Search

This article presents the experience of the health policy dialogue on nursing held in Uruguay in 2021, based on the theory of change. Four working groups were held, with the participation of 725 people. The points discussed included: the shortage of registered nurses to implement programs and cover functions at all levels of health care; the poor visibility of the healthcare impact of the activities carried out; insufficient financial resources for undergraduate and postgraduate training; and poor integration of nurses in management teams and policy decision-making spaces in the country. Participants expressed the need to implement the national nursing development plan so that the country can: reduce the shortage of professionals; invest in job creation to meet the demand for professional care; improve staffing of services at all levels of care; improve working conditions; create new spaces for nurses by expanding their role through postgraduate training, while continuously improving the quality of training. Participants emphasized the need to increase intersectoral coordination in the areas of governance, regulation, and management, and to step up efforts to increase investment in health professionals in Uruguay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular diversity of microglia, the resident immune cells in the CNS, is reported. Whether microglial subsets characterized by the expression of specific proteins constitute subtypes with distinct functions has not been fully elucidated. Here we describe a microglial subtype expressing the enzyme arginase-1 (ARG1; that is, ARG1+microglia) that is found predominantly in the basal forebrain and ventral striatum during early postnatal mouse development. ARG1+microglia are enriched in phagocytic inclusions and exhibit a distinct molecular signature, including upregulation of genes such as Apoe, Clec7a, Igf1, Lgals3and Mgl2, compared to ARG1–microglia. Microglial-specific knockdown of Arg1results in deficient cholinergic innervation and impaired dendritic spine maturation in the hippocampus where cholinergic neurons project, which in turn results in impaired long-term potentiation and cognitive behavioral deficiencies in female mice. Our results expand on microglia diversity and provide insights into microglia subtype-specific functions.

Background and Objectives:Breastfeeding women are generally excluded from clinical trials with new vaccines. The objective of the study was to explore whether the BNT162b2 mRNA and mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccines are safe for breastfeeding mothers and their breastfed infants.Methods:A convenience sample prospective cohort single institution study was performed on breastfeeding health care professionals, who were exposed to second dose of SARS-CoV2 vaccine at the beginning of the study period. They and their breastfed children's symptoms were followed up through online questionnaires for 14 days.Results:Of the 95 finally included participants, only 1 was lost to follow-up on day 7. Mean age of the mothers was 35.9 ± 3.9 years and that of their infants was 14.6 ± 12.1 months. At least one adverse event was reported by 85% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 76–91.5%) of the mothers. The most frequent was injection site pain in 81% of cases. Moreover, 31% (95% CI: 22–41%) observed some event in their breastfed children. Most frequently, 19% (95% CI: 13–30%) of the children were irritable. During the 14 days of follow-up, 36% of the children (95% CI: 27–46%) were diagnosed with respiratory infection.Conclusions:Most mothers' reactions were mild and transitory, generally limited to the first 3 days after vaccination. Many children's events were associated with concomitant infectious processes and we did not detect a notable peak on any particular day of follow-up. Neither mothers nor their infants developed serious adverse events nor were they diagnosed with COVID-19 within the study period.

ABSTRACTOlea europaeaL. (Oleaceae), a traditional oil crop of Mediterranean basin, has been expanded considerably in the last decades to other regions of the world. “Arbequina” is one of the most widely planted cultivars due to its good agronomic and technological attributes, but interannual variability in thermal and rainfall regimes affects its regular fruit production in countries of the Southern Hemisphere, including Uruguay. To better understand the floral mechanisms that regulate fruit set in Southern Hemisphere climatic conditions, our work addresses the “Arbequina” flower functionality and pollen grains presentation along flower life span. In this andromonoecious species, the fruitful perfect flower morphs were evaluated by means of determining functional parameters such as stigmatic receptivity and pollen grain viability in each floral phenological stage, and pollen grain adhesion and pollen tube growth rate in hand pollination treatments. This flower morph did not show functional limitations under Uruguayan climatic conditions for the year in which the study was carried out, but a breeding system expressed by two different functional phases was detected. The first pistillate functional phase, where the stigma is receptive but no pollen release occurs, tends to avoid self-pollination and promotes crosspollination in the same flower. Then, a second perfectly functional phase follows, where the stigma remains receptive and the anthers release their pollen grains. In a self-incompatible olive cultivar such as “Arbequina”, this pollen grain presentation further stresses the importance of combining inter-compatible olive cultivars with synchronized flowering in orchard design, as a first step to ensure fruit set.

The indications for use of corticosteroids for persistent fever in cat scratch disease are controversial. We report the case of a 5-year-old boy diagnosed with systemic cat scratch disease, who presented with fever for 28 days and focal hepatosplenic lesions. He did not show improvement despite antibiotic treatment for 4 weeks, however, he became afebrile 24 hours after the administration of corticosteroids.

Spain is one of the European countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Serological surveys are a valuable tool to assess the extent of the epidemic, given the existence of asymptomatic cases and little access to diagnostic tests. This nationwide population-based study aims to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Spain at national and regional level.

Para la correcta interpretación de los marcadores serológicos de la enfermedad de Lyme es muy importante conocer la tasa de infección en el entorno. El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer la prevalencia de anticuerpos específicos frente a Borrelia burgdorferien una comarca rural del norte de España.

Additive manufacturing is a topic of high growth in recent years in both academic and industrial terms. Based on important advantages such as the possibility to manufacture complex geometries, the technology is being continuously developed and improved. So, additive manufacturing is rapidly overcoming some of its initial limitations and, thus, increasing its applications in a wide range of industrial sectors. In addition, additive manufacturing is of public interest due to the opportunities and applications that it offers, or it may provide. The article presents the basics of the technology, highlighting its main advantages and limitations. Moreover, it aims to collect the latest trends (e.g., 4D printing, bioprinting, hybrid processes and micromanufacturing), applications and developments that this technology currently has.

Viruses undergo mesoscopic morphological changes as they interact with host interfaces and in response to chemical cues. The dynamics of these changes, over the entire temporal range relevant to virus processes, are unclear. Here, we report on creep compliance experiments on a small icosahedral virus under uniaxial constant stress. We find that even at small stresses, well below the yielding point and generally thought to induce a Hookean response, strain continues to develop in time viasparse, randomly distributed, relatively rapid plastic events. The intermittent character of mechanical compliance only appears above a loading threshold, similar to situations encountered in granular flows and the plastic deformation of crystalline solids. The threshold load is much smaller for the empty capsids of the brome mosaic virus than for the wild-type virions. The difference highlights the involvement of RNA in stabilizing the assembly interface. Numerical simulations of spherical crystal deformation suggest intermittency is mediated by lattice defect dynamics and identify the type of compression-induced defect that nucleates the transition to plasticity.

The characteristics of D. fragilisinfection are described, with special focus on the clinical and epidemiological aspects.

The results of a study on the household contacts of patients with D. fragilisinfection are presented.

La borreliosis de Lyme (BL) es una entidad poco estudiada en pediatría, pero con ciertas peculiaridades. El objetivo de este estudio es conocer las características de los pacientes pediátricos con sospecha y/o confirmación de BL.

Predictive sliding mode controllers have been successfully implemented in the last 10 years, overcoming some of the disadvantages of traditional Sliding Mode Control and Generalized Predictive Control strategies. In particular, this paper presents the robust stability and feasibility analysis achieved on a constrained predictive sliding mode controller. This analysis is particularly necessary because the controller can tackle complex industrial processes approximated with first order plus dead time models. The controller shows improved performance and robustness by means of a reaching law to force a pseudosliding dynamic behaviour. Programmable rules based on modelled pole and delay were applied for a first robust tuning. They provide satisfactory results comparing the controller to others by the control simulation of a set of typical chemical plants and a field of distributed solar collectors. Finally, two real tests illustrate the correct tracking of set point steps when controlling the outlet water temperature of a heat exchanger with modelling errors.

Abstract: A study was made of the infectivity of Hypoderaeum conoideum miracidia to a range of laboratory-reared specimens of freshwater snail species (Lymnaeaperegra, L. corvus, Physellaacuta, and Gyrauluschinensis) that coexist with the parasite in the same natural habitat. L. peregra and L. corvus were found to be equally susceptible to the parasite when specimens of each snail species were singly exposed to miracidia. However, when miracidia could choose either lymnaeid species, they showed a high degree of specificity toward L. peregra. The results obtained suggest that H. conoideum miracidia are capable of distinguishing among these lymnaeids in their orientation to the host. This indicates that miracidia might achieve specificity before actually contacting the snail host and suggests that during the host-snail orientation process they respond to signals different from those generated upon snail contact and invasion. The specificity toward L. peregra observed in H. conoideum miracidia seems to indicate adaptation to the snail community in their natural habitat, resulting in enhancement of their transmission.

Nutrient transport across the mammalian small intestine is regulated by several factors, including intrinsic and extrinsic neural pathways, paracrine modulators, circulating hormones and luminal agents. Because β-adrenoceptors seem to regulate gastrointestinal functions such as bicarbonate and acid secretion, intestinal motility and gastrointestinal mucosal blood flow, we have investigated the effects of different β-adrenergic agonists on nutrient absorption by the rat jejunum in-vitro.When intestinal everted sacs were used the β2-agonist salbutamol had no effect either on galactose uptake by the tissue or mucosal-to-serosal flux whereas mixed β1- and β2-agonists (isoproterenol and orciprenaline) and β3-agonists (BRL 35135, Trecadrine, ICI 198157 and ZD 7114) inhibited galactose uptake and transfer of D-galactose from the mucosal-to-serosal media across the intestinal wall (although the inhibiting effects of isoproterenol and Trecadrine were not statistically significant). In intestinal everted rings both Trecadrine and BRL 35135 clearly reduced galactose uptake, the effect being a result of inhibition of the phlorizin-sensitive component. Total uptake of phenylalanine by the intestinal rings was also reduced by those β3-adrenergic agonists.These results suggest that β1and β3-adrenergic receptors could be involved in the regulation of intestinal active transport of sugars and amino acids.

ABSTRACTWhile designing synthetic adhesives that perform in aqueous environments has proven challenging, microorganisms commonly produce bioadhesives that efficiently attach to a variety of substrates, including wet surfaces. The aquatic bacterium Caulobacter crescentususes a discrete polysaccharide complex, the holdfast, to strongly attach to surfaces and resist flow. The holdfast is extremely versatile and has impressive adhesive strength. Here, we used atomic force microscopy in conjunction with superresolution microscopy and enzymatic assays to unravel the complex structure of the holdfast and to characterize its chemical constituents and their role in adhesion. Our data support a model whereby the holdfast is a heterogeneous material organized as two layers: a stiffer nanoscopic core layer wrapped into a sparse, far-reaching, flexible brush layer. Moreover, we found that the elastic response of the holdfast evolves after surface contact from initially heterogeneous to more homogeneous. From a composition point of view, besides N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (NAG), the only component that had been identified to date, our data show that the holdfast contains peptides and DNA. We hypothesize that, while polypeptides are the most important components for adhesive force, the presence of DNA mainly impacts the brush layer and the strength of initial adhesion, with NAG playing a primarily structural role within the core. The unanticipated complexity of both the structure and composition of the holdfast likely underlies its versatility as a wet adhesive and its distinctive strength. Continued improvements in understanding of the mechanochemistry of this bioadhesive could provide new insights into how bacteria attach to surfaces and could inform the development of new adhesives.IMPORTANCEThere is an urgent need for strong, biocompatible bioadhesives that perform underwater. To strongly adhere to surfaces and resist flow underwater, the bacterium Caulobacter crescentusproduces an adhesive called the holdfast, the mechanochemistry of which remains undefined. We show that the holdfast is a layered structure with a stiff core layer and a polymeric brush layer and consists of polysaccharides, polypeptides, and DNA. The DNA appears to play a role in the structure of the brush layer and initial adhesion, the peptides in adhesive strength, and the polysaccharides in the structure of the core. The complex, multilayer organization and diverse chemistry described here underlie the distinctive adhesive properties of the holdfast and will provide important insights into the mechanisms of bacterial adhesion and bioadhesive applications.