Molecular Diversity Assessment using Chemotypes.

Background: Many techniques to design chemical libraries for screening have been put forward over time. General use libraries are still important when screening against novel targets, and their design has relied on the use of molecular descriptors. In contrast, chemotype or scaffold analysis has been used less often.

Primary antimicrobial resistance rates and prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in the north of Spain. A 13-year retrospective study.

Objective: Helicobacter pylori resistance to antimicrobial agents is on the rise and it is thus imperative to be aware of local resistance rates. The main objective of the present study was to describe the evolution of primary antimicrobial resistance in H. pylori, analysing its antibiotic susceptibility over a 13-year period in a region of northern Spain, as well as host-related factors.

City Cancer Challenge: Changing the Future of Cancer in Urban Populations.

Incidence and mortality from cancer is increasing in most countries in the world, with the highest burden in developing countries. City Cancer Challenge (C/Can), an initiative launched in 2017, aims to improve access to quality cancer care in metropolitan areas (1 million inhabitants or more) in low- and upper-middle income countries by transforming the way stakeholders at the city, regional, and national levels collectively design, plan, and implement local cancer solutions. The approach is built on the core principle that local leaders in cities define their own needs and craft solutions with the support of a network of global, regional, and local partners that reflect an understanding of the unique local context.

Utility of normalized genome quantification of Helicobacter pylori in gastric mucosa using an in-house real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Traditional diagnostic assays for Helicobacter pylori detection have their limitations. Molecular methods can improve both diagnosis and understanding of gastric diseases. Here we describe an in-house quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (q-rt-PCR) for the detection of H.

Frequency and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of urinary pathogens in male outpatients in Argentina.

Introduction: Knowledge of the etiology and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of uropathogens is important for determining the best treatment option. This study aimed to determine the distribution and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of bacterial strains isolated from adult male outpatients.

Methodology: Between November 2012 and April 2013, 3,105 community urine samples were analyzed from adult male patients who attended the Laboratorio Hidalgo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

[In vitro emergence of ertapenem resistance in Escherichia coli producing extended-spectrum β-lactamase].

Introduction: The occurrence of community-associated infections due to extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli is increasing worldwide. These organisms are frequently resistant to many of the antimicrobial agents but remain susceptible to carbapenems. We investigated the in vitro emergence of carbapenem resistance in a collection of clinical isolates of ESBL -producing E.

Development of an informatics platform for therapeutic protein and peptide analytics.

The momentum gained by research on biologics has not been met yet with equal thrust on the informatics side. There is a noticeable lack of software for data management that empowers the bench scientists working on the development of biologic therapeutics. SARvision|Biologics is a tool to analyze data associated with biopolymers, including peptides, antibodies, and protein therapeutics programs.

Maternal carriage of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli isolates in Argentina.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of vaginal Escherichia coli colonization and perianal carriage of Enterobacteriaceae resistant to third generation cephalosporins in pregnant women. Vaginal and perianal samples from 259 pregnant women were studied. Vaginal swabs were inoculated onto MacConkey agar plates and perianal swabs were inoculated onto CHROMagar extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) plates.

Faecal carriage of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae and carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli in community settings.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal carriage of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae and carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli in the community in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Methodology: Faecal samples from 164 non-hospitalized patients were cultured on CHROMagar KPC and CHROMagar ESBL plates. Isolates resistant to third-generation cephalosporins or carbapenems were selected for further study.

[Emergence of high-level resistance to gentamicin and streptomycin in Streptococcus agalactiae in Buenos Aires, Argentina].

Introduction: Streptococcus agalactiae has become recognized as a cause of serious illness in newborns, pregnant women, and adults with chronic medical conditions. Optimal antimicrobial therapy for serious infections requires the use of synergistic combinations of a cell wall-active agent, such as a penicillin, with an aminoglycoside, which results in bactericidal activity against this organism. The synergistic effect is eliminated by the acquisition of high-level resistance (HLR) to aminoglycosides.

Design of chemical libraries for screening.

Importance Of The Field: The ultimate goal of discovery screening is to have a fast and cost-effective strategy to meet the demands of producing high-content lead series with improved prospects for clinical success. While high-throughput screening (HTS) dominates the drug discovery landscape, other processes and technologies have emerged, including high-content screening and fragment-based design to provide alternatives that may be more suitable for certain targets. There has been a growing interest in reducing the number of compounds to be screened to prevent the escalation in the costs, time and resources associated with HTS campaigns.

Infiltrating adenocarcinoma arising in a villous adenoma of the anal canal.

Primary neoplasms arising in the anal canal are relatively unusual. In particular, adenomas and adenocarcinomas are distinctly rare entities in this region. We describe an infiltrating, well-differentiated adenocarcinoma arising in a villous adenoma from the distal anal canal, in an otherwise healthy patient at low risk for gastrointestinal malignancy.

Mining and visualizing the chemical content of large databases.

The shift in the drug discovery paradigm that has resulted in increased dependence on large volumes of information for decision making has created new challenges and opportunities in chemoinformatics research. The large volumes of data that are now available present an opportunity for the development of better predictive models, for the selection of more promising drug candidates, and for more comprehensive decisions to be made by researchers in chemistry and biology. The progress of this approach in drug discovery has also introduced challenges associated with the need to develop better tools to manage the large volumes of data.

Antegrade bowel intussusception after remote Whipple and Puestow procedures for treatment of pancreas divisum.

To date, antegrade intussusception involving a Roux-en-Y reconstruction has been reported only once. We report a case of acute bowel obstruction due to an intussusception involving two Roux-en-Y limbs in a 40-year-old woman with a history of chronic pancreatitis due to pancreas divisum. Four years preceding this event, the patient had undergone a Whipple procedure, and three years prior to that, a Puestow operation.

Computational techniques in fragment based drug discovery.

Fragment based drug discovery is gaining acceptance as a complement to other more established techniques to identify leads and optimize drug candidates. In this review we illustrate areas where fragment based drug discovery has had an impact and point to some examples that show how fragment based analysis is being applied to new arenas. The traditional uses of computational methods in fragment based for lead discovery and optimization and for risk assessment are briefly summarized.

Thyroid hormone replacement for subclinical hypothyroidism.

Background: Subclinical hypothyroidism is defined as an elevated serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level with normal free thyroid hormones values. The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism is 4% to 8% in the general population, and up to 15% to 18% in women who are over 60 years of age. There is considerable controversy regarding the morbidity, the clinical significance of subclinical hypothyroidism and if these patients should be treated.

Ring closing enyne metathesis: a powerful tool for the synthesis of heterocycles.

The ring closing metathesis (RCM) is a powerful method in organic synthesis for the preparation of cyclic compounds by formation of new carbon-carbon bonds. In the past years a particular subclass of the RCM, the ring closing enyne metathesis (RCEYM), has attracted attention due to its synthetic potential in the generation of ring structures with 1,3-diene moieties, which can subsequently be further functionalised. In this tutorial review mechanistic considerations will be described and the synthetic power of this useful and attractive carbon-carbon bond forming reaction will be illustrated by recent examples of RCEYM applications in the preparation of heterocyclic compounds.