Aim: We have designed a study with the objective of describing the clinical impact of other viruses different from the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in hospitalized infants with bronchiolitis.
...Methods: A 3 year prospective study was conducted on infants admitted to the Paediatrics Department of the Severo Ochoa Hospital (Spain). We studied the frequency of 16 respiratory viruses. Clinical characteristics of RSV‐only infections were compared with other single agent viral infections.
Results: Positive results were confirmed in 275 (86.5%) of the 318 children studied. A single virus was detected in 196 patients and 79 were dual or multiple viral infections. RSV was detected in 61.3% of total bronchiolitis. Rhinovirus (RV) was 17.4% of the identified virus, followed by human bocavirus (HBoV), adenovirus and metapneumovirus (hMPV). Only RV, HBoV and hMPV were significant as single infections. RSV patients were younger than HBoV (p > 0.0001) and hMPV (p = 0.025). Seasonality was clearly different between them. Children with RSV infection needed treatment in the intensive care unit more frequently than others.
Conclusions: In hospitalized infants, RSV was the most frequent agent in bronchiolitis in winter, but other viruses were present in 47% of the patients. RV, HBoV and hMPV had a significant proportion of single infections. Clinical characteristics were similar amongst them, but seasonality was clearly different.
PopStar I: evolutionary synthesis model description Mollá, M.; García-Vargas, M. L.; Bressan, A.
Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
September 2009, Letnik:
398, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We present new evolutionary synthesis models for simple stellar populations for a wide range of ages and metallicities. The models are based on the Padova isochrones. The core of the spectral library ...is provided by the medium resolution Lejeune et al. atmosphere models. These spectra are complemented by Non Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (NLTE) atmosphere models for hot stars that have an important impact on the stellar cluster's ionizing spectra: O, B and WR stellar spectra at the early ages, and spectra of post asymptotic giant branch stars and planetary nebulae, at intermediate and old ages. At young ages, our models compare well with other existing models, but we find that the inclusion of the nebular continuum, not considered in several other models, significantly reddens the integrated colours of very young stellar populations. This is consistent with the results of spectral synthesis codes particularly devised for the study of starburst galaxies. At intermediate and old ages, the agreement with the literature model is good and, in particular, we reproduce the observed colours of star clusters in Large Magellanic Cloud well. Given the ability to produce good integrated spectra from the far-ultraviolet to the infrared at any age, we consider that our models are particularly suited for the study of high-redshift galaxies. These models are available on the web site http://www.fractal-es.com/SEDmod.htm and also through the Virtual Observatory Tools on the PopStar server.
Pathogens that infect the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts are subjected to intense pressure due to the environmental conditions of the surroundings. This pressure has led to the development ...of mechanisms of bacterial tolerance or persistence which enable microorganisms to survive in these locations. In this review, we analyze the general stress response (RpoS mediated), reactive oxygen species (ROS) tolerance, energy metabolism, drug efflux pumps, SOS response, quorum sensing (QS) bacterial communication, (p)ppGpp signaling, and toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems of pathogens, such as
,
spp.,
spp.,
spp.,
,
spp.,
spp.,
spp., and
, all of which inhabit the gastrointestinal tract. The following respiratory tract pathogens are also considered:
,
,
,
, and
Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms regulating the bacterial tolerance and persistence phenotypes is essential in the fight against multiresistant pathogens, as it will enable the identification of new targets for developing innovative anti-infective treatments.
•Natural or synthetic mixtures of pentacyclic triterpenes were formulated in nanoemulsions (NEs).•NEs followed Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic model for triterpenes (oleanolic/ursolic acids) ...release.•Natural mixtures showed a greater anti-inflammatory effect than synthetic mixtures.•NEs demonstrated low viscosity and kept the small droplet size.
The aim of the present study was to design and optimize a nanoemulsion for dermal administration of mixtures of natural or synthetic pentacyclic triterpenes with recognized anti-inflammatory activity. The composition of the developed nanoemulsions was obtained from pseudo-ternary phase diagrams, composed of castor oil as the oil phase, labrasol as the surfactant, transcutol-P as co-surfactant and propylene glycol as the aqueous phase. Different ratios of surfactant/co-surfactant mixture (Smix) (4:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2 and 1:4) were produced, and Smix 4:1 was chosen based on the greater area of optimal nanoemulsion conditions. Two different nanoemulsions of mean droplet size below 600nm were produced, loading mixtures of natural or synthetic pentacyclic triterpenes, respectively. The viscosity of nanoemulsion containing natural pentacyclic triterpenes was 51.97±4.57mPas and that loaded with synthetic mixtures was 55.33±0.28mPas. The studies of release and skin permeation were performed using Franz diffusion cells, adjusting the release kinetics of both formulations to Korsmeyer-Peppas model. No significant differences in permeation parameters between the two nanoemulsions were observed. The amount of drug retained in the skin was higher than the amount of drug that has permeated, favoring a local action. The results of the in vivo tests demonstrated that the developed formulations were not toxic and not irritant to the skin. The formulation loading a mixture of natural triterpenes showed greater ability to inhibit inflammation than that loading the synthetic mixture. The findings clearly corroborate the added value of o/w nanoemulsions for dermal delivery of pentacyclic triterpenes.
Biodegradable PEGylated nanospheres loading Dexibuprofen demonstrated to be suitable for ocular inflammation treatment.
Display omitted
•Dexibuprofen PEGylated nanospheres optimization was carried ...out by DoE.•Developed Dexibuprofen loaded nanospheres are suitable for ocular administration.•Nanospheres increase tropism to the cornea enhancing drug retention and permeation.•Developed formulations confirmed to be non-irritant by ocular tolerance assessment.•Formulations were effective both preventing and treating inflammation.
Dexibuprofen-loaded PEGylated PLGA nanospheres have been developed to improve the biopharmaceutical profile of the anti-inflammatory drug for ocular administration. Dexibuprofen is the active enantiomer of ibuprofen and therefore lower doses may be applied to achieve the same therapeutic level. According to this, two batches of nanospheres of different drug concentrations, 0.5 and 1.0mg/ml respectively, have been developed (the latter corresponding to the therapeutic ibuprofen concentration for inflammatory eye diseases). Both batches were composed of negatively charged nanospheres (−14.1 and −15.9mV), with a mean particle size below 200nm, and a high encapsulation efficiency (99%). X-ray, FTIR, and DSC analyses confirmed that the drug was dispersed inside the matrix of the nanospheres. While the in vitro release profile was sustained up to 12h, the ex vivo corneal and scleral permeation profile demonstrated higher drug retention and permeation in the corneal tissue rather than in the sclera. These results were also confirmed by the quantification of dexibuprofen in ocular tissues after the in vivo administration of drug-loaded nanospheres. Cell viability studies confirmed that PEGylated-PLGA nanospheres were less cytotoxic than free dexibuprofen in the majority of the tested concentrations. Ocular in vitro (HET-CAM test) and in vivo (Draize test) tolerance assays demonstrated the non-irritant character of both nanosphere batches. In vivo anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated in albino rabbits before and after inflammation induction. Both batches confirmed to be effective to treat and prevent ocular inflammation.
We present the results of a blind exercise to test the recoverability of stellar rotation and differential rotation in Kepler light curves. The simulated light curves lasted 1000 d and included ...activity cycles, Sun-like butterfly patterns, differential rotation and spot evolution. The range of rotation periods, activity levels and spot lifetime were chosen to be representative of the Kepler data of solar-like stars. Of the 1000 simulated light curves, 770 were injected into actual quiescent Kepler light curves to simulate Kepler noise. The test also included five 1000-d segments of the Sun's total irradiance variations at different points in the Sun's activity cycle. Five teams took part in the blind exercise, plus two teams who participated after the content of the light curves had been released. The methods used included Lomb–Scargle periodograms and variants thereof, autocorrelation function and wavelet-based analyses, plus spot modelling to search for differential rotation. The results show that the ‘overall’ period is well recovered for stars exhibiting low and moderate activity levels. Most teams reported values within 10 per cent of the true value in 70 per cent of the cases. There was, however, little correlation between the reported and simulated values of the differential rotation shear, suggesting that differential rotation studies based on full-disc light curves alone need to be treated with caution, at least for solar-type stars. The simulated light curves and associated parameters are available online for the community to test their own methods.
Aims
The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamic changes in the bacterial structure and potential interactions of an acclimatized marine microbial community during a light crude oil ...degradation experiment.
Methods and Results
The bacterial community effectively removed 76·49% of total petroleum hydrocarbons after 30 days, as evidenced by GC‐FID and GC‐MS analyses. Short‐chain alkanes and specific aromatic compounds were completely degraded within the first 6 days. High‐throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene indicated that the starting bacterial community was mainly composed by Marinobacter and more than 30 non‐dominant genera. Bacterial succession was dependent on the hydrocarbon uptake with Alcanivorax becoming dominant during the highest degradation period. Sparse correlations for compositional data algorithm revealed one operational taxonomic unit (OTU) of Muricauda and an assembly of six OTUs of Alcanivorax dieselolei and Alcanivorax hongdengensis as critical keystone components for the consortium network maintenance and stability.
Conclusions
This work exhibits a stabilized marine bacterial consortium with the capability to efficiently degrade light crude oil in 6 days, under laboratory conditions. Successional and interaction patterns were observed in response to hydrocarbon consumption, highlighting potential interactions between Alcanivorax and keystone non‐dominant OTUs over time.
Significance and Impact of the Study
Our results contribute to the understanding of interactions and potential roles of specific members of hydrocarbonoclastic marine bacterial communities, which will be useful for further bioaugmentation studies concerning the associations between indigenous and introduced micro‐organisms.
This is the second paper of a series reporting the results from the popstar evolutionary synthesis models. Here, we present synthetic emission-line spectra of H ii regions photoionized by young star ...clusters, for seven values of cluster masses and for ages between 0.1 and 5.2 Myr. The ionizing spectral energy distributions (SEDs) are those obtained by the popstar code for six different metallicities, with a very low-metallicity set, Z= 0.0001, not included in previous similar works. We assume that the radius of the H ii region is the distance at which the ionized gas is deposited by the action of the mechanical energy of the winds and supernovae from the central ionizing young cluster. In this way, the ionization parameter is eliminated as free argument, since now its value is obtained from the cluster physical properties (mass, age and metallicity) and from the gaseous medium characteristics (density and abundances). We discuss our results and compare them with those from previous models and also with a large data set of giant H ii regions for which abundances have been derived in a homogeneous manner. The values of the O iii lines (at λλ 4363, 4959, 5007 Å) in the lowest metallicity nebulae are found to be very weak and similar to those coming from very high-metallicity regions (solar or oversolar). Thus, the sole use of the oxygen lines is not enough to distinguish between very low and very high metallicity regions. In these cases, we emphasize the need of the additional support of alternative metallicity tracers, like the S iii lines in the near-infrared.
Abstract
The potential protective effect of the dietary antioxidant curcumin (120 mg/Kg/day for 6 days) against the renal injury induced by maleate was evaluated. Tubular proteinuria and oxidative ...stress were induced by a single injection of maleate (400 mg/kg) in rats. Maleate-induced renal injury included increase in renal vascular resistance and in the urinary excretion of total protein, glucose, sodium, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and N-acetyl β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), upregulation of kidney injury molecule (KIM)-1, decrease in renal blood flow and claudin-2 expression besides of necrosis and apoptosis of tubular cells on 24 h. Oxidative stress was determined by measuring the oxidation of lipids and proteins and diminution in renal Nrf2 levels. Studies were also conducted in renal epithelial LLC-PK1 cells and in mitochondria isolated from kidneys of all the experimental groups. Maleate induced cell damage and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in LLC-PK1 cells in culture. In addition, maleate treatment reduced oxygen consumption in ADP-stimulated mitochondria and diminished respiratory control index when using malate/glutamate as substrate. The activities of both complex I and aconitase were also diminished. All the above-described alterations were prevented by curcumin. It is concluded that curcumin is able to attenuate in vivo maleate-induced nephropathy and in vitro cell damage. The in vivo protection was associated to the prevention of oxidative stress and preservation of mitochondrial oxygen consumption and activity of respiratory complex I, and the in vitro protection was associated to the prevention of ROS production.
PDF
