Nefer, Sinuhe and clinical research assessing post COVID-19 condition

COVID-19; Clinical researchCOVID-19; Recerca clínicaCOVID-19; Investigación clínicaClinical research studies reporting on post COVID-19 condition should follow some basic recommendations

Presence of banned chlorinated pollutants in sediments of the Northern Iberian Coast

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are industrial chemical compounds that were banned in the mid-1970s owing to concerns about their toxicity, persistence and potential to bioaccumulate in the environment. However, despite European and global action, releases continue through diffuse emissions to air and water and PCBs concentrations are still detected in environmental matrices. In the framework of the Regional Sea Conventions such as OSPAR or Barcelona Convention, it is proposed to monitor the concentrations of pollutants that include, at least, the following PCBs: CB 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153 and 180. A control of the described PCBs presence was performed in a set of more than 70 surficial marine sediment samples distributed in the Gulf of Biscay/Atlantic coastal area. The analysis includes an accelerated solvent extraction step (ASE) followed by detection in a gas chromatography coupled to ECD detector. The analysis was under QA/QC to guarantee the quality of the results. The results indicate a detectable presence of PCBs pointing out higher concentration in eastern stations. Background Assessment Concentration (BACs) and Environmental Assessment Criteria (EAC) are assessment criteria that in place for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediment and they were used to evaluate the concentrations found. Most of the sediments have concentrations close to or even smaller than the BACs but in some specific sediments the concentration of some of the PCBs exceeds the EAC indicating possible toxic effects

Anxiety, Distress and Stress among Patients with Diabetes during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The prevalence of mental health disorders has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, are a particularly vulnerable risk group. This study aims to assess the levels and prevalence of anxiety, distress, and stress in patients with diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic review was conducted in CINAHL, Cochrane, LILACS, Medline, SciELO, and Scopus in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Thirty-seven articles with a total of 13,932 diabetic patients were included. Five meta-analyses were performed. The prevalence of anxiety was 23% (95% CI = 19–28) in T1DM and 20% (95% CI = 6–40) in T2DM patients. For diabetes distress it was 41% (95% CI = 24–60) for T1DM and 36% in T2DM patients (95% CI = 2–84). For stress, the prevalence was 79% (95% CI = 49–98) in T1DM patients. People with diabetes have significant psychiatric comorbidity as well as psychological factors that negatively affect disease management, increasing their vulnerability in an emergency situation. To establish comprehensive care in diabetic patients addressing mental health is essential, as well as including specific policy interventions to reduce the potential psychological harm of the COVID-19 pandemic

The Blackspot seabream Spanish target fishery of the Strait of Gibraltar: updating the available information

This paper includes the available information of the Blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo) Spanish target fishery in the Strait of Gibraltar updating the documents presented in previous years with the information from 2019. So, data about landings, fishing effort, CPUEs and landings length frequencies are presented to its discussion within the 2020 WGDEEP

Study of antihypertensive drugs prescribed in old people

Introducción: El control de la hipertensión arterial enlentece o evita la aparición de lesiones en órganos diana. Hay pocos estudios que muestren si los tratamientos antihipertensivos cumplen las normas de las Guías, en los Centros de Salud. Pacientes y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal, sobre la prescripción de antihipertensivos en mayores de un Centro de Salud, con población de referencia de 25000 habitantes. Se seleccionaron al azar 220 historias, recogiendo los datos clínicos desde el 14 al 25 de noviembre de 2011. Se analizó si los antihipertensivos utilizados concordaban con las indicaciones de las Guías Terapéuticas. Resultados:Lo más utilizado es la combinación de diuréticos tiazídicos con IECAs, seguido de IECAs en monoterapia. Muchas de las asociaciones no tienen evidencias. Los registros en la historia son insuficientes. Discusión: En muchos casos no se puede conocer la idoneidad del fármaco por falta de registros en la historia clínica. Falta un cronograma de seguimiento protocolizado para el control del paciente hipertenso.Introduction: The control of hypertension slows or prevents the onset of target organ damage. There are few studies that show whether antihypertensive treatments meet the standards of the Guidelines.Objectives: The objective of this project is to estimate the validity of this initiative in the Centres where it has already started, and also to introduce this initiative to the students of the Master degree of Secondary School, through a training workshop. Materials and methods: We carried-out a descriptive, cross-sectional study on the prescription of anti-hypertensive drugs to aged people. This study was carried out in a Community Health Centre with a reference population of 25,000 inhabitants. Cases: 220 randomly selected stories, collecting clinical data from 14 to 25 November 2011. We analyzed whether antihypertensive drugs used were consistent with the indications of the Guidelines. Results: The most used is the combination of thiazide diuretics with ACE inhibitors, followed by ACE inhibitors alone. Many of the associations have no evidence. The history records are inadequate. Conclusions: In many cases we can not know the suitability of the drug due to lack of records in the medical record. Missing protocolized follow-up schedule for the control of hypertensive patients

The Blackspot seabream Spanish target fishery of the Strait of Gibraltar: updating the available information

This paper includes the available information of the Blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo) Spanish “voracera” target fishery of the Strait of Gibraltar. The documents presented in previous years were updated with the 2020 information: data about landings, fishing effort, CPUEs and landings length frequencies are presented to its discussion within the 2021 WGDEEP

Compressive strength and microstructure of alkali-activated mortars with high ceramic waste content

[EN] The present work investigated alkali-activated mortars with high ceramic waste contents. Tile ceramic waste (TCW) was used as both a recycled aggregate (TCWA) and a precursor (TCWP) to obtain a binding matrix by the alkali-activation process. Mortars with natural siliceous (quartz) and calcareous (limestone) aggregates, and with other ceramic waste materials (red clay brick RCB and ceramic sanitaryware CSW waste), were also prepared for comparison purposes. Given the lower density and higher water absorption values of the ceramic aggregates, compared to the natural ones, it was necessary to adapt the preparation process of the recycled mortars by presaturating the aggregate with water before mixing with the TCWP alkali-activated paste. Aggregate type considerably determined the mechanical behaviour of the samples cured at 65 °C for 3 days. The mortars prepared with the siliceous aggregate presented poor mechanical properties, even when cured at 65 °C. The behaviour of the limestone aggregate mortars depended heavily on the applied curing temperature and, although they presented the best mechanical properties of all those cured at room temperature, their compressive strength reached a maximum when cured at 65 °C, and then decreased. The mechanical properties of the mortars prepared with TCWA progressively increased with curing time (53 MPa at 65 °C for 28 days). An optimum 50 wt% proportion was observed for the limestone/TCWA mortars (¿43 MPa, 3 days at 65 °C), whereas the mechanical properties of that prepared with siliceous particles (10 MPa) progressively increased with the TCWA content, up to 100 wt% substitution (23 MPa). Limestone particles interacted with the binding matrix, and played an interesting beneficial role at the 20 °C curing temperature, with a slight reduction when cured long term (28 days) at 65 °C. The results demonstrated a potential added value for these ceramic waste materials.The authors would like to thank the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for supporting this study through Projects GEOCEDEM BIA 2011-26947 and BIA2015 70107-R, respectively. They also thank FEDER funding.Reig, L.; Sanz, M.; Borrachero Rosado, MV.; Monzó Balbuena, JM.; Soriano Martínez, L.; Paya Bernabeu, JJ. (2017). Compressive strength and microstructure of alkali-activated mortars with high ceramic waste content. Ceramics International. 43(16):16322-16334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2017.07.072S1632216334431

Efficacy of three drugs for protecting against gentamicin-induced hair cell and hearing losses

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEExposure to an ototoxic level of an aminoglycoside can result in hearing loss. In this we study investigated the otoprotective efficacy of dexamethasone (DXM), melatonin (MLT) and tacrolimus (TCR) in gentamicin (GM)-treated animals and cultures.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHWistar rats were divided into controls (treated with saline); exposed to GM only (GM); and three GM-exposed groups treated with either DXM, MLT or TCR. Auditory function and cochlear surface preparations were studied. In vitro studies of oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA levels, the MAPK pathway and caspase-3 activation were performed in organ of Corti explants from 3-day-old rats.KEY RESULTSDXM, MLT and TCR decreased levels of reactive oxygen species in GM-exposed explants. The mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and TNF-receptor type 1 were significantly reduced in GM + DXM and GM + MLT groups. Phospho-p38 MAPK levels decreased in GM + MLT and GM + TCR groups, while JNK phosphorylation was reduced in GM + DXM and GM + MLT groups. Caspase-3 activation decreased in GM + DXM, GM + MLT and GM + TCR groups. These results were consistent with in vivo results. Local treatment of GM-exposed rat cochleae with either DXM, MLT or TCR preserved auditory function and prevented auditory hair cell loss.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONSIn organ of Corti explants, GM increased oxidative stress and initiated an inflammatory response that led to the activation of MAPKs and apoptosis of hair cells. The three compounds tested demonstrated otoprotective properties that could be beneficial in the treatment of ototoxicity-induced hearing loss

Influence of the reducing-end anomeric configuration of the Man9 epitope on DC-SIGN recognition

High-mannose (Man9GlcNAc2) is the main carbohydrate unit present in viral envelope glycoproteins such as gp120 of HIV and the GP1 of Ebola virus. This oligosaccharide comprises the Man9 epitope conjugated to two terminal N-acetylglucosamines by otherwise rarely-encountered β-mannose glycosidic bond. Formation of this challenging linkage is the bottleneck of the few synthetic approaches described to prepare high mannose. Herein, we report the synthesis of the Man9 epitope with both alpha and beta configurations at the reducing end, and subsequent evaluation of the impact of this configuration on binding to natural receptor of high-mannose, DC-SIGN. Using fluorescence polarization assays, we demonstrate that both anomers bind to DC-SIGN with comparable affinity. These relevant results therefore indicate that the more synthetically-accesible Man9 alpha epitope may be deployed as ligand for DC-SIGN in both in vitro and in vivo biological assays.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CTQ2017- 86265-P, PGC2018-099497-B-100, IJCI-2015-2327

Endogenous Antioxidant Cocktail Loaded Hydrogel for Topical Wound Healing of Burns

The main goal of this work is the study of the skin wound healing efficacy of an antioxidant cocktail consisting of vitamins A, D, E and the endogenous pineal hormone melatonin (MLT), with all of these loaded into a thermosensitive hydrogel delivery system. The resulting formulation was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The antioxidant efficacy and microbiological activity against Gram positive and Gram negative strains were also assayed. The skin healing efficacy was tested using an in vivo model which included histological evaluation. Furthermore, atomic force microscopy was employed to evaluate the wound healing efficacy of rat skin burns through the determination of its elasticity at the nanoscale using force spectroscopy analysis. The resulting hydrogel exhibited sol state at low temperature and turned into a gel at 30 0.2 C. The hydrogel containing the antioxidant cocktail showed higher scavenging activity than the hydrogel containing vitamins or MLT, separately. The formulation showed optimal antimicrobial activity. It was comparable to a commercial reference. It was also evidenced that the hydrogel containing the antioxidant cocktail exhibited the strongest healing process in the skin burns of rats, similar to the assayed commercial reference containing silver sulfadiazine. Histological studies confirmed the observed results. Finally, atomic force microscopy demonstrated a similar distribution of Young’s modulus values between burned skin treated with the commercial reference and burned skin treated with hydrogel containing the antioxidant cocktail, and all these with healthy skin. The use of an antioxidant cocktail of vitamins and MLT might be a promising treatment for skin wounds for future clinical studies