CARACTERÍSTICAS DE LA FORMACIÓN DEPORTIVA DE LOS PARTICIPANTES EN LOS IV JUEGOS ESCOLARES CENTROAMERICANOS Y DEL CARIBE, ARMENIA 2013

Objetivo: Caracterizar la formación deportiva de participantes en los IV Juegos Deportivos EscolaresCentroamericanos y del Caribe, Armenia, 2013. Materiales y métodos: Estudio cuantitativo, prospectivo,con alcance descriptivo y de corte transversal. De un universo de 683 participantes, fue seleccionadaintencionalmente una muestra no probabilística de 233 deportistas (102 hombres y 131 mujeres),entre 15 y 17 años de edad, pertenecientes a nueve delegaciones participantes, quienes respondieronuna encuesta que indagaba sobre la formación deportiva. Resultados: Los deportistas encuestadosafirman que la organización del deporte en la escuela se da en clubes deportivos, los deportistaspertenecen a entidades deportivas independientes a su institución educativa y dichas entidades noposeen convenios con las instituciones educativas; el promedio de edad de inicio es 9,57 años, enentidades deportivas independientes de su institución; al 52,3 % de los deportistas se les realizaronpruebas para identificar talento; y de ellas las más utilizadas fueron las pruebas físicas. Dentro delcontrol se encuentra que el 89,2 % realizó pruebas permanentemente y las más utilizadas son las físicas,se identifica que los deportistas tienen un bagaje en competencias internacionales y un promediode 7 competencias por año; finalmente, se establece que el principal agente motivador son los padres

Probiotic Yeasts and Vibrio anguillarum Infection Modify the Microbiome of Zebrafish Larvae

The host microbiome plays an essential role in health and disease. Microbiome modification by pathogens or probiotics has been poorly explored especially in the case of probiotic yeasts. Next-generation sequencing currently provides the best tools for their characterization. Debaryomyces hansenii 97 (D. hansenii 97) and Yarrowia lipolytica 242 (Y. lipolytica 242) are yeasts that protect wildtype zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae against a Vibrio anguillarum (V. anguillarum) infection, increasing their survival rate. We investigate the effect of these microorganisms on the microbiome and neutrophil response (inflammation) in zebrafish larvae line Tg(Bacmpx:GFP)i114. We postulated that preinoculation of larvae with yeasts would attenuate the intestinal neutrophil response and prevent modification of the larval microbiome induced by the pathogen. Microbiome study was performed by sequencing the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and prediction of metabolic pathways by Piphillin in conventionally raised larvae. Survival and the neutrophil response were both evaluated in conventional and germ-free conditions. V. anguillarum infection resulted in higher neutrophil number in the intestinal area compared to non-infected larvae in both conditions. In germ-free conditions, infected larvae pre-inoculated with yeasts showed fewer neutrophil numbers than infected larvae. In both conditions, only D. hansenii 97 increased the survival of infected larvae. Beta diversity of the microbiota was modified by V. anguillarum and both yeasts, compared to non-inoculated larvae. At 3 days post-infection, V. anguillarum modified the relative abundance of 10 genera, and pre-inoculation with D. hansenii 97 and Y. lipolytica 242 prevented the modification of 5 and 6 of these genera, respectively. Both yeasts prevent the increase of Ensifer and Vogesella identified as negative predictors for larval survival (accounting for 40 and 27 of the variance, respectively). In addition, yeast pre-inoculation prevents changes in some metabolic pathways altered by V. anguillarum’s infection. These results suggest that both yeasts and V. anguillarum can shape the larval microbiota configuration in the early developmental stage of D. rerio. Moreover, modulation of key taxa or metabolic pathways of the larval microbiome by yeasts can be associated with the survival of infected larvae. This study contributes to the understanding of yeast–pathogen–microbiome interactions, although further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms involved

Interventions in health organisations to reduce the impact of adverse events in second and third victims

Background Adverse events (AE) are also the cause of suffering in health professionals involved. This study was designed to identify and analyse organization-level strategies adopted in both primary care and hospitals in Spain to address the impact of serious AE on second and third victims. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in healthcare organizations assessing: safety culture; health organization crisis management plans for serious AE; actions planned to ensure transparency in communication with patients (and relatives) who experience an AE; support for second victims; and protective measures to safeguard the institution’s reputation (the third victim). Results A total of 406 managers and patient safety coordinators replied to the survey. Deficient provision of support for second victims was acknowledged by 71 and 61 % of the participants from hospitals and primary care respectively; these respondents reported there was no support protocol for second victims in place in their organizations. Regarding third victim initiatives, 35 % of hospital and 43 % of primary care professionals indicated no crisis management plan for serious AE existed in their organization, and in the case of primary care, there was no crisis committee in 34 % of cases. The degree of implementation of second and third victim support interventions was perceived to be greater in hospitals (mean 14.1, SD 3.5) than in primary care (mean 11.8, SD 3.1) (p?<?0.001). Conclusions Many Spanish health organizations do not have a second and third victim support or a crisis management plan in place to respond to serious AEs

The aftermath of adverse events in spanish primary care and hospital health professionals

Background Adverse events (AEs) cause harm in patients and disturbance for the professionals involved in the event (second victims). This study assessed the impact of AEs in primary care (PC) and hospitals in Spain on second victims. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. We carried out a survey based on a random sample of doctors and nurses from PC and hospital settings in Spain. A total of 1087 health professionals responded, 610 from PC and 477 from hospitals. Results A total of 430 health professionals (39.6%) had informed a patient of an error. Reporting to patients was carried out by those with the strongest safety culture (Odds Ratio –OR- 1.1, 95% Confidence Interval –CI- 1.0-1.2), nurses (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.5-2.3), those under 50 years of age (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.9) and primary care staff (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.5-0.9). A total of 381 (62.5%, 95% CI 59-66%) and 346 (72.5%, IC95% 69-77%) primary care and hospital health professionals, respectively, reported having gone through the second-victim experience, either directly or through a colleague, in the previous 5 years. The emotional responses were: feelings of guilt (521, 58.8%), anxiety (426, 49.6%), re-living the event (360, 42.2%), tiredness (341, 39.4%), insomnia (317, 38.0%) and persistent feelings of insecurity (284, 32.8%). In doctors, the most common responses were: feelings of guilt (OR 0.7 IC95% 0.6-0.8), re-living the event (OR 0.7, IC95% o.6-0.8), and anxiety (OR 0.8, IC95% 0.6-0.9), while nurses showed greater solidarity in terms of supporting the second victim, in both PC (p?=?0.019) and hospital (p?=?0.019) settings. Conclusions Adverse events cause guilt, anxiety, and loss of confidence in health professionals. Most are involved in such events as second victims at least once in their careers. They rarely receive any training or education on coping strategies for this phenomenon

Structural Equation Model (SEM) of stroke mortality in Spanish inpatient hospital settings: The role of individual and contextual factors

Introduction: Traditionally, predictive models of in-hospital mortality in ischemic stroke have focused on individual patient variables, to the neglect of in-hospital contextual variables. In addition, frequently used scores are betters predictors of risk of sequelae than mortality, and, to date, the use of structural equations in elaborating such measures has only been anecdotal. Aims: The aim of this paper was to analyze the joint predictive weight of the following: (1) individual factors (age, gender, obesity, and epilepsy) on the mediating factors (arrhythmias, dyslipidemia, hypertension), and ultimately death (exitus); (2) contextual in-hospital factors (year and existence of a stroke unit) on the mediating factors (number of diagnoses, procedures and length of stay, and re-admission), as determinants of death; and (3) certain factors in predicting others. Material and Methods: Retrospective cohort study through observational analysis of all hospital stays of Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) 14, non-lysed ischemic stroke, during the time period 2008¿2012. The sample consisted of a total of 186,245 hospital stays, taken from the Minimum Basic Data Set (MBDS) upon discharge from Spanish hospitals. MANOVAs were carried out to establish the linear effect of certain variables on others. These formed the basis for building the Structural Equation Model (SEM), with the corresponding parameters and restrictive indicators. Results: A consistent model of causal predictive relationships between the postulated variables was obtained. One of the most interesting effects was the predictive value of contextual variables on individual variables, especially the indirect effect of the existence of stroke units on reducing number of procedures, readmission and in-hospital mortality. Conclusion: Contextual variables, and specifically the availability of stroke units, made a positive impact on individual variables that affect prognosis and mortality in ischemic stroke. Moreover, it is feasible to determine this impact through the use of structural equation methodology. We analyze the methodological and clinical implications of this type of study for hospital policies

Unraveling the real magnitude of illegal wildlife poisoning to halt cryptic biodiversity loss

Illegal wildlife poisoning is a global threat for biodiversity, yet the magnitude of its impact on ecosystems is largely underestimated as most of poisoning episodes remain undetected. Here, we conducted a large-scale field experiment to better understand the real dimension of the illegal wildlife poisoning in terms of composition and number of species and abundance of impacted individuals, as well as the ecological factors driving it. We used camera traps to monitor simulated poison baits placed in 25 study areas in SW Europe and applied Good–Turing theory to estimate the richness of species of the entire assemblage (observed plus undetected). We recorded 3095 individuals from 39 vertebrate species that consumed 94 % of the baits (N = 590). Yet, using sample completeness to estimate the entire species assemblage yielded a total of 47 species exposed to illegal poisoning. The observed assemblage included different trophic and functional groups (from lizards and snakes to apex species among birds and mammals), as well as a 38 % of threatened and near threatened species (according to Spanish and Portuguese vertebrate red list and UICN list). The size (weight) of the bait outstands as a reliable predictor of the number of species (0–8 species/bait, mean = 2) and individuals (0–99 individuals/bait, mean = 5) susceptible to poisoning. The habitat where the bait was placed modulated the abundance of individuals affected (greater in open than in closed habitats). Type of bait and habitat drove the compositional variation of species. Our approach enables uncover entire species assemblages prone to illegal poisoning and their ecological drivers associated, advancing the understanding of the impact of wildlife poisoning in ecosystemsThis work was supported by the project TOXICO funding by “BBVA FOUNDATION GRANTS TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TEAMS, CALL 2018”. WWF Spain and SEO/BirdLife provided access to the ANTíDOTO database of wildlife poisoning in Spain. The Ohio Wesleyan University supported with logistical material (5 camera-traps). JVLB was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (RYC-2015-18932; CGL2017-87528-R AEI/FEDER EU). JVLB and PMT were supported by a GRUPIN research grant from the Regional Government of Asturias (AYUD/2021/51314). In Portugal, this study was financed through the Sentinelas project funded by Fundo Ambiental – Minist´erio do Ambiente e da Aç˜ ao Clim´ atica. We are grateful to Instituto da Conservaçao ˜ da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF), Principado de Asturias, Junta de Castilla y Leon, ´ Xunta de Galicia, Gobierno de Cantabria, Comunidad de Madrid, Junta de Andalucía, Picos de Europa National Park, Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, Cabaneros ˜ National Park and Monfragüe National Park for granted permission

Fine mapping and conditional analysis identify a new mutation in the autoimmunity susceptibility gene BLK that leads to reduced half-life of the BLK protein

OBJECTIVES: To perform fine mapping of the autoimmunity susceptibility gene BLK and identify functional variants involved in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Genotyping of 1163 European SLE patients and 1482 controls and imputation were performed covering the BLK gene with 158 single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Logistic regression analysis was done using PLINK and conditional analyses using GENABEL's test score. Transfections of BLK constructs on HEK293 cells containing the novel mutation or the wild type form were analysed for their effect on protein half-life using a protein stability assay, cycloheximide and western blot. CHiP-qPCR for detection of nuclear factor κ B (NFkB) binding. RESULTS: Fine mapping of BLK identified two independent genetic effects with functional consequences: one represented by two tightly linked associated haplotype blocks significantly enriched for NFκB-binding sites and numerous putative regulatory variants whose risk alleles correlated with low BLK mRNA levels. Binding of NFkBp50 and p65 to an associated 1.2 Kb haplotype segment was confirmed. A second independent genetic effect was represented by an Ala71Thr, low-frequency missense substitution with an OR=2.31 (95% CI 1.38 to 3.86). The 71Thr decreased BLK protein half-life. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that rare and common regulatory variants in BLK are involved in disease susceptibility and both, albeit independently, lead to reduced levels of BLK protein

Mitochondrial Signature in Human Monocytes and Resistance to Infection in C. elegans During Fumarate-Induced Innate Immune Training.

Monocytes can develop immunological memory, a functional characteristic widely recognized as innate immune training, to distinguish it from memory in adaptive immune cells. Upon a secondary immune challenge, either homologous or heterologous, trained monocytes/macrophages exhibit a more robust production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, than untrained monocytes. Candida albicans, β-glucan, and BCG are all inducers of monocyte training and recent metabolic profiling analyses have revealed that training induction is dependent on glycolysis, glutaminolysis, and the cholesterol synthesis pathway, along with fumarate accumulation; interestingly, fumarate itself can induce training. Since fumarate is produced by the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle within mitochondria, we asked whether extra-mitochondrial fumarate has an effect on mitochondrial function. Results showed that the addition of fumarate to monocytes induces mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, fusion, and increased membrane potential (Δψm), while mitochondrial cristae became closer to each other, suggesting that immediate (from minutes to hours) mitochondrial activation plays a role in the induction phase of innate immune training of monocytes. To establish whether fumarate induces similar mitochondrial changes in vivo in a multicellular organism, effects of fumarate supplementation were tested in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. This induced mitochondrial fusion in both muscle and intestinal cells and also increased resistance to infection of the pharynx with E. coli. Together, these findings contribute to defining a mitochondrial signature associated with the induction of innate immune training by fumarate treatment, and to the understanding of whole organism infection resistance