Abstract Grape pomace from Vitis labrusca is an important sub-product of the “American table wine” industry. It is recalcitrant to degradation, and its accumulation is a serious problem with negative environmental impacts. We analyzed the ability of five white-rot fungi to transform this residue in-vitro. Mass loss and phenol removal in grape pomace treated with each fungus were compared after 30-day solid-state fermentation. Since Peniophora albobadia isolate LPSC 285 was the fungus that showed the highest degradative ability and the lowest free phenol levels in the residue transformed, we selected this fungus to monitor its effect on this residue after 30, 60, and 90 days of incubation. We analyzed mass loss of the residue caused by the fungus activity and its chemical changes using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. After 90 days of incubation, Peniophora albobadia isolate LPSC 285 reduced grape pomace mass by 20.48%, which was associated with degradation of polysaccharides and aromatic structures. We concluded that Peniophora albobadia LPSC # 285 isolate is a promising fungus to transform grape pomace from Vitis labrusca under solid-state fermentation conditions.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common organism found in nature which has been recognized as an opportunistic pathogen of great clinical relevance, particularly as the main infectious agent in patients with cystic fibrosis. The high resistance levels to several commonly used antibiotics and the ability to form biofilms make P. aeruginosa a microorganism difficult to eradicate. The aim of this study was to determine the molecular characterization of 58 isolates of P. aeruginosa from adult patients with cystic fibrosis, in order to examine whether there was a correlation between molecular features and the pattern of susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. By BOX-PCR analysis, it was demonstrated that there is a high genetic heterogeneity between isolates, Nevertheless, this could not be correlated with resistance to antimicrobial agents.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa es un organismo comunmente hallado en la naturaleza que ha sido reconocido como un patogeno oportunista de gran relevancia clinica, particularmente como principal agente infeccioso en pacientes con fibrosis quistica. La elevada resistencia a muchos antibioticos de uso frecuente y la capacidad de formar biofilm convierten a P. aeruginosa en un microorganismo dificil de eliminar. El objetivo de este trabajo fue la tipificacion molecular de 58 aislamientos de P. aeruginosa obtenidos de pacientes adultos con fibrosis quistica, con el fin de analizar si habia una correlacion entre caracteristicas moleculares y el patron de susceptibilidad a agentes antimicrobianos. Mediante analisis de BOX-PCR, se demostro que existe una elevada heterogeneidad genetica entre los aislamientos, sin embargo no pudo establecerse una correlacion con la resistencia a agentes antimicrobianos.

Not every day a competition to redesign a metropolis’s main axis is opened. The awarded entry for the New Alameda Providencia contest, organized by the Regional Metropolitan Government of Santiago, not only seeks to renew the most emblematic avenue in the Chilean capital, but also to transform it into an exceptional urban experience in which public space, rather than competing with the various transport systems, is the one that defines and reorders them.

No todos los días se abre un concurso para rediseñar el principal eje de una metrópolis. El proyecto ganador del concurso Nueva Alameda Providencia -organizado por el Gobierno Regional Metropolitano de Santiago- no sólo busca renovar la avenida más emblemática de la capital de Chile, sino también transformarla en una experiencia urbana excepcional donde el espacio público, en vez de competir con los distintos sistemas de transporte, sea el que los define y reordena.

Species belonging to the Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) are capable of causing chronic respiratory tract infections in patients suffering from cystic fibrosis as wel as in immunocompromised individuals. Most of these species are highly resistant to antibiotic therapy, generating the need for their rapid and accurate detection for the proper treatment and clinical management of these patients. In this wok, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique based on the amplification of the recA gene (PCR-recA) was applied for an accurate identification of bacteria belonging to the BCC. Sensitivity (S) and specificity (E) of two biochemically-based commercial automated systems, API 20NE and VITEK 2 (bioMérieux®), and of the most representative biochemical manual tests for the identification of the Burkholderia cepacia complex were herein evaluated. The commercial systems VITEK 2 and API 20NE showed the following sensitivity and specificity vaues for identification to the species level, S: 71.1 %, E: 100 %, S: 69.7 %, E: 90.2 %, respectively. More complex results were observed for phenotypic manual tests, since BCC bacteria can undergo selective pressure to survive in chronic patients causing the loss of their typical phenotypic characteristics. The PCR-recA technique was easy to implement even in medium-complexity clinical diagnostic laboratories.

Las especies del complejo Burkholderia cepacia (CBC) son capaces de causar infecciones crónicas del tracto respiratorio en pacientes con fibrosis quística y en otros individuos inmunocomprometidos. La mayoría de estas especies exhiben alta resistencia a la terapia antibiótica, lo que genera la necesidad de una detección rápida y precisa para poder implementar estrategias de control adecuadas. En este trabajo se utilizó la técnica de reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR) para amplificar el gen recA (PCR-recA), con el fin de identificar microorganismos pertenecientes al CBC. Con este método molecular como referencia, se evaluó la sensibilidad (S) y la especificidad (E) de dos sistemas de identificación comerciales automatizados, VITEK 2 y API 20NE (bioMérieux®), así como también el valor de las pruebas bioquímicas manuales más representativas para la identificación de estos microorganismos. El método VITEK 2 presentó una S del 71,1 % y una E del 100 %; para el método API 20NE, estos valores fueron 69,7 % y 90,2 %, respectivamente. En cuanto a las pruebas fenotípicas manuales, los resultados obtenidos fueron más heterogéneos, lo que posiblemente se deba a que estas bacterias podrían sufrir presión selectiva para sobrevivir en pacientes crónicos y perder factores fenotípicos característicos. La técnica de PCR-recA resultó de fácil implementación, por lo que cabe considerar a esta técnica de identificación como una opción viable, aun en laboratorios de diagnóstico clínico de mediana complejidad.