Methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive in pork industry workers, Catalonia, Spain.

Background: Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) especially ST398, is a zoonotic agent. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and MRSA among workers in the pork production chain.

Methods: 659 workers associated with 123 pig farms, livestock transporters, one pig slaughterhouse, pork transporters and 23 pork butcheries were studied for recovery, and all isolates were characterized (antibiotic resistance, MLST and -typing).

Safety of combining dabrafenib plus trametinib in elderly BRAF V600 mutation-positive advanced melanoma patients: real-world data analysis of Spanish patients (ELDERLYMEL).

Efficacy and safety of dabrafenib and trametinib in metastatic melanoma have been demonstrated in two-phase III and one-phase I/II clinical trials. However, patients at least 75 years old (y.o.

Functional recovery of working-age patients with traumatic brain injury stratified in 30-day periods since head trauma to rehabilitation admission.

We stratified 213 patients with traumatic brain injury according to their time to rehabilitation admission in three groups (0-30 days, 31-60 and 61-90) in order to (1) compare total Functional Independence Measure efficiency and effectiveness between groups; (2) analyze time to admission as predictor of TFIM at discharge. After adjusting for age, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Disability Rating Scale (DRS) and sex, 0-30 had the highest TFIM efficiency compared with 31-60 (P < 0.001) and 61-90 (P < 0.

Antimicrobial resistance in isolates from foreign-born population in the European Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme.

Objectives: International spread has contributed substantially to the high prevalence of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) infections worldwide. We compared the prevalence of AMR gonococcal isolates among native persons to foreign-born (reporting country different from country of birth) persons, and describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of foreign-born patients and their associations to AMR.

Methods: We analysed isolates and patient data reported to the European Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (Euro-GASP) 2010-2014 (n=9529).

Translational Research Opportunities Regarding Homologous Recombination in Ovarian Cancer.

Homologous recombination (HR) is a DNA repair pathway that is deficient in 50% of high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas (HGSOC). Deficient HR (DHR) constitutes a therapeutic opportunity for these patients, thanks to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP) inhibitors (PARPi; olaparib, niraparib, and rucaparib are already commercialized). Although initially, PARPi were developed for patients with 1/2 mutations, robust clinical data have shown their benefit in a broader population without DHR.

Prevalence of MRSA ST398 Carriage in Nursing Home Residents in an Area of Spain With a High Density of Pig Farming.

MRSA nasal carriage was detected in 15.7% of 204 residents from 6 nursing homes (NHs) in the Osona region (Barcelona, Spain), and the MRSA-ST398 lineage was identified in 15.6% of MRSA-positive residents and in 2.

Facilitators and barriers of participation in a longitudinal research on migrant families in Badalona (Spain): A qualitative approach.

Migrant populations are under-represented in health research. We conducted a community-based qualitative study with the aim to examine the willingness, barriers, facilitators and reasons for participating in longitudinal health research among migrants. In Badalona and Santa Coloma de Gramanet (Barcelona) from May to November 2014, 26 individual interviews and 8 discussion groups were conducted with a convenience sample of 76 migrants born in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Morocco, Pakistan and China; and 9 key informants.

Clinical impact and prevalence of MRSA CC398 and differences between MRSA-Tet and MRSA-Tet in an area of Spain with a high density of pig farming: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: Tetracycline resistance (Tet) is a phenotypic marker of the livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) CC398 clone. The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence of MRSA CC398 in patients in contact with healthcare facilities and differences between patients with MRSA-Tet and MRSA tetracycline-susceptible (Tet) strains.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with MRSA from January 2012 to December 2015 were divided into two groups, MRSA-Tet and MRSA-Tet.

Prevalence of colonization by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST398 in pigs and pig farm workers in an area of Catalonia, Spain.

Background: A livestock-associated clonal lineage (ST398) of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been identified causing colonization or infection in farm workers. The aim of the study was to analyze the prevalence of MRSA-ST398 colonization in pigs and in pig farmers in an area with a high pig population (Osona, Barcelona province, Catalonia, Spain).

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional prevalence study in Osona (Catalonia, Spain), from June 2014 to June 2015.

Neurorehabilitation strategies for poststroke oropharyngeal dysphagia: from compensation to the recovery of swallowing function.

Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is very prevalent among poststroke patients, causing severe complications but lacking specific neurorehabilitation treatment. This review covers advances in the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and physiologically based neurorehabilitation strategies for poststroke OD. The pathophysiology of oropharyngeal biomechanics can be assessed by videofluoroscopy, as delayed laryngeal vestibule closure is closely associated with aspiration.

Multilayer OMIC Data in Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Identifies the STAT3 Pathway as a Potential Therapeutic Target in Tumors.

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare disease with few genetic drivers, and the etiology specific to each known susceptibility mutation remains unknown. Exploiting multilayer genomic data, we focused our interest on the role of aberrant DNA methylation in MTC development. We performed genome-wide DNA methylation profiling assessing more than 27,000 CpGs in the largest MTC series reported to date, comprising 48 molecularly characterized tumors.

Epigenetic Homogeneity Within Colorectal Tumors Predicts Shorter Relapse-Free and Overall Survival Times for Patients With Locoregional Cancer.

Background & Aims: There are few validated biomarkers that can be used to predict outcomes for patients with colorectal cancer. Part of the challenge is the genetic and molecular heterogeneity of colorectal tumors not only among patients, but also within tumors. We have explored intratumor heterogeneity at the epigenetic level, due to its dynamic nature.

Resistant mechanisms to BRAF inhibitors in melanoma.

Patients with advanced melanoma have traditionally had very poor prognosis. However, since 2011 better understanding of the biology and epidemiology of this disease has revolutionized its treatment, with newer therapies becoming available. These newer therapies can be classified into immunotherapy and targeted therapy.

Curcumin mediates oxaliplatin-acquired resistance reversion in colorectal cancer cell lines through modulation of CXC-Chemokine/NF-κB signalling pathway.

Resistance to oxaliplatin (OXA) is a complex process affecting the outcomes of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients treated with this drug. De-regulation of the NF-κB signalling pathway has been proposed as an important mechanism involved in this phenomenon. Here, we show that NF-κB was hyperactivated in in vitro models of OXA-acquired resistance but was attenuated by the addition of Curcumin, a non-toxic NF-κB inhibitor.

The effect of levosulpiride on in vitro motor patterns in the human gastric fundus, antrum, and jejunum.

Background: Levosulpiride is a 5HT4 agonist/D2 antagonist prokinetic agent used to improve gastric emptying in patients with functional dyspepsia or gastroparesis. The aim of this study was to characterize its effect on the main in vitro motility patterns in the human fundus, antrum, and jejunum.

Methods: Circular muscle strips from human stomach (antrum and fundus) and jejunum, obtained from 46 patients undergoing bariatric surgery, were studied using organ baths.

Three-Dimensional Cultures of Human Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue-Derived Progenitor Cells Based on RAD16-I Self-Assembling Peptide.

The prolonged ischemia after myocardial infarction leads to a high degree of cardiomyocyte death, which leads to a reduction of normal heart function. Valuable lessons can be learnt from human myocardium and stem cell biology that would help scientists to develop new, effective, safe, and affordable regenerative therapies. In vivo models are of high interest, but their high complexity limits the possibility to analyze specific factors.

Heterogeneity of community-based voluntary, counselling and testing services for HIV in Europe: the HIV-COBATEST survey.

This study reports the first EU-wide survey of community-based voluntary counselling and testing services (CBVCTs), with the following aims: to assess the current availability of CBVCTs and how the concept of CBVCT is understood; to describe CBVCT modalities and strategies; and to measure the use of rapid tests within CBVCTs. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two different key informant groups: HIV/AIDS National Focal Points (NFPs) and CBVCTs from the EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. A definition of CBVCTs was reached.

Changes in the response to excitatory antagonists, agonists, and spasmolytic agents in circular colonic smooth muscle strips from patients with diverticulosis.

Background: Colonic samples from asymptomatic diverticulosis (DS) patients presented enhanced electrical field stimulation (EFS)-contractions, in an earlier study of ours, suggesting increased endogenous responses. The aim of this study was to explore changes in excitatory neuromuscular transmission and to assess the pharmacodynamics of spasmolytic agents in DS.

Methods: Circular muscle strips from sigmoid colon of DS patients (n = 30; 69.

Tumor-Related Molecular Mechanisms of Oxaliplatin Resistance.

Oxaliplatin was the first platinum drug with proven activity against colorectal tumors, becoming a standard in the management of this malignancy. It is also considered for the treatment of pancreatic and gastric cancers. However, a major reason for treatment failure still is the existence of tumor intrinsic or acquired resistance.

PKM2 Subcellular Localization Is Involved in Oxaliplatin Resistance Acquisition in HT29 Human Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines.

Chemoresistance is the main cause of treatment failure in advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). However, molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain to be elucidated. In a previous work we identified low levels of PKM2 as a putative oxaliplatin-resistance marker in HT29 CRC cell lines and also in patients.

Detecting unilateral phrenic paralysis by acoustic respiratory analysis.

The consequences of phrenic nerve paralysis vary from a considerable reduction in respiratory function to an apparently normal state. Acoustic analysis of lung sound intensity (LSI) could be an indirect non-invasive measurement of respiratory muscle function, comparing activity on the two sides of the thoracic cage. Lung sounds and airflow were recorded in ten males with unilateral phrenic paralysis and ten healthy subjects (5 men/5 women), during progressive increasing airflow maneuvers.

Epigenetic inactivation of the BRCA1 interactor SRBC and resistance to oxaliplatin in colorectal cancer.

Background: A major problem in cancer chemotherapy is the existence of primary resistance and/or the acquisition of secondary resistance. Many cellular defects contribute to chemoresistance, but epigenetic changes can also be a cause.

Methods: A DNA methylation microarray was used to identify epigenetic differences in oxaliplatin-sensitive and -resistant colorectal cancer cells.