Cytotoxicity and Inflammatory Effects of Chitin Nanofibrils Isolated from Fungi

Fungal nanochitin can assist the transition from the linear fossil-based economy to a circular biobased economy given its environmental benefits over conventional crustacean-nanochitin. Its real-world implementation requires carefully assessing its toxicity so that unwanted human health and environmental issues are avoided. Accordingly, the cytotoxicity and inflammatory effects of chitin nanofibrils (ChNFs) from white mushroom is assessed. ChNFs are few nanometers in diameter, with a 75.8% N-acetylation degree, a crystallinity of 59.1%, and present a 44:56 chitin/glucan weight ratio. Studies are conducted for aqueous colloidal ChNF dispersions (0–5 mg·mL–1) and free-standing films having physically entangled ChNFs. Aqueous dispersions of chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs) isolated via hydrochloric acid hydrolysis of α-chitin powder are also evaluated for comparison. Cytotoxicity studies conducted in human fibroblasts (MRC-5 cells) and murine brain microglia (BV-2 cells) reveal a comparatively safer behavior over related biobased nanomaterials. However, a strong inflammatory response was observed when BV-2 cells were cultured in the presence of colloidal ChNFs. These novel cytotoxicity and inflammatory studies shed light on the potential of fungal ChNFs for biomedical applications.E.L. acknowledges the funds from the “2021 Euskampus Missions 1.0. Programme” granted by Euskampus Fundazioa and from the University of the Basque Country (Convocatoria de Ayudas a Grupos de Investigación GIU21/010). The authors also acknowledge the Open Access funding provided by the University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU). A.L. is thankful for funds from the Basque Government, Department of Education (IT-1766-22). C.B.A. acknowledges the predoctoral grant from the UPV/EHU. Maria Angela Motta and Dr. Upashi Goswami are acknowledged for their support in cell culture

Aplicación para el control de los estudiantes de la UTB

La Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, tiene dos sedes las cuales son: el Campus Parque Industrial y Tecnológico Carlos Vélez Pombo, ubicado en el Km 1 vía a Turbaco y la Casa Lemaitre ubicado en la calle del Bouquet cra.21 #25-92, barrio Manga. Esta es una de las Universidades más importantes en Cartagena de Indias, ya que cuenta con un excelente rendimiento académico y con docentes altamente capacitados en el ámbito profesional. Aunque en ocasiones surgen unas series de inconvenientes: Registrar los datos generales y académicos de sus alumnos. El horario vigente del alumno Y el registro de retiro de materias por el alumno Para darle solución a esta problemática hemos decidido implementar un sistema que será capaz de resolver los inconvenientes que se enunciaron anteriormente. Como las dificultades que se presentan al momento de registrar los datos y modificar dichos datos del alumno, visualizar las materias que está dando el alumno ese semestre, retirar las materias que el alumno crea necesarias para su retiro y por último que el sistema simule un estudiante que se encuentra en prueba académica. Lo que se quiere es implementar un sistema que sea óptimo, rápido y eficiente en el control de la información de todos sus estudiantes

Lactide and Ethylene Brassylate-Based Thermoplastic Elastomers and Their Nanocomposites with Carbon Nanotubes: Synthesis, Mechanical Properties and Interaction with Astrocytes

Polylactide (PLA) is among the most commonly used polymers for biomedical applications thanks to its biodegradability and cytocompatibility. However, its inherent stiffness and brittleness are clearly inappropriate for the regeneration of soft tissues (e.g., neural tissue), which demands biomaterials with soft and elastomeric behavior capable of resembling the mechanical properties of the native tissue. In this work, both L- and D,L-lactide were copolymerized with ethylene brassylate, a macrolactone that represents a promising alternative to previously studied comonomers (e.g., caprolactone) due to its natural origin. The resulting copolymers showed an elastomeric behavior characterized by relatively low Young’s modulus, high elongation at break and high strain recovery capacity. The thermoplastic nature of the resulting copolymers allows the incorporation of nanofillers (i.e., carbon nanotubes) that further enable the modulation of their mechanical properties. Additionally, nanostructured scaffolds were easily fabricated through a thermo-pressing process with the aid of a commercially available silicon stamp, providing geometrical cues for the adhesion and elongation of cells representative of the nervous system (i.e., astrocytes). Accordingly, the lactide and ethylene brassylate-based copolymers synthesized herein represent an interesting formulation for the development of polymeric scaffolds intended to be used in the regeneration of soft tissues, thanks to their adjustable mechanical properties, thermoplastic nature and observed cytocompatibility.Grant PID2019-106236GB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. The authors are also thankful for funds from the Basque Government, Department of Education (IT-1766-22). C.B.-Á.: acknowledges the predoctoral grant funded by the UPV/EHU. Polimerbio and Y.P. have a Bikaintek Ph.D. grant (20-AF-W2-2018-00001)

Clinical infections by herpesviruses in patients treated with valproic acid: A nested case-control study in the Spanish Primary Care Database, BIFAP

The objective of this study is to evaluate the risk of clinical infections by herpesviruses in patients exposed to valproic acid (VPA).We performed a case-control study nested in a primary cohort selected from the Spanish primary care population-based research database BIFAP (Base de datos para la Investigación Farmacoepidemiológica en Atención Primaria) over the period 2001–2015. The events of interest were those diseases caused by any herpesviruses known to infect humans. For each case, up to 10 controls per case matched by age, gender, and calendar date were randomly selected. A conditional logistic regression was used to compute adjusted odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Current use of VPA was associated with a trend towards a reduced risk of clinical infections by herpesviruses as compared with non-users (OR 0.84; CI 95% 0.7–1.0; p = 0.057). Among current users, a trend to a decreased risk with treatment durations longer than 90 days was also observed. The results show a trend to a reduced risk of clinical infection by herpesviruses in patients exposed to VPA. These results are consistent with those in vitro studies showing that, in cultured cells, VPA can inhibit the production of the infectious progeny of herpesviruses. This study also shows the efficient use of electronic healthcare records for clinical exploratory research studie

Proceso de selección de personal para la empresa Minimarket y Farmacia Royal Express, con el fin de mejorar la retención de empleados y la productividad laboral para el año 2023

Apéndices A Preguntas para los colaboradores de la empresa, Apéndices B Manual de funcionesLa empresa Minimarket y Farmacia Royal Express, ha vendió presentados problemas en su proceso de selección de personal, este no se está desarrollando de la manera adecuado lo que ha dificultado que la búsqueda y contratación del personal idóneo se haya visto entorpecida, contratando personal que es improductivo y en consecuencia el clima organización se vaya deteriorando. En el siguiente trabajo de investigación se busca diseñar un proceso de selección para la empresa Mini Market y farmacia Royal Express que pretende lograr resultados eficientes. Es importante resaltar que toda empresa debe tener un proceso de selección que sea completo y en el cual se busque el éxito y mayores probabilidades de atraer buenos candidatos, que permita generar valor agregado a la empresa, debido a que las personas trabajan en conjunto con la organización para establecer mejoras continuas. Este proyecto tendrá un abordaje conceptual, teórico y metodológico con el fin de facilitar y tener una mayor compresión y apropiación del proceso de selección, en pro lograr una mejor búsqueda y realización del diseño del proceso de selección de Minimarket y Farmacia Royal ExpressThe company Minimarket and Royal Express Pharmacy, has presented problems in its personnel selection process, this is not being developed properly, which has made it difficult for the search and hiring of suitable personnel to be hindered, hiring personnel who are unproductive and consequently the organizational climate deteriorates. The following research work seeks to design a selection process for the company Mini Market and Royal Express pharmacy that aims to achieve efficient results. It is important to highlight that every company must have a selection process that is complete and in which success is sought and that it is more likely to attract good candidates, which allows the generation of added value to the company, since people work together with the company. organization to establish continuous improvements. This project will have a conceptual, theoretical and methodological approach in order to facilitate and have a greater understanding and appropriation of the selection process, in order to achieve a better search and design of the selection process of Minimarket and Royal Express Pharmac

Diagnosis of fungal opportunistic infections in HIV/AIDS patients : a cases study in Colombia

Objetivos. Identificar las micosis oportunistas que afectan a los pacientes con VIH/sida, y determinar sus características demográficas, socioeconó-micas y su relación con el número de células T CD4+.Métodos. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo de serie de casos basado en los participantes de un estudio diseñado para determinar el tipo y la frecuencia de las enfermedades oportunistas en pacientes con VIH/sida. Un caso se definió como un paciente con VIH/sida a quien se le diagnosticó una micosis oportunista, entre octubre de 2007 y mayo de 2010. Los pacientes elegibles estaban siendo tratados en dos instituciones médicas de Bogotá. Se recolectaron muestras respiratorias, de líquido cefalorraquí-deo, de sangre y de raspado de lesión orofaríngea, para determinar la presencia de Histoplasma capsulatum, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Cryptococ-cus neoformans o Candida spp. Se utilizaron proporciones para resumir las variables cualitativas y medianas para las cuantitativas.Resultados. En 33 (9,8 %) pacientes con VIH/sida del estudio base (n=336), se diagnosticó una o más de las micosis evaluadas. El 75 % tenía entre 23 y 42 años. La frecuencia de estas infecciones fueron: H. capsulatum (n=1; 3,0 %), P. brasiliensis (n=1; 3,0 %), C. neoformans (n=25; 75,8 %), y Cándida spp. (n=7; 21,2 %). Los valores medianos de células T CD4+ fueron de 176 o menos, independientemente de sus manifestaciones clínicas. Conclusión. Se necesitan estudios adicionales para identificar los factores que podrían estar determinando la presencia de las micosis oportunistas en estos pacientes.Q3Comunicación breve92-97Objectives: To identify the opportunistic fungal infections affecting patients with HIV/AIDS, to determine their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and the number of CD4+ T cells.Materials and methods: This is a descriptive case series study based on a major study aimed at determining the type and frequency of opportu-nistic diseases in HIV/AIDS patients. A case was defined as an HIV/AIDS patient who had evidence of fungal infection at baseline. Eligible patients were being treated at two clinical institutions located in Bogotá, Colombia, between October 2007 and May 2010. Respiratory, cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples and scrapping/swabs of oral lesions were collected in order to determine the presence of Histoplasma capsulatum, Paracocci-dioides brasiliensis, Cryptococcus neoformans or Candida spp. Proportions were used for qualitative variables and medians for quantitative variables. Results: Overall, 33 (10,2%) patients were diagnosed as having one or more of the evaluated fungal infections , out of 336. Seventy five per cent of them were between the ages of 23 and 42. The frequencies of these fungal infections were: H. capsulatum (n=1; 3.0%), P. brasiliensis (n=1; 3.0%), C. neoformans(n=25; 75.8%), and Candida spp. (n=7; 21.2%). The median values of CD4+ T cells were 176 or less, independently of clinical manifestations. Conclusion: Further studies are required to identify factors contributing to the presence of fungal opportunistic infections in these patients

Extra virgin olive oil: does it modify milk composition of hair sheep?

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of olive oil addition on the production, chemical composition, and fatty acid profile of sheep’s milk. Twenty-four lactating ewes with a live weight of 34.6 ± 4.61 kg were used. The animals were randomly distributed into four treatments (n = 6) with dietary addition of 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% (dry matter basis) olive oil for 45 days. Milk samples were taken every 7 days for fatty acid (FA) and chemical analyses. A decrease (p < 0.05) in dry matter and crude protein intake was observed with 4% oil inclusion. Milk production and milk components were similar between treatments. The kilograms of meat from weaned lambs linearly increased as the oil inclusion increased. Milk C4:0 to C17:0 decreased with 2% olive oil. The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FA content in the milk increased with the oil inclusion. There was an increase in the milk’s linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid content with 2% olive oil. Overall, the addition of 2% extra virgin olive oil is recommended to improve milk’s FA profile without negative effects on animal performance

Symptom cluster analysis of long COVID-19 in patients discharged from the Temporary COVID-19 Hospital in Mexico City.

INTRODUCTION: Several reports have emerged describing the long-term consequences of COVID-19 and its effects on multiple systems. METHODS: As further research is needed, we conducted a longitudinal observational study to report the prevalence and associated risk factors of the long-term health consequences of COVID-19 by symptom clusters in patients discharged from the Temporary COVID-19 Hospital (TCH) in Mexico City. Self-reported clinical symptom data were collected via telephone calls over 90 days post-discharge. Among 4670 patients, we identified 45 symptoms across eight symptom clusters (neurological; mood disorders; systemic; respiratory; musculoskeletal; ear, nose, and throat; dermatological; and gastrointestinal). RESULTS: We observed that the neurological, dermatological, and mood disorder symptom clusters persisted in >30% of patients at 90 days post-discharge. Although most symptoms decreased in frequency between day 30 and 90, alopecia and the dermatological symptom cluster significantly increased (p < 0.00001). Women were more prone than men to develop long-term symptoms, and invasive mechanical ventilation also increased the frequency of symptoms at 30 days post-discharge. CONCLUSION: Overall, we observed that symptoms often persisted regardless of disease severity. We hope these findings will help promote public health strategies that ensure equity in the access to solutions focused on the long-term consequences of COVID-19

The effect of multiple adverse childhood experiences on health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background A growing body of research identifies the harmful effects that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs; occurring during childhood or adolescence; eg, child maltreatment or exposure to domestic violence) have on health throughout life. Studies have quantified such effects for individual ACEs. However, ACEs frequently co-occur and no synthesis of findings from studies measuring the effect of multiple ACE types has been done. Methods In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched five electronic databases for cross-sectional, case-control, or cohort studies published up to May 6, 2016, reporting risks of health outcomes, consisting of substance use, sexual health, mental health, weight and physical exercise, violence, and physical health status and conditions, associated with multiple ACEs. We selected articles that presented risk estimates for individuals with at least four ACEs compared with those with none for outcomes with sufficient data for meta-analysis (at least four populations). Included studies also focused on adults aged at least 18 years with a sample size of at least 100. We excluded studies based on high-risk or clinical populations. We extracted data from published reports. We calculated pooled odds ratios (ORs) using a random-effects model. Findings Of 11 621 references identified by the search, 37 included studies provided risk estimates for 23 outcomes, with a total of 253 719 participants. Individuals with at least four ACEs were at increased risk of all health outcomes compared with individuals with no ACEs. Associations were weak or modest for physical inactivity, overweight or obesity, and diabetes (ORs of less than two); moderate for smoking, heavy alcohol use, poor self-rated health, cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease (ORs of two to three), strong for sexual risk taking, mental ill health, and problematic alcohol use (ORs of more than three to six), and strongest for problematic drug use and interpersonal and self-directed violence (ORs of more than seven). We identified considerable heterogeneity (I 2 of > 75%) between estimates for almost half of the outcomes. Interpretation To have multiple ACEs is a major risk factor for many health conditions. The outcomes most strongly associated with multiple ACEs represent ACE risks for the next generation (eg, violence, mental illness, and substance use). To sustain improvements in public health requires a shift in focus to include prevention of ACEs, resilience building, and ACE-informed service provision. The Sustainable Development Goals provide a global platform to reduce ACEs and their life-course effect on health. Funding Public Health Wales. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licens