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“Macrolide-resistant see more Streptococcus pneumoniae emerged in Argentina in 1995, representing 26% of invasive infection isolates in children under 5 years old. The objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence of ermB and mefA genes in macrolide-resistant S. pneumoniae isolates from acute otitis media (AOM) and to determine their genetic relatedness. Between May 2009 and August 2010, 126 S. pneumoniae

isolates from 324 otherwise healthy children with a first episode of AOM were included. Twenty six of these isolates (20.6%) were resistant to erythromycin. Most frequent serotypes were: 14 (46.2%), 6A (23.1%), 19F (7.7%) and 9V (7.7%). Twenty (76.9%) carried the mefA gene, 5 (19.2%) have the ermB gene, and 1 (3.9%) both ermB + mefA. Ten clonal types were identified, mostly related to Sweden(15A)-25/ST782 (SLV63), CloneB(6A)/ST473 and England(14)-9/5T9. This is the first study assessing the mechanisms of macrolide resistance in pneumococci isolates from pediatric AOM in Argentina and their genetic

relatedness. (C) 2013 Asociacion Argentina de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.”
“The efficacy of chemical dips and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), alone and in combinations, on the quality of fresh-cut papaya were studied throughout 25 days at 5 degrees C. Fresh-cut papaya were dipped in a solution of calcium chloride (1% w/v) and citric acid (2% w/v), packed in an Selleck Mizoribine atmosphere of 5% O-2, 10% CO2, 85% N-2 and stored at 5 degrees C for 25 days. Physico-chemical www.selleckchem.com/products/CX-6258.html analysis (package atmosphere, weight loss, pH, total soluble solids, firmness and color) and microbial quality along with a sensory analysis were measured at regular intervals throughout the

storage period. Significant differences were found among the chemically treated and non-treated fresh-cut papaya in all the parameters considered. Chemical treatment followed by MAP, showed the best results among the treatment in terms of retaining sensory and quality characteristics and extending the shelf-life of 25 d for fresh-cut papaya. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Understanding the physiological processes that underlie autoimmune disorders and identifying biomarkers to predict their onset are two pressing issues that need to be thoroughly sorted out by careful thought when analyzing these diseases. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a typical example of such diseases. It is mediated by autoreactive cytotoxic CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cells that infiltrate the pancreatic islets of Langerhans and destroy insulin-secreting -cells, leading to abnormal levels of glucose in affected individuals. The disease is also associated with a series of islet-specific autoantibodies that appear in high-risk subjects (HRS) several years prior to the onset of diabetes-related symptoms.