Relevance of comorbidities for main outcomes during different periods of the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Throughout the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, the severity of the disease has varied. The aim of this study was to determine how patients' comorbidities affected and were related to, different outcomes during this time. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of all patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection between March 1, 2020, and January 9, 2022. We extracted sociodemographic, basal comorbidities, prescribed treatments, COVID-19 vaccination data, and outcomes such as death and admission to hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) during the different periods of the pandemic. We used logistic regression to quantify the effect of each covariate in each outcome variable and a random forest algorithm to select the most relevant comorbidities. Results: Predictors of death included having dementia, heart failure, kidney disease, or cancer, while arterial hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart, cerebrovascular, peripheral vascular diseases, and leukemia were also relevant. Heart failure, dementia, kidney disease, diabetes, and cancer were predictors of adverse evolution (death or ICU admission) with arterial hypertension, ischemic heart, cerebrovascular, peripheral vascular diseases, and leukemia also relevant. Arterial hypertension, heart failure, diabetes, kidney, ischemic heart diseases, and cancer were predictors of hospitalization, while dyslipidemia and respiratory, cerebrovascular, and peripheral vascular diseases were also relevant. Conclusions: Preexisting comorbidities such as dementia, cardiovascular and renal diseases, and cancers were those most related to adverse outcomes. Of particular note were the discrepancies between predictors of adverse outcomes and predictors of hospitalization and the fact that patients with dementia had a lower probability of being admitted in the first wave

Sero-epidemiologia de la toxoplasmosis en dos comunidades de Rwanda (Africa Central)

Se ha estudiado la prevalência de anticuerpos antitoxoplasma en dos comunidades rurales rwandesas, utilizando sangre total desecada en papel de filtro que se procesó por la técnica de Aglutinación Directa. En ambas comunidades están afectados el 50% de los adultos. La adquisición de los anticuerpos se hace tardiamente en NGD (a los 14 años sólo un 12% de la problación muestra anticuerpos antitoxoplasma) y más pronto en NVU (31% de la población estudiada tiene anticuerpos antitoxoplasma a los 14 años). Se destaca el posible papel que juega esta enfermedad en la patología materno-fetal, y la necesidad de nuevos studios que aumenten el conocimiento de la epidemiología de la toxoplasmosis y sus mecanismos de transmisión en Rwanda.We collected dry blood specimens from two rural areas in Rwanda, that were tested for anti bodies to Toxoplasma gondii through the Direct Agglutination technique. 50% of the adults in both communities had antibodies to T. gondii. The Ngenda (NGD) po pulation apparently acquired antibodies at a la ter stage of its life (only 12% were positive at 14 years of age). The Nyarutovu (NVU) popula tion already showed a 31% positivity at the same age. We would like to point out the pathogenic role played by toxoplasmosis during pregnancy and the need of new studies about the epidemiology of the disease as well as the transmission mechanism in Rwanda

Fe-MOF Materials as Precursors for the Catalytic Dehydrogenation of Isobutane.

We investigate the use of a series of iron-based metal-organic frameworks as precursors for the manufacturing of isobutane dehydrogenation catalysts. Both the as-prepared and spent catalysts were characterized by PXRD, XPS, PDF, ICP-OES, and CHNS+O to determine the physicochemical properties of the materials and the active phases responsible for the catalytic activity. In contrast to the previous literature, our results indicate that (i) the formation of metallic Fe under reaction conditions results in secondary cracking and coke formation; (ii) the formation of iron carbide only contributes to coke formation; and (iii) the stabilization of the Fe2+ species is paramount to achieve stable and selective catalysts. In this sense, promotion with potassium and incorporation of titanium improve the catalytic performance. While potassium is well known to improve the selectivity in iron-catalyzed dehydrogenation reactions, the unprecedented effect of titanium in the stabilization of a nanometric titanomaghemite phase, even under reductive reaction conditions, results in a moderately active and highly selective catalyst for several hours on stream with a remarkable resistance to coke formation

INHIBIDORES DE LA BOMBA DE PROTONES: ANÁLISIS DE SU UTILIZACIÓN EN UNA OFICINA DE FARMACIA

Introducción: Los inhibidores de la bomba de protones (IBP) son uno de los grupos de medicamentos que más se dispensan en la farmacia comunitaria. Actúan sobre los síntomas derivados de una excesiva acidez gástrica. Objetivos: Analizar el uso de los IBP en una oficina de farmacia comunitaria, comparando los resultados con los obtenido en estudios similares. Métodos: Se invitó a 34 pacientes (62% mujeres, edad media 61,47 años), que acudieron a retirar un IBP para uso propio, a cumplimentar un cuestionario estructurado con 10 preguntas relacionadas con el uso de estos medicamentos. Resultados: La primera prescripción del IBP fue realizada por el médico de atención primaria en 65% y por el especialista en el 32%. Omeprazol fue el IBP más prescrito (88%). El 91% de los pacientes llevaba tomando el fármaco más de un año y el 35% más de 10 años. Un 47% de los pacientes habían interrumpido el tratamiento en alguna ocasión; presentando el 63% molestias gástricas sugestivas de rebote ácido tras la interrupción. Los motivos para el uso de IBP fueron: patología digestiva diagnosticada (21%) o no diagnosticada (21%), toma de AINEs (21%) y de otros medicamentos (37%). Se demostró una falta de conocimiento generalizada sobre los objetivos del uso de IBP y la forma de utilizarlos. Conclusiones: Los IBP, se utilizan de forma excesiva, tanto por las indicaciones como por la duración del tratamiento. Este uso no racional puede desencadenar problemas de salud.

INHIBIDORES DE LA BOMBA DE PROTONES: ANÁLISIS DE SU UTILIZACIÓN EN UNA OFICINA DE FARMACIA

Introducción: Los inhibidores de la bomba de protones (IBP) son uno de los grupos de medicamentos que más se dispensan en la farmacia comunitaria. Actúan sobre los síntomas derivados de una excesiva acidez gástrica. Objetivos: Analizar el uso de los IBP en una oficina de farmacia comunitaria, comparando los resultados con los obtenido en estudios similares. Métodos: Se invitó a 34 pacientes (62% mujeres, edad media 61,47 años), que acudieron a retirar un IBP para uso propio, a cumplimentar un cuestionario estructurado con 10 preguntas relacionadas con el uso de estos medicamentos. Resultados: La primera prescripción del IBP fue realizada por el médico de atención primaria en 65% y por el especialista en el 32%. Omeprazol fue el IBP más prescrito (88%). El 91% de los pacientes llevaba tomando el fármaco más de un año y el 35% más de 10 años. Un 47% de los pacientes habían interrumpido el tratamiento en alguna ocasión; presentando el 63% molestias gástricas sugestivas de rebote ácido tras la interrupción. Los motivos para el uso de IBP fueron: patología digestiva diagnosticada (21%) o no diagnosticada (21%), toma de AINEs (21%) y de otros medicamentos (37%). Se demostró una falta de conocimiento generalizada sobre los objetivos del uso de IBP y la forma de utilizarlos. Conclusiones: Los IBP, se utilizan de forma excesiva, tanto por las indicaciones como por la duración del tratamiento. Este uso no racional puede desencadenar problemas de salud.

A role for hippocampal PSA-NCAM and NMDA-NR2B receptor function in flavonoid-induced spatial memory improvements in young rats

The increase in incidence and prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases highlights the need for a more comprehensive understanding of how food components may affect neural systems. In particular, flavonoids have been recognized as promising agents capable of influencing different aspects of synaptic plasticity resulting in improvements in memory and learning in both animals and humans. Our previous studies highlight the efficacy of flavonoids in reversing memory impairments in aged rats, yet little is known about the effects of these compounds in healthy animals, particularly with respect to the molecular mechanisms by which flavonoids might alter the underlying synaptic modifications responsible for behavioral changes. We demonstrate that a 3-week intervention with two dietary doses of flavonoids (Dose I: 8.7 mg/day and Dose II: 17.4 mg/day) facilitates spatial memory acquisition and consolidation (24 recall) (

Neutron-rich fragments produced by in-flight fission of U-238

The production cross sections of neutron-rich fission residues in reactions induced by U-238 projectiles at 950A MeV impinging on Pb and Be targets are investigated at the Fragment Separator at GSI. These two targets allow us to investigate fission processes induced by two reaction mechanisms, Coulomb and nuclear excitations, and to study the role of these mechanisms in the neutron excess of the final fragments.Peer reviewe

Functional domains of yeast hexokinase 2

Hkx2 (hexokinase 2) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was one of the first metabolic enzymes described as a multifunctional protein. Hxk2 has a double subcellular localization: it functions as a glycolytic enzyme in the cytoplasm and as a regulator of gene transcription of several Mig1-regulated genes in the nucleus. To get more insights into the structure–function relationships of the Hxk2 protein, we followed two different approaches. In the first, we deleted the last eight amino acids of Hxk2 and replaced Ser304 with phenylalanine to generate Hxk2wca. Analysis of this mutant demonstrated that these domains play an essential role in the catalytic activity of yeast Hxk2, but has no effect on the regulatory function of this protein. In the second, we analysed whether amino acids from Lys6 to Met15 of Hxk2 (Hxk2wrf) are essential for the regulatory role of Hxk2 and whether there is an effect on the hexose kinase activity of this protein. In the present paper, we report that the Hxk2wca mutant protein interacts with the Mig1 transcriptional repressor and the Snf1 protein kinase in the nucleus at the level of the SUC2–Mig1 repressor complex. We have demonstrated that Hxk2wca maintained full regulatory function because the glucose-repression signalling of the wild-type machinery is maintained. We also report that the Hxk2wrf mutant allele is incapable of glucose repression signalling because it does not interact with Mig1 at the level of the SUC2–Mig1 repressor complex. The two mutants, Hxk2wca and Hxk2wrf retain single functions, as a transcriptional factor or as an enzyme with hexose-phosphorylating activity, but have lost the original bifunctionality of Hxk2