Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Epilepsia farmacorresistente. Experiencia quirúrgica en el Instituto de Neurología y Neurocirugía (2012-2018)

Introduction: Epilepsy is the most frequent neurological alteration in the general population. The objective of epilepsy surgery is to guarantee the absence or the decrease of seizures which is achieved in 67 % and 80 % of patients.Objective: To evaluate the surgical outcome and the factors for good outcome in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) who underwent surgical treatment at the Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery.Material and Methods: A retrospective prospective observational study was conducted at the Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery between January 2012 and May 2018.Results: Of all the patients studied, 44,8 % were between 21 and 30 years old, 62,1 % were male and 82,8 % were white. Also, 31 % were between 11 and 20 years of follow-up. Epilepsy was lesional in 75,9 % of patients whereas in 55,2 % of them it was located in the temporal lobe; clinical congruence was demonstrated in 86,2 % of patients. Resective techniques were used in 87,6 % of them. Besides, 82,8 % had no postoperative seizures. There were no complications in 62,1 % of patients.  On the other hand, 55 and 82 % of the patients studied were classified as Engel Class I and Engel Class II at 3, 6 and 12 months after surgical intervention.Conclusions: The use of resective techniques and the absence of seizures after surgery predominated in our study. No significant relationship was found between surgical outcome, etiology of epilepsy and clinical congruence. The presence of a focal lesion of the temporal lobe was a factor for good outcome. Introducción: La epilepsia es la alteración neurológica más frecuente en la población general. El objetivo de la cirugía de epilepsia es garantizar la ausencia o disminución de crisis, lo que se logra en el 80 % de los pacientes.Objetivo: Evaluar la evolución posquirúrgica y factores de buen pronóstico de los pacientes intervenidos de epilepsia farmacorresistente (EFR) en el Instituto de Neurología y Neurocirugía.Material y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo retro y prospectivo en el Instituto de Neurología y Neurocirugía entre enero de 2012 a mayo de 2018.Resultados: La edad del 44,8 % de los pacientes estuvo entre 21 y 30 años, el 62,1 % era del sexo masculino y el 82,8 % tenía color de piel blanca, el 31 % presentó entre 11 y 20 años de evolución. En el 75,9 % la epilepsia era lesional, el 55,2 % con localización temporal y en el 86,2 % se demostró congruencia clínica. Se utilizaron técnicas resectivas en 87,6 %. El 82,8 % no presentó crisis postoperatorias. En 62,1 % no se presentaron complicaciones. A los 3, 6 y 12 meses después de la intervención entre el 55 al 82 % de los pacientes estudiados se clasificaron como Engel clase I y clase II.Conclusiones: En nuestro estudio predominó la utilización de técnicas resectivas y la ausencia de crisis posterior a la cirugía. No se registró relación significativa entre la evolución posquirúrgica, la etiología de la epilepsia y la congruencia clínica. La presencia de lesión focal en el lóbulo temporal constituyó un factor de buen pronóstico

Vídeos para apoyo al aprendizaje en las áreas de Ingeniería Química y Tecnologías del Medio Ambiente

Elaboración de screencasts/podcasts (vídeos que resultan de la grabación de imagen de pantalla y el sonido de las explicaciones del docente) para substituir a una parte substancial de las explicaciones teóricas que tradicionalmente se llevan a cabo en el aula. Se han elaborado vídeos de apoyo para la docencia teórica y/o práctica de dos asignaturas del Máster de Ingeniería Química, y bloques de clases teóricas de asignaturas de primer y cuarto curso del Grado Ingeniería Química y se han empleado en la docencia. Se han elaborado también numerosos vídeos con temática relacionada con la docencia del Departamento por los participantes no encuadrados en el desarrollo de medios para las asignaturas citadas.Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Tecnología del Medio AmbienteVídeos elaborados en el PROYECTO DE INNOVACIÓN DOCENTE 2020/2021 Ref:089 "Vídeos para apoyo al aprendizaje en las áreas de Ingeniería Química y Tecnologías del Medio Ambiente

La evaluación colegiada de las competencias básicas en la Comunidad Autónoma de Canarias : hacia un modelo de escuela inclusiva y sostenible

Precede al título: Educación Primaria y Educación Secundaria ObligatoriaLa Ley Orgánica de Educación (LOE) introduce el concepto de «competencias básicas» como eje articulador del currículo, conectando de pleno con las reflexiones y las estrategias que se están desarrollando en otros sistemas educativos internacionales a la luz del informe Delors (1996), el documento DeSeCo (Definición y Selección de Competencias fundamentales) elaborado por la OCDE, de las evaluaciones PISA (Programa para la Evaluación Internacional del Alumnado), etc. Esta propuesta centra el foco en la dimensión formativa de la «evaluación», aspecto inacabado con la LOGSE (Ley Orgánica General del Sistema Educativo), a pesar de los esfuerzos realizados en esa dirección. Trabajar en las aulas para la consecución de las «competencias básicas» lleva ineludiblemente al problema de cómo evaluarlas de forma colegiada —cuando la propia ordenación del sistema educativo fragmenta cada una de las enseñanzas en diferentes áreas o materias— y de cómo emplear la información que proporciona esta labor para hacer valer el sentido formativo y regulador que debe tener la evaluación de las competencias básicas.Consejería de Educación y Universidades. Dirección General de Ordenación, Innovación y Promoción Educativa; Avda. Buenos Aires, 5; 38071 Tenerife; Tel. +34922592592; Fax +34922592570; [email protected]

Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries

© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licenseBackground: 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods: This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation: Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licenseBackground: Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide. Methods: A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study—a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3·85 [95% CI 2·58–5·75]; p<0·0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63·0% vs 82·7%; OR 0·35 [0·23–0·53]; p<0·0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer. Interpretation: Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised. Funding: National Institute for Health and Care Research