Differences in Clinical Profiles and Biologic Treatment Approaches for Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases Across Regions in Mexico: An Analysis of the BIOBADAMEX Cohort.

Objective: Being Mexico a very diverse developing country, the access to health care varies among geographical regions. We aimed to assess the differences in clinical features and treatment prescription in 3 regions of Mexico using data from the Mexican Adverse Events Registry (BIOBADAMEX).

Methods: We included all BIOBADAMEX patients from 2016 to 2023, compared the prescription patterns, the sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment characteristics between the northern (NR), central (CR), and southern regions (SR), and addressed the treatment survival by calculating hazards ratios (HRs).

The role of the proteosurfaceome and exoproteome in bacterial coaggregation.

Bacterial coaggregation is a critical process in multispecies biofilm formation, driven by specific molecular interactions that facilitate the adhesion and aggregation of bacterial cells. These interactions are essential for the development and persistence of complex microbial communities. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the roles of the proteosurfaceome and exoproteome in bacterial coaggregation.

Analysing macroscopic traffic rhythms and city size in affluent cities: insights from a global panel data of 25 cities.

The world is undergoing a rapid process of urbanization. Currently, it is estimated that over 55% of the global population resides in urban areas, a figure projected to reach nearly 70% by 2050. This trend is accompanied by a spatial reorganization of human activities on a global scale, bringing about significant changes in mobility patterns and urban traffic management capabilities.

Structured and prompt treatment of early arthritis in clinical practice leverages window of opportunity and leads to excellent clinical outcomes: an innovative retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: With this work, we evaluated the impact of the Lisbon Early ARthritis cliNic (LEARN) on untreated inflammatory arthritis clinical and patient-reported outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study enrolled patients in LEARN since its inception. Patients were followed for 12 months and treated to achieve disease remission.

The internal decay of wood is driven by the interplay between foraging Magellanic woodpeckers and environmental conditions.

Although woodpeckers are known to forage in decaying trees, their contribution to internal wood decay is not well known. In this sense, non-destructive techniques for structural wood degradation provide an opportunity to quantitatively assess the role of woodpeckers in tree decay. We used sonic tomography to test that the trunks of living trees pecked by Magellanic woodpeckers show pronounced decay, which accelerates under environmental conditions favorable to wood-decaying fungi.

Molecular Detection of Carbapenemases in Acinetobacter baumannii Strains of Portugal and Association With Sequence Types, Capsular Types, and Virulence.

Purpose: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is an important nosocomial pathogen. The capsular type (K-type) is considered a major virulence factor, contributing to the evasion of host defenses. The global spread and dissemination dynamics between K-types, sequence types (ST), antibiotic resistance genes, and virulence factors remain largely unknown in Portugal.

Coaggregation dynamics in drinking water biofilms and implications for chlorine disinfection.

Biofilms in drinking water (DW) systems persistently challenge traditional disinfection methods due to intricate microbial interactions, with coaggregation playing a crucial role in forming multispecies biofilms. This study examined the implications of coaggregation on tolerance towards sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) disinfection. Dual-species biofilms were formed for seven days on polyvinyl chloride coupons, comprising a strain of the emerging pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and the coaggregating strain Delftia acidovorans 005 P.

A Decade of Antimicrobial Resistance in Human and Animal spp. Isolates.

: spp. remain a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, with resistance to antibiotics posing significant challenges to treatment and public health. This study examines profiles in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) for isolates from human and animal sources over the past decade.

Impact of sinus surgery in people with cystic fibrosis and chronic rhinosinusitis in the era of highly effective modulator therapy: Protocol for a prospective observational study.

Introduction: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is commonly complicated by chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Despite highly effective management options, CRS in people with CF (PwCF+CRS) may be refractory to medical therapy, eventually requiring endoscopic sinus surgery. The impact of sinus surgery on pulmonary, quality of life (QOL), and other outcomes in PwCF+CRS in the expanding era of highly effective modulator therapy has not been fully elucidated.

Multidrug-Resistant Accumulated by Freshwater Bivalves: An Underestimated Risk for Public Health?

As bioindicators, freshwater bivalves are crucial for the assessment of the contamination impact on different levels of biological integration. is used as a bioindicator of water fecal contamination, representing a critical global concern, especially with the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. Phylogenetic diversity, pathotypic characterization, and antibiotic resistance profiles of isolated from freshwater bivalves () were assessed.

Elucidating bacterial coaggregation through a physicochemical and imaging surface characterization.

Bacterial coaggregation is a highly specific type of cell-cell interaction, well-documented among oral bacteria, and involves specific characteristics of the cell surface of the coaggregating strains. However, the understanding of the mechanisms promoting coaggregation in aquatic systems remains limited. This gap is critical to address, given the broad implications of coaggregation for multispecies biofilm formation, water quality, the performance of engineered systems, and diverse biotechnological applications.

Attitudes toward and preparedness for lung transplantation among individuals with cystic fibrosis in the era of highly effective modulators.

Background: Outcomes for individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) have improved due to highly effective modulator therapy (HEMT). However, lung transplant (LTx) remains an important treatment for people with advanced lung disease. This study assessed attitudes and knowledge about LTx in the HEMT era.

Photodynamic activation of phytochemical-antibiotic combinations for combatting Staphylococcus aureus from acute wound infections.

Staphylococcus aureus is characterized by its high resistance to conventional antibiotics, particularly methicillin-resistant (MRSA) strains, making it a predominant pathogen in acute and chronic wound infections. The persistence of acute S. aureus wound infections poses a threat by increasing the incidence of their chronicity.

Development of Bioactive Hybrid Poly(lactic acid)/Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PLA/PMMA) Electrospun Fibers Functionalized with Bioglass Nanoparticles for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications.

Hybrid scaffolds that are based on PLA and PLA/PMMA with 75/25, 50/50, and 25/75 weight ratios and functionalized with 10 wt.% of bioglass nanoparticles (n-BG) were developed using an electrospinning technique with a chloroform/dimethylformamide mixture in a 9:1 ratio for bone tissue engineering applications. Neat PLA and PLA/PMMA hybrid scaffolds were developed successfully through a (CF/DMF) solvent system, obtaining a random fiber deposition that generated a porous structure with pore interconnectivity.

Impact of sociodemographic status and sex on chronic rhinosinusitis and olfaction in people with cystic fibrosis.

Background: Sociodemographic status (SDS) including race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status as approximated by education, income, and insurance status impact pulmonary disease in people with cystic fibrosis (PwCF). The relationship between SDS and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) remains understudied.

Methods: In a prospective, multi-institutional study, adult PwCF completed the 22-Question SinoNasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), Smell Identification Test (SIT), Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorder Negative Statements (QOD-NS), and Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R).

Exploring coaggregation mechanisms involved in biofilm formation in drinking water through a proteomic-based approach.

Aim: Coaggregation, a highly specific cell-cell interaction mechanism, plays a pivotal role in multispecies biofilm formation. While it has been mostly studied in oral environments, its occurrence in aquatic systems is also acknowledged. Considering biofilm formation's economic and health-related implications in engineered water systems, it is crucial to understand its mechanisms.

Electrospun scaffolds based on a PCL/starch blend reinforced with CaO nanoparticles for bone tissue engineering.

Electrospun nanocomposite scaffolds with improved bioactive and biological properties were fabricated from a blend of polycaprolactone (PCL) and starch, and then combined with 5 wt% of calcium oxide (CaO) nanoparticles sourced from eggshells. SEM analyses showed scaffolds with fibrillar morphology and a three-dimensional structure. The hydrophilicity of scaffolds was improved with starch and CaO nanoparticles, which was evidenced by enhanced water absorption (3500 %) for 7 days.

Active but not quiescent lupus nephritis during pregnancy is associated with a higher rate of adverse obstetric outcomes: Analysis of a prospective cohort.

Objective: To compare the maternal-fetal/neonatal outcome in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with and without lupus nephritis (LN) in remission or with active disease.

Methods: A prospective cohort of pregnant patients with SLE (ACR 1997 criteria) was studied from January 2009 to December 2021. Demographic, clinical, biochemical, and immunological variables as well as the usual maternal-fetal/neonatal complications were recorded.

Wastewater monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 gene for COVID-19 epidemiological surveillance in Tucumán, Argentina.

Wastewater-based epidemiology provides temporal and spatial information about the health status of a population. The objective of this study was to analyze and report the epidemiological dynamics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the province of Tucumán, Argentina during the second and third waves of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) between April 2021 and March 2022. The study aimed to quantify SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater, correlating it with clinically reported COVID-19 cases.

Effect of spatiotemporal variables on abundance, biting activity and parity of Nyssorhynchus darlingi (Diptera: Culicidae) in peri-Iquitos, Peru.

Background: In malaria endemic regions of the Peruvian Amazon, rainfall together with river level and breeding site availability drive fluctuating vector mosquito abundance and human malaria cases, leading to temporal heterogeneity. The main variables influencing spatial transmission include location of communities, mosquito behaviour, land use/land cover, and human ecology/behaviour. The main objective was to evaluate seasonal and microgeographic biting behaviour of the malaria vector Nyssorhynchus (or Anopheles) darlingi in Amazonian Peru and to investigate effects of seasonality on malaria transmission.