Ultrastructural studies on the salivary glands of ticks : Haemaphysalis leachii leachii (Audouin) (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae) and Ornithodoros (Ornithodoros) moubata (Murray) (Ixodoidea: Argasidae)

Salivary glands of the unfed tick Haemaphysalis leachii contain four types of alveoli. Type I alveoli have the morphological characteristics of transporting epithelia. Types II, III and IV are granule-secreting alveoli and are considered to secrete the enzymes and cement components required during feeding. After female attachment, types II, III and IV alveoli are initially concerned with the secretion of granular materials but become involved with fluid secretion as feeding progresses. Salivary glands of the unfed ticks Ornithodoros moubata contain two types of alveoli. Type I is similar to that of H. leachii. Type II are granule-secreting alveoli but structurally differ from those of H. leachii. These alveoli do not secrete cement and are not significantly active during feeding. Salivation processes in the tick H. leachii and 0. moubata seem to be mainly under neural control

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020