Beans are an important part of the Mexican diet, and its cultivation generates a significant amount of waste. This biomass contains important amounts of carbon, which makes it a potential source to ...obtaining fuel pellets. Therefore, this work proposes the production of fuel pellets from bean residues considering as control factors the particle size and moisture content. The fuel pellets of best quality were obtained from biomass with a moisture content of 20% and a particle size of 8.00 mm before its densification (M3P2 samples); these fuel pellets reached a higher heating value of 16.097 MJ/kg, 5.319% of dry weight ashes, a bulk density of 607.38 kg/m3, a final moisture of 11.679%, an individual density of 1.1979 g/cm3, a final diameter of 8.13 mm, a final length of 18.50 mm, a final carbon content of 54.322%, and a yield of 60.7%. Based on these results, the fuel pellets produced from the residues of the bean crop satisfy the ISO 17225–6 standard, and they can replace solid fossil fuels for generation of electrical and/or thermal energy.
Background
Fluconazole‐resistant Candida parapsilosis is a matter of concern.
Objectives
To describe fluconazole‐resistant C. parapsilosis genotypes circulating across hospitals in Spain and Rome and ...to study their azole‐resistance profile associated with ERG11p substitutions.
Patients/Methods
We selected fluconazole‐resistant C. parapsilosis isolates (n = 528 from 2019 to 2023; MIC ≥8 mg/L according to EUCAST) from patients admitted to 13 hospitals located in five Spanish cities and Rome. Additionally, we tested voriconazole, posaconazole, isavuconazole, amphotericin B, micafungin, anidulafungin and ibrexafungerp susceptibility.
Results
Of the 53 genotypes found, 49 harboured the Y132F substitution, five of which were dominating city‐specific genotypes involving almost half the isolates. Another genotype involved isolates harbouring the G458S substitution. Finally, we found two genotypes with the wild‐type ERG11 gene sequence and one with the R398I substitution. All isolates were fully susceptible/wild‐type to amphotericin B, anidulafungin, micafungin and ibrexafungerp. The azole‐resistance patterns found were: voriconazole‐resistant (74.1%) or voriconazole‐intermediate (25.2%), posaconazole‐resistant (10%) and isavuconazole non‐wild‐type (47.5%). Fluconazole‐resistant and voriconazole non‐wild‐type isolates were likely to harbour substitution Y132F if posaconazole was wild type; however, if posaconazole was non‐wild type, substitution G458S was indicated if isavuconazole MIC was >0.125 mg/L or substitution Y132F if isavuconazole MIC was ≤0.125 mg/L.
Conclusions
We detected a recent clonal spread of fluconazole‐resistant C. parapsilosis across some cities in Spain, mostly driven by dominating city‐specific genotypes, which involved a large number of isolates harbouring the Y132F ERG11p substitution. Isolates harbouring substitution Y132F can be suspected because they are non‐susceptible to voriconazole and rarely posaconazole‐resistant.
The emergence and spread of anti-malarial resistance continues to hinder malaria control. Plasmodium falciparum, the species that causes most human malaria cases and most deaths, has shown resistance ...to almost all known anti-malarials. This anti-malarial resistance arises from the development and subsequent expansion of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in specific parasite genes. A quick and cheap tool for the detection of drug resistance can be crucial and very useful for use in hospitals and in malaria control programmes. It has been demonstrated in different contexts that genotyping by Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP), is a simple, fast and economical method that allows a high-precision biallelic characterization of SNPs, hence its possible utility in the study of resistance in P. falciparum.
Three SNPs involved in most cases of resistance to the most widespread anti-malarial treatments have been analysed by PCR plus sequencing and by KASP (C580Y of the Kelch13 gene, Y86N of the Pfmdr1 gene and M133I of the Pfcytb gene). A total of 113 P. falciparum positive samples and 24 negative samples, previously analysed by PCR and sequencing, were selected for this assay. Likewise, the samples were genotyped for the MSP-1 and MSP-2 genes, and the Multiplicity of Infection (MOI) and parasitaemia were measured to observe their possible influence on the KASP method.
The KASP results showed the same expected mutations and wild type genotypes as the reference method, with few exceptions that correlated with very low parasitaemia samples. In addition, two cases of heterozygotes that had not been detected by sequencing were found. No correlation was found between the MOI or parasitaemia and the KASP values of the sample. The reproducibility of the technique shows no oscillations between repetitions in any of the three SNPs analysed.
The KASP assays developed in this study were efficient and versatile for the determination of the Plasmodium genotypes related to resistance. The method is simple, fast, reproducible with low cost in personnel, material and equipment and scalable, being able to core KASP arrays, including numerous SNPs, to complete the main pattern of mutations associated to P. falciparum resistance.
Objectives
Imported Chagas disease (CD) is an emerging health problem in Europe due to immigration from endemic countries. Although WHO currently recommends two different serological methods to ...establish diagnosis, new tools like the ARCHITECT Chagas assay have potential for use as a single diagnostic test. Our objective was to determine an optimal signal‐to‐cut‐off (S/CO) value for the ARCHITECT Chagas assay to diagnose CD with a single test.
Methods
A retrospective study conducted at the 12 de Octubre University Hospital (Madrid, Spain). All patients with requests for Chagas screening between January 2014 and August 2017 were consecutively included. All samples were routinely tested with the ARCHITECT assay. Negative samples (S/CO < 0.8) required no further testing. Immunochromatographic testing (ICT) and/or indirect immunofluorescence (IFI) was used to confirm samples with S/CO ≥ 0.8. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis determined the ARCHITECT S/CO value that yielded 100% specificity and positive predictive value. SPSS software, version 22.0 was used for data analysis.
Results
A total of 4153 samples were analysed; 361 (8.69%) gave a reactive ARCHITECT Chagas result. 261/361 (72.3%) were women; median age was 38 years old (2–79). 92.8% were Bolivian. A total of 307 (85.0%) were confirmed as cases of Chagas; 52 (14.4%) were not infected; two (0.6%) were not evaluable. Seroprevalence was 7.39%. An S/CO ≥ 3.80 yielded 100% specificity (95% confidence interval CI, 0.93–1.00) and 100% positive predictive value (95% CI, 0.99–1.00).
Conclusions
Using S/CO ≥ 3.80, the ARCHITECT Chagas could be used as a single test for diagnosis of chronic CD in Bolivian immigrants. Patients with S/CO between 0.80 and 3.80 would require additional testing.
Objectifs
La maladie de Chagas (MC) importée est un problème de santé émergent en Europe dû à l'immigration en provenance des pays d'endémie. Bien que l’OMS recommande actuellement deux méthodes sérologiques différentes pour établir le diagnostic, de nouveaux outils comme le test Architect Chagas pourraient être utilisés comme test unique de diagnostic. Notre objectif était de déterminer une valeur seuil optimale du signal (S/CO) pour le test Architect Chagas afin de pouvoir diagnostiquer la MC à l'aide d'un seul test.
Méthodes
Une étude rétrospective menée à l'Hôpital Universitaire du 12 octobre, à Madrid, en Espagne. Tous les patients requérant un dépistage de la MC entre janvier 2014 et août 2017 ont été inclus consécutivement. Tous les échantillons ont été testés en routine avec le test Architect. Les échantillons négatifs (valeur S/CO < 0,8) n'ont pas nécessité de test supplémentaire. Le test immunochromatographique (ICT) et/ou à immunofluorescence indirecte (IFI) ont été utilisés pour confirmer les échantillons avec une valeur S/CO > 0,8. L'analyse de la courbe caractéristique du récepteur (ROC) a permis de déterminer la valeur S/CO du test Architect donnant une spécificité et une valeur prédictive positive de 100%. Le logiciel SPSS, version 22.0, a été utilisé pour l'analyse des données.
Résultats
4153 échantillons ont été analysés; 361 (8,69%) ont donné un résultat réactif avec Architecte Chagas. 261/361 (72,3%) provenaient de femmes; l’âge médian était de 38 ans (2 à 79). 92,8% étaient des boliviens. 307 (85,0%) ont été confirmés comme des cas de Chagas; 52 (14,4%) n’étaient pas infectés; 2 (0,6%) n’étaient pas évaluables. La séroprévalence était de 7,39%. Une valeur S/CO > 3,80 donnait une spécificité de 100% (IC95%: 0,93‐1,00) et une valeur prédictive positive de 100% (IC95%: 0,99‐1,00).
Conclusions
En utilisant une valeur S/CO de 3,80, le test Architecte Chagas pourrait être utilisé comme un test unique pour le diagnostic de la MC chronique chez les immigrants boliviens. Les patients avec une valeur S/CO comprise entre 0,80 et 3,80 nécessiteraient des tests supplémentaires.
To determine whether increased migration is associated with an increase in incidence of toxocariasis (visceral larva migrans), we analyzed clinical data obtained from immigrants from Latin America. ...Although infection with Toxocara sp. roundworm larvae is distributed worldwide, seroprevalence is highest in tropical and subtropical areas.
The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Due to the growth in international travel and immigration, NTDs may be diagnosed in countries of the ...western world, but there has been no specific focus in the literature on imported NTDs.
Retrospective study of a cohort of immigrants and travelers diagnosed with one of the 13 core NTDs at a Tropical Medicine Referral Unit in Spain during the period April 1989-December 2007. Area of origin or travel was recorded and analyzed.
There were 6168 patients (2634 immigrants, 3277 travelers and 257 VFR travelers) in the cohort. NTDs occurred more frequently in immigrants, followed by VFR travelers and then by other travelers (p<0.001 for trend). The main NTDs diagnosed in immigrants were onchocerciasis (n = 240, 9.1%) acquired mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, Chagas disease (n = 95, 3.6%) in immigrants from South America, and ascariasis (n = 86, 3.3%) found mainly in immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Most frequent NTDs in travelers were: schistosomiasis (n = 43, 1.3%), onchocerciasis (n = 17, 0.5%) and ascariasis (n = 16, 0.5%), and all were mainly acquired in sub-Saharan Africa. The main NTDs diagnosed in VFR travelers were onchocerciasis (n = 14, 5.4%), and schistosomiasis (n = 2, 0.8%).
The concept of imported NTDs is emerging as these infections acquire a more public profile. Specific issues such as the possibility of non-vectorial transmission outside endemic areas and how some eradication programmes in endemic countries may have an impact even in non-tropical western countries are addressed. Recognising NTDs even outside tropical settings would allow specific prevention and control measures to be implemented and may create unique opportunities for research in future.
During a visceral leishmaniasis outbreak in an area of Madrid, Spain, the incidence of disease among solid organ transplant recipients was 10.3% (7/68). Being a black person from sub-Saharan Africa, ...undergoing transplantation during the outbreak, and residing <1,000 m from the epidemic focus were risk factors for posttransplant visceral leishmaniasis.
This paper aims to analyze the effect on measured inequality and its structure of using administrative data instead of survey data. Different analyses are carried out based on the Spanish Survey on ...Income and Living Conditions (ECV) that continued to ask households for their income despite assigning their income data as provided by the Tax Agency and the Social Security Administration. Our main finding is that the largest discrepancies between administrative and survey data are in the tails of the distribution. In addition to that, there are clear differences in the level and structure of inequality across data sources. These differences matter, and our results should be a wake-up call to interpret the results based on only one source of income data with caution.
Migration has contributed to the emergence of certain infectious diseases. To determine which infectious diseases were most common among 2 mobile immigrant groups (sub-Saharan Africans and Latin ...Americans) in Spain, we analyzed health and demographic characteristics of 2,198 immigrants referred to the Tropical Medicine Unit of Ramon y Cajal Hospital over a 20-year period. The most frequent diagnoses were for latent tuberculosis (716 patients 32.6%), filariasis (421 19.2%), hepatropic virus chronic infection (262 19.2%), intestinal parasites (242 11.0%), and malaria (212 9.6%). Health screening of immigrant populations is needed to ensure early diagnosis and treatment of potentially transmissible infections.
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