Publications

Abstract A method was developed for the determination of tiamulin (TML), 14-deoxy-14-[(2-diethylaminoethyl)- mercaptoacetoxy]mutilin hydrogen fumarate, a semisynthetic derivative of the naturally occurring antibiotic pleuromutilin produced by the fungus Pleurotus mutilis. This drug, with high activity against Gram-positive bacteria, some Gram-negative bacteria, and several strains of mycoplasms is administered to animals in food, drinking water, or by injection; however, its chemical structure causes problems in analysis of feeds. Although the molecule is charged below pH 8, at-tempts to analyze TML-containing extracts on ion-exchange columns or other polar stationary phases have failed. Additionally, TML shows no fluorescence activity and only poor UV activity. The present method consists of organic solvent extraction followed by liquid chromatography with UV detection. A low wavelength (208 nm) was used for detection. Limits of detection and quantitation, as well as data for recovery and repeatability obtained during characterization of the method, are described. The applicability of the optimized method was tested by analyzing commercial blank feeds processed after TML-medicated feeds.

New information has become available since the ISC, AAMCC, and SECAC released their first extensive guidedelines to improve the diagnosis and treatment of adult arterial hypertension. A critical assessment of evidence and a comparison of what international guidelines now propose are the basis for the following statements, which update the recommendations first issued in 2013. Office blood pressure (BP) measurements should no longer be considered to be the "gold standard" for the diagnosis of hypertension and assessment of cardiovascular risk. Relying on office BP, even when supplemented with at-home wake-time self-measurements, to identify high-risk individuals, disregarding circadian BP patterning and asleep BP level, leads to potential misclassification of 50% of all evaluated persons. Accordingly, ambulatory BP monitoring is the recommended reference standard for the diagnosis of true hypertension and accurate assessment of cardiovascular risk in all adults ≥18 yrs of age, regardless of whether office BP is normal or elevated. Asleep systolic BP mean is the most significant independent predictor of cardiovascular events. The sleep-time relative SBP decline adds prognostic value to the statistical model that already includes the asleep systolic BP mean and corrected for relevant confounding variables. Accordingly, the asleep systolic BP mean is the recommended protocol to diagnose hypertension, assess cardiovascular risk, and predict cardiovascular event-free interval. In men, and in the absence of compelling clinical conditions, reference thresholds for diagnosing hypertension are 120/70 mmHg for the asleep systolic/diastolic BP means derived from ambulatory BP monitoring. However, in women, in the absence of complicating co-morbidities, the same thresholds are lower by 10/5 mmHg, i.e., 110/65 mmHg for the asleep means. In high-risk patients, including those diagnosed with diabetes or chronic kidney disease, and/or those having experienced past cardiovascular events, the thresholds are even lower by 15/10 mmHg, i.e., 105/60 mmHg. Bedtime treatment with the full daily dose of ≥1 hypertension medications is recommended as a cost-effective means to improve the management of hypertension and reduce hypertension-associated risk. Bedtime treatment entailing the full daily dose of ≥1 conventional hypertension medications must be the therapeutic regimen of choice for the elderly and those with diabetes, resistant and secondary hypertension, chronic kidney disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and medical history of past cardiovascular events, among others, given their documented high prevalence of sleep-time hypertension.

Salmonella enterica resistant to fluoroquinolones (FQs) and extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs) has been deemed a high-priority pathogen by the WHO. Salmonella enterica serovar Saintpaul ( S . Saintpaul) co-resistant to ESCs and FQs and harboring corresponding resistance genes ( bla CTX–M–55 and qnrS1 ) have been previously reported. However, they have not been reported in China. Moreover, the genetic context and transferability of ESCs and FQs resistance genes in S . Saintpaul remain obscure. This study is the first study to characterize a multidrug-resistant (MDR) S . Saintpaul isolate (16Sal016) harboring plasmid-mediated bla CTX–M–55 and qnrS1 genes recovered from weever fish in China. The whole genome short- and long-read sequencing results identified the presence of 15 acquired antibiotic resistance genes encoding resistance to nine classes of antibiotics, as well as abundant mobile genetic elements residing on a 259,529 bp IncHI2 plasmid. The bla CTX–M–55 and qnrS1 genes were located in a 12,865 bp region, IS 26 - orf - orf -IS Kpn19-qnrS1 -IS 3 -Tn 3 - orf - bla CTX–M–55 -IS Ec9 - orf -IS 26 . Similar structures have been identified in various bacterial species, indicating a high transferability of bla CTX–M–55 and qnrS1 genes within this gene cluster. The plasmid was found to be transferable to Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) J53 by conjugation and resulted in the acquisition of multiple resistances by the transconjugants. Genome sequence comparisons by core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) based on global 2,947 S . Saintpaul isolates indicated that strain 16Sal016 was epidemiologically linked with an isolate from the United Kingdom (UK). Our findings suggest that plasmids and IS 26 -mediated mobile genetic elements are carriers of bla CTX–M–55 and qnrS1 genes in S . Saintpaul, and highlight their potential transmission, which needs continuous investigations.

Resumen Abstract Resumo El presente trabajo está principalmente enfocado en la evaluación de la migración de componentes de materiales de envasado al alimento, así como en los cambios en la calidad del alimento debidos a este fenómeno. Se realiza una revisión de la legislación europea sobre materiales para contacto alimentario, comparando esta legislación con otras fuera de la Unión Europea. La legislación europea está hoy en día centrada casi exclusivamente en materiales plásticos, dejando otros ampliamente utilizados como el papel y el cartón en situación de vacío legal. En este trabajo se resumen diferentes investigaciones realizadas para establecer una nueva normativa en el futuro para papel y cartón para contacto alimentario. The present work is mainly focused on the evaluation of the migration of components from food packaging materials into the packaged foodstuff and the changes in food quality caused by this phenomenon. A review about the European regulations dealing with food contact materials is carried out, comparing these regulations with others outside the European Union. The European regulations are nowadays focused mainly on plastic packaging, so other widespread used materials like paper and board have no regulations yet. A summary of the different investigations carried out in order to set new standards in the foreseeable future for food contact paper and board is also considered in this report. O presente traballo está principalmente dirixido á avaliación da migración de compoñentes de materiais do envase ó alimento, así como nos trocos na calidade do alimento debidos a este fenómeno. Realízase unha revisión da lexislacióu europea sobre materiais para contacto alimentario, comparando esta lexislación con outras fora da Unión Europea. A lexislación europea está hoxe en día centrada case en exclusiva nos materiais plásticos, deixando outros amplamente empregados como o papel e o cartón en situación de vacío legal. Neste traballo resúmense diferentes investigacións levadas a cabo para establecer unha normativa no futuro para papel e cartón para contacto alimentario.