Síndrome de desgaste ocupacional en el personal de enfermería del área de salud de Parrita, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Objetivo: identificar la prevalencia del síndrome de desgaste ocupacional en los funcionarios del Departamento de Enfermería del Área de Salud de Parrita de la Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social durante el año 2023. Metodología: se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo trasversal. Se aplicó el instrumento denominado Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) validado al español a 40 trabajadores de la salud. Se calculó la prevalencia del síndrome de desgaste ocupacional y se analizaron sus tres dimensiones: cansancio emocional, despersonalización y realización personal. También se realizó correlación estadística entre la presencia de indicios del síndrome y las variables incluidas en el estudio. Resultados: la prevalencia de funcionarios con indicios del síndrome de desgaste ocupacional identificada fue 47,5%. El 42,5% de los funcionarios presentaron afectación en dimensión de realización personal, 7,5% en la despersonalización y 5,0% en cansancio emocional. No se identificó relación estadísticamente significativa entre las variables incluidas en el estudio y la presencia de indicios de este síndrome. Conclusión: existe una prevalencia elevada de indicios del síndrome de desgaste ocupacional en el personal del Departamento de Enfermería del Área de Salud de Parrita, evidenciado principalmente en la dimensión de la realización personal.

Objective: To identify the prevalence of occupational burnout syndrome in employees of the Nursing Department of the Parrita Health Area of ​​the Costa Rican Social Security Fund during 2023. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was carried out. The instrument called Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) validated in Spanish was applied to 40 health workers. The prevalence of occupational burnout syndrome was calculated, and its three dimensions were analyzed: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. A statistical correlation was also carried out between the signs of the syndrome and the variables included in the study. Results: The prevalence of employees with signs of occupational burnout syndrome identified was 47.5%. Forty-two-point-five percent of the employees were affected in personal achievement, 7.5% in depersonalization and 5.0% in emotional exhaustion. No statistically significant relationship was identified between the variables included in the study and the presence of signs of this syndrome. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of signs of occupational burnout syndrome in the staff of the Nursing Department of the Parrita Health Area, evidenced mainly in the dimension of personal accomplishment.

Properties of Carbon Dots versus Small Molecules from "Bottom-up" Synthesis.

A major challenge in the "bottom-up" solvothermal synthesis of carbon dots (CDs) is the removal of small-molecule byproducts, noncarbonized polyamides, or other impurities that confound the optical properties. In previously reported benzene diamine-based CDs, the observed fluorescence signal already has been shown to arise from free small molecules, not from nanosized carbonized dots. Here we have unambiguously identified the small-molecule species in the synthesis of CDs starting with several isomers of benzene diamine by directly matching their NMR, mass spectrometry, and optical data with commercially available small organic molecules. By combining dialysis and chromatography, we have sufficiently purified the CD reaction mixtures to measure the CD size by TEM and STM, elemental composition, optical absorption and emission, and single-particle blinking dynamics. The results can be rationalized by electronic structure calculations on small model CDs. Our results conclusively show that the purified benzene diamine-based CDs do not emit red fluorescence, so the quest for full-spectrum fluorescence from isomers of a single precursor molecule remains open.

Cell-autonomous and differential endocannabinoid signaling impacts the development of presynaptic retinal ganglion cell axon connectivity in vivo.

Cannabis exposure during gestation evokes significant molecular modifications to neurodevelopmental programs leading to neurophysiological and behavioral abnormalities in humans. The main neuronal receptor for Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the type-1 cannabinoid receptor CB1R, one of the most abundant G-protein-coupled receptors in the nervous system. While THC is the major psychoactive phytocannabinoid, endocannabinoids (eCBs) are the endogenous ligands of CB1R and are known to act as retrograde messengers to modulate synaptic plasticity at different time scales in the adult brain. Accumulating evidence indicates that eCB signaling through activation of CB1R plays a central role in neural development. During development, most CB1R localized to axons of projection neurons, and in mice eCB signaling impacts axon fasciculation. Understanding of eCB-mediated structural plasticity during development, however, requires the identification of the precise spatial and temporal dynamics of CB1R-mediated modifications at the level of individual neurons in the intact brain. Here, the cell-autonomous role of CB1R and the effects of CB1R-mediated eCB signaling were investigated using targeted single-cell knockdown and pharmacologic treatments in Xenopus. We imaged axonal arbors of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in real time following downregulation of CB1R via morpholino (MO) knockdown. We also analyzed RGC axons with altered eCB signaling following treatment with URB597, a selective inhibitor of the enzyme that degrades Anandamide (AEA), or JZL184, an inhibitor of the enzyme that blocks 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) hydrolysis, at two distinct stages of retinotectal development. Our results demonstrate that CB1R knockdown impacts RGC axon branching at their target and that differential 2-AG and AEA-mediated eCB signaling contributes to presynaptic structural connectivity at the time that axons terminate and when retinotectal synaptic connections are made. Altering CB1R levels through CB1R MO knockdown similarly impacted dendritic morphology of tectal neurons, thus supporting both pre- and postsynaptic cell-autonomous roles for CB1R-mediated eCB signaling.

Single-Particle Photoluminescence and Dark-Field Scattering during Charge Density Tuning.

Single-particle spectroelectrochemistry provides optical insight into understanding physical and chemical changes occurring on the nanoscale. While changes in dark-field scattering during electrochemical charging are well understood, changes to the photoluminescence of plasmonic nanoparticles under similar conditions are less studied. Here, we use correlated single-particle photoluminescence and dark-field scattering to compare their plasmon modulation at applied potentials. We find that changes in the emission of a single gold nanorod during charge density tuning of intraband photoluminescence can be attributed to changes in the Purcell factor and absorption cross section. Finally, modulation of interband photoluminescence provides an additional constructive observable, giving promise for establishing dual channel sensing in spectroelectrochemical measurements.

[Combination of COVID-19 vaccines and their efficacy: a theoretical proposalCombinação de vacinas contra a COVID-19 e sua eficácia: uma proposta teórica]. / Combinación de vacunas contra la COVID-19 y su eficacia: una propuesta teórica.

In the face of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the entire world is concerned with achieving desired herd immunity to overcome the current health crisis. Estimating the efficacy that could be attained in a population by combining vaccines of different brands or technologies would be a valuable asset for public health decision-makers in the present pandemic and in similar future scenarios. This article provides a mathematical formula to estimate probable efficacy against COVID-19 when administering two vaccines in a specific population. These vaccines, given in a series, could be of different technologies and brands.

A pandemia da doença causada pelo coronavírus 2019 (COVID-19) criou a preocupação em toda a humanidade em alcançar a tão desejada imunidade coletiva para superar esta crise sanitária que o mundo está vivendo. Estimar a possível eficácia a ser obtida em uma população ao combinar vacinas de diferentes marcas ou tecnologias seria um recurso inestimável às autoridades de saúde pública na pandemia atual e em situações semelhantes futuras. O presente artigo apresenta uma fórmula matemática para estimar a provável eficácia contra a COVID-19 da vacinação em série com duas vacinas de diferentes marcas e tecnologias em uma determinada população.

Combinación de vacunas contra la COVID-19 y su eficacia: una propuesta teórica / Combination of COVID-19 vaccines and their efficacy: a theoretical proposal / Combinação de vacinas contra a COVID-19 e sua eficácia: uma proposta teórica

RESUMEN Ante la pandemia de la enfermedad por el coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19, por su sigla en inglés), la preocupación de toda la humanidad es alcanzar la anhelada inmunidad colectiva que permita superar esta crisis sanitaria en la que se vive. Estimar la eficacia que se podría alcanzar en una población al combinar vacunas de distintas marcas o tecnologías sería un elemento valioso para los tomadores de decisiones en el ámbito de la salud pública en la presente pandemia y en futuros escenarios similares. El presente artículo busca brindar una fórmula matemática que permita estimar la probable eficacia contra la COVID-19 al administrar dos vacunas en una población específica. Estas vacunas, aplicadas en serie, podrían ser de tecnologías y marcas distintas.

ABSTRACT In the face of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the entire world is concerned with achieving desired herd immunity to overcome the current health crisis. Estimating the efficacy that could be attained in a population by combining vaccines of different brands or technologies would be a valuable asset for public health decision-makers in the present pandemic and in similar future scenarios. This article provides a mathematical formula to estimate probable efficacy against COVID-19 when administering two vaccines in a specific population. These vaccines, given in a series, could be of different technologies and brands.

RESUMO A pandemia da doença causada pelo coronavírus 2019 (COVID-19) criou a preocupação em toda a humanidade em alcançar a tão desejada imunidade coletiva para superar esta crise sanitária que o mundo está vivendo. Estimar a possível eficácia a ser obtida em uma população ao combinar vacinas de diferentes marcas ou tecnologias seria um recurso inestimável às autoridades de saúde pública na pandemia atual e em situações semelhantes futuras. O presente artigo apresenta uma fórmula matemática para estimar a provável eficácia contra a COVID-19 da vacinação em série com duas vacinas de diferentes marcas e tecnologias em uma determinada população.

The association between prejudice toward and essentialist beliefs about transgender people.

Previous research often suggests that people who endorse more essentialist beliefs about social groups are also likely to show increased prejudice towards members of these social groups, and there is even some evidence to suggest that essentialism may lead to prejudice and stereotyping. However, there are several notable exceptions to this pattern in that, for certain social groups (e.g., gay men and lesbians), higher essentialism is actually related to lower prejudice. The current studies further explored the relationship between essentialism and prejudice by examining a novel type of essentialism-transgender essentialism (i.e., essentializing transgender identity), and its relationship to prejudice towards transgender people. Study 1 (N = 248) tested the viability of transgender essentialism as a construct and examined the association between transgender essentialism and transprejudice, while Studies 2a (N = 315), 2b (N = 343), 3a (N = 310), and 3b (N = 204) tested two casual pathways to explain this relationship. The results consistently showed that the more that people endorse transgender essentialist beliefs, the warmer their feelings towards trans people (relative to cis people) were, echoing past research showing a similar relationship between essentialism and prejudice towards sexual minorities. However, the manipulations of both essentialism (Studies 2a and 2b) and prejudice (Studies 3a and 3b) were largely unsuccessful at changing the desired construct, meaning we were unable to provide direct causal tests. The one exception was a successful manipulation of the universality of trans experiences, but even here this resulted in no change in prejudice. The primary contribution of this work is in robustly demonstrating that greater transgender essentialism is associated with transprejudice.

The complete mitogenome of the invasive Japanese mud snail Batillaria attramentaria (Gastropoda: Batillariidae) from Elkhorn Slough, California, USA.

Genomic analysis of the invasive marine snail Batillaria attramentaria from Elkhorn Slough, Moss Landing, California, USA using 150 bp paired-end Illumina sequences resulted in the assembly of its complete mitogenome. The mitogenome is 16,095 bp in length and contains 2 rRNA, 13 protein-coding, and 22 tRNA genes (GenBank Accession MN557850). Gene content and organization of B. attramentaria are identical to the Turritellidae and Pachychilidae. The phylogenetic analysis of B. attramentaria resolves it in a fully supported clade with these same two families in the superfamily Cerithioidea. Nucleotide BLAST searches of the Elkhorn Slough cox1 gene of B. attramentaria yielded identical sequences from invasive populations from California and British Columbia, and native populations from northeastern and central Japan. These data show that mitogenome sequencing is a useful tool for studying the classification and phylogenetic history Cerithioidea.

Children's evaluation and categorization of transgender children.

Despite extant evidence of negative peer treatment of transgender adolescents and adults, little is known about how young children perceive transgender peers, particularly those who have socially-transitioned, or are living in line with their gender, rather than sex at birth. Whereas children have been shown to be averse to gender nonconformity in peers, because many transgender children appear and behave in ways consistent with their expressed gender (but not their sex at birth), it is unclear how children evaluate these identities. In two studies, we investigated 5- to 10-year-old children's (N total =113) preferences for transgender vs. gender-"typical" peers who either shared their gender identity or did not. We also examined whether children categorize transgender peers by their sex or expressed gender, as this might inform their evaluations. Children preferred cisgender peers over transgender peers; however, they also liked peers of their own gender rather than the other gender (e.g., female participants preferred girls over boys), demonstrating that the oft-documented own-gender bias plays an important role even when children are reasoning about transgender peers. Children did not reliably categorize transgender peers by sex or gender; yet, those who categorized transgender peers by their sex showed greater dislike of transgender peers. The current studies are the first to investigate cisgender children's attitudes toward transgender children, and suggest that perceptions of gender categorization and conformity play a role in children's evaluations of transgender peers.

Stimulus-responsive viral vectors for controlled delivery of therapeutics.

Virus-based therapies have gained momentum as the next generation of treatments for a variety of serious diseases. In order to make these therapies more controllable, stimulus-responsive viral vectors capable of sensing and responding to specific environmental inputs are currently being developed. A number of viruses naturally respond to endogenous stimuli, such as pH, redox, and proteases, which are present at different concentrations in diseases and at different organ and organelle sites. Additionally, rather than relying on natural viral properties, efforts are underway to engineer viruses to respond to endogenous stimuli in new ways as well as to exogenous stimuli, such as temperature, magnetic field, and optical light. Viruses with stimulus-responsive capabilities, either nature-evolved or human-engineered, will be reviewed to capture the current state of the field. Stimulus-responsive viral vector design considerations as well as gaps in current research efforts will be identified.

TFEB-mediated activation of the lysosome-autophagy system affects the transduction efficiency of adeno-associated virus 2.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene transfer is an appealing therapeutic option due to AAV's safety profile. Effective delivery of AAV's genetic cargo to the nucleus, however, requires evasion of host cell barriers, including cellular clearance mechanisms mediated by the lysosome-autophagy system. We used AAV serotype 2 to monitor the autophagic response to cellular internalization of AAV and to characterize the effect of AAV-induced activation of autophagy on transgene expression. We found AAV2 internalization to induce activation of transcription factor EB, a master regulator of autophagy and lysosomal biogenesis, and upregulation of the lysosome-autophagy system. We showed that AAV2-induced activation of autophagy parallels a reduction in transgene expression, but also an increase in autophagic clearance of protein aggregates. These results can inform the design of AAV vectors with autophagy-modulating properties for applications ranging from the design of efficient gene delivery vectors to the treatment of diseases characterized by accumulation of autophagic cargo.

An open-hardware platform for optogenetics and photobiology.

In optogenetics, researchers use light and genetically encoded photoreceptors to control biological processes with unmatched precision. However, outside of neuroscience, the impact of optogenetics has been limited by a lack of user-friendly, flexible, accessible hardware. Here, we engineer the Light Plate Apparatus (LPA), a device that can deliver two independent 310 to 1550 nm light signals to each well of a 24-well plate with intensity control over three orders of magnitude and millisecond resolution. Signals are programmed using an intuitive web tool named Iris. All components can be purchased for under $400 and the device can be assembled and calibrated by a non-expert in one day. We use the LPA to precisely control gene expression from blue, green, and red light responsive optogenetic tools in bacteria, yeast, and mammalian cells and simplify the entrainment of cyanobacterial circadian rhythm. The LPA dramatically reduces the entry barrier to optogenetics and photobiology experiments.

Teaching a lay theory before college narrows achievement gaps at scale.

Previous experiments have shown that college students benefit when they understand that challenges in the transition to college are common and improvable and, thus, that early struggles need not portend a permanent lack of belonging or potential. Could such an approach-called a lay theory intervention-be effective before college matriculation? Could this strategy reduce a portion of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic achievement gaps for entire institutions? Three double-blind experiments tested this possibility. Ninety percent of first-year college students from three institutions were randomly assigned to complete single-session, online lay theory or control materials before matriculation (n > 9,500). The lay theory interventions raised first-year full-time college enrollment among students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds exiting a high-performing charter high school network or entering a public flagship university (experiments 1 and 2) and, at a selective private university, raised disadvantaged students' cumulative first-year grade point average (experiment 3). These gains correspond to 31-40% reductions of the raw (unadjusted) institutional achievement gaps between students from disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged backgrounds at those institutions. Further, follow-up surveys suggest that the interventions improved disadvantaged students' overall college experiences, promoting use of student support services and the development of friendship networks and mentor relationships. This research therefore provides a basis for further tests of the generalizability of preparatory lay theories interventions and of their potential to reduce social inequality and improve other major life transitions.

Light-Activated Nuclear Translocation of Adeno-Associated Virus Nanoparticles Using Phytochrome B for Enhanced, Tunable, and Spatially Programmable Gene Delivery.

Gene delivery vectors that are activated by external stimuli may allow improved control over the location and the degree of gene expression in target populations of cells. Light is an attractive stimulus because it does not cross-react with cellular signaling networks, has negligible toxicity, is noninvasive, and can be applied in space and time with unparalleled precision. We used the previously engineered red (R)/far-red (FR) light-switchable protein phytochrome B (PhyB) and its R light dependent interaction partner phytochrome interacting factor 6 (PIF6) from Arabidopsis thaliana to engineer an adeno-associated virus (AAV) platform whose gene delivery efficiency is controlled by light. Upon exposure to R light, AAV engineered to display PIF6 motifs on the capsid bind to PhyB tagged with a nuclear localization sequence (NLS), resulting in significantly increased translocation of viruses into the host cell nucleus and overall gene delivery efficiency. By modulating the ratio of R to FR light, the gene delivery efficiency can be tuned to as little as 35% or over 600% of the unengineered AAV. We also demonstrate spatial control of gene delivery using projected patterns of codelivered R and FR light. Overall, our successful use of light-switchable proteins in virus capsid engineering extends these important optogenetic tools into the adjacent realm of nucleic acid delivery and enables enhanced, tunable, and spatially controllable regulation of viral gene delivery. Our current light-triggered viral gene delivery prototype may be broadly useful for genetic manipulation of cells ex vivo or in vivo in transgenic model organisms, with the ultimate prospect of achieving dose- and site-specific gene expression profiles for either therapeutic (e.g., regenerative medicine) or fundamental discovery research efforts.

Shewanella putrefaciens infective endocarditis

Shewanella putrefaciens rarely causes infection in humans. In the last few decades a growing number of cases have been described. The following report outlines the case of a 40-year- old immunocompetent white man with S. putrefaciens infective endocarditis. This is the first known case of infective endocarditis due to an apparently monomicrobial S. putrefaciens infection, and the second known case of S. putrefaciens-related infective endocarditis worldwide.

Disseminated cutaneous herpes zoster in an immunocompetent elderly patient.

Herpes zoster is a clinical syndrome which usually presents with a localized, vesicular rash in a dermatomal distribution. Cutaneous dissemination rarely occurs in immunocompetent patients, therefore little is known about the baseline demographic, clinical characteristics, management and outcome of these patients. Herein, we report a case of disseminated cutaneous herpes zoster in an immunocompetent patient along with a review and analysis of 28 cases previously reported in the literature.

Shewanella putrefaciens infective endocarditis.

Shewanella putrefaciens rarely causes infection in humans. In the last few decades a growing number of cases have been described. The following report outlines the case of a 40-year-old immunocompetent white man with S. putrefaciens infective endocarditis. This is the first known case of infective endocarditis due to an apparently monomicrobial S. putrefaciens infection, and the second known case of S. putrefaciens-related infective endocarditis worldwide.

Tunable protease-activatable virus nanonodes.

We explored the unique signal integration properties of the self-assembling 60-mer protein capsid of adeno-associated virus (AAV), a clinically proven human gene therapy vector, by engineering proteolytic regulation of virus-receptor interactions such that processing of the capsid by proteases is required for infection. We find the transfer function of our engineered protease-activatable viruses (PAVs), relating the degree of proteolysis (input) to PAV activity (output), is highly nonlinear, likely due to increased polyvalency. By exploiting this dynamic polyvalency, in combination with the self-assembly properties of the virus capsid, we show that mosaic PAVs can be constructed that operate under a digital AND gate regime, where two different protease inputs are required for virus activation. These results show viruses can be engineered as signal-integrating nanoscale nodes whose functional properties are regulated by multiple proteolytic signals with easily tunable and predictable response surfaces, a promising development toward advanced control of gene delivery.