What do popular Spanish women's magazines say about caesarean section? A 21-year survey

ObjectivesCaesarean section (CS) rates are increasing worldwide and maternal request is cited as one of the main reasons for this trend. Women's preferences for route of delivery are influenced by popular media, including magazines. We assessed the information on CS presented in Spanish women's magazines.DesignSystematic review.SettingWomen's magazines printed from 1989 to 2009 with the largest national distribution.SampleArticles with any information on CS.MethodsArticles were selected, read and abstracted in duplicate. Sources of information, scientific accuracy, comprehensiveness and women's testimonials were objectively extracted using a content analysis form designed for this study.Main outcome measuresAccuracy, comprehensiveness and sources of information.ResultsMost (67%) of the 1223 selected articles presented exclusively personal opinion/birth stories, 12% reported the potential benefits of CS, 26% mentioned the short-term and 10% mentioned the long-term maternal risks, and 6% highlighted the perinatal risks of CS. the most frequent short-term risks were the increased time for maternal recovery (n=86), frustration/feelings of failure (n=83) and increased post-surgical pain (n=71). the most frequently cited long-term risks were uterine rupture (n=57) and the need for another CS in any subsequent pregnancy (n=42). Less than 5% of the selected articles reported that CS could increase the risks of infection (n=53), haemorrhage (n=31) or placenta praevia/accreta in future pregnancies (n=6). the sources of information were not reported by 68% of the articles.ConclusionsThe portrayal of CS in Spanish women's magazines is not sufficiently comprehensive and does not provide adequate important information to help the readership to understand the real benefits and risks of this route of delivery.Department of Reproductive Health of the World Health OrganizationBrazilian Cochrane Ctr, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Internal Med, São Paulo, BrazilFederac Mujeres Jovenes, Madrid, SpainWHO, Dept Reprod Hlth & Res, CH-1211 Geneva, SwitzerlandUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Internal Med, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Recomanacions sobre el maneig de la infecció per COVID-19 en el pacient adult amb infecció pel VIH

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Pacient adult; VIH; Sida; Recomanacions mèdiquesCoronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Paciente adulto; VIH; Sida; Recomendaciones médicasCoronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Adult patient; HIV; AIDS; Medical recommendationsEl Grup PADEICS VIH i Malalties Associades, basant-se en l'escassa evidència que hi ha sobre el tema, ha redactat aquest document de recomanacions sobre el maneig de la COVID-19 dirigides al personal sanitari responsable del tractament de subjectes adults amb infecció per VIH

Discordant MZ twins With Cleft Lip and Palate: a model for identifying genes in complex traits.

Monozygotic (MZ) twins may be discordant for complex traits due to differential environmental exposure in utero, epigenetic variability in imprinting, X chromosome inactivation, or stochastic effects. Occasionally MZ twins may be discordant for chromosomal and single gene disorders due to somatic mosaicism. For complex traits, which are due to the interactive effects of multiple genes and environmental factors, the affected twin of a discordant MZ pair offers the possibility for identifying somatic mutations in candidate genes. DNA sequencing of candidate genes in discordant MZ twins can identify those rare etiologic mutational events responsible for the different phenotypes since the confounding effects of common single nucleotide polymorphisms are eliminated, as DNA sequences should be identical in MZ pairs. In this report we describe the extensive DNA sequencing of 18 candidate genes in a sample of MZ and dizygotic (DZ) twins with nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate. We were unable to identify any somatic differences in approximately 34 Kb of DNA sequenced in 13 MZ pairs, for a total of approximately 900 Kb of sequence comparisons, supporting the hypothesis that nonetiologic posttwinning mutations are rare. While no etiologic variants were identified in this study, sequence comparisons of discordant MZ twins can serve as a tool for identifying etiologic mutations in clefting and other complex traits

Análisis comparativo de suelos cultivados y de monte de la provincia del Chaco, Argentina = Comparative analysis of cultivated and native forest soilsof the province of Chaco, Argentina

La agricultura en el norte argentino se ha intensificado últimamente avanzando sobre nuevas tierras, generando un impacto sobre los recursos naturales entre los que se encuentra el suelo. Se analizaron variables físicas, químicas y biológicas con el fin de dilucidar cuál de éstas muestra un mayor contraste. Se tomaron muestras de dos campos ubicados en la región oeste de la provincia del Chaco: uno con producción agrícola en un suelo desmontado hace 10 años, otro que realiza producción agrícola hace 80 años. En ambos se tomó el monte contiguo como situación testigo. El muestreo de los suelos se realizó en otoño de dos años consecutivos a una profundidad de cero a 10 y de 10 a 20 centímetros. Como variables físico-químicas y químicas se evaluaron pH, conductividad eléctrica, nitrógeno total, carbono orgánico, fósforo disponible, potasio, calcio, magnesio y sodio. Como variables físicas se determinaron densidad aparente y resistencia mecánica a la penetración. Y como variables biológicas se determinaron actividad respiratoria microbiana del suelo y cuantificación de glomalina fácilmente extraíble. Se realizó análisis de la varianza, test de Tukey (α = 0,05) arrojando diferencias estadísticamente significativas en la mayoría de las variables siendo positivos los valores de los suelos de monte. Además, se realizó un análisis de componentes principales. Las variables más determinantes fueron: densidad aparente, resistencia mecánica a la penetración, pH, el carbono orgánico y la glomalina fácilmente extraíble.Agriculture in northern Argentina has intensified lately, advancing on new lands, generating an impact on natural resources, including the soil. Physical, chemical and biological variables were analyzed in order to elucidate which of these shows the greatest contrast. Samples were taken from two fields: one with agricultural production on land cleared 10 years ago, another that has been producing agricultural production for the last 80 years. In both, the contiguous native vegetation was taken as control. Soil sampling was carried out in the fall of two consecutive years at a depth of zero to 10 and 10 to 20 centimeters. As physicochemical and chemical variables, pH, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, organic carbon, available phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium were evaluated. As physical variables, apparent density and mechanical resistance to penetration were determined. As biological variables, microbial respiratory activity of the soil and quantification of easily extractable glomalin were determined. Analysis of variance, Tukey’s test (α = 0.05) was performed, yielding statistically significant differences in most of the variables, being positive the values from the native vegetation soils. In addition, a principal component analysis was performed. The most determining variables were: apparent density, mechanical resistance to penetration, pH, organic carbon and easily extractable glomalin.EEA CorrientesFil: Pérez, Germán Luis. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto Agrotécnico; ArgentinaFil: Sotelo, Cristina Esther. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto Agrotécnico; ArgentinaFil: Sirio, Andrea A. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto Agrotécnico; ArgentinaFil: Carnicer, Sebastian. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto Agrotécnico; ArgentinaFil: Mansilla, Natalia P. Provincia del Chaco. Ministerio de Producción. Dirección de Suelos y Agua Rural; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez Lopez, Carolina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Corrientes; ArgentinaFil: Castelan, Maria E. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto Agrotécnico; Argentin

The Interdomain Linker of AAV-2 Rep68 Is an Integral Part of Its Oligomerization Domain: Role of a Conserved SF3 Helicase Residue in Oligomerization

The four Rep proteins of adeno-associated virus (AAV) orchestrate all aspects of its viral life cycle, including transcription regulation, DNA replication, virus assembly, and site-specific integration of the viral genome into the human chromosome 19. All Rep proteins share a central SF3 superfamily helicase domain. In other SF3 members this domain is sufficient to induce oligomerization. However, the helicase domain in AAV Rep proteins (i.e. Rep40/Rep52) as shown by its monomeric characteristic, is not able to mediate stable oligomerization. This observation led us to hypothesize the existence of an as yet undefined structural determinant that regulates Rep oligomerization. In this document, we described a detailed structural comparison between the helicase domains of AAV-2 Rep proteins and those of the other SF3 members. This analysis shows a major structural difference residing in the small oligomerization sub-domain (OD) of Rep helicase domain. In addition, secondary structure prediction of the linker connecting the helicase domain to the origin-binding domain (OBD) indicates the potential to form α-helices. We demonstrate that mutant Rep40 constructs containing different lengths of the linker are able to form dimers, and in the presence of ATP/ADP, larger oligomers. We further identified an aromatic linker residue (Y224) that is critical for oligomerization, establishing it as a conserved signature motif in SF3 helicases. Mutation of this residue critically affects oligomerization as well as completely abolishes the ability to produce infectious virus. Taken together, our data support a model where the linker residues preceding the helicase domain fold into an α-helix that becomes an integral part of the helicase domain and is critical for the oligomerization and function of Rep68/78 proteins through cooperative interaction with the OBD and helicase domains

Absence of Aquaporin-4 in Skeletal Muscle Alters Proteins Involved in Bioenergetic Pathways and Calcium Handling

Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is a water channel expressed at the sarcolemma of fast-twitch skeletal muscle fibers, whose expression is altered in several forms of muscular dystrophies. However, little is known concerning the physiological role of AQP4 in skeletal muscle and its functional and structural interaction with skeletal muscle proteome. Using AQP4-null mice, we analyzed the effect of the absence of AQP4 on the morphology and protein composition of sarcolemma as well as on the whole skeletal muscle proteome. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that the absence of AQP4 did not perturb the expression and cellular localization of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex proteins, aside from those belonging to the extracellular matrix, and no alteration was found in sarcolemma integrity by dye extravasation assay. With the use of a 2DE-approach (BN/SDS-PAGE), protein maps revealed that in quadriceps, out of 300 Coomassie-blue detected and matched spots, 19 proteins exhibited changed expression in AQP4−/− compared to WT mice. In particular, comparison of the protein profiles revealed 12 up- and 7 down-regulated protein spots in AQP4−/− muscle. Protein identification by MS revealed that the perturbed expression pattern belongs to proteins involved in energy metabolism (i.e. GAPDH, creatine kinase), as well as in Ca2+ handling (i.e. parvalbumin, SERCA1). Western blot analysis, performed on some significantly changed proteins, validated the 2D results. Together these findings suggest AQP4 as a novel determinant in the regulation of skeletal muscle metabolism and better define the role of this water channel in skeletal muscle physiology

Multicentre observational study on multisystem inflammatory syndrome related to COVID-19 in Argentina

Background: The impact of the pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS) in low- and middle-income countries remains poorly understood. Our aim was to understand the characteristics and outcomes of PIMS-TS in Argentina. Methods: This observational, prospective, and retrospective multicenter study enrolled patients younger than 18 years-old manifesting PIMS-TS, Kawasaki disease (KD) or Kawasaki shock syndrome (KSS) between March 2020 and May 2021. Patients were followed-up until hospital discharge or death (one case). The primary outcome was pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify variables predicting PICU admission. Results: Eighty-one percent, 82%, and 14% of the 176 enrolled patients fulfilled the suspect case criteria for PIMS-TS, KD, and KSS, respectively. Temporal association with SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed in 85% of the patients and 38% were admitted to the PICU. The more common clinical manifestations were fever, abdominal pain, rash, and conjunctival injection. Lymphopenia was more common among PICU-admitted patients (87% vs. 51%, p < 0.0001), who also showed a lower platelet count and higher plasmatic levels of inflammatory and cardiac markers. Mitral valve insufficiency, left ventricular wall motion alterations, pericardial effusion, and coronary artery alterations were observed in 30%, 30%, 19.8%, and 18.6% of the patients, respectively. Days to initiation of treatment, rash, lymphopenia, and low platelet count were significant independent contributions to PICU admission. Conclusion: Rates of severe outcomes of PIMS-TS in the present study agreed with those observed in high-income countries. Together with other published studies, this work helps clinicians to better understand this novel clinical entity.Fil: Vainstein, Eduardo. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Baleani, Silvia. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Urrutia, Luis. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; ArgentinaFil: Affranchino, Nicolás. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; ArgentinaFil: Ackerman, Judith. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños Pedro Elizalde (ex Casa Cuna); ArgentinaFil: Cazalas, Mariana. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Goldsman, Alejandro. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Sardella, Angela. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Tolin, Ana Laura. Gobierno de la Provincia de Mendoza. Hospital Pediátrico Humberto Notti; ArgentinaFil: Goldaracena, Pablo. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Fabi, Mariana. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Cosentino, Mariana. Hospital Británico de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Magliola, Ricardo. Hospital Británico de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Roggiero, Gustavo. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Alta Complejidad en Red El Cruce Dr. Néstor Carlos Kirchner Samic; ArgentinaFil: Manso, Paula. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Alta Complejidad en Red El Cruce Dr. Néstor Carlos Kirchner Samic; ArgentinaFil: Triguy, Jésica. Gobierno de la Provincia de Mendoza. Hospital Pediátrico Humberto Notti; ArgentinaFil: Ballester, Celeste. Gobierno de la Provincia de Mendoza. Hospital Pediátrico Humberto Notti; ArgentinaFil: Cervetto, Vanesa. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños Pedro Elizalde (ex Casa Cuna); ArgentinaFil: Vaccarello, María. Sanatorio de la Trinidad; ArgentinaFil: De Carli, Domingo Norberto. Clínica del Niño de Quilmes; ArgentinaFil: De Carli, Maria Estela. Clínica del Niño de Quilmes; ArgentinaFil: Ciotti, Ana Laura. Hospital Nacional Profesor Alejandro Posadas; ArgentinaFil: Sicurello, María Irene. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Rios Leiva, Cecilia. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos "Eva Perón"; ArgentinaFil: Villalba, Claudia. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; ArgentinaFil: Hortas, María. Sanatorio de la Trinidad; ArgentinaFil: Peña, Sonia. Gobierno de la Provincia de Mendoza. Hospital Pediátrico Humberto Notti; ArgentinaFil: González, Gabriela. Gobierno de la Provincia de Mendoza. Hospital Pediátrico Humberto Notti; ArgentinaFil: Zold, Camila Lidia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Murer, Mario Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Grippo, M.. No especifíca;Fil: Vázquez, H.. No especifíca;Fil: Morós, C.. No especifíca;Fil: Di Santo, M.. No especifíca;Fil: Villa, A.. No especifíca;Fil: Lazota, P.. No especifíca;Fil: Foti, M.. No especifíca;Fil: Napoli, N.. No especifíca;Fil: Katsikas, M. M.. No especifíca;Fil: Tonello, L.. No especifíca;Fil: Peña, J.. No especifíca;Fil: Etcheverry, M.. No especifíca;Fil: Iglesias, D.. No especifíca;Fil: Alcalde, A. L.. No especifíca;Fil: Bruera, M.J.. No especifíca;Fil: Bruzzo, V.. No especifíca;Fil: Giordano, P.. No especifíca;Fil: Pena Acero, F.. No especifíca;Fil: Netri Pelandi, G.. No especifíca;Fil: Pastaro, D.. No especifíca;Fil: Bleiz, J.. No especifíca;Fil: Rodríguez, M. F.. No especifíca;Fil: Laghezza, L.. No especifíca;Fil: Molina, M. B.. No especifíca;Fil: Patynok, N.. No especifíca;Fil: Chatelain, M. S.. No especifíca;Fil: Aguilar, M. J.. No especifíca;Fil: Gamboa, J.. No especifíca;Fil: Cervan, M.. No especifíca;Fil: Ruggeri, A.. No especifíca;Fil: Marinelli, I.. No especifíca;Fil: Checcacci, E.. No especifíca;Fil: Meregalli, C.. No especifíca;Fil: Damksy Barbosa, J.. No especifíca;Fil: Fernie, L.. No especifíca;Fil: Fernández, M. J.. No especifíca;Fil: Saenz Tejeira, M.M.. No especifíca;Fil: Cereigido, C.. No especifíca;Fil: Nunell, A.. No especifíca;Fil: Villar, D.. No especifíca;Fil: Mansilla, A. D.. No especifíca;Fil: Darduin, M. D.. No especifíca

Stress Sensors and Signal Transducers in Cyanobacteria

In living cells, the perception of environmental stress and the subsequent transduction of stress signals are primary events in the acclimation to changes in the environment. Some molecular sensors and transducers of environmental stress cannot be identified by traditional and conventional methods. Based on genomic information, a systematic approach has been applied to the solution of this problem in cyanobacteria, involving mutagenesis of potential sensors and signal transducers in combination with DNA microarray analyses for the genome-wide expression of genes. Forty-five genes for the histidine kinases (Hiks), 12 genes for serine-threonine protein kinases (Spks), 42 genes for response regulators (Rres), seven genes for RNA polymerase sigma factors, and nearly 70 genes for transcription factors have been successfully inactivated by targeted mutagenesis in the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Screening of mutant libraries by genome-wide DNA microarray analysis under various stress and non-stress conditions has allowed identification of proteins that perceive and transduce signals of environmental stress. Here we summarize recent progress in the identification of sensory and regulatory systems, including Hiks, Rres, Spks, sigma factors, transcription factors, and the role of genomic DNA supercoiling in the regulation of the responses of cyanobacterial cells to various types of stress

Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19-Free Surgical Pathways During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19-free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19-free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS: Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19-free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19-free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score-matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION: Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19-free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks