Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) has an important etiological role in acute lower respiratory infections in children under five years. Our objectives were to estimate the relative contribution of HMPV to ...hospitalization in children with acute respiratory infection, to define the clinical and epidemiological features of HMPV single and multiple infections, and to compare HMPV infections with respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV), rhinovirus (HRV), adenovirus and human bocavirus infections in the same population.
A prospective study performed on all children less than 14 years of age with a respiratory tract disease admitted to a secondary hospital between September 2005- June 2014. Clinical characteristics of patients were analyzed. Nasopharyngeal aspirate was taken at admission for viral study with polymerase chain reaction for 16 respiratory viruses. A total of 3,906 children were included. At least one respiratory virus was detected in 75.2% of them. The most common identified virus was HRSV, followed by HRV. HMPV was detected in 214 cases (5.5%); 133 (62%) were single infections and the remaining were detected in coinfection with other viruses. 90.7% cases were detected between February and May. Children's mean age was 13.83 ± 18 months. Fever was frequent (69%), and bronchiolitis (27%), and recurrent wheezing (63%) were the main clinical diagnosis. Hypoxia was present in 65% of the patients and 47% of them had an infiltrate in X-ray. Only 6 (2.8%) children were admitted to the intensive care unit. Only the duration of the hospitalization was different, being longer in the coinfections group (p <0.05). There were many differences in seasonality and clinical characteristics between HMPV and other respiratory viruses being more similar to HRSV.
HMPV infections accounted for 5.5% of total viral infections in hospitalized children. The clinical characteristics were similar to HRSV infections, but seasonality and clinical data were different from other viral infections.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory disease whose pathogenesis remains unclear. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is an endogenous phospholipid involved in multiple immune cell functions and ...dysregulated in MS. Its receptor LPA
1
is expressed in macrophages and regulates their activation, which is of interest due to the role of macrophage activation in MS in both destruction and repair. In this study, we studied the genetic deletion and pharmaceutical inhibition of LPA
1
in the mouse MS model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). LPA
1
expression was analyzed in EAE mice and MS patient immune cells. The effect of LPA and LPA
1
on macrophage activation was studied in human monocyte-derived macrophages. We show that lack of LPA
1
activity induces milder clinical EAE course and that
Lpar1
expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) correlates with onset of relapses and severity in EAE. We see the same over-expression in PBMC from MS patients during relapse compared with progressive forms of the disease and in stimulated monocyte-derived macrophages. LPA induced a proinflammatory-like response in macrophages through LPA
1
, providing a plausible way in which LPA and LPA
1
dysregulation can lead to the inflammation in MS. These data show a new mechanism of LPA signaling in the MS pathogenesis, prompting further research into its use as a therapeutic target biomarker.
Abstract
Background and purpose
Clinical status of subjects with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is influenced by a complex interaction of several biopsychosocial factors. The use of patient-reported ...measures (PROM) is considered the gold standard for their evaluation. However, considering that 1 in 5 subjects with KOA present with depressive symptoms, it is necessary to analyse how this psychological domain may influence the subjective perception of PROM. The objective was to study the impact that depressive symptoms have on functional outcome assessments, according to the degree of objectivity of diverse outcome measures.
Methods
Cross-sectional study. Subjects with severe KOA, verified with clinical and radiological symptoms, were assessed with patient-reported (Oxford Knee Score), clinician-reported (knee range of motion), and performance-based (Timed up and go test) measures. The existence of depressive symptoms was assessed with the Yesavage scale, and participants were classified for having no-, mild- or severe-symptoms. Linear correlations (
r
) and one-way analysis of variance compared groups (95% CI).
Results
244 participants were analysed, of which 75 (30.7%) had depressive symptoms. These symptoms had an inverse moderate association with Oxford Knee Score (
r
= -0.387). However, the correlation with the Timed up and go test was low (
r
= 0.176), while there was no correlation with knee ROM (
r
= -0.087).
Conclusions
This study supports that patient-reported questionnaires may offer biased information on the clinical status of patients with severe knee osteoarthritis who present with depressive symptoms. Consideration of such symptoms may be critical to ensure data collected to accurately reflect patients’ capacities and perceptions.
•TGA, FTIR and XRD applied in lignocellulosic solid material in biomethanization.•Artichoke, asparagus and cellulose chosen as representative lignocellulosic materials.•New information sources ...complemented with traditional monitoring of biomethanization.•Remaining acetate in solid state identified by FTIR can be further solubilized.•Crystallinity rate and degradation temperature peaks decreased by biomethanization.
In this paper, the use of techniques such as TGA, FTIR-ATR and XRD has provided valuable information about the lignocellulosic wastes in anaerobic digestion (AD) processes. A deep study of their break-down in solid state could improve the management of these recalcitrant substrates.
Representative wastes (artichoke –ART-, asparagus –ASP-, the co-digestion of both –AcoD- and pure cellulose –CELL-) were assessed in batch. The main obtained results were related to biochemical parameters. As the biomethanization progressed, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin were weakened as shown by TGA, and cellulose crystallinity decreased as demonstrated by XRD. Additionally, results from FTIR-ATR allowed hypothesizing that the formation of acetate in solid state did not always lead to its solubilisation, thus hindering biogas formation. AcoD and CELL were the most successful in releasing the newly formed acetate from the solid fraction to the aqueous medium, increasing its bioavailability, which was supported by the higher biogas production.
Creativity has been engaged as a new way of developing tourism destinations, and this brings consequences for tourists and for the destinations themselves. Hence the need to measure the levels of ...creativity displayed by a specific tourist destination. To this end, an aggregate composite index is proposed, labelled Creacity, capable of evaluating spatial, environmental and institutional creativity in Spain's urban‐cultural destinations, taken as an example. The findings and methodology proposed pave the way to apply creativity as a key element in tourism competitiveness, in a clear bid to promote the Economics of Creativity, moving beyond the concept of Creative Economics.
High levels of inflammation play an important role in chronic heart failure (CHF). Patients with CHF have elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines circulating systemically, mainly TNF and IL-6. ...However, there are almost no studies that relate these levels to the functional status of patients in CHF, much less to their CMV serostatus. In this study, patients with CHF (n=40; age=54.9 ± 6.3; New York Heart Association functional classification (NYHA, I-III) and healthy controls (n=40; age=53.5 ± 7.1) were analyzed. The serum concentrations of nine pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were measured by Luminex
®
xMap Technology and the basal level of mRNA expression of some immune molecules was quantified by TaqMan™ Array in CD4+ T-lymphocytes. The concentration of these cytokines in culture supernatants in response to anti-CD3 and LPS was also measured. The percentage of CD28null T-cells was determined, as well as the antibody titer against CMV. We found a higher concentration of all cytokines studied in CHF serum compared to healthy controls, as well as a direct correlation between functional status in CHF patients and levels of inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, the highest cytokine concentrations were found in patients with higher concentrations of lymphocytes lacking CD28 molecule. The cytokine production was much higher in CMV+ patients, and the production of these cytokines was found mainly in the T-lymphocytes of CMV+ patients in response to anti-CD3. Anti-CMV antibody levels were positively correlated with cytokine levels. The baseline expression of specific mRNA of the main molecules involved in the Th1 response, as well as molecules related to the CD4+CD28 null subset was higher in CMV+ patients. The cytokine concentrations are higher in CHF CMV+ patients and these concentrations are related to the production of antibodies against CMV. These high levels of cytokines are also associated with the more differentiated CD28null lymphocyte populations. All this, together with the dynamics of the pathology itself, makes CMV+ patients present a worse functional status and possibly a worse evolution of the pathology.
Malaria is still one of the most prevalent parasitic infections in the world, with half of the world's population at risk for malaria. The effectiveness of current antimalarial therapies, even that ...of the most recent class of antimalarial drugs (artemisinin-combination therapies, ACTs), is under continuous threat by the spread of resistant Plasmodium strains. As a consequence, there is still an urgent requirement for new antimalarial drugs. We previously reported the identification of 4(1 H)-pyridones as a novel series with potent antimalarial activities. The low solubility was identified as an issue to address. In this paper, we describe the synthesis and biological evaluation of 4(1 H)-pyridones with potent antimalarial activities in vitro and in vivo and improved pharmacokinetic profiles. Their main structural novelties are the presence of polar moieties, such as hydroxyl groups, and the replacement of the lipophilic phenyl rings with pyridines on their lipophilic side chains.
Most Trichoderma species are beneficial fungi that promote plant growth and resistance, while Fusarium genera cause several crop damages. During the plant-fungi interaction there is a competition for ...sugars in both lifestyles. Here we analyzed the plant growth promotion and biocontrol activity of
T. asperellum
against
F. verticillioides
and the effect of both fungi on the expression of the maize diffusional sugar transporters, the SWEETs. The biocontrol activity was done in two ways, the first was by observing the growth capacity of both fungus in a dual culture. The second one by analyzing the infection symptoms, the chlorophyl content and the transcript levels of defense genes determined by qPCR in plants with different developmental stages primed with
T. asperellum
conidia and challenged with
F. verticillioides
. In a dual culture,
T. asperellum
showed antagonist activity against
F. verticillioides
. In the primed plants a delay in the infection disease was observed, they sustained chlorophyll content even after the infection, and displayed upregulated defense-related genes. Additionally, the
T. asperellum
primed plants had longer stems than the nonprimed plants. SWEETs transcript levels were analyzed by qPCR in plants primed with either fungus. Both fungi affect the transcript levels of several maize sugar transporters differently.
T. asperellum
increases the expression of six SWEETs on leaves and two at the roots and causes a higher exudation of sucrose, glucose, and fructose at the roots. On the contrary,
F. verticillioides
reduces the expression of the SWEETs on the leaves, and more severely when a more aggressive strain is in the plant. Our results suggest that the plant is able to recognize the lifestyle of the fungi and respond accordingly by changing the expression of several genes, including the SWEETs, to establish a new sugar flux.
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