Uncovering the interplay between hypertension and the inflammatory response for the patient affected by COVID-19 via mathematical modeling and computer-based analysis

We explore here the systems-based regulatory mechanisms that determine human blood pressure patterns. This in the context of the reported negative association between hypertension and COVID-19 disease. We are particularly interested in the key role that plays angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), one of the first identified receptors that enable the entry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus into a cell. Taking into account the two main systems involved in the regulation of blood pressure, that is, the Renin-Angiotensin system and the Kallikrein-Kinin system, we follow a Bottom-Up systems biology modeling approach in order to built the discrete Boolean model of the gene regulatory network that underlies both the typical hypertensive phenotype and the hypotensive/normotensive phenotype. These phenotypes correspond to the dynamic attractors of the regulatory network modeled on the basis of publicly available experimental information. Our model recovers the observed phenotypes and shows the key role played by the inflammatory response in the emergence of hypertension. Source code go to the next url: https://github.com/cxro-cc/red_ras_kks © 2023, EasyChair. All rights reserved.

Design of a cost-effective diagnosis tool for SARSCov-2 variant detection through a next generation sequencing (NGS) based strategy

Background/Objectives: Current pandemic situation, together with the continuous emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants reveal the need to develop a more versatile tool than PCR-based methods that allows both high throughput COVID-19 diagnostic and specific variant detection at reduced cost and fast turnaround times. Thus, with the aim of overcoming current test limitations and providing a strategy with these characteristics arises our novel next generation sequencing based approach. Method(s): The developed strategy works with RNA samples obtained from nasopharyngeal swabs. RNA samples are processed with our custom laboratory protocol and can be sequenced with any Illumina platform to generate results within a 24h timeframe. A tailored bioinformatic pipeline analyzes the data and generates a clinical-level report. Result(s): Clinical validation results have shown that the designed solution, sensitively and specifically identifies negative and positive samples that display a broad range in viral loads and readily identifies the following major SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoC): Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Lambda and Omicron (BA.1 and BA.2). Conclusion(s): The versatility of our solution allows the capability of identifying the presence of other common respiratory viruses as well as identifying patients at risk through the identification of susceptibility human variants in the host. This, together with the possibility of easily adding new VoC as they emerge, will make VoC monitoring in entire populations feasible, providing a new perspective on the application of NGS methods in the field of clinical microbiology.

Relationship between neurological manifestations and severity of COVID-19. San Vicente de Paul Hospital. Ecuador 2021.

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 mainly affects the respiratory system, but the damage caused by this virus also extends to other systems, including the nervous system, and the mechanisms of neurological infection can be direct or indirect. Objective(s): To determine the relationship between neurological manifestations and disease severity in symptomatic COVID-19 positive patients at San Vicente de Paul Hospital in 2021. Material(s) and Method(s): A cross-sectional observational study was conducted using medical records of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and neurological manifestations, which were classified into manifestations of the central nervous system and manifestations of the peripheral nervous system. Result(s): The results show that 74,1 % of patients presented neurological manifestations;the highest percentage was concentrated in patients who developed severe disease (15 [60 %], CNS;91 [77,1 %], PNS;125 [65,4 %], CNS and PNS). The joint presence of central and peripheral neurological manifestations was significantly associated with critical COVID-19 (P value= 0,011;OR: 2,005). The mortality rate reached 2,69 %. Conclusion(s): Neurological manifestations in hospitalized COVID-19 patients are very common, and critical COVID-19 is more likely to have neurological manifestations.Copyright © 2022 Universidad de Ciencias Medicas de La Hab. All rights reserved.

[Factors associated with the risk of hospitalization and death related to SARS-CoV-2 infection.]

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 has tried out global health causing high mortality. There are some risk factors that associate greater severity and mortality from COVID-19;but their individual impact is unknown yet. There are also no fixed criteria for hospital admission. For this reason, this study aimed to analyze the factors associated with the severity of COVID-19 and create predictive models for the risk of hospitalization and death due to COVID-19. METHODS: A descriptive retrospective cohort study was made in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo, Spain). Data were collected through computerized records of Primary Care, Emergencies and Hospitalization. The sample consisted of 275 patients over eighteen years old diagnosed with COVID-19 in a centralized laboratory from March 1st to May 31st, 2020. Analysis was carried on using SPSS, creating two predictive models for the risk of hospitalization and death using linear regression. RESULTS: The probability of hospitalization increased independently with polypharmacy (OR 1.086;CI95% 1.009-1.169), the Charlson index (OR 1.613;CI95% 1.158-2.247), the history of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (OR 4.358;95% CI 1.114-17.051) and the presence of COVID symptoms (OR 7.001;95% CI 2.805-17.475). The probability of death was independently associated with age, increasing 8.1% (OD 1.081;95% CI 1.054- 1.110) for each year of the patient. CONCLUSIONS: Comorbidity, polypharmacy, history of AMI and the presence of COVID-19 symptoms predict the risk of hospitalization. The age of individuals predicts the risk of death. Detecting patients at high risk of hospitalization and death allows us to define the target population and define measures to implement.

Access to SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests: are there barriers for the immigrants in Italy?

OBJECTIVES: to describe the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection in relation with the use of nasal swabs in the immigrant population in Italy, using data from the COVID-19 national surveillance system and to verify if a difference is present comparing natives and immigrant. DESIGN: descriptive study based on longitudinal health-administrative data. SETTING AND PAR TICIPAN TS: general population of six Italian Regions (Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio) covering about 55% of the resident population and 72% of foreigners' population. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: regional rates of access to at least a nasal swab, separately by country of origin. RESULTS: across all the periods, a lower rate in the foreigners' group was observed, with the only exception of the period May-June 2021. Considering separately High Migratory Pressure Countries (HMPCs) and Highly Developed Countries (HDCs), a higher proportion of nasal swabs performed in people coming from HDC with respect to HMPCs and natives was noticed. This observation is consistent in males and females. CONCLUSIONS: during the first wave of the pandemic, Italians have had a higher proportion of nasal swabs compared to migrants across all Regions. This difference disappeared in the following periods, probably due to a major availability of diagnostic tests.

Impact of confinement on the development of the physical education in primary and secondary education

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of alarm and home confinement, teaching became virtual in a matter of a few days and teachers had to adapt all their work inexorably. Faced with this totally unprecedented situation in the history of our educational system, this research has been used to investigate and describe the impact of the period of confinement on the school curriculum of physical education in primary and compulsory secondary education. The instrument used was a questionnaire made in Google Forms using the Delphi technique. The sample consisted of 100 teachers of the Primary Education (PE) and Secondary Education (SE) stages in Spain, specifically in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Among the main conclusions we highlight that the teachers considered that the objectives of health and physical condition were the most worked objectives in the area. The teachers consider that they did not manage to carry out the established motor times, nor the programming, but they did get the students to carry out a weekly task with an involvement of approximately one hour. It was concluded that the impact on learning was great because not all the contents were worked on and the tasks set were not evaluable.

Image processing for the diagnosis of COVID-19

Introduction: The positive diagnosis of COVID-19 in paucisymptomatic patients is a priority to minimize the spread of the disease. The absence of respiratory manifestations makes diagnosis difficult and facilitates the spread. Given this situation, it is necessary to adopt technical solutions that allow diagnosis in this type of patient. Objective: Describe rheumatological and dermatological image processing software in the diagnosis of paucisymptomatic patients with COVID-19.Methods: A software based on the algorithm for the diagnostic approach of COVID-19 in paucisymptomatic patients was designed and developed. The procedure consisted of three stages;the first one was related to image processing and all its related elements;the second stage was oriented towards the identification of questions as a medical anamnesis. The third stage focused on the identification and analysis of laboratory test results and the definition of final recommendations based on the final result.Results: A software was designed based on an algorithm that includes three stages and is based on coincidence percentages, guiding the user in the behavior to follow depending on the coincidence percentage. It begins with the capture of an image and is followed by clinical, epidemiological and laboratory aspects of COVID-19. Conclusions: The algorithm for the diagnostic approach to COVID-19 is easy to use, low cost of use, and easy to implement, making it a technological tool at the service of human health to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Competitive cause of death in elderly breast cancer survivors

Background: Breats cancer is a major health problem in elderly ( >= 70 years) women. Increase incidence with age and the progressive increase in life expectancy mean that the numbers in elderly breast cancer diagnosis are increasing. These patients do not always receive the proper treatment and despite this the survival of this population is not always depends on cancer, there are other competing causes of death typical of the aging population. Method(s): A retrospective observational analysis of women >= age 70 diagnosed with breast carcinoma in HUPHM between 2014 and 2020 was made. Clinical, pathological data and stages at diagnosis were analyzed. We checked our patients with the national death center (official national registry) thus obtaining an exact date of death and the cause of death. Data updated in January 2023 , ensuring a minimum follow-up of 24 months. We excluded deaths from Covid or of unknown cause to avoid bias. Result(s): A total of 421 patients were analyzed, mean age of 78.6 years and median follow-up of 48 months. 28% of patients had died at the time of analysis, 11% due to cancer and 17% from other causes. If we analyze the population deceased by cancer, no deaths are detected in patients diagnosed with carcinoma in situ (4% of the population), in stage I (30% of the population) the cumulative incidence of cancer death at 5 years is 3%, 7% In stage II (30% of the population), 15% in stage III (16%) and 70% in stage IV (12%). Death by other causes are more frequent in early breast cancer, the cumulative incidence at 5 years are 10% in stage I, 22% in stage II, 44% in satge III and just 10% in stage IV. The most frequent causes of death in this population were caridovascular events and infections. There are no differences in 5-year mortality according to histological subtypes 20%, 12%, 25% and 12% for triple negative, Rh+/HER2-, RH+/her2+ and RH-/HER2+ respectively. Conclusion(s): Although elderly patients do not receive optical treatments, mortality from cancer in early stages is incidental at 5 years, a different scenario is seen in metastatic disease in which the patient's prognosis depends mainly on the oncological disease, Therefore, an effort should be made in the treatment of these patients with metastatic breast cancer since adequate treatments can have a clearly positive impact on the survival of patients. Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors. Funding(s): Has not received any funding. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.Copyright © 2023

Global Trends in the Determination of Coronavirus PDB Protein Structures

This study aims to examine the international publication patterns of coronavirus protein database (PDB) structures, beginning when the first coronavirus virion PDB structures were published in 2002 to the present (2022). Sources of these depositions were extracted from their publications and used as indicators of how countries reacted to the pandemic through research output and were then compared to demographic and economic metrics. Of the approximately 40 countries examined, the United States, United Kingdom, and China had the highest number of proteins, demonstrating research productivity centeredness in highly developed countries. These countries all displayed a peak in protein depositions in 2020 or 2021, and slowed down in 2022 likely due to the peaking of the pandemic and a slowing necessity of response. Population size was found to contribute little to no factor in determining the number of coronavirus protein depositions while higher economic status measured by the GDP per capita did correlate with higher numbers of protein depositions (Jaffe et al, 2020). The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases showed a positive association with the number of PDB depositions per country, specifically in the United States. Furthermore, South Africa and Brazil, despite not being in the top 10 research-producing countries, had a high number of cases and PDB depositions, suggesting the strong impact of confirmed cases on coronavirus research output (Normile, 2022). This study's measure of how countries' economic status, population, and confirmed coronavirus cases affects their responses in terms of coronavirus protein research output suggests an unequal distribution in publication origins, which poses a challenge to global pandemic response coordination. This study continues an earlier study presented at the PDB50 - ASBMB on-line meeting, on May 4- 5, 2021 by Janet Gonzalez, Matthew K. McDevitt, David Roman, & Manfred Philipp. NA.Copyright © 2023 The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Potential usefulness of CT as a marker of persistence of positive PCR in patients with COVID-19

BACKGROUND: One of the problems associated to SARS-CoV-2 was its persistence in nasopharyngeal tract. The existence of markers that help to predict this situation could be useful to management of the patients. The objective of this paper was to determine the relationship between the CT value from the initial PCR of patients with COVID-19 and the persistence of the infection. METHODS: It was performed an observational retrospective study of patients with positive PCR to SARS-CoV-2 attended in emergency department of a general hospital. Data about compatible symptoms, radiological findings and the CT value obtained with each PCR kit were collected. The control group (G0) included patients with a positive PCR followed by two negative PCR results (P-N-N), while problem group (G1) included patients with at least three consecutive positive PCR results (P-P-P). Chronic infections were discarded selecting only patients with negative serology, and only were included those whose PCR were separated by a minimum of five and maximum of twenty days. The comparison between the study groups was carried out using the t-student test for quantitative variables and the X2 test for qualitative variables. RESULTS: The mean CT value were 30.8 and 21.5 (p<0.001) on G0 and G1, respectively. G0 reported higher CT values than G1, regardless of symptoms, radiological pattern and the PCR kit utilized. CONCLUSIONS: The CT value from the SARS-CoV-2 initial PCR is related to the persistence of its positivity, regardless of the patient's symptoms or radiological pattern. Thus, low CT values could be related to persistent infections.

Liver failure as a complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the different variables that can cause liver injury in a patient hospitalized for COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study that included patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to the Central University Hospital of the State of Chihuahua from April 2020 to November 2020. A univariate analysis was performed to find the frequencies of demographic characteristics and of the drugs prescribed, as well as a comparison of means of the biochemical parameters using Student's t test. RESULT(S): One hundred thirty-four patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were included, who underwent liver function parameters and averages were obtained on the day of admission, on the fifth day and the last values recorded for improvement or death. Of the parameters, albumin levels showed a significant decrease on the 5th and last day of hospitalization compared to the first day of admission. On the other hand, the levels of alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase and erythrocyte sedimentation rate increased significantly on the 5th and last day of stay. CONCLUSION(S): There are different mechanisms that can generate liver injury associated with COVID-19. Of these, the uncontrolled inflammatory response that occurs can alter liver function tests. Our results found a relationship between the alteration of different laboratory parameters and the days of hospital stay of patients with the disease.Copyright © 2023 Comunicaciones Cientificas Mexicanas S.A. de C.V.. All rights reserved.

Minecraft, The New Border Of The Snap World

The Virtual Snap World is a project that aims to facilitate the teaching of electronics through educational tools. It finds opportunities in the Minecraft video game to connect and promote interest in science and engineering in new generations. This new setting eases the hybrid environment performance which means it provides the face-to-face or virtual system. This presents a solution to the problem the COVID-19 pandemic has created so as to focus on prevention measurements for contagion and the impediment to create events. This project allows having learning spaces considering people's health now that it can be developed from anywhere in the world.

Tuberculosis in times of COVID-19: Challenges and opportunities

This study discusses how the endTB project, which had the aim to eradicate tuberculosis by 2030, has been affected by addressing emerging pathologies;consequently, an increase in the rate of infection and mortality by tuberculosis was reported in 2021. Although the scientific community focuses on COVID-19, we cannot forget tuberculosis. Both pathologies show important similarities, which suggest that investment in research in both study fields can be used to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for both pathologies. The analysis of tuberculosis, an infectious disease that is a public health problem worldwide, under the COVID-19 context is helpful to highlight the shortcomings of health systems worldwide.

Neurological complications associated with COVID-19. Saint Vincent de Paul Hospital, 2021

Background: COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-Cov-2 virus and presents a wide range of symptoms, both in its acute phase and in its chronic phase. Among the systems that it affects is the Nervous, due to its neurotropic mechanism. Objective: to determine the risk of neurological complications associated with the COVID-19 severity in adult patients. Methods: a descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out, which included 143 positive patients for COVID-19 treated at the San Vicente de Pa & uacute;l Hospital, in Ibarra, Ecuador, during 2021. Neurological complications and the severity of the COVID-19 disease were analyzed. As a measure of association for these variables, the Fisher Test was used (p = <= 0.05) and a bivariate analysis was performed. Results: 54% of the patients presented neurological complications of the Central Nervous System, while 46% were of the Peripheral Nervous System;and mild-moderate severity was the most frequent (41%), and hearing impairment had the highest statistical probability of occurring (OR= 74.968;CI: 95%). The case fatality rate in these patients was 7.1%;and in those with neurological complications, 8.4%.Conclusion: the neurological sequelae most likely to occur were hearing impairment and taste impairment, in patients with mild severity and serious severity, respectively;in addition to polyneuropathy in patients with critical severity, which also occurred in deceased patients. Keywords: Coronavirus infections;neurologic manifestations;central nervous system;peripheral nervous system;severity of illness index

Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Adherence of Hiv Patients

Background and Importance In 2020 Spain was involved in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This situation entailed in the dispensing of drugs from pharmacy services to patients' homes. This way of reaching the patient facilitated the access to antiretroviral treatment (ART) in this difficult situation. However, due to the social stigmas, certain patients did not consent to access this dispensing system. Aim and Objectives The objective is to study how adherence to antiretroviral treatment was affected in HIV-positive patients during the months of the first alarm state in Spain (March 14 to June 21 2020);because during those period ART was home dispensation. Material and Methods Observational retrospective study, included patients HIV-positive who received ART during the first alarm state in Spain during COVID-19 pandemic and in the same period of 2019. Collected data were: sex, age and variables related to pharmacological treatment (ART in the selected periods, number of dispensations made, galenic units dispensed). To measure adherence, an indirect method was used, comparing the dispensations made in the hospital pharmacy of the hospital of Leon during the studied period and the same dates of the previous year. % adherence = [dispensed galenic units/planned galenic units] x100 Results We analyse 444 patients with a median age of 54 years (45-59) being 77.93% (n=346) men. During the study period 83 patients (18.69%) changed their ART. 38.55% (n=32) carried out a simplification of ART in 2020 (from a treatment based on several pharmaceutical forms to a treatment based on a single one). The mean adherence in the periods studied in 2019 and 2020 was 91.89% (CI 90.44-92.90) and 90.25% (CI 87.61- 92.90), respectively. In 2019, 67.12% (n=298) of patients had adherence greater than 95%, compared to 86.71% (n=385) in 2020. For 38 patients there are no medication dispensations during the 2020 period. Of the majority (n=27) the reason for the absence is unknown;6 were not disposed of from the hospital of Leon for spending the confinement outside the city;4 have died and 1 did not accept home dispensation. Conclusion and Relevance The implementation of home dispensing could have positively influenced adherence in HIVpositive patients. It is necessary to evaluate in the future that the implementation of new telepharmacy programmes can have a positive influence on adherence.