Objectives
The rate of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) diagnosis is increasing. This study aims to determine the incidence of EoE in the pediatric population residing in the southwestern Madrid and to ...analyze whether absolute monthly pollen counts, modified or not by the principal atmospheric pollutants, are associated with it.
Methods
A cross‐sectional study on prospectively recruited patients was designed to calculate the incidence of EoE in children aged under 15 years who were diagnosed between September 2014 and August 2016 in twelve hospitals.
We collected demographic and symptoms data, date of onset of symptoms, date of medical consultation, and date of endoscopic diagnosis of each included patient. Relative risk estimation was performed to assess the association between the incidence of diagnosis and monthly pollen counts and levels of atmospheric pollutants. All these models were adjusted for the number of total patients that underwent endoscopy at first time.
Results
One hundred forty‐eight patients were included. The most frequent symptoms were abdominal pain 42.57%, dysphagia 42.57%, and impaction 39%–86%. The median overall monthly incidence was 1.13 interquartile rank: 0.97–1.43 cases/100,000 children, and the annual mean was 15.2. The overall analysis of the relationship between incidence and absolute monthly counts, corrected for the number of first‐time endoscopies performed, revealed no statistically significant association with pollen and air pollutants. There was a higher frequency of diagnosis during the pollination period of Cupressaceae relative risk 1.647; 95% CI (1.192–2.276) p < .002 and during February and November (relative risk 1.67; p < .01).
Conclusions
This study confirms the high incidence of eosinophilic esophagitis and also suggests a period of higher incidence of diagnosis in the months of February and November as well as in the period of high pollination of Cupressaceae.
Objective: To compare the effect of celecoxib with that of a classic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) on synovial inflammation and on the synovial expression of proinflammatory genes in ...patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: 30 patients with severe knee OA scheduled for total knee replacement surgery were included in a 3 month clinical trial. They were randomised to two groups: patients treated with celecoxib (CBX) (200 mg/24 h) and patients treated with aceclofenac (ACF) (100 mg/12 h). Those patients with OA who did not want to be treated with NSAIDs served as a control group. During knee surgery, synovial fluid (SF) and synovial membrane (SM) were collected. A SM specimen was fixed and embedded in paraffin and another part was frozen for molecular biology studies. Results: At the end of study both CBX and ACF treated patients showed a significant improvement in pain and knee function compared with controls. Both drugs significantly reduced prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) SF concentration and down regulated COX-2 mRNA and protein expression at the SM. However, synovial macrophage infiltration (CD68 antigen staining) and expression of proinflammatory mediators, such as interleukin 1β and tumour necrosis factor α, were decreased only by CBX treatment. Conclusion: Both drugs improved joint pain and function, inhibited SF PGE2 concentration, and induced a decrease in synovial COX-2 expression and synthesis not related to the tissue inflammatory status. These data suggest that PGE2 blocking agents may decrease PGE2 production not only by direct COX-2 inhibition but also by down regulating COX-2 expression and synthesis. However, CBX and ACF appear to have different anti-inflammatory profiles in controlling OA synovial macrophage infiltration and proinflammatory expression.
Aims.
This paper describes the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager on the Solar Orbiter mission (SO/PHI), the first magnetograph and helioseismology instrument to observe the Sun from outside the ...Sun-Earth line. It is the key instrument meant to address the top-level science question: How does the solar dynamo work and drive connections between the Sun and the heliosphere? SO/PHI will also play an important role in answering the other top-level science questions of Solar Orbiter, while hosting the potential of a rich return in further science.
Methods.
SO/PHI measures the Zeeman effect and the Doppler shift in the Fe
I
617.3 nm spectral line. To this end, the instrument carries out narrow-band imaging spectro-polarimetry using a tunable LiNbO
3
Fabry-Perot etalon, while the polarisation modulation is done with liquid crystal variable retarders. The line and the nearby continuum are sampled at six wavelength points and the data are recorded by a 2k × 2k CMOS detector. To save valuable telemetry, the raw data are reduced on board, including being inverted under the assumption of a Milne-Eddington atmosphere, although simpler reduction methods are also available on board. SO/PHI is composed of two telescopes; one, the Full Disc Telescope, covers the full solar disc at all phases of the orbit, while the other, the High Resolution Telescope, can resolve structures as small as 200 km on the Sun at closest perihelion. The high heat load generated through proximity to the Sun is greatly reduced by the multilayer-coated entrance windows to the two telescopes that allow less than 4% of the total sunlight to enter the instrument, most of it in a narrow wavelength band around the chosen spectral line.
Results.
SO/PHI was designed and built by a consortium having partners in Germany, Spain, and France. The flight model was delivered to Airbus Defence and Space, Stevenage, and successfully integrated into the Solar Orbiter spacecraft. A number of innovations were introduced compared with earlier space-based spectropolarimeters, thus allowing SO/PHI to fit into the tight mass, volume, power and telemetry budgets provided by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft and to meet the (e.g. thermal) challenges posed by the mission’s highly elliptical orbit.
Strains belonging to
R. opacus
,
R. jostii
,
R. fascians
,
R. erythropolis
and
R. equi
exhibited differential ability to grow and produce lipids from fruit residues (grape marc and apple pomace), as ...well as single carbohydrates, such as glucose, gluconate, fructose and sucrose. The oleaginous species,
R. opacus
(strains PD630 and MR22) and
R. jostii
RHA1, produced higher yields of biomass (5.1–5.6 g L
−1
) and lipids (38–44% of CDW) from apple juice wastes, in comparison to
R. erythropolis
DSM43060,
R. fascians
F7 and
R. equi
ATCC6939 (4.1–4.3 g L
−1
and less than 10% CDW of lipids). The production of cellular biomass and lipids were also higher in
R. opacus
and
R. jostii
(6.8–7.2 g L
−1
and 33.9–36.5% of CDW of lipids) compared to
R. erythropolis
,
R. fascians
, and
R. equi
(3.0–3.6 g L
−1
and less than 10% CDW of lipids), during cultivation of cells on wine grape waste. A genome-wide bioinformatic analysis of rhodococci indicated that oleaginous species possess a complete set of genes/proteins necessary for the efficient utilization of carbohydrates, whereas genomes from non-oleaginous rhodococcal strains lack relevant genes coding for transporters and/or enzymes for the uptake, catabolism and assimilation of carbohydrates, such as
gntP
,
glcP
,
edd
,
eda
, among others. Results of this study highlight the potential use of the oleaginous rhodococcal species to convert sugar-rich agro-industrial wastes, such as apple pomace and grape marc, into single-cell oils.
Biofilms are associated with infections that are resistant to conventional therapies, contributing to the antimicrobial resistance crisis. The need for alternative approaches against biofilms is ...well-known. Although natural products like stingless bee honeys (tribe: Meliponini) constitute an alternative treatment, much is still unknown. Our main goal was to evaluate the antibiofilm activity of stingless bee honey samples against multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens through biomass assays, fluorescence (cell count and viability), and scanning electron (structural composition) microscopy. We analyzed thirty-five honey samples at 15% (v/v) produced by ten different stingless bee species (Cephalotrigona sp., Melipona sp., M. cramptoni, M. fuscopilosa, M. grandis, M. indecisa, M. mimetica, M. nigrifacies, Scaptotrigona problanca, and Tetragonisca angustula) from five provinces of Ecuador (Tungurahua, Pastaza, El Oro, Los Ríos, and Loja) against 24-h biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans, and Candida tropicalis. The present honey set belonged to our previous study, where the samples were collected in 2018–2019 and their physicochemical parameters, chemical composition, mineral elements, and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) were screened. However, the polyphenolic profile and their antibiofilm activity on susceptible and multidrug-resistant pathogens were still unknown. According to polyphenolic profile of the honey samples, significant differences were observed according to their geographical origin in terms of the qualitative profiles. The five best honey samples (OR24.1, LR34, LO40, LO48, and LO53) belonging to S. problanca, Melipona sp., and M. indecisa were selected for further analysis due to their high biomass reduction values, identification of the stingless bee specimens, and previously reported physicochemical parameters. This subset of honey samples showed a range of 63–80% biofilm inhibition through biomass assays. Fluorescence microscopy (FM) analysis evidenced statistical log reduction in the cell count of honey-treated samples in all pathogens (P <0.05), except for S. aureus ATCC 25923. Concerning cell viability, C. tropicalis, K. pneumoniae ATCC 33495, and K. pneumoniae KPC significantly decreased (P <0.01) by 21.67, 25.69, and 45.62%, respectively. Finally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis demonstrated structural biofilm disruption through cell morphological parameters (such as area, size, and form). In relation to their polyphenolic profile, medioresinol was only found in the honey of Loja, while scopoletin, kaempferol, and quercetin were only identified in honey of Los Rios, and dihydrocaffeic and dihydroxyphenylacetic acids were only detected in honey of El Oro. All the five honey samples showed dihydrocoumaroylhexose, luteolin, and kaempferol rutinoside. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first study to analyze stingless bees honey-treated biofilms of susceptible and/or MDR strains of S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, and Candida species.
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•Thirty-five samples by ten stingless bee species of Ecuador were studied.•Biofilms of S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, C. albicans, and C. tropicalis were analyzed.•Results showed differences in honeys' polyphenolic content between provinces.•The five best honey samples demonstrated a range of 63–80% biofilm inhibition.
Some species belonging to the
genus, such as
,
, and
, are known to be oleaginous microorganisms, since they are able to accumulate triacylglycerols (TAG) at more than 20% of their weight (dry ...weight). Oleaginous rhodococci are promising microbial cell factories for the production of lipids to be used as fuels and chemicals. Cells could be engineered to create strains capable of producing high quantities of oils from industrial wastes and a variety of high-value lipids. The comprehensive understanding of carbon metabolism and its regulation will contribute to the design of a reliable process for bacterial oil production. Bacterial oleagenicity requires an integral configuration of metabolism and regulatory processes rather than the sole existence of an efficient lipid biosynthesis pathway. In recent years, several studies have been focused on basic aspects of TAG biosynthesis and accumulation using
PD630 and
RHA1 strains as models of oleaginous bacteria. The combination of results obtained in these studies allows us to propose a metabolic landscape for oleaginous rhodococci. In this context, this article provides a comprehensive and integrative view of different metabolic and regulatory attributes and innovations that explain the extraordinary ability of these bacteria to synthesize and accumulate TAG. We hope that the accessibility to such information in an integrated way will help researchers to rationally select new targets for further studies in the field.
The accumulation of triacylglycerols (TAG) is a common feature among actinobacteria belonging to
Rhodococcu
s genus. Some rhodococcal species are able to produce significant amounts of those lipids ...from different single substrates, such as glucose, gluconate or hexadecane. In this study we analyzed the ability of different species to produce lipids from olive oil mill wastes (OMW), and the possibility to enhance lipid production by genetic engineering. OMW base medium prepared from alperujo, which exhibited high values of chemical oxygen demand (127,000 mg/l) and C/N ratio (508), supported good growth and TAG production by some
rhodococci. R. opacus, R. wratislaviensis
and
R. jostii
were more efficient at producing cell biomass (2.2–2.7 g/l) and lipids (77–83% of CDW, 1.8–2.2 g/l) from OMW than
R. fascians, R. erythropolis
and
R. equi
(1.1–1.6 g/l of cell biomass and 7.1–14.0% of CDW, 0.1–0.2 g/l of lipids). Overexpression of a gene coding for a fatty acid importer in
R. jostii
RHA1 promoted an increase of 2.2 fold of cellular biomass value with a concomitant increase in lipids production during cultivation of cells in OMW. This study demonstrates that the bioconversion of OMW to microbial lipids is feasible using more robust rhodococal strains. The efficiency of this bioconversion can be significantly enhanced by engineering strategies.
We investigated biomass and lipid production from whey by different Rhodococcus strains. The studied microorganisms exhibited different capability for growing and producing lipids from whey permeate. ...Strains belonging to R. opacus exhibited high yields of biomass (6.1–6.3 g/L) and lipid content (45–48% of CDW), whereas R. jostii, R. erythropolis, R. fascians, and R. equi strains produced low biomass (1.8–2.9 g/L) and lipids (lesser than 5% of CDW) from whey. Lactose and galactose, which are main constituents of whey, supported growth of R. opacus strains, but not of the other investigated species. A genome‐wide bioinformatic analyses demonstrated that some genes coding for transport systems (LacEFGK) and the β‐galactosidase (LacB) enzyme for lactose cleavage are lacking in such species, which may explain their inability to utilize lactose, galactose, and whey for an efficient biomass and lipid production. R. opacus possesses a complete genetic endowment for degrading lactose, galactose, and whey as well as for lipid biosynthesis from such substrates. Thus, R. opacus is a robust candidate for single‐cell oil production from whey. The cultivation of R. opacus cells on crude whey resulted in an increase of lipid production from 3.0 to 6.4 g/L, in comparison to whey permeate. Practical application: This study demonstrates that the bioconversion of whey to oils by Rhodococcus strains is feasible. However, we found some genetic and physiological differences for whey, lactose and galactose catabolism and assimilation among rhodococcal species. Our results demonstrate that among five different rhodococcal species, Rhodococcus opacus has the more robust genetic endowment for supporting high yields of biomass and lipid production from whey. The use of whey for single cell oil production by rhodococci may serve as platform for developing environmentally friendly biotechnological processes. The use of whey for single cell oil production by rhodococci may serve as platform for developing environmentally friendly biotechnological processes.
The application of Optical Wireless Links to intra- Spacecraft communications (OWLS) is presented here. This work summarizes ten years of developments, ranging from basic optoelectronic parts and ...front-end electronics, to different inorbit demonstrations. Several wireless applications were carried out in representative environments at ground level, and on in-flight experiments. A completely wireless satellite will be launched at the beginning of 2010. The benefits of replacing standard data wires and connectors with wireless systems are: mass reduction, flexibility, and simplification of the Assembly, Integration and Tests phases (AIT). However, the Aerospace and Defense fields need high reliability solutions. The use of COTS (Commercial-Off-The- Shelf) parts in these fields require extensive analyses in order to attain full product assurance. The current commercial optical wireless technology needs a deep transformation in order to be fully applicable in the aforementioned fields. Finally, major breakthroughs for the implementation of optical wireless links in Space will not be possible until dedicated circuits such as mixed analog/digital ASICs are developed. Once these products become available, it will also be possible to extend optical wireless links to other applications, such as Unmanned Air and Underwater Vehicles (UAV and UUV). The steps taken by INTA to introduce Optical Wireless Links in the Space environment are presented in this paper.
We analysed the ability of five different rhodococcal species to grow and produce triacylglycerols (TAGs) from glycerol, the main byproduct of biodiesel production. Rhodococcus fascians and ...Rhodococcus erythropolis grew fast on glycerol, whereas Rhodococcus opacus and Rhodococcus jostii exhibited a prolonged lag phase of several days before growing. Rhodococcus equi only exhibited poor growth on glycerol. R. erythropolis DSMZ 43060 and R. fascians F7 produced 3.9-4.3 g cell biomass l(-1) and 28.4-44.6% cellular dry weight (CDW) of TAGs after 6 days of incubation; whereas R. opacus PD630 and R. jostii RHA1 produced 2.5-3.8 g cell biomass l(-1) and 28.3-38.4% CDW of TAGs after 17 days of growth on glycerol. Genomic analyses revealed two different sets of genes for glycerol uptake and degradation (here named clusters 1 and 2) amongst rhodococci. Those species that possessed cluster 1 (glpFK1D1) (R. fascians and R. erythropolis) exhibited fast growth and lipid accumulation, whereas those that possessed cluster 2 (glpK2D2) (R. opacus, R. jostii and R. equi) exhibited delayed growth and lipid accumulation during cultivation on glycerol. Three glycerol-negative strains were complemented for their ability to grow and produce TAGs by heterologous expression of glpK2 from R. opacus PD630. In addition, we significantly reduced the extension of the lag phase and improved glycerol assimilation and oil production of R. opacus PD630 when expressing glpK1D1 from R. fascians. The results demonstrated that rhodococci are a flexible and amenable biological system for further biotechnological applications based on the reutilization of glycerol.
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