The economic performance of the EU fishing fleet during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent public health interventions have depressed demand and disrupted supply chains for many fishing businesses. This paper provides an analysis of the COVID-19 impacts on the profitability of the EU fishing fleets. Nowcasting techniques were used to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economic performance for the EU fishing fleet in 2020 and 2021. Our results show that the economic impact of COVID-19 on this sector was smaller than initially expected and overall profits remained positive. This was in part due to low fuel prices that reduced operating costs of fishing, and the early response from governments to support the sector. The results vary by fishing fleet, revealing that small-scale fleets and the fleets in the Mediterranean and Black seas have been more impacted than large-scale fleets and the fleets in the Northeast Atlantic. © G. Carpenter et al., Published by EDP Sciences 2023.

Teaching Innovation for the Challenges of the 21st Century: History of Art and Slow Movement

The confinement experienced during the Covid 19 pandemic forced us to face life at a slower rhythm. In this context, the Research Group of Interdisciplinary Studies of Literature and Art (LyA) (UCLM) proposed to develop a project to rethink our teaching methods under the perspective of the Slow Movement principles. The aim of this text is to show the experiences carried out in the Art History courses in the Degrees of Humanities and Social Studies (Faculty of Humanities of Albacete, UCLM) and History of Art (Faculty of Letters of Ciudad Real, UCLM). © GKA Ediciones, authors.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic and total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) implementation in pathological complete response (pCR) rates in patients (pts) with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC)

Background: Strategies for locally advanced rectal cancer LARC usually consisted of neoadjuvant concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by adjuvant chemotherapy, or short-course radiotherapy (SCRT). TNT is a novel approach for LARC, with several randomized clinical trials exploring its role and paving the way for implementation in clinical practice. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic represented a challenge for a timely diagnosis, implementation and follow-up of new treatment strategies in these pts. Methods: Records of all the pts diagnosed with LARC and stage IV rectal cancer evaluated in the Oncology department of Vall d’Hebron Hospital between Jan 1st, 2017 and Dec 31th 2021 were included. The period 2017-19 was considered pre-pandemic (PP) and 2020-2021 during-pandemic (DP). Patients with LARC receiving neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant treatment were analyzed, including those treated with SCRT, CRT, and TNT. Data regarding demographics, diagnosis and staging, preoperative treatment received, surgical outcomes, including treatment response, and pathological stage were collected. Results: 390 patients were included (31.28% female, 68.71% Male, median age 69). LARC pts characteristics included 123 (31.54%) either cT4 or cN2, 59 low rectal cancers, 4 with signet ring cells. Neoadjuvant treatment was done in 160 pts (CRT) and 59 pts (TNT). pCR was achieved in 20% and 22% for CRT, and TNT respectively (p0.84). 32 pts received only SCRT with 6.25% pCR. An increased ratio of stage IV pts compared to LARC was evident during the pandemic (stage IV 26.38% 2017-2019, 37.14% 2020-2021, p=0.044). The proportion of high risk LARC increased during pandemic (34.89% PP vs 39.04% DP, p=0.041). No difference was found in terms of pCR amongst the PP and DP patients (25.3% vs 27%, p=0.83) nor different strategies (TNT: 26.47% PP and 26.6% PD, p=0.98 and CRT 23.89% PP and 27.27 % PD, p=0.82). Conclusions: Efficacy of LARC neoadjuvant treatment measured by pCR was maintained in pts before and during COVID-19 pandemic despite an increasing proportion of new LARC high-risk pts. Evaluation of TNT impact in LARC outcomes was challenging because of pandemic confounding role. Real-world data in a post-pandemic setting is essential to evaluate outcome trends in LARC pts;an increase in high-risk LARC and metastatic pts should be expected. Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors. Funding: Has not received any funding. Disclosures: A. García Álvarez: Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: ANGELINI PHARMA ESPAÑA;Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Pfizer, Ipsen, Eisai Europe. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Predictive factors of six-week mortality in critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2: A multicenter prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to identify the risk factors associated with mortality at six weeks, especially by analyzing the role of antivirals and munomodulators. DESIGN: Prospective descriptive multicenter cohort study. SETTING: 26 Intensive care units (ICU) from Andalusian region in Spain. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive critically ill patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were included from March 8 to May 30. INTERVENTIONS: None. VARIABLES: Variables analyzed were demographic, severity scores and clinical condition. Support therapy, drug and mortality were analyzed. An univariate followed by multivariate Cox regression with propensity score analysis was applied. RESULTS: 495 patients were enrolled, but 73 of them were excluded for incomplete data. Thus, 422 patients were included in the final analysis. Median age was 63 years and 305 (72.3%) were men. ICU mortality: 144/422 34%; 14 days mortality: 81/422 (19.2%); 28 days mortality: 121/422 (28.7%); 6-week mortality 152/422 36.5%. By multivariable Cox proportional analysis, factors independently associated with 42-day mortality were age, APACHE II score, SOFA score at ICU admission >6, Lactate dehydrogenase at ICU admission >470U/L, Use of vasopressors, extrarenal depuration, %lymphocytes 72h post-ICU admission <6.5%, and thrombocytopenia whereas the use of lopinavir/ritonavir was a protective factor. CONCLUSION: Age, APACHE II, SOFA>value of 6 points, along with vasopressor requirements or renal replacement therapy have been identified as predictor factors of mortality at six weeks. Administration of corticosteroids showed no benefits in mortality, as did treatment with tocilizumab. Lopinavir/ritonavir administration is identified as a protective factor.

Predictive factors of six-week mortality in critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2: A multicenter prospective study Factores predictivos de la mortalidad a las seis semanas en pacientes críticos con SARS-CoV-2: estudio multicéntrico prospectivo

Objective The objective of the study is to identify the risk factors associated with mortality at six weeks, especially by analyzing the role of antivirals and munomodulators. Design Prospective descriptive multicenter cohort study. Setting 26 Intensive care units (ICU) from Andalusian region in Spain. Patients or participants Consecutive critically ill patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were included from March 8 to May 30. Interventions None. Variables Variables analyzed were demographic, severity scores and clinical condition. Support therapy, drug and mortality were analyzed. An univariate followed by multivariate Cox regression with propensity score analysis was applied. Results 495 patients were enrolled, but 73 of them were excluded for incomplete data. Thus, 422 patients were included in the final analysis. Median age was 63 years and 305 (72.3%) were men. ICU mortality: 144/422 34%;14 days mortality: 81/422 (19.2%);28 days mortality: 121/422 (28.7%);6-week mortality 152/422 36.5%. By multivariable Cox proportional analysis, factors independently associated with 42-day mortality were age, APACHE II score, SOFA score at ICU admission >6, Lactate dehydrogenase at ICU admission >470 U/L, Use of vasopressors, extrarenal depuration, %lymphocytes 72 h post-ICU admission <6.5%, and thrombocytopenia whereas the use of lopinavir/ritonavir was a protective factor. Conclusion Age, APACHE II, SOFA > value of 6 points, along with vasopressor requirements or renal replacement therapy have been identified as predictor factors of mortality at six weeks. Administration of corticosteroids showed no benefits in mortality, as did treatment with tocilizumab. Lopinavir/ritonavir administration is identified as a protective factor.

Student experience in times of crisis: A chilean case study

Customer eXperience (CX) includes all physical and emotional responses during the interactions with the products, systems and services that a company or an organization offers. We can consider a student as a particular case of customer, and Student eXperience (SX) as a particular case of CX. Higher education students are using not only the educational service, but they are interacting with a wide range of products, systems and services that a university offers. Chile was affected by crises since October 2019: a social outbreak crisis first, then the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. They have influenced the way in which students and universities interact, and consequently the SX. We carried out an exploratory study in order to identify how these crises have impacted the SX in the particular case of Escuela de Ingeniería Informática (School of Informatics Engineering) of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV), in Chile. The paper presents our preliminary findings. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021.

RESPONSES FROM NARRATIVE THERAPY AND NARRATIVE PRACTICES TO CORONAVIRUS

The current article summaries a series of initiatives inspired in narrative therapy and practices which have thrived in Spain as responses to the coronavirus crisis. First, the principles of narrative therapy and practices are explained deepening in the principles for working with crisis and trauma. Afterwards, several initiatives carried out to cope with the coronavirus crisis that have emergedin the community following these principles are described. Collective documents, letters exchanged between clients, therapists and health professionals, activities carried out by a supervision group, and the presence of narrative practices in social services are presented. Finally, how these initiatives can help us in constructing hope under uncertainty is discussed.

Predictive factors of six-week mortality in critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2: A multicenter prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to identify the risk factors associated with mortality at six weeks, especially by analyzing the role of antivirals and munomodulators. DESIGN: Prospective descriptive multicenter cohort study. SETTING: 26 Intensive care units (ICU) from Andalusian region in Spain. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive critically ill patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were included from March 8 to May 30. INTERVENTIONS: None. VARIABLES: Variables analyzed were demographic, severity scores and clinical condition. Support therapy, drug and mortality were analyzed. An univariate followed by multivariate Cox regression with propensity score analysis was applied. RESULTS: 495 patients were enrolled, but 73 of them were excluded for incomplete data. Thus, 422 patients were included in the final analysis. Median age was 63 years and 305 (72.3%) were men. ICU mortality: 144/422 34%; 14 days mortality: 81/422 (19.2%); 28 days mortality: 121/422 (28.7%); 6-week mortality 152/422 36.5%. By multivariable Cox proportional analysis, factors independently associated with 42-day mortality were age, APACHE II score, SOFA score at ICU admission >6, Lactate dehydrogenase at ICU admission >470U/L, Use of vasopressors, extrarenal depuration, %lymphocytes 72h post-ICU admission <6.5%, and thrombocytopenia whereas the use of lopinavir/ritonavir was a protective factor. CONCLUSION: Age, APACHE II, SOFA>value of 6 points, along with vasopressor requirements or renal replacement therapy have been identified as predictor factors of mortality at six weeks. Administration of corticosteroids showed no benefits in mortality, as did treatment with tocilizumab. Lopinavir/ritonavir administration is identified as a protective factor.

Higher Education learning experience in the face of changes worldwide due to COVID-19

The learning experience in higher education has been affected by the global crisis due to COVID-19. A survey has been carried out on a group of 117 students and professors from different universities in Ibero-America, where it has been observed the problems that students face to receive their classes online, which can be caused by the level of connectivity or the absence of a technological team. In turn, the same students feel that the evaluations are stricter and harsher when evaluating. on the other hand, teachers are faced with the use of technological platforms to offer their courses, evaluate students and transmit classes. Therefore, there are new competences that must be acquired to teach an online course, in such a way that it motivates the student during their learning.