The Safety of Probiotics Intended for Use in Pregnant and Lactating Women: From a Desirable to a Required Task.

During pregnancy, women undergo changes that affect virtually every organ, apparatus, or system, including the host microbiota. Most pregnancies progress smoothly despite the common presence of minor side-effects arising from such adaptations. However, some women may experience more serious complications, including gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, or preterm delivery.

Linking preterm infant gut microbiota to nasograstric enteral feeding tubes: exploring potential interactions and microbial strain transmission.

Introduction: Preterm birth is a growing problem worldwide. Staying at a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after birth is critical for the survival of preterm infants whose feeding often requires the use of nasogastric enteral feeding tubes (NEFT). These can be colonized by hospital-associated pathobionts that can access the gut of the preterm infants through this route.

Investigating the Metabolism of Estrogens in Strains Isolated from Human Milk and Vaginal Microbiota.

The interplay between enterohepatic circulation and the gut microbiota is the main driver determining systemic levels of estrogens and their metabolites. Nevertheless, the role of potentially probiotic microorganisms in estrogen metabolism has not been investigated so far. In this work, we have explored the ability of six strains isolated from human milk and vaginal samples to degrade and/or conjugate parental estrogens in vitro and under aerobic conditions.

Expansion microscopy applied to mono- and dual-species biofilms.

Expansion microscopy (ExM) is a new super-resolution technique based on embedding the biological sample within a hydrogel and its physical expansion after swelling. This allows increasing its size by several times while preserving its structural details. Applied to prokaryotic cells, ExM requires digestion steps for efficient expansion as bacteria are surrounded by a rigid cell wall.

Leisure education in youth with developmental disabilities: Effects on individual quality of life, adaptive behavior, and family quality of life.

Leisure participation enhances the learning of adaptive skills and the quality of life in youth with developmental disabilities. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of a leisure education program in individuals with developmental disabilities in terms of adaptive behavior and quality of life. Nine participants divided into two small groups and their families were included.

A randomized pilot trial assessing the reduction of gout episodes in hyperuricemic patients by oral administration of CECT 30632, a strain with the ability to degrade purines.

Introduction: Hyperuricemia and gout are receiving an increasing scientific and medical attention because of their relatively high prevalence and their association with relevant co-morbidities. Recently, it has been suggested that gout patients have an altered gut microbiota. The first objective of this study was to investigate the potential of some strains to metabolize purine-related metabolites.

Rheology of Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilms: From experiments to predictive DPD mesoscopic modeling.

Bacterial biofilms mechanically behave as viscoelastic media consisting of micron-sized bacteria cross-linked to a self-produced network of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) embedded in water. Structural principles for numerical modeling aim at describing mesoscopic viscoelasticity without losing details on the underlying interactions existing in wide regimes of deformation under hydrodynamic stress. Here, we approach the computational challenge to model bacterial biofilms for predictive mechanics in silico under variable stress conditions.

Interspecies relationships between nosocomial pathogens associated to preterm infants and lactic acid bacteria in dual-species biofilms.

The nasogastric enteral feeding tubes (NEFTs) used to feed preterm infants are commonly colonized by bacteria with the ability to form complex biofilms in their inner surfaces. Among them, staphylococci (mainly and ) and some species belonging to the Family are of special concern since they can cause nosocomial infections in this population. NETF-associated biofilms can also include lactic acid bacteria (LAB), with the ability to compete with pathogenic species for nutrients and space.

Adult Attachment, Conflict Resolution Style and Relationship Quality among Spanish Young-adult Couples.

The evidence of the interrelationships between adult attachment, conflict resolution style and relationship quality in couple relationships shows some inconsistencies and it is mostly based on English-speaking adult samples, as well as on individuals' rather than on both couple members' reports. Therefore, the aim was to examine the associations between adult attachment, conflict resolution style and relationship quality from a dyadic approach. A sample of 405 heterosexual young couples completed online the brief version of the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Questionnaire, the respondent version of the Conflict Resolution Styles Inventory, and a 4-item measure of relationship quality.

Self-Adaptation of Biofilms to Hydrodynamic Stress.

In some conditions, bacteria self-organize into biofilms, supracellular structures made of a self-produced embedding matrix, mainly composed of polysaccharides, DNA, proteins, and lipids. It is known that bacteria change their colony/matrix ratio in the presence of external stimuli such as hydrodynamic stress. However, little is still known about the molecular mechanisms driving this self-adaptation.

Role of Lactobacillus biofilms in Listeria monocytogenes adhesion to glass surfaces.

Listeria monocytogenes can form long-lasting biofilms on food-contact surfaces. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have shown promise in antagonizing this microorganism in liquid media. However, the ecological relationships differ when cells are forming biofilms.

Strategies for the Preservation, Restoration and Modulation of the Human Milk Microbiota. Implications for Human Milk Banks and Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Studies carried in the last years have revealed that human milk contains a site-specific microbiota and constitutes a source of potentially beneficial bacteria to the infant gut. Once in the infant gut, these bacteria contribute to the assembly of a physiological gut microbiota and may play several functions, contributing to infant metabolism, protection against infections, immunomodulation or neuromodulation. Many preterm neonates are fed with pasteurized donor's human milk (DHM) or formula and, therefore, are devoid of contact with human milk microbes.

Colonizes Biofilms and Induces Matrix Over-Production.

In food facilities, biofilms or their debris might act as for attracting free floating microorganisms. In this sense, , a dense biofilm producer frequently isolated from food contact surfaces, could be a good candidate for sheltering other microorganisms, such as . The main objective of this work was to evaluate the ability of to colonize pre-established biofilms.

Sexual Coercion Perpetration and Victimization: Gender Similarities and Differences in Adolescence.

Sexual coercion is a worldwide health problem that endangers the well-being of those involved. In the same line of the most recent and comprehensive studies, this study sought to investigate the extent of sexual coercion, both perpetration and victimization, among male and female adolescents. Moreover, it jointly analyzed the predictive power of different variables that have been considered as useful to design preventive programs.

Quantifying the combined effects of pronase and benzalkonium chloride in removing late-stage Listeria monocytogenes-Escherichia coli dual-species biofilms.

This work presents the assessment of the effectivity of a pronase (PRN)-benzalkonium chloride (BAC) sequential treatment in removing Listeria monocytogenes-Escherichia coli dual-species biofilms grown on stainless steel (SS) using fluorescence microscopy and plate count assays. The effects of PRN-BAC on the occupied area (OA) by undamaged cells in 168 h dual-species samples were determined using a first-order factorial design. Empirical equations significantly (r = 0.

Listeria monocytogenes Impact on Mature or Old Pseudomonas fluorescens Biofilms During Growth at 4 and 20°C.

Changes in spatial organization, as observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), viable cell content, biovolume, and substratum surface coverage of the biofilms formed on glass by Pseudomonas fluorescens resulting from co-culture with Listeria monocytogenes, were examined. Two strains of L. monocytogenes, two culture temperatures and two biofilm developmental stages were investigated.

Pathogens protection against the action of disinfectants in multispecies biofilms.

Biofilms constitute the prevalent way of life for microorganisms in both natural and man-made environments. Biofilm-dwelling cells display greater tolerance to antimicrobial agents than those that are free-living, and the mechanisms by which this occurs have been investigated extensively using single-strain axenic models. However, there is growing evidence that interspecies interactions may profoundly alter the response of the community to such toxic exposure.

Pain, motor function and health-related quality of life in children with cerebral palsy as reported by their physiotherapists.

Background: Children and adolescents with cerebral palsy suffer from higher levels of pain than their peers without disability. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of pain on health-related quality of life and motor function in individuals with cerebral palsy as reported by health professionals.

Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out in Associations for Care of Individuals with Cerebral Palsy and Related Disabilities (ASPACE) in Balearic Islands and Castile Leon (Spain).

Tobacco smoking in schizophrenia: investigating the role of incentive salience.

Background: Smoking is highly prevalent in people diagnosed with schizophrenia, but the reason for this co-morbidity is currently unclear. One possible explanation is that a common abnormality underpins the development of psychosis and independently enhances the incentive motivational properties of drugs and their associated cues. This study aimed to investigate whether incentive salience attribution towards smoking cues, as assessed by attentional bias, is heightened in schizophrenia and associated with delusions and hallucinations.

Environmental needs and facilitators available for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: adaptation and validation of the European Child Environment Questionnaire (ECEQ) Spanish version.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to present the process of translating, adapting and validating the European Child Environment Questionnaire (ECEQ) in the Spanish context.

Method: The participants were 200 parents of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) aged 8-18 years, from seven regions in Spain. The adaptation of the ECEQ original version was carried out through the translation and back translation into Spanish.

Cross-cultural validation of the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) in Spain.

Background: Despite growing interest in the topic of participation, the construct has not yet been assessed in children and adolescents with and without cerebral palsy (CP) in Spain. As there are no available instruments to measure participation in leisure activities which have been adapted in this country, the goal of this study was to validate a Spanish version of the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE).

Method: The sample comprised 199 children and adolescents with CP and 199 without CP, between 8 and 18 years of age, from seven regions in Spain.

Patterns and predictors of participation in leisure activities outside of school in children and adolescents with Cerebral Palsy.

This study analyzed the patterns and predictors of participation in leisure activities outside of school of Spanish children and adolescents with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Children and adolescents with CP (n = 199; 113 males and 86 females) participated in this cross-sectional study. Their mean age was 12.

Personal factors and perceived barriers to participation in leisure activities for young and adults with developmental disabilities.

Participation in leisure activities has been identified as a factor that favors inclusion in the community and it also contributes to a better quality of life. This study analyzed the influence of certain personal characteristics and environmental factors in the participation in leisure activities of youngsters and adults with developmental disabilities. A cross-sectional design was used with a convenience sample of 237 people, aged 17-65, living in the community.

Effectiveness of chitosan against mature biofilms formed by food related bacteria.

Chitosan has proven antimicrobial properties against planktonic cell growth. Little is known, however, about its effects on already established biofilms. Oriented for application in food industry disinfection, the effectiveness of both medium molecular weight (MMW) chitosan and its enzymatically hydrolyzed product was tested against mature biofilms of four pathogenic strains, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica, and a food spoilage species, Pseudomonas fluorescens.

Predominance and persistence of a single clone of Listeria ivanovii in a Manchego cheese factory over 6 months.

In an attempt to study the diversity and persistence of molecular subtypes of pathogenic Listeria spp. in a cheese factory at the La Mancha region of Spain, 43 samples were taken from incoming raw milk (cow's, ewe's, goat's and mixed species) and from certain food-contact and environmental surfaces before and/or after sanitation. Of these samples, 12 contained pathogenic Listeria.