Publications by authors named "Miro J"

The Burro de Miranda is an endangered donkey breed. The dynamics of the immune system of the donkey's reproductive tract are essential to manage the fertility of these animals for the improvement and survival of the species. In mares, high numbers of immune cells infiltrating the endometrium promote endometrosis, which is still to be confirmed in jennies.

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(1) Background: Alternative antibiotics are needed to treat infective endocarditis (IE) caused by non-/non- enterococci; we aimed to assess the in vitro activity of ampicillin plus ceftriaxone (AMP + CTR) against these enterococci and to describe its clinical efficacy in IE cases. (2) Methods: Time-kill curves with standard (ISI) and high (IHI) inocula were performed to test isolates [3 (ECAS) and 1 (EGALL)] and non- isolates [1 (EDUR), 1 (EHIR) and 1 (ERAF)]. The narrative literature review of IE cases treated with AMP + CTR was analyzed alongside three study cases.

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Objectives: The objectives were to determine the structure of training programmes and assessment of physicians training to become infectious disease (ID) specialists in Europe in early 2024 and to document the provision of specialists, trainees and training centres in each country.

Methods: Delegates to the ID Section and Board of the European Union of Medical Specialists entered national data on a web-based survey tool in late 2023-early 2024. Results were compared with European Union of Medical Specialists recommendations on the structure and content of postgraduate training in ID in Europe (2018), and to results of a similar survey in early 2021.

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Objective: With HIV now a chronic condition and an aging population, understanding the evolving profiles of older people with HIV (PWH) is crucial. In this longitudinal study, we examined changes in epidemiological and mortality trends among aging PWH aged 60 and above from 1998 to 2021.

Design: The study constructed four retrospective cohorts based on our calendar periods, reflecting the changing epidemiology of HIV - 1998-2003, 2004-2008, 2009-2014, and 2015-2021.

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Background: Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are an increasingly common cause of infective endocarditis (IE) and lack recent data from large studies.

Objectives: Our aim was to describe the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of staphylococcal IE in a contemporary nationwide cohort study, while comparing coagulase-negative staphylococcal IE (CoNSIE) to IE from Staphylococcus aureus (SAIE), and among IE caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis (SE), S. lugdunensis (SL), and other CoNS.

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Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of antistaphylococcal penicillin (ASP) or cephazolin-based combinations versus monotherapy in patients with native-valve infective endocarditis (IE) caused by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA).

Methods: Post-hoc analysis of a multicentre prospective cohort. We include patients from 2008 to 2022 with definite native-valve, left-side IE due to MSSA treated primarily with ASP/cephazolin.

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Article Synopsis
  • Study aimed to explore how common liver steatosis (LS) and liver fibrosis (LF) are among people with HIV, and what factors contribute to these liver conditions.
  • In a large cohort study involving over 4,600 people, it was found that 28% showed signs of LS, with this prevalence increasing to 55% in a group with higher cardiovascular risk factors; LF was less common, affecting only about 1-5% across different assessment methods.
  • Key factors linked to LS included current CD4 counts and conditions like diabetes and hypertension, while past use of certain HIV drugs was linked to LF; notably, current treatment with integrase strand transfer inhibitors appeared protective against LF.
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Research has shown that pain and sleep disturbance often co-occur and influence each other over time in children and adolescents with chronic pain. Longitudinal studies examining the underlying mechanisms of this association are scarce and have focused primarily on the role of internalizing mental health symptoms and mood. This longitudinal study aimed to determine whether fatigue underlies the co-occurrence and mutual maintenance of sleep disturbance and pain over time in children and adolescents with chronic pain.

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Introduction: HIV replication leads to a change in lymphocyte phenotypes that impairs immune protection against opportunistic infections. We examined current HIV replication as an independent risk factor for tuberculosis (TB).

Methods: We included people living with HIV from 25 European cohorts 1983-2015.

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Aspiration pneumonia (AP) is the most severe complication of oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD). It is highly underdiagnosed and undertreated among older patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Our aim is to review the state of the art in the diagnosis and treatment of swallowing disorders associated with AP.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined SARS-CoV-2 infection rates and risk factors among unvaccinated people living with HIV (PWH), finding an 18% prevalence of infection in this group.
  • It involved testing plasma samples from 4,400 PWH and revealed that a significant portion of those infected were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.
  • The research concluded that common risk factors included younger age, female sex, MSM status, and syphilis history, while antiretrovirals, including tenofovir, did not protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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  • The study examines the impact of universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) on people living with HIV (PLHIV) admitted to the ICU, comparing data from 2006-2015 and 2016-2019.
  • It found that more patients were on ART before admission after the recommendation was put in place, which led to fewer complications and lower ICU mortality rates (14% vs 7%).
  • Key predictors of mortality included the severity of illness and complications during admission, highlighting that ART use during ICU stays offered some protection against mortality.
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Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) caused by viridans and gallolyticus group streptococci (VGS-GGS) resistant to penicillin (PEN-R; minimum inhibitory concentration ≥4 mg/L) is rare but poses therapeutic challenges.

Objectives: To describe the characteristics of patients with IE caused by PEN-R VGS-GGS, focusing on antimicrobial management.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort of definite IE caused by PEN-R VGS-GGS between 2008 and 2023 in 40 Spanish hospitals.

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Objective: Research has shown that there has been an increase in the prevalence of chronic back pain (CBP) in adolescents, especially in female adolescents. The purpose of the current study was to test the hypothesis that the observed increase in the prevalence of early menarche in female adolescents is contributing to the increase in the prevalence of CBP over time in this population.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from 251,390 female adolescents from 27 countries/regions were drawn from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children questionnaire-based surveys conducted in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study was conducted to create a risk score to predict loss to follow-up (LTFU) in patients living with HIV (PLWH) in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.
  • The study analyzed 6,661 PLWH and identified key factors contributing to LTFU, including age, nationality, drug use, viral load, and time since diagnosis.
  • The results indicated that a significant portion of PLWH (28.8%) was at medium risk and 3.4% at high risk for LTFU, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to retain patients in HIV care.
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Purpose: Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic valve endocarditis (SAPVE) is a serious infection with high mortality. The main objective of this study was to identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality.

Methods: From January 2008 to December 2021, consecutive patients from a Spanish cohort of infective endocarditis with a definitive diagnosis of SAPVE were analyzed.

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Background: People with HIV have a substantially higher risk of anal cancer than the general population. We aimed to identify risk factors associated with the development of anal cancer among people with HIV to implement more effective and targeted screening strategies.

Methods: We conducted a multicentre retrospective cohort study in 16 hospitals across Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, Spain, between Jan 1, 1998, and Dec 31, 2022.

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Surgical removal of the mesial temporal lobe can effectively treat drug-resistant epilepsy but may lead to mood disorders. This fact is of particular interest in patients without a prior psychiatric history. The study investigates the relationship between Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE), mood disorders, and the functional connectivity of the Hippocampus (Hipp) and Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc).

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Surgical repair through the arterial switch operation (ASO) is the only definitive treatment in patients with dextro-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA). A crucial step during the reimplantation process is transfer of coronary arteries (CA) to the neo-aorta. A potential cause of CA stenosis is the presence of a high implantation of CA (HICA), defined by the presence of coronary ostium located above the sinotubular junction (STJ) of the aorta.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study analyzed data from 5667 patients diagnosed with infective endocarditis (IE) across 46 hospitals in Spain from 2008 to 2021, finding that only 1.7% were HIV-infected.
  • HIV-infected patients tended to be younger, predominantly male, and had specific features like higher rates of tricuspid location and community-acquired infections, but fewer surgical interventions.
  • Despite these differences, the study concluded that HIV status did not significantly affect in-hospital or one-year mortality rates for patients with IE.
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  • The study investigates the effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART) interruption on neuro-axonal injury, specifically measuring levels of neurofilament light protein (NfL) in individuals during primary HIV-1 infection.
  • Findings show that NfL decreased after 48 weeks of ART, indicating reduced neuronal injury, and remained stable despite viral rebound after ART interruption.
  • Additionally, baseline NfL levels correlated with higher plasma HIV-1 RNA and older age but showed no significant relationship with inflammation markers like IL-6 or total HIV-1 DNA.
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Percutaneous device occlusion is currently the standard of care for most cases of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Albeit infrequent, device-related left pulmonary artery (LPA) stenosis is a known complication of this procedure, occasionally requiring stent placement to relieve the obstruction. We present a series of four patients who required left pulmonary stenting after ductus arteriosus device closure.

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In this study, two different approaches based on taxonomic assemblages and on copepod functional groups were used to investigate the mesozooplankton assemblage structure and its relationship with environmental variables in the main estuaries of the Gulf of Cádiz (Guadalquivir, Guadiana and Tinto-Odiel) during the dry-warm season. In general, the mesozooplankton assemblages were dominated by copepods, especially the calanoid Acartia tonsa, which reached its highest abundance in the inner zones while the adjacent coastal zones were characterized by a mixture of copepods and cladocerans, especially Penilia avirostris. Regarding the trait-based approach, three copepod functional groups were identified, principally sorted by their feeding strategy.

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ProAKAP4, a precursor of AKAP4 (A-kinase anchor protein) found in the flagellum of mammalian and non-mammalian spermatozoa, serves as a structural protein with established correlations to motility parameters across diverse species. This study aimed to determine the proAKAP4 level evolution in thawed stallion semen over a 3 h period, examining its correlation with motility descriptors and mitochondrial membrane potential. Utilizing sixteen ejaculates from four French warmblood stallions, this study involved maintaining thawed samples at 37 °C for 3 h, conducting proAKAP4 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), and mitochondrial membrane potential by JC-1 probe and flow cytometry at 0, 1, and 3 h post-thawing.

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