Time dedicated to physical activity among medical residents: are there differences based on gender or specialty type?

INTRODUCTION: Physical activity (PA) is associated with positive health outcomes such as prevention of chronic diseases, psychological well-being and improved work performance. Medical residents are subjected to sleep deprivation, extended work schedule and high burnout prevalence. These conditions may lead to the neglect of personal health and the restriction of time dedicated to PA. The objective of the present study was to analyze the time dedicated to PA of medical residents, comparing women vs men residents and surgical vs clinical residents. METHODS: It is a cross-sectional study performed in a Spanish third-level university hospital. All medical residents from our institution were invited to voluntarily participate in the study answering a web-based questionnaire on June 2022. Data regarding demographics, residency and PA practice was recorded. RESULTS: The response rate was 20.73% (114/550). The 32.5% of the residents considered themselves to be physically inactive and mean time dedicated to PA in a regular week was 3.62 ±â€¯2.22 h. Men residents dedicated more time to PA than women residents (4.23 ±â€¯2.42 h vs 3.14 ±â€¯1.95 h, p = 0.012) and surgical residents dedicated more time than clinical residents (4.33 ±â€¯2.36 h vs 3.23 ±â€¯2.05 h, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: One third of the medical residents consider themself physically inactive. Women and clinical residents practice PA less time than men and surgical residents. Efforts should be made to encourage PA among residents, especially in women and non-surgeons.

Mathematical modeling for operative improvement of the decoloration of Acid Red 27 by a novel microbial consortium of Trametes versicolor and Pseudomonas putida: A multivariate sensitivity analysis.

In this work, it is presented a first approach of a mathematical and kinetic analysis for improving the decoloration and further degradation process of an azo dye named acid red 27 (AR27), by means of a novel microbial consortium formed by the fungus Trametes versicolor and the bacterium Pseudomonas putida. A multivariate analysis was carried out by simulating scenarios with different operating conditions and developing a specific mathematical model based on kinetic equations describing all stages of the biological process, from microbial growth and substrate consuming to decoloration and degradation of intermediate compounds. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was performed by using a factorial design and the Response Surface Method (RSM), for determining individual and interactive effects of variables like, initial glucose concentration, initial dye concentration and the moment in time for bacterial inoculation, on response variables assessed in terms of the minimum time for: full decoloration of AR27 (R1 = 2.375 days); maximum production of aromatic metabolites (R2 = 1.575 days); and full depletion of aromatic metabolites (R3 = 12.9 days). Using RSM the following conditions improved the biological process, being: an initial glucose concentration of 20 g l-1, an initial AR27 concentration of 0.2 g l-1 and an inoculation moment in time of P. putida at day 1. The mathematical model is a feasible tool for describing AR27 decoloration and its further degradation by the microbial consortium of T. versicolor and P. putida, this model will also work as a mathematical basis for designing novel bio-reaction systems than can operate with the same principle of the described consortium.

Thymic atrophy induced by Plasmodium berghei ANKA and Plasmodium yoelii 17XL infection.

The thymus is the anatomical site where T cells undergo a complex process of differentiation, proliferation, selection, and elimination of autorreactive cells which involves molecular signals in different intrathymic environment. However, the immunological functions of the thymus can be compromised upon exposure to different infections, affecting thymocyte populations. In this work, we investigated the impact of malaria parasites on the thymus by using C57BL/6 mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA and Plasmodium yoelii 17XL; these lethal infection models represent the most severe complications, cerebral malaria, and anemia respectively. Data showed a reduction in the thymic weight and cellularity involving different T cell maturation stages, mainly CD4-CD8- and CD4+CD8+ thymocytes, as well as an increased presence of apoptotic cells, leading to significant thymic cortex reduction. Thymus atrophy showed no association with elevated serum cytokines levels, although increased glucocorticoid levels did. The severity of thymic damage in both models reached the same extend although it occurs at different stages of infection, showing that thymic atrophy does not depend on parasitemia level but on the specific host-parasite interaction.

Five-year airborne pollen calendar for a Sonoran Desert city and the relationships with meteorological variability.

Aerobiological studies are still scarce in northwestern Mexico where allergenic pollen have great impacts on health. Current global pollution and climate change problems are closely related to many allergic diseases, enhancing the need to continue researching these issues and improve life quality. This study provides the first Pollen Calendar for Hermosillo, Sonora, México. Airborne pollen were continuously collected for 5 years (2015-2019). The standardized methodology with a Hirst-type spore trap proposed for global aerobiological studies was used. Weather data were also taken from a station located in the city and used to explore correlations between climate and airborne pollen concentrations in different seasons. The most important pollen taxa recorded in air belongs to herbaceous pollen, such as Poaceae, Ambrosia, Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae, and some shrub trees typical of this arid region, such as Nyctaginaceae, Prosopis, Parkinsonia, and Fabaceae. The most critical herbaceous pollen related to allergies have a long mean pollen season throughout the years, and the most critical periods with high pollen concentration in air occur in two seasons, spring (March-April) and summer-fall (August-October). In these 5 years, the correlation analyses for these two peaks indicate that a link exists between pollen in the air and decreases in precipitation and temperatures, and an increase in relative humidity. An inter-annual variability in pollen concentrations was recorded related to different weather conditions. Although pollen calendars are location-specific, they are useful for future research on biological air quality scenarios in different cities. Using this standardized method for other regions can provide pollen calendars that have been proven clinically important in allergic disease management worldwide.

Definition of unconformities based on radiometric tool.

The concentrations of U-238, Th-232, and K-40 measured with a portable gamma-ray spectrometer in cutting samples of two exploratory wells allowed the radiometric characterization of Cretaceous Rancheria sub-basin rocks and the definition of twelve (12) zones according to paleo-redox facies. The Th/Ua (authigenic uranium) and Th/U ratio greater than 7 (seven) indicates paleo-redox conditions related to oxygenation changes and detrital material input during deposition and terrestrial freshwater environment. However, the Lagunitas, Aguas Blancas, La Luna, and Molino formations characterize by facies from sub-oxic (dioxic) to anoxic redox. In the Aguas Blancas and Molino Formations, pyrite and the high uranium measurements determine an anoxic and euxinic environment. The high values of both + uranium and authigenic uranium in the La Luna and Molino formations relate to the conservation of organic matter, which is an essential factor in the generation of hydrocarbons. The abrupt changes of both K/U and Th/U identify potential sequential or genetic limit surfaces (e.g., maximum flooding surfaces), limiting such zones. Based on radiometric behavior, this research permitted identifying eight Cretaceous to Miocene unconformities in the area, three of them reported here for the first time.

The role of multiparametric magnetic resonance in active surveillance of a low-risk prostate cancer cohort from clinical practice.

INTRODUCTION: Active surveillance (AS) is considered a suitable management practice for those patients with low-risk prostate cancer (PCa). At present, however, the role of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in AS protocols has not yet been clearly established. OUTCOMES: To determine the role of mpMRI and its ability to detect significant prostate cancer (SigPCa) in PCa patients enrolled in AS protocols. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were 229 patients enrolled in an AS protocol between 2011 and 2020 at Reina Sofía University Hospital. MRI interpretation was based on PIRADS v.1 or v.2/2.1 classification. Demographics, clinical, and analytical data were collected and analyzed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for mpMRI in different scenarios. We defined SigPCa and reclassification/progression as a Gleason score (GS) ≥ 3 + 4, a clinical stage ≥T2b, or an increase in PCa volume. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests were used to estimate progression-free survival time. RESULTS: Median age was 69.02 (±7.73) at diagnosis, with a 0.15 (±0.08) PSA density (PSAD). Eighty-six patients were reclassified after confirmatory biopsy, with a suspicious mpMRI an indication for a clear reclassification and risk-predictor factor in disease progression (p < 0.05). During follow-up, 46 patients were changed from AS to active treatment mainly due to disease progression. Ninety patients underwent ≥2mpMRI during follow-up, with a median follow-up of 29 (15-49) months. Thirty-four patients had a baseline suspicious mpMRI (at diagnostic or confirmatory biopsy): 14 patients with a PIRADS 3 and 20 patients with ≥PIRADS 4. From 14 patients with a PIRADS 3 baseline mpMRI, 29% progressed radiologically, with a 50% progression rate versus 10% (1/10 patients) for those with similar or decreased mpMRI risk. Of the 56 patients with a non-suspicious baseline mpMRI (PIRADS < 2), 14 patients (25%) had an increased degree of radiological suspicion, with a detection rate of SigPCa of 29%. The mpMRI NPV during follow-up was 0.91. CONCLUSION: A suspicious mpMRI increases the reclassification and disease progression risk during follow-up and plays an important role in monitoring biopsies. In addition, a high NPV at mpMRI follow-up can help to decrease the need to monitor biopsies during AS.

Apropiación de los elementos de innovación social en organizaciones comunitarias agropecuarias del departamento de Boyacá, Colombia / Appropriation of the elements of social innovation in community agricultural organizations of the department of Boyaca, Colombia

RESUMEN Con el objetivo de establecer criterios mínimos relativos a la innovación social en organizaciones comunitarias agropecuarias, se hizo uso de herramientas propias de la investigación cualitativa que incluyeron búsquedas especializadas y uso de programas para análisis de datos bibliográficos (por ejemplo VOSviewer™) para determinar los elementos relativos a la gestión, gobernanza, capacidades, modelo de negocio sostenibilidad para ocho (8) organizaciones comunitarias de productores agropecuarios de la provincia del Sugamuxi, en el departamento de Boyacá, Colombia. Se pudo establecer que algunas organizaciones de productores agropecuarios que ejercen actividades en el departamento de Boyacá no están apropiando de forma integral los elementos de innovación social (en niveles operativos y gerenciales) y, consecuentemente, existe toda una ruta de mejoramiento por desarrollar con estas para optimizar los índices de eficiencia organizacional; además, se evidencia la complejidad de la temática, dado que la sostenibilidad de las innovaciones sociales dependerá en gran medida de la gestión de las organizaciones, donde se establezcan agendas institucionales compartidas contextualizadas y ajustadas a los territorios. Es necesario optimizar los canales de participación de manera mancomunada entre el Estado, las organizaciones y los mismos productores para poder dinamizar procesos, metas y alcances reales de la innovación social a la luz de los acelerados cambios a los que se enfrenta el productor agropecuario agremiado en Colombia, relativos estos a la dinámica del mercado, el acceso a recursos y otros.

ABSTRACT In order to establish minimum criteria related to social innovation in agricultural community organizations, qualitative research tools were used, including specialized searches and the use of programs for the analysis of bibliographic data (for example VOSviewer™), with the purpose of defining the elements related to management, governance, capacities, business model and sustainability for eight (8) community organizations of agricultural producers in the province of Sugamuxi, in the department of Boyacá, Colombia. It was possible to establish that some organizations of agricultural producers that carry out activities in the department of Boyacá are not integrally appropriating the elements of social innovation (at operational and managerial levels) and, consequently, there is a whole route of improvement to be developed with them to optimize the organizational efficiency indexes; in addition, the complexity of the subject is evident, given that the sustainability of social innovations will depend largely on the management of the organizations, where shared institutional agendas contextualized and adjusted to the territories are established. It is necessary to optimize the channels of participation in a joint manner between the State, the organizations, and the producers themselves to be able to dynamize processes, goals and the real scope of social innovation in light of the accelerated changes faced by the agribusiness producer in Colombia, related to market dynamics, access to resources and others.

Epigenetic regulation by metabolites from the gut microbiome.

The gut microbiome can metabolise food components, such as dietary fibres and various phytochemicals; and the microbiome can also synthesise some nutrients, for example B vitamins. The metabolites produced by bacteria and other micro-organisms in the colon can have implications for health and disease risk. Some of these metabolites are epigenetically active, and can contribute to changes in the chemical modification and structure of chromatin by affecting the activity and expression of epigenetically-active enzymes, for example histone deacetylases and DNA methyltransferases. The epigenetic activity of such gut microbiome metabolites is reviewed herein.

Clinical and epidemiological features of patients with COVID-19 reinfection: a systematic review.

Recurrent positivity in a patient with COVID-19 may be due to various reasons, not necessarily reinfection. There is concern about the occurrence frequency of reinfection. Five databases and a preprint/preprint repository were searched. All case reports, case series, and observational studies were included. Bias was assessed for each study with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale tool and reported according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA-2020). After eligibility, 77 studies were included for qualitative synthesis (52 case reports, 21 case series, and four case-controls; 1131 patients included). Of these, 16 studies described a second contact with the SARS-CoV-2 positive case, five studies described healthcare profession-related infection, ten studies described that the source of reinfection was likely to be from the community, one study described travel-related infection, nine studies described vulnerability-related infection due to comorbidity. The mean number of days from discharge or negative test to reinfection ranged from 23.3 to 57.6 days across the different included studies. The risk of bias for all case report/series studies was moderate/high. For observational studies, the risk of bias was low. Reinfection of patients with COVID-19 occurs between the first and second month after the first infection, but beyond, and 90 days have been proposed as a point to begin to consider it. The main factor for reinfection is contact with COVID-19 positive cases.

The effects of altered neurogenic microRNA levels and their involvement in the aggressiveness of periventricular glioblastoma.

INTRODUCTION: Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common primary brain tumour, with the least favourable prognosis. Despite numerous studies and medical advances, it continues to be lethal, with an average life expectancy of 15 months after chemo-radiotherapy. DEVELOPMENT: Recent research has addressed several factors associated with the diagnosis and prognosis of glioblastoma; one significant factor is tumour localisation, particularly the subventricular zone, which represents one of the most active neurogenic niches of the adult human brain. Glioblastomas in this area are generally more aggressive, resulting in unfavourable prognosis and a shorter life expectancy. Currently, the research into microRNAs (miRNA) has intensified, revealing different expression patterns under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. It has been reported that the expression levels of certain miRNAs, mainly those related to neurogenic processes, are dysregulated in oncogenic events, thus favouring gliomagenesis and greater tumour aggressiveness. This review discusses some of the most important miRNAs involved in subventricular neurogenic processes and their association with glioblastoma aggressiveness. CONCLUSIONS: MiRNA regulation and function play an important role in the development and progression of glioblastoma; understanding the alterations of certain miRNAs involved in both differentiation and neural and glial maturation could help us to better understand the malignant characteristics of glioblastoma.

Current State of Stroke Care in the Philippines.

Stroke remains the leading cause of disability and death in the Philippines. Evaluating the current state of stroke care, the needed resources, and the gaps in health policies and programs is crucial to decrease stroke-related mortality and morbidity effectively. This paper aims to characterize the Philippines' stroke system of care and network using the World Health Organization health system building blocks framework. To integrate existing national laws and policies governing stroke and its risk factors dispersed across many general policies, the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) institutionalized a national policy framework for preventing and managing stroke. Despite policy reforms, government financing coverage remains limited. In terms of access to medicines, the government launched its stroke medicine access program (MAP) in 2016, providing more than 1,000 vials of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA) or alteplase subsidized to selected government hospitals across the country. However, DOH discontinued the program due to the lack of neuroimaging machines and organized system of care to support the provision of the said medicine. Despite limited resources, stroke diagnostics and treatment facilities are more concentrated in urban settings, mostly in private hospitals, where out-of-pocket expenditures prevail. These barriers to access are also reflective of the current state of human resource on stroke where medical specialists (e.g., neurologists) serve in the few tertiary and training hospitals situated in urban settings. Meanwhile, there is no established unified national stroke registry thus, determining the local burden of stroke remains a challenge. The lack of centralization and fragmentation of the stroke cases reporting system leads to reliance on data from hospital records or community-based stroke surveys, which may inaccurately depict the country's actual stroke incidence and prevalence. Based on these gaps, specific recommendations geared toward systems approach - governance, financing, information system, human resources for health, and medicines were identified.

Deep photothermal effect induced by stereotactic laser beams in highly scattering media.

Plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT), as an increasingly studied treatment alternative, has been widely regarded mostly as a surface tissue treatment choice. Although some techniques have been implemented for interstitial tumors, these involve some grade of invasiveness, as the outer skin is usually broken to introduce light-delivering optical fibers or even catheters. In this work, we present a potential non-invasive strategy using the stereotactic approach, long employed in radiosurgery, by converging multiple near infrared laser beams for PPTT in tissue-equivalent optical phantoms that enclose small gel spheres and simulate interstitial tissue impregnated with plasmonic nanoparticles. The real-time in-depth monitoring of temperature increase is realized by an infrared camera face-on mounted over the phantom. Our results show that a significant reduction in the surface heating can be achieved with this configuration while remarkably increasing the interstitial reach of PPTT, assuring a ∼6∘C temperature increase for the simulated tumors at 10 mm depth and ∼4∘C at 15 mm depth and opening up new possibilities for future clinical applications.

The cyto-protective effects of LH on ovarian reserve and female fertility during exposure to gonadotoxic alkylating agents in an adult mouse model.

STUDY QUESTION: Does LH protect mouse oocytes and female fertility from alkylating chemotherapy? SUMMARY ANSWER: LH treatment before and during chemotherapy prevents detrimental effects on follicles and reproductive lifespan. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Chemotherapies can damage the ovary, resulting in premature ovarian failure and reduced fertility in cancer survivors. LH was recently suggested to protect prepubertal mouse follicles from chemotoxic effects of cisplatin treatment. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This experimental study investigated LH effects on primordial follicles exposed to chemotherapy. Seven-week-old CD-1 female mice were randomly allocated to four experimental groups: Control (n = 13), chemotherapy (ChT, n = 15), ChT+LH-1x (n = 15), and ChT+LH-5x (n = 8). To induce primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), animals in the ChT and ChT+LH groups were intraperitoneally injected with 120 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide and 12 mg/kg of busulfan, while control mice received vehicle. For LH treatment, the ChT+LH-1x and ChT+LH-5x animals received a 1 or 5 IU LH dose, respectively, before chemotherapy, then a second LH injection administered with chemotherapy 24 h later. Then, two animals/group were euthanized at 12 and 24 h to investigate the early ovarian response to LH, while remaining mice were housed for 30 days to evaluate short- and long-term reproductive outcomes. The effects of LH and chemotherapy on growing-stage follicles were analyzed in a parallel experiment. Seven-week-old NOD-SCID female mice were allocated to control (n = 5), ChT (n = 5), and ChT+LH-1x (n = 6) groups. Animals were treated as described above, but maintained for 7 days before reproductive assessment. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: In the first experiment, follicular damage (phosphorylated H2AX histone (γH2AX) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay), apoptotic biomarkers (western blot), and DNA repair pathways (western blot and RT-qPCR) were assessed in ovaries collected at 12 and 24 h to determine early ovarian responses to LH. Thirty days after treatments, remaining mice were stimulated (10 IU of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and 10 IU of hCG) and mated to collect ovaries, oocytes, and embryos. Histological analysis was performed on ovarian samples to investigate follicular populations and stromal status, and meiotic spindle and chromosome alignment was measured in oocytes by confocal microscopy. Long-term effects were monitored by assessing pregnancy rate and litter size during six consecutive breeding attempts. In the second experiment, mice were stimulated and mated 7 days after treatments and ovaries, oocytes, and embryos were collected. Follicular numbers, follicular protection (DNA damage and apoptosis by H2AX staining and TUNEL assay, respectively), and ovarian stroma were assessed. Oocyte quality was determined by confocal analysis. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: LH treatment was sufficient to preserve ovarian reserve and follicular development, avoid atresia, and restore ovulation and meiotic spindle configuration in mature oocytes exposed at the primordial stage. LH improved the cumulative pregnancy rate and litter size in six consecutive breeding rounds, confirming the potential of LH treatment to preserve fertility. This protective effect appeared to be mediated by an enhanced early DNA repair response, via homologous recombination, and generation of anti-apoptotic signals in the ovary a few hours after injury with chemotherapy. This response ameliorated the chemotherapy-induced increase in DNA-damaged oocytes and apoptotic granulosa cells. LH treatment also protected growing follicles from chemotherapy. LH reversed the chemotherapy-induced depletion of primordial and primary follicular subpopulations, reduced oocyte DNA damage and granulosa cell apoptosis, restored mature oocyte cohort size, and improved meiotic spindle properties. LARGE SCALE DATA: N/A. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: This was a preliminary study performed with mouse ovarian samples. Therefore, preclinical research with human samples is required for validation. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The current study tested if LH could protect the adult mouse ovarian reserve and reproductive lifespan from alkylating chemotherapy. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of LH as a complementary non-surgical strategy for preserving fertility in female cancer patients. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This study was supported by grants from the Regional Valencian Ministry of Education (PROMETEO/2018/137), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CP19/00141), and the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (FPU16/05264). The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Evaluation of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in the soil, in a potential area for unconventional reservoirs in the Rancheria Sub-Basin.

Naturally occurring radioactive elements depend on lithology geogenic characteristics, such as depositional, environmental, or diagenetic. Thus, evaluating these elements constitutes a tool to define ionizing radiation effect from rocky sequences. This study carried out in the Rancheria Sub-Basin establishes both characterization and assessment of this kind of material, known as NORM. The sampling included uranium-238, thorium-232, potassium-40, radon-226, and radon-222 in soil samples, cutting samples from the Molino-1 well, and radon in surface water. Bases on a radiometric methodology with a gamma-ray spectrometer for uranium-238, thorium-232, and potassium-40 and emanometric with ionizing chambers for radio-226 and radon-222. The analysis and results of the activity concentrations in soil samples of U-238, Th-232, K-40, and Ra-226 are 11.7 BqKg-1, 33.0 BqKg-1, 424.5 BqKg-1, and 15.59 BqKg-1, respectively, among the acceptable global averages. However, in some areas, observed values indicate high activity concentrations of U-238, Th-232, K-40, Ra-226, and Rn-222 in the soil of 50.2 BqKg-1, 62.8 BqKg-1, 1596.3 BqKg-1, 44.25 BqKg-1, and 112546.79 Bqm-3, respectively. Those activity concentrations were associated with zone lithology.

Monocyte Locomotion Inhibitory Factor confers neuroprotection and prevents the development of murine cerebral malaria.

Cerebral malaria (CM) is a neurological complication derived from the Plasmodium falciparum infection in humans. The mechanisms involved in the disease progression are still not fully understood, but both the sequestration of infected red blood cells (iRBC) and leukocytes and an exacerbated host inflammatory immune response are significant factors. In this study, we investigated the effect of Monocyte Locomotion Inhibitory Factor (MLIF), an anti-inflammatory peptide, in a well-characterized murine model of CM. Our data showed that the administration of MLIF increased the survival and avoided the neurological signs of CM in Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infected C57BL/6 mice. MLIF administration down-regulated systemic inflammatory mediators such as IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, CXCL2, and CCL2, as well as the in situ expression of TNF-α in the brain. In the same way, MLIF reduced the expression of CD31, CD36, CD54, and CD106 in the cerebral endothelium of infected animals and prevented the sequestration of iRBC and leucocytes in the brain microvasculature. Furthermore, MLIF inhibited the activation of astrocytes and microglia and preserved the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In conclusion, our results demonstrated that the administration of MLIF increased survival and conferred neuroprotection by decreasing neuroinflammation in murine CM.

Correction: Temperature dependence of anomalous protonic and superprotonic transport properties in mixed salts based on CsH2PO4.

Correction for 'Temperature dependence of anomalous protonic and superprotonic transport properties in mixed salts based on CsH2PO4' by Andreu Andrio et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019, 21, 12948-12960, DOI: 10.1039/C8CP07472K.

Respiratory function in patients post-infection by COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests lungs as the organ most affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The literature on previous coronavirus infections reports that patients may experience persistent impairment in respiratory function after being discharged. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of restrictive pattern, obstructive pattern and altered diffusion in patients post-COVID-19 infection and to describe the different evaluations of respiratory function used with these patients. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted in five databases. Studies that used lung function testing to assess post-infection COVID-19 patients were included for review. Two independent reviewers analysed the studies, extracted the data and assessed the quality of evidence. RESULTS: Of the 1973 reports returned by the initial search, seven articles reporting on 380 patients were included in the data synthesis. In the sensitivity analysis, we found a prevalence of 0.39 (CI 0.24-0.56, p < 0.01, I2 = 86%), 0.15 (CI 0.09-0.22, p = 0.03, I2 = 59%), and 0.07 (CI 0.04-0.11, p = 0.31, I2 = 16%) for altered diffusion capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO), restrictive pattern and obstructive pattern, respectively. CONCLUSION: Post-infection COVID-19 patients showed impaired lung function; the most important of the pulmonary function tests affected was the diffusion capacity.

Tubomanometry: An effective and promising assessment of Eustachian tube dysfunction in chronic rhinosinusitis patients.

AIMS: Obstructive eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction involves otologic complications, including cholesteatoma, and requires specific treatment. A causal relationship between obstructive ET dysfunction and chronic rhinosinusitis has only been suspected so far. Tubomanometry (TMM) is a new tool in ET dysfunction diagnosis and description. It has mainly been studied in chronic otitis patients but never in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). The aim of this work was to obtain TMM results from a CRS patient population presenting clinical ET dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective monocentric non-blinded study was performed between November 1 2015 and February 29 2016, involving all adult patients (>18 years; n=294) suffering from bilateral chronic rhinosinusitis who consulted at the rhinology unit at our referral ENT university center; 129 patients were included. An obstructive ET dysfunction clinical screening questionnaire (ETDQ-7) was obtained from all patients. When the mean ETDQ-7 score was≥2.1, a more extensive clinical assessment was performed including clinical maneuvers, otoscopy, transnasal endoscopy, audiometry, tympanometry and TMM for the diagnosis of ET dysfunction. RESULTS: Forty-seven per cent (n=61) had a positive ETDQ-7, 64% (n=39) of which had pathologic tubomanometric results: thirty-two (52.5%) had obstructive ET dysfunction TMM results and the remaining 7 (11.5%) patients had patulous ET TMM results. CONCLUSIONS: Tubomanometry is a promising new tool for the evaluation of ET dysfunction and could be added to clinical assessment of chronic rhinosinusitis patients.

Merging Mie solutions and the radiative transport equation to measure optical properties of scattering particles in optical phantoms.

We present a new method to calculate the complex refractive index of spherical scatterers in a novel optical phantom developed by using homemade monodisperse silica nanospheres embedded into a polyester resin matrix and an ethanol-water mixture for applications in diffuse imaging. The spherical geometry of these nanoparticles makes them suitable for direct comparison between the values of the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients (µa and µs', respectively) obtained by the diffusion approximation solution to the transport equation from scattering measurements and those obtained by the Mie solution to Maxwell's equations. The values of the optical properties can be obtained by measuring, using an ultrafast detector, the time-resolved intensity distribution profiles of diffuse light transmitted through a thick slab of the silica nanosphere phantom, and by fitting them to the time-dependent diffusion approximation solution to the transport equation. These values can also be obtained by Mie solutions for spherical particles when their physical properties and size are known. By using scanning electron microscopy, we measured the size of these nanospheres, and the numerical results of µa and µs' can then be inferred by calculating the absorption and scattering efficiencies. Then we propose a numerical interval for the imaginary part of the complex refractive index of SiO2 nanospheres, ns, which is estimated by fixing the fitted values of µa and µs', using the known value of the real part of ns, and finding the corresponding value of Im(ns) that matches the optical parameters obtained by both methods finding values close to those reported for silica glass. This opens the possibility of producing optical phantoms with scattering and absorption properties that can be predicted and designed from precise knowledge of the physical characteristics of their constituents from a microscopic point of view.

Recent Progress in the Development of Composite Membranes Based on Polybenzimidazole for High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell Applications.

The rapid increasing of the population in combination with the emergence of new energy-consuming technologies has risen worldwide total energy consumption towards unprecedent values. Furthermore, fossil fuel reserves are running out very quickly and the polluting greenhouse gases emitted during their utilization need to be reduced. In this scenario, a few alternative energy sources have been proposed and, among these, proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are promising. Recently, polybenzimidazole-based polymers, featuring high chemical and thermal stability, in combination with fillers that can regulate the proton mobility, have attracted tremendous attention for their roles as PEMs in fuel cells. Recent advances in composite membranes based on polybenzimidazole (PBI) for high temperature PEM fuel cell applications are summarized and highlighted in this review. In addition, the challenges, future trends, and prospects of composite membranes based on PBI for solid electrolytes are also discussed.