Dilute Gd hydroxycarbonate particles for localized spin qubit integration

Molecular spins are considered as the quantum hardware to build hybrid quantum processors in which coupling to superconducting devices would provide the means to implement the necessary coherent manipulations. As an alternative to large magnetically-dilute crystals or concentrated nano-scale deposits of paramagnetic molecules that have been studied so far, the use of pre-formed sub-micronic spherical particles of a doped Gd@Y hydroxycarbonate is evaluated here. Particles with an adjustable number of spin carriers are prepared through the control of both particle size and doping. Bulk magnetic properties and continuous wave and time-domain-EPR spectroscopy show that the Gd spins in these particles are potential qubits with robust quantum coherence. Monolayers of densely-packed particles are then formed interfacially and transferred successfully to the surface of Nb superconducting resonators. Alternatively, these particles are disposed at controlled localizations as isolated groups of a few particles through Dip-Pen Nanolithography using colloidal organic dispersions as ink. Altogether, this study offers new material and methodologies relevant to the development of viable hybrid quantum processors

Understanding Factors Contributing to Nurses’ Intention to Care for COVID-19 Patients Using the Theory of Planned Behavior

Background: Globally, the nursing community has lost several colleagues during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) battle. One of the negative consequences of the disease is the pressure on healthcare services and demands that exceed the system's capacity to provide sufficient resources. Similarly, the experiences of care providers might trigger emotional and physical stress, which could affect the healthcare system's readiness to manage infectious outbreaks. This study was aimed at investigating nurses’ intention to care for COVID-19 patients and determining factors contributing to their intentions to care at the Ministry of Health facilities in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used to recruit 336 nurses working in Al Madinah Ministry of Health hospitals where COVID-19 patients received medical and nursing care. The instrument was created following the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Results: Nurses’ intention to care for COVID-19 patients was significantly correlated with their education level, nationality, knowledge about COVID-19, and nurses’ exposure during their earlier education for emerging infectious diseases. Factors related to social pressure from friends, colleagues, and workplace administration support needed improvement.  Examining the model fits through multiple regression revealed that the combination of six subscales – “attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and control beliefs” – accounted for a significant (89%) variability of intention to care, R2 = 0.892, adjusted R2 = 0.793, F (6-329) = 201, p ≤ 0.000. Conclusion: Providing nursing education is the main predictor of higher nurses' intention to care for COVID-19 patients, it is imperative that nursing education courses should continue investing in enhancing nurses' capabilities in caring for COVID-19 patients

Actas del Quinto Congreso Internacional sobre Minería y Metalurgia Históricas en el Suroeste Europeo (León - 2008) : libro en homenaje a Claude Domergue

Promover el estudio del patrimonio minero es uno de los objetivos estatutarios de la Sociedad Española para la Defensa del Patrimonio Geológico y Minero (SEDPGYM). Por ello, la Sociedad siempre ha apoyado los encuentros entre los especialistas como el que se presenta en este libro de actas. El estudio del patrimonio minero es una actividad compleja por la propia naturaleza del patrimonio involucrado, de manera que los puntos de vista desde los que puede abordarse son muchos y diversos. Consciente de ello, SEDPGYM organiza, con la colaboración de otras instituciones, los denominados simposios internacionales sobre Minería y Metalurgia Históricas en el Suroeste Europeo en los que tienen cabida los estudios e investigaciones relativos a la minería y metalurgia desde la Prehistoria hasta nuestros días, con especial atención a aquellos que son anteriores a la época moderna. El presente libro de actas recoge los trabajos de uno de estos congresos, concretamente el quinto, celebrado en León entre los días 19 y 21 de junio de 2008, y coorganizado con GEOMIN/APPI y la Universidad de León. Este congreso tuvo una significación especial porque, con él, SEDPGYM rindió un merecido homenaje a un hombre que es una autoridad indiscutible en el campo de la minería antigua, hasta el punto de que sus múltiples trabajos han creado escuela entre los arqueólogos actuales. Se trata de Claude Domergue, profesor emérito en la Universidad Toulouse-Le Mirail (Francia). Claude Domergue ha sido pionero en realizar el estudio sistemático de los yacimientos arqueológico-mineros ibéricos (ya que también ha dedicado su atención a Portugal), recorriendo una ingente cantidad de ellos y publicando varias e importantes obras de síntesis

Understanding factors contributing to nurses’ intention to care for COVID-19 patients using the theory of planned behavior

Background: Globally, the nursing community has lost several colleagues during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) battle. One of the negative consequences of the disease is the pressure on healthcare services and demands that exceed the system’s capacity to provide sufficient resources. Similarly, the experiences of care providers might trigger emotional and physical stress, which could affect the healthcare system’s readiness to manage infectious outbreaks. This study was aimed at investigating nurses’ intention to care for COVID-19 patients and determining factors contributing to their intentions to care at the Ministry of Health facilities in Saudi Arabia.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used to recruit 336 nurses working in Al Madinah Ministry of Health hospitals where COVID-19 patients received medical and nursing care. The instrument was created following the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior.Results: Nurses’ intention to care for COVID-19 patients was significantly correlated with their education level, nationality, knowledge about COVID-19, and nurses’ exposure during their earlier education for emerging infectious diseases. Factors related to social pressure from friends, colleagues, and workplace administration support needed improvement. Examining the model fits through multiple regression revealed that the combination of six subscales – “attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and control beliefs” – accounted for a significant (89%) variability of intention to care, R2 = 0.892, adjusted R2 = 0.793, F (6-329) = 201, p ≤ 0.000.Conclusion: Providing nursing education is the main predictor of higher nurses’ intention to care for COVID-19 patients, it is imperative that nursing education courses should continue investing in enhancing nurses’ capabilities in caring for COVID-19 patients

The four horsemen of a viral Apocalypse : The pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19)

The concept of the manuscript was devised by PD who also performed the overall literature searches. IM, VP, HC, and JC designed the search strategy with inputs from PD and NdB. IM, VP, HC, and JC carried out the literature searches and screening, and any discrepancies were discussed with PD and NdB. PD wrote the first draft of the review with inputs from all the authors. This work was partially supported by grant COV20/00070. Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain. The funding source was not involved in the design of the study or in writing the report. All authors had access to the data used in the analyses, and the lead author reviewed the full report. The full study data were available to all authors. PD, NdB made the decision to submit the paper for publication. We are indebted to Jordi Mancebo and M? Ant?nia Mangues for critical reading of the manuscript, and to Richard Pike for reviewing its writing.The pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be envisaged as the dynamic interaction between four vicious feedback loops chained or happening at once. These are the viral loop, the hyperinflammatory loop, the non-canonical renin-angiotensin system (RAS) axis loop, and the hypercoagulation loop. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronavirus (CoV)-2 lights the wick by infecting alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) and downregulating the angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2)/angiotensin (Ang-1-7)/Mas1R axis. The viral feedback loop includes evading the host's innate response, uncontrolled viral replication, and turning on a hyperactive adaptative immune response. The inflammatory loop is composed of the exuberant inflammatory response feeding back until exploding in an actual cytokine storm. Downregulation of the ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas1R axis leaves the lung without a critical defense mechanism and turns the scale to the inflammatory side of the RAS. The coagulation loop is a hypercoagulable state caused by the interplay between inflammation and coagulation in an endless feedback loop. The result is a hyperinflammatory and hypercoagulable state producing acute immune-mediated lung injury and eventually, adult respiratory distress syndrome

Respiratory syncytial virus hospitalization in children in northern Spain

Objectives: Understanding respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) morbidity may help to plan health care and future vaccine recommendations. We aim to describe the characteristics and temporal distribution of children diagnosed with RSV admitted in a Spanish hospital. Methods: Descriptive study for which the hospital discharges of children < 5 years of age with RSV infection were analyzed. The information was extracted from the hospital discharge database of a reference pediatric hospital in northern Spain for the 2010-2011 to 2014-2015 RSV seasons. Results: Six hundred and forty-seven hospitalizations of children with RSV infection were analyzed, 94% of which occurred between the second week of November and the last week of March. Most children (72%) were under one year of age and 95% were previously healthy infants. Infants born from October to December had the highest risk of hospitalization in the first year of life. The median length of hospital stay of children with and without comorbidities was six and three days, respectively. 6.5% of the hospitalized cases were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit; this percentage was higher among children < 2 months (adjusted odds ratio 4.15; 95% confidence interval: 1.37-12.61) or with comorbidities (adjusted odds ratio 4.15; 95% confidence interval: 1.53-11.28). The case lethality was 0.3%. Conclusions: The risk of hospitalizations for RSV is high during the first year of life and increases among infants born in the fall. Being under two months of age and presenting comorbidities are the main risk factors associated to pediatric intensive care unit admission

Hormone Targets for the Treatment of Sleep Disorders in Postmenopausal Women with Schizophrenia: A Narrative Review

While the early identification of insomnia in patients with schizophrenia is of clinical relevance, the use of specific compounds to treat insomnia has been studied less in postmenopausal women with schizophrenia. We aimed to explore the effects of melatonin, sex hormones, and raloxifene for the treatment of insomnia in these populations. Although melatonin treatment improved the quality and efficiency of the sleep of patients with schizophrenia, few studies have explored its use in postmenopausal women with schizophrenia. The estrogen and progesterone pathways are dysregulated in major psychiatric disorders, such as in schizophrenia. While, in the context of menopause, a high testosterone-to-estradiol ratio is associated with higher frequencies of depressive symptoms, the effects of estradiol and other sex hormones on sleep disorders in postmenopausal women with schizophrenia has not been sufficiently investigated. Raloxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator, has shown positive effects on sleep disorders in postmenopausal women. Future studies should investigate the effectiveness of hormonal compounds on insomnia in postmenopausal women with schizophrenia

Characterization of Escherichia coli clinical isolates causing urinary tract infections in the community of Chilpancingo, Mexico

Escherichia coli is the main cause of urinary tract infections (UTI) in ambulatory patients, especially strains belonging to the B2 phylogenetic group and ST131 clonal group. Antibiotic treatment is usually administered empirically; however, it is not always effective due to bacterial multidrug resistance and the production of extended spectrum &beta;-lactamases (ESBLs). The aim of this study was to characterize E. coli clinical isolates from patients with UTI in a community of the State of Guerrero, Mexico. From January to August 2014, 134 clinical isolates of E. coli were recovered. Strain identification and antibiotic susceptibility were performed using the Vitek automated system. Phylogenetic and O25b-ST13 groups were determined by multiple PCR. Identification of the blaCTX-M, blaTEM, and blaSHV genes was performed by conventional PCR. We found that over 50% of the isolates were resistant to betalactams and quinolones, while 0 to 33% were resistant to aminoglycosides and nitrofurans, and 56.49% of the strains were ESBL producers. B2 phylogenetic group was the most predominant (43%) compared to the other groups. The prevalence of bla genes was: blaCTX-M 64.3%, blaSHV 41.4%, and blaTEM 54.3%. These results show a high percentage (55%) of multidrug-resistant strains isolated from UTI patients from the community in the city of Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico. [Int Microbiol 19(4): 209-215 (2016)]Keywords: Escherichia coli &middot; urinary tract infections &middot; &beta;-lactamases &middot; multidrug resistance &middot; Chilpancingo (Mexico

Effects of a mesoporous bioactive glass on osteoblasts, osteoclasts and macrophages

A mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) of molar composition 75SiO2-20CaO-5P2O5 (MBG-75S) has been synthetized as a potential bioceramic for bone regeneration purposes. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nitrogen adsorption studies and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that MBG-75S possess a highly ordered mesoporous structure with high surface area and porosity, which would explain the high ionic exchange rate (mainly calcium and silicon soluble species) with the surrounded media. MBG-75S showed high biocompatibility in contact with Saos-2 osteoblast-like cells. Concentrations up to 1 mg/ml did not lead to significant alterations on either morphology or cell cycle. Regarding the effects on osteoclasts, MBG-75S allowed the differentiation of RAW264.7 macrophages into osteoclast-like cells but exhibiting a decreased resorptive activity. These results point out that MBG-75S does not inhibit osteoclastogenesis but reduces the osteoclast bone-resorbing capability. Finally, in vitro studies focused on the innate immune response, evidenced that MBG-75S allows the proliferation of macrophages without inducing their polarization towards the M1 pro-inflammatory phenotype. This in vitro behavior is indicative that MBG-75S would just induce the required innate immune response without further inflammatory complications under in vivo conditions. The overall behavior respect to osteoblasts, osteoclasts and macrophages, makes this MBG a very interesting candidate for bone grafting applications in osteoporotic patients