Nossos resultados demonstram que lesões em camundongos BALB/c,C57BL/6 e TLR-2-/- infectados com L.(L.) amazonensis apresentam perfil celular caracterizado principalmente por macrófagos,neutrófilos e eosinófilos.Em camundongos C3H/HeJ o infiltrado é composto predominantemente por células mononucleares e por aumento gradativo do nº de mastócitos e fibroblastos. Os camundongos BALB/c são os mais susceptíveis à infecção,apresentando um nº expressivo de amastigotas extracelulares.Entretanto, os camundongos deficientes em TLR-2 e TLR-4 apresentaram uma baixa carga parasitária...Análise das fibras colágenas demonstrou que todas as linhagens estudadas apresentam modulação

Haplotype distribution of and linkage disequilibrium between four polymorphic markers near the CFTR locus in Brazilian cystic fibrosis patients.

To contribute to a better understanding of the origin and distribution of CFTR mutations in the Brazilian population, we have investigated the linkage between four polymorphic markers (XV2c, KM19, GATT, and TUB9) within or near the CFTR locus. The distribution of alleles for each polymorphism for both parental and cystic fibrosis (CF) chromosomes from Rio de Janeiro CF families were ascertained using a maximum-likelihood method. This same method was applied to study the distribution of the haplotypes defined by these markers. There was no significant association between the XV2c and KM19 loci on the parental and CF chromosomes. On the other hand, a strong association between GATT and TUB9 loci was observed on both CF and parental chromosomes, and striking linkage disequilibrium between the GATT-TUB9 pair and deltaF508 was observed (chi2 = 26.48, p < 0.0001). Remarkable linkage disequilibrium between the GATT-TUB9 marker pair and non-deltaF508 was also found (chi2 = 17.05, p < 0.0001). Our finding of a linkage disequilibrium between GATT-TUB9 and the CFTR locus could suggest that gene flow between different ethnic groups, mainly sub-Saharan and Mediterranean populations, with Brazilian populations could have resulted in some CF mutations originating on chromosomes that carried the GATT-TUB9 marker haplotype 7-2 (OR = 1.34 < 2.83 < 6.00; p = 0.0066).

Análisis comparativo sobre el empleo de plantas medicinales en la medicina tradicional de Cuba e Islas Canarias / Comparative analysis on the use of medicinal plants in traditional medicine in Cuba and The Canary Islands

Se analizaron comparativamente, a partir de las obras sobre plantas medicinales más importantes de Cuba y Canarias, la utilización dada por cada uno de estos pueblos a las diferentes especies vegetales. Se relacionaron 179 especies agrupadas en 147 géneros de 62 familias que son utilizadas en la medicina tradicional de Cuba e Islas Canarias y se señalaron las propiedades atribuidas y/o afecciones para las que son utilizadas dichas especies en ambas regiones(AU)

Análisis comparativo sobre el empleo de plantas medicinales en la medicina tradicional de Cuba e Islas Canarias / Comparative analysis on the use of medicinal plants in traditional medicine in Cuba and The Canary Islands

Se analizaron comparativamente, a partir de las obras sobre plantas medicinales más importantes de Cuba y Canarias, la utilización dada por cada uno de estos pueblos a las diferentes especies vegetales. Se relacionaron 179 especies agrupadas en 147 géneros de 62 familias que son utilizadas en la medicina tradicional de Cuba e Islas Canarias y se señalaron las propiedades atribuidas y/o afecciones para las que son utilizadas dichas especies en ambas regiones

Identification of functional domains affected by developmental exposure to methylmercury: Faroe islands and related studies.

The Faroe Islands study is a prospective study designed to assess the neurological and behavioral consequences of in utero exposure to methylmercury (meHg). Maternal exposure to meHg was through consumption of fish and intermittent higher-level exposure through pilot whale meat, while consumption of pilot whale blubber resulted in maternal exposure to PCBs. Analysis of the neurobehavioral domains affected revealed impairment in attention, memory, and auditory processing, impairment in primary auditory function, and to a lesser extent motor impairment. For four of the eight endpoints affected by meHg exposure atp < .10, impairment was also correlated (p < .10) with in utero PCB exposure as measured by cord tissue PCB levels. Further analyses provide evidence for an independent effect of PCBs and meHg on these endpoints. Cross-sectional studies in a smaller number of children in the Amazon and Madeira by the same group of investigators, in which average meHg maternal hair levels were about twice as high those in the Faroe Islands, identified auditory, visual, and/or motor deficits, with little or no evidence of deficits in attention or memory. However, the results of the cross-sectional studies must be interpreted with caution, due to limited statistical power as well as a lack of opportunity to correlate effects to in utero exposure.