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Background & Aim: Immunocompromised patients are susceptible to high-risk opportunistic infections and malignant diseases. If available, most antiviral and antifungal drugs are quite toxic, relatively ineffective, and induce resistance in the long term. Methods, Results & Conclusion(s): We have previously demonstrated the safety of adoptive cell therapy for COVID-19 patients with CD45RA negative cells containing SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells from a donor, chosen based on HLA compatibility and cellular response to SARS-CoV-2 peptide pools. After finishing a Phase 2 randomized multicenter clinical trial (RELEASE, NCT04578210), we concluded that the infusion is safe, effective, accelerates lymphocyte recovery and shows hallmarks of an immune response. To use adoptive cell therapy to treat COVID-19 it would be necessary to develop a biobank of living drugs. For that, we examined the immune evolution performing a longitudinal analysis from previously SARS-CoV-2 infected and infection- naive individuals covering 21 months from infection. Cellular responses were maintained over time while humoral responses increased after vaccination but were gradually lost. Therefore, the best donors would be recovered individuals and two months after vaccination. We also evaluated the effect of dexamethasone (current standard of care treatment for COVID-19 and other infections involving lymphopenia) and Interleukin-15 (cytokine involved in T-cell maintenance and survival) on CD45RA negative. Dexamethasone did not alter cell functionality, proliferation or phenotype at a clinical-practice concentration, while interleukin-15 increased the memory T-cell and T-regulatory cell activation state, and interferon gamma release. Furthermore, we applied the adoptive passive transfer of CD45RA negative cells containing pathogen-specific memory T-cells to other infectious diseases characterized by sustained lymphopenia. We infused six immunocompromised patients with Cytomegalovirus, BK virus, Aspergillus, and Epstein-Barr virus lymphoproliferative disease. Patients experienced pathogen clearance, resolution of symptoms and lymphocyte increase. Transient microchimerism was detected in three patients. The use of CD45RA negative cells containing specific memory T cells of a third-party donor for treating severe pathogenic diseases in immunocompromised patients is feasible, safe, and effective, and has an advantage over other cell therapies such as lower costs and a less complex regulatory environment.Copyright © 2023 International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy
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The modality of teleworking due to the COVID-19 pandemic implied an excess of electronic information processing and some telecommunication means. These methods were necessary for contact between the teleworker and the company, compared to how it was done prior to this health emergency. Teleworking is defined as a form of provision of non-face-to-face services in ordinary and special work days through which the worker carries out his activities outside the employer's facilities. It is carried out using information and communication technologies. However, it is necessary to take into account a series of aspects in the organization of work to guarantee the rights that assist the worker. The objective of this research is to analyze the incidence of the teleworking day on the right to fair remuneration and to provide a possible solution with the elaboration of a doctrinal legal analysis. The technique used was the documentary review.
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Background: People following hospital discharge for COVID-19 may experience persisting negative effects of the disease. Investigation of the short and long-term effects are necessary to refer people to appropriate rehabilitation services for functional recovery. Aim(s): To evaluate physical and respiratory function of people with COVID-19 shortly after hospital discharge. Method(s): Assessments were undertaken at three time points: (i) within three weeks following hospital discharge (A1);(ii) at three months (A2);and (iii) six months following discharge (A3). Measures were collected of: fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale;FSS), lower-limb function (1 minute sit-to-stand test;1-STS), pulmonary function (spirometry), dyspnea (MRC Scale) and physical activity in daily life (PADL) (accelerometry). Result(s): Forty people were included (18[45%] men;55[51-60] years;length of hospital stay: 8+/-6 days;FSS: 54.5[44.2-59];1-STS: 21+/-7;FVC %pred: 87+/-15;FEV1 %pred: 88+/-15;FEV1/FVC (%): 83+/-6;4,284+/-2,460 steps/day;MRC: 3+/-1). There was a: reduction in fatigue from A1 to A2 (mean difference [95% CI] -1.8 [-2,5;-1.2])] and from A1 to A3 (-2.2 [-2.9;-1.4]);an improvement in lower-limb function from A1 to A2 (5.1 [2.2;7,9]) and from A1 to A3 (5.6 [3.18;8]);an improvement in FVC %pred from A1 to A3 (5.9 [1.5;10.2]);and a reduction on dyspnea from A1 to A2 (-1.2 [-0.6;-0.3]) and from A1 to A3 [-1.2 (-0.6;-1,8)]. No change in PADL was found. Conclusion(s): People with COVID-19 post-hospital discharge present fatigue, functional impairment, dyspnea, poor PADL and normal lung function. Improvements in dyspnea, fatigue and lower-limb function were observed at three and six-months follow-up.
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The state of emergency declared in many countries due to the pandemic led universities to consider the incursion of technological tools to give continuity to the teaching and learning process;therefore it is significant to explore results regarding the application of augmented reality (AR) in education. The objective of the research is to generate knowledge from the systematic review of the literature framed in the context of virtual teaching in the midst of COVID-19. A bibliographic review was carried out under a mixed approach, exploratory and descriptive level. The findings showed that the application of AR in learning is not exclusive to any engineering specialty, but, on the contrary, it is versatile and adapts to various curricular contents;Also, the way in which augmented reality is applied is more focused on the use of mobile augmented reality (mobile AR) technology with markerless activation. In addition, it was identified that the factors that were analysed to demonstrate the contribution of AR were: the effectiveness of learning, the predisposition to use AR and the motivation generated by AR. With which it can be concluded that AR in this context has managed to position itself as a learning resource that goes beyond a tool linked to a virtual classroom, since it allows the student to transcend towards immersion in environments with high contextual fidelity. Future research should address which factors influence the improvement of mobile AR activation sensitivity, in different contexts. © Authors.
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The aim of this article was to analyse the influence of population confinement on the experience of cannabis use and to identify the factors that modulate the pattern of cannabis use in a group of drug users living in the autonomous community of Aragón (Spain). For this purpose, a qualitative study was carried out based on sixteen semi-structured personal interviews with cannabis users according to a non-random snowball sampling. After analysing their discourse, changes were observed both in terms of an increase and a decrease in the experience of consumption, as well as a possible relationship between the changes in the consumption pattern of these users and the restrictions decreed by the government of this country. Thus, it was concluded that the population confinement generated changes in the consumption pattern of drug users, with an increase in consumption occurring in users with an increase in available free time and who had collected cannabis prior to asylum. Meanwhile, the reduction was related to the decrease in opportunities to consume cannabis, lack of knowledge of suppliers and longer working hours, mainly. © 2022 Asociacion Espanola de Estudio en Drogodependencias. All rights reserved.
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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.
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Purpose: Considering the unprecedented supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the agri-food sector, the possession of dynamic capabilities (DCs) – particularly, the need for higher agility – seems to be the key to survival in highly uncertain environments. This study aims to use the dynamic capability view (DCV) theory to analyze how three key supply chain capabilities – organizational flexibility, integration and agility – should be combined to obtain the desired supply chain performance. Design/methodology/approach: The authors designed a conceptual model in which the relationships between these three key capabilities and supply chain performance were hypothesized. The model was first tested through partial least square regression using survey data collected from 98 members of the Peruvian coffee supply chain. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was conducted to uncover how DCs could be combined in successful supply chain configurations. Findings: The authors show that organizational flexibility is a driver of higher agility in agri-food supply chains, together with external and internal supply chain integration, that have a direct impact on agility, which positively affects supply chain performance. Higher levels of supply chain agility are necessary but insufficient to guarantee high performance, as sufficiency is reached when both integration (internal and/or external) and agility are present. Originality/value: This study represents a pioneering attempt to apply the DCV theory to agri-food supply chains – characterized by many sources of uncertainty. All the DCs are included within the same model and the joint use of PLS regression and fsQCA provides evidence about the relationships between DCs and how they can empower agri-food supply to obtain the desired performance. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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In Ecuador since 1902 the possibility of divorce is admit-ted. Statistics show that the trend of divorce is increasing, registering a divorce rate of 12.7 in 2021. The proposed objective of this research is to characterize the divorce processes executed in the first quarter of 2021 in the canton of Atacames in the province of Esmeraldas. With this, it is expected to identify the level of satisfaction of the participants in relation to this legal process, and thus determine whether there is adherence to current regula-tions and whether constitutional rights are complied with in the processing of divorce proceedings. It is concluded that the divorces show similarity with the data collected and published in the country in terms of age groups, pre-vious marital status, but differ in the grounds used, due to the impact of covid-19 on human and family relationships during isolation. There is satisfaction in the fulfillment of constitutional rights. In general, the respondents showed a higher degree of satisfaction with the legal services re-ceived through notaries than through the courts, with a satisfaction index of 0.50 and 0.369 respectively, stating that the notarial service has fulfilled their expectations.
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This paper provides a macro-micro modeling analysis of the ex-ante effects of COVID-19 mitigation and recovery policies on macroeconomic and distributional effects, particularly on female and male workers, income distribution, and poverty in Zimbabwe. With an emphasis on modeling gender-disaggregated labor markets and COVID-19 policy responses, the paper presents and combines the most recent data on poverty, gender, and the economy at the national level. The study finds that i) without any government mitigation measures, the gross domestic product will remain below business-as-usual levels; ii) poorer women are hardest hit because they are employed in sectors that are exposed and vulnerable to COVID-19 response measures; and iii) mitigation measures to counteract the negative effects of increases in poverty are effective only in the short term, and additional measures to sustain poverty reduction for the long term to sustain the poverty reductions are required. These results highlight the short-term versus long-term dilemma the government faces when contemplating responses to COVID-19.
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Introduction: In early 2020, the world was exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic, with social isolation being one of the preventive measures to control the spread of the disease. The pandemic and social isolation generated several implications in the usual routine of the population, among them, changes in eating habits. Objective: To evaluate the food consumption of university students during the period of social isolation and analyze its relationship with bodily and emotional perceptions. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional research was carried out with 445 university students from Guarapuava-PR of both genders. Data collection took place through an online questionnaire, with social, emotional, food, body satisfaction, feelings and weekly food intake questions. Results: There was a prevalence of 81.2% females aged between 18 and 21 years. Comparing food consumption before and during the pandemic, significant changes in chocolate consumption were observed. Regarding feelings and body image, those who consumed more ultra -processed foods were stressed, anxious, tired and dissatisfied with their bodies. On the other hand, those who were calm, willing and satisfied with their bodies, increased their consumption of fruits and vegetables. Conclusion: Food consumption had significant relationships with the emotions and body perception of university students analyzed during the period of social isolation.
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Background: It is essential to identify the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients infected with COVID-19 associated with disease progression leading to ICU admission. The objective was to systematically review the models or scores for predicting admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) available to date for patients with COVID-19. Methods: The study is a systematic review. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Ovid-Medline, and Embase were searched until July 13, 2022. We included studies that have developed and validated a model or scoring system to predict ICU admission in patients with COVID-19. The primary outcome was ICU admission. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the PROBAST tool which is based on four domains: participants, predictors, outcome and analysis. Results: Two studies were included for data extraction and critical appraisal. Predictive models of ICU admission and performance were obtained as primary outcomes. Common predictors for both models were associated with pulmonary compromise (respiratory rate or pulmonary ventilation) and systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein). Conclusions: It is feasible to determine predictor variables for ICU admission in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. However, the studies do not determine a clearly defined score and present a high risk of bias, so it is not feasible to recommend the application of any of these models in clinical practice. © 2022 Publicado por Cuerpo Médico Hospital Nacional Almanzor Aguinaga Asenjo.
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The objective of this work is to determine, empirically, the challenges that foreign language teachers have faced, in different countries of the world, during the health crisis, derived from Covid-19. In this research, the reasons underlying these difficulties are analyzed, evaluating the role of digital teaching competence in the training of this group. This work is defined with a mixed paradigm in which quantitative and qualitative methods are systematically integrated to ensure optimal triangulation of the data obtained. The main quantitative data collection tool is a questionnaire designed to determine the challenges of the foreign language teacher during the pandemic and that has been distributed digitally to informants. An accidental non-probabilistic sampling has been used that has made it possible to obtain information from sixty-four teachers at different educational levels and located in different countries of the world: Spain, USA, France, Ivory Coast, Australia, Latvia, Barbados, Colombia, Hong Kong, England, Madagascar, Italy, Thailand or Trinidad and Tobago, among others. The qualitative component consists of a set of free-response questions, that seek to validate previously obtained data and demonstrate that teacher digital literacy is a pending subject in foreign language teacher training, a deficiency, even more, appreciated during the health crisis. © 2022, Educacao e Pesquisa. All Rights Reserved.
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Several adverse consequences resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. These have affected academia at many levels, including mandatory requirements for educators and students worldwide to switch to remote online learning or blended learning. This need exacerbated new technology and software learning to maintain proper communication and student engagement during online lectures. For instructors, these demands included learning how to use software to produce high-quality lessons, either in a pre-recorded format for asynchronous learning or through live online lectures for synchronous learning. For students, it meant rapid adaptability to learn video teleconferencing communication tools and a demand to keep up with multiple courses and learning management systems (LMS). Nonetheless, this accelerated learning of online communication tools bridges a technology gap that previously limited online international education. Students and instructors worldwide are now familiar with online connectivity tools;thus, it is essential to review potential opportunities to increase collaborative learning and education, particularly at an international level. In the past, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) programs provided stewardship to global learning experiences at many universities worldwide. Broadly, these should cover four significant aspects: (a) collaborations with students in other countries with other backgrounds and cultures, (b) engagement through online interactions for assignment completion or lectures, (c) development and assessment of students' global perspectives and competencies, and a (d) reflective aspect of learning and education. This study reviews previous COIL implementations in the literature, emphasizing chemical engineering and other STEM courses. To our knowledge, COIL implementations are widespread in social sciences;however, few reports highlight these practices in engineering courses. We review perspectives, methodologies, challenges, and resources needed for positive and long-lasting COIL implementations here. In addition, we offer a plan to implement a short-term COIL-based project in a chemical engineering course with faculty participants from the US and El Salvador. Any engineering educators planning to implement COIL activities can use these suggestions. Ultimately, this low-cost pedagogy could significantly aid in promoting cultural, technical, and global competence in engineering students in the next post-pandemic years. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2022.
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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a large number of human losses, especially that of the elderly, leading the nursing student to face a reality in which death and the grieving process have led to readjust life in the face of loss. Method: Qualitative-descriptive study, at the University of Tolima, Colombia within the framework of the nursing course for the elderly, during the month of March 2021, with the participation of 27 nursing students contacted during the remote meetings of the subject. With summative content analysis proposed by Hsieh and Shannon. During the study, the categories were discussed among the researchers, the care in the production of data and its subsequent analysis guaranteed rigor. Results: Three categories were identified as follows: I. With the pandemic the death process was dehumanized, II. The pandemic is the fear of death. III. The pandemic transformed the way people cry. Conclusion: From the perspective of the nursing students of the elderly, the pandemi c increased the fear of dying, dehumanized the death process, and transformed the experience of grief. © 2022, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.
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Background and Aims: Initial reports on US COVID-19 showed different outcomes in different races. In this study, we use a diverse large cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients to determine predictors of mortality. Methods: We analyzed data from hospitalized COVID- 19 patients (n=5,852) from 8 hospitals. Demographics, comorbidities, symptoms and laboratory data were collected. Results: The cohort contained 3,662 (61.7%) African Americans (AA), 286 (5%) American Latinx (LAT), 1,407 (23.9%), European Americans (EA), and 93 (1.5%) American Asians (AS). Survivors and dead patients' mean ages were 58 and 68 for AA, 58 and 77 for EA, 44 and 61 for LAT, and 51 and 63 for AS. Mortality rates for AA, LAT, and EA were 14.8%, 7.3%, and 16.3%. Mortality increased among patients with the following characteristics: age, male gender, New York region, cardiac disease, COPD, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, history of cancer, immunosuppression, elevated lymphocytes, CRP, ferritin, D-Dimer, creatinine, troponin, and procalcitonin. Use of mechanical ventilation, respiratory failure, shortness of breath (SOB) (p<0.01), fatigue (p=0.04), diarrhea (p=0.02), and increased AST (p<0.01), significantly correlated with death in multivariate analysis. Male sex and EA and AA race/ethnicity had a higher frequency of death. Diarrhea was among the most common GI symptom amongst AAs (6.8%). When adjusting for comorbidities, significant variables were age (over 45 years old), male sex, EA, patients hospitalized in Indiana, Michigan, Georgia, and District of Columbia. When adjusting for disease severity, significant variables were age over 65 years old, male sex, EA as well as having SOB, elevated CRP, and D-dimer. Glucocorticoid usage was associated with an increased risk of COVID- 19 death in our cohort. Conclusion: Among this large cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients enriched for African Americans, predictors of mortality include male gender, diarrhea, elevated AST, comorbidities, respiratory symptoms and failure, and elevation of inflammatory- related biomarkers. These findings may reflect the extent of systemic organ involvement by SARS-CoV-2 and subsequent progression to multi-system organ failure. High mortality in AA in comparison with LAT is likely related to a high frequency of comorbidities and older age among AA.
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BACKGROUND: Acute Generalised Exanthematous Pustulosis (AGEP) is a rash with multiple sterile intraepidermal or subcorneal non-follicular pustules on edematous papules, with a sudden development and rapid evolution, triggered by drugs, vaccination, insect bites, exposure to mercury, and allergens. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: We describe a female patient who developed extensive and abnormally prolonged AGEP following exposure to terbinafine and SARS-CoV vaccine. A detailed review of terbinafine-induced-AGEP cases was performed, with the aim of evaluating if the AGEP criteria would follow a different pattern when the disease is triggered by this drug. A PubMed search helped retrieve all terbinafine-induced AGEP case reports. AGEP-specific Sideroff criteria were analysed in terbinafine-induced cases and compared to other trigger causes. CONCLUSIONS: When the AGEP causative drug was terbinafine, a delay in recovery was observed, compared to the existing AGEP criteria when other causes are considered. Terbinafine frequently leads to delayed resolution AGEP probably due to the presence of the drug in the skin for several weeks after exposure, even after discontinuation, and the disease severity may be potentialised by additional factors such as concomitant viral infections or vaccination.
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Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis , Mercury , Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis/etiology , Female , Humans , Skin , Terbinafine/adverse effectsABSTRACT
The objective was to determine if stress constitutes a risk factor in university students' academic performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Puno Peru. The study uses a correlational quantitative approach. Stress was measured using the additive index construction of the Patients Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and through the factorial analysis of principal components from PHQ- 9. Furthermore, the academic risk was calculated using the probit regression method;a group of 1046 university students from three study programs were the sample subjects. The results show that students who experience higher levels of stress are more likely to report a decline in their grades and learning achievements during the pandemic. It is evidenced that an increase in an additional unit of stress increases the risk of deterioration in academic performance by approximately 3%.
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Health care must be permeated by love, friendship and solidarity between the individuals involved in the process. The image of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Lk is considered a model of care and must be followed by everyone who intends to be ethical and competent in the act of caring. This research aimed to demonstrate, through a comparison of calculations and mathematical models, the variation between the cost of ICU/Covid-19 versus the cost of vaccine to combat Covid-19, having as a premise the care of the Brazilian population through vaccination in mass and the forecast for eradication of the disease in Brazil considering the image of the good Samaritan as a model of care and ethical attitude to be followed. The method adopted was the dialectical-descriptive method, preceded by a literature review with a qualitative approach. Data analysis was carried out by comparing the amounts spent on the three doses of vaccine as opposed to spending on hospitalization in the ICU Covid-19. The result obtained highlights that the temporal variation in the number of deaths between Jan./21 and Oct./21, after the start of vaccination, had a negative rate of-10.90%. It was concluded that corroborating scientific statements, the vaccine saves, therefore, vaccinating is an act of caring for and loving your neighbor, your population and that, within the primary obligation of caring for the population, it is the responsibility of the State.
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Background: The impact of the first wave of the pandemic due to SARS-CoV-2 has been enormous in Spanish hospitals, being Madrid one of the most affected communities. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the pandemic on the workers of a hospital located in one of the most affected areas of Madrid (Alcala de Henares) using a chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA). Methods: We conducted a seroprevalence survey between June 25th and July 31st, 2020, over hospital workers from our institution. This study population was previously analyzed using a diagnostic approach which consisted of PCR and a serologic rapid test. For the present survey, prevalence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was studied using chemiluminescence. We analyzed the prevalence in healthcare workers (HCW) and non-healthcare workers (nHCW). Information about professional category, use of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and previous COVID-19 contacts was collected to determine the risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity. Comparisons were made using the Mann-Whitney U test (continuous variables) and the two-tailed Fisher's exact test (categorical variables). Risk factors for seropositivity were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Results: A total of 2,219 workers were included and 847 of them (38.2%) presented IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, being seroprevalence significantly higher for HCW (39.3%) than for nHCW (30.7%, p=0.006). We found no differences regarding positivity rates compared with the first diagnostic approach for symptomatic and asymptomatic workers, or infected workers per professional category. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the use of PPE (protective, OR=0.65;95%CI: 0.48-0.89;p<0.001) and previous contact with COVID-19 patients (risk factor, OR=1.93;95%CI: 1.37-2.72;p<0.001) were independent factors that were associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity. Conclusions: More than 38% of our workers presented IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. We found no differences in the positivity rates between diagnostic approaches. The use of PPE (protective) and previous contact with COVID-19 patients (risk factor) were associated with infection.