Search Results (9)

Background: The few epidemiologic studies of infection exposure in early life and acute leukemia (AL) risk in Latino children have yielded inconsistent results, suggesting a possible effect of ethnicity. Here, we examined the correlation between infection exposure and acute leukemia risk in children from Mexico City—One of the biggest Latino cities worldwide. Methods: This study included 1455 Mexican children diagnosed with de novo AL (2002–2016), and 1455 control individuals frequency-matched by age and health institution. The AL population included acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), Pre-B ALL, and acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate direct and indirect proxies of infection in children or their mothers. Results: Upper respiratory tract infections during the child’s first year of life were a risk factor for AL (OR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.48–5.15), including ALL (OR, 3.14; 95% CI, 1.67–5.89) and Pre-B (OR, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.63–5.96). Mother’s infections before and during pregnancy were protective factors against AL (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.47–0.64; and OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.52–0.72, respectively). These associations included ALL and Pre-B. In contrast, only mothers’ infections before pregnancy and respiratory tract infections were protective factors against AML (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.33–0.62; and OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.37–0.68, respectively). Conclusions: Infections during the first year of life were associated with AL development in children of Mexico City. Additionally, mothers’ exposure to respiratory tract infections before and during pregnancy reduced the AL risk in this Latino population. Full article

There is scarce evidence on sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics that may explain adherence to different dietary patterns (DPs) during pregnancy. Our aims were to identify dietary patterns in a sample of pregnant Mexican women and to describe their association with selected sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics. This is a secondary cross-sectional analysis of 252 mothers of children that participated as controls in a hospital-based case–control study of childhood leukemia. We obtained parents’ information about selected sociodemographic characteristics, as well as alcohol and tobacco consumption. We also obtained dietary information during pregnancy. We identified DPs using cluster and factor analyses and we estimated their association with characteristics of interest. We identified two DPs using cluster analysis, which we called “Prudent” and “Non healthy”, as well as three DPs through factor analysis, namely “Prudent”, “Processed foods and fish”, and “Chicken and vegetables”. Characteristics associated with greater adherence to “Prudent” patterns were maternal education, older paternal age, not smoking, and being a government employee and/or uncovered population. Likewise, the “Processed foods and fish” pattern was associated with greater maternal and paternal education, as well as those with less household overcrowding. We did not identify sociodemographic variables related to the “Chicken and Vegetables” pattern. Our results may be useful to identify target populations that may benefit from interventions aimed to improve individual dietary decisions during pregnancy. Full article

Improving the strategies employed to control robotic arms is of great importance because of the increase in their use in advanced supervisory control strategies, such as digital twins. The inverse kinematic (IK) control of manipulators requires an IK solution and an awareness of the singular configurations. This work presents a complete IK calculation system with singularity analysis for the UR5 robotic arm created by Universal Robots. For a specific robot pose, different angle solution sets are obtained, and one of these solution sets has to be selected to achieve movement continuity and avoid singularities. Two methods for this double purpose are proposed: one calculates all the solution possibilities, and the other obtains only one solution set by following a sequence of decisions and calculations clearly stated by a finite state machine (FSM). Both methods are effective in managing singularities. The FSM-based method complements the IK solution procedure with advantages in the number of computations and performance by producing results that would not lead the joints to move abruptly. The results prove that the presented methods select an IK solution that does not result in a singular configuration, and that most of the time, they lead to the same valid IK solution. Full article

The production of lactic acid (LA) through the microbial conversion of agro-industrial residuals is an important process in the biotechnology industry. The growth kinetics of 30 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from agro-industrial residues were determined and nine strains were selected for microbioreactor fermentation. Lactiplantibacillus pentosus_70-1 (1.662) and L. pentosus_19-2 (1.563) showed the highest OD₆₀₀ values, whereas the highest growth rates were observed for L. pentosus_19-2 (0.267 h⁻¹) and Weissella soli_31 (0.256 h⁻¹). The production of LA and acetic acid (AA), glucose consumption, and metabolic profiles were determined, without finding significant differences in the production of LA; however, W. soli_29 produced the highest amount of LA (20.833 gL⁻¹) and was able to metabolize most of the studied carbohydrates. Based on these results, W. soli_29 was chosen for a 20 h fermentation in a 7 L bioreactor using both standard medium and milk whey supplemented medium. W. soli_29 produced 16.27 gL⁻¹ and 7.21 gL⁻¹ of LA in each of these mediums, respectively. These results show the underlying potential of Weissella strains for biotechnological applications. Additional analysis which should contemplate different agro-industrial residues and other conditions in bioreactors must be carried out. Full article

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with potential for the development of multi-product processes are necessary for the valorization of side streams obtained during the biotechnological production of lactic acid (LA). In this study, 14 LAB strains isolated from pineapple agro-industrial residues in Costa Rica were cultivated in microplates, and the six strains with the highest growth were selected for fermentation in microbioreactors to evaluate the production of LA and acetic acid, and the consumption of glucose. Lacticaseibacillus paracasei 6710 and L. paracasei 6714 presented the highest OD₆₀₀ values (1.600 and 1.602, respectively); however, the highest LA (in g/L) production was observed in L. paracasei 6714 (14.50 ± 0.20) and 6712 (14.67 ± 0.42). L. paracasei 6714 was selected for bioreactor fermentation and reached a maximum OD₆₀₀ of 6.3062 ± 0.141, with a LA yield of 84.9% and a productivity of 1.06 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹ after 21 h of fermentation. Finally, lipoteichoic acid (LTA) detection from biomass was performed and the antimicrobial activity of the compounds present in the supernatant was studied. LTA was detected from L. paracasei 6714 biomass, and its supernatant caused significant inhibition of foodborne surrogate microorganisms. LAB isolated from pineapple silage have biotechnological potential for multiproduct processes. Full article

The possible relationship between udder morphometric variables (UMVs), chemical quality (CHQ) of both colostrum (CA), and milk (MK), as affected by goat’s social rank (SR) (i.e., low-LSR, or high-HSR), was assessed. In late June, goats (Alpine–Saanen–Nubian x Criollo; n = 38; 25° N) were estrus-synchronized and subjected to a fixed-time artificial insemination protocol. Thereafter, in October, while a behavioral study was performed in confirmed-pregnant goats to define the SR classes (n = 15), live weight (LW), body condition (BCS), and serum glucose (GLUC) were registered on the last day of the behavioral study. The expected kidding date was 25 November. Both the UMVs (i.e., seven dates) and the CHQ (i.e., either one for CA and three times for MK) were collected across time (T). The UMVs involved udder perimeter (UDPER, cm), udder diameter (UDDIA, cm), left-teat (LTPER, cm) and right-teat perimeter (RTPER, cm), left-teat (LTLT, cm) and right-teat length (RTLT, cm), left-teat diameter (LTDIA, cm) and right-teat diameter (RTDIA, cm), and medium suspensory ligament (MSL, cm). The registered CHQ variables for both CA and MK were fat (FAT), protein (PRO), lactose (LAC), nonfat solids (NFS), freezing point (FP), and total solids (TS). The possible effect of SR, T, and the SR × T interaction upon the described response variables was tested. While LW favored the HSR goats (54.6 vs. 48.2 ± 1.7 kg; p < 0.05), neither BCS nor GLUC differed (p > 0.05) between SR. An SR × T interaction affected (p < 0.05) most UMVs (i.e., UDPER, MSL, LTLT, RTLT, LTDIA, and RTDI). UMV differences were associated with both changes across time and between SR. Whereas RTLT, LTDIA, RTDIA, and MSL showed their highest values one week prior to kidding, the largest UDPER values (p < 0.05) occurred within the week of kidding. Additionally, HSR goats showed increased values regarding UDPER, MSL, and LTLT. No differences (p < 0.05) between SR occurred regarding the CA-CHQ (i.e., FAT, PRO, LAC, NFS, FP, and TS). Still, an SR x T interaction affected (p < 0.05) the MK content of FAT, PRO, and NFS; while the largest values (p < 0.05) occurred on Day 7 postpartum, the other MK constituents decreased as the lactation advanced. Further, the HSR goats showed an enlarged MK-CHQ (i.e., FAT, PRO, and NFS). HSR goats merged some central behaviors such as aggressiveness, assertiveness, and supremacy to have primacy to feed access, augmenting their LW. Whereas said bodyweight advantage was not reflected upon in CA-CHQ, HSR goats augmented some morphological udder values (i.e., UDPER, MSL, and LTLT) and produced the best MK-CHQ (i.e., > FAT, > PRO, and > NFS) during early lactation. Therefore, both social rank (i.e., HSR goats), as well as the temporal transition stage from the last third of pregnancy to the first phase of lactation (i.e., time), operated as important modulators upon both udder architecture and milk quality in crossbred dairy goats under a dry-semiarid production system. Full article

Listeria monocytogenes is a major foodborne pathogen that can contaminate food products and colonize food-producing facilities. Foodservice operations (FSOp) are frequently responsible for foodborne outbreaks due to food safety practices failures. We investigated the presence of and characterized L. monocytogenes from two FSOp (cafeterias) distributing ready-to-eat meals and verified FSOp’s compliance with good manufacturing practices (GMP). Two facilities (FSOp-A and FSOp-B) were visited three times each over 5 months. We sampled foods, ingredients, and surfaces for microbiological analysis, and L. monocytogenes isolates were characterized by phylogenetic analyses and phenotypic characteristics. GMP audits were performed in the first and third visits. A ready-to-eat salad (FSOp-A) and a frozen ingredient (FSOp-B) were contaminated with L. monocytogenes, which was also detected on Zone 3 surfaces (floor, drains, and a boot cover). The phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that FSOp-B had persistent L. monocytogenes strains, but environmental isolates were not closely related to food or ingredient isolates. GMP audits showed that both operations worked under “fair” conditions, and “facilities and equipment” was the section with the least compliances. The presence of L. monocytogenes in the environment and GMP failures could promote food contamination with this pathogen, presenting a risk to consumers. Full article

The combination of Deformed wing virus (DWV) and Varroa destructor is arguably one of the greatest threats currently facing western honey bees, Apis mellifera. Varroa’s association with DWV has decreased viral diversity and increased loads of DWV within honey bee populations. Nowhere has this been better studied than in Hawaii, where the arrival of Varroa progressively led to the dominance of the single master variant (DWV-A) on both mite-infested Hawaiian Islands of Oahu and Big Island. Now, exactly 10 years following the original study, we find that the DWV population has changed once again, with variants containing the RdRp coding sequence pertaining to the master variant B beginning to co-dominate alongside variants with the DWV-A RdRp sequence on the mite-infested islands of Oahu and Big Island. In speculation, based on other studies, it appears this could represent a stage in the journey towards the complete dominance of DWV-B, a variant that appears better adapted to be transmitted within honey bee colonies. Full article

Industrial biotechnology is a continuously expanding field focused on the application of microorganisms to produce chemicals using renewable sources as substrates. Currently, an increasing interest in new versatile processes, able to utilize a variety of substrates to obtain diverse products, can be observed. A robust microbial strain is critical in the creation of such processes. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are used to produce a wide variety of chemicals with high commercial interest. Lactic acid (LA) is the most predominant industrial product obtained from LAB fermentations, and its production is forecasted to rise as the result of the increasing demand of polylactic acid. Hence, the creation of new ways to revalorize LA production processes is of high interest and could further enhance its economic value. Therefore, this review explores some co-products of LA fermentations, derived from LAB, with special focus on bacteriocins, lipoteichoic acid, and probiotics. Finally, a multi-product process involving LA and the other compounds of interest is proposed. Full article