[Analysis of lung cancer cases diagnosed in an internal medicine department: from January 2001 to September 2006]

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is one of the main health problems in the developed world. Our aims were to determine the symptomatic time prior to a specific diagnosis, the clinical and histological characteristics of the cases of lung cancer diagnosed in a department of internal medicine, and to analyze the survival factors.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We studied retrospectively all patients diagnosed with lung cancer in the internal medicine department in the period between January 2001 and September 2006 reviewing clinical records. We specifically recorded age, gender, smoking habit, time and type of symptomatic presentation, radiological manifestations, methods of histological diagnosis, tumour staging, and performance status measured by ECOG classification. We also evaluated the factors associated with the survival time.

RESULTS

In this period 124 patients were diagnosed with lung cancer [mean age 68 +/-12 years, male 105 (85%), female 18 (15%), smokers 85%]. The mean symptomatic time before hospitalization was 74.5 +/-7 days. On hospitalization, respiratory symptoms were present in 40 (32%) patients. Tumour staging was carried out in 120 (97%) patients. In 96 (77%) patients non-small lung cancer was diagnosed, 62 (64%) in stage IV. In 28 (23%) patients small lung cancer was diagnosed, 22 (79%) in extended stage. Median time to diagnosis as an in-patient was 7 days. One hundred and thirteen (91%) patients died with a median survival time of 3 months. Factors associated with longer survival were the performance status and tumour stage.

CONCLUSIONS

In this community, lung cancer is diagnosed late and in advanced stages, with a high mortality rate. A better performance status and lower tumour stages appear to be associated with longer survival.

Dominant cultivable Lactobacillus species from the feces of healthy adults in northern Spain

The aim of this study was to identify numerically dominant cultivable lactobacilli species in the feces of healthy adults. Ten individuals from Asturias, northern Spain, were chosen. Bacterial colonies grown under anoxic conditions on MRS with cysteine were microscopically examined for lactobacilli. Isolates were subsequently grouped based on the analysis of their carbohydrate fermentation profiles and then identified by partial amplification, sequencing, and comparison of their 16S rRNA gene sequences. Lactobacilli varied from undetectable levels in three subjects (10(5) CFU/g feces) to around 10(9) CFU/g feces. Among the 71 isolates obtained from seven individuals, 12 Lactobacillus species were identified. High interindividual variation was observed in terms of total numbers, number of species, and dominant species. Lactobacillus paracasei was found in four of the seven individuals; L. gasseri, L. delbrueckii, and L. plantarum in three. Phenotyping showed that only one strain per species was in the majority in each individual.

Bifidobacterial diversity determined by culturing and by 16S rDNA sequence analysis in feces and mucosa from ten healthy Spanish adults

This study aimed to identify the numerically predominant bifidobacterial species in feces and mucosa of healthy Spanish people and to determine their phenotypic and genetic diversity. To this end, both traditional culturing and molecular methods were used. A set of 196 bifidobacterial colonies was identified from the counting plates by sequencing of a stretch of their 16S rRNA gene. Representative isolates were phenotypically characterized by their carbohydrate fermentation profile and genotypically typed by RAPD-PCR. Four 16S rDNA libraries composed of 113 clones from two fecal and two mucosal samples were independently analyzed. Seven bifidobacterial species were identified by culturing, and six by 16S rDNA analysis. Both methodologies showed Bifidobacterium longum and B. pseudocatenulatum to predominate in feces and mucosa, although high interindividual variability was noted. High phenotypic variation was observed in the fermentation profile of different isolates from the same species. RAPD analysis showed that two to five strains made up the subjects' personal bifidobacterial communities. The identification of the dominant bifidobacterial species could be useful for the rational design, use, and evaluation of probiotics in our community.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food samples collected in Barcelona, Spain

This study reports on the concentrations of eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in food samples collected in the city of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) from 2003 to 2004. Food samples included meat products, fish (fresh and smoked), other seafood (cephalopods, crustaceans, and bivalves), vegetable oil, and tea. Concentrations of benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene, benzo[alpha]pyrene, benzo[e]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, and indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene were determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. PAHs were detected in most tea samples (94%), which had the highest concentration of total PAHs (mean concentration of 59 microg/kg). Other food groups with a high presence of PAHs were bivalves (present in 34% of the samples; mean value of 2.7 microg/kg) and meat products (present in 13% of the samples; mean value of 1.7 microg/kg). The PAHs detected most frequently were benzo[e]pyrene and benzo[b]fluoranthene. No sample had levels above current regulation standards. Nevertheless, the frequent presence of PAHs in bivalves, tea samples, and meat products, together with the fact that dietary sources are the main exposure to these carcinogenic compounds, suggests the need for some monitoring scheme to follow up on these trends.

Enrichment of CD4+ CD25high T cell population in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus treated with glucocorticoids

OBJECTIVES

To characterise and quantify the CD4+ CD25+ T cell population in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to detect the possible influence of treatments and clinical manifestations.

METHODS

Characterisation of CD25(low) and CD25(high) CD4+ T cells from healthy controls and from patients with SLE was carried out using flow cytometry, analysing the expression of activation and differentiation markers. The percentage of both circulating cell subsets was determined in 56 controls and 110 unselected patients with SLE. Data were related to treatment during the past 3 months and to various clinical manifestations.

RESULTS

CD4+ CD25(high) lymphocytes from controls expressed low levels of CD69, CD154 or CD30, but also expressed glucocorticoid-induced tumour necrosis factor receptor, high levels of intracellular cytotoxin T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4, CD45RO and diminished amounts of CD4, all of which are phenotypic characteristics of natural regulatory T cells. CD4+ CD25(low) cells, on the other hand, expressed the highest levels of activation markers, indicating that they represent recently activated effector cells. Similarly, analysis of cells from patients with SLE showed the same two phenotypically distinguishable CD4+ CD25(low) and CD4+ CD25(high) populations, although both expressed slightly increased levels of activation markers. Quantitative analysis showed a considerably raised percentage of CD25(low) and, especially, CD25(high) cells in patients with SLE compared with controls. This increment was unrelated to clinical manifestations, but correlated with glucocorticoid treatment. Patients treated with glucocorticoids presented raised levels of CD25(high) cells, whereas untreated patients and those with anti-malarial or immunosuppressive drugs had levels similar to those in controls.

CONCLUSIONS

The percentage of CD4+ CD25(high) cells was not altered in non-steroid-treated patients, whereas glucocorticoid treatment increased their frequency in patients with SLE.

Interindividual differences in microbial counts and biochemical-associated variables in the feces of healthy Spanish adults

The aim of this study was to examine, over a period of 1 year, interindividual variations in the most prominent and representative of the cultivatable microbial populations in the feces of eight healthy Spanish persons. A number of biochemical variables (enzyme activities and ammonium and short-chain fatty acid [SCFA] concentrations) thought to be influenced by the GIT microbiota were also analyzed. Total cultivatable microbial counts ranged from 10(10) to 10(11) cfu/g of feces. The largest populations were obligate anaerobes belonging to the Clostridium clusters, followed by species of bifidobacteria and bacteroides. Coliforms and lactobacilli were found at a more intermediate level (10(5)-10(9) cfu/g). The predominant anaerobe populations remained quite constant over time, but all other microbial groups showed significant interindividual differences. Enzyme profiles were individual-dependent, but within subjects, moderate to high intersample variations over time were recorded for some activities. Fecal ammonium concentration was the most unpredictable variable; this fluctuated widely between individuals and samples. Acetic acid was the most abundant SCFA in the feces, followed by butyric and propionic acids. SCFA concentrations also varied according to the individual; some subjects showed specific profiles in terms of SCFA composition or concentration. The fecal microbial and biochemical parameters studied seemed to be individual-dependent. Most variables were rather stable over time, while others (e.g., ammonium concentration) varied widely.

Identification of dominant bacteria in feces and colonic mucosa from healthy Spanish adults by culturing and by 16S rDNA sequence analysis

The aim of this work was to examine by culturing the changes in the total and indicator populations of the feces of two individuals over 1 year and to identify the dominant microbial components of a single sample of feces from each donor. Populations and dominant bacteria from a sample of colonic mucosa from a further individual were also assessed. The culture results were then compared to those obtained with the same samples by 16S rDNA cloning and sequencing. High interindividual variation in representative microbial populations of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) was revealed by both the culture and the culture-independent techniques. Species belonging to Clostridium clusters (XIVa, IV, and XVIII) predominated in both the fecal and the mucosal samples (except in the mucose cultured isolates), members of Clostridium coccoides cluster XIVa being the most numerous microorganisms. Species of gamma-proteobacteria (Escherichia coli and Shigella spp.), bifidobacteria, and actinobacteria appeared in lower numbers than those of clostridia. From the mucosal cultured sample, only facultative anaerobes and bifidobacteria were recovered, suggesting destruction of the anaerobe population during processing. In accordance with this, the microbial diversity revealed by 16S rDNA sequence analysis was greater than that revealed by culturing. Despite large interindividual differences, distinct human communities may have group-associated GIT microbiota characteristics, such as the low number of Bacteroides seen in the subjects in this study.

Protective effects of Rosmarinus tomentosus ethanol extract on thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis in rats

The capability of an ethanol extract of Rosmarinus tomentosus to protect rat liver in an experimental model of cirrhosis induced by thioacetamide (TAA) has been evaluated. Four groups of rats were used: Two of them received 300 mg TAA/l in the drinking water for 3 months while the other two, which served as controls, were given water ad libitum. During the same period and for each one of the treatments, one group received a semi-purified (SP) diet and the other one was fed the same diet supplemented with 1% of the dry residue obtained from R. tomentosus ethanol extract (SP+E). There was a significant reduction of TAA toxicity in rats fed the SP+E diet, as assessed by plasma and liver biochemical markers, and by liver histopathology. Plasma total protein concentration was restored, urea concentration and plasma alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl-transferase activities were reduced. A significant correction of plasma fatty acids concentrations was also evident. Hepatic alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl-transferase activities were significantly reduced in animals fed SP+E diet and glucose-6-phosphatase activity was significantly enhanced. The results suggest that R. tomentosus ethanol extract administered in the diet affords protection against TAA-induced cirrhosis, preventing most of the histological changes and functionality alterations own to this experimental pathology.

Breast Cancer Prognosis Determined by Gene Expression Profiling: A Quantitative Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction Study

Purpose

We sought to reproduce with quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) the results obtained with a 70-gene expression profile that has been described previously in breast cancer.

Patients and Methods

Frozen breast cancer samples from patients who were operated on were used to isolate tumor RNA. Ninety-six patients with stage I to II disease were included. Median age was 57 years (range, 27 to 80 years). Forty-eight patients had lymph node–negative and 48 lymph node–positive disease. qRT-PCR amplifications were performed and the results were correlated with clinical data.

Results

After a minimum follow-up of 5 years, 25 patients had a relapse. The gene profile divided patients into two groups with poor and good prognosis. Significant differences with regard to grade of differentiation, size and hormone receptors were seen between the two groups. The gene profile was significantly associated with relapse-free survival and overall survival in the whole group of 96 patients. Multivariate analysis showed that only lymph node status and gene profile were significantly correlated to overall survival.

Conclusion

qRT-PCR reproduced the results obtained with microarrays for a prognostic gene profile in women with early-stage breast cancer.

Prevalence, resource utilization and costs of vascular dementia compared to Alzheimer's dementia in a population setting

OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence of dementia and to measure the monetary impact and health resources utilization of vascular dementia (VD) compared to Alzheimer's dementia (AD) in persons aged over 64 years in a population setting.

METHODS

Retrospective, cross-sectional study. In the initial phase, information was obtained on specific clinical characteristics from the subjects with an active diagnosis of dementia. The second phase consisted of a clinical evaluation and validation of the cases. Mini-Mental State Examination was used to assess cognitive impairment. Dementia and its subtypes were determined using established diagnostic criteria. Information was obtained on the use of health care resources (direct costs) and the number of hours devoted by the primary caregiver (indirect costs) for patients with a documented diagnosis of AD or VD within the last 6 months prior to the interview. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to correct the model.

RESULTS

A total of 6,004 subjects were analyzed, 258 with diagnosis of dementia (overall prevalence: 4.3%). An evaluation was made of 224 patients, and gross prevalence of AD and VD was 2.4 and 1.0%, respectively. Cost per patient per semester was EUR 8,086 for AD and EUR 11,039 for VD (p = 0.016). 85.5% of the cost was attributable to primary caregiver time in AD and 84.4% in VD.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of AD and VD increases with age. No sociodemographic differences were seen between AD and VD. Costs associated with health care resource and primary caregiver utilization were high, being higher in VD than in AD.

Differential effect of IL10 and TNF{alpha} genotypes on determining susceptibility to discoid and systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVE

To ascertain the possible involvement of functional interleukin 10 (IL10) and tumour necrosis alpha (TNFalpha) cytokine promoter polymorphisms on the susceptibility to discoid and systemic lupus erythematosus (DLE, SLE), and their associations with immunological features.

METHODS

Single nucleotide polymorphisms of the IL10 (-1082, -819, and -592) and TNFalpha (-308) genes were determined using allele specific probes in 248 lupus patients and 343 matched controls. To assess functional significance of genotypes, basal mRNA cytokine levels were quantified in 106 genotyped healthy controls by real time RT-PCR. Specific autoantibodies and cutaneous manifestations were analysed in SLE patients and associated with functional genotypes.

RESULTS

After analysing the distribution of IL10 and TNFalpha transcript levels according to promoter genotypes in healthy individuals, patients and controls were classified into functional single and combined genotypes according to the expected high or low constitutive cytokine production. High TNFalpha genotypes (-308AA or AG) were associated with SLE independently of IL10 alleles, whereas the risk of developing DLE and the prevalence of discoid lesion in SLE were higher in the high IL10/low TNFalpha producer group (-1082GG/-308GG). Cytokine interaction also influences the appearance of autoantibodies. Antibodies against Sm are prevalent among low producer patients for both cytokines, a genotype not associated with lupus incidence, whereas low IL10/high TNFalpha patients have the highest frequency of antibodies to SSa and SSb.

CONCLUSIONS

IL10/TNFalpha interaction influences susceptibility to DLE and the appearance of specific autoantibodies in SLE patients, whereas high TNFalpha producer genotypes represent a significant risk factor for SLE.

[Randomized controlled trial comparing a low dose to a conventional dose of hyperbaric bupivacaine for scheduled cesarean section]

INTRODUCTION

Spinal anesthesia is the technique most often applied in cases of scheduled cesarean section. Many authors have tried decreasing the local anesthetic dose by adding opioids to achieve adequate analgesia with greater hemodynamic stability, although the ideal dose remains to be established. Our aim was to analyze hemodynamic stability and quality of analgesia with 2 different regimens for administering spinal hyperbaric bupivacaine.

METHODS

We designed a controlled, double-blind trial comparing 2 doses of spinal hyperbaric bupivacaine with fentanyl in 42 patients undergoing elective cesarean section randomized to 2 groups to receive either the low dose or the conventional one. One group received an 11 mg dose of bupivacaine and the other group received a 6.5 mg dose, combined with 20 microg of fentanyl in both cases.

RESULTS

The hemodynamic profile and the level of maximum sensory block obtained were similar in the two groups. The motor block was less intense in patients receiving the lower dose and it was necessary to convert 2 patients (10%) to general anesthesia in that group.

CONCLUSIONS

Spinal anesthesia with low doses of bupivacaine and fentanyl provides acceptable intraoperative conditions for a high percentage of patients undergoing cesarean section, with a similar incidence of hypotension. The low dose generates a less intense intraoperative motor blockade with similar spread of the sensory block. The low dose was not efficacious for 10% of the patients who received it.

Findings of intravascular ultrasound during acute stent thrombosis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the potential role of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in evaluating patients experiencing an episode of acute stent thrombosis.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Prospective observational study in a cardiac catheterisation laboratory in a university teaching hospital.

PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS

IVUS was used to examine 12 patients undergoing coronary interventions for stent thrombosis to gain further mechanistic insights and to guide treatment. IVUS studies were obtained before and after intervention with a motorised pullback device.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Qualitative and volumetric IVUS analyses.

RESULTS

Angiographically, 10 patients had occluded vessels and two patients had intraluminal filling defects within the stent. IVUS showed an occlusive thrombus in all patients. Thrombus volume was 90 (77) mm3, which was 51 (21)% of total stent volume. There was evidence of severe stent underexpansion in most patients and no patient fulfilled standard criteria for optimal stent implantation. Stent malapposition was detected in four patients, edge dissections were seen in two patients, and significant inflow-outflow disease was present in 11 patients. During interventions IVUS findings led to the use of higher pressures or larger balloons than those used during initial stenting in 10 patients. In addition, four patients required additional stenting, whereas a thrombectomy device alone was selected for one patient. After the procedure final minimum stent area (7.1 (2.1) v 5.3 (2) mm2, p < 0.005) and stent expansion (83.2 (17) v 62.1 (15)%, p < 0.005) improved compared with pre-interventional values. However, residual lining thrombus was still visualised in eight patients (25 (19) mm3, accounting for a 17% of final stent volume).

CONCLUSIONS

IVUS provides an attractive technique to characterise fully the pattern of stent thrombosis, to identify readily the underlying mechanical predisposing factors, and to guide repeated coronary interventions.

Variation of microbiological and biochemical parameters in the faeces of two healthy people over a 15 day period

BACKGROUND

Recent years have seen increasing interest in the complex microbial ecosystem of the human gastrointestinal tract. Knowledge of its microbial colonists and their beneficial/detrimental activities is important. However, generalized assumptions about the microbial composition of the human gut should be taken with caution until more studies in different human communities have been conducted. The capacity of modulating or inhibiting harmful populations through high doses of beneficial microorganisms (probiotics) is now an attractive possibility.

AIMS

The aim of this study was to determine the daily variation in the most prominent and representative of the cultivable microbial populations in the faeces of two healthy Spanish persons, with special reference to the lactic acid bacteria (lactobacilli and bifidobacteria). Faecal enzymatic activities caused or modulated by gut microorganisms were also examined.

METHODS

Microbial populations were enumerated in selective and differential media. LAB species isolated from MRS agar plates were further identified by phenotypic and genetic techniques. Enzymatic activities were measured by the semi quantitative method of the API ZYM system.

RESULTS

Obligate anaerobes (members of the Clostridium clusters and species of bacteroides and bifidobacteria) made up the largest bacterial populations in both individuals (ranging between 10(10)-10(11) cfu/g of faeces) and remained constant over time. Lactobacilli species were found at an intermediate level (around 10(8) cfu/g), and yeasts and moulds, staphylococci, enterococci, coliforms and Enterobacteriaceae at a lower level (between 10(3) to 10(6) cfu/g). 38 lactic acid bacteria strains identified belonged to Bifidobacterium bifidum [19], Bifidobacterium longum [7], Bifidobacterium adolescentis [7] and Lactobacillus ruminis [5] species. Enzymatic profiles and values were shown to be personal and stable, but inter-sample fluctuations were recorded.

CONCLUSIONS

The dominant microbial populations in the faeces of the two persons were similar and stable during the sampling period. Large differences were found in the lactic acid bacterial composition of each individual. Biochemistry seemed to be also personal and stable over time.

Glucocorticoids up-regulate constitutive interleukin-10 production by human monocytes

BACKGROUND

IL-10 plays an immunosuppressive role in inflammatory responses. Increased plasma levels of IL-10 have been detected in patients under glucocorticoid (GC) therapy, indicating that steroids may exert their suppressive effect, in part, by increasing IL-10 production.

OBJECTIVES

The aim was to define possible mechanisms by which steroids up-regulate IL-10 production. To this end, we have analysed ex vivo the effect of GCs on the constitutive production of IL-10 by lymphocytes and cells of myeloid origin.

METHODS

Monocytes and T cells were isolated by a Percoll gradient and B cells were purified by rosetting. Protein and mRNA IL-10 levels were determined by ELISA and by Northern blot, respectively.

RESULTS

Monocytes, but not T or B cells, up-regulated the constitutive production of IL-10 following pre-treatment for at least 12 h with physiological doses of dexamethasone (Dex). Up-regulation of IL-10 occurred at both protein and mRNA levels, probably indicating that the effect of Dex was by incrementing gene transcription. Other steroids had similar outcomes, their effects being dose-related, proportional to the steroid potency and totally reversed by the steroid antagonist RU486. Thus, transcript levels of IL-10 were up-regulated by GCs probably through binding of the GC receptor to its specific glucocorticoid response element sequence in the IL-10 promoter. In contrast to monocytes, differentiated immature macrophages and dendritic cells did not vary their constitutive IL-10 production after pre-treatment with Dex.

CONCLUSION

Our results support the fact that steroids up-regulate constitutive IL-10 production by selectively triggering activation signals on monocytes.

Surface Pressure–Area Isotherms and Fluorescent Behavior of Phospholipids Containing Labeled Pyrene

In this work, the surface and fluorescent behavior of three phospholipids containing a pyrene molecule in one of their hydrocarbon chains was studied. Differences between the isotherms provided by the different monolayers can be attributed to the orientation of the head group in the phospholipids at the air/water interface. This assertion is supported by the fluorescent behavior of monolayers of phospholipids containing labeled pyrene (Py-DPPE, Py-DPPC, and Py-DPPG).

[Comparison of three genotyping methods for the detection of HIV-1 resistance to antiretroviral drugs]

Highly active antiretroviral therapy has dramatically improved the life expectancy of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, but mutations in the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease (P) genes confer drug failure. Evaluation of drug resistance genotyping in HIV-1 has proven to be useful for the selection of drug combinations with maximum antiretroviral activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the optimal procedure to determine the resistance profile in the laboratory. Plasma from 90 antiretroviral-treated patients was analyzed by reverse hybridization, which identifies the presence of wild-types or mutations at the 19 key codons for protease and RT regions, and was compared with two other methods of direct cDNA sequencing. A total of 408 mutations were detected by InnoLiPA HIV-1, (Line Probe Assay, Innogenetics, Belgium), 572 by TrueGene HIV-1 Genotyping System (Visible Genetics, Canada), and 721 by ViroSeq HIV-1 Genotyping System (Perkin Elmer/Applied Biosystems, California). Hybridization detected a significantly higher number of primary mutations which are associated with a high level of drug resistance (p <0.001). Hybridization also detected a higher number of mixtures of wild-type and mutant viruses. There was a good concordance among the three methods, although it was higher between the two sequencing methods. Sequencing determines a higher number of mutations, but hybridization better identifies primary mutations correlated with a high level of drug resistance. Hybridization is more suitable for detecting mixed populations and is easier to implement in clinical laboratories but does not eliminate the need for sequence analysis for detection of drug-resistant HIV.

Impaired type-1 activity and increased NK cells in Gleich's syndrome

BACKGROUND

An altered production of cytokines has been described in Gleich's syndrome. Our aim was to study the cytokine production at the single-cell level in a patient with Gleich's syndrome and to determine whether it changed during a flare episode.

METHODS

Blood samples were obtained from a 30-year-old woman diagnosed with Gleich's syndrome before and during the subsequent flare of edema of trunk and arms and weight gain. The major lymphoid subsets (CD4+, CD8+, and CD19+) and natural killer (NK) cells were measured by flow cytometry. Cytokine-producing T cells (IL-2, IFN-gamma, and IL-4) were quantified in whole blood by intracellular staining with specific monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry analysis after polyclonal stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin.

RESULTS

Increased numbers of immature CD4+CD8+ T cells and NK cells were observed in peripheral blood during the asymptomatic period. The latter population significantly decreased during the flare. Type-1 cells were decreased in both asymptomatic and, more markedly, during the attack with respect to healthy subjects.

CONCLUSIONS

The decreased type-1 response demonstrated in this patient might be the basis of the hypereosinophilia of Gleich's syndrome. Besides, the NK cells might play a role in the pathogenesis of these inflammatory episodes.

Period focusing induced by network feedback in populations of noisy integrate-and-fire neurons

The population dynamics of an ensemble of nonleaky integrate-and-fire stochastic neurons is studied. The model selected allows for a detailed analysis of situations where noise plays a dominant role. Simulations in a regime with weak to moderate interactions show that a mechanism of excitatory message interchange among the neurons leads to a decrease in the firing period dispersion of the individual units. The dispersion reduction observed is larger than what would be expected from the decrease in the period. This "period focusing" is explained using a mean-field model. It is a dynamical effect that arises from the progressive decrease of the effective firing threshold as a result of the messages received by each unit from the rest of the population. A back-of-the-envelope formula to calculate this nontrivial dispersion reduction and a simple geometrical description of the effect are also provided.

Paenibacillus jamilae sp. nov., an exopolysaccharide-producing bacterium able to grow in olive-mill wastewater

Endospore-forming strains were isolated from corn-compost treated with olive-mill wastewater ('alpechin'). The strains were taxonomically studied and proposed as a novel Paenibacillus species. These organisms (strains B.3T, B.7 and B.9) were particularly distinguishable from other aerobic spore-forming species by their ability to grow optimally in 100% (v/v) olive-mill wastewater at 30 degrees C and pH 7.0 and concomitant production of an interesting exopolysaccharide. Chemotaxonomic analysis revealed that MK-7 was the predominant menaquinone, the major fatty acid was anteiso C15:0 and the cell wall contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The DNA G+C content was 40.7 mol%. Comparative sequence analysis of 16S rDNA with different reference species from the genera Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Brevibacillus, Aneurinibacillus, Alicyclobacillus, Halobacillus, Virgibacillus, Amphibacillus, Coprobacillus and Gracilibacillus indicated that the isolated strains were highly related to the genus Paenibacillus. Strain B.3T formed an evolutionary lineage distinct from other species within the evolutionary radiation encompassing the genus Paenibacillus. Strain B.3T was a close relative of Paenibacillus polymyxa, but DNA-DNA relatedness data with this species was very low (relative binding ratio < 16%). Based on the morphological and physiological characteristics, as well as on the phylogenetic position determined by 16S rDNA analysis and DNA-DNA relatedness data, it is concluded that these strains should be designated a novel species, for which the name Paenibacillus jamilae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is B.3T (= CECT 5266T = DSM 13815T).

Mono- and dinuclear five-coordinate cyclometalated palladium(II) compounds

Reaction of cyclometalated halide-bridged Pd(II) complexes 1-4 with the tertiary triphosphine ligand (Ph2PCH2CH2)2PPh (triphos) yielded complexes [((Ph2PCH2CH2)2PPh-P,P,P)Pd(N(Cy)=(H)C)C6H2(C(H)=N(Cy))Pd((Ph2PCH2CH2)2PPh-P,P,P)][ClO4]2 5, [Pd(C6H4-N=NC6H5)((Ph2PCH2CH2)2PPh-P,P,P)][ClO4] 6, and [Pd(R-C6H3C(H)=NCy)((Ph2PCH2CH2)2PPh-P,P,P)][ClO4] (7; R = 4-CHO, 8; 3-CHO). Spectroscopic and analytic data suggest five-coordination on the palladium atom, which, for complexes 5, 6, and 7, was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The geometry around palladium may be view as a distorted trigonal bipyramid, with the palladium, nitrogen, and terminal phosphorus atoms in the equatorial plane. Compound 5 is the first doubly cyclometalated palladium(II) compound with two pentacoordinated metal centers. The structure of 6 comprises two discrete cations with slightly different geometries, showing the importance of crystal packing forces in order to determine the coordination arrangement.