Protective HLA alleles against severe COVID-19: HLA-A*68 as an ancestral protection allele in Tapachula-Chiapas, Mexico.

HLA is a polymorphic antigen presenter which has provided valuable information on the susceptibility of populations to viruses. Therefore, the study of HLA can reveal specific susceptibility or resistance alleles to severe COVID-19 in an ethnically dependent manner. This pilot study investigated HLA alleles associated with COVID-19 severity in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. A total of 146 Mexican Mestizos were typed for HLA class I and II using PCR-SSP. The patients were classified according to the outcome (death or improvement) and the infection's severity (mild or severe). In addition, a group of exposed uninfected individuals was included. HLA-A*68 was found to be a protective allele against the severe infection and fatal outcome; pC = 0.03, OR = 0.4, 95% CI =0.20-0.86, and pC =0.009, OR = 0.3, 95% CI =0.13-0.71 respectively. HLA-DRB1*03 also appears to be a protective factor against fatal outcome pC = 0.009, OR = 0.1, 95%IC = 0.01-0.66; however, the low frequency of this allele in the studied population limits the statistical power. The severity and fatal outcome of COVID-19 patients in Tapachula, Chiapas depend more on the lack of resistance than susceptibility HLA alleles.

Loading of doxorubicin on poly(methyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) nanoparticles and release study.

Nanoparticles (NP) of 12.7 nm in diameter of the poly(methyl methacrylate (MMA)-co-methacrylic acid (MAA)) copolymer were prepared. 13C-NMR results showed a MMA:MAA molar ratio of 0.64:0.36 in the copolymer, which is similar to the poly(MMA-co-MAA) commercially known as the FDA approved Eudragit S100 (0.67:0.33). The NP prepared in this study were loaded at pH 5 with varying amounts (from 0.54 to 6.91%) of doxorubicin (DOX), an antineoplastic drug. 1H-NMR results indicated the electrostatic interactions between the ionized carboxylic groups of the MAA units in the copolymer and the proton of the glycosidic amine in DOX. Measurements by QLS and TEM indicated that the loading destabilizes the NP, and that for increase stability, they aggregate in a reversible way, forming aggregates with a diameter up to 99.5 nm at a DOX load of 6.91%. The analysis of drug release data at pH 7.4 showed that loaded NP with at least 4.38% DOX release the drug very slowly and follows the Higuchi model; the former suggests that they could remain for long periods in the bloodstream to reach and destroy cancer cells.

Tendencias y agenda de prioridades de investigación en unidades académicas de educación superior de enfermería en Colombia / Trends and research priorities agenda in higher education academic units of nursing in Colombia

Objetivo: Identificar en las unidades académicas miembros de la Asociación Colombiana de Facultades y Escuelas de Enfermería (ACOFAEN), la situación en el componente de investigación, sus fortalezas y necesidades académicas. Material y método: Estudio descriptivo realizado entre 2010 y 2011, universo 30 unidades académicas de enfermería de Colombia, de las que 27 respondieron el instrumento, constituyéndose finalmente en la población del estudio. El instrumento utilizado fue una encuesta diagnóstica autodiligenciada con 123 preguntas, de las cuales 27 correspondían a investigación. La información fue procesada en el programa SPSS versión 11,5; se realizó distribución de frecuencias absolutas y relativas. Resultados: La investigación es transversal en el currículo; el 51% de las publicaciones se encontraban en revistas nacionales, un 20% en revistas internacionales. Como líneas temáticas prioritarias se destacan: cuidado por ciclo vital y por áreas temáticas, epidemiología, salud colectiva, epistemología, gestión y gerencia. Como necesidades investigativas: fortalecimiento de competencias por enfoques de investigación y apropiación de metodologías basadas en la evidencia, la Teoría fundada para el abordaje cualitativo. Las prioridades nacionales en investigación fueron: investigación por ciclo vital, por campos de acción, por áreas de desempeño, en problemas prioritarios, investigación en determinantes sociales de la salud, objetivos del milenio, interdisciplinariedad, estrategias de difusión, visibilidad de la producción, nuevos métodos de investigación, más allá de la descripción. Conclusiones: La discusión y el abordaje de la investigación es un elemento que debe integrarse a los currículos; para que la investigación pueda ser un eje articulador en la formación de profesionales de enfermería debe responder a las necesidades de la población y del país.

Objective: To identify in ACOFAEN academic units members, the situation in research component, the strengths and academic needs. Method: A descriptive study was conducted between 2010 and 2011. 27 academic nursing units from Colombia were included. The instrument used was a diagnostic survey self-served out; 123 questions in total of which 27 corresponded to research. The information was processed using SPSS version 11.5; it was done an absolute and relative frequency distribution. Results: Research is transversal in the curriculum, 51% of the publications were in national journals, 20% in international journals. As subject areas include: care for life cycle and by subject, epidemiology, collective health, epistemology, administration and management. As research needs: building skills for research approaches and appropriation of evidence-based methodologies, grounded theory for qualitative approach. The national research priorities were: research for life cycle for action areas, for performance areas in priority problems, research in social determinants of health, millennium development goals, interdisciplinary, dissemination strategies, production visibility, new research methods, beyond description. Conclusion: The discussion and addressing research, is an element that should be integrated into the curriculum, for the research can be a key piece in training nurses, must respond to the needs of the people and the country.