Pollinator-assisted plant phenotyping, selection, and breeding for crop resilience to abiotic stresses.

Food security is threatened by climate change, with heat and drought being the main stresses affecting crop physiology and ecosystem services, such as plant-pollinator interactions. We hypothesize that tracking and ranking pollinators' preferences for flowers under environmental pressure could be used as a marker of plant quality for agricultural breeding to increase crop stress tolerance. Despite increasing relevance of flowers as the most stress sensitive organs, phenotyping platforms aim at identifying traits of resilience by assessing the plant physiological status through remote sensing-assisted vegetative indexes, but find strong bottlenecks in quantifying flower traits and in accurate genotype-to-phenotype prediction. However, as the transport of photoassimilates from leaves (sources) to flowers (sinks) is reduced in low-resilient plants, flowers are better indicators than leaves of plant well-being. Indeed, the chemical composition and amount of pollen and nectar that flowers produce, which ultimately serve as food resources for pollinators, change in response to environmental cues. Therefore, pollinators' preferences could be used as a measure of functional source-to-sink relationships for breeding decisions. To achieve this challenging goal, we propose to develop a pollinator-assisted phenotyping and selection platform for automated quantification of Genotype × Environment × Pollinator interactions through an insect geo-positioning system. Pollinator-assisted selection can be validated by metabolic, transcriptomic, and ionomic traits, and mapping of candidate genes, linking floral and leaf traits, pollinator preferences, plant resilience, and crop productivity. This radical new approach can change the current paradigm of plant phenotyping and find new paths for crop redomestication and breeding assisted by ecological decisions.

[Cu(NN1)2]ClO4, a Copper (I) Complex as an Antimicrobial Agent for the Treatment of Piscirickettsiosis in Atlantic Salmon.

Piscirickettsia salmonis is the pathogen that most affects the salmon industry in Chile. Large quantities of antibiotics have been used to control it. In search of alternatives, we have developed [Cu(NN1)2]ClO4 where NN1 = 6-((quinolin-2-ylmethylene)amino)-2H-chromen-2-one. The antibacterial capacity of [Cu(NN1)2]ClO4 was determined. Subsequently, the effect of the administration of [Cu(NN1)2]ClO4 on the growth of S. salar, modulation of the immune system and the intestinal microbiota was studied. Finally, the ability to protect against a challenge with P. salmonis was evaluated. The results obtained showed that the compound has an MIC between 15 and 33.9 µg/mL in four isolates. On the other hand, the compound did not affect the growth of the fish; however, an increase in the transcript levels of IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-1ß, CD4, lysozyme and perforin was observed in fish treated with 40 µg/g of fish. Furthermore, modulation of the intestinal microbiota was observed, increasing the genera of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bacillus as well as potential pathogens such as Vibrio and Piscirickettsia. Finally, the treatment increased survival in fish challenged with P. salmonis by more than 60%. These results demonstrate that the compound is capable of protecting fish against P. salmonis, probably by modulating the immune system and the composition of the intestinal microbiota.

Incidence and prediction of hospitalization for heart failure in patients with atrial fibrillation: the REFLEJA scale.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) is common in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and is associated with increased mortality. The aims of this study were to determine the incidence of HHF, identify the clinical predictors of its occurrence, and develop a new risk scale. METHODS: The incidence of HHF was estimated using data from the prospective single-center REFLEJA registry of outpatients with AF (October 2017-October 2018). A multivariate Cox regression model was calculated to detect HHF predictors, and a nomogram was created for individual risk assessment. RESULTS: Of the 1499 patients included (mean age 73.8±11.1 years, 48.1% women), 127 had HHF (incidence rate of 8.51 per 100 persons/y) and 319 died (rate of death from any cause of 21.1 per 100 persons/y) after a 3-year follow-up. The independent predictors of HHF were age, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, pulmonary hypertension, previous pacemaker implantation, baseline use of diuretics, and moderate-severe aortic regurgitation. The c-statistic for predicting the event was 0.762 (95%CI after boostrapping resampling, 0.753-0.791). The cumulative incidences of the main outcome for the risk scale quartiles were 1.613 (Q1), 3.815 (Q2), 8.378 (Q3), and 20.436 (Q4) cases per 100 persons/y (P <.001). CONCLUSIONS: HHF was common in this AF cohort. The combination of certain clinical characteristics can identify patients with a very high risk of HHF.

Design of a Tension Infiltrometer with Automated Data Collection Using a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System.

This study highlights the importance of water infiltration in hydrological basin management, emphasizing its role in water services, water quality regulation, and temporal patterns. To measure this crucial function, this study introduces a portable and user-friendly tension infiltrometer designed for easy assembly and data collection. The tension infiltrometer, based on the 2009 design by Spongrová and Kechavarzi, offers a comprehensive characterization of the soil properties related to water flow. It eliminates the influence of preferential flow, providing accurate data. Additionally, it accommodates changes in pore size distribution within the soil, which is crucial for understanding water movement. This study discusses the challenges associated with traditional infiltration measurement tools, like double-ring infiltrometers and single rings, which are not easily transported and can lead to inaccuracies. In response, the proposed infiltrometer simplifies data collection, making it accessible to a broader range of users. This study also explores the use of the VL53L0X distance sensor in the infiltrometer, providing an innovative solution for measuring the water column height. The system's user interface allows real-time data collection and analysis, significantly reducing the processing time compared to that of the manual methods. Overall, this work demonstrates the potential for advancement in hydrological basin management using user-friendly instrumentation and automated data collection, paving the way for improved research and decision making in environmental services, conservation, and restoration efforts within these ecosystems.

LDH/ADA ratio in pleural fluid for the diagnosis of infectious pleurisy.

Pleural effusion (PE) is a common medical concern, often requiring thoracentesis for a definitive diagnosis. An elevated pleural fluid adenosine deaminase (ADA) may indicate tuberculosis, but this is not always the case. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of biomarkers determined in pleural fluid and propose a new diagnostic strategy for PE in patients with high levels of ADA in pleural fluid. This retrospective analysis studied patients with PE who received thoracentesis for the first time with an ADA level of > 33 U/L in the pleural fluid analysis at two tertiary hospitals from March 2019 to March 2023. Demographic and clinical data, as well as pleural fluid biomarkers and their ratios, were studied and compared between different PE groups, and a decision tree was developed. During the study period, 259 patients were enrolled, with four different types of PE: parapneumonic (PPE) 155, tuberculosis (TPE) 41, malignant (MPE) 50, and miscellaneous 13. Biomarkers and their ratios performed well in the differential diagnosis of PE, with the LDH/ADA ratio distinguishing between PPE and non-PPE with sensitivity and specificity of 98.06% and 98.08%, respectively. The combination of LDH/ADA ratio, ADA, and mononuclear cell percentage was identified as important factors for creating a decision tree with an overall accuracy of 89.96%. The pleural fluid LDH/ADA ratio was a useful diagnostic for distinguishing PPE from non-PPE, and a decision tree with an accuracy of 89.96% was created to differentiate the four forms of PE in clinical situations.

[Kawasaki disease and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Differences, and similarities in a pediatric center in Mexico]. / Enfermedad de Kawasaki y síndrome inflamatorio multisistémico en niños. Diferencias y similitudes en un centro pediátrico de México.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the differences and similarities in clinical picture, laboratory findings and outcomes between children's with Kawasaki Disease (KD) versus multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, comparative study from children with Kawasaki Disease (KD) hospi-talized in Sinaloa Pediatric Hospital from January 1, 2004, to March 31, 2020, and patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) according with World Health Organization (WHO) case definition criteria be-tween May 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. Demographic characteristics, epidemiological data, clinical features, laboratory findings, type of treatment and clinical outcomes were compared among both groups. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients were included (62 patients with KD and 19 with MIS-C). several clinical and lab-oratory differences were found among these two entities. Median age was lower in KD vs. MIS-C (25 vs 79 months). Those finding more frequent in KD were male gender (64.5 vs. 47.4%), Mucocutaneous features (93.5 vs. 63.2%): Oral changes (83.9 vs. 63.2%) and extremity changes (77.4 vs. 57.9%); complete form of KD was (75.8 vs. 47.4%), Coronary artery aneurysm (16.1 vs. 11.8%). Secondly, findings that were more frequent in MIS-C than KD were Gastrointestinal involvement (89.4 vs. 9.6%), shock (57.9 vs. 3.2%), neurological symp-toms (63.1 vs. 11.2%), kidney involvement (52.6 vs. 16.1%), heart disease in general (52.9% vs 29%): Myocardial dysfunction (23.5 vs. 11.3%) and pericardial effusion (17.6 vs. 2.9%). Lymphocyte count (2.07 + 2.03 vs. 4.28 + 3.01/mm3), platelet count (197.89 + 187.51 vs. 420.37 + 200.08/mm3); serum albumin (2.29 + 0.65 vs. 3.33 + 0.06g/dL), and CPR (21.4 + 11.23 vs. 14.26 + 12.37 mg/dL). KD vs. MIS-C types of Treatment: IVIG (96.8 vs. 94.7%), systemic steroids (4.82 vs. 94.7%), IVIG resistance (19.4 vs. 15.8). Finally, mortality in KD was 0% and 5.3% in MIS-C. CONCLUSIONS: Similarities were found in both groups such as fever, rash, and conjunctivitis. Nevertheless, signifi-cant differences such as severity of clinical presentation with multi-organ involvement and worst inflammato-ry response were found more frequently in MIS-C group than KD group, requiring more fluid replacement, use of inotropic agents and higher steroids dosages. Also, mortality rate was higher in patients with MIS-C thanpatients with KD. Similar results have been observed in other studies where both disorders were compared.

OBJECTIVO: Evaluar las diferencias y similitudes en el cuadro clínico, los hallazgos de laboratorio y desenlaces médicos de pacientes pediátricos con enfermedad de Kawasaki versus síndrome inflamatorio multisistémico. MÉTODOS: Estudio comparativo y retrospectivo, efectuado en niños con enfermedad de Kawasaki, atendidos en el Hospital Pediátrico de Sinaloa, entre el 1 de enero de 2004 al 31 de marzo de 2020, y pacientes con sín-drome inflamatorio multisistémico (según los criterios de la Organización Mundial de la Salud), del 1 de mayo de 2020 al 31 de mayo de 2021. Se evaluaron las características demográficas, epidemiológicos y clínicas, además de los hallazgos de laboratorio, tipo de tratamiento y desenlaces clínicos en ambos grupos. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 81 pacientes: 62 con enfermedad de Kawasaki y 19 con síndrome inflamatorio mul-tisistémico. Se encontraron varias diferencias clínicas y de laboratorio en ambas alteraciones. La mediana de edad fue menor en pacientes con enfermedad de Kawasaki versus síndrome inflamatorio multisistémico (25 vs 79 meses). La mayoría de los pacientes con enfermedad de Kawasaki fueron hombres (64.5 vs 47.4%), con características mucocutáneas (93.5 vs 63.2%): cambios orales (83.9 vs 63.2%) y cambios en las extremidades (77.4 vs 57.9%); la forma completa de enfermedad de Kawasaki fue 75.8 vs 47.4%, concomitante con aneuris-ma de la arteria coronaria (16.1 vs 11.8%). Los hallazgos más frecuentes en sujetos con síndrome inflamatorio multisistémico fueron: afectación gastrointestinal (89.4 vs 9.6 %), choque (57.9 vs 3.2%), síntomas neurológicos (63.1 vs 11.2%), afectación renal (52.6 vs 16.1%) y cardiopatías en general (52.9 vs 29%): disfunción miocárdica (23.5 vs 11.3%) y derrame pericárdico (17.6 vs 2.9%). La concentración media de linfocitos fue: 2.07 + 2.03 vs4.28 + 3.01/mm3), plaquetas (197.89 + 187.51 vs 420.37 + 200.08/mm3); albúmina sérica (2.29 + 0.65 vs 3.33 + 0.06 g/dL) y PCR (21.4 + 11.23 vs 14.26 + 12.37 mg/dL). Los tratamientos en enfermedad de Kawasaki vssíndrome inflamatorio multisistémico: IVIG (96.8 vs 94.7%), corticosteroides sistémicos (4.82 vs 94.7%), resis-tencia a IVIG (19.4 vs 15.8). La mortalidad fue de 0 vs 5.3%. CONCLUSIONES: Se encontraron similitudes en cuanto a síntomas en ambos grupos (fiebre, exantema y conjun-tivitis); no obstante, hubo diferencias significativas respecto de las manifestaciones clínicas, con afección multiorgánico y peor respuesta inflamatoria en pacientes con síndrome inflamatorio multisistémico, incluso mayor requerimiento de reposición de líquidos, administración de agentes inotrópicos, dosis más altas de corticosteroides, y elevada tasa de mortalidad. Estos resultados se han observado en otros estudios, donde se compararon ambos trastornos.

Data Acquisition for Condition Monitoring in Tactical Vehicles: On-Board Computer Development.

This paper outlines the development of an onboard computer prototype for data registration, storage, transformation, and analysis. The system is intended for health and use monitoring systems in military tactical vehicles according to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Standard Agreement for designing vehicle systems using an open architecture. The processor includes a data processing pipeline with three main modules. The first module captures the data received from sensor sources and vehicle network buses, performs a data fusion, and saves the data in a local database or sends them to a remote system for further analysis and fleet management. The second module provides filtering, translation, and interpretation for fault detection; this module will be completed in the future with a condition analysis module. The third module is a communication module for web serving data and data distribution systems according to the standards for interoperability. This development will allow us to analyze the driving performance for efficiency, which helps us to know the vehicle's condition; the development will also help us deliver information for better tactical decisions in mission systems. This development has been implemented using open software, allowing us to measure the amount of data registered and filter only the relevant data for mission systems, which avoids communication bottlenecks. The on-board pre-analysis will help to conduct condition-based maintenance approaches and fault forecasting using the on-board uploaded fault models, which are trained off-board using the collected data.

Effects of blood pressure and tranexamic acid in spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage: a secondary analysis of a large randomised controlled trial.

Background: Tranexamic acid reduced haematoma expansion and early death, but did not improve functional outcome in the tranexamic acid for hyperacute spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage-2 (TICH-2) trial. In a predefined subgroup, there was a statistically significant interaction between prerandomisation baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP) and the effect of tranexamic acid on functional outcome (p=0.019). Methods: TICH-2 was an international prospective double-blind placebo-controlled randomised trial evaluating intravenous tranexamic acid in patients with acute spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). Prerandomisation baseline SBP was split into predefined ≤170 and >170 mm Hg groups. The primary outcome at day 90 was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), a measure of dependency, analysed using ordinal logistic regression. Haematoma expansion was defined as an increase in haematoma volume of >33% or >6 mL from baseline to 24 hours. Data are OR or common OR (cOR) with 95% CIs, with significance at p<0.05. Results: Of 2325 participants in TICH-2, 1152 had baseline SBP≤170 mm Hg and were older, had larger lobar haematomas and were randomised later than 1173 with baseline SBP>170 mm Hg. Tranexamic acid was associated with a favourable shift in mRS at day 90 in those with baseline SBP≤170 mm Hg (cOR 0.73, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.91, p=0.005), but not in those with baseline SBP>170 mm Hg (cOR 1.05, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.30, p=0.63). In those with baseline SBP≤170 mm Hg, tranexamic acid reduced haematoma expansion (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.82, p=0.001), but not in those with baseline SBP>170 mm Hg (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.35, p=0.90). Conclusions: Tranexamic acid was associated with improved clinical and radiological outcomes in ICH patients with baseline SBP≤170 mm Hg. Further research is needed to establish whether certain subgroups may benefit from tranexamic acid in acute ICH. Trial registration number: ISRCTN93732214.

Juventud y educación digital en tiempos de pandemia: el caso de una universidad mexicana

Los grupos que se han visto más impactado por la pandemia por COVID-19, en las instituciones de Educación Superior, fueron los estudiantes. Por tal motivo, se realizó un estudio con enfoque cualitativo en la Universidad Veracruzana, México, con la finalidad de conocer sus experiencias personales, tecnológicas y escolares durante la pandemia, así como sus expectativas post/pandemia. Los resultados invitan a reflexionar sobre diversas estrategias para el diseño de políticas educativas orientadas a apoyar la formación de los estudiantes universitarios. El presente trabajo de investigación se reconoce que las condiciones estructurales de la desigualdad social y brecha digital de los universitarios no son las más óptimas para su formación universitaria en modalidad presencial, virtual o hibrida, en este sentido, es posible detectar ciertas dificultades estructurantes en el ámbito escolar de los jóvenes universitarios y la falta de crear y constituir una universidad hibrida en las instituciones de educación superior.

The groups that have been most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, in Higher Education institutions, were the students. For this reason, a qualitative study was conducted at the Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico, in order to learn about their personal, technological, and school experiences during the pandemic, as well as their post-pandemic expectations. The results invite to reflect on different strategies for the design of educational policies geared to support the education of university students.

Unidad de Atención al Paciente Traqueostomizado. Una solución innovadora desde Otorrinolaringología con carácter transversal para el hospital / Tracheostomy Patient Care Unit. An innovative Otorhinolaryngology solution of a transversal nature for the hospital

Antecedentes y objetivo: Los cuidados de los pacientes traqueostomizados son habilidades de alto riesgo y baja incidencia. Las estrategias de mejora de la atención sanitaria en plantas hospitalarias y en especialidades distintas a la Otorrinolaringología (ORL) basadas únicamente en la formación no han sido capaces de ofrecer una solución adecuada. Se presenta un modelo de Unidad de Atención al Paciente Traqueostomizado dirigida por el Servicio de Otorrinolaringología para atender a todos los pacientes traqueostomizados de un hospital en todas las especialidades. Material y métodos Ámbito: hospital universitario público de tercer nivel con 876 camas de hospitalización y 30 camas de UCI para 481.296 habitantes. Modelo de Unidad: unidad transversal para el hospital proporcionando atención a todos los pacientes traqueostomizados, adultos y niños, de todas las especialidades, con dedicación del 50% de una enfermera de ORL de hospitalización que se desplaza hasta la cama de hospitalización de la especialidad de cada paciente y el 50% de otra enfermera de ORL de consultas externas para los pacientes ambulatorios, con la consultoría de un especialista en ORL y coordinación de la supervisora de ORL. Resultados Se atendió en la unidad a 572 pacientes entre 2016 y 2021, el 80% varones, con una media de edad de 63±14 años. Se atendieron 14,7±2 pacientes traqueostomizados diarios y 96±4 consultas por complicaciones anuales, elevándose hasta 19 pacientes traqueostomizados diarios en 2020 y 141±8,4 consultas por complicaciones en los años 2020 y 2021, durante la pandemia por COVID-19. Se redujo la estancia media de las especialidades no ORL en 13 días a lo largo de los 6 años del estudio, aumentando la satisfacción de los profesionales de ORL y de no ORL, y la satisfacción de los usuarios.... (AU)

Background and objective: The care of tracheostomized patients are high risk skills and low incidence. Strategies for improvement of health care in hospital wards and specialties other than otolaryngology based solely on training have not been able to offer an adequate solution. A tracheostomized patient unit is presented directed by the otolaryngology service to attend all tracheostomized hospitalized patients of all specialties. Material and methods Background: Third level public hospital with 876 hospitalization beds and 30 ICU beds for 481,296 inhabitants. Unit model: Transversal unit for the hospital providing attention to all tracheostomized patients, adults, and children, of all specialties, with dedication of 50% of a ENT nurse of hospitalization that moves to the hospitalization bed of the specialty of each patient and 50% of another office ENT nurse for ambulatory patients care, with the consultancy of an ENT specialist and coordinated by the ENT supervisor. Results 572 patients between 2016 and 2021, 80% men, aged 63±14 years, were attended in the unit. 14.7±2 tracheostomized patients daily and 96±4 complication annual consultations were attended, rising up to 19 tracheostomized patients daily by 2020 and 141±8.4 consultations by complications in 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mean stay of the non-ENT specialties was reduced in 13 days, increasing the satisfaction of the ENT and non-ENT professionals and the satisfaction of the users. ... (AU)

Tracheostomy Patient Care Unit. An innovative Otorhinolaryngology solution of a transversal nature for the hospital.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The care of tracheostomized patients are high risk skills and low incidence. Strategies for improvement of health care in hospital wards and specialties other than otolaryngology based solely on training have not been able to offer an adequate solution. A tracheostomized patient unit is presented directed by the otolaryngology service to attend all tracheostomized hospitalised patients of all specialties. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Background: Third level public hospital with 876 hospitalisation beds and 30 ICU beds for 481,296 inhabitants. Unit model: Transversal unit for the hospital providing attention to all tracheostomized patients, adults, and children, of all specialties, with dedication of 50% of a ENT nurse of hospitalisation that moves to the hospitalisation bed of the specialty of each patient and 50% of another office ENT nurse for ambulatory patients care, with the consultancy of an ENT specialist and coordinated by the ENT supervisor. RESULTS: 572 patients between 2016 and 2021, 80% men, aged 63 ± 14 years, were attended in the Unit. 14.7 ± 2 tracheostomized patients daily and 96 ± 4 complication annual consultations were attended, rising up to 19 tracheostomized patients daily by 2020 and 141 ± 8.4 consultations by complications in 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mean stay of the non-ENT specialties was reduced in 13 days, increasing the satisfaction of the ENT and non-ENT professionals and the satisfaction of the users. CONCLUSIONS: A Tracheostomized Patient Care Unit proactively directed from the Otorhinolaryngology Service to transversally care for all tracheostomized patients improves the quality of health care by reducing stay, complications, and emergencies. Improves the satisfaction of non-otolaryngological professionals by reducing the anxiety of facing care of patients who lack knowledge and experience and that of ENT specialists and nurses by reducing unplanned extemporaneous demands for care. Improves user satisfaction by perceiving adequate continuity of care. The Otorhinolaryngology Services provide their experience in the management of laryngectomized and tracheostomized patients and in teamwork with other specialists and professionals without the need to create new structures outside Otorhinolaryngology.

DNA barcoding and morphology reveal European and western Asian Arctiavillica (Linnaeus, 1758) as a complex of species (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae).

Currently, the genus Arctia Schrank, 1802 includes approximately 16 species in the Palaearctic region, depending on the taxonomic interpretation. Here, populations of the Arctiavillica (Linnaeus, 1758) morphospecies complex were studied from Europe to the Middle East (Turkey, northern Iran) by molecular methods. Morphological treatment has traditionally revealed the presence of five nominal taxa: A.villica (Linnaeus, 1758), A.angelica (Boisduval, 1829), A.konewkaii (Freyer, 1831), A.marchandi de Freina, 1983, and A.confluens Romanoff, 1884. The molecular approach tests whether they represent well-delimited species. Subsequently, this study corroborates the suitability of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) marker sequence for species delimitation. In total, 55 barcodes of the Arctiavillica complex were compared, and two molecular species delimitation algorithms were applied to reveal the potential Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs), namely the distance-based Barcode Index Number (BIN) System, and the hierarchical clustering algorithm based on a pairwise genetic distances approach using the Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP). The applied ASAP distance-based species delimitation method for the analysed dataset revealed an interspecific threshold of 2.0-3.5% K2P distance as suitable for species identification purposes of the Iberian A.angelica and the Sicilian A.konewkaii and less than 2% for the three taxa of the A.villica clade: A.villica, A.confluens, and A.marchandi. This study contributes to a better understanding of the taxonomy of the genus Arctia and challenges future revision of this genus in Turkey, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia as well as northern Iran using standard molecular markers.

Correction: Effect of non-covalent self-dimerization on the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of mixed Cu(i) complexes.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D2RA05341A.].

Prognosis Factors of Patients Undergoing Renal Replacement Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Survival in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on renal replacement therapy (RRT) is less than that of the general population of the same age, and depends on patient factors, the medical care received, and the type of RRT used. The objective of this study is to analyze the factors associated with survival in patients undergoing RRT. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study of adult patients with an incident of ESKD on RRT in Andalusia from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2018. Patient characteristics, nephrological care received, and survival from the beginning of RRT were evaluated. A survival model for the patient was developed according to the variables studied. RESULTS: A total of 11,551 patients were included. Median survival was 6.8 years (95% CI (6.6; 7.0)). After starting RRT, survival at one year and five years was 88.7% (95% CI (88.1; 89.3)) and 59.4% (95% CI (58.4; 60.4)), respectively. Age, initial comorbidity, diabetic nephropathy, and a venous catheter were independent risk factors. However, non-urgent initiation of RRT and follow-up in consultations for more than six months had a protective effect. It was identified that renal transplantation (RT) was the most influential independent factor in patient survival, with a risk ratio of 0.13 (95% CI (0.11; 0.14)). CONCLUSIONS: The receiving of a kidney transplant was the most beneficial modifiable factor in the survival of incident patients on RRT. We consider that the mortality of the renal replacement treatment should be adjusted, taking into account both modifiable and nonmodifiable factors to achieve a more precise and comparable interpretation.

A General-Purpose Distributed Analytic Platform Based on Edge Computing and Computational Intelligence Applied on Smart Grids.

Currently, in many data landscapes, the information is distributed across various sources and presented in diverse formats. This fragmentation can pose a significant challenge to the efficient application of analytical methods. In this sense, distributed data mining is mainly based on clustering or classification techniques, which are easier to implement in distributed environments. However, the solution to some problems is based on the usage of mathematical equations or stochastic models, which are more difficult to implement in distributed environments. Usually, these types of problems need to centralize the required information, and then a modelling technique is applied. In some environments, this centralization may cause an overloading of the communication channels due to massive data transmission and may also cause privacy issues when sending sensitive data. To mitigate this problem, this paper describes a general-purpose distributed analytic platform based on edge computing for distributed networks. Through the distributed analytical engine (DAE), the calculation process of the expressions (that requires data from diverse sources) is decomposed and distributed between the existing nodes, and this allows sending partial results without exchanging the original information. In this way, the master node ultimately obtains the result of the expressions. The proposed solution is examined using three different computational intelligence algorithms, i.e., genetic algorithm, genetic algorithm with evolution control, and particle swarm optimization, to decompose the expression to be calculated and to distribute the calculation tasks between the existing nodes. This engine has been successfully applied in a case study focused on the calculation of key performance indicators of a smart grid, achieving a reduction in the number of communication messages by more than 91% compared to the traditional approach.

SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies in Mexican Population: A Five Vaccine Comparison.

Neutralizing antibodies (NAs) are key immunological markers and are part of the humoral response of the adaptive immune system. NA assays determine the presence of functional antibodies to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. We performed a real-world evidence study to detect NAs that confer protection against SARS-CoV-2 after the application of five vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Moderna, and CanSino) in the Mexican population. Side effects of COVID-19 vaccines and clinical and demographic factors associated with low immunogenicity were also evaluated. A total of 242 SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated subjects were recruited. Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna proved the highest percentage of inhibition in a mono-vaccine scheme. Muscular pain, headache, and fatigue were the most common adverse events. None of the patients reported severe adverse events. We found an estimated contagion-free time of 207 (IQR: 182-231) and 187 (IQR: 184-189) days for Pfizer/BioNTech and CanSino in 12 cases in each group. On the basis of our results, we consider that the emerging vaccination strategy in Mexico is effective and safe.

Symptomatic subgemmal neurogenous plaque in patients with COVID-19: Is there an association?

BACKGROUND: Subgemmal neurogenous plaques (SNP) are composed of neural structures found in the posterolateral portion of the tongue, rarely biopsied as most of them are asymptomatic or eventually only clinically managed. We aimed to investigate a case series of possible correlation of symptomatic subgemmal neurogenous plaque (SNP) with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: Eleven formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded cases from patients with previous confirmed COVID-19 (by RT-PCR) were retrieved from two pathology files. Histological sections were morphologically studied, and then submitted to immunohistochemical reactions against S-100 and neurofilament proteins, neuron-specific enolase, Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), synaptophysin, CD56, Ki67, cytokeratins (7, 8-18, 19, 20), nucleocapsid and spike proteins (SARS-CoV-1; and -2) and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) antibodies. Clinical data were retrieved from the patients' medical files, including the symptoms and the complete history of the progression of the disease. RESULTS: The patients who had COVID-19 included in this study experienced painful lesions in the tongue that corresponded to prominent or altered SNP. Microscopically, neural structures were positive for S-100, GFAP and neurofilament protein. And the cellular proliferative index (by Ki-67) was very low. CONCLUSION: Thus, based on the current results, we hypothesize that symptomatic SNP may be a late manifestation of COVID-19 infection.

Identification of Germline Variants in Patients with Hereditary Cancer Syndromes in Northeast Mexico.

Hereditary cancer syndromes (HCS) are genetic diseases with an increased risk of developing cancer. This research describes the implementation of a cancer prevention model, genetic counseling, and germline variants testing in an oncologic center in Mexico. A total of 315 patients received genetic counseling, genetic testing was offered, and 205 individuals were tested for HCS. In 6 years, 131 (63.90%) probands and 74 (36.09%) relatives were tested. Among the probands, we found that 85 (63.9%) had at least one germline variant. We identified founder mutations in BRCA1 and a novel variant in APC that led to the creation of an in-house detection process for the whole family. The most frequent syndrome was hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC) (41 cases with BRCA1 germline variants in most of the cases), followed by eight cases of hereditary non-polyposic cancer syndrome (HNPCC or Lynch syndrome) (with MLH1 as the primarily responsible gene), and other high cancer risk syndromes. Genetic counseling in HCS is still a global challenge. Multigene panels are an essential tool to detect the variants frequency. Our program has a high detection rate of probands with HCS and pathogenic variants (40%), compared with other reports that detect 10% in other populations.