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Pre-implantation embryos release extracellular vesicles containing different molecules, including DNA. The presence of embryonic DNA in E-EVs released into the culture medium during in vitro embryo production could be useful for genetic diagnosis. However, the vesicles containing DNA might be derived from embryos suffering from apoptosis, i.e., embryos of bad quality. This work intended to confirm that embryos release DNA that is useful for genotyping by evaluating the effect of embryonic apoptosis on DNA content in E-EVs. Bovine embryos were produced by parthenogenesis and in vitro fertilization (IVF). On Day 5, morulae were transferred to individual cultures in an EV-depleted SOF medium. On Day 7, embryos were used to evaluate cellular apoptosis, and each culture medium was collected to evaluate E-EV concentration, characterization, and DNA quantification. While no effect of the origin of the embryo on the apoptotic rate was found, arrested morulae had a higher apoptotic rate. E-EVs containing DNA were identified in all samples, and the concentration of those vesicles was not affected by the origin or quality of the embryos. However, the concentration of DNA was higher in EVs released by the arrested parthenogenetic embryos. There was a correlation between the concentration of E-EVs, the concentration of DNA-positive E-EVs, and the concentration of DNA. There was no negative effect of apoptotic rate on DNA-positive E-EVs and DNA concentration; however, embryos of the best quality with a low apoptotic rate still released EVs containing DNA. This study confirms that the presence of DNA in E-EVs is independent of embryo quality. Therefore, E-EVs could be used in liquid biopsy for noninvasive genetic diagnosis.

La osteomielitis crónica recurrente multifocal es un trastorno inflamatorio estéril en las extremidades. Afecta principalmente a niños simulando una osteomielitis infecciosa. Puede estar asociada a trastornos inflamatorios cutáneos y del tracto intestinal. Los niveles de reactantes de fase aguda están normales o levemente altos. Las radiografías muestran lesiones osteolíticas rodeadas por esclerosis, pero pueden ser normales al inicio de la enfermedad. Identificar las características propias de la enfermedad y descartar una etiología infecciosa permiten establecer un diagnóstico oportuno y ofrecer el manejo adecuado. Se presentan tres casos de esta patología. Un hombre de 24 años con síntomas inflamatorios persistentes y recidivantes en el tobillo derecho, de 8 años de evolución. Una niña de 11 años que acude reiterativamente por dolor en hemitórax, clavícula derecha y tobillo izquierdo, y una niña de 12 años con múltiples episodios breves de síntomas inflamatorios en ambos tobillos. Los tres casos, sin leucocitosis, reactantes de fase aguda levemente aumentados o negativos, con criterios mayores y menores de Jasson para diagnóstico de esta patología. Los cuadros mejoraron con antinflamatorios no esteroides. Es importante conocer esta rara entidad como posibilidad diagnóstica, pues un diagnóstico oportuno evita el uso innecesario de antibióticos y la resolución del cuadro se logra con antinflamatorios no esteroides, sin necesidad de procedimientos quirúrgicos que aumentan las comorbilidades.

Este artigo deriva de estudo e teve como objetivo propor um modelo de avaliação do desempenho acadêmico dos estudantes que transitam da Educação Básica para a Educação Superior a partir da abordagem teórica das transições. Mais especificamente, buscou-se conhecer fatores associados ao êxito na transição Ensino Médio–Educação Superior. Neste sentido, apresentam-se perspectivas de análise acerca do desempenho acadêmico, bem como diversas de suas definições ou conceitos. Os procedimentos metodológicos da pesquisa, por sua vez, são do tipo ex post fato e compreendem uma aplicação descritiva com enfoque preditivo e de desenvolvimento longitudinal. O modelo de avaliação proposto foi validado nos cursos de licenciatura em Letras, História, Matemática e Biologia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Constatou-se, a partir de análise descritiva e de regressão, que os antecedentes dos alunos de Matemática e Biologia apresentam diferenças significativas com relação ao dos alunos de Letras e História; e que a formação recebida na educação básica, principalmente no Ensino Médio, é fator fundamental no desempenho acadêmico durante os dois primeiros semestres de estudos universitários.

Soccer referees, same as players, face intense physical exertion, exposing them to a high risk of injury. However, to date, no review has been conducted that synthesizes the injury incidence rate per 1000 h of exposure. Therefore, the purpose of this mini-review was to systematically examine the literature on the incidence of injury per 1000 h of exposure related to refereeing and training in soccer referees. A search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science and ScienceDirect, resulting in the identification of 299 articles, of which 5 met the established inclusion criteria. The quality of the selected studies was assessed using the checklists provided by SIGN. In total, a group of 625 soccer referees was analyzed. The injury incidence rate during refereeing was found to be 14.43 injuries per 1000 h of exposure, while for training it was 8.59 injuries per 1000 h of exposure.

Abstract The simulation of magnetic bearings involves highly non-linear physics, with high dependency on the input variation. Moreover, such a simulation is time consuming and can’t run, within realistic computation time for control purposes, when using classical computation methods. On the other hand, classical model reduction techniques fail to achieve the required precision within the allowed computation window. To address this complexity, this work proposes a combination of physics-based computing methods, model reduction techniques and machine learning algorithms, to tackle the requirements. The physical model used to represent the magnetic bearing is the classical Cauer Ladder Network method, while the model reduction technique is applied on the error of the physical model’s solution. Later on, in the latent space a machine learning algorithm is used to predict the evolution of the correction in the latent space. The results show an improvement of the solution without scarifying the computation time. The solution is computed in almost real-time (few milliseconds), and compared to the finite element reference solution.

La transición energética requiere minerales que cada vez son más difíciles de obtener en superficie, por lo que, el fondo del océano y en virtud de sus reservas de minerales, podría satisfacer la demanda proyectada y contribuir a alcanzar los objetivos de desarrollo sustentable. Sin embargo, existen discursos contradictorios respecto al rol de la sustentabilidad en la minería en aguas profundas. Por un lado, se plantea que tendría menor impacto que la minería en superficie. Por otro lado, se argumenta sobre los impactos negativos en el océano y afectaciones en el bienestar humano y medios de vida de las comunidades locales. Así, el objetivo es problematizar en torno a la relación entre sustentabilidad y minería en aguas profundas, a partir de la aproximación de la frontera de recursos y en particular, cómo se producen estos espacios, las narrativas predominantes, y cuáles son las dinámicas que subyacen en este proceso. Utilizando herramientas del análisis bibliométrico y análisis de contenido cualitativo, se pudo dar cuenta de narrativas dominantes sobre economía circular, biodiversidad, gobernanza, y economía azul en la literatura. Dinámicas que subyacen a la creación de la frontera de recursos son la búsqueda de nuevas fuentes de minerales, la necesidad de controlar los recursos, y posicionar al océano como una zona de desarrollo ilimitado, las que, configuran a la minería en aguas profundas como frontera emergente para la sustentabilidad.

Resumen Introducción y objetivo. La cirugía de alargamiento y engrosamiento de pene supone un reto técnico para el cirujano, puesto que las técnicas clásicas han demostrado resultados insuficientes para los pacientes. Nuestro objetivo es presentar nuestra experiencia con una técnica reproducible que permite evitar el empleo de extensores y las complicaciones de la infiltración de grasa. Material y método. Analizamos de forma retrospectiva 750 casos de alargamiento y engrosamiento de pene primarios realizados con la técnica NEF (No Extenders No Fat) - No Extensores No Grasa), analizando la técnica quirúrgica, sus resultados y complicaciones. Esta técnica se basa en la creación de un colgajo de avance cutáneo junto con un colgajo de fascia de Scarpa y un nanofat infiltrado en las fascias profundas del pene. Resultados. La ganancia media en longitud en el grupo de pacientes estudiados fue de 4.8cm en reposo, con un espectro de 2 hasta 8.1cm. En el engrosamiento, se alcanzó un incremento medio de 1.17 cm (mínimo de 0.5 y máximo de 1.8 cm). Conclusiones. La tasa de satisfacción de pacientes, de complicaciones y retoques en nuestro grupo de estudio nos hablan de una cirugía que mejora las técnicas previas, más invasivas y con mayor tasa de complicaciones. El apoyo psicológico y la ayuda profesional preoperatoria es imperativa, y se debe ofrecer especialmente en casos de dismorfofobia. El trabajo pre y postoperatorio es esencial en estos pacientes. Conseguir pacientes con expectativas reales es la primera barrera que debemos franquear. Solo cuando el paciente haya entendido la cirugía y sus resultados, debemos avanzar hacia ella.

Abstract The sound of a person’s voice is commonly used to identify the speaker. The sound of speech is also starting to be used to detect medical conditions, such as depression. It is not known whether the manifestations of depression in speech overlap with those used to identify the speaker. In this paper, we test the hypothesis that the representations of personal identity in speech, known as speaker embeddings, improve the detection of depression and estimation of depressive symptoms severity. We further examine whether changes in depression severity interfere with the recognition of speaker’s identity. We extract speaker embeddings from models pre-trained on a large sample of speakers from the general population without information on depression diagnosis. We test these speaker embeddings for severity estimation in independent datasets consisting of clinical interviews (DAIC-WOZ), spontaneous speech (VocalMind), and longitudinal data (VocalMind). We also use the severity estimates to predict presence of depression. Speaker embeddings, combined with established acoustic features (OpenSMILE), predicted severity with root mean square error (RMSE) values of 6.01 and 6.28 in DAIC-WOZ and VocalMind datasets, respectively, lower than acoustic features alone or speaker embeddings alone. When used to detect depression, speaker embeddings showed higher balanced accuracy (BAc) and surpassed previous state-of-the-art performance in depression detection from speech, with BAc values of 66% and 64% in DAIC-WOZ and VocalMind datasets, respectively. Results from a subset of participants with repeated speech samples show that the speaker identification is affected by changes in depression severity. These results suggest that depression overlaps with personal identity in the acoustic space. While speaker embeddings improve depression detection and severity estimation, deterioration or improvement in mood may interfere with speaker verification.

Abstract Several factors are associated with the severity of the respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus. Although viral factors are one of the most studied, in recent years the role of the microbiota and co-infections in severe and fatal outcomes has been recognized. However, most of the work has focused on the microbiota of the upper respiratory tract (URT), hindering potential insights from the lower respiratory tract (LRT) that may help to understand the role of the microbiota in Influenza disease. In this work, we characterized the microbiota of the LRT of patients with Influenza A using 16S rRNA sequencing. We tested if patients with different outcomes (deceased/recovered) and use of antibiotics differ in their microbial community composition. We found important differences in the diversity and composition of the microbiota between deceased and recovered patients. In particular, we detected a high abundance of opportunistic pathogens such as Granulicatella, in patients either deceased or with antibiotic treatment. Also, we found antibiotic treatment correlated with lower diversity of microbial communities and with lower probability of survival in Influenza A patients. Altogether, the loss of microbial diversity could generate a disequilibrium in the community, potentially compromising the immune response increasing viral infectivity, promoting the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria that, together with altered biochemical parameters, can be leading to severe forms of the disease. Overall, the present study gives one of the first characterizations of the diversity and composition of microbial communities in the LRT of Influenza patients and its relationship with clinical variables and disease severity.

The tobacco epidemic has been one of the biggest public health threats, and smoking is one of the world’s largest preventable causes of premature death. An estimated 15.4% of all deaths in the world are attributable to tobacco smoking. The present review aims to describe addiction to tobacco smoking and vaping. Tobacco and vaping devices contain nicotine, a highly addictive drug, which explains why smoking is so prevalent and persistent. Electronic cigarettes are a group of novel nicotine or tobacco products that have rapidly gained popularity in recent years. Electronic cigarette devices allow for the use of other drugs, including THC, while the lax regulation may allow for the introduction of toxic compounds that can lead to acute or subacute toxicity, such as the e-cigarette- or vaping-associated lung injury that has been linked to vitamin E acetate. In addition, regular vapers and heated tobacco devices emit toxins, although at lower concentrations than burned tobacco. However, more and more side effects have been identified. No new effective treatment for nicotine addiction has been developed recently, despite its huge adverse impact on overall health and other outcomes. As for the primary line of medications, the last one started in 2006, the varenicline, demonstrating a low interest in developing new medications against smoking, an unacceptable state of affairs, given the huge impact of smoking on morbidity and mortality.

BackgroundNeglected indigenous groups and underserved rural populations in Latin America are highly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to poor health infrastructure and limited access to SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. The Andean region in Ecuador includes a large number of isolated rural mestizo and indigenous communities living under poverty conditions.ObjectiveWe herein present a retrospective analysis of the surveillance SARS-CoV-2 testing in community-dwelling populations from four provinces in the Ecuadorian Andes, carried out during the first weeks after the national lockdown was lifted in June 2020.ResultsA total number of 1,021 people were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR, resulting in an overall high infection rate of 26.2% (268/1,021, 95% CI: 23.6–29%), which was over 50% in several communities. Interestingly, community-dwelling super spreaders with viral loads over 108 copies/mL represented 7.46% (20/268, 95% CI: 4.8–11.1%) of the SARS-CoV-2 infected population.ConclusionThese results support that COVID-19 community transmission in rural communities from the Andean region was happening at the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador and point out the weakness of the COVID-19 control program. Community-dwelling individuals in neglected rural and indigenous communities should be considered for a successful control and surveillance program in future pandemics in low- and middle-income countries.

Abstract The COVID-19 outbreak has caused over three million deaths worldwide. Understanding the pathology of the disease and the factors that drive severe and fatal clinical outcomes is of special relevance. Studying the role of the respiratory microbiota in COVID-19 is especially important as the respiratory microbiota is known to interact with the host immune system, contributing to clinical outcomes in chronic and acute respiratory diseases. Here, we characterized the microbiota in the respiratory tract of patients with mild, severe, or fatal COVID-19, and compared it to healthy controls and patients with non-COVID-19-pneumonia. We comparatively studied the microbial composition, diversity, and microbiota structure between the study groups and correlated the results with clinical data. We found differences in the microbial composition for COVID-19 patients, healthy controls, and non-COVID-19 pneumonia controls. In particular, we detected a high number of potentially opportunistic pathogens associated with severe and fatal levels of the disease. Also, we found higher levels of dysbiosis in the respiratory microbiota of patients with COVID-19 compared to the healthy controls. In addition, we detected differences in diversity structure between the microbiota of patients with mild, severe, and fatal COVID-19, as well as the presence of specific bacteria that correlated with clinical variables associated with increased risk of mortality. In summary, our results demonstrate that increased dysbiosis of the respiratory tract microbiota in patients with COVID-19 along with a continuous loss of microbial complexity structure found in mild to fatal COVID-19 cases may potentially alter clinical outcomes in patients. Taken together, our findings identify the respiratory microbiota as a factor potentially associated with the severity of COVID-19.

That the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in terms of its scale, spread and shocks can be evinced by the myriad of ever-changing responses cities all around the world have rolled out throughout the different waves of outbreaks. Although the threat is similar across the world, it took some time before its reach became global and the waves of outbreak are experienced by cities at different times. While this staggered spread imply that some cities might manage the virus better as they learn from the experiences of cities which had been amongst the earliest to face the virus, the reality is more complicated. In the early stages of the pandemic, the global consensus on the best way to contain the virus swiftly converged in the interlinked strategies of restricting the movement of people and minimizing their social contact. However, the effectiveness of these strategies differ greatly between cities. To that end, this study focuses on COVID-19 responses in two regions (Latin America and Southeast Asia) and examines the evolution of the first wave of COVID-19 outbreaks during 2020 in Singapore, Jakarta (Indonesia), Bogotá (Colombia) and Santiago (Chile). The study is based on a comparative approach and uses a variety of data sources, namely morphology, density, housing concentration, mobility, and governance in the four analyzed cities. The goal is to shed light on the response of city governments in these two different regions in terms of mobility restrictions in order to reduce the cases of new infections. The results show the relevance of urban policies and their territorial approaches, particularly in terms of mobility and public transport networks in the four cities.

BackgroundNeglected ethnic minorities from underserved rural populations in Latin America are highly vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to poor health infrastructure and limited access to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnosis. Esmeraldas is a mainly rural province of the Coastal Region of Ecuador characterized by a high presence of Afro-Ecuadorian population living under poverty conditions.ObjectiveWe herein present a retrospective analysis of the surveillance SARS-CoV-2 testing in community-dwelling population from Esmeraldas carried out by our university laboratory in collaboration with regional health authorities during the first week of October 2020, in a region where no public SARS-CoV-2 detection laboratory was available at that time.ResultsA total number of 1,259 people were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by Reverse Transcription quantitative Polimerasa Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR), resulting in an overall infection rate of 7.7% (97/1259, 95% CI: [6.32–9.35%]) for SARS-CoV-2, up to 12.1% in some communities. Interestingly, community-dwelling super spreaders with viral loads over 108 copies/ml represented 6.2% of the SARS-CoV-2-infected population. Furthermore, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG serological tests were applied to the same study group, yielding an overall seroprevalence of 11.68% (95% CI: [9.98–13.62%]) but as high as 24.47% at some communities.ConclusionThese results support active COVID-19 community transmission in Esmeraldas province during the first semester of the COVID-19 pandemic as it has been shown for other rural communities in the Ecuadorian Coastal Region.

The authors report a novel concept for photonics-assisted and broadband optical-wireless indoor networks based on optically-controlled reconfigurable antenna arrays (OCRAAs) and photonic down conversion (PDC) techniques, operating in the 28 and 38 GHz frequency bands. The antenna bandwidth is optically reconfigured by using photoconductive switches. In this way, the optical backhaul can either be used for high data rate transmission and remotely controlling the antenna operation. Experimental results on 40 Mbaud with complex modulation formats up to 64-QAM wireless transmission supported by PDC are successfully reported under 78 dB link budget requirement. Two OCRAAs have been simultaneously tested in an indoor environment at 1.25 Gb/s wireless data signal transmission. The proposed antenna design significantly increases the degrees of freedom, opening new possibilities in the development of antennas for access networks in the mm-wave frequency range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green hydrogen is gaining increasing attention as a key component of the global energy transition towards a more sustainable industry. Chile, with its vast renewable energy potential, is well positioned to become a major producer and exporter of green hydrogen. In this context, this paper explores the prospects for green hydrogen production and use in Chile. The perspectives presented in this study are primarily based on a compilation of government reports and data from the scientific literature, which primarily offer a theoretical perspective on the efficiency and cost of hydrogen production. To address the need for experimental data, an ongoing experimental project was initiated in March 2023. This project aims to assess the efficiency of hydrogen production and consumption in the Atacama Desert through the deployment of a mobile on-site laboratory for hydrogen generation. The facility is mainly composed by solar panels, electrolyzers, fuel cells, and a battery bank, and it moves through the Atacama Desert in Chile at different altitudes, from the sea level, to measure the efficiency of hydrogen generation through the energy approach. The challenges and opportunities in Chile for developing a robust green hydrogen economy are also analyzed. According to the results, Chile has remarkable renewable energy resources, particularly in solar and wind power, that could be harnessed to produce green hydrogen. Chile has also established a supportive policy framework that promotes the development of renewable energy and the adoption of green hydrogen technologies. However, there are challenges that need to be addressed, such as the high capital costs of green hydrogen production and the need for supportive infrastructure. Despite these challenges, we argue that Chile has the potential to become a leading producer and exporter of green hydrogen or derivatives such as ammonia or methanol. The country’s strategic location, political stability, and strong commitment to renewable energy provide a favorable environment for the development of a green hydrogen industry. The growing demand for clean energy and the increasing interest in decarbonization present significant opportunities for Chile to capitalize on its renewable energy resources and become a major player in the global green hydrogen market.

Abstract Introduction The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) pandemic revealed a worldwide lack of effective molecular surveillance networks at local, state, and national levels, which are essential to identify, monitor, and limit viral community spread. SARS‐CoV‐2 variants of concern (VOCs) such as Alpha and Omicron, which show increased transmissibility and immune evasion, rapidly became dominant VOCs worldwide. Our objective was to develop an evidenced‐based genomic surveillance algorithm, combining reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and sequencing technologies to quickly identify highly contagious VOCs, before cases accumulate exponentially. Methods Deidentified data were obtained from 508,969 patients tested for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) with the TaqPath COVID‐19 RT‐PCR Combo Kit (ThermoFisher) in four CLIA‐certified clinical laboratories in Puerto Rico (n = 86,639) and in three CLIA‐certified clinical laboratories in the United States (n = 422,330). Results TaqPath data revealed a frequency of S Gene Target Failure (SGTF) > 47% for the last week of March 2021 in both, Puerto Rico and US laboratories. The monthly frequency of SGTF in Puerto Rico steadily increased exponentially from 4% in November 2020 to 47% in March 2021. The weekly SGTF rate in US samples was high (>8%) from late December to early January and then also increased exponentially through April (48%). The exponential increase in SGFT prevalence in Puerto Rico was concurrent with a sharp increase in VOCs among all SARS‐CoV‐2 sequences from Puerto Rico uploaded to Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISAID) (n = 461). Alpha variant frequency increased from

Abstract Substantial COVID-19 research investment has been allocated to randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine, which currently face recruitment challenges or early discontinuation. We aim to estimate the effects of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine on survival in COVID-19 from all currently available RCT evidence, published and unpublished. We present a rapid meta-analysis of ongoing, completed, or discontinued RCTs on hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine treatment for any COVID-19 patients (protocol: https://osf.io/QESV4/ ). We systematically identified unpublished RCTs (ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, Cochrane COVID-registry up to June 11, 2020), and published RCTs (PubMed, medRxiv and bioRxiv up to October 16, 2020). All-cause mortality has been extracted (publications/preprints) or requested from investigators and combined in random-effects meta-analyses, calculating odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), separately for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. Prespecified subgroup analyses include patient setting, diagnostic confirmation, control type, and publication status. Sixty-three trials were potentially eligible. We included 14 unpublished trials (1308 patients) and 14 publications/preprints (9011 patients). Results for hydroxychloroquine are dominated by RECOVERY and WHO SOLIDARITY, two highly pragmatic trials, which employed relatively high doses and included 4716 and 1853 patients, respectively (67% of the total sample size). The combined OR on all-cause mortality for hydroxychloroquine is 1.11 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.20; I² = 0%; 26 trials; 10,012 patients) and for chloroquine 1.77 (95%CI: 0.15, 21.13, I² = 0%; 4 trials; 307 patients). We identified no subgroup effects. We found that treatment with hydroxychloroquine is associated with increased mortality in COVID-19 patients, and there is no benefit of chloroquine. Findings have unclear generalizability to outpatients, children, pregnant women, and people with comorbidities.

Objective. To describe the possible risks associated to smoking in the spread and complications of Covid-19, em­phasizing in the benefits of quitting smoking. Materials and methods. The narrative review methodology and the established process for Cochrane rapid reviews were used. Results. The scientific evidence related to smoking and Covid-19 remains limited. However, there is an already documented trend in cross-sectional, clinical studies and meta-analyses on the increased risk of adverse outcomes with Covid-19 associated with tobacco use. Conclusions. It is necessary to issue a warning that persons who smoke would have greater risks in the Covid-19 pandemic, which add to the many already known risks of tobacco use. Thus, quitting smoking becomes a relevant preventive measure to better confront SARS-CoV-2.

Introducción: La adolescencia marca la separación entre la infancia y la vida adulta, con el inicio de la vida sexual reproductiva conlleva a que 1 de cada 5 adolescentes quede embarazada. El 64% de estos embarazos no sean planeados, generando altos costos en las instituciones de salud.Objetivo: Determinar mediante análisis de proporciones los costos de la atención en embarazadas adolescentes en un hospital del Departamento del Atlántico en los periodos 2013 y 2017. Materiales y métodos: Estudio descriptivo transversal, mediante análisis de proporciones se estimaron costos de parto vaginal cesárea y atención en uci en periodos 2013 y 2017. Resultados:se encontró quelos costos de pacientes atendidas en los años 2013 y 2017,la proporción 2013 es menor (chi –cuadrado: 2,287; P > 0,05). Los costos depacientes atendidas por parto vaginal en los años 2013 y 2017, la proporcióndel 2013 es menor (chi –cuadrado: 17,340; P < 0,05). Los costos depacientes atendidas por Cesárea en los años 2013 y 2017, la proporción del2013 es menor (chi –cuadrado: 5,771; P < 0,05). Los costosde pacientes atendidas por Cesárea y las pacientes remitidas a UCI para el año 2013, la proporción de pacientes remitidas a UCI es menor. (chi –cuadrado:5,771; P = 0,00para Cesárea en 2013 y un valor de chi –cuadrado: Biociencias • Vol. 15 • Nº 2 •Julio -Diciembre de 2020 • pp. 89-107• Universidad Libre Barranquilla2,276; P = 0,03 para remisión a UCI en 2013). Conclusiones: el embarazo adolescente es un problema de salud pública con tendencia al aumento que acarrea complicaciones obstétricas que pueden presentarse en el transcurso de este periodo más el índice elevado de cesáreas que por ende aumenta los costos en la prestación de los servicios de salud

La década de los 70 del siglo pasado cons­tituye la “protohistoria” de la Formación del Profesorado Universitario en España. Con la LRU de 1983 se inició una exten­dida práctica de la acción formativa del profesorado universitario. Los procesos de evaluación de la calidad, así como el de convergencia europea han propiciado un significativo desarrollo de la misma. La formación pedagógica del profesorado no es práctica común en las universidades europeas (con algunas notables excep­ciones), existiendo grandes diferencias entre sistemas e instituciones. En España la situación no es distinta: significativas diferencias entre instituciones. Primero se aborda una breve sinopsis de los hitos más relevantes de la formación pedagógica del profesorado en la universidad española y se identifican algunas omisiones significa­tivas en trabajos previos sobre el tema. En segundo lugar se exponen los enfoques de la acción formativa (marco de referen­cia: ideas, teorías, modelos) que han “ilu­minado” dicha formación en la praxis del sistema universitario español. Así mismo se analiza el contenido de dicha forma­ción. A semejanza de lo que acontece en otros contextos, la mayoría de los progra­mas, generalmente no evaluados, con fre­cuencia reducidos a un único curso o aun conjunto de seminarios que el profesora­do elige acorde a sus intereses. En cuanto a la formación inicial, en algunos países es obligatorio para todos los “assistant professor” cursar un programa de forma­ción. En otros, la obligatoriedad inicial ha sido suspendida y la universidad tiene la decisión de aplicarla. En España no existe normativa que obligue a una formación pedagógica del profesorado universitario. El último punto trata de cómo se ha difun­dido en el sistema universitario español la práctica de la Formación del Profesorado Universitario (FPU).

Objetivo: Validar la versión argentina de la escala Patient Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) para trastornos musculoesqueléticos de miembro superior (MS) e inferior (MI) calculando confiabilidad test-retest, validez y sensibilidad al cambio. Materiales y método: Diseño observacional, prospectivo y longitudinal. En la evaluación inicial, se midió funcionalidad mediante la PSFS, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) y/o Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS). En un segundo y tercer tiempo, se administró la escala Global Rating of Change, PSFS y DASH/LEFS. Resultados: Se reclutaron 352 sujetos entre agosto de 2017 y enero de 2020. Se analizaron 336 sujetos, 165 con patologías de MS y 171 de MI. Confiabilidad test-retest: el coeficiente de correlación intraclase (CCI) para la PSFS global fue de 0,61 (0,48 - 0,71), para MS de 0,70 (0,52 - 0,81) y para MI 0,51 (0,30 0,67). El mínimo cambio detectable (MCD) fue de 2,85, intervalo de confianza 95% (IC 95%). Para la validez de constructo, el coeficiente de correlación de Spearman fue de -0,41 para PSFS/DASH, y de 0,37 para PSFS/LEFS. En cuanto a la sensibilidad al cambio, el área bajo la curva resultó de 0,928 (IC 95% 0,874 - 0,98). Con respecto a la interpretabilidad, el mínimo cambio clínicamente significativo resultó de 2,2 puntos (n= 186), para el subgrupo de MS 2,2 (n= 86) y para el subgrupo de MI 1,71 (n= 100). Conclusión: La versión argentina de la PSFS presenta moderada validez de constructo, aceptable confiabilidad test-retest para MS y excelente sensibilidad al cambio.

Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is a novel nanomaterial known for its large surface area, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity. BNC contributes to regenerative processes in the skin but lacks antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Herein, the development of bioactive wound dressings by loading antibacterial povidone-iodine (PVI) or anti-inflammatory acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) into bacterial cellulose is presented. BNC is produced using Hestrin–Schramm culture media and loaded via immersion in PVI and ASA. Through scanning electron microscopy, BNC reveals open porosity where the bioactive compounds are loaded; the mechanical tests show that the dressing prevents mechanical wear. The loading kinetic and release assays (using the Franz cell method) under simulated fluids present a maximum loading of 589.36 mg PVI/g BNC and 38.61 mg ASA/g BNC, and both systems present a slow release profile at 24 h. Through histology, the complete diffusion of the bioactive compounds is observed across the layers of porcine skin. Finally, in the antimicrobial experiment, BNC/PVI produced an inhibition halo for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, confirming the antibacterial activity. Meanwhile, the protein denaturation test shows effective anti-inflammatory activity in BNC/ASA dressings. Accordingly, BNC is a suitable platform for the development of bioactive wound dressings, particularly those with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Este trabajo presenta un reporte preliminar de una plataforma para facilitar a alumnos, docentes e investigadores el acceso a clusters HPC a costos accesibles utilizando recursos existentes en las instituciones donde desempeñan sus actividades. Los laboratorios de informática de las universidades constituyen un reservorio de potencia de procesamiento. Estos pueden ser utilizados para conformar un cluster de cálculo de alto desempeño en los horarios que no se encuentran ocupados. De esta manera se puede al mismo tiempo reducir los costos de poseer un cluster HPC, ampliar el abanico de servicios y posibilidades que la institución brinda a sus miembros y aumentar la utilización de los laboratorios mejorando su amortización y por ende justificando mejor la inversión.

La Programación Genética (PG) es un conjunto de técnicas de computación evolutiva basadas en Algoritmos Genéticos, que permiten resolver problemas mediante la generación automática de programas. La PG ha demostrado ser un método eficiente para encontrar soluciones a una gran variedad de problemas donde se cuenta con una función objetivo o tarea a realizar. Sin embargo, una de las principales dificultades que presenta es la exploración y optimización de constantes numéricas (o parámetros). Este trabajo se enfoca en la investigación e implementación de distintos métodos para la optimización de dichas constantes, utilizando un framework de Tree-GP. Se eligió la Regresión Simbólica como aplicación debido a la clara necesidad de encontrar constantes precisas. Los métodos fueron probados en un conjunto de benchmarks, y se determinó que la herramienta logra buenos resultados, pero a medida que crece la complejidad del problema la tasa de éxitos disminuye y el costo computacional se incrementa considerablemente.

Low back pain is the leading cause of disability in the world, with a significant socio-economic impact. Deep dry needling is effective in the treatment of this pain, and it is one of the techniques preferred by physiotherapists. In this field, the use of ultrasound provides information of interest such as length, thickness, diameter, cross-sectional area, or muscle volume, among others. Objective: To find out whether the tissue changes (thickness, histogram, and contraction rate) that occur in the lumbar multifidus after application of the deep dry needle are related to changes in the pain and the disability of the patient. Design: Randomized, double-blind, parallel-group clinical trial. Setting: University of Alcalá, Department of Physiotherapy. Subjects: 21 voluntary patients (women and men) with non-specific low-back pain aged 18–65 years. Intervention: Patients were randomly divided into two groups. One group received dry needling and the other group a dry needling placebo. Initial post-needling and one week post-needling assessments were performed by a therapist blinded to the intervention. Variables: Lumbar multifidus thickness measured by RUSI, contraction time measured by M-mode, histograms measured by image analysis, muscle area, pain measured by VAS, pressure pain threshold measured by pressure algometer, and disability measured by Roland–Morris questionnaire. Conclusions: The contraction speed, resting thickness, and pain demonstrated significant differences within each group, but not between groups. There were significant differences in contraction ratio and in PPT between groups. There was excellent intra-examiner reliability in image collection for histogram analysis. Histogram analysis showed no significant differences between groups and measurements, neither for the parameters nor for the parameters combined with the outcome variables. A robust method for the image texture analyses in future histogram muscle analyses has been performed.

Introducción: Cuando el dolor asociado a deformidad en hallux valgus es el principal síntoma y el tratamiento conservador no es eficaz, está indicada la cirugía. El objetivo de este artículo fue evaluar nuestra experiencia con la técnica mínimamente invasiva y la osteotomía tipo scarf, mediante la escala AOFAS, radiografías con la corrección del ángulo intermetatarsiano, el ángulo metatarsofalángico, la escala Regnauld y los criterios de Reynolds. Materiales y Métodos: Estudio observacional descriptivo de tipo cohorte retrospectiva. Se incluyeron los pies operados mediante las técnicas mínimamente invasiva y tipo scarf. Se revisaron los datos clínicos preoperatorios, y a los 3 y 6 meses de la cirugía, sobre funcionalidad, hallazgos imagenológicos de tres ángulos, y las clasificaciones de Reynolds y Regnauld. Resultados: Se incluyeron 123 pacientes en quienes se realizaron 150 procedimientos: cirugía mínimamente invasiva (44,7%) y tipo scarf (55,3%). La mediana de edad era de 56 años (RIC 42-61), el 88,6% eran mujeres. No hubo diferencias entre el preoperatorio inmediato, y a los 3 y 6 meses para el ángulo intermetatarsiano entre las dos técnicas; sin embargo, el ángulo metatarsofalángico se corrigió (p

En las últimas décadas, el desarrollo económico de Quito ha venido acompañado con un deterioro en su calidad del aire, principalmente por el aumento progresivo de su flota vehicular. Ante ello, la autoridad ambiental de la zona registra concentraciones que superan las normas nacionales e internacionales de calidad del aire en los parámetros de PM10, PM2.5 y O3. Ante este escenario, la implementación de infraestructura verde urbana (IVU) emerge como una alternativa para el mejoramiento de la calidad del aire en microambientes, sin embargo, sus costos limitan su aplicación. El trabajo presentado estima, mediante la metodología AP-HRA, los efectos económicos y en salud pública que se obtendría producto de una implementación agresiva de IVU en ocho parroquias de Quito. Los resultados generados son alentadores dado que una reducción del 30 % en PM10 y O3 y 1 % en PM2.5 podría evitar 190 muertes anualmente en la zona de estudio, con un beneficio económico para la sociedad de 139,7 millones de USD. Las estimaciones presentadas pueden servir de herramienta para los tomadores de decisión con el fin de instrumentar políticas públicas que promuevan la implementación de IVU en espacios públicos y privados.

IntroductionThe novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) represents a major public health problem and it is key to find a treatment that reduces mortality. Our objective was to estimate whether treatment with 400 mg/day of Hydroxychloroquine for 10 days reduces in-hospital mortality in subjects with severe respiratory disease due to COVID-19 compared with placebo.Material and methodsA double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of severe disease by COVID-19 through an intention-to-treat analysis. Eligible for the study were adults aged more than 18 years with COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR and lung injury requiring hospitalization with or without mechanical ventilation. Primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes: days of mechanical ventilation, days of hospitalization and cumulative incidence of serious adverse events.ResultsA total of 214 patients with COVID-19 were recruited, randomized and analyzed. They were hypoxemic with a mean SpO2 of 65% ± 20, tachycardic (pulse rate 108±17 min-1) and tachypneic (32 ±10 min-1); 162 were under mechanical ventilation at randomization. Thirty-day mortality was similar in both groups (38% in Hydroxychloroquine vs. 41% in placebo, hazard ratio [HR] 0.88, 95% Confidence Interval [95%CI] 0.51-1.53). In the surviving participants, no significant difference was found in secondary outcomes.ConclusionNo beneficial effect or significant harm could be demonstrated in our randomized controlled trial including 214 patients, using relatively low doses of Hydroxychloroquine compared with placebo in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19.

BackgroundCentral venous access (CVA) is a frequent procedure taught in medical residencies. However, since CVA is a high-risk procedure requiring a detailed teaching and learning process to ensure trainee proficiency, it is necessary to determine objective differences between the expert's and the novice's performance to guide novice practitioners during their training process. This study compares experts' and novices' biomechanical variables during a simulated CVA performance.MethodsSeven experts and seven novices were part of this study. The participants' motion data during a CVA simulation procedure was collected using the Vicon Motion System. The procedure was divided into four stages for analysis, and each hand's speed, acceleration, and jerk were obtained. Also, the procedural time was analyzed. Descriptive analysis and multilevel linear models with random intercept and interaction were used to analyze group, hand, and stage differences.ResultsThere were statistically significant differences between experts and novices regarding time, speed, acceleration, and jerk during a simulated CVA performance. These differences vary significantly by the procedure stage for right-hand acceleration and left-hand jerk.ConclusionsExperts take less time to perform the CVA procedure, which is reflected in higher speed, acceleration, and jerk values. This difference varies according to the procedure's stage, depending on the hand and variable studied, demonstrating that these variables could play an essential role in differentiating between experts and novices, and could be used when designing training strategies.

El objetivo principal de este proyecto fue desarrollar correlaciones para determinar el potencial a licuefacción de depósitos de arenas sueltas empleando el ensayo de penetración estática de piezocono CPTu; para ello fue necesario determinar el comportamiento de ensayos (CPTu) en la cámara de calibración (CC) del Laboratorio de Mecánica de Suelos y Rocas (IBF) en el Instituto Tecnológico de Karlruhe, además determinar la resistencia a licuefacción por medio de ensayos triaxiales cíclicos no drenados para muestras de arena, plantear una correlación entre la densidad relativa de almacenamiento (ID) de la muestra, la resistencia de punta (qc) del CPTu y la resistencia al flujo (CRR) de los ensayos triaxiales y por último comparar la correlación experimental obtenida con correlaciones existentes de la literatura. Con este proyecto se concluyó que en la región de bajas densidades de almacenamiento y bajas resistencias en punta una buena similitud, esto al comparar las correlaciones para los materiales experimentales estudiados por el IBF con correlaciones provenientes de la literatura. Ahora bien, para densidades altas y, por lo tanto, mayores resistencias en punta, las curvas de correlación para los materiales experimentales fueron más planas que en referencias bibliográficas; en otras palabras, la resistencia a licuefacción de los materiales experimentales en esta área es menor de lo que habrían predicho las curvas de la literatura. Así pues, no es posible aplicar directamente los resultados de este proyecto a otros sitios de estudio; ya que los materiales de las correlaciones realizadas (Kali4) y otros suelos difieren en aspectos como la mineralogía (criterios geológicos), la granulometría y la forma de partícula (criterios de composición); los cuales influyen sobre la susceptibilidad a la licuación.