[Resilience, anxiety and stress among formal caregivers for institutionalized older people]. / Resiliencia, estrés y ansiedad de cuidadores formales durante la pandemia por COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Caregiver stress is a common problem observed in nursing homes. AIM: To determine the association between the level of resilience and stress, anxiety and depression in formal caregivers of older people institutionalized in long-stay establishments during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred ninety eight formal caregivers working at 11 long term residences for older people in southern Chile were invited to answer the SV-RES resilience and the DASS-21 anxiety and depression scales and 102 agreed to participate. RESULTS: We observed a significant association between the resilience scale score and variables such as weekly working hours (p < 0.01), current hours of sleep (p < 0.01), self-perception of sleep (p < 0.01), anxiety level (p < 0.01) and stress level (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A higher score on the Resilience Scale was associated with the absence of anxiety and stress, working between 22 and 43 hours per week, sleeping between 7 and 8 hours of sleep and a satisfactory self-perception of sleep. Studying the factors associated with resilience in formal caregivers of the elderly allows healthcare personnel to focus preventive actions, intervening promptly in risk areas associated with the work context, and strengthening the personal resources of caregivers.

Operando tracking of oxidation-state changes by coupling electrochemistry with time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy demonstrated for water oxidation by a cobalt-based catalyst film.

Transition metal oxides are promising electrocatalysts for water oxidation, i.e., the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which is critical in electrochemical production of non-fossil fuels. The involvement of oxidation state changes of the metal in OER electrocatalysis is increasingly recognized in the literature. Tracing these oxidation states under operation conditions could provide relevant information for performance optimization and development of durable catalysts, but further methodical developments are needed. Here, we propose a strategy to use single-energy X-ray absorption spectroscopy for monitoring metal oxidation-state changes during OER operation with millisecond time resolution. The procedure to obtain time-resolved oxidation state values, using two calibration curves, is explained in detail. We demonstrate the significance of this approach as well as possible sources of data misinterpretation. We conclude that the combination of X-ray absorption spectroscopy with electrochemical techniques allows us to investigate the kinetics of redox transitions and to distinguish the catalytic current from the redox current. Tracking of the oxidation state changes of Co ions in electrodeposited oxide films during cyclic voltammetry in neutral pH electrolyte serves as a proof of principle.

Malignant prediction in paragangliomas: analysis for clinical risk factors.

INTRODUCTION: Paragangliomas are infrequent neuroendocrine tumours whose only criterion for malignancy is presence of metastases; thus, all paragangliomas show malignant potential. Actually, different risk factors have been analyzed to predict metastases but they remain unclear. PURPOSE: To analyze clinical, histological, and genetic factors to predict the occurrence of metastasis. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A multicentre retrospective observational analysis was performed between January 1990 and July 2019. Patients diagnosed with paraganglioma were selected. Clinical, histological, and genetic features were analyzed for the prediction of malignancy. RESULTS: A total of 83 patients diagnosed with paraganglioma were included, of which nine (10.8%) had malignant paraganglioma. Tumour size was greater in malignant tumours than in benign (6 cm vs. 4 cm, respectively; p = 0.027). The most frequent location of malignancy was the thorax-abdomen-pelvis area observed in six cases (p = 0.024). No differences were observed in histological differentiation, age, symptoms, and catecholaminergic production. The most frequent genetic mutation was SDHD followed by SDHB but no differences were observed between benign and malignant tumours. In the univariate analysis for predictive factors for malignancy, location, tumour size, and histological differentiation showed statistical significance (p = 0.025, p = 0.014, and p = 0.046, respectively); however, they were not confirmed as predictive factors for malignancy in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: In this study, no risk factors for malignancy have been established; therefore, we recommend follow-up of all patients diagnosed with paraganglioma.

A Secure and Scalable Smart Home Gateway to Bridge Technology Fragmentation.

Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are already playing an important role in our daily activities as we use them and rely on them to increase our abilities, connectivity, productivity and quality of life. However, there are still obstacles to achieving a unique interface able to transfer full control to users given the diversity of protocols, properties and specifications in the varied IoT ecosystem. Particularly for the case of home automation systems, there is a high degree of fragmentation that limits interoperability, increasing the complexity and costs of developments and holding back their real potential of positively impacting users. In this article, we propose implementing W3C's Web of Things Standard supported by home automation ontologies, such as SAREF and UniversAAL, to deploy the Living Lab Gateway that allows users to consume all IoT devices from a smart home, including those physically wired and using KNX® technology. This work, developed under the framework of the EC funded Plan4Act project, includes relevant features such as security, authentication and authorization provision, dynamic configuration and injection of devices, and devices abstraction and mapping into ontologies. Its deployment is explained in two scenarios to show the achieved technology's degree of integration, the code simplicity for developers and the system's scalability: one consisted of external hardware interfacing with the smart home, and the other of the injection of a new sensing device. A test was executed providing metrics that indicate that the Living Lab Gateway is competitive in terms of response performance.

H/D Isotope Effects Reveal Factors Controlling Catalytic Activity in Co-Based Oxides for Water Oxidation.

Understanding the mechanism for electrochemical water oxidation is important for the development of more efficient catalysts for artificial photosynthesis. A basic step is the proton-coupled electron transfer, which enables accumulation of oxidizing equivalents without buildup of a charge. We find that substituting deuterium for hydrogen resulted in an 87% decrease in the catalytic activity for water oxidation on Co-based amorphous-oxide catalysts at neutral pH, while 16O-to-18O substitution lead to a 10% decrease. In situ visible and quasi-in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveal that the hydrogen-to-deuterium isotopic substitution induces an equilibrium isotope effect that shifts the oxidation potentials positively by approximately 60 mV for the proton coupled CoII/III and CoIII/IV electron transfer processes. Time-resolved spectroelectrochemical measurements indicate the absence of a kinetic isotope effect, implying that the precatalytic proton-coupled electron transfer happens through a stepwise mechanism in which electron transfer is rate-determining. An observed correlation between Co oxidation states and catalytic current for both isotopic conditions indicates that the applied potential has no direct effect on the catalytic rate, which instead depends exponentially on the average Co oxidation state. These combined results provide evidence that neither proton nor electron transfer is involved in the catalytic rate-determining step. We propose a mechanism with an active species composed by two adjacent CoIV atoms and a rate-determining step that involves oxygen-oxygen bond formation and compare it with models proposed in the literature.

Structural and functional role of anions in electrochemical water oxidation probed by arsenate incorporation into cobalt-oxide materials.

Direct (photo)electrochemical production of non-fossil fuels from water and CO2 requires water-oxidation catalysis at near-neutral pH in the presence of appropriate anions that serve as proton acceptors. We investigate the largely enigmatic structural role of anions in water oxidation for the prominent cobalt-phosphate catalyst (CoCat), an amorphous and hydrated oxide material. Co3([(P/As)O]4)2·8H2O served, in conjunction with phosphate-arsenate exchange, as a synthetic model system. Its structural transformation was induced by prolonged operation at catalytic potentials and probed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy not only at the metal (Co), but for the first time also at the anion (As) K-edge. For initially isostructural microcrystals, anion exchange determined the amorphization process and final structure. Comparison to amorphous electrodeposited Co oxide revealed that in CoCat, the arsenate binds not only at oxide-layer edges, but also arsenic substitutes cobalt positions within the layered-oxide structure in an unusual AsO6 coordination. Our results show that in water oxidation catalysis at near-neutral pH, anion type and exchange dynamics correlate with the catalyst structure and redox properties.

Heterogeneous water oxidation: surface activity versus amorphization activation in cobalt phosphate catalysts.

Is water oxidation catalyzed at the surface or within the bulk volume of solid oxide materials? This question is addressed for cobalt phosphate catalysts deposited on inert electrodes, namely crystallites of pakhomovskyite (Co3(PO4)2⋅8 H2O, Pak) and phosphate-containing Co oxide (CoCat). X-ray spectroscopy reveals that oxidizing potentials transform the crystalline Pak slowly (5-8 h) but completely into the amorphous CoCat. Electrochemical analysis supports high-TOF surface activity in Pak, whereas its amorphization results in dominating volume activity of the thereby formed CoCat material. In the directly electrodeposited CoCat, volume catalysis prevails, but not at very low levels of the amorphous material, implying high-TOF catalysis at surface sites. A complete picture of heterogeneous water oxidation requires insight in catalysis at the electrolyte-exposed "outer surface", within a hydrated, amorphous volume phase, and modes and kinetics of restructuring upon operation.

Enhancing worker-centred digitalisation in industrial environments: A KPI evaluation methodology.

Recently, the European Commission announced Industry 5.0 as a strategic initiative toward a value-driven industrial transformation. This new paradigm coexists with previous Industry 4.0 revolution that has guided the efforts towards technology driven industrial digitalisation in the past ten years. As part of this Industry 4.0 strategies, numerous KPI-driven evaluation methods were proposed to cover the multiple pillars of smart industry assessment. However, they do not incorporate human workers and actors in a systematic way as drivers for digitalisation processes, as the new Industry 5.0 paradigm argues. This paper addresses this gap by proposing an evaluation methodology that incorporates multiple human actors in the digitalisation process. The final objective of this methodology is to evaluate the direct and indirect benefits of the technology-driven transformation process to achieve the goals of human workers and other human stakeholders. To this end, our methodology provides the basis for proposing assessment tools and instruments for technological and infrastructure integration, process optimisation, new functionalities and human factors benefits, and four core indicators that have been applied to a real case comparing the digitalisation processes of three different companies.

Bio-inspired artificial somatic index for reflecting the travel experience of passenger agents under a flexible transportation scenario.

This work analyzes the implementation of an artificial mechanism inspired by a biological somatic marker that ables a passenger agent to both, react to changes in the service, as well as keep said reactions as a memory for future decisions. An artificial mental model was designed, and the passenger agent was implemented as an autonomous decision-making system, where both, the choice of the transport operator and the evaluation of the received service were fully delegated to the system. The evaluation of the service experience is not only based on rational aspects (such as the cost of the trip) but also on subjective aspects related to the satisfaction level derived from the passenger's experience. The experimental scenario considered 10,000 trip requests simulated within an artificial map that emulates characteristics that are usually present in a city, such as vehicular congestion, the unsafety of certain streets, or the benefits of an area with tourist interest. The results show that the option to travel under a transport operator with a touristic profile is a trend. Unlike current cases in the industry, this research work explores the scenario where the passenger can have as a client a trip profile with memory, differentiated from other clients, and can receive more than one trip proposal for the same trip request, according to the different conditions that the passenger is looking for.

Assessing the Seasonal and Spatial Dynamics of Zooplankton through DNA Metabarcoding in a Temperate Estuary.

Zooplankton are key components of estuarine trophic networks. However, routine monitoring is hindered by the difficulty of morphology-based identification. DNA-based methods allow us to circumvent some of these hurdles, providing precise species identifications regardless of the taxonomic expertise of the investigator or the developmental stage of the specimens. However, the process is dependent on the completeness of the reference libraries. In this study, we sought to evaluate the potential of DNA metabarcoding to assess the seasonal (summer, autumn, and early spring) and spatial dynamics of zooplankton (four locations spanning ca. 6 km) in the Lima estuary (NW Portugal). Two genetic markers were used: the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and the V4 hypervariable region of the ribosomal 18S rRNA genes. Overall, 327 species were recovered, and both markers displayed minute overlap (7% were detected with both markers). Species richness, composition, and taxonomic distinctness were majorly influenced by the season, with a declining tendency from summer (highest number of exclusive species, n = 74) to spring. Second to season, the taxa composition was influenced by spatial variation where the most downstream site displayed the highest number of exclusive species, n = 53. A total of 16 non-indigenous species were detected using metabarcoding, but only one (Austrominus modestus) has been documented out in the estuary. In conclusion, both the seasonal and spatial gradients influenced the recovered richness, composition, and taxonomic distinctness, confirming the great aptitude of DNA metabarcoding for providing higher density monitoring and shedding new light on the composition and dynamics of complex zooplankton communities.

[Case report: ablation of atrial fibrillation in patient with an interatrial septal oclussion device]. / Ablación de fibrilación auricular en paciente con dispositivo de oclusión septal interatrial. Reporte de un caso.

Interatrial septal occlusion devices hinder the transseptal approach for atrial fibrillation ablation, making it necessary to have imaging methods that safely guide transseptal puncture, such as intracardiac echocardiography (ICE). We describe the case of a 49-year-old patient with symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, refractory to antiarrhythmic drugs, wearing an interatrial septal occlusion device, with a previous unsuccessful ablation attempt. Atrial fibrillation ablation was performed using the Carto V7 3D mapping system, the transseptal puncture was guided by ICE, and the procedure was successful. This case report highlights the importance of multimodality imaging to achieve successful and effective transseptal puncture for atrial fibrillation ablation in patients with interatrial septal occlusion devices.

Two better than one: The complementary of different types of artificial substrates on benthic marine macrofauna studies.

Non-destructive methodologies based on the use of artificial substrates (AS) for quantitative sampling of macrofauna have been used to solve sampling problems in complex benthic environment, such as rocky reefs. The macrofauna assemblages of two different types of AS (dendritic and crevice), at two different locations were studied. The main goal was to evaluate the complementarity of dendritic and crevice AS when sampling the macrofauna associated with rocky environments, in two scenarios: within the same location and between locations. With this approach, we intend to contribute to the development of a non-destructive sampling methodology based on AS. The hypotheses tested were that i) the assemblages associated with each type of AS would differ between them and, ii) regardless of AS type, assemblages would differ between locations. Our results revealed significant differences after three months between the macrofauna assemblages from dendritic and crevice substrates in both locations and differences between locations irrespective of the AS type used. Hence, due to the high number of species that only were attracted by each type of AS and the species settlement preferences, our findings have shown the complementarity of the two types of AS (dendritic and crevice). This suggests that the mixed use of AS could be the best approach to non-destructive standard monitoring programs based on benthic marine macrofauna.

Bioequivalence of single 100-mg doses of two oral formulations of topiramate: an open-label, randomized-sequence, two-period crossover study in healthy adult male Mexican volunteers.

BACKGROUND: The proprietary form of topiramate is indicated in Mexico as an antiepileptic agent and in the prophylaxis of migraine headaches. However, before generic topiramate is placed on the market, pharmacokinetic studies investigating the bioequivalence of generic and branded formulations are needed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the bioequivalence and tolerability of a generic (test) and a branded (reference) formulation of topiramate 100 mg in healthy Mexican volunteers. METHODS: This open-label, randomized-sequence, 2-period crossover study was conducted at Ipharma SA de CV, Monterrey, Mexico. Eligible subjects were healthy male Mexican volunteers aged 18 to 45 years. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 100 mg of the test or reference formulation, followed by a 3-week washout period and administration of the alternate formulation. Doses were administered after a 12-hour overnight fast. For analysis of pharmacokinetic properties, including C(max), AUC(0-t), and AUC(0-infinity), blood samples were obtained over a 144-hour period after dosing. The formulations were to be considered bioequivalent if calculations of a 90% CI for the ratio of the means of the measures for the test and reference formulations fell within bioequivalence limits, 80% to 125%, for logarithmic (log) transformation of C(max) and AUC, and if two 1-sided t tests showed P < 0.05. Tolerability was assessed using vital sign measurement (blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate), laboratory analysis (hematology, blood biochemistry, hepatic function, and urinalysis), and subject interview. RESULTS: Twenty-eight men (mean age, 22.21 years [range, 18-28 years]; mean weight, 75.04 kg [range, 62-96 kg]; mean height, 177 cm [range, 163-192 cm]) were enrolled in this study, and 28 (14 each randomized to receive the test or reference formulation first) completed it. No period or sequence effects were observed. The 90% CIs for the log-transformed C(max), AUC(0-t) and AUC(0-infinity) were 94.70 to 112.05, 98.88 to 105.16, and 98.80 to 105.28, respectively (all, P < 0.05). No adverse events were reported by the volunteers or found on clinical laboratory testing during the study. CONCLUSIONS: This study did not find any statistically significant differences in C(max) or AUC values between the test and reference formulations of oral topiramate 100 mg in this population of healthy adult male Mexican volunteers. On that basis, and according to both the rate and extent of absorption, the test and reference formulations met the regulatory criteria for bioequivalence. Both formulations were well tolerated.

Ultrasound and slightly acid electrolyzed water application: An efficient combination to reduce the bacterial counts of chicken breast during pre-chilling.

Pre-chilling leads to a temperature decline of the pre-rigor muscle of poultry carcasses, and a reduction of the initial bacterial load may occur. Both ultrasound (US) and slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) have been used alone in the meat industry for the manufacture of emulsions, pasteurization, and prevention of bacteria growth. However, the impact of the combination of these technologies during the pre-chilling of chicken carcasses has not been evaluated. In this study, breast chicken cylinders (CBCs) were pre-chilled for 10 min at 10 °C using SAEW and different US frequencies (25 and 130 kHz). The microbiological characteristics, lipid and protein oxidation, shear force, and anaerobic glycolysis were evaluated. The US + SAEW combination led to an effective reduction (P < 0.05) of enterobacteria, mesophilic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and psychrotrophic bacteria, while the lipid and protein oxidation, shear force, anaerobic glycolysis, and muscle structure were not affected (P > 0.05). Therefore, the combination of these technologies may be promising in the pre-chilling stage of chicken carcasses.

Pipette-tip solid-phase extraction using poly(1-vinylimidazole-co-trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate) as a new molecularly imprinted polymer in the determination of avermectins and milbemycins in fruit juice and water samples.

A simple HPLC method was developed for the determination of abamectin (ABA), eprinomectin (EPR), and moxidectin (MOX). Pipette-tip molecularly imprinted polymer solid-phase extraction (PT-MIP-SPE) using poly(1-vinylimidazole-co-trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate) as a selective adsorbent material was studied in detail, including the washing solvent, type and volume of eluent, pH, quantity of adsorbent material and sample volume. The performance criteria for linearity, sensitivity, precision, accuracy, recovery, robustness and stability have been assessed and were within the recommended guidelines. The mean extraction recoveries/relative standard deviation for ABA 1b, EPR, ABA 1a and MOX were 98.77 ±â€¯3.82%, 88.19 ±â€¯2.57%, 110.54 ±â€¯1.52% and 100.42 ±â€¯0.59%, respectively. Finally, the results proved that PT-MIP-SPE coupled to HPLC-UV is an economical, simple and easy-to-perform technique, and presented a high potential for extraction of macrocyclic lactones in mineral water and grape and juice samples.

Application of ultrasound in chicken breast during chilling by immersion promotes a fast and uniform cooling.

The initial objective of the study was to evaluate different operation modes (sweep and normal) and frequencies (25 and 130 kHz) of ultrasound in pre-chilling of breast chicken cylinders (BCC) immersed in water at 10 °C during 10 min. The second objective was to study the effect of the immersion time (5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 min) using the best operation mode and frequency obtained in the pre-chilling of the BCC in water at 10 °C. Pre-chilling was evaluated in both stages by infrared thermography, and the percentages of water absorption were determined in the second stage. The application of US at 130 kHz and normal operation mode provided a reduction of temperature on the surface of BBC higher (≈19.6%) than untreated samples. Also, compared to control, the US-treated samples in these conditions presented a more uniform cooling rate (≈22.3%) and higher water absorption (≈113%).

Effect of ultrasound on the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of Italian salami.

Italian salami were sonicated in different times (0, 3, 6 and 9min) using ultrasound bath (US, 25kHz). The effect of sonication on microbial growth (lactic acid bacteria and Micrococcaceae), lipid and protein oxidation, total heme pigments (THP), non heme iron (NHI) and metmyoglobin (MMb) was investigated during processing (0, 2, 15, and 28days) and storage (1, 30, and 120days). US enhanced growth of microorganisms (P<0.05), mainly for the treatment 9min of sonication. The lipid (peroxide value and TBARS) and protein (thiol group) oxidative reactions were accelerated by US (P<0.05) and they should be considered to maintain Italian salami quality. Sonication contributed to maintenance of THP (P<0.05), especially during storage. MMb pigment was not affected by sonication (P>0.05). This study presented some features of US application that could be explored in the manufacture of Italian salami.

Producción científica en Scopus de los institutos de salud especializados públicos de Perú, 2010-2022

Objetivo: Evaluar la producción científica de los institutos de salud de Perú en Scopus, 2010-2022. Métodos : Estudio bibliométrico realizado en Scopus durante septiembre del 2022, en 14 institutos de salud especializados públicos de Perú. Incluimos estudios originales que tuvieran al menos un autor de alguno de los institutos. Resultados : Los institutos incluidos publicaron entre 0 y 347 artículos originales (H-index entre 0 y 51). Los institutos de la ciudad de Lima fueron los que tuvieron mayor producción. En los siete institutos con mayor producción, el porcentaje de artículos con autor corresponsal del instituto evaluado varió entre 22.3% y 36.7%, y el porcentaje de estudios que declararon ser financiados por el instituto varió entre 0% y 11.6%. Conclusión : La producción científica de los institutos evaluados fue heterogénea, a predominio de aquellos ubicados en Lima. Los institutos raramente participaron en el financiamiento de los estudios publicados.

Objective: To evaluate the scientific production of Peruvian health institutes in Scopus, 2010-2022. Methods: We conducted a Bibliometric study in Scopus during September 2022, in 14 public specialized health institutes of Peru. We included original studies with at least one author from one of the institutes. Results: The institutes included published between 0 and 347 original articles (H-index between 0 and 51). The institutes in the city of Lima were the ones with the highest production. In the seven institutes with the highest production, the percentage of articles with a corresponding author from the institute evaluated ranged from 22.3% to 36.7%, and the percentage of studies that reported being financed by the institute ranged from 0% to 11.6%. Conclusion: The scientific production of the evaluated institutes was heterogeneous, with a predominance of those located in Lima. The institutes rarely participated in the financing of the published studies.

Resiliencia, estrés y ansiedad de cuidadores formales durante la pandemia por COVID-19 / Resilience, anxiety and stress among formal caregivers for institutionalized older people

BACKGROUND: Caregiver stress is a common problem observed in nursing homes. AIM: To determine the association between the level of resilience and stress, anxiety and depression in formal caregivers of older people institutionalized in long-stay establishments during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHOD: One hundred ninety eight formal caregivers working at 11 long term residences for older people in southern Chile were invited to answer the SV-RES resilience and the DASS-21 anxiety and depression scales and 102 agreed to participate. RESULTS: We observed a significant association between the resilience scale score and variables such as weekly working hours (p < 0.01), current hours of sleep (p < 0.01), self-perception of sleep (p < 0.01), anxiety level (p < 0.01) and stress level (p < 0.01). Conclusions: A higher score on the Resilience Scale was associated with the absence of anxiety and stress, working between 22 and 43 hours per week, sleeping between 7 and 8 hours of sleep and a satisfactory self-perception of sleep. Studying the factors associated with resilience in formal caregivers of the elderly allows healthcare personnel to focus preventive actions, intervening promptly in risk areas associated with the work context, and strengthening the personal resources of caregivers.

Application of electrolyzed water for improving pork meat quality.

The microbiological and oxidative qualities of pork loin sprayed with different types (slightly acidic, acidic and basic) and combinations of electrolyzed water (EWs) were evaluated. The EWs were applied at two temperatures (18° and 30°C) and pressures (30 and 45psi) and the volume corresponded to approximately 10% water commonly used in carcass washing. EW after spraying exhibited a chlorine concentration between 15 and 25ppm. The application of acidic EW (AEW) alone or in combination with basic EW (BEW) decreased (P<0.05) the microbial counts shortly after spraying. In addition, the combination of BEW+AEW (30psi) reduced the mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria counts throughout the refrigerated storage (P<0.05). The EWs did not increase the lipid oxidation of the samples. On the other hand, a high protein oxidation was observed in the samples sprayed with AEW and slightly acidic EW (SAEW), while BEW was effective to reduce the oxidation reactions. Therefore, the results showed that the combination BEW+AEW may be a viable alternative to reduce the volume of water used at slaughter and to improve the microbiological quality of pork meat.