One of the main issues in the medical field and clinical practice is the development of novel and effective treatments against infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. One avenue that has ...been approached to develop effective antimicrobials is the use of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), since they have been found to exhibit an efficient and wide spectrum of antimicrobial properties. Among the main drawbacks of using Ag-NPs are their potential cytotoxicity against eukaryotic cells and the latent environmental toxicity of their synthesis methods. Therefore, diverse green synthesis methods, which involve the use of environmentally friendly plant extracts as reductive and capping agents, have become attractive to synthesize Ag-NPs that exhibit antimicrobial effects against resistant bacteria at concentrations below toxicity thresholds for eukaryotic cells.
In this study, we report a green one-pot synthesis method that uses
extract as a reducing and capping agent, to produce Ag-NPs with applications as therapeutic agents to treat infections in vivo.
The Ag-NPs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, selected area electron diffraction, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible, and Fourier transform infrared.
We show that Ag-NPs are spherical with a narrow size distribution. The Ag-NPs show antimicrobial activities in vitro against Gram-negative (
,
, and a clinical multidrug-resistant strain of
) and Gram-positive (
) bacteria. Moreover, antimicrobial effects of the Ag-NPs, against a resistant
clinical strain, were tested in a murine skin infection model. The results demonstrate that the Ag-NPs reported in this work are capable of eradicating pathogenic resistant bacteria in an infection in vivo. In addition, skin, liver, and kidney damage profiles were monitored in the murine infection model, and the results demonstrate that Ag-NPs can be used safely as therapeutic agents in animal models.
Together, these results suggest the potential use of Ag-NPs, synthesized by green chemistry methods, as therapeutic agents against infections caused by resistant and nonresistant strains.
Milk is a liquid food that possesses an important quantity of highly bioavailable macronutrients. In addition, it is readily accessible, as well as relatively inexpensive. Given that the knowledge of ...physicians about nutrition and food composition is deficient, in general, many of the dietary interventions recommended in diverse clinical settings lack a scientific basis. The aim of the present review was to produce a technical opinion that serves as a frame of reference to best sustain recommendations for consuming milk and dairy products as daily nutrition in the adult and older adult. The effects of milk and dairy products during the pediatric stage are not addressed in the present work. The Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología and the Asociación Mexicana de Gerontología y Geriatría jointly discussed and analyzed topics dealing with the legal designation of milk, the classification and nutritional profile of cow's milk, its nutritional characteristics, its consumption in the adult, intolerance to cow's milk, and associations of milk consumption with digestive tract alterations and other conditions. Finally, certain aspects of milk consumption in the older adult and its relation to overall health are briefly discussed.
Human-black bear interactions in Northern Mexico Nuñez-Torres, M.; Zarco-González, M. M.; Monroy-Vilchis, O. ...
Human dimensions of wildlife,
09/02/2020, 2020-09-02, Letnik:
25, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
In Mexico, black bear (Ursus americanus) is an endangered species. Human invasion of its habitat has provoked a change in its foraging behavior. Human-black bear interactions (HBIs) occur in a ...variety of locations and create conflict. Spatial information can predict the probabilities of interaction and identify environmental variables. We implemented ecological niche models to identified areas with high probability of HBI. Results indicated that the occurrence of interactions was related to submontane scrub, forest, and urban zones. Verification was carried out in the field, which confirmed the high performance and accuracy of the probability model.
Purpose
The effect of the sodium-glucose 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors on microvascular complications remains uncertain. We performed a systematic review to determine the efficacy of the SGLT-2 inhibitors on ...microvascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Methods
A comprehensive search was performed using Ovid, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus from inception to May 2019. Randomized trials comparing SGLT-2 inhibitors with placebo or other medication for type 2 diabetes for ≥ 4 weeks were included. Diabetes-related microvascular complications such as nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, and peripheral vascular disease were evaluated. A random-effect model using mean differences for continuous outcomes and risk ratio for dichotomous outcomes was used to synthesize data. PROSPERO (CRD 42017076460).
Results
A total of 40 RCTs with overall moderate quality of evidence were included. SGLT-2 inhibitors reduced the risk of renal-replacement therapy (0.65; 95% CI 0.54–0.79), renal death (0.57; 95% CI 0.49–0.65), and progression of albuminuria (0.69; 95% CI 0.66–0.73). Conversely, they appeared ineffective in maintaining eGFR (0.33; 95% CI − 0.74 to 1.41) or reducing serum creatinine (− 0.07; 95% CI − 0.26 to 0.11), whereas urine albumin–creatinine ratio (− 23.4; 95% CI − 44.6 to − 2.2) was reduced. Risk of amputation was non-significant (1.30; 95% CI 0.93–1.83). No available data were found regarding neuropathy and retinopathy to perform a quantitative analysis.
Conclusion
SGLT-2 inhibitors may reduce the risk of renal patient-important outcomes but fail to improve surrogate outcomes. Apparently, no increased risk of amputations was observed with these medications. No data were available regarding other microvascular complications.
Aim
This study evaluated and compared the shaping ability of four rotary instrument systems in long–oval root canals using microcomputed tomographic (micro‐CT) evaluation. Currently, there is no data ...available on the canal shaping abilities of BlueShaper and DC Taper instruments.
Methodology
Sixty‐four single‐rooted mandibular premolars were matched based on similar root canal morphologic features as determined by (micro‐CT) and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 experimental groups (n = 16) according to the instrument system used: BlueShaper, TruNatomy, DC Taper and HyFlex EDM One File. Changes in the root canal surface and volume, remaining dentine thickness, and number of prepared areas were assessed.
Results
No significant differences were found amongst the four instrument systems for the parameters evaluated (p > .05). There was a significant reduction in the number of unprepared areas and the remaining dentine thickness after each increase in size of the instruments tested (p < .05).
Conclusions
The four instrument systems perform similarly in long oval root canals. Although none could prepare all canal walls, larger preparations incorporated significantly more surfaces in the final shape.
Background
Mucormycosis is a rare, invasive disease associated with high mortality rates, produced by opportunistic pathogens related to the Mucorales order and characterised by a diverse range of ...clinical forms; acute rhino‐orbital‐cerebral and pulmonary symptoms are the most reported ones.
Objectives
To report the experience of mucormycosis observed in a tertiary‐care hospital in Mexico for 35 years.
Methods
This was a retrospective, descriptive and observational study on mucormycosis at a tertiary‐care hospital in Mexico from January 1985 to December 2019. Demographic and clinical data and mycological and histopathological records were selected.
Results
Two hundred fourteen proven cases of mucormycosis for 35 years at a tertiary‐care hospital in Mexico were included. Most of the cases were male patients with a median age of 45 years. The two most associated underlying diseases were diabetes mellitus (76.6%) and haematologic malignancy (15.4%). The three primary clinical forms were as follows: rhino‐orbito‐cerebral (75.9%), cutaneous (8.41%) and pulmonary (7.47%) mucormycosis. The most isolated agents were Rhizopus arrhizus (58.4%) and Lichtheimia corymbifera (12.3%). The overall therapeutic response was 58.5%, and the best response was observed with amphotericin B deoxycholate and surgical debridement.
Conclusion
Mucormycosis is an emerging disease, and its incidence has increased at our hospital over the years. In this study, the rhino‐cerebral clinical type was the most frequent in patients with uncontrolled diabetes; the main aetiological agent was R. arrhizus. Early diagnosis, control of the underlying disease and prompt management may increase the survival rate.
Background:
Regulatory CD4+ T cells (Tregs) exhibit functional alterations in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is a key regulator of Treg development and ...function.
Objective:
The objective of this study is to determine whether the expression of functionally relevant TGF-β-regulated molecules is altered in Tregs from patients with MS.
Methods:
Expression of nine Treg markers was analyzed by multi-color flow cytometry in CD4+ T cells and Treg subpopulations of 31 untreated MS patients and age- and sex-matched healthy donors (HDs). Correlations between Treg marker expression and clinical variables were sought.
Results:
Expression of the transcription factor Helios, which defines thymic-derived Tregs, was decreased in this Treg subpopulation. The frequency of peripherally generated Tregs was increased in patients with MS, particularly in patients with progressive MS. Low frequencies of thymic-derived Tregs were associated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesion-burden and a high relapse rate. Four surface markers associated with TGF-β signaling (ABCA1, BTLA, DNAM-1, and GARP) were differentially expressed on Tregs from patients with MS and HDs. Expression levels of CD73, CD103, ABCA1, and PAR2 showed strong correlations with disease severity.
Conclusion:
We have identified novel markers abnormally expressed on Tregs from patients with MS that could detect patients with severe disease.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the main causes of mortality. Recent studies suggest that cancer stem cells (CSCs) can survive after chemotherapy and promote tumor invasiveness and aggression. ...According to a higher hierarchy complexity of CSC, different protocols for isolation, expansion, and characterization have been used; however, there are no available resistance biomarkers that allow predicting the clinical response of treatment 5‑fluorouracil (5FU) and oxaliplatin. Therefore, the primary aim of the present study was to analyze the expression of gene resistance on tumors and CSC‑derived isolates from patients CRC. In the present study, adenocarcinomas of the colon and rectum (CRAC) were classified based on an
adenosine triphosphate‑based chemotherapy response assay, as sensitive and resistant and the percentage of CD24 and CD44 markers are evaluated by immunohistochemistry. To isolate resistant colon‑CSC, adenocarcinoma tissues resistant to 5FU and oxaliplatin were evaluated. Finally, all samples were sequenced using a custom assay with chemoresistance‑associated genes to find a candidate gene on resistance colon‑CSC. Results showed that 59% of the CRC tissue analyzed was resistant and had a higher percentage of CD44 and CD24 markers. An association was found in the expression of some genes between the tumor‑resistant tissue and CSC. Overall, isolates of the CSC population CD44
resistant to 5FU and oxaliplatin demonstrated different expression profiles; however, the present study was able to identify overexpression of the
gene, in most of the isolates. In conclusion, the results of the present study showed overexpression of
in CD44
cells is associated with chemoresistance to 5FU and oxaliplatin in CRAC.
The detection and analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may enable a broad range of cancer-related applications, including the identification of acquired drug resistance during treatments. ...However, the non-scalable fabrication, prolonged sample processing times, and the lack of automation, associated with most of the technologies developed to isolate these rare cells, have impeded their transition into the clinical practice. This work describes a novel membrane-based microfiltration device comprised of a fully automated sample processing unit and a machine-vision-enabled imaging system that allows the efficient isolation and rapid analysis of CTCs from blood. The device performance was characterized using four prostate cancer cell lines, including PC-3, VCaP, DU-145, and LNCaP, obtaining high assay reproducibility and capture efficiencies greater than 93% after processing 7.5 mL blood samples spiked with 100 cancer cells. Cancer cells remained viable after filtration due to the minimal shear stress exerted over cells during the procedure, while the identification of cancer cells by immunostaining was not affected by the number of non-specific events captured on the membrane. We were also able to identify the androgen receptor (AR) point mutation T878A from 7.5 mL blood samples spiked with 50 LNCaP cells using RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing. Finally, CTCs were detected in 8 out of 8 samples from patients diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer (mean ± SEM = 21 ± 2.957 CTCs/mL, median = 21 CTCs/mL), demonstrating the potential clinical utility of this device.
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