COVID-19 may lower quality of life when infections and deaths increase: A longitudinal study in the Peruvian jungle

"Background: Quality of life (QoL) is a multifactorial concept on the perception of the individual’s wellbeing underpinned by environmental, psychological, and physical factors. Several studies have shown changes in QoL in the COVID-19 pandemic and may be due to increases in mortality rates, however, no study has investigated this among Peruvian jungle dwellers. Here, we have sought to estimate the QoL of individuals before and after the increase in cases and deaths from COVID-19. Methods: A questionnaire-based longitudinal study was conducted in 102 inhabitants (mean 40.75 ± 7.49 years). The Spanish version of the WHOQOL-BREF was used in two stages: April and June. The first stage was accomplished before the first confirmed case of COVID-19, and the second stage was when the daily mortality rate was 3.5% with an incidence of 87%. Results: Sixty (54.8%) participants were women, 67 (61.9%) were >31 years, and 38 (34.5%) and 32 (29.1%) participants had primary and secondary education, respectively. In the first and second stage we obtained an overall mean QoL of 46.65 ± 23.2 and 35 ± 27.7 points, respectively. Individuals had significantly lower QoL in the face of increased deaths in physical (p = 0.001), mental (p = 0.028) and environmental (p = 0.001) health domains, with the latter having the greatest impact (51.84 ± 5.81 vs. 16.66 ± 5.55 points). Conclusion: Quality of life of Peruvian jungle dwellers is reduced during periods of increased mortality and incidence by COVID-19. Preventive strategies aimed at reducing the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and global wellbeing of individuals living in the Amazon are recommended to Peruvian authorities.

Physical Activity and Body Image Perceived by University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Our objective was to assess the perception of body image and physical activity in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of 74,270 papers found on 13 search engines between 12 August 2020, and 2 November 2021, we identified six studies (n = 1392 and 1097 were women). We found several results on the perception of both variables during the pandemic. First, physical activity tended to decrease or have negative changes, either because they dedicated less time to it, decreased the type of intensity or because they dedicated more time to sedentary activities. In addition, women were more physically active than men, since men perceived a decrease in their levels of physical activity. Secondly, there were also slight changes in the perception of body image; several students perceived that they gained weight and others had an increase in their BMI. It is even noted that those who were physically active or who were older in the population studied had a better perception of their actual physical condition. Similarly, we found that a concern for body image and even negative changes in the perception of appearance during confinement were reported. In conclusion, we found changes in the perception of physical activity and body image in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

High Levels of Academic Procrastination do not Influence the Academic Performance of Nursing Students during Internship

Introducción: La procrastinación académica (AP) es un fenómeno global que afecta significativamente a los estudiantes universitarios, influyendo potencialmente en su rendimiento académico y bienestar mental. Objetivo: Investigar la relación entre los niveles de procrastinación académica y el rendimiento académico de estudiantes de enfermería durante su pasantía en el Perú. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal, involucrando a 112 pasantes de enfermería, de 18 años y más, matriculados en el semestre 2019-I. Los participantes completaron la Escala de Procrastinación Académica (EPA), una escala tipo Likert que consta de 12 ítems, que midió dos dimensiones: autorregulación académica (9 ítems) y procrastinación de actividades (3 ítems). Se utilizó una puntuación umbral de 36 puntos para identificar altos niveles de procrastinación académica. El rendimiento académico se evaluó en una escala de 0 a 10 (reprobado), 11 a 14 (aprobado), 15 a 17 (notable) y 18 a 20 (sobresaliente). Resultados: La edad media de los participantes fue de 29 años, siendo el 88,4% mujeres. El estudio encontró que el 72,3% de los estudiantes de enfermería exhibieron niveles más altos de AP, particularmente entre las mujeres (62,5%) y los estudiantes más jóvenes (59,8%). A escala global, el 70,3% de los estudiantes obtuvo una calificación notable, y el 51,8% de estos estudiantes también exhibió un alto nivel de AP. Sin embargo, no se encontraron diferencias significativas en el rendimiento académico según el nivel de AP (p=0,918). Conclusión: Aunque los estudiantes de enfermería mostraron un mayor nivel de AP, este estudio no encontró una asociación significativa entre la procrastinación académica y el rendimiento académico durante el período de prácticas. Sin embargo, es crucial monitorear la AP en estudiantes de enfermería a lo largo de sus estudios para identificar factores potenciales que puedan contribuir a su impacto y desarrollar estrategias para mitigar sus efectos

Assessing empathy in healthcare services: a systematic review of South American healthcare workers’ and patients’ perceptions

BackgroundEmpathy in healthcare service refers to the ability of healthcare workers (HCWs) to put themselves in patients’ shoes, which is necessary to ensure a good physician-patient relationship and provide quality care. Various studies have shown that empathy varies depending on the country, the instrument used, the evaluator, and the HCW’s specialty. This systematic review aims to estimate the levels of empathy among HCWs in South American countries between 2000 and 2019.MethodsWe conducted searches in 15 databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scielo, PsycoInfo, ScientDirect, Latindex, and LILIACS), four preprint servers (medRxiv, bioRxiv, SportRxiv, and Preprints), and other search engines such as Dimensions (20), Google Scholar, Yahoo!, and Alicia CONCyTec (c). We followed the PRISMA guidelines, and this study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023454007).ResultsOut of 18,532 documents identified from November 10 to 28, 2021, 10 articles were included (n = 2,487 participants, of which 1989 were patients). Among the studies focusing on self-evaluated empathy, four relied on the Jefferson Scale of Empathy for medical professionals (JSE-HP). However, assessments from patients employing Jefferson Scale of Patient’s Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE) and Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) scale suggested high levels of empathy We found that both professionals and patients perceived that empathic care was provided, often at a medium or regular level. Surgery residents presented lower levels of empathy compared to obstetrics-gynecology and pediatrics physicians.ConclusionEmpathy is crucial in determining the quality of care and patient satisfaction during healthcare services provided by HCWs. Therefore, it is important to support professionals so that the various stressful situations they encounter in their work and daily life do not negatively influence the approach they provide to patients

Increase in antibiotic resistance in diabetic foot infections among peruvian patients: a single-center cross-sectional study

BackgroundDiabetic foot is one of the most significant complications in individuals with diabetes and is closely associated with lower limb amputation. The antibiotic susceptibility patterns of these bacterial isolates play a critical role in guiding effective treatment strategies We aimed to determine the most common bacterial agents causing diabetic foot infections in a tertiary-care hospital in Peru.MethodsClinical and microbiological data were collected from 181 patients diagnosed with diabetic foot infections and positive microbiological culture results. All the samples were analyzed with the Vitek 2 compact system and the cut-off points were defined with the CLSI M100 guide. The data were segregated based on mono-microbial or poly-microbial cultures, bacterial types, and antibiotic susceptibility profiles.ResultsA total of 32 bacterial species were identified, predominantly Gram-negative (63%). The most frequent bacterial agents isolated were Staphylococcus aureus (19.9%), Escherichia coli (12.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.3%), and Proteus vulgaris (6.6%). These bacteria commonly exhibited resistance to Ampicillin, Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and Cefuroxime. E. coli showed the highest antibiotic resistance (19 antibiotics), while Gentamicin, Tobramycin, and Levofloxacin demonstrated the highest sensitivity against the most prevalent bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria also exhibited notable antibiotic-susceptibility to Meropenem, Piperacillin/tazobactam, and Amikacin. Regarding the presence of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase, 54 isolates tested positive, with 35 (64.8%) and 14 (42.4%) of these being S. aureus and E. coli.ConclusionsBacterial agents causing diabetic foot infections pose a constant concern, particularly due to the increasing antibiotic resistance observed. This difficulty in treating the condition contributes to a higher risk of amputation and mortality. Further research on bacterial susceptibility is necessary to determine appropriate dosages for pharmacological treatment and to prevent the overuse of antibiotics

Bacterial behavior on coated porous titanium substrates for biomedical applications

In this work, bacterial behavior on dense and porous titanium substrates is discussed. Porous titanium was fabricated by a space holder technique using 50 vol , NH4HCO3 with particle sizes between 250 and 355 amp; 956;m . These substrates were coated by sulfonated PEEK termed SPEEK . Characterization of the porous substrate was carried out using the Archimedes Method, Image Analysis, and three dimensional X ray Micro Computed Tomography including total and interconnected porosity, equivalent diameter, and pore shape factor , as well as mechanical characterization specifically stiffness and yield strength . A detailed study was performed here to investigate the influence of substrate porosity on the adhesion and proliferation of E. coli, MRSA, and P. aeruginosa common causes of orthopedic device associated infections . Bacterial colonization was examined in terms of the initial bacterial concentration, as well as bacterial adherence to and growth on the surface and inside the pores. Results suggest that fully dense titanium supported the least bacterial colonization, while the porous titanium promoted bacterial growth in the medium and inside the cavities. Furthermore, the SPEEK coating deposited onto the samples inhibited bacteria growth inside the porous materials. In this manner, this study showed for the first time that SPEEK could have potential antibacterial properties to offset the increase in bacteria growth commonly observed in porous material

Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of WW bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents measurements of the $W^+ \rightarrow \mu^+\nu$ and $W^- \rightarrow \mu^-\nu$ cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the 1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13

Search for chargino-neutralino production with mass splittings near the electroweak scale in three-lepton final states in √s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for supersymmetry through the pair production of electroweakinos with mass splittings near the electroweak scale and decaying via on-shell W and Z bosons is presented for a three-lepton final state. The analyzed proton-proton collision data taken at a center-of-mass energy of √s=13  TeV were collected between 2015 and 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb−1. A search, emulating the recursive jigsaw reconstruction technique with easily reproducible laboratory-frame variables, is performed. The two excesses observed in the 2015–2016 data recursive jigsaw analysis in the low-mass three-lepton phase space are reproduced. Results with the full data set are in agreement with the Standard Model expectations. They are interpreted to set exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level on simplified models of chargino-neutralino pair production for masses up to 345 GeV