Vigilancia de la gripe en España. Resumen de la temporada 2011-2012. Semanas 40/2011 - 04/2012 (del 02 de octubre de 2011 al 29 de enero de 2012)

El nivel de intensidad de la actividad gripal registrado en España, desde el inicio de la temporada 2011-2012, hasta la semana 04/2012 (del 23 al 29 de enero de 2012) fue moderado y se asoció a una circulación mayoritaria de virus de la gripe A(H3). La tasa de incidencia de gripe superó el umbral basal de la temporada 2011-12 en la semana 52/2011, registrándose un incremento paulatino en el porcentaje de muestras positivas a virus gripales, desde la semana 48/2011 hasta la semana 04/2012. Desde la semana 40/2011 hasta la semana 04/2012 se han notificado 103 casos graves hospitalizados confirmados de gripe, de los que siete fallecieron. La mayoría de los casos fueron infecciones por virus de la gripe A(H3). De los casos pertenecientes a los grupos elegibles para vacunación, el 44% había recibido la vacuna antigripal de esta temporada. La actividad gripal en la región templada del hemisferio norte continúa baja, aunque con notables incrementos locales de actividad en el norte de América, oeste de Europa y norte de China. El virus más común en el hemisferio norte ha sido el A(H3), a excepción de Méjico, donde ha circulado de manera predominante el virus de la gripe A(H1N1)pdm09, y China, donde ha predominado el tipo B. La actividad gripal en los países templados del hemisferio sur se sitúa de nuevo en niveles de intertemporada.N

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Investigation of Sm₂O₃–CeO₂-supported palladium catalysts for the reforming of methanol: The role of the support

With a view to their use as catalytic anode materials for direct methanol solid oxide fuel cells (DM-SOFCs), the performance of Pd/CeO2-SM2O3 (Pd/CS), Pd/CeO2 and Pd/SM2O3 catalysts in the steam reforming of methanol as well as their physicochemical properties - analyzed by N-2 adsorption, XRD, temperature programmed reduction (TPR), CO chemisorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) - have been investigated. The catalytic activity in methanol steam reforming was evaluated in a tubular microreactor at atmospheric pressure in the 300-500 degrees C reaction temperature interval (space velocity = 0.32 mol/(h g(cat)) H2O/CH3OH molar ratio = 1.2, methanol concentration 15 mole%). H-2, CO and CO2 were the main reaction products. Methanol conversions up to 72% and H-2 productivities as high as 0.46 mol/(h g(cat)) were obtained on the Pd/CS catalyst. Moreover, low H-2 productivity (0.09 mol/(h g(cat))) was found on the Pd/CeO2 catalyst, while Pd/Sm2O3 appeared to be inactive. This behaviour can be partly assigned to the higher dispersion and the more favourable distribution of Pd particles observed in the Pd/CS catalyst. A strong association of Pd and samarium oxide and an enrichment in both components at the external surface of the Pd/CS catalyst grains was found by means of TPR and XPS. This could be explained by the partial dissolution of Sm2O3 in the acid medium used during catalyst preparation leading to the re-precipitation of a Pd/Sm-containing phase. Higher activity per exposed Pd atom was also observed for the Pd/CS catalyst. This was attributed to enhancement of diffusion and adsorption of reactants on the basic sites of the Sm-containing support. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</p

Investigation of Sm₂O₃–CeO₂-supported palladium catalysts for the reforming of methanol: The role of the support

With a view to their use as catalytic anode materials for direct methanol solid oxide fuel cells (DM-SOFCs), the performance of Pd/CeO2-SM2O3 (Pd/CS), Pd/CeO2 and Pd/SM2O3 catalysts in the steam reforming of methanol as well as their physicochemical properties - analyzed by N-2 adsorption, XRD, temperature programmed reduction (TPR), CO chemisorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) - have been investigated. The catalytic activity in methanol steam reforming was evaluated in a tubular microreactor at atmospheric pressure in the 300-500 degrees C reaction temperature interval (space velocity = 0.32 mol/(h g(cat)) H2O/CH3OH molar ratio = 1.2, methanol concentration 15 mole%). H-2, CO and CO2 were the main reaction products. Methanol conversions up to 72% and H-2 productivities as high as 0.46 mol/(h g(cat)) were obtained on the Pd/CS catalyst. Moreover, low H-2 productivity (0.09 mol/(h g(cat))) was found on the Pd/CeO2 catalyst, while Pd/Sm2O3 appeared to be inactive. This behaviour can be partly assigned to the higher dispersion and the more favourable distribution of Pd particles observed in the Pd/CS catalyst. A strong association of Pd and samarium oxide and an enrichment in both components at the external surface of the Pd/CS catalyst grains was found by means of TPR and XPS. This could be explained by the partial dissolution of Sm2O3 in the acid medium used during catalyst preparation leading to the re-precipitation of a Pd/Sm-containing phase. Higher activity per exposed Pd atom was also observed for the Pd/CS catalyst. This was attributed to enhancement of diffusion and adsorption of reactants on the basic sites of the Sm-containing support. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</p

Pediatric cutaneous mucormicosis

A 9-year-old boy diagnosed with acute myeloblastic leukemia and undergoing chemotherapy, was admitted with febrile neutropenia. During his admission, several violaceous plaques appeared on the upper extremities and anterior left hemithorax, which worsened and acquired a necrotic center. We performed a biopsy and histology showed a cutaneous infarction at the dermoepidermal and subcutaneous level. We observed abundant wide hyphae with right-angled branching and a culture isolated Rhizopus oryzae. A plastic surgery consultant performed a surgical debridement of the lesions and treatment was started with intravenous amphotericin B. The patient did well on treatment and after almost a month of hospitalization, he was discharged with oral posaconazole. Mucormycosis is an opportunistic fungal infection associated with immunosuppression, particularly involving prematurity and hematological diseases in the pediatric age group. Multiple lesions, as in our case, are infrequent. The clinical presentation is variable. Direct smear or histological observation is the quickest diagnostic technique whereas culture is the most definitive. The combination of surgical debridement and amphotericin B is the treatment with the highest survival rates

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from acidic soils favors production of tomatoes and lycopene concentration

BACKGROUND Tomato is widely consumed throughout the world for its flavor and nutritional value. This functional food largely depends on the implementation of new strategies to maintain the nutraceutical value, e.g. lycopene concentration, and overcome the challenges of sustainable production and food security. The use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)-based biostimulants represents one of the most promising tools for sustainable management of agricultural soils, being fundamental for organic food production, reducing fertilizers and pesticides use, and decreasing environmental damage. This study aimed at elucidating whether native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) could positively affect tomato yield and lycopene concentration. RESULTS Native AMF inoculum consisted of two inoculum types: the single species Claroideoglomus claroideum, and a mix of Scutellospora calospora, Acaulospora laevis, Claroideoglomus claroideum, and Claroideoglomus etunicatum. At the end of the study up to 78% of the root system was colonized by single inoculum. Tomato diameters in single and mix mycorrhizal plants showed increases of 80% and 35% respectively. Fresh weights were 84% and 38% higher with single and mix inocula compared with the controls, respectively. The lycopene concentration in tomato fruits of plants with single and mix inoculum was higher than controls. The lycopene concentration was 124.5% and 113.9% greater in single and mix than non-inoculated plants. CONCLUSION Tomato diameters, fresh weight and lycopene concentration was significantly higher in plants colonized by AMF compared with uninoculated plants. Results suggest that the role of single species Claroideoglomus claroideum could generate better plant performance due to its high production of extraradical mycelium. (c) 2021 Society of Chemical Industr