SISTEMA INFORMÁTICO PARA LA CLASIFICACIÓN AUTOMÁTICA DE IMÁGENES DE GRANOS DE POLEN / COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR THE AUTOMATIC CLASSIFICATION OF POLLEN GRAIN IMAGES

La presente investigación ofrece un sistema que facilita el proceso de clasificación de imágenes de granos de polen de La Empresa Apícola Cubana, cuyos resultados demostraron que existe lentitud en el proceso de análisis polínicos de las mieles, ya que las especies que pertenecen a una misma familia comparten características de identificación. Por esta razón se hizo necesario desarrollar un sistema informático que permitiera a los técnicos melisopalinólogos clasificar automáticamente una imagen de grano de polen. La implementación del sistema se realizó utilizando Keras para la creación de redes neuronales convolucionales y Tensor Flow para el trabajo con imágenes, ambas librerías de Python lo que posibilita su empleo en cualquier plataforma. Para guiar el proceso de desarrollo se utilizó la metodología Rational Unified Process (RUP). El sistema propuesto posibilita el identificación y clasificación rápida de imágenes de granos de polen. Almacena un conjunto de datos que permite al sistema identificar las especies de plantas

PRODUCCIÓN DE PLÁNTULAS DE CAFETO (COFFEA ARABICA, L.) EN VIVERO CON SUSTRATOS ORGÁNICOS EN UN AGROECOSISTEMA DE MONTAÑA, MUNICIPIO JUNÍN ESTADO DE TÁCHIRA – VENEZUELA

En el municipio Junín, estado Táchira, Venezuela, se desarrolló una investigación con el objetivo de evaluar el desarrollo de la plántula de cafeto (Coffea arábica, L.), variedad INIA-01, en la fase de vivero sobre diferentes sustratos, compuestos por cinco mezclas de materiales orgánicos. El estudio tuvo una duración de cuatro meses. Los sustratos estuvieron compuestos por mezclas de estiércol descompuesto, pulpa de café y suelo en diferentes proporciones. Se utilizó un diseño experimental de bloques completamente aleatorizados, con cinco tratamientos, incluyendo un testigo que solo contenía suelo. Se evaluó la altura de la plántula, diámetro del tallo y número de hojas, a partir de los treinta días después del trasplante y con frecuencia mensual hasta los 120 días. Al final del periodo experimental se evaluó la masa fresca y seca radical y foliar, se determinaron los índices de esbeltez y de Dickson. El sustrato compuesto por mezclas de 40% de suelo, 30% de pulpa de café, 20% de estiércol y 10% de arena presento la mayor altura, mayor diámetro de tallo y número de pares de hojas verdaderas. No existió diferencias entre los tratamientos en cuanto a la relación masa seca radical/masa seca del follaje. La producción de plántulas de cafeto en vivero resultó rentable en todos los tratamientos estudiados

INCIDENCIA DE LA BROCA DEL CAFÉ (HYPOTHENEMUS HAMPEI, FERRARI) Y CONTROL ETOLÓGICO EN LA FINCA «LA COMPINCHE», BRAMÓN, MUNICIPIO JUNÍN ESTADO DE TÁCHIRA – VENEZUELA

Este trabajo se realizó con el objetivo de determinar la incidencia y el efecto de la aplicación del control etológico en el manejo de la Broca del café (Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari) en la unidad de producción denominada “La Compinche”, ubicada en la Parroquia Bramón del Municipio Junín en el Estado Táchira – Venezuela. El experimento se desarrolló en la etapa de intercosecha, primero se determinó porcentaje de infestación de la broca en el área bajo estudio, seleccionándose 30 plantas al azar y una rama/planta ubicada en el tercio medio de la zona productiva, posteriormente en cada rama se contó el número total de frutos y el número de frutos perforados por la broca. Para el efecto del control etológico se utilizó un diseño de bloques al azar, con seis repeticiones y cinco tratamientos formados por diferentes atrayentes (T1: Mezcla de Metanol más Etanol, T2 Borra de café con Agua, T3 Alcohol Etílico (Aguardiente) T4 Concha de café con Agua, T5 Testigo). La incidencia de ataque y poblaciones de (Hypothenemus hampei) en los cafetales de la unidad de producción en estudio es de  34.5%.Se demostró el efecto del control etológico al utilizar la mezcla de alcohol (Metanol+ Etanol) en proporción 3:1, atrapando 64.515 insectos adultos de broca del café en el periodo estudiado

EFECTIVIDAD DE TRICHODERMA HARZIANUM SOBRE LA POBLACIÓN DE NEMÁTODOS FITOPATÓGENOS EN CAFÉ (COFFEA ARÁBICA L.) EN CONDICIONES DE VIVERO EN EL MUNICIPIO JUNÍN, ESTADO TÁCHIRA. VENEZUELA

Con el objeto de determinar la cuantía en que se puede prescindir del control químico para manejar los nemátodos fitopatógenos en el cultivo del café, se realizó un estudio sobre la efectividad del Trichoderma harzianum como biocontrolador en base al estado fitosanitario del cultivo de café (coffea arábica, L.) en la fase de vivero, evaluándose la infestación causada por los nemátodos. La investigación se desarrolló en el municipio Junín, Estado Táchira. Se utilizaron plántulas en bolsas con sustrato de mezcla 2 partes de tierra, 1 de materia orgánica y 1 de arena, realizando aplicaciones con Trichoderma harzianum con tres concentraciones de conidias. Se utilizó un diseño de bifactorial con siete tratamientos y diez repeticiones T1: Plántula + testigo absoluto; T2: plántula + Trichoderma 1 x 109 ufc/ml; T3: plántula + Trichoderma de 1 x 1018ufc/ml. T-4:plántula + Trichoderma de 1 x 1027 ufc/ml; T-5:sustracto solo + Trichoderma de 1 x 109 ufc/ml; T-6:sustracto solo + Trichoderma de 1 x 1018ufc/ml;T-7:sustracto solo + Trichoderma de 1 x 1027ufc/ml. Se concluye que la aplicación con el tratamiento T7 = sustrato solo + Trichoderma de 1 x 1027ufc/ml. Erradico en un 100% los nemátodos de los géneros meloidogyne spp y pratylenchus spp , y en cuanto al desarrollo agroproductivo de las plántulas de café en la fase de vivero el tratamiento T-4:plántula + Trichoderma de 1 x 1027ufc/ml, es el que propicia el crecimiento, desarrollo de las plántulas y el control de los nemátodos fitopatógenos de forma adecuada

Early mobilisation in critically ill COVID-19 patients: a subanalysis of the ESICM-initiated UNITE-COVID observational study

Background Early mobilisation (EM) is an intervention that may improve the outcome of critically ill patients. There is limited data on EM in COVID-19 patients and its use during the first pandemic wave. Methods This is a pre-planned subanalysis of the ESICM UNITE-COVID, an international multicenter observational study involving critically ill COVID-19 patients in the ICU between February 15th and May 15th, 2020. We analysed variables associated with the initiation of EM (within 72 h of ICU admission) and explored the impact of EM on mortality, ICU and hospital length of stay, as well as discharge location. Statistical analyses were done using (generalised) linear mixed-effect models and ANOVAs. Results Mobilisation data from 4190 patients from 280 ICUs in 45 countries were analysed. 1114 (26.6%) of these patients received mobilisation within 72 h after ICU admission; 3076 (73.4%) did not. In our analysis of factors associated with EM, mechanical ventilation at admission (OR 0.29; 95% CI 0.25, 0.35; p = 0.001), higher age (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.98, 1.00; p ≤ 0.001), pre-existing asthma (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.73, 0.98; p = 0.028), and pre-existing kidney disease (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.71, 0.99; p = 0.036) were negatively associated with the initiation of EM. EM was associated with a higher chance of being discharged home (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.08, 1.58; p = 0.007) but was not associated with length of stay in ICU (adj. difference 0.91 days; 95% CI − 0.47, 1.37, p = 0.34) and hospital (adj. difference 1.4 days; 95% CI − 0.62, 2.35, p = 0.24) or mortality (OR 0.88; 95% CI 0.7, 1.09, p = 0.24) when adjusted for covariates. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that a quarter of COVID-19 patients received EM. There was no association found between EM in COVID-19 patients' ICU and hospital length of stay or mortality. However, EM in COVID-19 patients was associated with increased odds of being discharged home rather than to a care facility. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04836065 (retrospectively registered April 8th 2021)

Co-infection and ICU-acquired infection in COIVD-19 ICU patients: a secondary analysis of the UNITE-COVID data set

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic presented major challenges for critical care facilities worldwide. Infections which develop alongside or subsequent to viral pneumonitis are a challenge under sporadic and pandemic conditions; however, data have suggested that patterns of these differ between COVID-19 and other viral pneumonitides. This secondary analysis aimed to explore patterns of co-infection and intensive care unit-acquired infections (ICU-AI) and the relationship to use of corticosteroids in a large, international cohort of critically ill COVID-19 patients.Methods: This is a multicenter, international, observational study, including adult patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis admitted to ICUs at the peak of wave one of COVID-19 (February 15th to May 15th, 2020). Data collected included investigator-assessed co-infection at ICU admission, infection acquired in ICU, infection with multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) and antibiotic use. Frequencies were compared by Pearson's Chi-squared and continuous variables by Mann-Whitney U test. Propensity score matching for variables associated with ICU-acquired infection was undertaken using R library MatchIT using the "full" matching method.Results: Data were available from 4994 patients. Bacterial co-infection at admission was detected in 716 patients (14%), whilst 85% of patients received antibiotics at that stage. ICU-AI developed in 2715 (54%). The most common ICU-AI was bacterial pneumonia (44% of infections), whilst 9% of patients developed fungal pneumonia; 25% of infections involved MDRO. Patients developing infections in ICU had greater antimicrobial exposure than those without such infections. Incident density (ICU-AI per 1000 ICU days) was in considerable excess of reports from pre-pandemic surveillance. Corticosteroid use was heterogenous between ICUs. In univariate analysis, 58% of patients receiving corticosteroids and 43% of those not receiving steroids developed ICU-AI. Adjusting for potential confounders in the propensity-matched cohort, 71% of patients receiving corticosteroids developed ICU-AI vs 52% of those not receiving corticosteroids. Duration of corticosteroid therapy was also associated with development of ICU-AI and infection with an MDRO.Conclusions: In patients with severe COVID-19 in the first wave, co-infection at admission to ICU was relatively rare but antibiotic use was in substantial excess to that indication. ICU-AI were common and were significantly associated with use of corticosteroids

Clinical and organizational factors associated with mortality during the peak of first COVID-19 wave : the global UNITE-COVID study

Purpose To accommodate the unprecedented number of critically ill patients with pneumonia caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) expansion of the capacity of intensive care unit (ICU) to clinical areas not previously used for critical care was necessary. We describe the global burden of COVID-19 admissions and the clinical and organizational characteristics associated with outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Methods Multicenter, international, point prevalence study, including adult patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and a diagnosis of COVID-19 admitted to ICU between February 15th and May 15th, 2020. Results 4994 patients from 280 ICUs in 46 countries were included. Included ICUs increased their total capacity from 4931 to 7630 beds, deploying personnel from other areas. Overall, 1986 (39.8%) patients were admitted to surge capacity beds. Invasive ventilation at admission was present in 2325 (46.5%) patients and was required during ICU stay in 85.8% of patients. 60-day mortality was 33.9% (IQR across units: 20%-50%) and ICU mortality 32.7%. Older age, invasive mechanical ventilation, and acute kidney injury (AKI) were associated with increased mortality. These associations were also confirmed specifically in mechanically ventilated patients. Admission to surge capacity beds was not associated with mortality, even after controlling for other factors. Conclusions ICUs responded to the increase in COVID-19 patients by increasing bed availability and staff, admitting up to 40% of patients in surge capacity beds. Although mortality in this population was high, admission to a surge capacity bed was not associated with increased mortality. Older age, invasive mechanical ventilation, and AKI were identified as the strongest predictors of mortality