Visualization of plant viral suppressor silencing activity in intact leaf lamina by quantitative fluorescent imaging

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Transient expression of proteins in plants has become a favoured method over the production of stably transformed plants because, in addition to enabling high protein yields, it is both fast and easy to apply. An enhancement of transient protein expression can be achieved by plant virus-encoded RNA silencing suppressor proteins. Since viral suppressor proteins differ in their efficiency to enhance transient protein expression in plants, we developed a whole-leaf green fluorescent protein (GFP)-based imaging assay to quantitatively assess suppressor protein activity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In a transient GFP-expression assay using wild-type and GFP-transgenic <it>N. benthamiana</it>, addition of the plant viral suppressors Beet mild yellowing virus (BMYV-IPP) P0 or Plum pox virus (PPV) HC-Pro was shown to increase fluorescent protein expression 3-4-fold, 7 days post inoculation (dpi) when compared to control plants. In contrast, in agroinfiltrated patches without suppressor activity, near complete silencing of the GFP transgene was observed in the transgenic <it>N. benthamiana </it>at 21 dpi. Both co-infiltrated suppressors significantly enhanced GFP expression over time, with HC-Pro co-infiltrations leading to higher short term GFP fluorescence (at 7 dpi) and P0 giving higher long term GFP fluorescence (at 21 dpi). Additionally, in contrast to HC-Pro co-infiltrations, an area of complete GFP silencing was observed at the edge of P0 co-infiltrated areas.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Fluorescence imaging of whole intact leaves proved to be an easy and effective method for spatially and quantitatively observing viral suppressor efficiency in plants. This suppressor assay demonstrates that plant viral suppressors greatly enhanced transient GFP expression, with P0 showing a more prolonged suppressor activity over time than HC-Pro. Both suppressors could prove to be ideal candidates for enhancing target protein expression in plants.</p

COMPARING NERVE BLOCK PAIN PUMPS TO STANDARD OF CARE IN PATIENTS FOLLOWING CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY

INTRODUCTION: Post-operative pain management following cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) can be challenging. Although opioids are commonly prescribed, multimodal strategies are used to decrease opioid consumption. One strategy includes the use of local anesthetics via peripheral nerve block pain pumps (PNBPP). However, literature in CTS patients is limited and conflicting. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of PNBPP in patients following CTS. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study that included adult patients admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit following CTS. The intervention group included those who received PNBPP and they were compared to a group that received standard of care (SOC). The primary endpoint was the total oral morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) used in the four days following surgery. Secondary endpoints included adverse events, incidence of post-operative ileus, time to first bowel movement, pain scores, length of stay and cost of intervention. Statistical analysis was performed with Chi-square, Fisher\u27s exact, Mann-Whitney U and t-tests where appropriate (IBM SPSS Statistics Software version 28.0.1.1). A sample size of 126 was calculated to detect a 50% reduction in opioid consumption with an alpha of 0.05 and power of 80%. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar between groups with a median age of 60 and 63 in the PNBPP and SOC groups, respectively. The majority of patients were male and had a coronary artery bypass graft performed. Median oral MMEs was 375 (IQR: 268.5, 457.5) in the SOC group compared to 304.5 (IQR: 240, 416) in the PNBPP group (p-value 0.189). When comparing the SOC and PNBPP groups, incidence of post-operative ileus was 2 (3.2%) and 12 (19%) (p-value 0.005) with median time in hours to first bowel movement of 68.38 (IQR: 50.31, 85.50) and 66.11 (IQR: 50.28, 76.13) (p-value 0.336). There was no significant difference between groups in pain scores or length of stay. Median cost (USD) of PNBPP therapy was $125 in those that received an electronic pump and$3,138 in those that received an elastomeric pump. CONCLUSIONS: Addition of PNBPP post-CTS did not significantly reduce opioid consumption compared to SOC. Larger studies are needed to better define the role of PNBPP in post-operative pain management following CTS

Critical Care Delivery Solutions in the Emergency Department: Evolving Models in Caring for ICU Boarders

The National Academy of Medicine has identified emergency department (ED) crowding as a health care delivery problem. Because the ED is a portal of entry to the hospital, 25% of all ED encounters are related to critical illness. Crowding at both an ED and hospital level can thus lead to boarding of a number of critically ill patients in the ED. EDs are required to not only deliver immediate resuscitative and stabilizing care to critically ill patients on presentation but also provide longitudinal care while boarding for the ICU. Crowding and boarding are multifactorial and complex issues, for which different models for delivery of critical care in the ED have been described. Herein, we provide a narrative review of different models of delivery of critical care reported in the literature and highlight aspects for consideration for successful local implementation

Accelerated Critical Therapy Now in the Emergency Department Using an Early Intervention Team: The Impact of Early Critical Care Consultation for ICU Boarders

Evaluate the impact of an emergency department (ED)-based critical care consultation service, hypothesizing early consultation results in shorter hospital length of stay (LOS). DESIGN: Retrospective observational study from February 2018 to 2020. SETTING: An urban academic quaternary referral center. PATIENTS: Adult patients greater than or equal to 18 years admitted to the ICU from the ED. Exclusion criteria included age less than 18 years, do not resuscitate/do not intubate documented prior to arrival, advanced directives outlining limitations of care, and inability to calculate baseline modified Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (mSOFA) score. INTERVENTIONS: ED-based critical care consultation by an early intervention team (EIT) initiated by the primary emergency medicine physician compared with usual practice. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was hospital LOS, and secondary outcomes were hospital mortality, ICU LOS, ventilator-free days, and change in the mSOFA. MAIN RESULTS: A total 1,764 patients met inclusion criteria, of which 492 (27.9%) were evaluated by EIT. Final analysis, excluding those without baseline mSOFA score, limited to 1,699 patients, 476 in EIT consultation group, and 1,223 in usual care group. Baseline mSOFA scores (±sd) were higher in the EIT consultation group at 3.6 (±2.4) versus 2.6 (±2.0) in the usual care group. After propensity score matching, there was no difference in the primary outcome: EIT consultation group had a median (interquartile range [IQR]) LOS of 7.0 days (4.0-13.0 d) compared with the usual care group median (IQR) LOS of 7.0 days (4.0-13.0 d), CONCLUSIONS: An ED-based critical care consultation model did not impact hospital LOS. This model was used in the ED and the EIT cared for critically ill patients with higher severity of illness and longer ED boarding times

Efectos y perspectivas de la educación en pandemia y sobre la interacción social en las relaciones de enseñanza y aprendizaje. Caso de la Universidad UTE.

The research proposes an in-depth analysis of the pandemic effects on education and specifically on the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences at UTE University. We have investigated the impact of social distancing on learning outcomes, the process of methodological adaptation for the transition from face-to-face education to a virtual and hybrid one, the increase in the gender gap and the economic difficulties that it has entailed for students and their continuation of studies. Our methodology has been quantitative, with a non-experimental correlational/causal design through a Likert-type questionnaire for the Faculty professors and students, which has been complemented with qualitative questions. The main results and our conclusions maintain that social distancing has harmed the academic performance of students, that the applied methodological effort must continue and be deepened, that the gender gap has been incremented and that it would be necessary to improve scholarships for students.La investigación propuesta plantea un análisis profundo de las afectaciones de la pandemia en la educación y concretamente en la Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad UTE. Hemos indagado la afectación del distanciamiento social sobre los resultados de aprendizaje, el proceso de adaptación metodológica para el paso de una educación presencial a otra virtual e híbrida, el aumento de la brecha de género y las dificultades económicas que ha supuesto para los estudiantes y su continuidad de estudios. Nuestra metodología ha sido cuantitativa, con un diseño no experimental correlacional/causal a través de un cuestionario tipo Likert para el cuerpo docente y alumnado de la Facultad, que se complementó con preguntas cualitativas. Los resultados principales y nuestras conclusiones sostienen que el distanciamiento social perjudica el desempeño académico del alumnado, que el esfuerzo metodológico aplicado debe tener continuidad y ser profundizado, que la brecha de género ha aumentado y que sería pertinente mejorar y potenciar las becas e implementar ayudas económicas para los estudiantes

The Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer Book 2018

(Abridged) This is the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer 2018 book. It is intended as a concise reference guide to all aspects of the scientific and technical design of MSE, for the international astronomy and engineering communities, and related agencies. The current version is a status report of MSE's science goals and their practical implementation, following the System Conceptual Design Review, held in January 2018. MSE is a planned 10-m class, wide-field, optical and near-infrared facility, designed to enable transformative science, while filling a critical missing gap in the emerging international network of large-scale astronomical facilities. MSE is completely dedicated to multi-object spectroscopy of samples of between thousands and millions of astrophysical objects. It will lead the world in this arena, due to its unique design capabilities: it will boast a large (11.25 m) aperture and wide (1.52 sq. degree) field of view; it will have the capabilities to observe at a wide range of spectral resolutions, from R2500 to R40,000, with massive multiplexing (4332 spectra per exposure, with all spectral resolutions available at all times), and an on-target observing efficiency of more than 80%. MSE will unveil the composition and dynamics of the faint Universe and is designed to excel at precision studies of faint astrophysical phenomena. It will also provide critical follow-up for multi-wavelength imaging surveys, such as those of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, Gaia, Euclid, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, the Square Kilometre Array, and the Next Generation Very Large Array.Comment: 5 chapters, 160 pages, 107 figure

Early Goal-Directed Therapy in Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock: A Contemporary Review of the Literature

Purpose of review: Aggressive approaches to acute diseases such as acute myocardial infarction, trauma, and stroke have improved outcomes. Early goal-directed therapy for severe sepsis and septic shock represents a similar approach. An analysis of the literature assessing external validity and generalizability of this intervention is lacking. Recent findings: Eleven peer-reviewed publications (1569 patients) and 28 abstracts (4429 patients) after the original early goal-directed therapy study were identified from academic, community and international settings. These publications total 5998 patients (3042 before and 2956 after early goal-directed therapy). The mean age, sex, APACHE II scores and mortality were similar across all studies. The mean relative and absolute risk reduction was 0.46 ± 26% and 20.3 ± 12.7%, respectively. These findings are superior to the original early goal-directed therapy trial which showed figures of 34% and 16%, respectively. A consistent and similar decrease in healthcare resource consumption was also found. Summary: Early goal-directed therapy modulates systemic inflammation and results in significant reductions in morbidity, mortality, and healthcare resource consumption. Early goal-directed therapy has been externally validated and is generalizable across multiple healthcare settings. Because of these robust findings, further emphasis should be placed on overcoming logistical, institutional, and professional barriers to implementation which can save the life of one of every six patients presenting with severe sepsis and septic shock

Early Goal-Directed Therapy in Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock: A Contemporary Review of the Literature

Purpose of review: Aggressive approaches to acute diseases such as acute myocardial infarction, trauma, and stroke have improved outcomes. Early goal-directed therapy for severe sepsis and septic shock represents a similar approach. An analysis of the literature assessing external validity and generalizability of this intervention is lacking. Recent findings: Eleven peer-reviewed publications (1569 patients) and 28 abstracts (4429 patients) after the original early goal-directed therapy study were identified from academic, community and international settings. These publications total 5998 patients (3042 before and 2956 after early goal-directed therapy). The mean age, sex, APACHE II scores and mortality were similar across all studies. The mean relative and absolute risk reduction was 0.46 ± 26% and 20.3 ± 12.7%, respectively. These findings are superior to the original early goal-directed therapy trial which showed figures of 34% and 16%, respectively. A consistent and similar decrease in healthcare resource consumption was also found. Summary: Early goal-directed therapy modulates systemic inflammation and results in significant reductions in morbidity, mortality, and healthcare resource consumption. Early goal-directed therapy has been externally validated and is generalizable across multiple healthcare settings. Because of these robust findings, further emphasis should be placed on overcoming logistical, institutional, and professional barriers to implementation which can save the life of one of every six patients presenting with severe sepsis and septic shock

Management of Sepsis: Early Resuscitation

Key links in the chain of survival for the management of severe sepsis and septic shock are early identification and comprehensive resuscitation of high-risk patients. Multiple studies have shown that the first 6 hours of early sepsis management are especially important from a diagnostic, pathogenic, and therapeutic perspective, and that steps taken during this period can have a significant impact on outcome. The recognition of this critical time period and the robust outcome benefit realized in previous studies provides the rationale for adopting early resuscitation as a distinct intervention. Sepsis joins trauma, stroke, and acute myocardial infarction in having “golden hours,” representing a critical opportunity early on in the course of disease for actions that offer the most benefit

Procedimiento para la ejecución de acciones de formación profesional integral

Con el objeto de facilitar a instructores, estudiantes y coordinadores académicos la implementación y puesta en práctica del procedimiento para la ejecución de acciones de formación profesional integral en Centro Industrial y Nacional de Aviación del SENA regional Atlántico a través de su área de publicaciones ha elaborado la siguiente cartilla buscando con ello la asimilación de dicho procedimiento.naDocumento sin fecha. Se aproxima fecha a la década.40 página