Effects of seawater and freshwater challenges on the Gh/Igf system in the saline-tolerant blackchin tilapia (Sarotherodon melanotheron)

Prolactin (Prl) and growth hormone (Gh) as well as insulin-like growth factor 1 (Igf1) are involved in the physiological adaptation of fish to varying salinities. The Igfs have been also ascribed other physiological roles during development, growth, reproduction and immune regulation. However, the main emphasis in the investigation of osmoregulatory responses has been the endocrine, liver-derived Igf1 route and local regulation within the liver and osmoregulatory organs. Few studies have focused on the impact of salinity alterations on the Gh/Igf-system within the neuroendocrine and immune systems and particularly in a salinity-tolerant species, such as the blackchin tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron. This species is tolerant to hypersalinity and saline variations, but it is confronted by severe climate changes in the Saloum inverse estuary. Here we investigated bidirectional effects of increased salinity followed by its decrease on the gene regulation of prl, gh, igf1, igf2, Gh receptor and the tumor-necrosis factor a. A mixed population of sexually mature 14-month old blackchin tilapia adapted to freshwater were first exposed to seawater for one week and then to fresh water for another week. Brain, pituitary, head kidney and spleen were excised at 4 h, 1, 2, 3 and 7 days after both exposures and revealed differential expression patterns. This investigation should give us a better understanding of the role of the Gh/Igf system within the neuroendocrine and immune organs and the impact of bidirectional saline challenges on fish osmoregulation in non-osmoregulatory organs, notably the complex orchestration of growth factors and cytokines

El fenómeno del dopaje desde la perspectiva de las Ciencias Sociales Odile

En este libro se recoge una selección de las comunicaciones presentadas en el IV Congreso Internacional ‘Deporte, Dopaje y Sociedad’ que se celebró en Madrid del 26 de febrero al 1 de marzo de 2014 y que fue organizado conjuntamente por la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid y la Agencia Española de Protección de la Salud en el Deporte. Los textos están escritos en español, francés e inglés y abordan el estudio del fenómeno del dopaje desde el ámbito especifico de las Ciencias Humanas y Sociales a través de disciplinas como Historia, Derecho, Sociología, Psicología, Economía, Ciencias de la Información y otras disciplinas relacionadas

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

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

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

CT-based and morphological comparison of glenoid inclination and version angles and mineralisation distribution in human body donors

Background: For optimal prosthetic anchoring in omarthritis surgery, a differentiated knowledge on the mineralisation distribution of the glenoid is important. However, database on the mineralisation of diseased joints and potential relations with glenoid angles is limited. Methods: Shoulder specimens from ten female and nine male body donors with an average age of 81.5 years were investigated. Using 3D-CT-multiplanar reconstruction, glenoid inclination and retroversion angles were measured, and osteoarthritis signs graded. Computed Tomography-Osteoabsorptiometry (CT-OAM) is an established method to determine the subchondral bone plate mineralisation, which has been demonstrated to serve as marker for the long-term loading history of joints. Based on mineralisation distribution mappings of healthy shoulder specimens, physiological and different CT-OAM patterns were compared with glenoid angles. Results: Osteoarthritis grades were 0-I in 52.6% of the 3D-CT-scans, grades II-III in 34.3%, and grade IV in 13.2%, with in females twice as frequently (45%) higher grades (III, IV) than in males (22%, III). The average inclination angle was 8.4°. In glenoids with inclination ≤10°, mineralisation was predominantly centrally distributed and tended to shift more cranially when the inclination raised to > 10°. The average retroversion angle was - 5.2°. A dorsally enhanced mineralisation distribution was found in glenoids with versions from - 15.9° to + 1.7°. A predominantly centrally distributed mineralisation was accompanied by a narrower range of retroversion angles between - 10° to - 0.4°. Conclusions: This study is one of the first to combine CT-based analyses of glenoid angles and mineralisation distribution in an elderly population. The data set is limited to 19 individuals, however, indicates that superior inclination between 0° and 10°-15°, and dorsal version ranging between - 9° to - 3° may be predominantly associated with anterior and central mineralisation patterns previously classified as physiological for the shoulder joint. The current basic research findings may serve as basic data set for future studies addressing the glenoid geometry for treatment planning in omarthritis

Toxoplasma gondii in meat of adult sheep in Spain

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular parasite that presents a worldwide risk. Humans can become infected by ingesting meat infected with T. gondii, and the consumption of infected sheep and goat meat is a significant public health issue. Antibodies against T. gondii have been found in sheep in Spain, indicating the presence of the parasite in the country. However, no previous studies have assessed the presence of T. gondii in sheep meat in Spain. In view of the significance of the transmission of T. gondii through meat consumption and given the lack of previous studies in Spain, we carried out an investigation to evaluate the presence of T. gondii in adult sheep meat (mutton). A total of 216 muscle samples were analyzed by digestion, and a real-time PCR assay was used to determine the presence of T. gondii DNA. A total of 24.5% of the samples were found to be parasitized, indicating that the consumption of sheep meat can present an important risk for human health

Glenoid morphology in light of anatomical and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: a dissection- and 3D-CT-based study in male and female body donors

Abstract Background Placement of the glenoid baseplate is of paramount importance for the outcome of anatomical and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. However, the database around glenoid size is poor, particularly regarding small scapulae, for example, in women and smaller individuals, and is derived from different methodological approaches. In this multimodality cadaver study, we systematically examined the glenoid using morphological and 3D-CT measurements. Methods Measurements of the glenoid and drill hole tunnel length for superior baseplate screw placement were recorded to define size of the glenoid and the distance to the scapular notch on cadaveric specimens. Glenoid angles were determined on both, 3D-CT-scans of the thoraxes using the Friedman method and on subsequently isolated scapulae from 18 male and female donors (average 84\ua0years, range 60\u201398 years). Results Mean glenoid height was 36.6\ua0mm\u2009\ub1\u20093.6, and width 27.8\ua0mm\u2009\ub1\u20093.1 with a significant sex dimorphism ( p \u2009\u2264\u20090.001): in males, glenoid height 39.5\ua0mm\u2009\ub1\u20093.5, and width 30.3\ua0mm\u2009\ub1\u20093.3, and in females, glenoid height 34.8\ua0mm\u2009\ub1\u20092.2, and width 26.2\ua0mm\u2009\ub1\u20091.6. The average distance from the superior screw entry to its exit in the scapular notch measured by calliper was 27.2\ua0mm\u2009\ub1\u20096.0 with a sex difference: in males, 29.4\ua0mm\u2009\ub1\u20095.7, and in females, 25.8\ua0mm\u2009\ub1\u20095.9\ua0mm with a minimum recorded distance of 15\ua0mm. Measured by CT, the mean inclination angle for male and female donors combined was 13.0\ub0\u2009\ub1\u20097.0, and the ante-/retroversion angle \u22121.0\ub0\u2009\ub1\u20094.0\ub0. Conclusion This study is one of the first to ..