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The appearance of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the world stage has implemented changes in all social activities and, therefore, in teaching at all educational levels. On the one hand, it is argued that the closure of centers and virtual teaching minimizes the risk of contagion and, on the other, this closure implies a reduction in social interactions in the population at ages in which social skills are lower developing. In addition, it is necessary to guarantee that all children and adolescents have access to the necessary means for distance education. This article analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during the second, third and fourth waves in Galicia (northwestern region of Spain), where the centers were kept open with strict security protocols, with the aim of evaluating whether the measure of the center closure is a proportionate measure or not. The results obtained show that, at all educational levels, the incidence of infections has been low, as has the appearance of outbreaks of infections related to educational centers, so the damage caused by this measure can be considered uncompensated, with greater health security.
Opening or Not Opening Educational Centers in Time of SARS-CoV-2? Analysis of the Situation in Galicia (Spain)
The prevalence of COVID-19 disease continues to be a significant psychosocial status among health care workers (HCWs) and the general population worldwide. This cross sectional study aimed to compare the psychosocial status between healthcare workers and general population during the prevalence of COVID-19 disease in southeast Iran. Totally 415 health care workers of a medical service center for COVID-19 patients and 1023 people of general population participated in the study. An online socio-demographic characteristics questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ ?28), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) were utilized to evaluate psychosocial status. According to GHQ, the psychological disorders of the HCWs were significantly higher than that of the general population (P < 0.001). According to GAD-7, no significant difference was found between general population and HCWs. Multivariate logistic analysis showed no difference between general population and HCWs in the psychological disorder. Although HCWs suffered from psychological disorders more than general population, nearly one third to half of the participants in both groups had psychosocial disorders.
Psychosocial status during the prevalence of COVID-19 disease: the comparison between healthcare workers and general population
Bats are the suggested natural hosts for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the causal agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, SARS-CoV-2. The interaction of viral spike proteins with their host receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a critical determinant of potential hosts and cross-species transmission. Here we use virus-host receptor binding and infection assays to examine 46 ACE2 orthologues from phylogenetically diverse bat species, including those in close and distant contact with humans. We found that 24, 21 and 16 of them failed to support infection by SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 or both viruses, respectively. Furthermore, we confirmed that infection assays in human cells were consistent with those in two bat cell lines. Additionally, we used genetic and functional analyses to identify critical residues in bat ACE2 receptors associated with viral entry restrictions. Our results suggest that many bat species may not be the potential hosts of one or both viruses and that no correlation was identified between proximity to humans and probability of being natural hosts of SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2. This study demonstrates dramatic variation in susceptibility to SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 infection among bat species and adds knowledge towards a better understanding of coronavirus-bat interaction.
ACE2 receptor usage reveals variation in susceptibility to SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 infection among bat species
BACKGROUND: Epidemics and pandemics and the measures taken to contain their spread are accompanied by numerous stressors, which can lead in particular to severe anxiety OBJECTIVE: This article describes the components and determinants of these anxiety symptoms, potential resilience and risk factors and appropriate recommendations for action METHODS: The article presents an overview of research results regarding COVID-19 and previous epidemics and pandemics (e g , HIV, SARS, MERS, Ebola and swine flu) Furthermore, official recommendations for action are presented RESULTS: Anxiety symptoms frequently occur in epidemics and pandemics, especially in the early phase and usually decrease in the further course Although other aspects of different infectious diseases vary, the associated fears are similar and include e g the fear of health-related, social and economic consequences Resilience and risk factors in various epidemics and pandemics are comparable Self-efficacy expectation, tolerance of uncertainty, normalization, routines, safety and social support usually have a protective effect In contrast, excessive media consumption, female gender, work in a medical context, suppression, pre-existing diseases, unhealthy behavior and closer exposure to the virus are often accompanied by more severe anxiety CONCLUSION: Fears should be observed and addressed in order to reduce pathological processes, especially in vulnerable groups It is advisable to promote resilience factors and to counteract risk factors with preventive and therapeutic measures For this purpose, the development and empirical testing of specific interventions as well as further longitudinal studies are needed
[Anxiety in times of COVID-19 and other health crises]
Using the inequality exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic as a vivid example, this article focuses on health equity from the standpoint of structural marginalization-here, described as being marked as an "other" outside of the circle of human concern. This process leads to tension between the principles of liberty and equality and contributes to the creation of systemic disadvantage as manifested in health disparities. Creating an equitable health system must begin with this root understanding and generate greater belonging through the policy process of targeted universalism. Targeted universalism replaces a disparities framework with one in which a universal goal is identified but targeted strategies to meet each population group's needs are employed.
Health Equity and the Circle of Human Concern
Efficient contact tracing and testing are fundamental tools to contain the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. We used multi-agent simulations to estimate the daily testing capacity required to find and isolate a number of infected agents sufficient to break the chain of transmission of SARS-CoV-2, so decreasing the risk of new waves of infections. Depending on the non-pharmaceutical mitigation policies in place, the size of secondary infection clusters allowed or the percentage of asymptomatic and paucisymptomatic (i.e., subclinical) infections, we estimated that the daily testing capacity required to contain the disease varies between 0.7 and 9.1 tests per thousand agents in the population. However, we also found that if contact tracing and testing efficacy dropped below 60% (e.g. due to false negatives or reduced tracing capability), the number of new daily infections did not always decrease and could even increase exponentially, irrespective of the testing capacity. Under these conditions, we show that population-level information about geographical distribution and travel behaviour could inform sampling policies to aid a successful containment, while avoiding concerns about government-controlled mass surveillance.
Containment of COVID-19: Simulating the impact of different policies and testing capacities for contact tracing, testing, and isolation
BACKGROUND Children are at risk for respiratory depression while recovering from anesthesia. Currently, monitoring children in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) with pulse oximetry is recommended. However, pulse oximetry does not reliably recognize hypoventilation or apnea, particularly in the presence of supplemental oxygen. Capnography is a sensitive monitor of ventilation that is not often used in the PACU. AIM To determine the frequency of hypoventilation and apnea as detected by capnography among children in the PACU. METHODS In a cross-sectional study, capnography monitoring was applied to healthy children of age 1-17 years in the PACU of a tertiary care hospital. Staff was blinded to the capnography monitor; alarms were disabled. Staff provided routine care and monitoring with pulse oximetry to all patients. Vital signs, patient interventions, and medication administration were recorded by a research assistant every 30 s until all monitoring was discontinued by staff. Outcome measures included frequency of hypoventilation and apnea as measured by capnography and oxygen desaturations as measured by pulse oximetry, as well as staff interventions for these events. RESULTS Data from 194 children were analyzed. Capnography detected hypoventilation or apnea in 45.5% (95% CI 38.5%, 52.5%) of patients. Oxygen desaturations occurred in 19% (95% CI 13%, 24%) of patients. Interventions occurred in 9% (95% CI 5%, 13%) of patients. Patients who received narcotic medications were more likely to experience hypoventilation (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.02, 5.3) and apnea (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.1, 7). Hypoventilation was seen more often among children who received supplemental oxygen (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.1, 12). CONCLUSIONS Hypoventilation and apnea are common among children in the PACU; however, few interventions occur to address these events. Routine monitoring with capnography may improve recognition of respiratory depression and enhance patient safety in the PACU.
Respiratory depression detected by capnography among children in the postanesthesia care unit: a cross-sectional study.
Post-polio syndrome refers to the physical and psychological sequelae caused by poliovirus infection. For this reason, according to which the emotional and sensorimotor sphere is affected, we consider a biobehavioural approach based on education and therapeutic exercise to be necessary. The aim of this case report is to evaluate the effect of a biobehavioural approach in a patient with post-polio syndrome and low back pain. We describe a 57-year-old man with post-polio syndrome and low back pain following a fall at the end of February 2020. The pain, disability and lack of functionality caused by both processes led him to contact a physiotherapy service. A therapeutic planning was carried out for 3 months, where a biobehavioural approach based on therapeutic exercise and education, with an assessment and three face-to-face sessions which were complemented by online follow-up and finalised due to the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic in a telerehabilitation approach. It was organised in two phases; the initial phase lasted 2 weeks with the aim of reducing the symptoms of the lumbar region, and the advanced phase in which the aim was to improve his physical condition. During the three-month intervention, four assessments were conducted (Pre, at 4 weeks, at 8 weeks and at 12 weeks). At follow-up, improvements in functional and psychological variables were obtained. This case suggests that a biobehavioural approach through telerehabilitation was a useful option in this reported case and could be an option of treatment to improve psychological, physical and functional variables in this patient.
Biobehavioural Physiotherapy through Telerehabilitation during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in a Patient with Post-polio Syndrome and Low Back Pain: A Case Report.
While SARS-CoV-2 vaccines prevent severe disease effectively, post-vaccination breakthrough COVID-19 infections and transmission among vaccinated individuals remain ongoing concerns. We present an in-depth characterization of transmission and immunity among vaccinated individuals in a household, revealing complex dynamics and unappreciated comorbidities, including autoimmunity to type1 interferon in the presumptive index case.
SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics and immune responses in a household of vaccinated persons
AIM: Poor outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been linked to diabetes, but its relation to pre-infection glycaemic control is still unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To address this question, we report here the association between pre-infection Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and COVID-19 severity as assessed by need for hospitalization in a cohort of 2068 patients with diabetes tested for COVID-19 in Leumit Health Services (LHSs), Israel, between 1 February and 30 April 2020. Using the LHS-integrated electronic medical records system, we were able to collect a large amount of clinical information including age, sex, socio-economic status, weight, height, body mass index, HbA1c, prior diagnosis of ischaemic heart disease, depression/anxiety, schizophrenia, dementia, hypertension, cerebrovascular accident, congestive heart failure, smoking, and chronic lung disease. RESULTS: Of the patients included in the cohort, 183 (8.85%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 and 46 were admitted to hospital. More hospitalized patients were female, came from higher socio-economic background and had a higher baseline HbA1c. A prior diagnosis of cerebrovascular accident and chronic lung disease conferred an increased risk of hospitalization but not obesity or smoking status. In a multivariate analysis, controlling for multiple prior clinical conditions, the only parameter associated with a significantly increased risk for hospitalization was HbA1c ≥ 9%. CONCLUSION: Using pre-infection glycaemic control data, we identify HbA1c as a clear predictor of COVID-19 severity. Pre-infection risk stratification is crucial to successfully manage this disease, efficiently allocate resources, and minimize the economic and social burden associated with an undiscriminating approach.
Haemoglobin A1c is a predictor of COVID-19 severity in patients with diabetes
X-ray scattering experiments using Free Electron Lasers (XFELs) are a powerful tool to determine the molecular structure and function of unknown samples (such as COVID-19 viral proteins). XFEL experiments are a challenge to computing in two ways: i) due to the high cost of running XFELs, a fast turnaround time from data acquisition to data analysis is essential to make informed decisions on experimental protocols; ii) data collection rates are growing exponentially, requiring new scalable algorithms. Here we report our experiences analyzing data from two experiments at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) during September 2020. Raw data were analyzed on NERSC's Cori XC40 system, using the Superfacility paradigm: our workflow automatically moves raw data between LCLS and NERSC, where it is analyzed using the software package CCTBX. We achieved real time data analysis with a turnaround time from data acquisition to full molecular reconstruction in as little as 10 min -- sufficient time for the experiment's operators to make informed decisions. By hosting the data analysis on Cori, and by automating LCLS-NERSC interoperability, we achieved a data analysis rate which matches the data acquisition rate. Completing data analysis with 10 mins is a first for XFEL experiments and an important milestone if we are to keep up with data collection trends.
Real-Time XFEL Data Analysis at SLAC and NERSC: a Trial Run of Nascent Exascale Experimental Data Analysis
Oncogenic transformation is associated with profound changes in cellular metabolism, but whether tracking these can improve disease stratification or influence therapy decision-making is largely unknown. Using the iKnife to sample the aerosol of cauterized specimens, we demonstrate a new mode of real-time diagnosis, coupling metabolic phenotype to mutant PIK3CA genotype. Oncogenic PIK3CA results in an increase in arachidonic acid and a concomitant overproduction of eicosanoids, acting to promote cell proliferation beyond a cell-autonomous manner. Mechanistically, mutant PIK3CA drives a multimodal signaling network involving mTORC2-PKC-mediated activation of the calcium-dependent phospholipase A2 (cPLA2). Notably, inhibiting cPLA2 synergizes with fatty acid-free diet to restore immunogenicity and selectively reduce mutant PIK3CA-induced tumorigenicity. Besides highlighting the potential for metabolic phenotyping in stratified medicine, this study reveals an important role for activated PI3K signaling in regulating arachidonic acid metabolism, uncovering a targetable metabolic vulnerability that largely depends on dietary fat restriction.
Metabolic Fingerprinting Links Oncogenic PIK3CA with Enhanced Arachidonic Acid-Derived Eicosanoids.
Over the past 15 years, there has been a growing call for nurses to be placed on boards of hospitals and health systems. Rationale for this action includes the changing nature of health care; a greater emphasis on person and family-centered care; nurses' background and experience in health care delivery; and that boards with a more diverse composition are associated with better organizational performance. Several national organizations have come forward to support this, among them the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, American Hospital Association, the Institute of Medicine, and several industry leaders in health care. While progress has been made, however, nurses still occupy only 4% of board seats. This article reviews some of the myths and barriers that have prevented nurses from serving on boards, as well as offering 3 major recommendations for action that reflect not only long-term efforts but also short-term activism.
Using Activism to Get Nurses on Boards.
The aim of this study was to compare the sensitivity of self-collected versus healthcare worker (HCW)-collected swabs for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing. Symptomatic individuals referred for SARS-CoV-2 testing were invited to provide mobile-phone video-instructed self-collected oropharyngeal and nasal samples followed by a HCW-collected oropharyngeal sample. All samples were sent for analysis to the same microbiology laboratory, and the number of SARS-CoV-2-positive participants in the two tests was compared. A total of 109 participants were included, and 19 participants had SARS-CoV-2-positive results. The diagnostic sensitivity of the self-collected and HCW-collected swabs was 84.2% and 89.5%, respectively, with an acceptable agreement, Cohens kappa 0.82, p < 0.001. Further, results from a questionnaire answered by the participants found that loss of smell as a self-reported symptom was a strong predictor for a SARS-CoV-2-positive test. In conclusion, we found that self-collected oropharyngeal and nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 testing can be reliable compared to HCW-collected oropharyngeal samples.
Self-Collected versus Healthcare Worker-Collected Swabs in the Diagnosis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an attractive means for trace compound detection because of its high sensitivity, however, the poor reproducibility is a major challenge. Herein, we propose a facile SERS strategy employing the several developed test processes to improve the repeatability of the SERS analysis based on regular nylon membranes as substrates to detect trace compounds. Various methods, including in situ reduction, immersion adsorption, and filtration, were first compared to prepare composite substrates using nylon membranes and gold nanoparticles. The substrates prepared by filtration showed the best test parallelism (RSD = 7.85%). Its limit of detection (LOD) could reach 10(?8) g mL(?1) with a good linear relationship in the range 10(?8) to 10(?7) g mL(?1). Finally, three pesticide solutions were tested to verify the substrate applicability. A superior LOD of 10(?8) g mL(?1) was observed for thiram, whereas the LODs of both phorate and benthiocarb could reach 10(?6) g mL(?1). Overall, modifying nylon membrane substrates with gold nanoparticles improves the repeatability and economic viability of SERS and favors its wider commercial application for detecting trace compounds.
Nylon membranes modified by gold nanoparticles as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates for several pesticides detection
The rising number of foreign residents in Japan has caused the number of children with foreign backgrounds in Japanese schools to increase. The present Japanese education system does not adequately support children whose mother language is not Japanese, and their educational problems have turned into social issues. We have conducted an action research project in collaboration with several schools and one university to determine how to develop a support system through online media that would soften the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. We argue that language assessment is the key to driving the project and sharing the results of the assessment analysis with all project participants works effectively to promote collaboration between schools, families, and the university. ? 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Network for Supporting Education of Foreign Children during Covid-19: Language Assessments as a Tool for Promoting Community Integration
Introduction-objectives: We live in exceptional times caused by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic. Although clinical involvement of children and patients with congenital heart disease are not frequent, the emergency care of adults with COVID-19 has almost collapsed our healthcare system. Consequently, the whole standard activity has been minimized during this period. In this manuscript we analyse the reduction of our congenital heart surgery over these 2 months of state of alarm, and we propose strategies to return to normal. Methods: From our Society congenital heart disease working group, a survey was carried out in Spanish congenital heart disease surgery hospitals, in order to find out the decrease in activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic during the time period from March-13 to May-13, 2020. Results: During the pandemic, congenital heart disease surgery was partially reduced, stepping with the most urgent cases and minimizing the scheduled activity. Compared to the same period in 2019, 51% less major surgery and 54% less extracorporeal surgery were performed. Collaboration in adults COVID-19 front line care has been 15%, having 7% of our specialists on quarantine. Before operating on any patient, the PCR is asked to rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection and, if positive, we only consider intervention in urgent / emergency cases. Conclusions: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has forced all the congenital heart disease services nationwide to restructure, aiming to support colleagues with direct treatment of COVID-19, without sacrificing the healthcare of our own patients whose surgery could not be delayed.
Congenital heart surgery in Spain during the state of alarm related to COVID-19/ Ciruga de cardiopatas congnitas en Espa?a durante el estado de alarma por COVID-19
Single-cell biology is transforming the ability of researchers to understand cellular signaling and identity across medical and biological disciplines. Especially for immune-mediated diseases, a single-cell look at immune cell subtypes, signaling, and activity might yield fundamental insights into the disease etiology, mechanisms, and potential therapeutic interventions. In this review, we highlight recent advances in the field of single-cell RNA profiling and their application to understand renal function in health and disease. With a focus on the immune system, in particular on T cells, we propose some key directions of understanding renal inflammation using single-cell approaches. We detail the benefits and shortcomings of the various technological approaches outlined and give advice on potential pitfalls and challenges in experimental setup and computational analysis. Finally, we conclude with a brief outlook into a promising future for single-cell technologies to elucidate kidney function.
Single-cell biology to decode the immune cellular composition of kidney inflammation
INTRODUCTION The most successful clinical studies of immunotherapy in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) use the antibody rituximab (RTX) targeting CD20(+) B-cell tumors. Rituximab radiolabeled with (-) emitters could potentiate the therapeutic efficacy of the antibody by virtue of the particle radiation. Here, we report on a direct radiolabeling approach of rituximab with the (99m)Tc- and (188)Re-tricarbonyl core (IsoLink technology). METHODS The native format of the antibody (RTX(wt)) as well as a reduced form (RTX(red)) was labeled with (99m)Tc/(188)Re(CO)(3). The partial reduction of the disulfide bonds to produce free sulfhydryl groups (-SH) was achieved with 2-mercaptoethanol. Radiolabeling efficiency, in vitro human plasma stability as well as transchelation toward cysteine and histidine was investigated. The immunoreactivity and binding affinity were determined on Ramos and/or Raji cells expressing CD20. Biodistribution was performed in mice bearing subcutaneous Ramos lymphoma xenografts. RESULTS The radiolabeling efficiency and kinetics of RTX(red) were superior to that of RTX(wt) ((99m)Tc: 98% after 3 h for RTX(red) vs. 70% after 24 h for RTX(wt)). (99m)Tc(CO)(3)-RTX(red) was used without purification for in vitro and in vivo studies whereas (188)Re(CO)(3)-RTX(red) was purified to eliminate free (188)Re-precursor. Both radioimmunoconjugates were stable in human plasma for 24 h at 37 C. In contrast, displacement experiments with excess cysteine/histidine showed significant transchelation in the case of (99m)Tc(CO)(3)-RTX(red) but not with pre-purified (188)Re(CO)(3)-RTX(red). Both conjugates revealed high binding affinity to the CD20 antigen (K(d) = 5-6 nM). Tumor uptake of (188)Re(CO)(3)-RTX(red) was 2.5 %ID/g and 0.8 %ID/g for (99m)Tc(CO)(3)-RTX(red) 48 h after injection. The values for other organs and tissues were similar for both compounds, for example the tumor-to-blood and tumor-to-liver ratios were 0.4 and 0.3 for (99m)Tc(CO)(3)-RTX(red) and for (188)Re(CO)(3)-RTX(red) 0.5 and 0.5 (24 h pi). CONCLUSION Rituximab could be directly and stably labeled with the matched pair (99m)Tc/(188)Re using the IsoLink technology under retention of the biological activity. Labeling kinetics and yields need further improvement for potential routine application in radioimmunodiagnosis and therapy.
Radiolabeling of rituximab with (188)Re and (99m)Tc using the tricarbonyl technology.
Research has shown that judgments of learning (JOLs) often produce a reactive effect on the learning of cue-target pairs in which target recall differs between participants who provide item-based JOLs at study versus those who do not. Positive reactivity, or the memory improvement found when JOLs are provided, is typically observed on related pairs, while no reactivity is commonly found on unrelated pairs. In four experiments, we examined JOL reactivity effects by comparing JOL and no-JOL groups to other groups who engaged in relational-type encoding/judgment tasks. Experiment 1 replicated positive JOL reactivity effects with related pairs with an extension to symmetrically related pairs. Next, Experiment 2 found that providing judgments of associative memorya task that does not involve memory predictionsyielded equivalent reactivity patterns as JOLs. Experiment 3 replicated this reactivity pattern using a frequency of co-occurrence judgment task. Finally, In Experiment 4, a similar positive reactivity pattern was found using a relational encoding task when compared to a standard JOL. Collectively, our results suggest that previous JOL reactivity patterns are not solely due to memory forecasting processes via JOLs and likely reflect relational encoding that is strategically applied towards related, but not unrelated pairs. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11409-022-09301-2.
Reactivity from judgments of learning is not only due to memory forecasting: evidence from associative memory and frequency judgments