Farmworker-Relevant Heat Exposure in Different Crop and Shade Conditions.

OBJECTIVES: Agricultural workers are at risk of heat-related illness, which is preventable. Few field studies have compared farmworker-relevant heat exposure in different conditions. We examined heat exposure over time in different potential shade and work locations to inform future occupational heat prevention approaches. METHODS: We assessed heat exposure in Eastern Washington State (WA) cherry and grape fields in August 2022. QUESTemp° monitors recorded Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) and Black Globe Temperature (BGT) every 10 min from approximately 07:00-14:00 for three days in the center of crop rows (mid-row), under portable shade structures (shade), and in open field (open) locations. Linear mixed effects regression (LMER) models compared WBGT and BGT among field locations. Hourly time-weighted average WBGT and comparisons with occupational exposure limits (OELs) were computed for different hypothetical work-rest cycles during the hottest sampling hours, assuming different worker effort levels, rest locations (mid-row versus shade), and acclimatization statuses. RESULTS: Across all crops and locations during the study period, the mean/SD air temperature was 31°C (88°F)/3.9°C (6.9°F), with a maximum temperature of 39°C (102°F) and a mean/SD relative humidity of 30%/9.6%. LMER models suggested no significant difference in mid-row versus open WBGT but significantly lower WBGT in shade versus open locations for both cherries (main effect -5.14: 95% confidence interval [CI] -6.97,-3.32) and grapes (-6.20: 95%CI -7.73,-4.67), though this difference diminished over the course of the day. BGT was significantly higher in the mid-row than the shade (cherries main effect 14.33: 95%CI 9.52,19.13 and grapes 17.10: 95%CI 13.44,20.75). During the hottest sampling hour, the exceedances of OELs were reduced with assumptions of increased shaded break lengths, reduced effort level, and acclimatization. CONCLUSIONS: Shade canopies, but not the crops studied, provided significant reductions in heat exposure. We observed increased protection from heat assuming longer shaded breaks and reduced effort levels. Results highlight the need for additional field research on the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of different shade types and work-rest cycles to guide employer optimization of best practices for worker protections, including acclimatization before high heat, sufficient shaded rest time, reduced effort levels as the day warms, and avoiding work in peak heat.

Bridging Culture and Language: Encouraging Bilingual/Multicultural Individuals to Act as Information Navigators for Their Loved-Ones and Communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Linguistically diverse communities face barriers to receiving appropriate health information. COVID-19 exacerbated these health-communication inequities. University of Washington researchers surveyed bilingual staff, students, and medical interpreters - desiring training to become effective communicators of COVID-19 information to their social networks and language communities. In response, the COVID-19 Information Navigator Training was developed and pre-tested with professional networks and members of the target audience. The final training comprised three interactive modules and short quizzes. Evaluation surveys measured Information Navigators' confidence in providing COVID-19 information to their social networks. Surveys included questions on the participants' language or cultural community, the perceived value of the training, and their ability to communicate COVID-19 information. Among 393 participants who enrolled in the training, 284 completed the survey. Significant differences in confidence before and after the course were found in detecting COVID misinformation in the news and social media (pre-course mean: 3.83, post-course mean: 4.63; absolute mean difference was 0.82 points higher in the post-evaluation on the 5-point likert scale, 95% CI: 0.70-0.93, p < .01). Training multicultural volunteers to disseminate information to their social networks is a promising strategy for reaching linguistically diverse communities with up-to-date information during health emergencies.

Features of Mpox infection: The analysis of the data submitted to the ID-IRI network.

Background: Mpox is a rare zoonotic disease caused by the Mpox virus. On May 21, 2022, WHO announced the emergence of confirmed Mpox cases in countries outside the endemic areas in Central and West Africa. Methods: This multicentre study was performed through the Infectious Diseases International Research Initiative network. Nineteen collaborating centres in 16 countries participated in the study. Consecutive cases with positive Mpoxv-DNA results by the polymerase chain reaction test were included in the study. Results: The mean age of 647 patients included in the study was 34.5.98.6% of cases were males, 95.3% were homosexual-bisexual, and 92.2% had a history of sexual contact. History of smallpox vaccination was present in 3.4% of cases. The median incubation period was 7.0 days. The most common symptoms and signs were rashes in 99.5%, lymphadenopathy in 65.1%, and fever in 54.9%. HIV infection was present in 93.8% of cases, and 17.8% were followed up in the hospital for further treatment. In the two weeks before the rash, prodromal symptoms occurred in 52.8% of cases. The incubation period was 3.5 days shorter in HIV-infected Mpox cases with CD4 count <200/µL, we disclosed the presence of lymphadenopathy, a characteristic finding for Mpox, accompanied the disease to a lesser extent in cases with smallpox vaccination. Conclusions: Mpox disseminates globally, not just in the endemic areas. Knowledge of clinical features, disease transmission kinetics, and rapid and effective implementation of public health measures are paramount, as reflected by our findings in this study.

Is the Sars-CoV-2 virus a possible trigger agent for the development of achalasia?

BACKGROUND: Achalasia is an autoimmune disease whose probable causal agent is a neurotropic virus that chronically infects the myenteric plexus of the esophagus and induces the disease in a genetically susceptible host. The association between achalasia and coronaviruses has not been reported. AIMS: To evaluate the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the ACE2 expression, the tissue architecture, and immune response in the lower esophageal sphincter muscle (LESm) of achalasia patients who posteriorly had SARS-CoV-2 (achalasia-COVID-19) infection before laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) and compare the findings with type II achalasia patients and transplant donors (controls) without COVID-19. METHODS: The LESm of 7 achalasia-COVID-19 patients (diagnosed by PCR), ten achalasia patients, and ten controls without COVID-19 were included. The presence of the virus was evaluated by in situ PCR and immunohistochemistry. ACE2 receptor expression and effector CD4 T cell and regulatory subsets were determined by immunohistochemistry. KEY RESULTS: Coronavirus was detected in 6/7 patients-COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 was undetectable in the LESm of the achalasia patients and controls. ACE2 receptor was expressed in all the patients and controls. One patient developed achalasia type II post-COVID-19. The percentage of Th22/Th17/Th1/pDCreg was higher in achalasia and achalasia-COVID-19 pre-HLM vs. controls. The Th2/Treg/Breg cell percentages were higher only in achalasia vs. controls. CONCLUSION & INFERENCES: SARS-CoV2 and its receptor expression in the LESm of achalasia patients who posteriorly had COVID-19 but not in the controls suggests that it could affect the myenteric plexus. Unlike achalasia, patients-COVID-19 have an imbalance between effector CD4 T cells and the regulatory mechanisms.

Malachite Green Dye Decoloration over Au/TiO2-Nanotubes Photocatalyst under Simulate Visible-Light Irradiation.

Au nanoparticles were supported on TiO2 nanotubes by a novel vapor phase impregnation approach (VPI) using gold dimethyl-acetylacetonate as a precursor. This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of these materials in the photodecoloration of malachite green dye, with the vision to correlate the chemical, structural, morphological, and optical properties with its photocatalytic performance. The photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopy (XPS), electronic microscopy (HAADF-STEM and HRTEM), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The techniques mentioned above made it possible to detect the presence of small gold nanoparticles (around 3.1 nm), with a high apparent dispersion even at high metal loading for all analyzed systems. According to the XPS results, the Au nanoparticles remain reduced (Au°), and they have a high electronic interaction with TiO2, which eventually originates an electronic exchange between them and consequently a decrease in the band gap energy. In addition, the surface plasmonic resonance observed through UV-vis spectroscopy of the Au nanoparticles are factors that can be related to the high decoloration observed in these photocatalysts, specifically in the 15 wt% Au material, which achieves maximum photodecoloration of malachite green dye at 93%.

Revisión del efecto de la incertidumbre en personas adultas con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 / Review of the effect of uncertainty in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Introducción: cuando a una persona se le diagnostica con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2), dicha noticia le suele representar un conjunto de emociones, como estrés, ansiedad e incertidumbre frente a la enfermedad, lo que la sitúa en la imposibilidad para predecir los resultados. Objetivo: realizar una revisión del estado del arte del periodo 2011 a 2016 sobre los efectos de la incertidumbre en las personas adultas con DM2. Métodos: la revisión se efectuó con base en las etapas propuestas por Dal Sasso-Mendes, en las bases de datos EBSCO, PubMed, SciELO, CONRICyT, ScienceDirect y Scopus. Se emplearon dos descriptores en Ciencias de la Salud (DeCS) en los idiomas inglés, español y portugués: Diabetes Mellitus Type 2, Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2 y Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2, así como Uncertainty, Incertidumbre e Incerteza. Se identificaron 2721 artículos, de los cuales se seleccionaron 23 artículos que cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. Resultados: de los diferentes componentes de la incertidumbre y DM2, se conformaron cuatro componentes: teórico, apoyo social, respuestas emocionales y diferencias en el tratamiento. Se identificó una relación de los componentes teórico y de apoyo social (21.7%) con la incertidumbre y con mayor énfasis el componente de diferencias en el tratamiento (43.5%). Conclusión: se identificó que el efecto de la incertidumbre de los pacientes ante la DM2 es una situación poco investigada, principalmente en lo que respecta a las respuestas emocionales.

Introduction: When a person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), this news usually represents a set of emotions, such as stress, anxiety, and uncertainty about the disease. This puts the person in a difficult position, due to their inability to predict the results. Objective: To carry out a state-of-the-art review, from 2011 to 2016, on the effects of uncertainty in adults with T2DM. Methods: Based on the stages proposed by Dal Sasso-Mendes, the review was performed in the following databases: Ebsco, PubMed, SciELO, Conricyt, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Two health sciences descriptors were used in English, Spanish and Portuguese: Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, and Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2 (for Spanish and Portuguese), as well as Uncertainty, Incertidumbre, and Incerteza. 2721 articles were identified, out of which 23 that met the selection criteria were selected. Results: From the different components of uncertainty and T2DM, four were formed: theoretical, social support, emotional responses, and differences in treatment. It was identified a relation between theoretical and social support components (21.7%) with uncertainty, with greater emphasis in the differences in treatment component (43.5%). Conclusion: It was identified that the effect of uncertainty on patients facing T2DM is a relatively unresearched situation, mainly concerning emotional responses.

Relación entre el día de colección y la recuperación de embriones en alpacas superovuladas / Relationship between day of collection and embryo recovery in superovulated alpacas

Se estudió la relación entre el día de colección y la recuperación embrionaria en alpacas adultas multíparas. Alpacas con folículos mayor menor que 7 mm se sometieron a un protocolo de superovulación, se cubrieron con machos fértiles (día 0 = día de servicio), y los embriones se recuperaron en el día 5 (G1), 6 (G2) y 7 (G3) post cópula, previa evaluación del número y tamaño de los cuerpos lúteos por ecografía transrectal ovárica. En el Exp. 1 se usaron 14 alpacas, que fueron sacrificadas para recuperar los embriones de los cuernos uterino y del oviducto. En el Exp. 2 se realizó la recuperación embrionaria in vivo a 21 alpacas. El lavado de los cuernos uterinos se hizo con 250 ml de PBS a través de un catéter Foley y en los oviductos se hizo con 20 ml de PBS desde la unión útero tubal hacia la fimbria. El número de embriones recuperados de cuerno uterino así como el porcentaje de recuperación embrionaria fue mayor en G2 y G3 respecto a G1 (p<0.05), mientras que en el oviducto hubo mayor recuperación en G1. Los embriones recolectados de los cuernos uterinos considerados como buenos y excelentes fue de 81.4% (35/43) en el Exp. 1 y de 74.5% (38/51) en el Exp. 2, sin encontrar diferencias significativas entre tratamientos dentro de cada experimento. El estadio de desarrollo embrionario más frecuente en ambos experimentos fue de blastocisto eclosionado (77.7%, 73/94), sin diferencia estadística entre G2 y G3. Se concluye que los embriones pueden ser recuperadas del oviducto hasta el día 5 y del cuerno uterino desde el día 6 post cópula.

He relationship between day of collection and embryo recovery was studied inmultiparous adult alpacas. Females with greater than 7 mm follicles were superovulated, mated with fertile males (day 0 = day of service) and embryos were recovered on day 5 (G1), 6 (G2) and 7 (G3) post copula, where the number and size of corpora lutea were echographically evaluated. In Exp. 1, 14 females were slaughtered and embryos were recovered from the uterine horns and the oviduct. In Exp. 2, embryos were recovered in vivo from 21 females. Each uterine horn was flushed with 250 ml of PBS using a Foley catheter; and oviducts were flushed from the utero-tubal junction to the fimbria using 20 ml of PBS. The number and rate of embryos recovered from the uterine horns was higher in G2 and G3 as compared to G1 (p<0.05), while in the oviduct was higher in G1. Collected embryos from uterine horns had the condition of excellent and good in 81.4% (35/43) in Exp. 1 and 74.5% (38/51) in Exp. 2, and without statistical differences between treatments in each experiment. The most frequent level of embryo development was hatching blastocyst (77.7%, 73/94), and without differences between G2 and G3. It was concluded that embryos could be recovered until day 5 after mating in oviducts and from day 6 on wards in the uterine horns.

Improved outcome in asymptomatic recurrence following curative surgery for gastric cancer.

The purpose of this study was to compare the outcome and resectability of patients with gastric cancer recurrence after curative surgery detected by follow-up endoscopy, according to the presence or absence of symptoms. All patients with gastric carcinoma, who underwent a curative gastrectomy, were retrospectively identified. We analyzed outcome and survival in patients compliant with routine follow-up who presented symptomatic and asymptomatic recurrence. Of the 119 resected patients, 63.0% had a recurrence, with an overall survival of 20.0 months. Fourteen patients were asymptomatic when recurrence was detected, whereas 61 patients were symptomatic. Median time to recurrence was 16.0 m for both groups. A local curative re-resection was possible in 2/14 (asymptomatic) and 1/61 (symptomatic). Asymptomatic patients had a longer median postrecurrence survival time of 9.0 months, compared with 2.0 months in the symptomatic patients (p=0.034). The median overall survival was greater in the asymptomatic vs symptomatic group (25.0 vs 20.0 months), although this did not reach statistical significance. The results from this study advocate that the presence or absence of symptoms is a good surrogate marker to assess biologic aggressiveness. The value of routine follow-up endoscopy to permit a higher rate of re-resection in asymptomatic patients remains to be established.

Knowledge about cancer screening among medical students and internal medicine residents in Mexico City.

It is extremely important that physicians are aware of cancer screening precise indications. We sought to explore its knowledge among Mexican medical students and internal medicine residents. Students and residents completed a questionnaire-based survey about breast, cervical, colon, and prostate cancer screening. Four hundred fifty-one individuals answered the survey: 64.52% students and 35.48% residents. Mean knowledge score was 63.97 ± 14.97. Residents scored higher than students (p = 0.0001). No difference in the education concerning cervical and colon cancer screening was found. Knowledge of screening guidelines is suboptimal among medical students and residents. Further efforts should be targeted to educational and training programs in this country.

Efecto del estadio del desarrollo folicular al momento de la monta sobre la ovulación y supervivencia embrionaria en alpacas / Effect of the follicular development stage at the time of mating on the ovulation and embryonic survival in alpacas

El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar el efecto del estadio del desarrollo folicular del folículo dominante (fd) al momento de la cópula, sobre la ovulación y supervivencia embrionaria en alpacas. Se utilizaron 116 animales con descanso post-parto ≥ 15 días, que fueron evaluadas por ecografía transrectal para distribuirlas en 4 grupos: G1 (fd en estadio de crecimiento, diámetro: 6 mm), G2 (fd en estadio de crecimiento, diámetro: mayor igual 7 y menor igual 12 mm), G3 (fd en estadio estático, diámetro: mayor igual que 7 mm) y G4 (fd en estadio de regresión, diámetro: mayor igual que 7 mm). Posteriormente, fueron sometidos a monta controlada, a excepción de 5 alpacas del grupo G1 que rechazaron al macho. El día del empadre fue considerado el día 0. Evaluaciones ecográficas adicionales se realizaron los días 2 (ocurrencia de ovulación), 9 (presencia y tamaño del cuerpo lúteo); 20, 25, 30 y 35 (presencia de vesícula embrionaria o embrión). El día 15 post cópula se realizó la prueba de receptividad sexual. El 97.3 por ciento de alpacas empadradas (n = 111) presentaron ovulación al día 2 post cópula, sin diferencia significativa (p menor que 0.05) entre grupos. En el día 9 post cópula, no se encontraron diferencias significativas en el tamaño promedio del cuerpo lúteo entre grupos. El porcentaje de supervivencia embrionaria fue estadísticamente similar para todos los grupos, aunque hubo una tendencia a un mayor nivel de supervivencia para el grupo G2 (65.5 por ciento) en comparación con los demás grupos al día 35 post cópula. Estos resultados indicarían que el estadio del desarrollo folicular del folículo dominante al momento de la monta no tendría efecto significativo sobre la tasa de ovulación y supervivencia embrionaria en alpacas.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the stage of the dominant follicle (df) at mating on the ovulation and embryonic survival in alpacas. A total of 116 alpacas with ³15 day-post-partum resting period were used and evaluated by transrectal ultrasonography in order to distribute them in 4 groups: G1 (df in growing stage, diameter: 6 mm), G2 (df in growing stage, diameter: major equal 7 minor equal 12 mm), G3 (df in static stage, diameter: major equal 7 mm,) and G4 (df in regression stage, diameter: major equal 7 mm). Subsequently, all alpacas were mated except 5 alpacas of group G1 that rejected the male. Mating day was considered as day 0. Additional ultrasound evaluations were carried out on days 2 (occurrence of ovulation), 9 (presence and size of the corpus luteum); 20, 25, 30 and 35 (presence of embryonic vesicle or embryo). On day 15, a sexual receptiveness test was performed. Ovulation occurred in 97.3 por ciento of alpacas that were mated (n=111) but without significant differences (p minor that 0.05) between groups. On day 9, no significant difference in the average size of the corpus luteum was observed among groups. The embryonic survival rate was also not significantly different among the groups, but there was a tendency to a greater rate of survival for group G2 (65.5 per cent) on day 35 after mating. These results suggested that the stage of follicular development of the dominant follicle during mating does not have a significant effect on the rate of ovulation and embryonic survival in alpacas.

Epidemia de las enfermedades cardiovasculares en los países subdesarrollados

En los últimos años la incidencia de enfermedad cardiovascular se ha incrementado en los países del tercer mundo, mientras que exista una importante disminución en los países desarrollados; este fenómeno se debe a la suma de factores de riesgo pretransicionales como las enfermedades infecciosas y los procesos inflamatorios y post-transicionales como el incremento del consumo de colesterol y ácidos grasos trans. La relevancia de este problema se refleja en el hecho de que América Latina es la mayor aportadora de muertes por enfermedad cardiovascular, situación que se vuelve dramática si consideramos que estas muertes se registran en las personas más jóvenes. Los Cambios en el estilo de vida y los factores sociales, nutricionales y económicos, han demostrado la superposición de los defectos tanto del mundo desarrollado como del subdesarrollado. En este momento tenemos la obligación de realizar estudios que nos permitan identificar apropiadamente los factores de riesgo que más influyen en la presentación de esta epidemia en nuestros países y establecer programas de salud pública y acciones clínicas que permitan el control de estos ®asesinos silenciosos¼.