Síndrome post-COVID o COVID persistente, situaciones de incapacidad temporal, estudio de casos, protocolo de valoración de la incapacidad laboral / Post-covid or persistent covid syndrome, temporary disability situations, case study, work disability assessment protocol

Objetivo El Síndrome Post-COVID o COVID Persistente ha afectado más de 240.000 trabajadores causando incapacidad laboral, de duración e intensidad variable y de valoración compleja. Para una mejor capacidad decisoria para valorar la capacidad/incapacidad laboral proponemos un protocolo de valoración de los síntomas más limitantes en relación con el trabajo. Material y Métodos: Se realizaron búsquedas en PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO, de artículos publicados en 2021, y hasta marzo 2022, así como otras fuentes que se reseñan en bibliografía. Para el estudio de casos se escogieron procesos de IT que reunieran características de SPC, de más de 90 días analizando diversas variables. Conclusiones: Síndrome Post-COVID presenta síntomas que son factores de mal pronóstico para el retorno laboral. La valoración de la capacidad laboral requiere un protocolo específico de evaluación de las limitaciones funcionales y su traslación a diversas tareas que pueden estar comprometidas (AU)

Introduction: Post-COVID Syndrome or Persistent COVID has affected more than 240,000 workers, causing work disability of variable duration and intensity and complex assessment. Material and Methods: Searches were carried out in PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO, for articles published in 2021, and until March 2022, as well as other sources reviewed in the bibliography. For the case study, IT processes were chosen that met SPC characteristics, lasting more than 90 days, analyzing various variables. Conclusions: Post-COVID Syndrome presents symptoms that are poor prognostic factors for returning to work. The assessment of work capacity requires a specific protocol for evaluating functional limitations and their translation to various tasks that may be compromised (AU)

Bay Leaves Extracts as Active Additive for Food Protective Coatings.

Ethanolic extracts of bay leaves were obtained using the Soxhlet method (extraction yield of 22.3 ± 1.2%) and further analyzed through different methods, thus determining the chemical composition with gas chromatography, phenolic content with the Folin-Ciocalteu technique (11.8 ± 0.4% wt.) and antioxidant power with the radical 2,2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) method (75.06%). Furthermore, its effect on the growth of two bacteria, Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus, and on two yeasts, Candida glabrata and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was determined, showing a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.65 mg/mL on the growth of B. cereus. Finally, edible films were prepared using different polymers (carboxymethyl cellulose, gum Arabic, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, and polyvinyl alcohol) containing 0, 5, 10, or 15% wt. of bay leaf extract as troubleshooting for perishable fruits, specifically for cultivated strawberry. The prepared composites presented reduced water vapor permeabilities (up to 4.3 × 10-7 g·Pa-1·m-1·h-1), high specific transparencies (≈30%/mm), as well as the effective blocking of ultraviolet radiation (>99.9%). In vivo tests showed that the most suitable treatment for strawberry protection was the impregnation with a composite comprising polyvinyl alcohol and a 15% wt. bay leaf extract, resulting in a noteworthy reduction in mass loss (22% after 6 days). It can be asserted that food packaging with the designed composites would be an effective alternative for the reduction in postharvest losses.

Addressing knowledge gaps: the key role of community health workers and healthcare providers in human papillomavirus prevention and vaccine uptake in a border community.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and nearly every person who is sexually active will get HPV at some point in their lifetime without having the HPV vaccine. Healthcare Providers (HCPs) and Community Health Workers (CHWs) play an essential role in promoting the HPV vaccine and providing education about HPV in communities. Three focus groups with CHWs (n = 17) and HCPs (n = 7) were conducted and led by trained facilitators. In addition to participating in the focus group, CHWs and HCPs completed a brief questionnaire. Focus groups were voice recorded and transcribed for qualitative analysis. Independent coders conducted content analysis to identify the salient themes of the focus groups. Several important findings emerged from this study highlighting the barriers to HPV knowledge, gaps in the self-perceived role of HPV cancer prevention, and opportunities to action. Financial, knowledge, patriarchy, behaviors, attitudes, and fears were identified as the perceived patient-related barriers to promoting HPV cancer prevention. Both CHWs and HCPs explained that their female patients are often discouraged by their husbands from seeking out sexual health-related healthcare. Finding suggest the need for community tailored education on HPV and "best practice" trainings for HPV prevention that is applicable to both CHWs and HCPs.

First report of an outbreak of "Q" fever IN an abattoir from Argentina.

In late October 2021, one of the veterinarians and the occupational physician of a bovine and swine abattoir from Entre Ríos Province, Argentina were alerted about workers with atypical pneumonia symptoms, raising suspicious of a possible Q fever outbreak. An outbreak epidemiological investigation was carried out. Analysis was based on the description of the study population, according to gender, age, symptoms, and position within the abattoir, as well as on outbreak epidemic curve and its probable origin. Cases of Q fever in the workers were confirmed by serology. Measurements of the association between the evaluated variables and the risk of exposure were investigated and calculated as attack rates. The outbreak occurred between October and November 2021, symptomatically affecting 11 workers, out of a total exposed population of 49 individuals. The index case was a 33-year-old male who started with symptoms on 27 October 2021, and the outbreak extended for at least 17 days. Workers in the clean zone of the slaughter floor had a 4.68 times higher risk of contracting Q fever than people located in other areas. Importantly, two pregnant cows were slaughtered a few days before the outbreak began, which could have been the origin of the outbreak. The present study demonstrates the urgent need to consider Q fever when diagnosing abortive diseases of ruminants in Argentina, as well as in zoonotic disease epidemiological surveillance to inform all actors of the health system.

Repurposing disulfiram, an alcohol-abuse drug, in neuroblastoma causes KAT2A downregulation and in vivo activity with a water/oil emulsion.

Neuroblastoma, the most common type of pediatric extracranial solid tumor, causes 10% of childhood cancer deaths. Despite intensive multimodal treatment, the outcomes of high-risk neuroblastoma remain poor. We urgently need to develop new therapies with safe long-term toxicity profiles for rapid testing in clinical trials. Drug repurposing is a promising approach to meet these needs. Here, we investigated disulfiram, a safe and successful chronic alcoholism treatment with known anticancer and epigenetic effects. Disulfiram efficiently induced cell cycle arrest and decreased the viability of six human neuroblastoma cell lines at half-maximal inhibitory concentrations up to 20 times lower than its peak clinical plasma level in patients treated for chronic alcoholism. Disulfiram shifted neuroblastoma transcriptome, decreasing MYCN levels and activating neuronal differentiation. Consistently, disulfiram significantly reduced the protein level of lysine acetyltransferase 2A (KAT2A), drastically reducing acetylation of its target residues on histone H3. To investigate disulfiram's anticancer effects in an in vivo model of high-risk neuroblastoma, we developed a disulfiram-loaded emulsion to deliver the highly liposoluble drug. Treatment with the emulsion significantly delayed neuroblastoma progression in mice. These results identify KAT2A as a novel target of disulfiram, which directly impacts neuroblastoma epigenetics and is a promising candidate for repurposing to treat pediatric neuroblastoma.

A novel scale based on biomarkers associated with COVID-19 severity can predict the need for hospitalization and intensive care, as well as enhanced probabilities for mortality.

Prognostic scales may help to optimize the use of hospital resources, which may be of prime interest in the context of a fast spreading pandemics. Nonetheless, such tools are underdeveloped in the context of COVID-19. In the present article we asked whether accurate prognostic scales could be developed to optimize the use of hospital resources. We retrospectively studied 467 files of hospitalized patients after COVID-19. The odds ratios for 16 different biomarkers were calculated, those that were significantly associated were screened by a Pearson's correlation, and such index was used to establish the mathematical function for each marker. The scales to predict the need for hospitalization, intensive-care requirement and mortality had enhanced sensitivities (0.91 CI 0.87-0.94; 0.96 CI 0.94-0.98; 0.96 CI 0.94-0.98; all with p < 0.0001) and specificities (0.74 CI 0.62-0.83; 0.92 CI 0.87-0.96 and 0.91 CI 0.86-0.94; all with p < 0.0001). Interestingly, when a different population was assayed, these parameters did not change considerably. These results show a novel approach to establish the mathematical function of a marker in the development of highly sensitive prognostic tools, which in this case, may aid in the optimization of hospital resources. An online version of the three algorithms can be found at: http://benepachuca.no-ip.org/covid/index.php.

Low-Cost Photoreactor to Monitor Wastewater Pollutant Decomposition.

Actually, the quality of water is one of the most important indicators of the human environmental impact, the control of which is crucial to avoiding irreversible damage in the future. Nowadays, in parallel to the growth of the chemical industry, new chemical compounds have been developed, such as dyes and medicines. The increasing use of these products has led to the appearance of recalcitrant pollutants in industrial wastewater, and even in the drinking water circuit of our populations. The current work presents a photoreactor prototype that allows the performance of experiments for the decomposition of coloured pollutants using photocatalysis at the laboratory scale. The design of this device included the study of the photometric technique for light emission and the development of a software that allows monitoring the dye degradation process. Open-source hardware platforms, such as Arduino, were used for the monitoring system, which have the advantages of being low-cost platforms. A software application that manages the communication of the reactor with the computer and graphically displays the data read by the sensor was also developed. The results obtained demonstrated that this device can accelerate the photodegradation reaction in addition to monitoring the changes throughout the process.

Caveolae couple mechanical stress to integrin recycling and activation.

Cells are subjected to multiple mechanical inputs throughout their lives. Their ability to detect these environmental cues is called mechanosensing, a process in which integrins play an important role. During cellular mechanosensing, plasma membrane (PM) tension is adjusted to mechanical stress through the buffering action of caveolae; however, little is known about the role of caveolae in early integrin mechanosensing regulation. Here, we show that Cav1KO fibroblasts increase adhesion to FN-coated beads when pulled with magnetic tweezers, as compared to wild type fibroblasts. This phenotype is Rho-independent and mainly derived from increased active ß1-integrin content on the surface of Cav1KO fibroblasts. Florescence recovery after photobleaching analysis and endocytosis/recycling assays revealed that active ß1-integrin is mostly endocytosed through the clathrin independent carrier/glycosylphosphatidyl inositol (GPI)-enriched endocytic compartment pathway and is more rapidly recycled to the PM in Cav1KO fibroblasts, in a Rab4 and PM tension-dependent manner. Moreover, the threshold for PM tension-driven ß1-integrin activation is lower in Cav1KO mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) than in wild type MEFs, through a mechanism dependent on talin activity. Our findings suggest that caveolae couple mechanical stress to integrin cycling and activation, thereby regulating the early steps of the cellular mechanosensing response.

Cells can physically sense their immediate environment by pulling and pushing through integrins, a type of proteins which connects the inside and outside of a cell by being studded through the cellular membrane. This sensing role can only be performed when integrins are in an active state. Two main mechanisms regulate the relative amount of active integrins: one controls the activation of the proteins already at the cell surface; the other, known as recycling, impacts how many new integrins are delivered to the membrane. Both processes are affected by changes in cell membrane tension, which is itself controlled by dimples (or 'caveolae' ­ little caves in Latin) present in the cell surface. Caveolae limit acute changes in tension by taking in (pinching off the dimples) or releasing (dimples flattening) segments of the membrane. However, it is still unclear how integrins and caveolae mechanically interact to regulate the ability for a cell to read its environment. To understand this process, Lolo et al. focused on mouse cells genetically manipulated to not build caveolae on their surfaces, and which cannot properly sense mechanical changes in their surroundings. These were exposed to beads covered in an integrin-binding protein and manipulated using magnetic tweezers. The manipulation showed that mutated cells bound to the beads more strongly than non-modified cells, indicating that they had more active integrins on their surface. This change was due to both an accelerated recycling mechanism (which resulted in more integrin being brought at the surface) and an increase in integrin activation (which was triggered by a higher membrane tension). Caveolae therefore couple mechanical inputs to integrin recycling and activation. Healthy tissues rely on cells correctly sensing physical changes in their environment so they can mount an appropriate response. This ability, for example, is altered in cancerous cells which start to form tumours. The findings by Lolo et al. bring together physics and biology to provide new insights into the potential mechanisms causing such impairments.

Analysis of Cancer Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Adolescents and Young Adults in Two Texas Rural Communities.

The Youth and Young Adults Cancer Knowledge Attitudes and Practices (C-KAP) exploratory study in 2 rural underserved areas in a border community. C-KAP is an interdisciplinary research pilot project led by university scholars in psychology and social work in partnership with community partners. The exploratory cross-sectional mix-method study recruited 141 (n=141) youth and young adults (ages 18-39). This study was informed on empirical research and a bilingual online questionnaire was field-tested, and data was collected via QuestionPro Software. Quantitative analysis was conducted using SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics and frequency analysis were used for demographics and basic statistics. Chi square tests and Fisher's exact tests between variables were ran to find statistically significant associations. For the qualitative data, independent coders conducted recurrent content analysis to identify themes. Salient themes include knowledge about cancer types; access to health care; prevention; and the perceived impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Findings highlight a lack of knowledge and orientation on cancer in youth and young adults suggesting the need for community tailored education and screening interventions. Other findings reflect gender differences in knowledge and practices, which indicates that a gender-specific lens is needed when delivering education.

Urological Impact of Epididymo-orchitis in Patients with Anorectal Malformation: An ARM-Net Consortium Study.

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the current experience of the ARM-Net Consortium in the management of epididymo-orchitis (EO) in patients with anorectal malformations (ARMs), and to identify specific risk factors and the need for urological care involvement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected data of EO in patients with ARM between 2015 and 2019. Data on urological aspects, ARM type, surgical approach, associated anomalies, diagnosis, and treatment of EO were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients were reported by 12 centers. Twenty-six patients with EO (90%) had ARM with a rectourinary fistula. Median age at first EO was 2 years (range: 15 days-27 years). Twenty patients (69%) experienced multiple EO, and 60% of recurrences were ipsilateral. Associated urological anomalies included vesicoureteral reflux (48%), urethral anomalies (41%), neurogenic bladder (41%), and ectopic vas (10%). A positive urine culture during EO was present in 69%. EO was treated with antibiotics (90%), limiting surgical exploration to 14%. Prevention of recurrences included surgery (bulking agents 15%, vasectomy 15%, and orchiectomy 5%) and antibiotic prophylaxis (20%). CONCLUSION: Urologists may encounter patients with EO in ARM patients, frequently with positive urine culture. An appropriate urologic work-up for most ARM patients is necessary to identify and treat underlying risk factors. A practical scheme for the work-up is suggested for a close collaboration between pediatric surgeons and urologists.

Pathogen Moonlighting Proteins: From Ancestral Key Metabolic Enzymes to Virulence Factors.

Moonlighting and multitasking proteins refer to proteins with two or more functions performed by a single polypeptide chain. An amazing example of the Gain of Function (GoF) phenomenon of these proteins is that 25% of the moonlighting functions of our Multitasking Proteins Database (MultitaskProtDB-II) are related to pathogen virulence activity. Moreover, they usually have a canonical function belonging to highly conserved ancestral key functions, and their moonlighting functions are often involved in inducing extracellular matrix (ECM) protein remodeling. There are three main questions in the context of moonlighting proteins in pathogen virulence: (A) Why are a high percentage of pathogen moonlighting proteins involved in virulence? (B) Why do most of the canonical functions of these moonlighting proteins belong to primary metabolism? Moreover, why are they common in many pathogen species? (C) How are these different protein sequences and structures able to bind the same set of host ECM protein targets, mainly plasminogen (PLG), and colonize host tissues? By means of an extensive bioinformatics analysis, we suggest answers and approaches to these questions. There are three main ideas derived from the work: first, moonlighting proteins are not good candidates for vaccines. Second, several motifs that might be important in the adhesion to the ECM were identified. Third, an overrepresentation of GO codes related with virulence in moonlighting proteins were seen.

Mercury and selenium biomagnification in a coastal food web from the Gulf of California influenced by agriculture and shrimp aquaculture.

The biomagnification of Hg and Se was studied using nitrogen stable isotope analysis during four seasons in a coastal lagoon of the eastern central Gulf of California. This lagoon receives agricultural, municipal, and shrimp aquaculture effluents. The species were categorized into organism groups and presented a significant accumulation of Hg and Se with respect to the sources, while the concentration of both elements in sediment and suspended particulate matter (SPM) was low. Our data confirms the positive transfers (biomagnification factors >1) of Hg and Se in the entire studied food web, and it was structured in five trophic levels across all seasons. Additionally, there were no linear correlations between the molar Se:Hg ratios and the trophic levels of the organism groups. However, the Se:Hg ratios among organism groups were >1, which indicates that there is an excess of Se and that it is not a limiting factor for the detoxification of Hg.

Foreign body aspiration in children: Treatment timing and related complications.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to describe our experience in the management of FB aspiration in children, focusing on the eventual association between delay in treatment and the development of complications, and to determine if the incidence of this emergency had decreased in the last 10 years. METHODS: Retrospective study of children with a diagnosis of FB aspiration managed between 1999 and 2019 at a tertiary care referral hospital. The following data were collected: demographics, clinical presentation, radiological findings, endoscopic technique, type of FB, time elapsed between the aspiration episode and treatment, and complications. Main outcome measures were the rate of complications (intraoperative and long-term) in the cohort of patients with delay in treatment (>72 h), and the incidence of FB aspiration in each of the two historical subgroups of the study. RESULTS: The study included 130 patients, 66.2% male, with a median age of 24 months. Cough was the most frequent symptom (76.1%) and unilateral air trapping was the most common radiological finding (48.8%). Removal of FB was performed with rigid bronchoscopy in every case. The most common type of FB was organic (73%) and located in the right bronchial system (47.7%). The global rate of complications was 16.1%. Patients with a delay in treatment beyond 72 h from the aspiration episode showed a statistically significant risk of developing both intraoperative and postoperative complications. Additionally, we have stated that the incidence of FB aspiration in our community has decreased by 44.4% in the last 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of FB aspiration has remarkably decreased in our environment in the last decade. Delay in treatment placed our patients at a significant higher risk of developing complications both during the bronchoscopic procedure and in the long-term.

La incapacidad temporal laboral en los tiempos del COVID-19, aspectos preventivos y consecuencias / Temporary incapacity for work (sick leave) in the times of COVID-19, preventive aspects and consequences

Introducción: La incapacidad temporal por COVID-19 fue regulada de forma expresa, mediante diversas normas e instrucciones, cubriendo tanto el aislamiento por contacto, por infección o para trabajadores sensibles. Supuso la integración de la protección preventiva laboral amparada su protección en una la prestación económica dotada de mayor cuantía. Analizando las consecuencias de la pandemia en la primera ola, confinamiento, desescalada y vuelta a la normalidad, meses de marzo a octubre, el impacto «colapsante» del COVID-19 en el sistema sanitario supuso la paralización y el aumento de listas de espera para pruebas, operaciones y consultas no urgentes del resto de patologías, y consecuentemente un elevado incremento de la duración media de las bajas laborales por todos los procesos, en el confinamiento y la desescalada en un 84,48% y en un 25,27% las bajas prolongadas que alcanzaron más de 365 días. En consecuencia, el COVID-19 como efecto colateral supuso una mala evolución del resto de procesos, prolongando la duración de las incapacidades temporales, lo que supone un empeoramiento de la salud laboral, un riesgo mayor de no retorno al trabajo que sucede en las bajas largas, mayor riesgo de desempleo, un mayor gasto en prestaciones y un deterioro económico para empresas y autónomos. La incapacidad temporal por COVID-19 suponía al final de octubre 2020 el 38,73% de todas las bajas. Material y Método: Se analizaron los datos suministrados por la Seguridad Social, por el INSS y el Ministerio de Sanidad, se elaboraron para poder extraer datos para poder valorar el impacto del COVID-19 en la incapacidad temporal laboral. Se revisaron hasta octubre de 2019 las siguientes bases de datos bibliográficas: SciELO, PUBMED. Así mismo otras referencias que incluimos en bibliografía. Objetivo: Recoger de forma sintética la norma aplicable, las situaciones protegidas, y cuantificar el impacto en las bajas, incapacidad laboral, de la pandemia. (AU)

Introduction: Temporary disability due to COVID-19 was expressly regulated, through various rules and instructions, covering both isolation by contact, by infection or for sensitive workers. It involved the integration of preventive labor protection covered by its protection in a financial benefit with the highest amount. Analyzing the consequences of the pandemic in the first wave, confinement, de-escalation and return to normality, months from March to October, the «collapsing» impact of COVID-19 on the health system led to the paralysis and increase of waiting lists for tests, operations and non-urgent consultations of the rest of pathologies, and consequently a high increase in the average duration of sick leave for all processes, in confinement and de-escalation in 84.48% and in 25.27% the prolonged casualties that reached more than 365 days. Consequently, COVID-19 as a collateral effect led to a poor evolution of the rest of the processes, prolonging the duration of temporary disabilities, which implies a worsening of occupational health, a greater risk of not returning to work that occurs during sick leave long, higher risk of unemployment, higher spending on benefits and economic decline for companies and the self-employed. Temporary disability due to COVID-19 accounted for 38.73% of all casualties at the end of October 2020. (AU)

Bio-Degradable Polyurethane Foams Produced by Liquefied Polyol from Wheat Straw Biomass.

In the present work, an abundant and unused residue (wheat straw) has been employed to synthesize a polyol as a substituent of castor oil in polyurethane foams. The liquefied product showed excellent properties for the proposed application. Castor oil was substituted with up to 50% wheat straw polyol in the formulation of polyurethane foams, which were prepared using two different isocyanates (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and toluene-2,4-diisocyanate (TDI)). The evaluation of physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the foams revealed that these materials can successfully be formed with up to 40% wheat straw polyols since all the results were improved. Moreover, at this polyol concentration, the morphology of the foams was presented as a compact and ordered structure. Following this trend, the foams showed excellent biodegradability at 30 days (5.60 and 7.31% for TDI and MDI foams, respectively) and 60 days (8.49 and 9.88% for TDI and MDI foams, respectively) in the soil media tests carried out. Thus, the materials prepared in this work can be proposed for agricultural applications such as use in plant nurseries.

How would you define healthy food? Social representations of Brazilian, French and Spanish dietitians and young laywomen.

The perception that food affects our health has increased over the past fifty years in industrialised Western countries. The notion of "healthy food" has become ubiquitous in medical, political, and media discourse as well as in the discourses of the lay population. This study seeks to understand the social representations of "healthy food" of Brazilian, Spanish and French dietitians and young laywomen. A qualitative and comparative methodology based on 131 individual semi-structured interviews was set up. According to the analysis of the discourses, the notion of "healthy food" is ambivalent and polysemic. Scientific-nutritional rationality is not the only way to think about "healthy food". Two main ways of categorising "healthy foods" are observed in the three countries. They are based on eating analysis criteria that referred to diverse value systems and different scientific, symbolic and moral rationalities: on the one hand, a physiological, nutritional and functional conception, and on the other, an "eco-ideological" conception that took into account production, culture and distribution methods. Though dietitians have a greater technical knowledge of nutrients and metabolic processes than laywomen, professionals and young laywomen, mainly within the same nationality, shared similar discourses concerning the notion of "healthy food", revealing patterns that differentiate each nationality. Taking together, the results reveal that although medical-nutritional discourses are disseminated internationally, discourses on "healthy food" are constructed taking into account social, cultural, symbolic and moral dimensions. These discourses are linked to a historical and sociocultural context.

Mechanism of the Hypoglycemic Activity and Hepatoprotective Effect of the Aqueous Extract of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol.

In Central and South American traditional medicine, people use Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol (Cecropiaceae) for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. However, its hypoglycemic action mechanism at pancreatic and liver level has been poorly explored. The present research aimed to establish the influence of the aqueous extract of C. obtusifolia, standardized in its content of chlorogenic acid, on insulin secretion in RINm5F cells and over the liver carbohydrates and lipids metabolism, and to determine concomitantly its hepatoprotective effect on mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. In RINm5F cells, concentrations 5, 50, 100, and 200 µg/mL of aqueous extract of C. obtusifolia were used to determine [Ca2+]i and insulin secretion. In an acute study, the extract was administered at doses of 500 mg/kg. In another test (subacute), the extract was daily administrated to diabetic mice (200 mg/kg/day) for 30 days. Blood glucose levels and other biochemical parameters were determined, and a liver histological analysis was performed. In RINm5F cells, C. obtusifolia increased [Ca2+]i and insulin secretion, whereas in diabetic mice exhibited acute and subacute hypoglycemic effects. Daily administration of C. obtusifolia to diabetic mice also increased liver glycogen storage and glycogen synthase levels, without apparent changes in gluconeogenesis. Besides, it increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α) and long-chain-fatty-acid-CoA ligase 1 (ACSL-1) expression and reduced triglycerides, transaminases (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase), and collagen fibers, modifying anti-inflammatory (adiponectin and interleukin-10) and inflammatory (tumor necrosis factor-α) cytokines in serum. Therefore, the hypoglycemic effect of C. obtusifolia implicates a dual action, promoting insulin secretion, liver glycogen accumulation, and hepatoprotection by decreasing collagen fibers and inflammatory markers, whereas it improves lipid metabolism, due in part to PPAR-α.

Trace metal trophic transference and biomagnification in a semiarid coastal lagoon impacted by agriculture and shrimp aquaculture.

We studied the biomagnification of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) with carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stable isotope analyses during four seasons, in the food web of a semiarid coastal lagoon in the central-eastern Gulf of California (GC). The concentrations of the four metals increased among functional organism groups, from the food web base to the highest trophic levels. In general, the distribution of the elements for the four sampled seasons was Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd. The correlations between trophic level values and log-transformed metal concentrations were significantly (p < 0.05) positive for Cd (r = 0.61-0.91), Cu (r = 0.63-0.70), and Zn (r = 0.50-0.73), while Pb showed only one positive correlation (r = 0.38). The biomagnification factors (from specific predator-prey scenarios) ranged from 0.32 to 3.88 for Cd, 0.05 to 37.1 for Cu, 0.50 to 3.57 for Pb, and 0.70 to 22.2 for Zn. The trophic biomagnification factors (considering the entire food web) varied from 1.26 to 1.41 for Cd, 1.95 to 2.24 for Cu, 1.02 to 1.15 for Pb, and 1.45 to 1.78 for Zn. Our results show evidence for the biomagnification of Cd, Cu, and Zn in the studied food web, while data on Pb transference are not conclusive.

La incapacidad, indicador de salud laboral con alta variabilidad territorial / Incapacity - indicator of occupational health with high trritorial variability

La incapacidad es un indicador de salud laboral, siendo exponente de su pérdida. La incapacidad laboral, tanto temporal como permanente, deriva de múltiples variables que la causan, la condicionan y la modulan, pero de entre todas ellas la significativa variabilidad de presentación por territorios (comunidades autónomas) plantea un mapa de salud laboral para su análisis causal. MATERIAL Y MÉTODO: Se extrajeron los datos básicos sobre incapacidad temporal y permanente de la página de estadísticas de la seguridad social, procediéndose a su análisis y elaboración, comparando los datos de 2019 acumulados a septiembre, con los de estudio previo que efectuamos en 2017. Se revisaron hasta agosto 2019 así como datos del INE, Ministerio Sanidad, las siguientes bases de datos bibliográficas: SciELO, PUBMED, y se anotan fuentes concretas que se reseñan en bibliografía. OBJETIVO: Constatar por territorios la diversidad presentación de incapacidad laboral, de la presentación del análisis de datos de incidencia, duración y prevalencia de la incapacidad temporal así como la diversa presentación de la incapacidad permanente y sus grados de incapacidad por ámbito geográfico autonómico. Y establecer las posibles causas de la misma. Dar valor a la incapacidad como indicador de salud laboral y plantear la diversidad de presentación, para la gestión integral e integradora de la prestación, y la mejora de la salud laboral con criterios no solo de protección económica sino preventiva laboral. CONCLUSIONES: La diferenciación territorial de la incapacidad laboral, está consolidada en el tiempo, como manifiesta el estudio que presentamos, pudiéndose afirmar que hay zonas más o menos saludables, según lo expresa el indicador de incapacidad laboral. Se puede afirmar que, en términos de salud laboral importa más el código postal que el código genético. Y más allá de otras consideraciones económicas y de gestión en cuanto al gasto, reflejan una diferente salud laboral por ámbito geográfico, desigualdades que es preciso abordar desde la perspectiva preventiva, ocupacional, sanitaria y social

Disability is an indicator of occupational health being at the same time an indicator of health' decline. The temporary and permanent labor incapacity derives from multiple variables causing, modulating and determining it. Among all of them, the significant variability of presentation by territories (autonomous communities) provides a map of occupational health for its causal analysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The basic data of temporary and permanent disability were extracted from the social security data page. They were hereafter prepared to be analyzed and elaborated by comparing the data accumulated up to September 2019 with those compiled in the previous study of 2017. The following bibliographic databases SciELO and PUBMED as well as data from the National Statistical Institute, Ministry of Health, were reviewed up to August 2019. Specific sources are reviewed in the bibliography. OBJECTIVE: To verify by territory the diversity representation of the work incapacity, of the data analysis impact, of the duration and prevalence of temporary incapacity and the diverse representation of permanent incapacity together with its incapacity degrees by geographical areas (Autonomous Community) establishing its possible causes. To give value to the incapacity as an indicator of occupational health. To consider the diversity presentation for the integral and integrating benefit management and the improvement of occupational health, not only for economic protection criteria but also for occupational prevention. CONCLUSIONS: As the present study indicates, the territorial differentiation of work disability become established over time, affirming that there are areas which are more or less healthy as the indicator of work incapacity shows; It can be therefore asserted, that in terms of occupational health the postal code seems to matter even more than the genetic code. Different occupational health rates are reflected in terms of spending across geographical areas beyond other economic and management considerations. Such inequalities need to be addressed from a preventive, occupational, health and social perspective

Prevalence of hepatocarcinoma-related hepatitis B virus mutants in patients in grey zone of treatment.

BACKGROUND: Antiviral treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in the grey zone of treatment comands risk management in order to optimize the health outcome. In this sense, the identification of HBV mutants related with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) could be useful to identify subpopulations with potential indication of antiviral treatment. AIM: To analyze the prevalence/persistence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) preS and basal core promoter (BCP)/precore/core variants associated to HCC development in CHB patients in the grey zone. METHODS: Work was designed as a longitudinal retrospective study, including 106 plasma samples from 31 patients with CHB in the grey zone of treatment: Hepatitis B e antigen negative, HBV-DNA levels between 12-20000 IU/mL, normal or discordant transaminase levels during follow up and mild/moderate necro-inflammatory activity in liver biopsy or Fibroscan (up to 9.5 kPa). Serum HBV-DNA was tested using the Abbott Real Time HBV Assay and the BCP/precore/core and the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) coding regions were analyzed in positive samples by PCR/bulk-sequencing to identify the HCC-related HBV mutants. RESULTS: High-risk HCC related mutants were detected in 24 (77%) patients: 19 (61%) in the BCP/precore/core, and 7 (23%) in the HBsAg coding region (2 preS1 and 5 preS2 deletions). The prevalence of preS deletions was genotype-dependent: 3/5 (60%) patients with preS2 deletions and 1/2 with preS1 deletions were infected with the HBV-E genotype. Since HBV-E was the most prevalent in sub-Saharan patients, a correlation between preS deletions and ethnicity was also found: 6/8 (75%) sub-Saharan vs 1/19 (5%) Caucasian patients had preS deletions (P = 0.00016). Remarkably, this correlation was maintained in those patients infected with HBV-A, a minor genotype in sub-Saharan patients: 2/2 patients infected with HBV-A from West Africa vs 0/6 of Caucasian origin had preS deletions. The HCC related variants were the major strains and persisted over time (up to 48 mo). Patients with preS deletions had a significant higher prevalence of F2 fibrosis stage than the negatives (57% vs 10%, P = 0.0078). CONCLUSION: HBV genetic analysis of selected populations, like sub-Saharans infected with HBV-E/A genotypes, will allow identification of subpopulations with risk of HCC development due to accumulation of high-risk HBV variants, thus commanding their increased clinical surveillance.