Primary care professionals’ experiences during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece: a qualitative study

Background: The coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) tested health care systems worldwide. This qualitative study aimed to explore and understand the experiences, beliefs and concerns of Primary Care Professionals (PCPs) regarding the preparedness and response of primary care to the first wave of the pandemic in Greece, a country where a public structured primary care system has been developing. Methods: We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 33 PCPs (General Practitioners, community General Internal Medicine Specialists, community Paediatricians and nurses) recruited from all regions of Greece after the first wave of the pandemic (June 2020). Interviews were transcribed verbatim, data were anonymised and analysed. Thematic analysis was applied developing a conceptual framework. Results: Four main themes were identified: a) Primary care unit adaptation and issues faced during the pandemic; b) Management of suspected COVID-19 cases; c) Management of non-suspected cases; d) Consequences of the pandemic. In the first phase of the pandemic, remote management of suspected cases and their referral to the hospital were preferred as a result of a shortage of personal protective equipment and inaccessibility to coronavirus testing in primary care. Due to the discontinuation of regular medical services and the limited in-person contact between doctors and patients, chronic disease management and prevention programmes were left behind. Social and emotional consequences of the pandemic, such as workplace stigma, isolation and social seclusion, deriving from fear of viral transmission, as well as burnout symptoms and exhaustion were commonly experienced among PCPs. Positive consequences of the pandemic were considered to be the recognition of the importance of an empowered public healthcare system by citizens and the valuable insight, knowledge and experience professionals gained in times of crisis. Conclusions: Primary care has a key role to play during and after the pandemic by using its information infrastructure to identify at-risk groups, detect new cases of COVID-19, provide care according to needs, and carry out vaccination programmes. Central coordination and empowerment of primary care will increase its effectiveness, via public awareness, holistic patient management, and unburdening of hospitals

Generation of stable Drosophila cell lines using multicistronic vectors

Insect cell culture is becoming increasingly important for applications including recombinant protein production and cell-based screening with chemical or RNAi libraries. While stable mammalian cell lines expressing a protein of interest can be efficiently prepared using IRES-based vectors or viral-based approaches, options for stable insect cell lines are more limited. Here, we describe pAc5-STABLEs, new vectors for use in Drosophila cell culture to facilitate stable transformation. We show that viral-derived 2A-like (or "CHYSEL") peptides function in Drosophila cells and can mediate the multicistronic expression of two or three proteins of interest under control of the Actin5C constitutive promoter. The current vectors allow mCherry and/or GFP fusions to be generated for positive selection by G418 resistance in cells and should serve as a flexible platform for future applications

The Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) predicts toxicity and efficacy in platinum-based treated patients with metastatic lung cancer

Purpose: Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death. A cumulative prognostic score based on C-reactive protein and albumin, termed the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), indicates the presence of systemic inflammatory response. GPS has been proposed as a powerful prognostic tool for patients with various types of malignant tumors, including lung cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of baseline GPS in terms of toxicity and response in lung cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients and methods: Patients referred to our institution for consideration of first-line platinum-based treatment were eligible. Demographics and disease-related characteristics were recorded. Toxicity was graded according to NCI CTCAE version 3.0 throughout first-line therapy. GPS was calculated before the onset of treatment and was related to the development of toxicity. Response to first-line therapy and survival data were also collected. Results: Totally, 96 lung cancer patients were accrued. GPS was associated with increased mucositis p = 0.004), neurotoxicity (p = 0.038), neutropenia (p =0.02), dose reductions or/ and need for granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) support (p=0.005), toxicity-related termination of treatment (p=0.001) and chemotherapy-related toxic deaths (p=0.013). GPS was associated with overall survival (p=0.016) and progression-free survival (p=0.016) as well as response to treatment (p=0.05). Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that GPS assessment is predictive of the most important aspects of platinum-related toxicity and this may partly explain its associations with poor clinical outcome in patients with metastatic lung cancer. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Assessment of energy-efficient appliances: A review of the technologies and policies in India's residential sector

The promotion of energy efficiency has been at the forefront of the energy policy agenda. New technological inventions and increasing environmental concerns related to contemporary energy policy are the main drivers of the adoption of more energy‐efficient appliances in domestic sector. Additionally, the mandatory star labeling program and incentive design mechanisms are also raising awareness and motivation for their use, thus contributing to the reduction of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable energy policies generally pursue programs aiming for energy efficiency among domestic appliances. In India there are currently nine domestic electrical appliances/end‐uses certified with star labeling programs, in particular lighting sources, refrigerators, air conditioners, water heaters, televisions, computers, washing machines, ceiling fans, and water pumps. This study reviews main issues affecting selection of energy‐efficient technologies in India's domestic sector highlighting the main challenges impacting design of energy efficiency policies and programs in the country.FCT/Portugal, Grant/Award Number: SFRH/BD/52308/201