Mercury vapours emissions from the ingenios in Potosí (Bolivia).

Potosí (South West Bolivia) is a well known historical mining site in the world, with mining activity centered at the so-called Cerro Rico. It is an impressive mount formed by rhyolitic rocks affected by intensive hydrothermal alteration, and hosting a complex vein deposit including mainly Ag and Sn minerals. From the start of the mining activity, in the late 16th century, to 1850, the main ore was silver minerals, and from 1850 the silver ores exhausted, and mining activity centered on tin minerals. During the first stage, the silver minerals were treated by amalgamation, using the so-called ?método de patio?, which implied the usage of mercury and other compounds as metallurgical agents, and supposed the release of important quantities of mercury to the local environment. This work was carried out at the ?ingenios?, milling and mercury processing facilities located next to streams, in order to have the water and mechanical energy needed for the process, and nowadays in ruins. Our results put forward very low mercury vapor concentrations in the region, reaching only occasionally values over 4 ng m#8722;3, as well as in the town area, were maximum values reach 31 ng m#8722;3 with an average of 5.5 ng m3; detailed surveys at the \Ingenios\ demonstrated that in these facilities mercury vapor concentrations were also low, but the excavation of the topsoil causes an important release of the elemental vapor, reaching concentrations over 3000 ng m3. Causes of this low emission of unmodified soil are here interpreted as caused by biological and physicochemical transformation of the metallic mercury accumulated in the soil, to mineral phases such as cinnabar/metacinnabar and/or schuetteite, in reactions mediated by the formation of methylmercury

Prevalencia de síntomas de trastorno por estrés post-traumático en población adulta a dos y diez meses del inicio de la cuarentena por la COVID-19

In 2020, it was suggested that the prevalence of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could be greater in individuals who have acquired COVID-19. The study aim was to investigate the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in the adult population following the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. Two groups participated; one comprising 441 adults (82% female; age: M=36.89; SD=11.93) and another comprising 182 adults (79% female; age: M= 48.1; SD= 0.8). Both groups completed an online questionnaire prepared by the authors to assess the prevalence of PTSD symptoms at 2 and 10 months following the start of the outbreak. A descriptive and parametric analysis was performed for the 2-month sample and ANCOVA and multiple linear regression analysis were performed for the 10-month sample. No differences were found at 2 and 10 months; however, the results showed that there was a higher prevalence of PTSD symptoms in people with a history of COVID-19 and in adults younger than 40 years. The participation of mental health professionals will become of increasing relevance in the future to prevent and treat PTSD in the population with COVID-19En 2020, se ha advertido de la prevalencia de síntomas de trastorno por estrés post-traumático (TEPT) podría ser alta en personas que han presentado COVID-19. El objetivo de este trabajo fue explorar la prevalencia de síntomas de TEPT en población adulta tras haber iniciado el confinamiento. Participaron dos grupos; uno de 441 y otro de 182 adultos; ambos contestaron un cuestionario en línea elaborado por los autores para valorar la prevalencia de síntomas de TEPT a 2 y 10 meses del inicio del confinamiento. Los resultados revelaron un aumento de síntomas de TEPT en personas con antecedentes de COVID-19 a los 10 meses de haber iniciado el confinamiento. Estos resultados revelaron que con el paso del tiempo de la pandemia el aumento de síntomas de TEPT ha ido en aumento y que son mayores en personas que han presentado la enfermedad. La participación de los profesionales de la salud mental cobrará mayor importancia en los próximos meses y años para la prevención y tratamiento de este trastorno en población que ha presentado COVID-19

The impact of SARS-CoV-2 in dementia across Latin America : A call for an urgent regional plan and coordinated response

The SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic will disproportionately impact countries with weak economies and vulnerable populations including people with dementia. Latin American and Caribbean countries (LACs) are burdened with unstable economic development, fragile health systems, massive economic disparities, and a high prevalence of dementia. Here, we underscore the selective impact of SARS-CoV-2 on dementia among LACs, the specific strain on health systems devoted to dementia, and the subsequent effect of increasing inequalities among those with dementia in the region. Implementation of best practices for mitigation and containment faces particularly steep challenges in LACs. Based upon our consideration of these issues, we urgently call for a coordinated action plan, including the development of inexpensive mass testing and multilevel regional coordination for dementia care and related actions. Brain health diplomacy should lead to a shared and escalated response across the region, coordinating leadership, and triangulation between governments and international multilateral networks

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Seismic noise analysis with low-cost variable gain recorder

This paper presents the design and implementation of a seismic noise analysis recorder. Specifically, the system has three main blocks. A configurable gain amplifier, a microcontroller for data acquisition and storage, and finally, both a GPS module and a real-time clock in order to ensure the time synchronization. With regard to the device management, a mobile application was implemented which provides users with tools to analyze data in real time as well to configure operational parameters (i.e., the sampling frequency, the gain of the amplifier and the recording start time). Regarding the architecture evaluation a set of experiments were designed in order to determine the intrinsic noise of the equipment and for verifying the proper operation on the continuous recording system. Finally, results were thoroughly analyzed in both temporal and the frequency domain with respect to data captured with a certified commercial equipment. The comparison carried out reveals a percentage error with a maximum of 7.68% and 3.40% for the time and frequency analysis, respectively. Consequently, the proposed system represents a reliable solution and low-cost alternative which contributes for the acquisition and analysis of seismic dat

Seagrass losses since mid-20th century fuelled CO2 emissions from soil carbon stocks [dataset]

The database compiles published data (in Salinas et al. 2020) on biogeochemical characteristics (density, organic carbon, stable carbon isotopes, sediment grain size) of cores from Posidonia australis and sinuosa soil in Cockburn Sound, Western Australia. Enquiries about the dataset may be sent to Cristian Salinas: [email protected]