Association of depressive symptoms with incidence and mortality rates of COVID-19 over 2 years among healthcare workers in 20 countries: multi-country serial cross-sectional study

Background: Long-term deterioration in the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs) has been reported during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Determining the impact of COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates on the mental health of HCWs is essential to prepare for potential new pandemics. This study aimed to investigate the association of COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates with depressive symptoms over 2 years among HCWs in 20 countries during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a multi-country serial cross-sectional study using data from the first and second survey waves of the COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) global study. The HEROES study prospectively collected data from HCWs at various health facilities. The target population included HCWs with both clinical and non-clinical roles. In most countries, healthcare centers were recruited based on convenience sampling. As an independent variable, daily COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates were calculated using confirmed cases and deaths reported by Johns Hopkins University. These rates represent the average for the 7 days preceding the participants' response date. The primary outcome was depressive symptoms, assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. A multilevel linear mixed model (LMM) was conducted to investigate the association of depressive symptoms with the average incidence and mortality rates. Results: A total of 32,223 responses from the participants who responded to all measures used in this study on either the first or second survey, and on both the first and second surveys in 20 countries were included in the analysis. The mean age was 40.1 (SD = 11.1), and 23,619 responses (73.3%) were from females. The 9323 responses (28.9%) were nurses and 9119 (28.3%) were physicians. LMM showed that the incidence rate was significantly and positively associated with depressive symptoms (coefficient = 0.008, standard error 0.003, p = 0.003). The mortality rate was significantly and positively associated with depressive symptoms (coefficient = 0.049, se = 0.020, p = 0.017). Conclusions: This is the first study to show an association between COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates with depressive symptoms among HCWs during the first 2 years of the outbreak in multiple countries. This study's findings indicate that additional mental health support for HCWs was needed when the COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates increase during and after the early phase of the pandemic, and these findings may apply to future pandemics. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04352634

Infected pancreatic necrosis: outcomes and clinical predictors of mortality. A post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study

: The identification of high-risk patients in the early stages of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is critical, because it could help the clinicians to adopt more effective management strategies. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study to assess the association between clinical risk factors and mortality among adult patients with IPN. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify prognostic factors of mortality. We identified 247 consecutive patients with IPN hospitalised between January 2019 and December 2020. History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.135-15.882; aOR 4.245), qSOFA (p = 0.005; 95% CI 1.359-5.879; aOR 2.828), renal failure (p = 0.022; 95% CI 1.138-5.442; aOR 2.489), and haemodynamic failure (p = 0.018; 95% CI 1.184-5.978; aOR 2.661), were identified as independent predictors of mortality in IPN patients. Cholangitis (p = 0.003; 95% CI 1.598-9.930; aOR 3.983), abdominal compartment syndrome (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.090-6.967; aOR 2.735), and gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal bleeding (p = 0.009; 95% CI 1.286-5.712; aOR 2.710) were independently associated with the risk of mortality. Upfront open surgical necrosectomy was strongly associated with the risk of mortality (p < 0.001; 95% CI 1.912-7.442; aOR 3.772), whereas endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrosis (p = 0.018; 95% CI 0.138-0.834; aOR 0.339) and enteral nutrition (p = 0.003; 95% CI 0.143-0.716; aOR 0.320) were found as protective factors. Organ failure, acute cholangitis, and upfront open surgical necrosectomy were the most significant predictors of mortality. Our study confirmed that, even in a subgroup of particularly ill patients such as those with IPN, upfront open surgery should be avoided as much as possible. Study protocol registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (I.D. Number NCT04747990)

Somatic calcium imaging reveals simple spike activity of cerebellar Purkinje cells : applications and limitations to in vivo research

Le cervelet est impliqué dans la coordination des mouvements, et il traite l'information sensorimotrice au niveau du cortex cérébelleux avant d'envoyer le résultat de ce traitement aux autres régions du cerveau. Comme toute l'information traitée par le cervelet converge sur les cellules de Purkinje (CP), la perspective d'enregistrer l'activité nerveuse de populations bien identifiées de ces cellules est un enjeu crucial pour la compréhension du traitement d'information par le cervelet. Dans cette thèse, nous montrons que des enregistrements par imagerie calcique somatique des cellules de Purkinje peuvent fournir une image fidèle de l'activité de potentiels d'action simples sodium dépendants (SS), sans souffrir de contamination significative provenant de fluctuations calciques dendritiques liées à des potentiels d'action complexes (CS). En utilisant cette approche nous avons développé des méthodes permettant l'enregistrement de changements de rythmes de décharge de potentiels SS dans des cellules de Purkinje dans des tranches de cerveau et in vivo. Dans des tranches de cervelet, nous avons effectué des enregistrements simultanés de groupes de cellules de Pukinje, et nous avons ainsi montré une organisation spatiale remarquable de pauses de l'activité nerveuse des cellules de Purkine à l'intérieur d'un plan sagittal. Nous avons de plus montré que cette organisation résulte de l'activité du réseau de cellules inhibitrices présynaptiques, puisque le blocage de récepteurs ionotropiques au GABA abolit la synchronicité entre cellules voisines. En ce qui concerne les expériences in vivo, nous avons testé la faisabilité de notre méthode d'imagerie pour inférer l'activité des cellules de Purkinje en utilisant l'indicateur calcique génétique GCaMP6f. Bien que la fluorescence de cet indicateur soit une fonction complexe de la concentration en calcium, nous avons pu développer une méthode qui permet une estimation quantitative des changements du rythme de décharge de potentiels SS dans les cellules de Purkinje. Cette méthode est susceptible d'ouvrir des perspectives nouvelles pour l'étude de l'activité nerveuse du cortex cérébelleux in vivo.The cerebellum is thought to coordinate movement by processing sensorimotor information in the cerebellar cortex before relaying its output to other brain structures. Since all information processed by the cerebellar cortex converges on Purkinje cells (PCs), the ability to record the spiking output from identified populations of these cells is crucial for understanding cerebellar processing. In this thesis, we demonstrate that somatic calcium imaging in Purkine cells is a faithful reporter of sodium-dependent simple spike (SS) activity, with almost no interference coming from the dendritic calcium fluctuations of complex spikes (CS). This enabled us to optically record changes in SS firing rates from Purkinje cells in brain slices and in vivo. In cerebellar slices, the simultaneous recordings of Purkinje cell groups revealed a striking spatial organization of pauses in Purkinje cell activity inside a sagittal plane. The source of this organization is shown to be the presynaptic gamma-Aminobutyric acid producing (GABAergic) network, since blocking ionotropic GABA receptors (GABAARs) abolishes the synchrony. Concerning in vivo experiments, we tested the feasibility of this imaging method to infer Purkinje cell activity in combination with the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP6f. Despite the nonlinear binding kinetics of GCaMP6f with calcium, we developed a method that allows a quantitative estimate of changes in Purkinje cell SS firing activity. This method is susceptible to open new avenues for research on cerebellar cortex output in vivo

Ex-situ evaluation of creole tuna stablishment on amended mine tailings

Memoria para optar al título profesional de Ingeniero Agrónomo Mención Manejo de suelos y aguasEn Chile, se estima que existen cerca de 870 depósitos de relaves, de los cuales 746 están abandonados; la mayoría de ellos se encuentra entre la II y la VI Región del país. Debido al clima Mediterráneo semiárido de la zona centro-norte del país, las partículas finas de los relaves deshidratados quedan expuestas a agentes físicos, como el viento y la lluvia, los que pueden dispersarlas al entorno, contaminando cursos de agua y suelos aledaños. El cultivo de Tuna criolla (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) se presenta como una opción para fitoestabilizar depósitos de relaves post-operativos en zonas áridas y semiáridas, con el fin de utilizar la futura producción de biomasa en generación de energía limpia, entre otros usos productivos. En el presente estudio se evaluó el establecimiento de Tuna criolla sobre relaves mineros acondicionados con guano de cabra y ripios de lixiviación en distintas dosis. Los ensayos se mantuvieron durante 20 semanas bajo condiciones de laboratorio. Se determinaron características físicas y químicas de los sustratos y características químicas del agua de poro. Se evaluó el desarrollo de biomasa aérea y radical y la absorción de metales (Cu, Zn y Fe) en la parte aérea y radical de la especie en estudio

L'imagerie calcique révèle l'activité de potentiels d'action simples des cellules de Purkinje cérébelleuses : applications et limites de la méthode pour la recherche sur l'activité nerveuse in vivo

The cerebellum is thought to coordinate movement by processing sensorimotor information in the cerebellar cortex before relaying its output to other brain structures. Since all information processed by the cerebellar cortex converges on Purkinje cells (PCs), the ability to record the spiking output from identified populations of these cells is crucial for understanding cerebellar processing. In this thesis, we demonstrate that somatic calcium imaging in Purkine cells is a faithful reporter of sodium-dependent simple spike (SS) activity, with almost no interference coming from the dendritic calcium fluctuations of complex spikes (CS). This enabled us to optically record changes in SS firing rates from Purkinje cells in brain slices and in vivo. In cerebellar slices, the simultaneous recordings of Purkinje cell groups revealed a striking spatial organization of pauses in Purkinje cell activity inside a sagittal plane. The source of this organization is shown to be the presynaptic gamma-Aminobutyric acid producing (GABAergic) network, since blocking ionotropic GABA receptors (GABAARs) abolishes the synchrony. Concerning in vivo experiments, we tested the feasibility of this imaging method to infer Purkinje cell activity in combination with the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP6f. Despite the nonlinear binding kinetics of GCaMP6f with calcium, we developed a method that allows a quantitative estimate of changes in Purkinje cell SS firing activity. This method is susceptible to open new avenues for research on cerebellar cortex output in vivo.Le cervelet est impliqué dans la coordination des mouvements, et il traite l'information sensorimotrice au niveau du cortex cérébelleux avant d'envoyer le résultat de ce traitement aux autres régions du cerveau. Comme toute l'information traitée par le cervelet converge sur les cellules de Purkinje (CP), la perspective d'enregistrer l'activité nerveuse de populations bien identifiées de ces cellules est un enjeu crucial pour la compréhension du traitement d'information par le cervelet. Dans cette thèse, nous montrons que des enregistrements par imagerie calcique somatique des cellules de Purkinje peuvent fournir une image fidèle de l'activité de potentiels d'action simples sodium dépendants (SS), sans souffrir de contamination significative provenant de fluctuations calciques dendritiques liées à des potentiels d'action complexes (CS). En utilisant cette approche nous avons développé des méthodes permettant l'enregistrement de changements de rythmes de décharge de potentiels SS dans des cellules de Purkinje dans des tranches de cerveau et in vivo. Dans des tranches de cervelet, nous avons effectué des enregistrements simultanés de groupes de cellules de Pukinje, et nous avons ainsi montré une organisation spatiale remarquable de pauses de l'activité nerveuse des cellules de Purkine à l'intérieur d'un plan sagittal. Nous avons de plus montré que cette organisation résulte de l'activité du réseau de cellules inhibitrices présynaptiques, puisque le blocage de récepteurs ionotropiques au GABA abolit la synchronicité entre cellules voisines. En ce qui concerne les expériences in vivo, nous avons testé la faisabilité de notre méthode d'imagerie pour inférer l'activité des cellules de Purkinje en utilisant l'indicateur calcique génétique GCaMP6f. Bien que la fluorescence de cet indicateur soit une fonction complexe de la concentration en calcium, nous avons pu développer une méthode qui permet une estimation quantitative des changements du rythme de décharge de potentiels SS dans les cellules de Purkinje. Cette méthode est susceptible d'ouvrir des perspectives nouvelles pour l'étude de l'activité nerveuse du cortex cérébelleux in vivo

Multiobjective Stochastic Optimization Approach Applied to a Hybrid Process Production–Separation in the Production of Biobutanol

Acetone, butanol, and ethanol are produced in an acetobutylic fermentation, butanol being the main interest product because of its superior properties making it a feasible substitute for fuels coming from fossil sources. In this work we have simulated and optimized under a rigorous scheme an integrated process to produce acetone, butanol, and ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass. Since ABE fermentation presents several hurdles such as low concentration broths or inhibitory effects during fermentation, here is proposed a hybrid simultaneous system of saccharification–fermentation–separation in which inhibition products during both fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis are limited. A liquid–liquid extraction step is selected as the recovery technique. The reactor was modeled and simulated using Matlab software coupled with Aspen Plus which simulated the separation step. The entire optimization was developed taking into consideration several objective targets such as the total annual cost and some bioindexes involved in fermentation such as productivity, yield, and butanol concentration. Our results allowed us to find a feasible operative zone where all our objective targets were not compromised when the goal was the improvement of the process to produce biobutanol

Aislados nativos de "Bacillus thuringiensis" del sureste de México

In order to find native isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis, in the present work isolations were made from different materials obtained from the southeast of Mexico, in the period from March 2014 to July 2015. Bacterial colonies were selected based on the typical characteristics of the Bacillus genus and were identified as Bacillus thuringiensis, based on the presence of parasporal crystals, crygene, haggene, protein profile and insecticidal activity. An isolate of soil samples (ITCBT34) and two larvae of Chlosyne lacinia (ITCBT61, ITCBT62) was obtained. These isolates presented amplification of the cryand haggenes. Isolate ITCBT34 presented crystals with oval morphology, while isolates ITCBT61 and ITCCBT62 presented dipyramidal crystals. Differences were observed in the size of the fragment produced by the amplification of the hag gene and in the protein profile of the different isolates. The insecticidal activity was determined by crude bioassay with a concentration of 10 μg cm-2. The three isolates caused 100% mortality of Manduca sextalarvae at 96 h of exposure. Isolates ITCBT61 and ITCBT62 showed morphological characteristics and size of the hag gene similar to the reference strain B. thuringiensis svar. kurstaki HD1, the isolate ITCBT34 showed no similarity, so it could be an isolate not related to serovar kurstaki HD1. Keywords:Chlosyne lacinia,Manduca sexta, gene cry, gene hag.Con el objetivo de encontrar aislados nativos de Bacillus thuringiensis, en el presente trabajo se realizaron aislamientos a partir de diferentes materiales obtenidos del sureste de México, en el periodo de marzo 2014 a julio 2015. Se seleccionaron colonias bacterianas con base a las características típicas del genero Bacillus y se identificaron como Bacillus thuringiensis, con base a la presencia de cristales parasporales, gen cry, gen hag, perfil de proteínas y actividad insecticida. Se obtuvo un aislado de muestras de suelo (ITCBT34) y dos de larvas de Chlosyne lacinia (ITCBT61, ITCBT62). Estos aislados presentaron amplificación de los genes cry y hag. El aislado ITCBT34 presentó cristales con morfología oval, mientras que los aislados ITCBT61 e ITCCBT62 presentaron cristales bipiramidales. Se observaron diferencias en el tamaño del fragmento producido por la amplificación del gen hag y en el perfil de proteínas de los diferentes aislados. La actividad insecticida se determinó mediante bioensayo burdo con una concentración de 10 μg cm-2. Los tres aislados causaron 100% de mortalidad de larvas de Manduca sexta a las 96 h de exposición. Los aislados ITCBT61 e ITCBT62 mostraron características morfológicas y tamaño del gen hag similares a la cepa de referencia B. thuringiensis svar. kurstaki HD1, el aislado ITCBT34 no presentó similitud, por lo que podría tratarse de una aislado no relacionado al serovar kurstaki HD1. Palabras clave: Chlosyne lacinia, Manduca sexta, gen cry, gen ha