Impact of pharmaceutical care for asthma patients on health-related outcomes: An umbrella review.

Recent systematic reviews suggest that pharmacists' interventions in asthma patients have a positive impact on health-related outcomes. Nevertheless, the association is not well established, and the role of clinical pharmacists is poorly represented. The aim of this overview of systematic reviews is to identify published systematic reviews assessing the impact of pharmacists' interventions on health-related outcomes measured in asthma patients. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to December 2022. Systematic reviews of all study designs and settings were included. Methodological quality was assessed using AMSTAR 2. Two investigators performed study selection, quality assessment and data collection independently. Nine systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria. Methodological quality was rated as high in one, low in two, and critically low in six. Reviews included 51 primary studies reporting mainly quality of life, asthma control, lung capacity, and therapeutic adherence. Only four studies were carried out in a hospital setting and only two reviews stated the inclusion of severe asthma patients. The quality of the systematic reviews was generally low, and this was the major limitation of this overview of systematic reviews. However, solid evidence supports that pharmaceutical care improves health-related outcomes in asthma patients.

Atención farmacéutica y asma: protocolo de una revisión de revisiones sistemáticas / Pharmaceutical care and asthma: Protocol of an umbrella review of systematic reviews

Introducción las revisiones sistemáticas y metaanálisis recientes sugieren que las intervenciones por parte de farmacéuticos en pacientes asmáticos tienen un impacto positivo en resultados en salud. Sin embargo, la asociación no está bien establecida y el papel de los farmacéuticos clínicos está pobremente representado, así como el de los pacientes con asma grave. El objetivo de esta revisión de revisiones es identificar revisiones sistemáticas publicadas que evalúen el impacto de las intervenciones farmacéuticas en resultados en salud medidos en pacientes asmáticos, así como describir los componentes clave de las intervenciones, los resultados medidos y cualquier asociación entre las intervenciones farmacéuticas y los resultados en salud medidos. Métodos se hará una busqueda en PubMed, Embase, Scopus y la Cochrane Library desde el primer registro hasta diciembre de 2022. Se considerará la inclusión de revisiones sistemáticas de todo tipo de estudios primarios, severidad del asma o nivel asistencial que midan resultados en salud. La calidad metodológica se medirá usando A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2. Dos investigadores independientes realizarán la selección de los estudios, la evaluación de la calidad y la extracción de datos. Cualquier discrepancia será solventada por un tercer investigador. Ambos resultados, narrativos y metaanálisis, de los estudios primarios incluidos en las revisiones sistemáticas serán sintetizados. Si los datos son apropiados para un análisis cuantitativo, las medidas de asociación se expresarán como cociente de riesgos y diferencia de medias. Discusión los primeros resultados del establecimiento de una red multidisciplinar para el manejo de los pacientes asmáticos mostraron beneficios en integrar los diferentes niveles asistenciales en el control de la enfermedad y la reducción de la morbilidad...(AU)

Introduction Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest that pharmacists' interventions in asthma patients have a positive impact on health-related outcomes. Nevertheless, the association is not well established and the role of clinical pharmacists is poorly represented, as well as severe asthma patients. The aim of this overview of systematic reviews is to identify published systematic reviews assessing the impact of pharmacists' interventions on health-related outcomes measured in asthma patients, as well as to describe key components of the interventions, the outcomes assessed and any associations between pharmacists' interventions and health-related outcomes. Methods PubMed, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane Library will be searched from inception to December 2022. Systematic reviews of all study designs, severity of asthma and level of care that measured health-related outcomes will be considered. Methodological quality will be assessed using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2. Two independent investigators will perform the study selection, quality assessment and data collection, any discrepancy will be solved by a third investigator. Both narrative findings and meta-analysis of primary study data included in the systematic reviews will be synthesized. If data are appropriate for quantitative synthesis, the measures of association will be expressed as the risk ratio and difference in means. Discussion The first results on the establishment of a multidisciplinary network for the management of asthmatic patients have shown the benefits of integrating different levels of care in disease control and morbidity reduction. Further studies showed benefits in hospital admissions, patients' basal oral corticosteroid dose, exacerbations and quality of life of asthma patients...(AU)

Microbial composition of goat buck's ejaculates is modified by the process of preparing and storing refrigerated semen doses.

Ejaculates present their own microbiota, and a link between ejaculates' microbiota and sperm quality and fertility exists. With the development of artificial insemination in animal breeding, ejaculates must be manipulated by diluting them with extenders and storing them at temperatures below body temperature. The effects that these processes have on the original semen microbiota have never been studied. This study explores the effects of the protocol for preparing refrigerated goat buck semen doses and storing on seminal microbiota. Semen from six adult goat bucks of the Murciano-Granadina breed (24 ejaculates) was used, cooled to 4 °C in a skimmed milk-based extender, and stored at this temperature for 24 h. Samples were taken in different steps: in the raw ejaculates (ejaculates), after dilution with the refrigeration extender (diluted), immediately after reaching 4 °C (chilled 0 h) and the samples refrigerated at 4 °C and stored at this temperature for 24 h (chilled 24 h). Sperm quality (motility and integrity of plasma and acrosomal membrane, and mitochondrial functionality) was also evaluated. Bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing was used to study the seminal microbiota. Our results indicated that both refrigeration and storage at 4 °C negatively affected sperm quality parameters. Preparing semen doses and their subsequent conservation caused a significant change in the bacterial community structure. Raw ejaculates showed a lower Pielou's evenness index than the other samples (diluted, chilled 0 h and chilled 24 h). Ejaculates also had a lower Shannon's diversity index (3.44) than the diluted semen (4.17) and the semen chilled for 24 h (4.43). Regarding beta diversity, significant differences were detected between ejaculates and the other treatments. Differences were also found in unweighted UniFrac distances between the semen chilled for 0 h and that chilled for 24 h. At the genus level, marked effects of preparing doses and their subsequent conservation were also evident: 199 genera that were absent in ejaculates were found in the semen chilled and stored for 24 h; 177 genera that were present in ejaculates disappeared after 24-h refrigeration. In conclusion, the extender and protocol for preparing refrigerated goat buck semen doses considerably modify microbial ejaculate composition.

Pharmaceutical care and asthma: Protocol of an umbrella review of systematic reviews. / [Artículo traducido] Atención farmacéutica y asma: protocolo de una revisión de revisiones sistemáticas.

INTRODUCTION: Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest that pharmacists' interventions in asthma patients have a positive impact on health-related outcomes. Nevertheless, the association is not well established and the role of clinical pharmacists is poorly represented, as well as severe asthma patients. The aim of this overview of systematic reviews is to identify published systematic reviews assessing the impact of pharmacists' interventions on health-related outcomes measured in asthma patients, as well as to describe key components of the interventions, the outcomes assessed and any associations between pharmacists' interventions and health-related outcomes. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane Library will be searched from inception to December 2022. Systematic reviews of all study designs, severity of asthma and level of care that measured health-related outcomes will be considered. Methodological quality will be assessed using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2. Two independent investigators will perform the study selection, quality assessment and data collection, any discrepancy will be solved by a third investigator. Both narrative findings and meta-analysis of primary study data included in the systematic reviews will be synthesized. If data are appropriate for quantitative synthesis, the measures of association will be expressed as the risk ratio and difference in means. DISCUSSION: The first results on the establishment of a multidisciplinary network for the management of asthmatic patients have shown the benefits of integrating different levels of care in disease control and morbidity reduction. Further studies showed benefits in hospital admissions, patients' basal oral corticosteroid dose, exacerbations and quality of life of asthma patients. A systematic review is the most appropriate design in order to summarize the literature and identify the evidence of the benefits of interventions performed by clinical pharmacists in asthma patients, especially those with severe uncontrolled asthma, and encourage future studies to stablish the role of clinical pharmacists in asthma units. REGISTRATION DETAILS: Systematic review registration number: CRD42022372100.

Pharmaceutical care and asthma: Protocol of an umbrella review of systematic reviews.

INTRODUCTION: Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest that pharmacists' interventions in asthma patients have a positive impact on health-related outcomes. Nevertheless, the association is not well established and the role of clinical pharmacists is poorly represented, as well as severe asthma patients. The aim of this overview of systematic reviews is to identify published systematic reviews assessing the impact of pharmacists' interventions on health-related outcomes measured in asthma patients, as well as to describe key components of the interventions, the outcomes assessed and any associations between pharmacists' interventions and health-related outcomes. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane Library will be searched from inception to December 2022. Systematic reviews of all study designs, severity of asthma and level of care that measured health-related outcomes will be considered. Methodological quality will be assessed using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2. Two independent investigators will perform the study selection, quality assessment and data collection, any discrepancy will be solved by a third investigator. Both narrative findings and meta-analysis of primary study data included in the systematic reviews will be synthesised. If data are appropriate for quantitative synthesis, the measures of association will be expressed as the risk ratio and difference in means. DISCUSSION: The first results on the establishment of a multidisciplinary network for the management of asthmatic patients have shown the benefits of integrating different levels of care in disease control and morbidity reduction. Further studies showed benefits in hospital admissions, patients' basal oral corticosteroid dose, exacerbations and quality of life of asthma patients. A systematic review is the most appropriate design in order to summarise the literature and identify the evidence of the benefits of interventions performed by clinical pharmacists in asthma patients, especially those with severe uncontrolled asthma, and encourage future studies to stablish the role of clinical pharmacists in asthma units. REGISTRATION DETAILS: Systematic review registration number: CRD42022372100.

Results of the Protocolization of a Telepharmacy Program: Patient Selection and Dispensation Interruption Criteria.

Objective: To analyze the impact of applying criteria for patient selection and interruption of dispensation in a telepharmacy program. Secondary objective: to conduct a socioeconomic analysis of requests for telepharmacy after applying the criteria. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted. We applied the criteria from September 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 and reviewed the impact of their application by comparing the prior period (October 14, 2020-August 31, 2021) with the period when the criteria were applied. We analyzed the evolution of applications over time, the number of users, the evolution over time of rejected applications, and the associated reasons. Finally, we studied how the average income and distance to hospital are related to the number of requests. This study was reviewed by the authors' institutional ethics committee and was considered exempted from further review. Results: We applied the criteria to 2,379 patients. Dispensations by telepharmacy increased progressively. We provided telepharmacy services to 41.7% of all outpatients and rejected 962 applications (65% after the criteria were applied). The main pre- and postcriteria reasons for rejecting applications were refusal without express reason and the patient having sufficient medication, respectively. All patients corrected the situation that caused rejection. Telepharmacy requests and distance to hospital were not related, although the number of requests and average income were related. Conclusions: We provided pharmaceutical care with this protocol and encouraged patients to correct the reasons for interrupted dispensations. The new criteria render telepharmacy available to all patients, regardless of where they live or their purchasing power. Lower-income individuals use telepharmacy more often.

Caracterización de la morbilidad de la endarterectomía carotídea / Characterization of the morbidity of carotid endarterectomy

Introducción: El 80 por ciento de los accidentes cerebrovasculares resulta de tipo isquémico y al menos el 20-30 por ciento está provocado por estenosis de la arteria carótida extracraneal. La endarterectomía carotídea tiene como principal objetivo eliminar las placas de ateroma, que son fuentes de émbolos para el encéfalo, y mejorar el flujo sanguíneo a este órgano. Objetivo: Caracterizar la morbilidad de la endarterectomía carotídea en el Hospital General Docente "Enrique Cabrera" desde 2018 hasta 2021. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de tipo descriptivo y corte transversal a 32 pacientes, a los cuales se les realizó endarterectomía carotídea. La recolección de los datos se efectuó mediante la revisión de historias clínicas. El período de estudio abarcó desde enero de 2018 hasta enero de 2021. Resultados: Predominó el sexo masculino (65,6 por ciento) y la media de edad fue de 68,8 años. Los factores de riesgo más frecuentes resultaron la hipertensión arterial y el tabaquismo con 75 por ciento y 65,6 por ciento, respectivamente. La enfermedad cerebrovascular con secuela mínima constituyó la forma clínica más frecuente en el 40,6 por ciento de los casos. Se encontró asociación estadísticamente significativa entre diabetes mellitus y formas clínicas, y entre enfermedad arterial periférica y la aparición de complicaciones. La carótida izquierda resultó la más afectada con 53 por ciento y el porcentaje de estenosis, entre 70 por ciento y 99 por ciento, se encontró en el 55,9 por ciento de los pacientes. Con mayor frecuencia se presentaron las complicaciones: lesión de nervios craneales (5,8 por ciento) y hematoma cervical (5,8 por ciento). La endarterectomía por eversión se realizó en el 97 por ciento de los casos. Conclusiones: Se demostró la seguridad y el éxito de la endarterectomía carotídea. La mayoría de los pacientes tuvo una evolución satisfactoria, y se presentaron escasas complicaciones y mortalidad nula(AU)

Introduction: 80 percent of strokes result in ischemic type and at least 20-30 percent are caused by stenosis of the extracranial carotid artery. Carotid endarterectomy has as its main objective to remove atheromatous plaques, which are sources of emboli for the brain, and improve blood flow to this organ. Objective: To characterize the morbidity of carotid endarterectomy at the "Enrique Cabrera" General Teaching Hospital from 2018 to 2021. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 32 patients, who underwent carotid endarterectomy. Data collection was carried out by reviewing medical records. The study period spanned from January 2018 to January 2021. Results: The male sex predominated (65.6 percent) and the mean age was 68.8 years. The most frequent risk factors were high blood pressure and smoking with 75 percent and 65.6 percent, respectively. Cerebrovascular disease with minimal sequelae was the most frequent clinical form in 40.6 percent of cases. A statistically significant association was found between diabetes mellitus and clinical forms, and between peripheral arterial disease and the occurrence of complications. The left carotid was the most affected with 53 percent and the percentage of stenosis, between 70 percent and 99 percent, was found in 55.9 percent of patients. The following complications were the most common: cranial nerve injury (5.8 percent) and cervical hematoma (5.8 percent). Eversion endarterectomy was performed in 97 percent of cases. Conclusions: The safety and success of carotid endarterectomy were demonstrated. Most of the patients had a satisfactory evolution, and there were few complications and zero mortality(AU)

Microbiota in Goat Buck Ejaculates Differs Between Breeding and Non-breeding Seasons.

Changes in semen microbiota are associated with alterations to sperm quality and fertility. However, the microbiota from most livestock species has not yet been studied. Goats are seasonal breeders, but semen microbiota has never been described in this species, and it is unknown how seasonality affects it. Our study objective is 2-fold: to describe the microbiota in goat buck ejaculates and to determine if it differs between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Semen from six males of the Murciano-Granadina breed was collected during both seasons. Two replicates were performed per male and season on different days. The microbiota was characterized by genomic sequencing technology. Sperm quality was also evaluated. Repetition was not significant for the studied variables. Sperm velocities were higher for the breeding than for the non-breeding season. The ejaculates from both seasons also differed in the proportion of apoptotic spermatozoa. The five dominant phyla were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes during the breeding season and Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria during the non-breeding season. The dominant genus during both seasons was Ureaplasma. Differences in microbial community structure (the beta diversity) were found. A decrease in the relative abundance of the genus Faecalibacterium and an increase in the genera Sphingomonas and Halomonas were observed in the ejaculates collected during the breeding season. Sphingomonas and Faecalibacterium abundance favorably and unfavorably correlated with sperm quality, respectively. In conclusion, the semen microbiota from goat bucks varies between breeding and non-breeding seasons, and the microbiota remains stable for 7 days within a season. In addition, the genera Sphingomonas and Faecalibacterium could be possible biomarkers of semen quality in goat bucks. These results contribute to an in-depth understanding of the effects of reproductive seasonality on goat buck ejaculates.

Inotersen and severe thrombocytopenia: 2 case reports and review.

Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR) is an ultra-rare illness. Inotersen is a 2'-O-methoxyethyl (2'MOE)-modified antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) approved in 2018 as a polyneuropathy treatment for adults with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis stages 1 or 2. Inotersen can produce grade 4 thrombocytopenia as a severe adverse reaction that can lead to potentially fatal hemorrhage complications. We describe our experience in the management of severe thrombocytopenia with inotersen. The onset of the thrombocytopenia and the incidences described in the cases in our hospital are different from that described in the literature. Also, recovery of platelet levels was faster in our patient who was administered human immunoglobulin G, which suggests that there is an immunological component.

Bruxist Activity Monitor System (BAMS): An instrumental approach tool in the assessment of Bruxism.

The magnitude of harmful effects on dental structures, periodontium, masticatory muscles, and the temporomandibular joint, derived from temporomandibular disorders, specifically from sleep Bruxism, generates evidence that needs to be objectively collected. This paper introduces a portable device aiming at extracting and analyzing parameters (like timestamp, duration, or latency) from recordings obtained from the monitoring of occlusal activity, throughout a complete sleep cycle. An electronic device embedded in a mid-density medical grade silicon occlusal splint detects the moment in which the subject exerts sustained force, and records the time and length of the event, keeping the device on hold until a new event arises. The electronic device, based on a microcontroller, identifies occlusive events from an array of two piezo-resistive sensors and has a storage capacity of up to 36 hours of continuous activity. The collected data is wirelessly transmitted to an external module that is connected via USB to a PC. In the PC, the data is decoded, processed, analyzed, displayed, and stored in ordered files for case subjects, updating every recorded test for a complete history review. The proposed Bruxist Activity Monitor System (BAMS) was tested in one subject for more than 40 hours (5 sessions in 7 days). Preliminary results show the oral appliance endure without any significant damage over its surface nor undermining its functionality.

Pseudoaneurisma de la arteria femoral derecha posterior a cateterismo cardíaco / Right femoral artery pseudoaneurysm following cardiac catheterization

El pseudoaneurisma se puede definir como un hematoma pulsátil repermeabilizado y encapsulado, en comunicación con la luz de un vaso dañado. Los pseudoaneurismas de las extremidades son los más frecuentes; entre ellos se destacan los iatrogénicos de la arteria femoral. Su incidencia es del 2 por ciento-8 por ciento cuando se realizan angioplastia/stent coronarios y del 0,2 por ciento-0,5 por ciento cuando únicamente se hace angiografía diagnóstica. Se presenta un paciente con diagnóstico de pseudoaneurisma femoral derecho posterior a un cateterismo cardíaco, con el objetivo de demostrar la importancia del diagnóstico temprano de las pseudaeurismas para el tratamiento quirúrgico oportuno y evitar complicaciones posteriores. Al mes del procedimiento, el paciente comenzó con aumento de volumen en la región inguinal derecha y a la auscultación se apreció un soplo a ese nivel. Se le realizó exérisis del pseudoaneurisma y reparación quirúrgica de la arteria femoral. En las consultas de evaluación posoperatoria se mostró una evolución clínica y radiológica satisfactoria. El diagnóstico rápido de estas entidades vasculares evita que se presenten complicaciones posteriores y aseguran una evolución rápida y satisfactoria de los pacientes que la padecen(AU)

Pseudoaneurysm can be defined as a repermeabilized and encapsulated pulsatile hematoma, in communication with the light of a damaged vessel. Pseudoaneurysms of the limbs are the most frequent; among them are the iatrogenic of the femoral artery. Its incidence is 2 percent -8 percent when coronary angioplasty/stent is performed and 0.2 percent-0.5 percent when only diagnostic angiography is performed. A patient with a diagnosis of right femoral pseudoaneurysm after cardiac catheterization is presented, with the aim of demonstrating the importance of early diagnosis of pseudoaneurysms for timely surgical treatment and avoiding subsequent complications. A month after the procedure, the patient began with an increase in volume in the right inguinal region and auscultation showed a murmur at that level. Pseudoaneurysm exeresis and surgical repair of the femoral artery were performed. In the postoperative evaluation consultations, a satisfactory clinical and radiological evolution was shown. The rapid diagnosis of these vascular entities prevents subsequent complications from occurring and ensures a rapid and satisfactory evolution of patients who suffer from it(AU)

Terminal Crossbreeding of Murciano-Granadina Goats to Boer Bucks: Effects on Reproductive Performance of Goats and Growth of Kids in Artificial Rearing.

The aim of this work was to improve the growth characteristics of Murciano-Granadina (MG) kids through terminal crossbreeding of MG goats to Boer bucks. Four experiments were carried out, using a total of 354 MG goats, half of which were mated with MG bucks (n = 12) and the other half with Boer bucks (n = 12). The kids were raised in artificial rearing until slaughter weight (9 kg). The birth weight and average daily gain were recorded in crossed kids (n = 197 and 145, respectively) and purebred kids (n = 257 and 169, respectively). Crossed kids presented significant differences (p < 0.001) compared to MG purebred kids in birth weight (+ 24%), mortality in artificial rearing (-37%), average daily gain (+32%) and milk powder conversion rate (-16%). However, the reproductive performance rates of MG goats mated with Boer bucks were slightly worse (pregnancy rate: 78.5% vs. 86.6%, p < 0.05; kidding rate: 62.0% vs. 75.7%; p < 0.01; prolificacy: 1.9 vs. 2.1 kids/parturition), especially when the matings took place in non-breeding season (experiments conducted at latitude 38-39° N). It is concluded that the terminal crossbreeding of MG goats to Boer bucks (those not used to produce replacement kids) could be an interesting option for ethical goat production.

Nutritional niches reveal fundamental domestication trade-offs in fungus-farming ants.

During crop domestication, human farmers traded greater productivity for higher crop vulnerability outside specialized cultivation conditions. We found a similar domestication trade-off across the major co-evolutionary transitions in the farming systems of attine ants. First, the fundamental nutritional niches of cultivars narrowed over ~60 million years of naturally selected domestication, and laboratory experiments showed that ant farmers representing subsequent domestication stages strictly regulate protein harvest relative to cultivar fundamental nutritional niches. Second, ants with different farming systems differed in their abilities to harvest the resources that best matched the nutritional needs of their fungal cultivars. This was assessed by quantifying realized nutritional niches from analyses of items collected from the mandibles of laden ant foragers in the field. Third, extensive field collections suggest that among-colony genetic diversity of cultivars in small-scale farms may offer population-wide resilience benefits that species with large-scale farming colonies achieve by more elaborate and demanding practices to cultivate less diverse crops. Our results underscore that naturally selected farming systems have the potential to shed light on nutritional trade-offs that shaped the course of culturally evolved human farming.

Implementation of a novel home delivery service during pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, measures have been put in place to adapt to patients' needs during home quarantine, such as "telehealthcare". With this service, hospital pharmacists develop a distinct role via the implementation of pharmacovigilance services and pharmaceutical care plans for patients with comorbidities, and for special populations as immunosuppressed patients.MethodsCross-sectional study involving hospital and community pharmacists actively practising during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients who could not come to the hospital pharmacy department were provided with a delivery service to the community pharmacy of their choice. RESULTS: A total of 1186 patients requested this service. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents were the most in-demand medication, followed by rheumatoid arthritis and antiretroviral drugs. 125 patients responded to the telephone survey, most of whom stated that they would use the delivery service again, and expressed their desire to continue doing so. DISCUSSION: Without a doubt, telepharmacy and medication delivery services have provided multiple benefits during home quarantine. The delivery service enabled us to provide drugs to patients in their immediate environment through a service that was free for both the patient and the hospital pharmacy service. However, at present, the available evidence of the impact of telepharmacy models is sparse. CONCLUSIONS: This medication delivery service has provided multiple benefits to patients during home quarantine. Although the users of this service seem to be satisfied with the current model, in the future, we should consider which patients would benefit most from this service and shape it to individual needs.

Effect of the Refrigeration System on In Vitro Quality and In Vivo Fertility of Goat Buck Sperm.

Cooling goat sperm insemination doses to 4 °C causes a delay in their delivery. However, chilling these doses during the transportation period could expedite their delivery and the insemination process. In this study, an economical and simple apparatus for chilling goat semen doses in itinere was developed, and the in vitro quality and in vivo fertility of these doses were compared with those chilled by means of a programmable water bath in the laboratory at a rate of -0.18 °C/min. Of the tested prototypes, the one that provided an optimal combination of the chilling rate (average of -0.09 °C/min) and time required to reach 4 °C (3 h 45 min) was selected for further testing. Immediately after chilling and 24 h later, the doses chilled in the prototype were determined to be of higher quality than the samples chilled in the programmable water bath. Finally, the kidding rate was similar between the doses chilled in the programmable water bath (61.7% ± 7.1%) and in the prototype (56.1% ± 5.9%). In conclusion, successful chilling of goat sperm doses during transport is possible, thereby accelerating the delivery of insemination doses.

Effect of Sperm Concentration and Storage Temperature on Goat Spermatozoa during Liquid Storage.

The use of cooled semen is relatively common in goats. There are a number of advantages of cooled semen doses, including easier handling of artificial insemination (AI) doses, transport, more AI doses per ejaculate, and higher fertility rates in comparison with frozen AI doses. However, cooled semen has a short shelf life. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of temperature and sperm concentration on the in vitro sperm quality during liquid storage for 48 h, including sperm motility and kinetics, response to oxidation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and DNA fragmentation in goats. Three experiments were performed. In the first, the effects of liquid preservation of semen at different temperatures (5 °C or 17 °C), durations (0, 24 and 48 h) and sperm concentrations (250 × 106 sperm/mL (1:2 dilution rate), 166.7 × 106 sperm/mL (1:3 dilution rate) or 50 × 106 sperm/mL (1:10 dilution rate)) on sperm motility and kinetics were studied. In the second experiment, the effect of temperature, sperm washing and concentration on sperm motility and DNA fragmentation was studied. Finally, the effect of sperm concentration and duration of storage at 5 °C on sperm motility, response to oxidative stress and MMP was examined. We found that refrigerated liquid storage of goat sperm impaired sperm quality, such as motility, MMP and response to oxidation, as storage time increased; however, sperm DNA fragmentation index was not significantly affected. Liquid storage at 5 °C preserved higher total motility than at 17 °C. Moreover, we observed that the reduction of sperm concentration below 500 × 106 sperm/mL did not seem to improve the quality of spermatozoa conserved in milk-based extender in the conditions tested.

Effectiveness and safety of mepolizumab in severe refractory eosinophilic asthma: results in clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways with symptoms that vary over time and intensity, sometimes leading to disability or even death. Eosinophilic asthma accounts for 25% of cases of severe asthma. It is mediated by eosinophils regulated by interleukin-5 (IL-5), the target of mepolizumab, which has been recently licensed as an add-on treatment of severe refractory eosinophilic asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of mepolizumab in clinical practice. METHODS: A multicentre, retrospective, and descriptive study covering a year was conducted in a province of Spain with more than 500,000 inhabitants. Every patient prescribed with mepolizumab since its introduction into the hospital was included in the study. Clinical parameters were collected from the pharmacists' counselling reports from electronic prescription software and electronic patient records. Effectiveness was assessed as a decrease in the exacerbation frequency and/or a reduction in the use of oral corticosteroids (OCS) compared to the previous year. RESULTS: A total of 25 patients were studied, but only 23 could be evaluated by the cut-off date. A decrease in the exacerbation frequency was observed in 19 (82.6%) patients, 11 of them without any exacerbation during the treatment. A relative reduction of 87% in the exacerbation rate per year was obtained. A total of 15 patients were on regular OCS - 9 patients (60%) reduced their average dose, whilst 4 (26.7%) patients completely abandoned OCS. Safety was evaluated based on reported adverse effects. Adverse events were observed in 12 patients, the most common being headache, arthralgia, and dizziness/nausea. CONCLUSION: Mepolizumab has been shown to be effective based on the high decrease in the exacerbation frequency and reduced use of OCS. Reported adverse effects were mostly mild and appeared in half of the patients; some of the adverse events had not been previously described in pivotal trials.

Enfermedades vasculares periféricas y niveles de calidad de vida en adultos mayores del municipio Boyeros / Peripheral vascular diseases and life quality levels in elderly adults of Boyeros municipality

Objetivo: Determinar la prevalencia de las enfermedades vasculares periféricas y los niveles de calidad de vida en los adultos mayores. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio prospectivo y analítico en una muestra aleatorizada (n= 200) de los residentes del municipio Boyeros. Se analizaron solo los adultos mayores (n= 58). Las enfermedades vasculares periféricas se diagnosticaron por examen físico-vascular, estudio hemodinámico y ultrasonográficos. Se aplicó el cuestionario genérico de calidad de vida SF-36. Resultados: La tasa de enfermedades vasculares periféricas fue de 12 por 10 000; donde las más prevalentes fueron: las flebopatías (9,3), la enfermedad arterial periférica de los miembros inferiores (5,7) y la enfermedad carotidea (4,4). El porcentaje se incrementó en el grupo entre 70 y 79 años. El 31,8 por ciento presentaron dos o más enfermedades. En más del 80 por ciento el diagnóstico fue precoz. La hipertensión arterial (85,2 por ciento) fue el factor de riesgo más frecuente. No se halló diferencias (p < 0,05) en ninguna de las escalas de calidad de vida al comparar los adultos mayores con y sin enfermedad vascular. En los enfermos las medidas sumarias salud mental y salud física oscilaron entre moderada y baja. Los enfermos fueron remitidos a sus áreas de salud para recibir el tratamiento oportuno. Conclusiones: El municipio Boyeros presentó elevadas tasas de prevalencia de enfermedades vasculares periféricas en los adultos mayores con una afectación importante en las medidas sumarias de niveles de calidad Salud mental y Salud física(AU)

Objective: To determine the prevalence of peripheral vascular diseases and the life quality levels in elderly. Methods: A prospective and analytical study was conducted in a randomized sample (n = 200) of the residents of Boyeros municipality in Havana, analyzing only the elderly (n = 58). Peripheral vascular diseases were diagnosed by physical-vascular examination, hemodynamic and ultrasonographic studies. The SF-36 generic life quality questionnaire was applied. Results: The rate of peripheral vascular diseases was of 12 by 10 000, where the most prevalent were: flebopathy (9.3), peripheral arterial disease of the lower limbs (5.7) and carotid disease (4.4). The percentage increased in the group from 70 to 79 years old. 31.8 percent showed two or more diseases. In more than the 80 percent, the diagnosis was precocious. Arterial hypertension (85.2 percent), obesity (59.3 percent) and hyperlipidemia (42.6 percent) were the most common risk factors. No differences (p< 0.05) were found in any of the quality of life scales when comparing elderly with and without vascular disease. In ill patients, the summary measures mental health and physical health oscillated between moderate and low. The ill patients were referred to their health areas to receive timely treatment. Conclusions: Boyeros municipality presented high rates of prevalence of peripheral vascular diseases in elderly with an important impact on the summary measures of quality levels called mental health and physical health(AU)

Microbial Community and Biochemical Dynamics of Biological Soil Crusts across a Gradient of Surface Coverage in the Central Mojave Desert.

In this study, we expand upon the biogeography of biological soil crusts (BSCs) and provide molecular insights into the microbial community and biochemical dynamics along the vertical BSC column structure, and across a transect of increasing BSC surface coverage in the central Mojave Desert, CA, United States. Next generation sequencing reveals a bacterial community profile that is distinct among BSCs in the southwestern United States. Distribution of major phyla in the BSC topsoils included Cyanobacteria (33 ± 8%), Proteobacteria (26 ± 6%), and Chloroflexi (12 ± 4%), with Phormidium being the numerically dominant genus. Furthermore, BSC subsurfaces contained Proteobacteria (23 ± 5%), Actinobacteria (20 ± 5%), and Chloroflexi (18 ± 3%), with an unidentified genus from Chloroflexi (AKIW781, order) being numerically dominant. Across the transect, changes in distribution at the phylum (p < 0.0439) and genus (p < 0.006) levels, including multiple biochemical and geochemical trends (p < 0.05), positively correlated with increasing BSC surface coverage. This included increases in (a) Chloroflexi abundance, (b) abundance and diversity of Cyanobacteria, (b) OTU-level diversity in the topsoil, (c) OTU-level differentiation between the topsoil and subsurface, (d) intracellular ATP abundances and catalase activities, and (e) enrichments in clay, silt, and varying elements, including S, Mn, Co, As, and Pb, in the BSC topsoils. In sum, these studies suggest that BSCs from regions of differing surface coverage represent early successional stages, which exhibit increasing bacterial diversity, metabolic activities, and capacity to restructure the soil. Further, these trends suggest that BSC successional maturation and colonization across the transect are inhibited by metals/metalloids such as B, Ca, Ti, Mn, Co, Ni, Mo, and Pb.

A Capacitive Humidity Sensor Based on an Electrospun PVDF/Graphene Membrane.

Humidity sensors have been widely used in areas such as agriculture, environmental conservation, medicine, instrumentation and climatology. Hydrophobicity is one of the important factors in capacitive humidity sensors: recent research has shown that the inclusion of graphene (G) in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) improves its hydrophobicity. In this context, a methodology to fabricate electrospun membranes of PVDF blended with G was developed in order to improve the PVDF properties allowing the use of PVDF/G membrane as a capacitive humidity sensor. Micrographs of membranes were obtained by scanning electron microscopy to analyze the morphology of the fabricated samples. Subsequently, the capacitive response of the membrane, which showed an almost linear and directly proportional response to humidity, was tested. Results showed that the response time of PVDF/G membrane was faster than that of a commercial DHT11 sensor. In summary, PVDF/G membranes exhibit interesting properties as humidity sensors.