Real-Time genomic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, Uruguay

We developed a genomic surveillance program for realtime monitoring of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) in Uruguay. We report on a PCR method for SARSCoV- 2 VOCs, the surveillance workflow, and multiple independent introductions and community transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 P.1 VOC in Uruguay

Aprendizajes y prácticas educativas en las actuales condiciones de época: COVID-19

“Esta obra colectiva es el resultado de una convocatoria a docentes, investigadores y profesionales del campo pedagógico a visibilizar procesos investigativos y prácticas educativas situadas en el marco de COVI-19. La misma se inscribe en el trabajo llevado a cabo por el equipo de Investigación responsable del Proyecto “Sentidos y significados acerca de aprender en las actuales condiciones de época: un estudio con docentes y estudiantes de la educación secundarias en la ciudad de Córdoba” de la Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. El momento excepcional que estamos atravesando, pero que también nos atraviesa, ha modificado la percepción temporal a punto tal que habitamos un tiempo acelerado y angustiante que nos exige la producción de conocimiento provisorio. La presente publicación surge como un espacio para detenernos a documentar lo que nos acontece y, a su vez, como oportunidad para atesorar y resguardar las experiencias educativas que hemos construido, inventado y reinventando en este contexto. En ella encontrarán pluralidad de voces acerca de enseñar y aprender durante la pandemia. Este texto es una pausa para reflexionar sobre el hacer y las prácticas educativas por venir”.Fil: Beltramino, Lucia (comp.). Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades. Escuela de Archivología; Argentina

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Prácticas institucionales de articulación entre el nivel inicial y el nivel primario en el área de matemática : un estudio de caso.

Fil: Maidana, Matías Eduardo Ramón. Universidad de San Andrés. Escuela de Educación; Argentina."Es esperable que al momento de aproximarse la culminación de un nivel educativo se piense de manera proyectiva el trayecto de los alumnos enmarcándolos en la realización de una articulación con el siguiente nivel. Este pasaje implica introducirse en un mundo de múltiples dimensiones donde docentes y directivos se comprometen con el proyecto, intentando construir puentes entre ambos niveles para las continuidades posibles y acompañar la adaptación a las discontinuidades inevitables o necesarias, de modo tal que las trayectorias de los estudiantes transcurran sin sobresaltos o impacten negativamente sobre sus aprendizajes. Esta investigación se propone entonces problematizar y describir una experiencia institucional de articulación en el campo de la enseñanza de la Matemática entre el nivel inicial y el nivel primario, analizando conjuntamente con docentes y directivos la construcción, implementación, dificultades, complejidades, satisfacciones y beneficios de estas prácticas. Las entrevistas realizadas ayudaron a posicionarnos, simultáneamente con directivos y docentes, desde una perspectiva reflexiva, en donde el entrevistador no es un mero recolector de información, sino que brinda espacios de análisis que propone problematizar y ahondar lo que ocurre cuando piensan en este pasaje. Los principales resultados de este trabajo de investigación residen en la construcción una problematización respecto de la articulación entre los niveles inicial y primario en torno a la enseñanza de la matemática a la que dio lugar la descripción del caso estudiado."Sadovsky, Patricia, 1953

La ecuación Ignaciana: una propuesta de reflexión en matemática. El impacto de la pedagogía ignaciana en las ecuaciones lineales y expresiones algebraicas

En esta investigación realizada a alumnos de nivel secundario en el barrio Santa Brígida, San Miguel Oeste (provincia de Buenos Aires) nos propusimos un estudio sobre los errores comunes y dificultades en el aprendizaje de ecuaciones lineales y expresiones algebraicas. Detectados los problemas e inconvenientes de los alumnos, y luego de haber realizado un análisis crítico, se utilizaron estrategias metodológicas según el paradigma pedagógico ignaciano para determinar las maneras de optimización en la enseñanza

Identification and biochemical characterization of an ATP-dependent dihydroxyacetone kinase from Trypanosoma cruzi

Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) can be used as an energy source by many cell types; however, it is toxic at high concentrations. The enzyme dihydroxyacetone kinase (DAK) has shown to be involved in DHA detoxification and osmoregulation. Among protozoa of the genus Trypanosoma, T. brucei, which causes sleeping sickness, is highly sensitive to DHA and does not have orthologous genes to DAK. Conversely, T. cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas Disease, has two putative ATP-dependent DAK (TcDAKs) sequences in its genome. Here we show that T. cruzi epimastigote lysates present a DAK specific activity of 27.1 nmol/min/mg of protein and that this form of the parasite is able to grow in the presence of 2 mM DHA. TcDAK gene was cloned and the recombinant enzyme (recTcDAK) was expressed in Escherichia coli. An anti-recTcDAK serum reacted with a protein of the expected molecular mass of 61 kDa in epimastigotes. recTcDAK presented maximal activity using Mg+2, showing a Km of 6.5 μM for DHA and a K0.5 of 124.7 μM for ATP. As it was reported for other DAKs, recTcDAK activity was inhibited by FAD with an IC50 value of 0.33 mM. In conclusion, TcDAK is the first DAK described in trypanosomatids confirming another divergent metabolism between T. brucei and T. cruzi.Fil: Viecenz, Juan Matías. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud “Dr. C. G. Malbrán”. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben”; ArgentinaFil: Garavaglia, Patricia Andrea. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud “Dr. C. G. Malbrán”. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben”; ArgentinaFil: Tasso, Laura Mónica. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud “Dr. C. G. Malbrán”. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben”; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Maidana, Cristina Graciela. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud “Dr. C. G. Malbrán”. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben”; ArgentinaFil: Bautista Cannata, Joaquín Juan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Gabriela Andrea. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud “Dr. C. G. Malbrán”. Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben”; Argentin

TRPM8-Dependent Dynamic Response in a Mathematical Model of Cold Thermoreceptor

<div><p>Cold-sensitive nerve terminals (CSNTs) encode steady temperatures with regular, rhythmic temperature-dependent firing patterns that range from irregular tonic firing to regular bursting (static response). During abrupt temperature changes, CSNTs show a dynamic response, transiently increasing their firing frequency as temperature decreases and silencing when the temperature increases (dynamic response). To date, mathematical models that simulate the static response are based on two depolarizing/repolarizing pairs of membrane ionic conductance (slow and fast kinetics). However, these models fail to reproduce the dynamic response of CSNTs to rapid changes in temperature and notoriously they lack a specific cold-activated conductance such as the TRPM8 channel. We developed a model that includes TRPM8 as a temperature-dependent conductance with a calcium-dependent desensitization. We show by computer simulations that it appropriately reproduces the dynamic response of CSNTs from mouse cornea, while preserving their static response behavior. In this model, the TRPM8 conductance is essential to display a dynamic response. In agreement with experimental results, TRPM8 is also needed for the ongoing activity in the absence of stimulus (i.e. neutral skin temperature). Free parameters of the model were adjusted by an evolutionary optimization algorithm, allowing us to find different solutions. We present a family of possible parameters that reproduce the behavior of CSNTs under different temperature protocols. The detection of temperature gradients is associated to a homeostatic mechanism supported by the calcium-dependent desensitization.</p></div

Dynamic and static response of three different set of parameters.

<p>Responses to an acute cold pulse (A) and to cooling steps (B) with three different sets of parameters (indicated at the top). Parameters are listed in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0139314#pone.0139314.t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>. In B, the temperature steps are 31.5°C, 30.0°C, 28.0°C and 26.0°C.</p