Microalgae Biomass as a New Potential Source of Sustainable Green Lubricants.

Lubricants are materials able to reduce friction and/or wear of any type of moving surfaces facilitating smooth operations, maintaining reliable machine functions, and reducing risks of failures while contributing to energy savings. At present, most worldwide used lubricants are derived from crude oil. However, production, usage and disposal of these lubricants have significant impact on environment and health. Hence, there is a growing pressure to reduce demand of this sort of lubricants, which has fostered development and use of green lubricants, as vegetable oil-based lubricants (biolubricants). Despite the ecological benefits of producing/using biolubricants, availability of the required raw materials and agricultural land to create a reliable chain supply is still far from being established. Recently, biomass from some microalgae species has attracted attention due to their capacity to produce high-value lipids/oils for potential lubricants production. Thus, this multidisciplinary work reviews the main chemical-physical characteristics of lubricants and the main attempts and progress on microalgae biomass production for developing oils with pertinent lubricating properties. In addition, potential microalgae strains and chemical modifications to their oils to produce lubricants for different industrial applications are identified. Finally, a guide for microalgae oil selection based on its chemical composition for specific lubricant applications is provided.

Strategies for decreasing the O2 content in the upgraded biogas purified via microalgae-based technology.

Microalgae-bacteria consortium based technology using a High Rate Algal Pond (HRAP) interconnected to an Absorption Bubble Column (ABC) has emerged as an environmentally friendly promising option to upgrade biogas. However, the oxygenic photosynthesis of microalgae induces oxygen contamination in upgraded biogas, which could limit its further applications. Several strategies were proposed to favor the oxygen desorption and oxygen uptake in parts and accessories of the upgrading system. The effect of the volumetric ratio liquid recirculation rate/biogas rate (L/G = 5.0, 1.0 y 0.5) was evaluated in conjunction with the application of a novel accessory called Open Trickling Column (OTC). The O2 content in upgraded biogas was around 2.1%v, attaining CO2 removal efficiencies around 90%, at L/G ratio of 1.0 during diurnal and nocturnal periods. The inclusion of an OTC at the previous L/G, enhanced 54% the removal of O2 by stripping and uptake compared with the basal condition. Mass balances of H2S and methane showed that L/G > 1.0 favored the complete oxidation of H2S but promoted the loss of methane in dissolved form. Additionally the effect of increasing linear velocity of liquid broth in the lab-scale HRAP (from 15 cm s-1 to 20 cm s-1) showed to improve the O2 stripping with a consequential increase of biomass concentration under steady-state (from 0.7 to 1.4 g L-1) besides achieving O2 content in the upgraded biogas around 1.5%v.

Phospholipid Signaling Is a Component of the Salicylic Acid Response in Plant Cell Suspension Cultures.

Salicylic acid (SA) is an important signaling molecule involved in plant defense. While many proteins play essential roles in SA signaling, increasing evidence shows that responses to SA appear to involve and require lipid signals. The phospholipid-generated signal transduction involves a family of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis or phosphorylation of phospholipids in membranes to generate signaling molecules, which are important in the plant cellular response. In this review, we focus first, the role of SA as a mitigator in biotic/abiotic stress. Later, we describe the experimental evidence supporting the phospholipid-SA connection in plant cells, emphasizing the roles of the secondary lipid messengers (phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and phosphatidic acid (PA)) and related enzymes (phospholipase D (PLD) and phospholipase C (PLC)). By placing these recent finding in context of phospholipids and SA in plant cells, we highlight the role of phospholipids as modulators in the early steps of SA triggered transduction in plant cells.

Fate of H2S during the cultivation of Chlorella sp. deployed for biogas upgrading.

The H2S may play a key role in the sulfur cycle among the biogas production by the anaerobic digestion of wastes and the biogas upgrading by a microalgae based technology. The biogas is upgraded by contacting with slightly alkaline aqueous microalgae culture, then CO2 and H2S are absorbed. The dissolved H2S could limit or inhibit the microalgae growth. This paper evaluated the role of dissolved H2S and other sulfured byproducts under prevailing biogas upgrading conditions using a microalgal technology. At initial stages of batch cultivation the growth of Chlorella sp. was presumably inhibited by dissolved H2S. After 2 days, the sulfides were oxidized mainly by oxic chemical reactions to sulfate, which was later rapidly assimilated by Chlorella sp., allowing high growing rates. The fate of H2S during the microalgae cultivation at pH > 8.5 was assessed by a mathematical model where the pentasulfide, thiosulfate and sulfite were firstly produced and converted finally to sulfate for posterior assimilation.

Effect of microalgae inoculation on the start-up of microalgae-bacteria systems treating municipal, piggery and digestate wastewaters.

The effect of the inoculation of a microalgae-bacteria system on the removal of nutrients and organic matter using municipal, piggery and digestate wastewaters was evaluated. Three conditions for each substrate were evaluated: (1) inoculation with activated sludge and illumination, (2) inoculation with activated sludge without illumination, and (3) inoculation with activated sludge plus a native microalgae consortium under illumination. The illuminated reactors that were inoculated only with activated sludge developed microalgae after 12 operation days. In these reactors, the formation of flocs was observed affecting the sedimentation of the biomass positively. The removal of chemical oxygen demand, ammonium and phosphorous reached 84%, 65% and 77%, respectively.

[Assessment of progesterone levels on the day of the hCG administration as a predictor of success of antagonist stimulation protocols for IVF]. / Evaluación de la concentración de progesterona el día de la administración de hCG como predictor de éxito en protocolos de estimulación con antagonista para fertilización in vitro.

BACKGROUND: There are reports of deleterious effect when progesterone concentration is high during the follicular phase in cycles of in vitro fertilization. In our environment has not carried out a study to evaluate the pregnancy rate compared with progesterone concentration on the day of application of hCG. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pregnancy rate and outcome of in vitro fertilization cycle according to serum progesterone concentration on the day of application of hCG. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study of 486 cycles of in vitro fertilization was done in the Centro Mexicano de Fertilidad of CEPAM (Hospital Angeles de las Lomas) from January 2009 to February 2014. We included all cases where it was used a stimulation protocol GnRH antagonist flexible scheme. RESULTS: When levels of progesterone are high, those of estradiol are also high and the number of retrieved oocytes and oocyte quality are lower. There was no difference in the percentage of fertilization, but at higher concentration of progesterone lower percentage of embryonic segmentation. Difference was recorded in the pregnancy rate only when progesterone concentration on the day of hCG application was > 4 ng/mL. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy rate decreases when the concentration of progesterone on the day of hCG application is ≥ 4 ng/mL.

[Effect of sexual abstinence on pregnancy rates after an intrauterine insemination]. / Efecto de la abstinencia sexual en las tasas de embarazo posterior a inseminación intrauterine.

BACKGROUND: There are many studies showing that more days of sexual abstinence increased sperm concentration, however, the direct influence between the days of abstinence and pregnancy rates has not been evaluated. The usual recommendation is 3-4 days prior to intrauterine insemination; this based on the interval that maximizes the number of motile sperm in the ejaculate. There are some reports with better success rate when abstinence is less than three days. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pregnancy rate post-intrauterine insemination according to days of sexual abstinence prior to obtaining semen sample. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective, observational and transversal study in patients attending the Mexican Center for Fertility (CEPAM) to intrauterine insemination. For analysis patients were grouped by age group, success rate and days of sexual abstinence. Continuous variables are reported as means and standard deviations; to determine statistical significance univariate logistic regression was performed. Categorical variables were evaluated in frequencies and percentages. The calculations were performed using JMP software program. RESULTS: 3,123 couples were included and increased success rate for intrauterine insemination was obtained with less than seven days of sexual abstinence. The rate of sperm retrieval is inversely proportional to the days of abstinence. CONCLUSION: A better pregnancy rate in intrauterine insemination was achieved with less than seven days of sexual abstinence and sperm retrieval rate was also recorded with fewer days of abstinence.

Microalgal-biotechnology as a platform for an integral biogas upgrading and nutrient removal from anaerobic effluents.

The potential of a pilot high rate algal pond (HRAP) interconnected via liquid recirculation with an external absorption column for the simultaneous removal of H2S and CO2 from biogas using an alkaliphilic microalgal-bacterial consortium was evaluated. A bubble column was preferred as external absorption unit to a packed bed column based on its ease of operation, despite showing a comparable CO2 mass transfer capacity. When the combined HRAP-bubble column system was operated under continuous mode with mineral salt medium at a biogas residence time of 30 min in the absorption column, the system removed 100% of the H2S (up to 5000 ppmv) and 90% of the CO2 supplied, with O2 concentrations in the upgraded biogas below 0.2%. The use of diluted centrates as a free nutrient source resulted in a gradual decrease in CO2 removal to steady values of 40%, while H2S removal remained at 100%. The anaerobic digestion of the algal-bacterial biomass produced during biogas upgrading resulted in a CH4 yield of 0.21-0.27 L/gVS, which could satisfy up to 60% of the overall energy demand for biogas upgrading. This proof of concept study confirmed that algal-bacterial photobioreactors can support an integral upgrading without biogas contamination, with a net negative CO2 footprint, energy production, and a reduction of the eutrophication potential of the residual anaerobic effluents.

[Prevalence of clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism during pregnancy in a pregnant women population]. / Prevalencia de hipotiroidismo clínico y subclínico durante la gestación en una población de mujeres embarazadas.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of hypothyroidism during pregnancy in a group of pregnant patients attending antenatal care at the National Institute of Perinatology and to meet cases not detected by universal screening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Was conducted from October 2012 to March 2013, in a group of pregnant patients attending to National Institute of Perinatology, thyroid profile was performed according to the recom- mendations of the American Thyroid Association. Patients were referred to endocrinology consultation and treatment was started in case of abnormal thyroid profile. We used central tendency and non-parametric measures for description of the sample. RESULTS: The prevalence of thyroid disease in pregnancy was 33.9% (n = 37), 12.8% (n = 14) with clinical hypothyroidism and 21.1% (n = 23) subclinical hypothyroidism. The 87.1% (n = 95) of patients reported at least one symptom or risk factor history for thyroid disease, only 12.8% (n = 14), had no history or symptoms related to thyroid disease. There is no relationship between a history or symptoms reported and the presence of thyroid disease. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of thyroid clinical and subclinical disease is greater than that reported in the literature. There is not relationship with each risk factor for thyroid disease. Perform universal screening detects almost twice thyroid disease during pregnancy.

[Unselective single embryo transfer: chances of pregnancy related to operator experience]. / Transferencia no selectiva de embrón único: posibilidades de embarazo relacionadas con la experiencia del operador.

BACKGROUND: Selection of best quality embryo aims to achieve higher success rate, the pregnancy is unique and therefore obstetric risks are reduced. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pregnancy rate with no transfer of selected single embryo (TSSE) three days versus the experience of the physician performing the embryo transfer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional observational study in 159 patients Mexican Fertility Center in CEPAM protocol in vitro fertilization any indication, other ovulatory disorders and who was only possible obtain an embryo to be transferred in three day. For the analysis were grouped according to age, number of cells of the embryo transfer day and the doctor performed. Continuous variables are reported as means and standard deviations and univariate logistic regression was performed to determine statistical significance. Categorical variables were evaluated in frequencies and percentages. The calculations were performed with the software JMP. RESULTS: Protocol of single-embryo transfer not selected in three day pregnancy rate of 17% was obtained, with lower rates in women over 40 years of age and older embryos of more than 9 cells but also higher rate abortion. More experienced doctors achieved better pregnancy rates. CONCLUSION: This is the first study in Mexican population to assess the possibility of pregnancy with single embryo transfer in selected post-harvest with a three day success rate of 17% and first-order variables: number of cells on the day of transfer and experience of the physician who performed the procedure.

Biogas Purification through the use of a Microalgae-Bacterial System in Semi-Industrial High Rate Algal Ponds.

In recent years, a number of technologies have emerged to purify biogas into biomethane. This purification entails a reduction in the concentration of polluting gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide to increase the content of methane. In this study, we used a microalgal cultivation technology to treat and purify biogas produced from organic waste from the swine industry to obtain ready-to-use biomethane. For cultivation and purification, two 22.2 m3 open-pond photobioreactors coupled with an absorption-desorption column system were set up in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico. Several recirculation liquid/biogas ratios (L/G) were tested to obtain the highest removal efficiencies; other parameters, such as pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, and biomass growth, were measured. The most efficient L/Gs were 1.6 and 2.5, resulting in a treated biogas effluent with a composition of 6.8%vol and 6.6%vol in CO2, respectively, and removal efficiencies for H2S up to 98.9%, as well as maintaining O2 contamination values of less than 2%vol. We found that pH greatly determines CO2 removal, more so than L/G, during cultivation because of its participation in the photosynthetic process of microalgae and its ability to vary pH when solubilized due to its acidic nature. DO, and temperature oscillated as expected from the light-dark natural cycles of photosynthesis and the time of day, respectively. Biomass growth varied with CO2 and nutrient feeding as well as reactor harvesting; however, the trend remained primed for growth.

Optimization of Zebrafish Larvae 6-OHDA Exposure for Neurotoxin Induced Dopaminergic Marker Reduction.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is clinically assessed by motor symptoms associated with the loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons affecting the quality of life for over 8.5 million people worldwide. The neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) has been used to chemically induce a PD-like state in zebrafish larvae by several laboratories; however, highly variable concentration, methodology, and reagents have resulted in conflicting results suggesting a need to investigate these issues of reproducibility. We propose a protocol that addresses the differences in methodology and induces changes in 6 days postfertilization (dpf) larvae utilizing a 24-h exposure at 3 dpf with 30 µM 6-OHDA. Despite ∼50% lethality, no morphological or development differences in surviving fish are observed. Definition of our model is defined by downregulation of the expression of th1 by reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, a marker for dopaminergic neurons and a reduction in movement. Additionally, we observed a downregulation of pink1 and an upregulation of sod1 and sod2, indicators of mitochondrial dysfunction and response to reactive oxygen species, respectively.

[Cognitive, Emotional and Dependency Level on Institutionalized Older Adults]. / Estado cognitivo, emocional y nivel de dependencia en personas adultas y mayores institucionalizadas.

INTRODUCTION: It is necessary to analyze the aging process in institutionalized older people. For this purpose, a descriptive and analytical epidemiological study was carried out in nursing homes for older adults before the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: Provide an in-depth insight into cognitive (MEC), emotional (Geriatric Depression Scale), and functional (Barthel Scale) status within the older adult participants. METHOD: A sample of 973 participants analyzed the relationship between cognitive status, vulnerability to depression, and autonomous performance in Daily Day Activities (DDA) to predict the impact of the comorbidity of these variables. Therefore, in addition to the general distribution of the sample in the previously mentioned dimensions, differences were analyzed according to gender, age, educational level, and geographic area. RESULTS: The results confirm the hypothesis that a more impaired cognitive state is associated with higher levels of depression and lower functional capacity. The MEC scores have positive and highly significant correlations with Barthel and Yesavage. The relationship between dementia and autonomy is observed for both sexes, while the relationship between dementia and depression is only observed in women. The educational level influences the MEC scores (the more education, the better performance) and the Barthel scores (the less education, the greater dependency). Statistically significant differences were also found depending on the area of residence location. CONCLUSIONS: The more deteriorated cognitive state will be associated with a higher level of depression and lower functional capacity in daily life activities.

Follow-up of telemedicine mental health interventions amid COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiation of the program Mental Health Support Program for Coronavirus Infection addressed the increased demand for mental health services in the province of Salamanca, resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The psychiatry service provided care for COVID-19 patients, their families, and healthcare workers who treated them, as these groups were identified as being at risk. This study aims to describe the assistance provided, including personnel and resources utilized, types of interventions carried out, and to assess the demand for mental health care and predominant symptoms and emotions experienced by patients. Billboards and the complex's intranet publicized the program. Specific clinical approach using telemedicine were provide from March 2020 to December 2021 to COVID-19 patients, their relatives, and healthcare workers. 216 patients were included with a mean age of 53.2 years, with women comprising 77.3% of this group. All the groups received treatment in similar proportions. Over a period of 730 h, a total of 1376 interventions were performed, with an average duration of 31.8 min per intervention. The program could treat 79.6% of these patients without requiring referrals to other services. When the program concluded, only 21 participants (9.7%) were discharged to the local mental health network to continue their mental health treatment. The program effectively reduced the burden on regular mental health services due to its ability to treat most patients without requiring referrals. The program was able to attend to most mental health requests with minimal involvement of the regular mental health service.

County-level predictors of US drug overdose mortality: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review summarized published literature on county-level predictors of drug overdose mortality in the United States (US). METHODS: Peer-reviewed studies and doctoral dissertations published in English between 1990 and July 19, 2022 were identified from PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and EconLit. Eligible studies examined at least one county-level predictor of drug overdose mortality in US counties. Two reviewers independently completed screening, quality assessment (with an adapted National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool), and data extraction. Results were qualitatively summarized and grouped by predictor categories. RESULTS: Of 56 studies included, 42.9% were subnational, and 53.6% were limited to opioid overdose. In multiple studies, measures related to opioid prescribing, illness/disability, economic distress, mining employment, incarceration, family distress, and single-parent families were positively associated with drug overdose mortality outcomes, while measures related to cannabis dispensaries, substance use treatment, social capital, and family households were negatively associated with drug overdose mortality outcomes. Both positive and negative associations were documented for smoking, uninsurance, healthcare professional shortage status, physicians per capita, unemployment, income, poverty, educational attainment, racial composition, and rurality. Findings within studies also differed by subpopulation (by race/ethnicity, gender, age, or rurality) and the type of drugs involved in overdose. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this review provide relatively mixed evidence regarding many county-level predictors of overdose mortality, several of which also vary between subpopulations, supporting the importance of additional research to elucidate pathways through which the county context may shape risk of fatal overdose.

Short-term tuning of microalgal composition by exposition to different irradiance and small doses of sulfide.

Suitability of microalgae valorization mainly depends on its biochemical composition. Overall, among all microalgal derivatives, pigments currently stand out as the major added-value component. While it is well recognized that microalgal growth conditions strongly affect biomass composition, final tuning of already grown microalgae has been scarcely studied. Herein, pigment crude extract and debris biomass composition of an already grown microalgal consortium was evaluated after a short-term exposure (90 min) to different levels of irradiance (15, 50, 120 µmol m-2 s-1) and sulfide concentrations (0, 3.2, 16 mg L-1). Although lipid, protein, and carbohydrate contents of debris biomass were not decisively modified by the short-term exposures, pigments content of the crude extracts were strongly modified after 90-min exposure at given sulfide and irradiance conditions. Particularly, a higher content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total carotenoids was estimated at an optimal sulfide concentration of 5 mg L-1, and the higher irradiance of 120 µmol m-2 s-1. Contrarily, the average irradiation level of 50 µmol m-2 s-1 and the absence of sulfide stimulated the production of phycoerythrin and phycocyanin which could be increased by 65 and 50%, respectively. Thus, a final qualitative and quantitative tuning of pigment content is plainly achievable on grown microalgal biomass, in a reduced exposure time, at given irradiance or sulfide conditions.

New cut-off points of PHQ-9 and its variants, in Costa Rica: a nationwide observational study.

The PHQ-9 questionnaire is a screening test worldwide used to measure depression. But it cannot be used in Costa Rica, due to the fact that it has not previously been validated for its population. The present study aims to show the validation of the PHQ-9 questionnaire and its variants (PHQ-2, PHQ-4, PHQ-8) in a population sample of adults residing in Costa Rica. A sample was collected (n = 1162) using a self-administered questionnaire. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, and Multiple Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA) were tested. One factor was found that explained 73.33% of the variance with excellent internal consistency (α = 0.928). Goodness-of-fit measures were adequate (RMSEA = 0.107; CFI = 0.948), as was diagnostic power at a cut-off of 10 (78.60 for Sensitivity and 27.95 for 1-Specificity). External validation indices were good (r = 0.843 with GAD-7, r = - 0.647 with RS14, and r = 0.301 with FCV19S), and the model showed invariance by sex (∆χ2 = 27.90; df = 27; p < 0.001). Additionally, new cut-off points were proposed for PHQ-9 and its variants for Costa Rican male, female, and general populations. The PHQ-9 and its variants (PHQ-2, 4, and 8) are valid tools for detecting depression (and anxiety for PHQ-4) in Costa Rican population. In addition, new cut-off points differentiated by sex are proposed.

[Future reproductive ability in post-treatment Asherman's syndrome patients]. / Futuro reproductivo en pacientes con síndrome de Asherman postratamiento.

BACKGROUND: Hysteroscopy is the best approach for the management of Asherman syndrome with reproductive purposes, since it allows a quick diagnosis and treatment of partial or total uterine adhesions. However, there are a few studies on the reproductive outcome in patients with Asherman's syndrome. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the results of adherenciolisis hysteroscopy in women with Asherman's syndrome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a cohort study of thirty-nine patients diagnosed with Asherman's syndrome and who underwent surgical hysteroscopic adherenciolisis by bipolar energy through the period from 2006 to June 2011. RESULTS: Thirty-nine cases were reviewed. All patients restored their menstrual cycle in the course of the first three months after surgery. The pregnancy rate after hysteroscopic treatment was 71.7% (28/39), with a son living at home in 28.2% of the cases (11/39). There was no statistical difference to achieve term pregnancy based on a cut-off point at 35 years of age. A history of menstrual pattern before hysteroscopy was associated with perinatal success. All pregnancies were achieved spontaneously within the first year after the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous pregnancy is possible after hysteroscopic adherenciolisis in Asherman's Syndrome. It confirms the viability of using bipolar energy to restore the size and shape of the uterine cavity with minimal endometrial damage and with an exclusive reproductive purpose.

Comparative analysis of the pregnancy rate via in vitro fertilization vs. previous artificial insemination in patients with unexplained infertility.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical pregnancy rate among patients undergoing direct in vitro fertilization vs. in vitro fertilization after two cycles of intrauterine insemination in couples with unexplained infertility. METHODS: Comparative cross-sectional, retrospective study from 2016 to 2019, from the Centro Mexicano de Fertilidad Doctor Alberto Kably. The patients with unexplained infertility were divided into two groups, direct in vitro fertilization and a group of in vitro fertilization after intrauterine insemination, and we compared the rate of pregnancy and live births in both cases. RESULTS: 89 couples with unexplained infertility were included, the in vitro fertilization after intrauterine insemination group (n=46) and direct in vitro fertilization group (n=43). The direct in vitro fertilization group resulted in a higher clinical pregnancy rate throughout the study compared to the other group (55.8% vs. 34.8%, OR 2.37; 95% CI 1.008 - 5.57, p=0.046). However, there was no difference in the rate of live newborns (p=0.12). When analyzing the data by cycle, we noticed a statistical difference in both, the clinical pregnancy rate in the direct in vitro fertilization group (38.7% vs. 16.7%, OR 3.2; 95% CI 1.50-6.62), as well as the rate of live newborns (32.3 % vs. 14.6%, OR 2.79; 95% CI 1.28-6.07, p=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: In the in vitro fertilization group, as first-line treatment for unexplained infertility, the patients had a higher pregnancy rate.

Impact on Sleep Quality, Mood, Anxiety, and Personal Satisfaction of Doctors Assigned to COVID-19 Units.

The SARS-CoV-2 health emergency has led to a restructuring of health care systems and the reassignment of medical specialists from their usual duties to attend COVID-19 patients. The aim of this paper is to describe the levels of insomnia, anxiety, depression, and the impact on quality of life of doctors who were on the frontline of COVID-19 during the first two waves of the pandemic. Self-report surveys were conducted on said physicians during both waves, with 83 and 61 responses in the first and second waves, respectively. The reported presence of insomnia was frequent (71.8%), although it decreased in the second survey. Anxiety was moderate, decreasing from 57.1% to 43.1% between measurements. Overall, depression rates decreased between the two surveys. Substance use was found to have an indirect correlation with personal and professional satisfaction. In the light of the unforeseeable evolution of the pandemic and the medium- to long-term repercussions on professionals, we believe the adaptation of health resources is crucial to meet the new unpredictable mental health needs of this group.