The National University of Córdoba (Spanish: Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, UNC) is an institution of higher education in the city of Córdoba, Argentina. Founded in 1613, UNC is the oldest university in Argentina, the third oldest university of the Americas, with the first university being the National University of San Marcos (Peru, 1551) and the second one, Saint Thomas Aquinas University (Colombia, 1580). Since the early 20th century it has been the second largest university in the country (after the University of Buenos Aires) in terms of the number of students, faculty, and academic programs. As the location of the first university founded in the land that is now Argentina, Córdoba has earned the nickname La Docta (roughly translated, "The Wise"). The National University of Córdoba is financially supported by argentinian taxpayers, but - like all Argentine national universities - it is autonomous. This means it has the autonomy to manage its own budgets, elect its own administration, and dictate its own regulations. Similar to that of most public universities in Argentina, admission to undergraduate study at the University of Córdoba is not selective. The only requirement is that applicants pass a leveling course test with a score higher than 4, which is equivalent to getting 60% of correct answers.
Objective. Preoperative imaging is vital for cochlear implant surgeries, aiding diagnosis, and surgical planning. This study evaluated global practices and the value of preoperative imaging through an international survey. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among international cochlear implantation experts using a 112-item questionnaire. The study explored imaging modalities, anatomical targets, evaluated parameters, and different imaging approaches' perceived value and risks. Participants were recruited from a global consortium of otolaryngology, otology, neurotology, and cochlear implant surgery professionals. Results. Thirty-nine practitioners from 36 centers in 16 countries completed the survey (95.1% response rate). All used computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for preoperative evaluation; MRI was deemed more valuable for diagnosis and candidacy assessment, while CT was preferred for surgical planning. Nearly half utilized additional imaging modalities, with functional MRI being the most common (20.5%). Additionally, 79.5% of respondents reported using image-based surgical planning software. Discussion. Results show a universal reliance on CT and MRI for cochlear implant evaluations, with MRI aiding diagnosis and CT focusing on surgical planning. Advanced imaging techniques may emerge in specific clinical cases. Implications for practice. Modern imaging practices and their potential changes can enhance protocol development and improve preoperative evaluations, ultimately boosting patient safety and outcomes in cochlear implantation.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:The expansion of intensive swine production in Córdoba, Argentina, underscores the need to assess the risks associated with antimicrobial (AM) use, whose extensive application has driven antimicrobial resistance, a major global threat within the One Health framework. This study aimed to characterize AM use practices and evaluate the epidemiological resistance profiles (non-wild-type phenotypes, NWT) of commensal Escherichia coli of fecal origin from swine farms, using epidemiological cut-off values (ECOFFs) as a surveillance criterion. METHODS:An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in 19 farrow-to-finish farms in Córdoba during 2023. Information on AM use (prophylaxis, metaphylaxis, treatment) across production categories was collected. A total of 437 E. coli isolates were obtained from fecal samples, and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined for 10 AMs of critical importance for human and animal health. NWT phenotypes were classified according to EUCAST ECOFFs, and multidrug resistance (MDR) was assessed. RESULTS:AM use was frequent and predominantly prophylactic (89.5% of farms), mainly through mass medication (66.3%), with macrolides and amoxicillin being the most commonly administered AMs. NWT proportions were extremely high (90-92%) for ampicillin, tetracyclines, and chloramphenicol and substantial for ciprofloxacin (50.6%), sulfamethoxazole (68.2%), and trimethoprim (44.9%). Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing phenotypes were detected. Alarmingly, 92% of isolates were classified as MDR E. coli, with homogeneous distribution across production categories. CONCLUSIONS:Findings reveal intensive and largely empirical AM use that has consolidated a stable intestinal resistome in the swine population. High MDR levels, even in categories with limited direct AM exposure or involving banned compounds, suggest that co-selection and horizontal gene transfer are key drivers of resistance. This scenario highlights the urgent need to strengthen integrated surveillance and promote prudent AM use strategies under the One Health approach to preserve therapeutic efficacy.
Introducción: Los Determinantes Sociales para la Salud (DSS) se definen como las condiciones sociales en que las personas nacen, crecen, viven, trabajan y envejecen, incluido el sistema de salud. Los DSS intermedios se refieren a las condiciones materiales de vida expresadas en empleo, educación, ingresos, género, entre otro. También se ha considerado relevante indagar aspectos referidos la autopercepción del estado de salud de los individuos que puede estar mediada por el contexto social, demográfico y cultural donde los individuos o grupos se desenvuelven. Objetivo: establecer la asociación entre los determinantes sociales de la salud y la autopercepción de la calidad de vida relacionada con salud bucal en adultos de la ciudad de Quito-Ecuador. Metodología: Estudio correlacional, transversal, no probabilístico, de conveniencia. Resultados: se encontró asociación estadísticamente significativa entre los 3 grupos de edades y el OHIP-14 en las dimensiones limitación funcional (p 0,02) dolor físico (p 0,01) y malestar psicológico (p 0,03); también entre el nivel educativo y 6 de las dimensiones del OHIP-14 (p 0,01) y entre el género y las dimensiones malestar psicológico y discapacidad física (p 0,03). Conclusiones: los determinantes sociales de la salud referidos a género y nivel educativo estuvieron asociados con la CVRSB; para determinar las necesidades de salud bucal de grupos poblacionales específicos es necesario incorporar el enfoque de los determinantes sociales en salud en conjunto con la autopercepción, indicadores clínicos, y de comportamiento.
The increasing prevalence of multidrug resistance (MDR) in Candida species poses a major obstacle to effective antifungal therapy. Since the efflux pumps Cdr1 and Mdr1 are key mediators of the MDR phenotype, particularly by conferring resistance to azoles, their inhibition has emerged as a promising strategy to restore antifungal susceptibility. Bioassay-guided fractionation of Solanum atriplicifolium, selected based on its ability to inhibit Mdr1 and Cdr1, led to the isolation of six previously undescribed acylhexoses, including four acylglucoses, named atriplicifolin A (1), atriplicifolin B (2), atriplicifolin C (3) and atriplicifolin D (4) and two acylinositols, named atriplicifolin E (5) and atriplicifolin F (6). Among these, compounds 3 and 4 successfully restored fluconazole sensitivity in resistant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains overexpressing Mdr1 (AD/CaMDR1) and Cdr1 (AD/CaCDR1), with greater activity against the latter, with minimum effective concentrations (MECs) of 6.2 and 7.5 µM, respectively. Both compounds also significantly increased the intracellular accumulation of Nile red and rhodamine 6G in AD/CaMDR1 and AD/CaCDR1 strains, again showing a stronger effect in the Cdr1-overexpressing strain, where MEC values ranged from 3.1 to 15.5 µM. Molecular dynamics simulations supported these results by revealing that compounds 3 and 4 displayed higher binding affinity for Cdr1 than fluconazole, Nile red or rhodamine 6G. Furthermore, analysis of the persistence and energetic contribution of individual ligand–transporter interactions over time, particularly within specific regions of the transporter, provided valuable insights for the rational design of novel inhibitors. Overall, these findings identify compounds 3 and 4 as promising scaffolds for the development of Mdr1 and Cdr1 modulators aimed at overcoming fungal multidrug resistance.
Ethyl (S)-3-hydroxybutyrate is a crucial chiral intermediate for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, liquid crystals and natural products. In a search for novel biocatalytic methods for their production, a whole seed screening was carried out to try to identify new and more efficient biological catalysts, able to reduce ethyl acetoacetate stereoselectively. This study showed seeds of Lupinus albus L. (Fabaceae) to be a very efficient and stereoselective biocatalyst. A Box-Behnken experimental design - Response Surface Methodology was used to analyze the effect on the conversion of reaction and enantiomeric excess of the following five independent variables: substrate concentration, temperature, pH, agitation speed and reaction time. Statistical analysis confirmed the model's strong significance (R-2 approximate to 0.92; p-value approximate to 0.006). Optimal conditions were established by the model and experimentally confirmed as follows: substrate concentration, 35 mM; temperature, 30 degrees C; pH 5.0; agitation, 100 rpm; and reaction time, 48 h. Under these conditions, large-scale bioreduction afforded a product with 100% conversion, >99.9% enantiomeric excess, and 73% isolated yield, representing an effective productivity of 3.38 g L-1 (70.37 mg L-1 h(-1)) for the synthesis of ethyl (S)-3-hydroxybutyrate. These results demonstrate that L. albus seeds are a highly efficient and stereoselective biocatalyst, offering a novel and ecofriendly use for whole seeds of this plant. In addition, the scope and advantages of this methodology are discussed and compared with other similar procedures that describe the use of plant parts as biocatalysts.
