Rapid and Low-Cost Detection and Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Titers of ICU Patients with Respiratory Deterioration Using a Handheld Thermo-Photonic Device.

While research suggests that COVID-19 vaccines are effective in producing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that reduce the risk of COVID-19 and its potentially severe complications, how long these antibodies persist after the infection/vaccination is unknown. Longitudinal studies and rapid and scalable platforms are needed for large-scale sero-diagnosis and vaccine evaluation. In this study, we examine the efficacy of our recently-developed handheld thermo-photonic device for rapid and low-cost assessment of the adaptive immune response of COVID+ and COVID- patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at a local hospital due to respiratory deterioration. Antibody testing included detection and quantification of IgG and IgM via thermo-photonic sensing of a commercially available COVID-19 IgG/IgM rapid test as well as standard measurements with quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (qELISA). The results demonstrate that the thermo-photonic reader in conjunction with COVID-19 IgG/IgM test cassettes can detect and quantify IgG levels in COVID-19 antibody assays within the clinically relevant range and with a high correlation to those obtained from qELISA. We also found that the IgG antibody is more reliable for detecting individuals with an adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 compared to the IgM antibody. The developed reader offers a low-cost, portable, and scalable solution for accessing the antibody titer of individuals against SARS-CoV-2 and can be used in local hospital settings.

Percepción de los estudiantes de Kinesiología y Fisioterapia sobre la calidad del aula virtual

RESUMEN Introducción: la pandemia de COVID-19 ha hecho que la enseñanza en instituciones de educación superior de casi todo el mundo cambié drásticamente de la modalidad física presencial a la virtual. Objetivo: conocer la percepción que tienen los estudiantes de Kinesiología y Fisioterapia de Paraguay sobre la calidad del aula virtual en el contexto de la pandemia de COVID-19. Metodología: estudio observacional, exploratorio, descriptivo de corte transverso, prospectivo, con muestreo no probabilístico, de casos consecutivos. Un instrumento en línea fue compartido a través de las redes sociales y aplicaciones de mensajería, con el fin de estudiar características sociodemográficas y socioeconómicas, así como aquellas relacionadas a la calidad educativa. Para esto último se utilizó el "Cuestionario de Evaluación de la Calidad de los cursos virtuales de Educación Social, Calidad General del Entorno y de la Metodología Didáctica" de Santoveña Casal. Resultados: 331 estudiantes participaron de la investigación. El 74,62 % fue del sexo femenino con una edad media de 23,06±4,9. El 93,35 % utilizó por primera vez el aula virtual. Respecto a la calidad del aula virtual, el 45,62 % de los participantes manifestó que se presta "algo" de atención al proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje y el 47,43 % mencionó que es "algo" eficaz y eficiente. 32,63 % de los participantes respondió que "muy poco" se compensa la inversión económica con la calidad del curso. Conclusión: hoy en día existe un nuevo quehacer en las labores docentes, y donde elementos de la virtualidad han comenzado a utilizarse con el objetivo de no frenar los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Nuestra investigación pone de manifiesto que la mayoría de los participantes ha utilizado por primera vez un aula virtual durante esta pandemia y, además, nos permite tener una lectura preliminar sobre la calidad de la misma en estos tiempos tan complejos.

ABSTRACT Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused teaching in higher education institutions around the world to drastically change from physical to virtual mode. Objective: To know the perception of Kinesiology and Physiotherapy students in Paraguay about the quality of the virtual classroom in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: observational, exploratory, descriptive, cross-sectional, prospective study, with non-probability sampling, of consecutive cases. An online instrument was shared through social networks and messaging applications, in order to study sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, as well as those related to educational quality. For the latter, the "Cuestionario de Evaluación de la Calidad de los cursos virtuales de Educación Social, Calidad General del Entorno y de la Metodología Didáctica" by Santoveña Casal was used. Results: 331 students participated in the research. 74.62% were female with a mean age of 23.06±4.9. 93.35% used the virtual classroom for the first time. Regarding the quality of the virtual classroom, 45.62% of the participants stated that "some" attention is paid to the teaching-learning process and 47.43% mentioned that it is "somewhat" effective and efficient. 32.63% of the participants responded that "very little" is compensated for the economic investment with the quality of the course. Conclusion: Today there is a new task in the teaching work, and where elements of virtuality have begun to be used with the aim of not slowing down the teaching-learning processes. Our research shows that most of the participants have used a virtual classroom for the first time during this pandemic and, in addition, it allows us to have a preliminary reading on the quality of it in these complex times.

Cell therapy with intravascular administration of mesenchymal stromal cells continues to appear safe: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Characterization of the mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) safety profile is important as this novel therapy continues to be evaluated in clinical trials for various inflammatory conditions. Due to an increase in published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from 2012-2019, we performed an updated systematic review to further characterize the MSC safety profile. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science (to May 2018) were searched. RCTs that compared intravascular delivery of MSCs to controls in adult populations were included. Pre-specified adverse events were grouped according to: (1) immediate, (2) infection, (3) thrombotic/embolic, and (4) longer-term events (mortality, malignancy). Adverse events were pooled and meta-analyzed by fitting inverse-variance binary random effects models. Primary and secondary clinical efficacy endpoints were summarized descriptively. FINDINGS: 7473 citations were reviewed and 55 studies met inclusion criteria (n = 2696 patients). MSCs as compared to controls were associated with an increased risk of fever (Relative Risk (RR) = 2·48, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1·27-4·86; I2 = 0%), but not non-fever acute infusional toxicity, infection, thrombotic/embolic events, death, or malignancy (RR = 1·16, 0·99, 1·14, 0·78, 0·93; 95% CI = 0·70-1·91, 0·81-1·21, 0·67-1·95, 0·65-0·94, 0·60-1·45; I2 = 0%, 0%, 0%, 0%, 0%). No included trials were ended prematurely due to safety concerns. INTERPRETATIONS: MSC therapy continues to exhibit a favourable safety profile. Future trials should continue to strengthen study rigor, reporting of MSC characterization, and adverse events. FUNDING: Stem Cell Network, Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Ontario Research Fund.

Systemic angiopoietin-1/2 dysregulation following cardiopulmonary bypass in adults.

AIM: Vascular leakage following cardiopulmonary bypass contributes to morbidity. Angiopoietin-1 and -2 are biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction. Our aim was to characterize Ang-1 and -2 association with clinical characteristics and outcomes. METHODS: Observational cohort study measuring Ang-1/-2 with a panel of cytokines in adults undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. RESULTS: Ang-2 levels increased immediately postop whereas Ang-1 levels decreased over time. No significant correlation was found with other inflammatory mediators. High correlation was found between the hospital length of stay and Ang-2 increase at 24 h (rho = 0.590; p < 0.0001). The predictors of Ang-2 increase were female gender, cross clamp time, transfusion of blood and absence of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor as a pre-op medication. CONCLUSION: Angiopoietins can detect vascular leakage early and could impact patient's management to decrease length of stay after cardiac surgery.

The RECOVER Program: Disability Risk Groups and 1-Year Outcome after 7 or More Days of Mechanical Ventilation.

RATIONALE: Disability risk groups and 1-year outcome after greater than or equal to 7 days of mechanical ventilation (MV) in medical/surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients are unknown and may inform education, prognostication, rehabilitation, and study design. OBJECTIVES: To stratify patients for post-ICU disability and recovery to 1 year after critical illness. METHODS: We evaluated a multicenter cohort of 391 medical/surgical ICU patients who received greater than or equal to 1 week of MV at 7 days and 3, 6, and 12 months after ICU discharge. Disability risk groups were identified using recursive partitioning modeling. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The 7-day post-ICU Functional Independence Measure (FIM) determined the recovery trajectory to 1-year after ICU discharge and was an independent risk factor for 1-year mortality. The 7-day post-ICU FIM was predicted by age and ICU length of stay. By 2 weeks of MV, ICU patients could be stratified into four disability groups characterized by increasing risk for post ICU disability, ICU and post-ICU healthcare use, and disposition. Patients less than 42 years with ICU length of stay less than 2 weeks had the best function and fewest deaths at 1 year compared with patients greater than 66 years with ICU length of stay greater than 2 weeks who sustained the worst disability and 40% 1-year mortality. Depressive symptoms (17%) and post-traumatic stress disorder (18%) persisted at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: ICU survivors of greater than or equal to 1 week of MV may be stratified into four disability groups based on age and ICU length of stay. These groups determine 1-year recovery and healthcare use and are independent of admitting diagnosis and illness severity. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 00896220).

Burnout em profissionais que trabalham no atendimento a vítimas de violência / Burnout in professionals who work in caring for victims of violence

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a Síndrome de Burnout em profissionais que atendem vítimas de violência em instituições. Também procurou identificar associações das dimensões de burnout com variáveis demográficas, laborais e psicossociais. Foi utilizado como instrumento de pesquisa o MBI - Maslach Burnout Inventory e um questionário elaborado especificamente para este estudo para as demais variáveis. A amostra de conveniência foi constituída de 30 profissionais que atendem diretamente vítimas deviolência. Resultados obtidos através da prova t de student, ANOVA e correlação de Pearson revelam que as dimensões de burnout se associaram à carga horária desenvolvida, ao tempo de experiência na função e no local, ao pensamento de desistir da profissão, a satisfação percebida no trabalho e a percepção de que a profissão é estressante.(AU)

The aim of this study is to evaluate the Burnout Syndrome in professionals who work in caring for victims of violence. It also tried to identify associations of burnout dimensions with demographic, professional and psychosocial variables. The MBI- Maslach Burnout Inventory and a questionnaire specially designed for this study and other variables were used as a research tool. The sample was made up of 30 professionals and a protection foundation. Results obtained through the test of t de student, ANOVA and the correlation of Pearson reveal that the burnout dimension is associated with the amount of hours spent, the experience in the position and in the place, the thoughts of giving upthe profession, job satisfaction, and the perception of how stressful the profession is.(AU)

Burnout em profissionais que trabalham no atendimento a vítimas de violência / Burnout in professionals who work in caring for victims of violence

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a Síndrome de Burnout em profissionais que atendem vítimas de violência em instituições. Também procurou identificar associações das dimensões de burnout com variáveis demográficas, laborais e psicossociais. Foi utilizado como instrumento de pesquisa o MBI - Maslach Burnout Inventory e um questionário elaborado especificamente para este estudo para as demais variáveis. A amostra de conveniência foi constituída de 30 profissionais que atendem diretamente vítimas de violência. Resultados obtidos através da prova t de student, ANOVA e correlação de Pearson revelam que as dimensões de burnout se associaram à carga horária desenvolvida, ao tempo de experiência na função e no local, ao pensamento de desistir da profissão, a satisfação percebida no trabalho e a percepção de que a profissão é estressante.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the Burnout Syndrome in professionals who work in caring for victims of violence. It also tried to identify associations of burnout dimensions with demographic, professional and psychosocial variables. The MBI- Maslach Burnout Inventory and a questionnaire specially designed for this study and other variables were used as a research tool. The sample was made up of 30 professionals and a protection foundation. Results obtained through the test of t de student, ANOVA and the correlation of Pearson reveal that the burnout dimension is associated with the amount of hours spent, the experience in the position and in the place, the thoughts of giving up the profession, job satisfaction, and the perception of how stressful the profession is.

Diagnóstico de enfermagem e intervenções a gestantes atendidas em uma Unidade de Saúde da Família / Nursing diagnoses and interventions to pregnant women attended in a Family Health Unit

Trata-se de um estudo retrospectivo, analítico descritivo, realizado na Unidade de Saúde da Família Vila Real, em Marília – SP-, cujos objetivos foram elaborar os diagnósticos de enfermagem segundo a classificação da North American Diagnoses Association (NANDA), e elaborar as intervenções de enfermagem para estes diagnósticos, tendo por base a análise de prontuários das 40 gestantes cadastradas no programa de pré-natal da referida Unidade. A coleta de dados nos prontuários foi realizada no período de primeiro de abril a quatro de agosto de 2005. Foram elaborados 11 diagnósticos de enfermagem: náuseas, disfunção sexual, fadiga, padrão do sono perturbado, dor crônica, volume de líquido excessivo, risco para amamentação ineficaz, eliminação urinária prejudicada, nutrição desequilibrada maior ou menor que as necessidades corporais e risco para maternidade ou paternidade prejudicada. As intervenções de enfermagem para cada um destes diagnósticos foram elaboradas de acordo com a literatura pertinente. Ao concluirmos o trabalho, verificamos que o levantamento dos diagnósticos e das intervenções de enfermagem proporcionou aos enfermeiros uma adequação na condução do processo de trabalho.