Related Factors of Anemia in Critically Ill Patients: A Prospective Multicenter Study

Anemia is common in critically ill patients; almost 95% of patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) have hemoglobin levels below normal. Several causes may explain this phenomenon as well as the tendency to transfuse patients without adequate cause: due to a lack of adherence to protocols, lack of supervision, incomplete transfusion request forms, or a lack of knowledge about the indications, risks, and costs of transfusions. Daily sampling to monitor the coagulation parameters and the acid–base balance can aggravate anemia as the main iatrogenic factor in its production. We studied the association and importance of iatrogenic blood loss and other factors in the incidence of anemia in ICUs. We performed a prospective, observational, multicenter study in five Spanish hospitals. A total of 142 patients with a median age of 58 years (IQI: 48–69), 71.83% male and 28.17% female, were admitted to ICUs without a diagnosis of iatrogenic anemia. During their ICU stay, anemia appeared in 66.90% of the sample, 95 patients, (95% CI: 58.51–74.56%). Risk factors associated with the occurrence of iatrogenic anemia were arterial catheter insertion (72.63% vs. 46.81%, p-value = 0.003), venous catheter insertion (87.37% vs. 72.34%, p-value = 0.023), drainages (33.68% vs. 12. 77%, p-value = 0.038), and ICU stay, where the longer the stay, the higher the rate of iatrogenic anemia (p-value < 0.001). We concluded that there was a statistical significance in the production of iatrogenic anemia due to the daily sampling for laboratory monitoring and critical procedures in intensive care units. The implementation of patient blood management programs could address these issues

Novel genes and sex differences in COVID-19 severity

[EN] Here, we describe the results of a genome-wide study conducted in 11 939 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive cases with an extensive clinical information that were recruited from 34 hospitals across Spain (SCOURGE consortium). In sex-disaggregated genome-wide association studies for COVID-19 hospitalization, genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10−8) was crossed for variants in 3p21.31 and 21q22.11 loci only among males (P = 1.3 × 10−22 and P = 8.1 × 10−12, respectively), and for variants in 9q21.32 near TLE1 only among females (P = 4.4 × 10−8). In a second phase, results were combined with an independent Spanish cohort (1598 COVID-19 cases and 1068 population controls), revealing in the overall analysis two novel risk loci in 9p13.3 and 19q13.12, with fine-mapping prioritized variants functionally associated with AQP3 (P = 2.7 × 10−8) and ARHGAP33 (P = 1.3 × 10−8), respectively. The meta-analysis of both phases with four European studies stratified by sex from the Host Genetics Initiative (HGI) confirmed the association of the 3p21.31 and 21q22.11 loci predominantly in males and replicated a recently reported variant in 11p13 (ELF5, P = 4.1 × 10−8). Six of the COVID-19 HGI discovered loci were replicated and an HGI-based genetic risk score predicted the severity strata in SCOURGE. We also found more SNP-heritability and larger heritability differences by age (<60 or ≥60 years) among males than among females. Parallel genome-wide screening of inbreeding depression in SCOURGE also showed an effect of homozygosity in COVID-19 hospitalization and severity and this effect was stronger among older males. In summary, new candidate genes for COVID-19 severity and evidence supporting genetic disparities among sexes are provided.S

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

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

Data_Sheet_3_Local experience of laboratory activities in a BS physical therapy course: integrating sEMG and kinematics technology with active learning across six cohorts.PDF

IntroductionIntegrating technology and active learning methods into Laboratory activities would be a transformative educational experience to familiarize physical therapy (PT) students with STEM backgrounds and STEM-based new technologies. However, PT students struggle with technology and feel comfortable memorizing under expositive lectures. Thus, we described the difficulties, uncertainties, and advances observed by faculties on students and the perceptions about learning, satisfaction, and grades of students after implementing laboratory activities in a PT undergraduate course, which integrated surface-electromyography (sEMG) and kinematic technology combined with active learning methods.MethodsSix cohorts of PT students (n = 482) of a second-year PT course were included. The course had expositive lectures and seven laboratory activities. Students interpreted the evidence and addressed different motor control problems related to daily life movements. The difficulties, uncertainties, and advances observed by faculties on students, as well as the students’ perceptions about learning, satisfaction with the course activities, and grades of students, were described.ResultsThe number of students indicating that the methodology was “always” or “almost always,” promoting creative, analytical, or critical thinking was 70.5% [61.0–88.0%]. Satisfaction with the whole course was 97.0% [93.0–98.0%]. Laboratory grades were linearly associated to course grades with a regression coefficient of 0.53 and 0.43 R-squared (p ConclusionIntegrating sEMG and kinematics technology with active learning into laboratory activities enhances students’ engagement and understanding of human movement. This approach holds promises to improve teaching-learning processes, which were observed consistently across the cohorts of students.</p

Data_Sheet_1_Local experience of laboratory activities in a BS physical therapy course: integrating sEMG and kinematics technology with active learning across six cohorts.PDF

IntroductionIntegrating technology and active learning methods into Laboratory activities would be a transformative educational experience to familiarize physical therapy (PT) students with STEM backgrounds and STEM-based new technologies. However, PT students struggle with technology and feel comfortable memorizing under expositive lectures. Thus, we described the difficulties, uncertainties, and advances observed by faculties on students and the perceptions about learning, satisfaction, and grades of students after implementing laboratory activities in a PT undergraduate course, which integrated surface-electromyography (sEMG) and kinematic technology combined with active learning methods.MethodsSix cohorts of PT students (n = 482) of a second-year PT course were included. The course had expositive lectures and seven laboratory activities. Students interpreted the evidence and addressed different motor control problems related to daily life movements. The difficulties, uncertainties, and advances observed by faculties on students, as well as the students’ perceptions about learning, satisfaction with the course activities, and grades of students, were described.ResultsThe number of students indicating that the methodology was “always” or “almost always,” promoting creative, analytical, or critical thinking was 70.5% [61.0–88.0%]. Satisfaction with the whole course was 97.0% [93.0–98.0%]. Laboratory grades were linearly associated to course grades with a regression coefficient of 0.53 and 0.43 R-squared (p ConclusionIntegrating sEMG and kinematics technology with active learning into laboratory activities enhances students’ engagement and understanding of human movement. This approach holds promises to improve teaching-learning processes, which were observed consistently across the cohorts of students.</p

Data_Sheet_2_Local experience of laboratory activities in a BS physical therapy course: integrating sEMG and kinematics technology with active learning across six cohorts.PDF

IntroductionIntegrating technology and active learning methods into Laboratory activities would be a transformative educational experience to familiarize physical therapy (PT) students with STEM backgrounds and STEM-based new technologies. However, PT students struggle with technology and feel comfortable memorizing under expositive lectures. Thus, we described the difficulties, uncertainties, and advances observed by faculties on students and the perceptions about learning, satisfaction, and grades of students after implementing laboratory activities in a PT undergraduate course, which integrated surface-electromyography (sEMG) and kinematic technology combined with active learning methods.MethodsSix cohorts of PT students (n = 482) of a second-year PT course were included. The course had expositive lectures and seven laboratory activities. Students interpreted the evidence and addressed different motor control problems related to daily life movements. The difficulties, uncertainties, and advances observed by faculties on students, as well as the students’ perceptions about learning, satisfaction with the course activities, and grades of students, were described.ResultsThe number of students indicating that the methodology was “always” or “almost always,” promoting creative, analytical, or critical thinking was 70.5% [61.0–88.0%]. Satisfaction with the whole course was 97.0% [93.0–98.0%]. Laboratory grades were linearly associated to course grades with a regression coefficient of 0.53 and 0.43 R-squared (p ConclusionIntegrating sEMG and kinematics technology with active learning into laboratory activities enhances students’ engagement and understanding of human movement. This approach holds promises to improve teaching-learning processes, which were observed consistently across the cohorts of students.</p

Data_Sheet_4_Local experience of laboratory activities in a BS physical therapy course: integrating sEMG and kinematics technology with active learning across six cohorts.pdf

IntroductionIntegrating technology and active learning methods into Laboratory activities would be a transformative educational experience to familiarize physical therapy (PT) students with STEM backgrounds and STEM-based new technologies. However, PT students struggle with technology and feel comfortable memorizing under expositive lectures. Thus, we described the difficulties, uncertainties, and advances observed by faculties on students and the perceptions about learning, satisfaction, and grades of students after implementing laboratory activities in a PT undergraduate course, which integrated surface-electromyography (sEMG) and kinematic technology combined with active learning methods.MethodsSix cohorts of PT students (n = 482) of a second-year PT course were included. The course had expositive lectures and seven laboratory activities. Students interpreted the evidence and addressed different motor control problems related to daily life movements. The difficulties, uncertainties, and advances observed by faculties on students, as well as the students’ perceptions about learning, satisfaction with the course activities, and grades of students, were described.ResultsThe number of students indicating that the methodology was “always” or “almost always,” promoting creative, analytical, or critical thinking was 70.5% [61.0–88.0%]. Satisfaction with the whole course was 97.0% [93.0–98.0%]. Laboratory grades were linearly associated to course grades with a regression coefficient of 0.53 and 0.43 R-squared (p ConclusionIntegrating sEMG and kinematics technology with active learning into laboratory activities enhances students’ engagement and understanding of human movement. This approach holds promises to improve teaching-learning processes, which were observed consistently across the cohorts of students.</p