Gut microbiome and plasma lipidome analysis reveals a specific impact of infection on intestinal bacterial communities and sterol metabolism.

Unlabelled: infection (CDI) causes alterations in the intestinal microbiota, frequently associated with changes in the gut metabolism of bile acids and cholesterol. In addition to the impact on microbiome composition and given the metabolic changes occurring during CDI, our work focuses on the importance to know the effects at the local and systemic levels, both during the infection and its treatment, by paying particular attention to plasma lipid metabolism due to its relationship with CDI pathogenesis. Specific changes, characterized by a loss of microbial richness and diversity and related to a reduction in short-chain acid-producing bacteria and an increase in bile salt hydrolase-producing bacteria, were observed in the gut microbiota of CDI patients, especially in those suffering from recurrent CDI (RCDI).

Tobacco price elasticity by socioeconomic characteristics in Ecuador.

Smoking is a worldwide epidemic and increased prices are one of the most cost-effective measures to reduce tobacco consumption. This article aims to estimate the price and income elasticity of cigarettes for different population groups in Ecuador. The National Survey of Urban and Rural Household Income and Expenditures (ENIGHUR) 2011-2012 was used, which has information on household cigarette consumption and its sociodemographic characteristics.

Involving society in science: Reflections on meaningful and impactful stakeholder engagement in fundamental research.

Open Science calls for transparent science and involvement of various stakeholders. Here are examples of and advice for meaningful stakeholder engagement.

Imported cysticercosis in Spain: A retrospective case series from the +REDIVI Collaborative Network.

Background: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most common parasitic neurological disease worldwide and a major cause of epilepsy. Spain is the country reporting the highest number of NCC imported cases in Europe.

Methodology: Retrospective case series of NCC patients registered in the +REDIVI Network from October 1, 2009 to July 2018.

Increasing prevalence of the epidemic ribotype 106 in healthcare facility-associated and community-associated Clostridioides difficile infection.

Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of nosocomial diarrhea and antibiotics associated diarrhea, but it is also an increasingly common cause of community diarrhea. In recent years we have observed a progressive increase in the incidence of C. difficile infection (CDI) both at the hospital and community setting that could be explained by the dynamic epidemiology of C.

[Payment mechanisms and financial resources management for consolidation of Ecuador's health system].

Objective: Analyze the proposal by the Ministry of Public Health to reform the public financing model in Ecuador with regard to pooling of funds and payment mechanisms.

Method: A literature review was done of the financing model, the current legal framework, and the budgetary bases in Pubmed, SciELO, LILACS Ecuador, and regional LILACS using the key words health financing, health financing systems, capitation, pooling of funds, health system reform Ecuador, health system Ecuador, and health payment mechanisms. Books and other documents suggested by health systems experts were also included.

Influence of Core Affect in the Differential Efficacy of a Personality Disorder Intervention Program.

The usual emotional experience of the person (affective style) is an influential factor in therapeutic assimilation. Based on a dynamic model of affect shaped dimensionally by the valence and arousal axes (core affect) that fluctuate over time according to the specific context of the individual, its relationship with different variables was investigated and the changes after a 6-month intervention in a specialized hospital unit (N = 103) were observed. The orthogonal structure of core-affect was confirmed.

Molecular epidemiology and resistance profiles of Clostridium difficile in a tertiary care hospital in Spain.

Epidemiological surveillance of Clostridium difficile infection has gained importance in recent years as a result of the rapid spread of epidemic strains, including hypervirulent strains and strains with reduced susceptibility to antimicrobials. The molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of C. difficile in the reference hospital of the Balearic Islands (Spain) is reported in this study.

Old world Leishmania infantum cutaneous leishmaniasis unresponsive to liposomal amphotericin B treated with topical imiquimod.

We present a case of a child with Leishmania infantum cutaneous leishmaniasis unresponsive to 2 courses of intravenous liposomal amphotericin B, a treatment failure that has not been reported in this Leishmania species. The patient responded to topical imiquimod and had no relapse. We review the literature on the treatment failure of liposomal amphotericin B for cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Sustained spindle-assembly checkpoint response requires de novo transcription and translation of cyclin B1.

Background: Microtubule-targeting drugs induce mitotic delay at pro-metaphase by preventing the spindle assembly checkpoint to be satisfied. However, especially after prolonged treatments, cells can escape this arrest in a process called mitotic slippage. The mechanisms underlying the spindle assembly checkpoint and slippage are not fully understood.

[Exercising sexual and reproductive rights: a qualitative study of heterosexual people with HIV in Mexico].

Objective: To analyze experiences of heterosexual Mexican people living with HIV (PLWHA) related to the exercise of their sexual and reproductive rights.

Material And Methods: Qualitative study based on 40 in-depth interviews with PLWHA in four Mexican States.

Results: Lack of support and counseling limits the exercise of sexual and reproductive rights by PLWHA, especially women.

Anti-biofilm and resistance suppression activities of CXA-101 against chronic respiratory infection phenotypes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO1.

Objectives: Biofilm growth, mucoid phenotype and proficient resistance development by hypermutable strains dramatically limit the efficacy of current therapies for Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronic respiratory infection (CRI) in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. We evaluated the activity of the new cephalosporin CXA-101, ceftazidime, meropenem and ciprofloxacin against biofilms of wild-type PAO1 and its mucoid (mucA), hypermutable (mutS) and mucoid-hypermutable derivatives, and analysed the capacity of these strains to develop resistance during planktonic and biofilm growth.

Methods: MICs and MBCs were determined by microdilution, and mutant frequencies were determined at 4x and 16x the MICs.

Metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas putida as a reservoir of multidrug resistance elements that can be transferred to successful Pseudomonas aeruginosa clones.

Objectives: To study the prevalence, nature, involved genetic elements and epidemiology of metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL)-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas putida isolated in a Spanish hospital between 2005 and 2008.

Methods: Etests were used for susceptibility testing and screening for MBLs, confirmed through bla(VIM) PCRs and sequencing. Clonal relatedness was evaluated by PFGE and multilocus sequence typing (MLST).

Biotransformation of a cage-like diels-alder adduct and derivatives by Mucor ramosissimus samutsevitsch.

The present study aimed to evaluate the ability for biotransformation of the Diels-Alder adduct tricyclo[6.2.1.

Inactivation of the hmgA gene of Pseudomonas aeruginosa leads to pyomelanin hyperproduction, stress resistance and increased persistence in chronic lung infection.

Clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that hyperproduce a dark-brown pigment are quite often found in the lungs of chronically infected patients, suggesting that they may have an adaptive advantage in chronic infections. We have screened a library of random transposon insertions in P. aeruginosa.

Azithromycin in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms: bactericidal activity and selection of nfxB mutants.

Azithromycin (AZM) has shown promising results in the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronic lung infections such as those occurring in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. We evaluated the effect of hypermutation and alginate hyperproduction on the bactericidal activity and resistance development to AZM in P. aeruginosa biofilms.

Water and saliva contamination effect on shear bond strength of brackets bonded with a moisture-tolerant light cure system.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of water and saliva contamination on shear bond strength of brackets bonded with a moisture-tolerant light cure system.

Materials And Methods: Brackets were bonded to 240 bovine lower incisors divided into 12 groups. Four bonding procedures were evaluated, including (1) TSEP/Transbond XT, (2) TMIP/ Transbond XT, (3) TSEP/Transbond PLUS, and (4) TMIP/Transbond PLUS, each under three different bonding conditions: without contamination, with water contamination, and with saliva contamination.

Attributional style, symptomatology and awareness of illness in schizophrenia.

The objective was to evaluate the relationship among symptomatology, awareness of illness, and attributional style in patients with schizophrenia. Fifty-six patients who were receiving outpatient psychiatric care gave their consent to fill out questionnaires designed to assess symptomatology, awareness of illness, and self-serving bias (SSB), which is a tendency to excessively attribute positive events to internal causes. Questionnaires were successfully completed by 44 patients (31 males and 13 females between the ages of 18 and 62).

Inactivation of the mismatch repair system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa attenuates virulence but favors persistence of oropharyngeal colonization in cystic fibrosis mice.

The inactivation of the mismatch repair (MMR) system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa modestly reduced in vitro fitness, attenuated virulence in murine models of acute systemic and respiratory infections, and decreased the initial oropharyngeal colonization potential. In contrast, the inactivation of the MMR system favored long-term persistence of oropharyngeal colonization in cystic fibrosis mice. These results may help in understanding the reasons for the low and high prevalences, respectively, of hypermutable P.

Effect of surface treatments on the bond strength of brackets bonded with a compomer.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of the compomer Dyract AP for bonding brackets when conditioning the enamel with phosphoric acid and a non-rinsing conditioner (NRC), in comparison with a control group in which the resin orthodontic adhesive system Transbond XT was used.

Methods: The brackets were bonded to extracted premolars which were divided into three groups: (1) Acid/Transbond XT, (2) NRC/Dyract AP and (3) Acid/Dyract AP. Shear bond strength was measured with a universal testing machine.