Mesoscale eddy variability in the Caribbean Sea

The spatial distribution, and the monthly and seasonal variability of mesoscale eddy observations derived from the AVISO eddy atlas are assessed in the Caribbean Sea during 1993–2019. The average lifetime for the whole set of eddies is 62 ± 37 days, mean amplitude of 7 ± 4 cm for cyclonic and 7 ± 4 cm for anticyclonic and mean radius of 100 ± 31 km for cyclonic and 108 ± 32 km for anticyclonic. Cyclonic eddies are on average more nonlinear than anticyclonic ones. The spatio-temporal variability in the number of eddy observations is evaluated against the Mean Eddy Kinetic Energy (MEKE) derived from geostrophic currents as well as from seasonal winds. Spatial distribution of eddy observations is correlated with MEKE while the migration of the intertropical convergence zone explains the advection of eddies towards the southern part of the basin.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. JMS received the joint funding from the Generalitat Valenciana and the European Social Fund under Grant APOSTD/2020/254. AO received financial support from projects Mocca and Lamarca (grants # RTI2018-093941-B-C31 and PID2021-123352OB-C31) funded by MCIN/AEI/ and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”, and from Fundación Iberostar and Université de Toulon-VAR. MELA is funded by Corporación CE-Marin through Convocatoria 14, 2018 supporting PhD candidates

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

The aesthetics of memory: ruins, visibility and witnessing

In this article I present the findings of my research regarding the transformation of the meaning of ex-­‐detention and extermination sites in Chile. In the context of the increasing cost of land and the ‘urban cleansing’ associated with global processes of neo-­‐ liberalization, I reflect in particular upon the dynamics of visibility and erasure that accompany the life of these recent ruins, and the various politics of their memorialization. From a critical phenomenological perspective I argue that ruins of sites of violence have the capacity to interrupt, transgress and even contradict narratives about them; furthermore, I discuss the relation between affect, ethics and aesthetics so as to raise questions about the possibility of witnessing and the challenges of memorialization

Memorias del Séptimo Foro de la Enseñanza de las Matemáticas

En el Séptimo Foro de Enseñanza de las Matemática Ibero 2017 se abordaron temas relacionados con el uso de la historia de las matemáticas en el aula, las transformaciones en las habilidades, destrezas y conocimientos en los alumnos universitarios en la primera década del 2000, el uso de plataformas digitales en la enseñanza de las matemáticas; se expuso sobre situaciones problema en la vida cotidiana relacionados con las matemáticas escolares y la modelación matemática, sobre la historia de la enseñanza de las matermáticas, entre otros temas.ITESO, A.C.Universidad Iberoamericana, Campus Santa F

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

Omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, GALACTIC‐HF: baseline characteristics and comparison with contemporary clinical trials

Aims: The safety and efficacy of the novel selective cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is tested in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTIC‐HF) trial. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants in GALACTIC‐HF and how these compare with other contemporary trials. Methods and Results: Adults with established HFrEF, New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA) ≥ II, EF ≤35%, elevated natriuretic peptides and either current hospitalization for HF or history of hospitalization/ emergency department visit for HF within a year were randomized to either placebo or omecamtiv mecarbil (pharmacokinetic‐guided dosing: 25, 37.5 or 50 mg bid). 8256 patients [male (79%), non‐white (22%), mean age 65 years] were enrolled with a mean EF 27%, ischemic etiology in 54%, NYHA II 53% and III/IV 47%, and median NT‐proBNP 1971 pg/mL. HF therapies at baseline were among the most effectively employed in contemporary HF trials. GALACTIC‐HF randomized patients representative of recent HF registries and trials with substantial numbers of patients also having characteristics understudied in previous trials including more from North America (n = 1386), enrolled as inpatients (n = 2084), systolic blood pressure &lt; 100 mmHg (n = 1127), estimated glomerular filtration rate &lt; 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 528), and treated with sacubitril‐valsartan at baseline (n = 1594). Conclusions: GALACTIC‐HF enrolled a well‐treated, high‐risk population from both inpatient and outpatient settings, which will provide a definitive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy, as well as informing its potential future implementation

Heidegger y el cristianismo

Revista de Filosofía. Universidad de Chile 60 (2004): 29-56

The Cu(I)–glutathione complex: factors affecting its formation and capacity to generate reactive oxygen species

Cu2? ions and reduced glutathione (GSH) swiftly interact to form the physiologically occurring Cu(I)–[GSH]2 complex. Prompted by the recently reported ability of this complex to generate superoxide radicals from molecular oxygen, the present study addressed how the concentration of Cu2? and GSH, the pH, and the temperature affect the formation of the Cu(I)–[GSH]2 complex and its capacity to generate superoxide radicals and hydrogen peroxide. Increasing concentrations of Cu2? and GSH, added at a fixed molar ratio of 1:3, led to a proportionally greater production of superoxide anions, hydrogen peroxide, and oxidized glutathione (GSSG). GSSG formation was found to closely reflect the formation of Cu(I)– [GSH]2. Biologically relevant changes in pH (e.g., from 6.8 to 7.7) and temperature (from 22 to 37 C) did not affect the formation of the Cu(I)–[GSH]2, as assessed by GSSG production. However, production of superoxide radicals increased as the pH values were incremented. An opposite effect was observed regarding hydrogen peroxide production. The ability of a freshly prepared Cu(I)–[GSH]2 complex (assayed within a minute from its formation) to generate superoxide radicals was incremented by as the temperature was increased. Such ability, however, correlated inversely with the temperature when, before assaying for superoxide, the earlier referred preparation was incubated during 30 min in the presence of oxygen. Under the latter condition, hydrogen peroxide linearly accumulated in time, suggesting that an increased autodismutation underlies the apparent time-dependent ‘‘aging’’ of the capacity of the complex to generate superoxide.This work was supported by FONDECYT #3080025 (Postdoctoral grant) and by FONDECYT #1070613