Epidemiological changes and outcomes of people living with HIV admitted to the intensive care unit: a 14-year retrospective study

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); Antiretroviral therapy; Intensive care unitSíndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida (SIDA); Terapia antirretroviral; Unidad de cuidados intensivosSíndrome d'immunodeficiència adquirida (SIDA); Teràpia antiretroviral; Unitat de cures intensivesPurposes: Since 2016, the World Health Organization has recommended universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) for all people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (PLHIV). This recommendation may have influenced the characteristics and outcomes of PLHIV admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This study aims to identify changes in the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of PLHIV admitted to the ICU, and their short- and medium-term outcomes before and after the implementation of universal ART (periods 2006-2015 and 2016-2019). Methods: This retrospective, observational, single-center study included all adult PLHIV admitted to the ICU of a University Hospital in Barcelona from 2006 to 2019. Results: The study included 502 admissions involving 428 patients, predominantly men (75%) with a median (P25-P75) age of 47.5 years (39.7-53.9). Ninety-one percent were diagnosed with HIV before admission, with 82% under ART and 60% admitted from the emergency department. In 2016-2019, there were more patients on ART pre-admission, reduced needs for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and fewer in-ICU complications. ICU mortality was also lower (14% vs 7%). Predictors of in-ICU mortality included acquired immunodeficiency syndrome defining event (ADE)-related admissions, ICU complications, higher SOFA scores, IMV and renal replacement therapy (RRT) requirement. ART use during ICU admission was protective. Higher SOFA scores, admission from hospital wards, and more comorbidities predicted one-year mortality. Conclusions: The in-ICU mortality of critically ill PLHIV has decreased in recent years, likely due to changes in patient characteristics. Pre- and ICU admission features remain the primary predictors of short- and medium-term outcome

Towards characterization of cell culture conditions for reliable proteomic analysis: in vitro studies on A549, differentiated THP-1, and NR8383 cell lines

Proteomic investigations result in high dimensional datasets, but integration or comparison of different studies is hampered by high variances due to different experimental setups. In addition, cell culture conditions can have a huge impact on the outcome. This study systematically investigates the impact of experimental parameters on the proteomic profiles of commonly used cell lines—A549, differentiated THP-1 macrophage-like cells, and NR8383—for toxicity studies. The work focuses on analyzing the influence at the proteome level of cell culture setup involving different vessels, cell passage numbers, and post-differentiation harvesting time, aiming to improve the reliability of proteomic analyses for hazard assessment. Mass-spectrometry-based proteomics was utilized for accurate protein quantification by means of a label-free approach. Our results showed that significant proteome variations occur when cells are cultivated under different setups. Further analysis of these variations revealed their association to specific cellular pathways related to protein misfolding, oxidative stress, and proteasome activity. Conversely, the influence of cell passage numbers on the proteome is minor, suggesting a reliable range for conducting reproducible biological replicates. Notable, substantial proteome alterations occur over-time post-differentiation of dTHP-1 cells, particularly impacting pathways crucial for macrophage function. This finding is key for the interpretation of experimental results. These results highlight the need for standardized culture conditions in proteomic-based evaluations of treatment effects to ensure reliable results, a prerequisite for achieving regulatory acceptance of proteomics data

An ethnographic perspective about lockdown of COVID-19 emergency in neighborhoods with unmet needs of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Este artículo analiza en la perspectiva de los residentes en cuatro barrios con altos porcentajes de hacinamiento y déficits de agua tratada-saneamiento de la CABA, Argentina el confinamiento para la prevención de COVID-19 dispuesto como política de Estado entre marzo y noviembre de 2020. Se describe el marco normativo del dispositivo sanitario y se detallan las dimensiones más disruptivas de la cotidianeidad: el aislamiento, la segregación residencial y la obligatoriedad de respetar medidas arbitrarias.Se concluye que la extrapolación de las técnicas de aislamiento previstas para hospitales y laboratorios a la totalidad social omitió la complejidad de la estructura social; careció de perspectivas de género y de clase, intensificó la segregación residencial y vulneró derechos humanos.This article analyzes from the perspective of residents in four neighborhoods with high percentages of overcrowding and deficits of treated water-sanitation in Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina, the confinement for the prevention of COVID-19 established as state policy between March and November 2020. The regulatory framework of the sanitary device is described and the most disruptive dimensions of daily life are detailed: isolation, residential segregation and the obligation to respect arbitrary measures. It is concluded that the extrapolation of the isolation techniques provided for hospitals and laboratories to the social totality omitted the complexity of the social structure; it lacked gender and class perspectives, intensified residential segregation, and violated human rights.Fil: Mastrangelo, Andrea Veronica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Benedit, Josefina. Universidad Nacional de San Martin. Instituto de Altos Estudios Sociales. Centro de Estudios En Antropología; ArgentinaFil: Rico, Ana Maria. Universidade Federal da Bahia; Brasi

An ethnographic perspective about lockdown of COVID-19 emergency in neighborhoods with unmet needs of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Este artículo analiza en la perspectiva de los residentes en cuatro barrios con altos porcentajes de hacinamiento y déficits de agua tratada-saneamiento de la CABA, Argentina el confinamiento para la prevención de COVID-19 dispuesto como política de Estado entre marzo y noviembre de 2020. Se describe el marco normativo del dispositivo sanitario y se detallan las dimensiones más disruptivas de la cotidianeidad: el aislamiento, la segregación residencial y la obligatoriedad de respetar medidas arbitrarias.Se concluye que la extrapolación de las técnicas de aislamiento previstas para hospitales y laboratorios a la totalidad social omitió la complejidad de la estructura social; careció de perspectivas de género y de clase, intensificó la segregación residencial y vulneró derechos humanos.This article analyzes from the perspective of residents in four neighborhoods with high percentages of overcrowding and deficits of treated water-sanitation in Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina, the confinement for the prevention of COVID-19 established as state policy between March and November 2020. The regulatory framework of the sanitary device is described and the most disruptive dimensions of daily life are detailed: isolation, residential segregation and the obligation to respect arbitrary measures. It is concluded that the extrapolation of the isolation techniques provided for hospitals and laboratories to the social totality omitted the complexity of the social structure; it lacked gender and class perspectives, intensified residential segregation, and violated human rights.Fil: Mastrangelo, Andrea Veronica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Benedit, Josefina. Universidad Nacional de San Martin. Instituto de Altos Estudios Sociales. Centro de Estudios En Antropología; ArgentinaFil: Rico, Ana Maria. Universidade Federal da Bahia; Brasi

Droplet ejection and liquid jetting by visible laser irradiation in pyro-photovoltaic Fe-doped LiNbO3 platforms

Controlling liquid dispensing and jetting from a reservoir drop or a liquid film require strong electric fields. One efficient method proposed some years ago is based on the high pyroelectric-electrohydrodynamic (EHD) effect presented by lithium niobate when it undergoes a high temperature change. Additionally, first experiments generating droplets using the photovoltaic effect of Fe-doped lithium niobate crystal (LiNbO3:Fe) have been recently reported. Here, it is shown how the excitation of the photovoltaic and pyroelectric effects of LiNbO3:Fe by visible light irradiation allows droplet dispensing and jetting. A basic characterization of the process, including the important role of the excitation light intensity, is reported. The experimental investigation demonstrates that efficient droplet ejection and liquid jetting can be easily achieved in different optical configurations and with various liquid solutions (water, alcohol, aqueous suspension of particles or polymers). This new explored method is analyzed by discussing some of its intrinsic and attractive advantages, namely the flexible and versatile control offered by light excitation and the activation of the photovoltaic and pyroelectric effects. The results let us to foresee that this strategy will have very good chances to become a viable inkjet printing method for addressing new challenges in directed liquid dispensing and patterningThis work was sponsored by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades of Spain under grant MAT2017-83951-R. A.P. acknowledges the grant no. PEJ2018-003989 from the Iniciativa de Empleo Juvenil y Fondo Social Europeo, and was supported by the MIUR project “Piattaforma Modulare Multi Missione” (PM3), ARS01_01181. Open Access Funding provided by Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche within the CRUI-CARE Agreemen

The roles of beginner English teachers at the English BA in times of Covid- 19

The intent of the proposed research offers an overview of the roles that teachers have taken during the pandemic and the possible changes teachers could play nowadays, as well. Based on the current context in the world, teachers face a different and complicated position rather than they used to do. Moreover, this research tries to identify the current roles of teachers as well as to show the impact of teachers’ roles on students and find out, which is the relation between teacher-student and student-student when facing this pandemic

Human health risk assessment of metals and metalloids in mining areas of the Northeast Andean foothills of the Ecuadorian Amazon

Gold mining (GM) is a major source of metals and metalloids in rivers, causing severe environmental pollution and increasing the exposure risks to the residents of surrounding areas. Mining in Ecuadorian Amazonia has dramatically increased in recent years, but its impacts on Indigenous local populations that make use of rivers are still unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the risks to adults and children caused by the exposure to metals and metalloids in freshwater ecosystems contaminated with tailings released by GM activities in 11 sites of the upper Napo River basin, Ecuador. We selected a carcinogenic and a noncarcinogenic risk assessment method to estimate the hazard index (HI) and total cancer risk (TCR). The concentration of Ag, Al, As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, B, and V in water and sediment samples was considered to assess the risks to human health. The calculated HI was 23-352 times greater than the acceptable limits in all sites for both children and adults. Mn and Fe were the main contributors (75% in water and 99% in sediment) to the total calculated risk based on the HI. The calculated TCR for children and adults exceeded approximately one to three times the permissible threshold in all sites. As and Pb contributed up to 93% of the total calculated risk based on TCR for both children and adults. This study demonstrates that the emission and mobilization of metals and metalloids caused by mining activities increase the risk to human health, to which we recommend further monitoring of freshwater contamination in the area and the implementation of preventive health management measures. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;00:1-11. © 2022 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC)

Evaluación formativa con feedback rápido mediante mandos interactivos en la docencia de Prótesis III

El objetivo es diseñar y elaborar un sistema de evaluación continuada mediante el empleo de mandos interactivos para la docencia de Prótesis III, que permitan mejorar la enseñanza clínica, y el aprendizaje tanto individual como en equipo

Host adaptive immunity deficiency in severe pandemic influenza

INTRODUCTION: Pandemic A/H1N1/2009 influenza causes severe lower respiratory complications in rare cases. The association between host immune responses and clinical outcome in severe cases is unknown. METHODS: We utilized gene expression, cytokine profiles and generation of antibody responses following hospitalization in 19 critically ill patients with primary pandemic A/H1N1/2009 influenza pneumonia for identifying host immune responses associated with clinical outcome. Ingenuity pathway analysis 8.5 (IPA) (Ingenuity Systems, Redwood City, CA) was used to select, annotate and visualize genes by function and pathway (gene ontology). IPA analysis identified those canonical pathways differentially expressed (P < 0.05) between comparison groups. Hierarchical clustering of those genes differentially expressed between groups by IPA analysis was performed using BRB-Array Tools v.3.8.1. RESULTS: The majority of patients were characterized by the presence of comorbidities and the absence of immunosuppressive conditions. pH1N1 specific antibody production was observed around day 9 from disease onset and defined an early period of innate immune response and a late period of adaptive immune response to the virus. The most severe patients (n = 12) showed persistence of viral secretion. Seven of the most severe patients died. During the late phase, the most severe patient group had impaired expression of a number of genes participating in adaptive immune responses when compared to less severe patients. These genes were involved in antigen presentation, B-cell development, T-helper cell differentiation, CD28, granzyme B signaling, apoptosis and protein ubiquitination. Patients with the poorest outcomes were characterized by proinflammatory hypercytokinemia, along with elevated levels of immunosuppressory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-1ra) in serum. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest an impaired development of adaptive immunity in the most severe cases of pandemic influenza, leading to an unremitting cycle of viral replication and innate cytokine-chemokine release. Interruption of this deleterious cycle may improve disease outcome.The study was scientifically sponsored by the Spanish Society for Critical Care Medicine (SEMICYUC). Funding: MICCIN-FIS/JCYL-IECSCYL-SACYL (Spain): Programa de Investigación Comisionada en Gripe, GR09/0021-EMER07/050- PI081236-RD07/0067. CIHR-NIH-Sardinia Recherché-LKSF Canada support DJK.S