Risk factors of different hemoplasma species infections in cats

Background: Hemoplasma species (spp.) commonly cause infections in cats worldwide. However, data on risk factors for infections are limited. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hemoplasma spp. infections in cats in Southern Germany and to assess risk factors associated with infection. Results: DNA was extracted from blood samples of 479 cats presented to different veterinary hospitals for various reasons. DNA of feline hemoplasmas was amplified by use of a previously reported PCR assay. Direct sequencing was used to confirm all purified amplicons and compared to hemoplasma sequences reported in GenBank. Results were evaluated in relation to the age, sex, housing conditions, feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) status of the cats. The overall hemoplasma prevalence rate was 9.4% (45/479;95% CI: 7.08-12.36). 'Candidatus Mycoplasma (M.) haemominutum' (Mhm) DNA was amplified from 42 samples, M. haemofelis from 2, and M. haemocanis from 1 sample. There was a significantly higher risk of hemoplasma infection in cats from multi-cat households, in outdoor cats, as well as in cats with FIVinfection and in cats with abortive FeLV infection, but not in cats with progressive or regressive FeLV infection. Conclusions: Mhm infection is common in cats in Southern Germany. Higher prevalence in multi-cat households and associations with FeLV infection likely reflect the potential for direct transmission amongst cats. Outdoor access, male gender, and FIV infection are additional risk factors that might relate to aggressive interactions and exposure to vectors

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

El impacto del terrorismo en el turismo y cómo hacer frente a estas crisis en esta industria: Turquía y el operador turístico TUI en el punto de mira

[spa] El terrorismo es un fenómeno que ha existido desde el principio de la humanidad, pero pocas veces ha estado tan presente como ahora. Este documento trata del terrorismo como influencia negativa en el turismo, tanto para los destinos como para los agentes turísticos. Para ilustrar esto, nos fijaremos en Turquía como destino que ha perdido visitantes debido a los actos terroristas de organizaciones radicales como el partido PKK o el IS. Esto también afecta a algunos sectores económicos que sólo interactúan indirectamente con la industria del turismo. TUI Deutschland GmbH se utiliza como ejemplo para mostrar cómo un operador turístico con su propia gestión de crisis y equipo de crisis se enfrenta a las acciones terroristas y qué consecuencias tuvieron los atentados en Turquía para la empresa turística. Además, se dedica un capítulo a la gestión de crisis, que trata de las causas y el curso de las crisis, así como de la gestión de crisis como proceso.[eng] Terrorism is a phenomenon that has existed since the beginning of mankind, but it has rarely been as present as it is today. This thesis deals with terrorism as a negative influence on tourism, both for destinations and tourism stakeholders. To illustrate this, we will focus on the destination Turkey, which has lost visitors due to the terrorist acts of radical organizations, such as the PKK party or the IS. This also affects some economic sectors that only indirectly interact with the tourism industry. TUI Deutschland GmbH is used as an example to show how a tour operator with its own crisis management and crisis team deals with terrorist actions and what consequences the attacks in Turkey had for the tourism company. In addition, a chapter is devoted to crisis management, which deals with the causes and course of crises as well as crisis management as a process

Survey of the feline leukemia virus infection status of cats in Southern Germany

Most studies that investigate the prevalence of infections with feline leukemia virus (FeLV) are based on the detection of p27 antigen in blood, but they do not detect proviral DNA to identify the prevalence of regressive FeLV infections. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and status of FeLV infection in cats in Southern Germany. P27 antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), anti-p45 antibody ELISA, DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of blood and RNA PCR of saliva were performed. Nine out of 495 cats were progressively (persistently) infected (1.8%) and six were regressively (latently) infected (1.2%). Cats with regressive infections are defined as cats that have been able to overcome antigenemia but provirus can be detected by PCR. Twenty-two unvaccinated cats likely had abortive infections (regressor cats), testing FeLV antigen- and provirus-negative but anti-p45 antibody-positive. Most of the FeLV-vaccinated cats did not have anti-FeLV antibodies. Both progressive, as well as regressive infections seem to be rare in Germany today

2,2′-Bipyridyl as a Redox-Active Borylene Abstraction Agent

2,2′-Bipyridyl is shown to spontaneously abstract a borylene fragment (R–B:) from various hypovalent boron compounds. This process is a redox reaction in which the bipyridine is reduced and becomes a dianionic substituent bound to boron through its two nitrogen atoms. Various transition metal–borylene complexes and diboranes, as a well as a diborene, take part in this reaction. In the latter case, our results show an intriguing example of the homolytic cleavage of a B═B double bond

Interpersonal precipitants are associated with suicide intent communication among United States Air Force suicide decedents

Background: Few studies explore differences between suicide intent communicators and noncommunicators, and to date, none have examined the association between suicide precipitants and intent communication. Methods: United States Air Force suicide decedents (N = 236) were categorized as suicide intent communicators or non-communicators within 30 days prior to death. The top two frequently occurring suicide precipitants, categorized as interpersonal and legal/administrative, were examined in relation to suicide intent communication. Results: Nearly half (47.0%) of suicide decedents communicated intent within 30 days of death, of which the majority (61.3%) communicated their suicide intent within 24 h of death. Suicide intent communicators and non-communicators did not differ on demographics. Decedents with interpersonal precipitants were significantly more likely than those without to communicate suicide intent (52.7% versus 33.3%). Decedents with documented legal/administrative precipitants were equally likely as those without to communicate suicide intent (49.6% versus 44.0%). Controlling for legal/administrative precipitants, decedents with interpersonal precipitants were twice as likely to communicate suicide intent communication, OR = 2.2, p = .008 (95% CI = 1.23, 3.98). Limitations: Limitations include the retrospective study design, unknown mode of intent communication, unclear timing of precipitants relative to communication, and exclusion of other types of precipitants. Conclusions: Suicide intent communication was most frequent among decedents with interpersonal precipitants. This finding has important implications for the continued education of military families and communities on identifying and intervening with those making suicide intent disclosures. Additional research is needed to examine individual trajectories toward suicide to understand nuances of distal and proximal precipitants as related to suicide intent communication

2,2-Bipyridyl as a Redox-Active Borylene Abstraction Agent

2,2′-Bipyridyl is shown to spontaneously abstract a borylene fragment (R–B:) from various hypovalent boron compounds. This process is a redox reaction in which the bipyridine is reduced and becomes a dianionic substituent bound to boron through its two nitrogen atoms. Various transition metal–borylene complexes and diboranes, as a well as a diborene, take part in this reaction. In the latter case, our results show an intriguing example of the homolytic cleavage of a B═B double bond

Stable Lewis Base Adducts of Tetrahalodiboranes: Synthetic Methods and Structural Diversity

A series of 22 new bis(phosphine), bis(carbene) and bis(isonitrile) tetrahalodiborane adducts has been synthesized, either by direct adduct formation with highly sensitive B2X4 precursors (X = Cl, Br, I) or by ligand exchange at stable B2X4(SMe2)2 precursors (X = Cl, Br) with labile dimethylsulfide ligands. The isolated compounds have been fully characterized using NMR spectroscopic, (C,H,N)- elemental and, for 20 of these compounds, X-ray crystallographic analysis, revealing an unexpected variation in the bonding motifs. Besides the classical B2X4L2 diborane(6) adducts, some of the more sterically demanding carbene ligands induce a halide displacement leading to the first halide-bridged monocationic diboron species, [B2X3L2]A (A = BCl4, Br, I). Furthermore, low-temperature 1:1 reactions of B2Cl4 with sterically demanding N-heterocyclic carbenes led to the formation of kinetically unstable mono-adducts, one of which was structurally characterized. A comparison of the NMR and structural data of new and literature-known bis-adducts shows several trends pertaining to the nature of the halides and the stereoelectronic properties of the Lewis bases employed