Nociceptive TRP Channels and Sex Steroids

Proteins belonging to Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) family are nonselective cation channels that play an essential role in mammalian physiology, functioning as transducers of several environmental signals including those of chemical, thermal and mechanical natures. A subgroup of these receptors is expressed in sensory neurons where they are activated by noxious stimuli and are key players of pain responses in the organism. Some TRP channels are molecular targets for the classical and non-classical effects of sex steroids. This chapter will describe the close relationship between nociceptive TRP channels and sex steroids as well as their impact on nociception and pain-related responses

Knowledge to Serve the City: Insights from an Emerging Knowledge-Action Network to Address Vulnerability and Sustainability in San Juan, Puerto Rico

This paper presents initial efforts to establish the San Juan Urban Long-Term Research Area Exploratory (ULTRA-Ex), a long-term program aimed at developing transdisciplinary social-ecological system (SES) research to address vulnerability and sustainability for the municipality of San Juan. Transdisciplinary approaches involve the collaborations between researchers, stakeholders, and citizens to produce socially-relevant knowledge and support decision-making. We characterize the transdisciplinary arrangement emerging in San Juan ULTRA-Ex as a knowledge-action network composed of multiple formal and informal actors (e.g., scientists, policymakers, civic organizations and other stakeholders) where knowledge, ideas, and strategies for sustainability are being produced, evaluated, and validated. We describe in this paper the on-the-ground social practices and dynamics that emerged from developing a knowledge-action network in our local context. Specifically, we present six social practices that were crucial to the development of our knowledge-action network: 1) understanding local framings; 2) analyzing existing knowledge-action systems in the city; 3) framing the social-ecological research agenda; 4) collaborative knowledge production and integration; 5) boundary objects and practices; and 6) synthesis, application, and adaptation. We discuss key challenges and ways to move forward in building knowledge-action networks for sustainability. Our hope is that the insights learned from this process will stimulate broader discussions on how to develop knowledge for urban sustainability, especially in tropical cities where these issues are under-explored

Residual pulmonary infiltrates, symptoms and diffusion impairment at one‐year after severe COVID‐19 infection have different associated factors

Menendez R, Mendez R, Latorre A, Gonzalez-Jimenez P, Peces-Barba G, Molina M, et al. Residual pulmonary infiltrates, symptoms and diffusion impairment at 1-year after severe COVID-19 infection have different associated factors. J Intern Med. 2023;00:1-13. Introduction. After severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia, patients may show lung sequelae on radiology and functional impairment at the 1-year followup. We aimed to describe the persistence of symptoms, radiological alterations, or reduced diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) at 1-year follow-up in patients from the Spanish Registry RECOVID. Methods. RECOVID collected symptom and radiological and functional lung tests data on hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 during the acute phase and at the 6- and 12-month follow-up visits. Results. Of the 2500 enrolled survivors (90% admitted to the ward), 1874 had follow-up visits for up to a year. Of these, 42% continued to present with symptoms, 27% had radiological sequelae and 31% had reduced DLCO. Independently associated factors included female sex, asthma and the requirement for invasive or non-invasive mechanical ventilation. Complete radiological resolution was 72.2% at 12 months; associated factors with incomplete recovery were age, male sex, oxygen or respiratory support, corticosteroids and an initial SpO(2)/FiO(2) = 2. Reduced D-LCO was observed in 31% of patients at 12 months; associated factors were older age, female sex, smoking habit, SpO(2)/FiO(2) = 2 and the requirement of respiratory support.At 12 months, a proportion of the asymptomatic patients showed reduced D-LCO (9.5%), radiological findings (25%) or both (11%). Conclusions. The factors associated with symptom persistence, incomplete radiological resolution and D-LCO <80% differed according to age, sex, comorbidities and respiratory support. The burden of symptoms, reduced D-LCO and incomplete radiological resolution were considerable in patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia at the 1-year follow-up after hospitalisation

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

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Análisis de tendencias hidroclimáticas recientes y transformación del paisaje en la isla de Puerto Rico

[ES]La variabilidad climática es una característica importante para los recursos hídricos. Por ello, en esta tesis se han analizado datos hidro-climáticos y el objetivo principal fue analizar las tendencias recientes de la escorrentía en cuatro cuencas de Puerto Rico, su relación con las variaciones climáticas, el cambio climático y las transformaciones del paisaje en las últimas décadas. El análisis de tendencia se realizó con las pruebas no paramétricas Rho Spearman, Mann-Kendall (MK), Mann-Kendall Secuencial (MKS) y análisis de regresión. Para analizar la evolución de los usos del suelo se utilizaron cuatro categorías; forestal, pastos y arbustos, agrícola y urbano, utilizando fotografías aéreas de distintos años (1951, 1971, 1994, 2007). Los resultados de la precipitación indican un ligero aumento en la región sur, a la vez que se observó un descenso en la región oeste. Además, fue más común observar tendencias regresivas en los meses de verano y aumento en los meses de invierno. El análisis de la temperatura media ha evidenciado un aumento en toda la isla. En relación a las tendencias hidrológicas, tres de los cuatro ríos estudiados mostraron una ligera disminución en la cantidad total de agua. En cuanto a los usos de suelo, en este trabajo queda establecido que hubo un aumento forestal en las cuatro cuencas estudiadas que, de manera general, supera el 100%. Este aumento podría haber afectado a la interceptación, la infiltración y la escorrentía superficial. También ocurrió un intenso proceso de urbanización, aumentando casi un 60% más que en 1951, mientras que la superficie agrícola disminuyó abruptamente. A la luz de los resultados obtenidos, quedó establecido que los factores climáticos, por sí solos, no pueden explicar las variaciones que se están produciendo en los caudales que discurren en los ríos. Esto indica que los factores paisajísticos y territoriales tienen también una gran influencia[EN]Climate variability is an important feature for water resources. Therefore, in this thesis, hydro-climatic data and the main objective was to analyze recent trends in runoff in four basins in Puerto Rico, its relationship with climate variability, climate change and the changing landscape in recent decades. The trend analysis was performed using the Spearman Rho nonparametric tests, Mann-Kendall (MK), Sequential Mann-Kendall (MKS) and regression analysis. To analyze the evolution of land use were used four categories: forest, grass and shrubs, agricultural and urban areas using aerial photographs from different years (1951, 1971, 1994, 2007). The results indicate a slight increase in precipitation in the southern region, while a decrease was observed in the western region. In addition, it was more commonly observed regressive tendencies in the summer months and increased during winter. The analysis of the average temperature has shown an increase in the island. In connection with hydrological trends, three of the four rivers studied showed a slight decrease in the total amount of water. In terms of land use in this work is established that there was an increase in the four basins forest studied that, in general, exceed 100%. This increase could have affected the interception, infiltration and surface runoff. Also there was an intense process of urbanization, increasing nearly 60% more than in 1951, while the agricultural area decreased sharply. In light of these results, it was established that climatic factors alone can not explain the changes that are occurring in the waters that run into rivers. This indicates that the landscape and regional factors have a strong influenc

Current Situation (2019) for a Management Coastal Integrated Coastal Areas from Puerto Rico

El presente trabajo constituye un ejercicio de actualización sobre la situación de la gestión costera en Puerto Rico. El mismo es el producto del trabajo reflexivo entre los autores en conjunto con algunos colegas de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, así como con las administraciones públicas, otros centros de investigación, gestores, expertos, organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG), tanto del gobierno, la comunidad y la empresa. Con motivo de la celebración de los 10 años de existencia de la Red IBERMAR nos planteamos la actualización del diagnóstico de gestión costera que realizamos en el 2009 y de las propuestas para un manejo costero integrado (MCI) publicado en el 2011. Para ello recurrimos a este escrito de actualización que tiene como objetivo central describir la situación actual de la gestión costera en las Islas de Puerto Rico.This work is an update exercise on the situation of coastal management in Puerto Rico. It is the product of thoughtful work among the authors together with some colleagues from the University of Puerto Rico, as well as public administrations, other research centers, managers, experts, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government institutions, the community and the enterprises. On the occasion of the celebration of the 10 years of existence of the IBERMAR network we considered the update of the diagnosis of coastal management written in 2009 and the proposals for an integrated coastal management approach (MCI) published in 2011. For this purpose we use this comprehensive update which has as its central objective to describe the current situation of the coastal management in the islands of Puerto Rico

ANÁLISIS DE TENDENCIAS HIDROCLIMÁTICAS DE DOS CUENCAS REPRESENTATIVAS DE ISLA DE PUERTO RICO

El agua junto a las variaciones climáticas, encabezan discursos políticos y científicos globales en los que resurgen los debates sobre los conflictos acerca de este recurso, la geopolítica del agua, la gestión, la contaminación y la polución. Ante este panorama el IPCC (Panel Intergubernamental del Cambio Climático), la Organización Mundial de Meteorología (OMM),el Programa de la Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente (PNUMA) y distintas organizaciones medioambientales hanenfocado sus intereses científicos en estudios en los cuales se utilicen indicadores hidroclimáticos. En este contexto, este artículo analiza la evolución hidroclimática reciente en dos cuencas principales de la isla de Puerto Rico, utilizando como indicadores las temperaturas, las precipitaciones y los caudales de distintas estaciones de NOAA y el USGS. Inicialmente analizamos cada estación individualmente y luego se hizo un análisis conjunto de la cuenca. Con los resultados obtenidos,en ninguna de las cuencas se pudo establecer tendencias claras en cuanto a la precipitación total anual. Aunque algunas estaciones mostraron tendencias positivas y otras regresivas, ninguna alcanzó valores estadísticamente significativos que permita rechazar la hipótesis nula de no tendencia. Nuestro análisis indica también que en una cuenca la temperatura media anual mostró un ligero aumento, mientras que en la otra la temperatura manifestó descendió. Por otro lado, el volumen de agua anual que discurre por las cuencas ha disminuido en ambos ríos donde se pudo rechazar la hipótesis nula de no tendencia con el análisis de Mann-Kendall. No obstante, existen otros factores que no fueron objeto de estudio en este análisis y que tienen impactos sobre los recursos hídricos, así como los distintos mosaicos paisajísticos que componen una cuenca hidrográfica.Palabras Claves: recursos hídricos, tendencias hidroclimáticas, cambio climático.ABSTRACTToday, water resources and climatic oscillations dominate all political and scientific discourses where the principal debate is focused on water management, water pollution and the geopolitics of this resource. Against this background, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change), WMO(World Meteorology Organization), the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and other environmental organizations have focused their scientific research on hydro-climatic evolution. In this context, this article examines recent developments in hydro-climatic evolution on two mainrivers in Puerto Rico, using temperature, rainfall, stream-flow and discharge data from NOAA climatic stations and USGS hydrological stations. Initially, we analyze data from each individual station and then make an integrated analysis of the basins. With the obtained results, in none of the basins was it possible to establish clear trends as to total annual precipitation. Though some stations showed positive trends and others regressive, none reached statistically significant values.Our analysis also indicates that in one basin the annual average temperature showed a slight increase, whereas in the other basin a temperature decrease was confirmed. On the other hand, the volume of annual discharge from both rivers showed a decrease. However, there are other factors that were not considered in this analysis, such as land use, that impact water resources and the various landscape mosaics comprising a watershed.Key Words: water resources, hydro-climatic evolution, climate chang