Social preferences measures and the quality of the job match for persons with disabilities.

Waiting lists are the main mechanisms for rationing demand in national health systems. The usual way to organize patients in a waiting list is on a simple first come first serve basis. Characteristics like the intensity of symptoms or the patient’s limitations in daily activities are not considered explicitly. In this paper, we apply a point system that incorporates social preferences in the management of waiting lists for surgical intervention on the prostate. The results show that both clinical and social variables are important for prioritizing patients waiting for this intervention. Furthermore, we detect some differences between the preferences of patients and general population.Waiting lists; priority setting; point system; discrete choice experiments; rank-ordered logit model.

Changes in marine turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) epidermis and skin mucus composition during development from bilateral larvae to juvenile flat fish

Alike other flat fish, marine turbot has the particularity that changes from larvae with bilateral symmetry to adult with asymmetry, in terms of the position of the eyes. As expected, the skin configuration of this species is also affected by the development and transformation suffered by fish during metamorphosis. In this context, changes in the epidermis of marine turbot were studied using conventional staining and histochemical techniques using six lectins (UEA-I, PNA, RCA-I, WGA, Con A and SBA). During development from larvae to juvenile (3–300 days post-hatching), the epidermis increased in both thickness and the number of cell layers. In fact, the simple cuboidal epithelium observed in larvae at day 3 already became stratified at days 10–12, which sequentially increase in thickness with fish development. Turbot epidermis is composed basically of four cell types: epithelial and mucous or secretory cells that are present through the development, and pigmented cells and a type that the authors described as club-like cells that appear during and post-metamorphosis. The Alcian blue-periodic acid Schiff (AB-PAS) histochemical method revealed the presence of neutral glycoconjugates in mucous and club-like cells at post-metamorphic stages of fish. Accordingly, lectin analysis showed mucous cells containing glycoproteins rich in fucose (UEA-I labelling) and glycoconjugates rich in the sequence galactose-N-acetyl galactosamine (PNA and RCA-I labelling) when this cell type appears. Interestingly, melanophores were observed in the dorsal epidermis of post-metamorphic juveniles. This type of cell contains a black-to-brown pigment that provides the skin the typical colour of this fish species. Changes in mucous coat composition were observed during fish development, which was attributed to different roles of the glycoconjugates.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. CGL 2009-07904Universidade de Vigo/ CISU

The Relevance of Implementing the Systematic Screening of Perioperative Myocardial Injury in Noncardiac Surgery Patients

Noncardiac surgery; Perioperative myocardial injury; ScreeningCirugía no cardíaca; Lesión miocárdica perioperatoria; CribadoCirurgia no cardíaca; Lesió miocàrdica perioperatòria; CribratgePerioperative myocardial injury (PMI) is a common cardiac complication. Recent guidelines recommend its systematic screening using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn). However, there is limited evidence of local screening programs. We conducted a prospective, single-center study aimed at assessing the feasibility and outcomes of implementing systematic PMI screening. Hs-cTn concentrations were measured before and after surgery. PMI was defined as a postoperative hs-cTnT of ≥14 ng/L, exceeding the preoperative value by 50%. All patients were followed-up during the hospitalization, at one month and one year after surgery. The primary outcome was the incidence of death and major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). The secondary outcomes focused on the individual components of MACCE. We included two-thirds of all eligible high-risk patients and achieved almost complete compliance with follow-ups. The prevalence of PMI was 15.7%, suggesting a higher presence of cardiovascular (CV) antecedents, increased perioperative CV complications, and higher preoperative hs-cTnT values. The all-cause death rate was 1.7% in the first month, increasing up to 11.2% at one year. The incidence of MACCE was 9.5% and 8.6% at the same time points. Given the observed elevated frequencies of PMI and MACCE, implementing systematic PMI screening is recommendable, particularly in patients with increased cardiovascular risk. However, it is important to acknowledge that achieving optimal screening implementation comes with various challenges and complexities.This study was supported by a research grant from Fundació La Marató de TV3 (20150110)

Inhibition of Sarco-Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ ATPase Extends the Lifespan in C. elegans Worms

The sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) refills the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with Ca2+ up to the millimolar range and is therefore the main controller of the ER [Ca2+] level ([Ca2+]ER), which has a key role in the modulation of cytosolic Ca2+ signaling and ER-mitochondria Ca2+ transfer. Given that both cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ dynamics strongly interplay with energy metabolism and nutrient-sensitive pathways, both of them involved in the aging process, we have studied the effect of SERCA inhibitors on lifespan in C. elegans. We have used thapsigargin and 2,5-Di-tert-butylhydroquinone (2,5-BHQ) as SERCA inhibitors, and the inactive analog 2,6-Di-tert-butylhydroquinone (2,6-BHQ) as a control for 2,5-BHQ. Every drug was administered to the worms either directly in the agar or via an inclusion compound with γ-cyclodextrin. The results show that 2,6-BHQ produced a small but significant increase in survival, perhaps because of its antioxidant properties. However, 2,5-BHQ produced in all the conditions a much higher increase in lifespan, and the potent and specific SERCA inhibitor thapsigargin also extended the lifespan. The effects of 2,5-BHQ and thapsigargin had a bell-shaped concentration dependence, with a maximum effect at a certain dose and smaller or even toxic effects at higher concentrations. Our data show therefore that submaximal inhibition of SERCA pumps has a pro-longevity effect, suggesting that Ca2+ signaling plays an important role in the aging process and that it could be a promising novel target pathway to act on aging

Iridium-(K2-NSi) catalyzed dehydrogenation of formic acid: effect of auxiliary ligands on the catalytic performance

IThe iridium(III) complexes [Ir(H)(Cl)(κ2-NSitBu2)(κ2-bipyMe2)] (2) and [Ir(H)(OTf)(κ2-NSitBu2)(κ2-bipyMe2)] (3) (NSitBu2 = {4-methylpyridine-2-yloxy}ditertbutylsilyl) have been synthesized and characterized including X-ray studies of 3. A comparative study of the catalytic activity of complexes 2, 3, [Ir(H)(OTf)(κ2-NSitBu2)(coe)] (4), and [Ir(H)(OTf)(κ2-NSitBu2)(PCy3)] (5) (0.1 mol%) as catalysts precursors for the solventless formic acid dehydrogenation (FADH) in the presence of Et3N (40 mol%) at 353 K has been performed. The highest activity (TOF5 min ≈ 3260 h−1) has been obtained with 3 at 373 K. However, at that temperature the FTIR spectra show traces of CO together with the desired products (H2 and CO2). Thus, the best performance was achieved at 353 K (TOF5 min ≈ 1210 h−1 and no observable CO). Kinetic studies at variable temperature show that the activation energy of the 3-catalyzed FADH process is 16.76 kcal mol−1. Kinetic isotopic effect (5 min) values of 1.6, 4.5, and 4.2 were obtained for the 3-catalyzed dehydrogenation of HCOOD, DCOOH, and DCOOD, respectively, at 353 K. The strong KIE found for DCOOH and DCOOD evidenced that the hydride transfer from the C–H bond of formic acid to the metal is the rate-determining step of the process

Lack of association between endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) gene polymorphisms and suicide attempts

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>The aim of this study is to investigate the association between two polymorphisms of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) and suicide attempts.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We genotyped 186 suicide attempters and 420 unrelated healthy controls. The following polymorphisms were analysed: T-786C and 27-bp repeat in intron 4.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No significant differences were found in genotype or in allelic distribution of the aforesaid polymorphisms. There were also no differences in the genotype distribution or allelic frequencies when separately assessing males and females or impulsive and non-impulsive attempters and normal controls. Estimated haplotype frequencies were similar in both groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data do not support the hypothesis that genetically determined changes in the NOS3 gene confer increased susceptibility for suicidal behavior.</p

Pharmacokinetics of Echinocandins in Suspected Candida Peritonitis: a Potential Risk for Resistance.

A possible increase of Candida resistance, specially in C. glabrata, has been speculated according to a poor diffusion of echinocandins to peritoneal fluid. Peritoneal and serum concentrations of Caspofungin, micafungin and anidulafungin were analyzed in surgical patients with suspected candida peritonitis. After four days of starting therapy serum and peritoneal samples (through peritoneal drainage) were obtained at baseline, 1 h, 6 h, 12 h, and 24 h of drug administration. Micafungin and anidulafungin concentrations were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC/F), whereas caspofungin concentration were stablished by bioassay. A total of 23 critically ill patients with suspected abdominal fungal infection who were receiving an echinocandin were prospectively recruited. No specific criteria were applied to prescribe one specific echinocadin. No special clinical differences were observed among the 3 groups of patients. All were receiving antibiotic therapy, 80% required inotropic drugs and finally fungal peritonitis were confirmed in 74% of them. The AUC0_24h (mg*h/L) obtained in serum and peritoneal fluid were: 126.84 and 34.38; 98.52 and 18.83; and 66.9 and 8.78 for anidulafungin, micafungin and caspofungin, respectively. The median concentration in peritoneal fluid ranged from 0.66 to 1.82 μg/ml for anidulafungin, 0.68 to 0.88 μg/mL for micafungin and 0.21 to 0.46 μg/ml for caspofungin. The results show a moderate penetration of echinocandins into the peritoneal fluid in these patients. These levels are below the threshold of resistance mutant selection published by other authors. It could justify a potential risk of resistance in patients with prolonged treatments with echinocandins and suboptimal control of the abdominal infection.The study received funding from the “Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias” of the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS PI 15/1536). The work was supported by Plan Nacional de I + D+i 2013-2016 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD16), and co-financed by European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe”, Operative program Intelligent Growth 2014-2020.S

Ansiedad ante la agresión y ante el fracaso escolar y sanciones disciplinarias y rasgos perfeccionistas

Anxiety is one of the most relevant emotional disorders in the population, taking into account the excessive demand set by today’s society. This excessive demand, sometimes marked by a perfectionist personality trait, tends to further aggravate the anxious and stressful states of the individual. In this sense, it is important to keep in mind the student stage, which continually faces stressful situations. Therefore, it is convenient to observe the link between the perfectionist variables, governed by Socially Prescribed Perfectionism (SPP) and Self-Oriented Perfectionism (SOP) and School Anxiety, composed, among others, by Anxiety in the face of aggression and Anxiety about school failure and disciplinary sanctions. Hence, the objective of the present study is to observe if there are statistically significant differences between Factor I and II of the School Anxiety Inventory (IAES) and the SPP and SOP, as well as to determine the probability of presenting high scores in both Anxiety factors. School based on the SPP and the SOP. For this, a sample of 1588 Ecuadorian students was recruited and measures such as the IAES and the Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS) were used. The results yielded statistically significant differences for IAES Factor I and II in both SPP and SOP, these being of low and moderate magnitude. Likewise, it is observed that as the SPP and the SOP increase, the possibility of presenting high scores in Anxiety in the face of aggression and in Anxiety in the face of school failure and disciplinary sanctions increases. In conclusion, the findings show that it is necessary to increase the number of studies on perfectionist variables in the country of Ecuador, taking into account its link with School Anxiety and what this entails.La ansiedad es uno de los trastornos emocionales con mayor relevancia en la población, teniendo en cuenta la excesiva exigencia marcada por la sociedad actual. Esta exigencia desmedida marcada, en ocasiones, por un rasgo de la personalidad perfeccionista, todavía tiende a agravar más si cabe los estados ansiosos y estresantes del individuo. En este sentido, es importante tener presente la etapa estudiantil la cual se enfrenta continuamente a situaciones estresantes. Por ello, es conveniente observar cuál es el vínculo entre las variables perfeccionistas, regidas por el Perfeccionismo Socialmente Prescrito (PSP) y el Perfeccionismo Auto-Orientado (PAO) y la Ansiedad Escolar, compuesta, entre otras, por la Ansiedad ante la agresión y la Ansiedad ante el fracaso escolar y las sanciones disciplinarias. De ahí que el objetivo del presente estudio sea observar si existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre el Factor I y II del Inventario de Ansiedad Escolar (IAES) y el PSP y PAO, así como determinar la probabilidad de presentar altas puntuaciones en ambos factores de la Ansiedad Escolar en función del PSP y el PAO. Para ello, se reclutó una muestra de 1588 estudiantes ecuatorianos y se utilizaron medidas como el IAES y el Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS). Los resultados arrojaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas para el Factor I y II del IAES tanto en PSP como en PAO, siendo estas de baja y moderada magnitud. Asimismo, se observa que a medida que aumenta el PSP y el PAO aumenta la posibilidad de presentar elevadas puntuaciones en Ansiedad ante la agresión y en Ansiedad ante el fracaso escolar y las sanciones disciplinarias. En conclusión, los hallazgos muestran que es necesario incrementar el número de estudios en variables perfeccionistas en el país de Ecuador, teniendo en cuenta su vínculo con la Ansiedad Escolar y lo que ello conlleva

Allele and haplotype frequencies of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1 and -DQA1 in Castile and Leon region from North West of Spain

HLA studies have been used to determine the admixture of different populations within the Iberian Peninsula including neighbouring regions with shared origins, such as Portugal and Castile and Leon. These studies certainly can be used to study human migration that could establish populations currently settled according to genetic distant analysis based on the HLA diversity and language variety.This work was supported by the “Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y Leon” (GRS 2080/A/19, 2019) and (GRS COVID 70/A/20, 2020)

The Neuroprotector Benzothiazepine CGP37157 Extends Lifespan in C. elegans Worms

The benzothiazepine CGP37157 has shown neuroprotective effects in several in vitro models of excitotoxicity involving dysregulation of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Although its mechanism of neuroprotection is unclear, it is probably related with some of its effects on Ca2+ homeostasis. CGP37157 is a well-known inhibitor of the mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (mNCX). However, it is not very specific and also blocks several other Ca2+ channels and transporters, including voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, plasma membrane Na+/Ca2+ exchanger and the Ca2+ homeostasis modulator 1 channel (CALHM1). In the present work, we have studied if CGP37157 could also induce changes in life expectancy. We now report that CGP37157 extends C. elegans lifespan by 10%–15% with a bell-shaped concentration-response, with high concentrations producing no effect. The effect was even larger (25% increase in life expectancy) in worms fed with heat-inactivated bacteria. The worm CGP37157 concentration producing maximum effect was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and was close to the IC50 for inhibition of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger. CGP37157 also extended the lifespan in eat-2 mutants (a model for caloric restriction), suggesting that caloric restriction is not involved in the mechanism of lifespan extension. Actually, CGP37157 produced no effect in mutants of the TOR pathway (daf15/unc24) or the insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) pathway (daf-2), indicating that the effect involves these pathways. Moreover, CGP37157 was also ineffective in nuo-6 mutants, which have a defect in the mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I. Since it has been described that neuroprotection by this compound in cell cultures is abolished by mitochondrial inhibitors, this suggests that life extension in C. elegans and neuroprotection in cell cultures may share a similar mechanism involving mitochondria