74 research outputs found
Detection of Severe Respiratory Disease Epidemic Outbreaks by CUSUM-Based Overcrowd-Severe-Respiratory-Disease-Index Model
A severe respiratory disease epidemic outbreak correlates with a high demand of specific supplies and specialized personnel to hold it back in a wide region or set of regions; these supplies would be beds, storage areas, hemodynamic monitors, and mechanical ventilators, as well as physicians, respiratory technicians, and specialized nurses. We describe an online cumulative sum based model named Overcrowd-Severe-Respiratory-Disease-Index based on the Modified Overcrowd Index that simultaneously monitors and informs the demand of those supplies and personnel in a healthcare network generating early warnings of severe respiratory disease epidemic outbreaks through the interpretation of such variables. A post hoc historical archive is generated, helping physicians in charge to improve the transit and future allocation of supplies in the entire hospital network during the outbreak. The model was thoroughly verified in a virtual scenario, generating multiple epidemic outbreaks in a 6-year span for a 13-hospital network. When it was superimposed over the H1N1 influenza outbreak census (2008â2010) taken by the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition Salvador Zubiran in Mexico City, it showed that it is an effective algorithm to notify early warnings of severe respiratory disease epidemic outbreaks with a minimal rate of false alerts
Identifying non-destructive growth and maturity indexes of Prickly pear (Opuntia albicarpa S. Var. Burrona) and evaluation of freeze-drying conditions
Around the world, prickly pear fruits are valued as a source of dietary functional compounds and
ingredients for innovative foods. Growth and physicochemical changes of Opuntia albicarpa S. fruits
were recorded from 0 to 132 days-after-flowering (DAF) to identify non-destructive maturity-indices.
Optimum-ripened fruits were freeze-dried to study physicochemical and functional characteristics of
dried and rehydrated pulp. Principal component analysis confirmed growth turned into fruit
ripening in DAF 99, and it lasted until DAF 132. Changes in color parameters of the peel correlated
with fruit texture and pulp sugar content and taste index (P < 0.01). During freeze-drying, plate
temperature had more significant effects than the thickness (P < 0.05). At 30°C, color ÎE between
dried and fresh slices augmented, but, texture ÎÂŽs (medium force) between rehydrated and fresh
pulp was lower. Color tests could be used to harvest commercially-ripened fruits. Freeze-drying at
30°C improves the rehydrated slices texture regarding thickness maintaining rehydration
coefficients.Las tunas son apreciadas en todo el mundo como fuente de compuestos funcionales dietarios
e ingredientes para alimentos innovadores. Para identificar Ăndices de maduraciĂłn no destructivos,
se registraron cambios en el crecimiento y en los parĂĄmetros fisicoquĂmicos de frutos de Opuntia
albicarpa S. entre los dĂas despuĂ©s de la floraciĂłn (DAF) 0 al 132. Frutos con maduraciĂłn Ăłptima
fueron liofilizados para evaluar caracterĂsticas fisicoquĂmicas y funcionales de pulpa seca
y rehidratada. El anĂĄlisis de componentes principales confirmo que el crecimiento dio lugar a la
maduraciĂłn en el DAF 99 y Ă©sta prosiguiĂł hasta el DAF 132. Los cambios en parĂĄmetros de color en
cĂĄscara correlacionaron con la textura del fruto, y en pulpa, con el contenido de azĂșcares y el Ăndice
de sabor (P< 0.01). Durante la liofilizaciĂłn, la temperatura de placa tiene mĂĄs efectos significativos
que el espesor (P†0.05). A 30°C, el ÎE de color entre la pulpa seca y fresca aumentĂł, pero, el Î de
textura (fuerza media) fue menor entre la rehidratada y la fresca. Se pueden emplear evaluaciones
de color para cosechar frutos en su madurez comercial, y liofilizar estos frutos a 30°C mejora la
textura sin importar el espesor, manteniendo los coeficientes de rehidrataciĂłn.This work was supported by the SIMORELOS program of CONACyT
Sodium Intake from Foods Exceeds Recommended Limits in the Spanish Population: The ANIBES Study
Excessive sodium consumption is associated with adverse health effects. An elevated dietary intake of salt (sodium chloride) has been related to high blood pressure or hypertension, a major but modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as well as to other ill health conditions. In the present work, our aim was to describe the contribution of foods to sodium consumption within the Spanish population in a representative sample from the "anthropometric data, macronutrients and micronutrients intake, practice of physical activity, socioeconomic data and lifestyles in Spain" (ANIBES) study (9-75 years), to identify high consumer groups, as well as the major food groups that contribute to sodium intake in the Spanish diet. Intakes were assessed by 3-day food records collected on a tablet device. Sodium intakes across the ANIBES study population exceeded recommendations, as total intakes reached 2025 ± 805 mg of sodium per day, that is approximately 5.06 g/day of salt (excluding discretionary salt, added at the table or during cooking). Sodium intakes were higher in males than in females and within the youngest groups. Main dietary sources of sodium were meat and meat products (27%), cereals and grains (26%), milk and dairy products (14%) and ready-to-eat meals (13%). Given the established health benefits of dietary salt reduction, it would be advisable to continue and even improve the current national initiatives of awareness and educational campaigns and particularly food reformulation to decrease overall salt intakes across the Spanish population
Clinical Practice Guideline on Melanoma From the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV)
El diagnĂłstico y tratamiento del melanoma en atenciĂłn especializada es un campo en el que se han producido numerosos cambios. El objetivo de esta guĂa es ofrecer a los dermatĂłlogos españoles una referencia para resolver las dudas clĂnicas mĂĄs frecuentes basĂĄndose en la evidencia actual. Para la realizaciĂłn de esta guĂa se escogiĂł a miembros del Grupo Español de Dermato-OncologĂa y CirugĂa con experiencia en el tratamiento de estos tumores y con interĂ©s en participar en la elaboraciĂłn de la guĂa. Se hizo una adaptaciĂłn de las guĂas de prĂĄctica clĂnica existentes mediante el mĂ©todo ADAPTE: inicialmente se resumiĂł el proceso de atenciĂłn y se elaboraron las preguntas clĂnicas relevantes. Se seleccionaron las guĂas mejor puntuadas mediante el instrumento AGREE II, realizando la bĂșsqueda de las respuestas en dichas guĂas y elaborando las recomendaciones. Finalmente se sometiĂł la guĂa a revisiĂłn externa. La guĂa se estructurĂł a partir de 21 preguntas clĂnicas que fueron seleccionadas por su relevancia, dado que se centran en aspectos que pueden plantear decisiones difĂciles en el manejo del melanoma, y se han respondido empleando la evidencia obtenida de las mejores guĂas existentes. Entre las limitaciones de esta guĂa merece reseñarse que la evidencia es escasa para responder a algunas preguntas. En algunos aspectos el cambio es rĂĄpido y exige una actualizaciĂłn frecuente de la guĂa. Esta guĂa responde a preguntas habituales sobre el manejo del melanoma en la prĂĄctica clĂnica diaria, sirviendo a los dermatĂłlogos como referencia en la toma de decisiones, siempre teniendo presente los recursos y preferencias del paciente
HIV coinfection predicts failure of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir in treatment-naĂŻve noncirrhotic patients with HCV genotype
The efficacy of licensed direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens is assumed to be the same for hepatitis C virus (HCV)âmonoinfected patients (HCV-Mono) and HIV/HCV-coinfected patients (HCV-Co). However, the high sustained viral response (SVR) rates of DAA regimens and the small number of HIV-infected patients included in registration trials have made it difficult to identify predictors of treatment failure, including the presence of HIV. Methods. We compared treatment outcomes for ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) against HCV G1 in treatment-naĂŻve HCV-Mono and HCV-Co without cirrhosis in a prospective registry of individuals receiving DAAs for HCV. Results. Up to September 2017, a total of 17 269 patients were registered, and 1358 patients (1055 HCV-Mono/303 HCV-Co) met the inclusion criteria. Significant differences between HCV-Mono and HCV-Co were observed for age, gender, and G1 subtype distribution. Among HCV-Co, 99.0% were receiving antiretroviral therapy. SVR rates for LDV/SOF at 8 weeks did not differ significantly between HCV-Mono and HCV-Co (96.9% vs 94.0%; P = .199). However, the SVR rate for LDV/SOF at 12 weeks was significantly higher for HCV-Mono than HCV-Co (97.2% vs 91.8%; P = .001). A multivariable logistic regression model including age, sex, liver stiffness, G1 subtype, HCV-RNA, HIV, and treatment duration showed the factors associated with treatment failure to be male sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27â4.91; P = .008) and HIV infection (aOR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.13â4.38; P = .020). Conclusions. The results of this large prospective study analyzing outcomes for LDV/SOF against HCV G1 in treatment-naĂŻve noncirrhotic patients suggest that HIV infection is a predictor of treatment failure in patients with chronic hepatitis C.This work was supported by the Spanish AIDS
Research Network (RD16/0025/0017), which is included in the Spanish
I+D+I Plan and is co-financed by ISCIII-SubdirecciĂłn General de
Evaluacion and European Funding for Regional Development (FEDER),
and the Fondo de Investigación de Sanidad en España (FIS)/Instituto de
Salud Carlos III (Spanish Health Research Funds; PI17/00657)
Evaluation of extra-virgin olive oils shelf life using an electronic tongue-chemometric approach
Physicochemical quality parameters, olfactory and gustatoryretronasal positive sensations of extra-virgin olive oils vary during storage leading to a decrease in the overall quality. Olive oil quality decline may prevent the compliance of olive oil quality with labeling and significantly reduce shelf life, resulting in important economic losses and negatively condition the consumer confidence. The feasibility of applying an electronic tongue to assess olive oils usual commercial light storage conditions and storage time was evaluated and compared with the discrimination potential of physicochemical or positive olfactory/gustatory sensorial parameters. Linear discriminant models, based on subsets of 58 electronic tongue sensor signals, selected by the meta-heuristic simulated annealing variable selection algorithm, allowed the correct classification of olive oils according to the light exposition conditions and/or storage time (sensitivities and specificities for leave-one-out cross-validation: 8296 %). The predictive performance of the E-tongue approach was further evaluated using an external independent dataset selected using the KennardStone algorithm and, in general, better classification rates (sensitivities and specificities for external dataset: 67100 %) were obtained compared to those achieved using physicochemical or sensorial data. So, the work carried out is a proof-of-principle that the proposed electrochemical device could be a practical and versatile tool for, in a single and fast electrochemical assay, successfully discriminate olive oils with different storage times and/or exposed to different light conditions.The authors acknowledge the financial support from the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, from Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006984âAssociate Laboratory LSRELCM funded by FEDER funds through COMPETE2020âPrograma Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI)âand by national funds through FCTâFundação para a CiĂȘncia e a Tecnologia and under the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit. Nuno Rodrigues thanks FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE for the Ph.D. Grant (SFRH/BD/104038/2014).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Deep-sequencing reveals broad subtype-specific HCV resistance mutations associated with treatment failure
A percentage of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients fail direct acting antiviral (DAA)-based treatment regimens, often because of drug resistance-associated substitutions (RAS). The aim of this study was to characterize the resistance profile of a large cohort of patients failing DAA-based treatments, and investigate the relationship between HCV subtype and failure, as an aid to optimizing management of these patients. A new, standardized HCV-RAS testing protocol based on deep sequencing was designed and applied to 220 previously subtyped samples from patients failing DAA treatment, collected in 39 Spanish hospitals. The majority had received DAA-based interferon (IFN) a-free regimens; 79% had failed sofosbuvir-containing therapy. Genomic regions encoding the nonstructural protein (NS) 3, NS5A, and NS5B (DAA target regions) were analyzed using subtype-specific primers. Viral subtype distribution was as follows: genotype (G) 1, 62.7%; G3a, 21.4%; G4d, 12.3%; G2, 1.8%; and mixed infections 1.8%. Overall, 88.6% of patients carried at least 1 RAS, and 19% carried RAS at frequencies below 20% in the mutant spectrum. There were no differences in RAS selection between treatments with and without ribavirin. Regardless of the treatment received, each HCV subtype showed specific types of RAS. Of note, no RAS were detected in the target proteins of 18.6% of patients failing treatment, and 30.4% of patients had RAS in proteins that were not targets of the inhibitors they received. HCV patients failing DAA therapy showed a high diversity of RAS. Ribavirin use did not influence the type or number of RAS at failure. The subtype-specific pattern of RAS emergence underscores the importance of accurate HCV subtyping. The frequency of âextra-targetâ RAS suggests the need for RAS screening in all three DAA target regions
A Compact Dication Source for Ba Tagging and Heavy Metal Ion Sensor Development
We present a tunable metal ion beam that delivers controllable ion currents
in the picoamp range for testing of dry-phase ion sensors. Ion beams are formed
by sequential atomic evaporation and single or multiple electron impact
ionization, followed by acceleration into a sensing region. Controllability of
the ionic charge state is achieved through tuning of electrode potentials that
influence the retention time in the ionization region. Barium, lead, and cobalt
samples have been used to test the system, with ion currents identified and
quantified using a quadrupole mass analyzer. Realization of a clean
ion beam within a bench-top system represents an important
technical advance toward the development and characterization of barium tagging
systems for neutrinoless double beta decay searches in xenon gas. This system
also provides a testbed for investigation of novel ion sensing methodologies
for environmental assay applications, with dication beams of Pb and
Cd also demonstrated for this purpose
Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
Compatibility of vegetable fibers with Portland cement and its relationship with the physical properties
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