Effects of dietary supplementation with L-arginine on the endogenous losses of amino acids in growing pigs exposed to heat stress.

Exposing pigs to heat stress (HS) provokes higher death of intestinal cells, resulting in elevated endogenous intestinal losses (EIL) of amino acids (AA) and damage to intestinal epithelia. Arginine (Arg) is precursor for the synthesis of polyamines, which are involved in proliferation of intestinal cells and restoration of the intestinal epithelia. Thus the effect of adding L-Arg to diets for HS pigs on the EIL of AA was analyzed. Twelve pigs (23.1 ± 1.1 kg body weight) implanted with T-type cannulas at the end of ileum were individually housed and allowed 15-days for surgery recovery under thermoneutral (TN) conditions (22 ± 2 °C). Following, the pigs were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: TN pigs fed a semi-purified, corn starch-3% casein basal diet (TN-B); HS pigs with the basal diet (HS-B); HS pigs consuming the basal diet supplemented with 0.20% L-Arg (HS-Arg). The experiment consisted of two 9-day periods; each period included 7-days of adaptation to their respective diet, followed by a 2-day ileal digesta collection period. Digesta was collected during 12 consecutive hours each day. The pigs were fed twice a-day. Ambient temperature (AT) inside the TN and HS rooms ranged from 18.6 to 27.6 °C and from 29.5 to 40.7 °C, respectively. Body temperature followed a pattern similar to that of AT. The daily EIL of indispensable AA increased (P < 0.01) in the HS-B pigs compared to both the TN-B and the HS-Arg pigs, however, there was no EIL difference between the TN-B and the HS-Arg pigs (P > 0.05). Likewise, with the exception of serine, daily losses of endogenous dispensable AA in the HS-B pigs were higher (P < 0.01) in comparison with those of TN-B and HS-Arg pigs. In summary, HS exposure compared to TN conditions increases the loss of endogenous AA, but dietary supplementation with L-Arg helped to counteract the negative HS effect.

Industrial steel waste recovery pathway: Production of innovative supported catalyst and its application on hexavalent chromium reduction studies.

Mill scale is the metallurgical waste produced by the rolling mill in the steel hot rolling process. This hazardous waste is mainly composed of oxide iron, such as hematite, magnetite and wustite. It may have a different and alternative final destination by becoming a catalyst for wastewater treatment. In this work, the catalytic potential of mill scale (MS) from a steel plant was evaluated for hexavalent chromium reduction from synthetic and real matrices under slurry conditions (MS particles dispersed in the solution) or immobilized in Raschig rings. Experiments were conducted in an annular photoreactor irradiated by UVA light. Raschig rings were coated with MS by electrostatic link with polyethylene-grafted-maleic anhydride copolymer (PEGMA) film, and further packed in the annular zone of the UV photoreactor. SEM, XRD and FTIR analysis showed a homogeneous film of MS firmly attached on Raschig rings surface. In this way, the iron-rich industrial steel waste acted as both source of iron and photocatalyst, allowing the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in the bulk solution and MS surface, respectively, in the presence of tartaric acid as hole and hydroxyl scavenger and Fe-complexing agent. The Raschig rings (248 g) coated with MS (23 g) achieved total Cr(VI) reduction (below detection limit) after 45 min of reaction (k = 2.0 × 10-2 mg L-1 min- 1) under UVA radiation, considering the following initial conditions: [Cr(VI)]0 = 10 mg L-1, [tartaric acid]0/[Cr(VI)]0 molar ratio = 6:1, pH = 3.0, T = 25 °C. The same system was tested for the treatment of a real effluent from a galvanic industry containing 6 mg L-1 of Cr(VI). Using the same tartaric acid/Cr(VI) molar ratio (6:1) and pH 3.0, the Cr(VI) present in the effluent was totally reduced (below detection limit) in 360 min (k = 1.93 × 10-2 mg L- 1 min- 1), showing similar kinetic behavior as the process with the synthetic matrix. In all experiments, the concentrations of dissolved iron (Fe(II) and Fe(total)) were below the disposal limit established by Brazilian legislation, and total chromium removal was achieved by Cr(III) precipitation after the photocatalytic reaction.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood immunisation in Colombia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood vaccination coverage in Colombia by age group, rural/urban residence, state and vaccine type. DESIGN: Ecological study of official monthly vaccination records. SETTING: Vaccination records from the Colombian Ministry of Health (March-October 2019 and 2020). PARTICIPANTS: Aggregated data for Colombian children (<12 months, n=676 153; 12-23 months, n=700 319; and 5 years, n=734 295) participating in the Expanded Program on Immunization. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of eligible population receiving vaccination. RESULTS: Vaccination coverage showed an overall decline of approximately 14.4% from 2019 to 2020 (2019 coverage=76.0, 2020 coverage=61.6%). The greatest reduction in proportion vaccinated was observed in children <12 months of age for pneumococcal vaccine (second dose) (2019 coverage=81.4%; 2020 coverage=62.2%; 2019-2020 absolute difference, 19.2%; 95% CI 14.8% to 23.7%). For children aged 12-23 months, the proportion vaccinated for yellow fever declined by 16.4% (12.4% to 20.9%) from 78.3% in 2019 to 61.8% in 2020. Among children 5 years of age, the biggest decrease occurred for the oral polio vaccine (second dose), with a difference of 11.4% (7.1% to 15.7%) between 2019 and 2020 (73.1% and 61.7% for 2019 and 2020). We observed a statistically significant effect on vaccine coverage in rural versus urban areas for children <12 months and 5 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced uptake of immunisations during the COVID-19 pandemic poses a serious risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks. Colombia and other middle-income countries need to continue to monitor immunisation programme coverage and disease outbreaks at the national and subnational levels and undertake catch-up vaccination activities.

Socioeconomic variation of multimorbidity in Colombian older adults.

Multimorbidity (MM) prevalence among older adults is increasing worldwide. Variations regarding the socioeconomic characteristics of the individuals and their context have been described, mostly in high-income settings. However, further research is needed to understand the effect of the coexistence of infectious diseases along with socioeconomic factors regarding MM. This study aims to examine the variation of MM regarding infectious diseases mortality after adjusting for socioeconomic factors. A cross-sectional multilevel study with a nationally representative sample of 17,571 Colombian adults of 60 years of age or older was conducted. Individual socioeconomic, demographic, childhood and health related characteristics, as well as group level variables (multidimensional poverty index and infectious diseases mortality rate) were analyzed. A two-level stepwise structural equation model was used to simultaneously adjust for the individual and contextual effects. Multimorbidity prevalence was 62.3% (95% CI 61.7-62.9). In the multilevel adjusted models, age, female sex, having functional limitations, non-white ethnicity, high body mass index, higher income, physical inactivity and living in urban areas were associated with multimorbidity among the sample for this study. The median odds ratio for multidimensional poverty was 1.18 (1.16-1.19; p = 0.008) and for infectious diseases was 1.25 (1.22-1.28; p = 0.014). This paper demonstrates that MM varies regarding the mortality of infectious diseases and shows a strong association between MM and poverty in a low-middle income country. Differences in the factors involved in the etiology of multimorbidity are expected among wealthy and poor countries regarding availability and prioritization of health services.

Coinfection of other respiratory pathogens and HIV in COVID-19 patients: Is there a pattern?

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) has led to the elaboration of multiple studies to increase knowledge and understanding, hence, having the ability to accomplish an adequate and timely diagnosis and give an optimal treatment according to the patient's condition. The clinical manifestations of COVID-19 pose a series of challenges both in understanding and delimiting the disease secondary to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. This is due to the fact that the main axis of this disease is the endothelial compromise and the production of a "cytokine storm," triggering multiple organ failure and death. Given that a complete understanding of its pathophysiology and clinical behavior has not yet been achieved, we wondered if coinfection with other respiratory viruses modifies its performance and outcomes described so far. A literature search was performed, obtaining 68 articles, of which 25 were analyzed. The analysis showed us that there is a high variety both in the types of associated infections and in the clinical behavior of patients and their outcomes. Therefore, we consider that the search for other infections should be performed exhaustively, especially in those cases that may be susceptible to treatment such as Influenza A, human immunodeficiency virus, or bacterial infections. As well as optimize the analysis of these cases and establish if there are characteristics that allow establishing the possibility of carrying an additional infection to that of SARS-CoV-2 and the implications for the management and prognosis of the patient.

Facile fabrication of hybrid titanium(IV) isopropoxide/pozzolan nanosheets (TnS-Pz) of high photocatalytic activity: characterization and application for Cr(VI) reduction in an aqueous solution.

This paper presents the synthesis of a hybrid material through the use of natural pozzolan and titanium(IV) isopropoxide using the sol-gel method and its application in the photocatalytic hexavalent chromium reduction. The characterization data indicated a mesoporous material possessing a surface area of 271.7 m2 g-1. The morphology studies (SEM and TEM) showed nanosheet hybrid structures. The analysis of DRUV, FTIR, XRD, and Mössbauer spectroscopy provides a different electronic structure of the synthetized material when compared with the originals, proving the hybridization process between pozzolan and titanium(IV) isopropoxide. The photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) using the hybrid material showed a better performance than conventional photocatalysts (precursor and TiO2-P25). Operational conditions such as chromium initial concentration (0.02-0.20 mM), solution pH (3-6), and type of scavenger (citric or tartaric acid) were evaluated in order to determine the best experimental conditions for the Cr(VI) photoreduction. At their optimum (catalyst load of 15 mg L-1, tartaric acid as scavenger, [scavenger]0/[Cr(VI)]0 M ratio = 3:1, pH 3, and 25 °C), the total photoreduction of 0.20 mM Cr(VI) was achieved in 180 min. The novel hybrid materials synthesized from pozzolan and titanium(IV) isopropoxide showed to be a potential catalyst for the Cr(VI) reduction in aqueous solution. Graphical abstract.

Prevalence and short-term outcome of hepatorenal syndrome: A 9-year experience in a high-complexity hospital in Colombia.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hepatorenal syndrome is a rare entity that is part of the complications of liver cirrhosis in its more severe stages. Without treatment, its mortality rate increases significantly. Terlipressin is considered to be the therapy of choice until the need of a liver transplant. The aim is to determine its prevalence, define patients' characteristics, triggers and 90-day survival, according to the type of managements established. METHOD: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in Colombia. It included patients with cirrhosis and acute kidney injury who met hepatorenal syndrome criteria, reaching 28 patients from 2007 to 2015. Groups were categorized according the type of hepatorenal syndrome and treatment. Demographic and trigger factors were evaluated to characterize the population. Treatment outcomes with terlipressin vs norepinephrine were analyzed up to a 90-day survival, using log Rank test. Continuous variables needed Student's T and Mann Whitney's U tests and categorical variables, Chi2 test. A value of p <0.05 and a power of 85% was considered. The data was analyzed in the SPSS version 23 software. RESULTS: 117 patients with cirrhosis developed renal injury; of these 23.9% were diagnosed with Hepatorenal Syndrome (67.8% type1; 32.1% type2). The presence of ascites was 100% in HRS2 and 84% in HRS1 (p = 0.296). The main trigger in both types was paracentesis greater than 5 liters in the last 4 weeks (39.3%). In total, 35% of the patients received renal replacement therapy and 14% underwent a hepatic transplant. Type 1 was more frequent (63% received terlipressin; 21% norepinephrine). The total complete response was 36% (Type2 66.6% vs. Type1 18.7%) (p = 0.026). In contrast, the overall mortality was of 67.8% at 90-day of follow-up (89.4% Type1 vs. 22% Type2) (p = <0.001). We found a lower mortality rate in patients treated with terlipressin than treated with norepinephrine (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: There is scarce clinical and epidemiological information about this condition in Colombia. A significant difference between the two drugs cannot be stipulated due to the limitation in the sample size of our study. The general mortality at a 90-day follow-up was high, being higher in patients with HRS1. While the results of this study are suggestive of clinical information for HRS patients in the Colombian population, they should also be interpreted with caution, therefore further multicenter studies should be performed.

¿Influye la ansiedad y depresión preoperatorias en los resultados de la artroplastia de rodilla? / Do preoperative anxiety and depression influence the outcome of knee arthroplasty?

ANTECEDENTES: La asociación de depresión y dolor crónico en la artrosis de rodilla es un fenómeno complejo y de difícil comprensión, en el que puede ser complicado establecer cuál de las dos entidades precedió a la otra. OBJETIVO: Además de analizar la relación entre ansiedad y depresión preoperatorias y los resultados de la artroplastia total de rodilla (ATR), se valoró la influencia de la ATR en la evolución de la sintomatología de ansiedad y depresión. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Un total de 260 pacientes, con una edad promedio de 70,8 años, fueron evaluados preoperatoriamente y al año de la intervención, completando el Knee Society Score (KSS), la escala visual analógica (EVA), el Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) para valorar ansiedad y depresión, y el Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) para calidad de vida. RESULTADOS: Las puntuaciones medias de depresión/ansiedad preoperatorias descendieron de 6,55/7,63 a 4,96/5,96, respectivamente tras la cirugía, resultando estadísticamente significativas (p˂0,001). Las diferencias entre las puntuaciones preoperatorias y anuales, de los distintos grupos ordenados por el HADS, tanto para la ansiedad como para la depresión, resultaron estadísticamente significativas (p˂0,001). Las diferencias en las puntuaciones de la escala EVA fueron estadísticamente significativas (p = 0,02) en los pacientes con ansiedad preoperatoria pero no en los deprimidos. CONCLUSIONES: Aunque la ansiedad y depresión preoperatorias no influyeron en los resultados funcionales de la ATR, sí se objetivó que la ATR mejoró significativamente los niveles de ansiedad y depresión. En pacientes con ansiedad preoperatoria, el descenso en los niveles de dolor medidos por la EVA fue mayor tras la ATR

BACKGROUND: The association of depression and chronic pain in knee osteoarthritis is a complex and difficult phenomenon to understand. In fact, establishing the order of appearance of these entities might result in an arduous task. OBJECTIVE: In addition to analyzing the relationship between preoperative anxiety and depression according to the results of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), we will assess the evolution of anxiety and depression symptoms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A study of 260 patients with a mean age of 70.8 years. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and one year post-surgery completing the Knee Society Score (KSS), the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for the assessment of anxiety and depression, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) for quality of life. RESULTS: The mean scores of preoperative depression and anxiety decreased postoperatively from 6.55/7.63 to 4.96/5.96, respectively, a reduction that was statistically significant (P<.001). The differences between the preoperative scores and the 1-year scores of the different groups classified by HADS for both anxiety and depression were statistically significant (P˂.001). The differences in VAS scores (P=.02) showed a significant improvement in patients with preoperative anxiety, in contrast to depressed patients. CONCLUSIONS: TKA has proved to significantly decrease the preoperative levels of anxiety and depression. In patients with preoperative anxiety, the decrease in pain levels measured by the VAS was greater after TKA. Preoperative anxiety and depression did not influence the functional results of the TKA measured by the KSS

Do preoperative anxiety and depression influence the outcome of knee arthroplasty? / ¿Influye la ansiedad y depresión preoperatorias en los resultados de la artroplastia de rodilla?

BACKGROUND: The association of depression and chronic pain in knee osteoarthritis is a complex and difficult phenomenon to understand. In fact, establishing the order of appearance of these entities might result in an arduous task. OBJECTIVE: In addition to analyzing the relationship between preoperative anxiety and depression according to the results of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), we will assess the evolution of anxiety and depression symptoms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A study of 260 patients with a mean age of 70.8 years. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and one year post-surgery completing the Knee Society Score (KSS), the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for the assessment of anxiety and depression, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) for quality of life. RESULTS: The mean scores of preoperative depression and anxiety decreased postoperatively from 6.55/7.63 to 4.96/5.96, respectively, a reduction that was statistically significant (P<.001). The differences between the preoperative scores and the 1-year scores of the different groups classified by HADS for both anxiety and depression were statistically significant (P˂.001). The differences in VAS scores (P=.02) showed a significant improvement in patients with preoperative anxiety, in contrast to depressed patients. CONCLUSIONS: TKA has proved to significantly decrease the preoperative levels of anxiety and depression. In patients with preoperative anxiety, the decrease in pain levels measured by the VAS was greater after TKA. Preoperative anxiety and depression did not influence the functional results of the TKA measured by the KSS.