Web Platform for the Analysis of Physical and Mental Health Data of Students

The development of systems that help automate and manage people’s lives at different levels is what has driven the enormous growth that humanity has had. On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant an unprecedented event that has marked a before and after for the entire world. As a result of this, companies and institutions implemented various technological tools to have a greater capacity to respond to the challenges generated by this and other similar potential diseases, however, the development of these technological tools is not always clear and accessible, particularly to small companies and to academic institutions. This paper describes the development of a web tool for the analysis of physical and mental health data of students using a COVID-19 screening tool, commonly used psychological questionnaires and inventories which help diagnose symptoms of mental illnesses, and a microblogging tool for further natural language processing. The results and conclusions reached at the end of this work are also presented. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Investigation of the value of precipitins in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) patients with a positive marker for Aspergillus species.

Although a high prevalence of COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis has been reported, it is still difficult to distinguish between colonization with Aspergillus fumigatus and infection. Concomitantly, similarities between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and hypersensitivity pneumonitis were suggested. The objective of this study was to investigate retrospectively if precipitin assays targeting A. fumigatus could have been useful in the management of SARS-CoV-2 patients hospitalized in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in 2020. SARS-CoV-2 ICU patients were screened for Aspergillus co-infection using biomarkers (galactomannan antigen, qPCR) and culture of respiratory samples (tracheal aspirates and bronchoalveolar lavage). For all these patients, clinical data, ICU characteristics and microbial results were collected. Electrosyneresis assays were performed using commercial A. fumigatus somatic and metabolic antigens. ELISA were performed using in-house A. fumigatus purified antigen and recombinant antigens.Our study population consisted of 65 predominantly male patients, with a median ICU stay of 22 days, and a global survival rate of 62%. Thirty-five patients had at least one positive marker for Aspergillus species detection. The number of arcs obtained by electrosyneresis using the somatic A. fumigatus antigen was significantly higher for these 35 SARS-CoV-2 ICU patients (P 0.01, Welch's t-test). Our study showed that SARS-CoV-2 ICU patients with a positive marker for Aspergillus species detection more often presented precipitins towards A. fumigatus. Serology assays could be an additional tool to assess the clinical relevance of the Aspergillus species in respiratory samples of SARS-CoV-2 ICU patients. LAY SUMMARY: This study showed retrospectively that precipitin assays, such as electrosyneresis, could be helpful to distinguish between colonization and infection with Aspergillus fumigatus during the management of severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV-2) patients in an intensive care unit.

Education for innovation and entrepreneurship in the food system: the Erasmus plus BoostEdu approach and results

Innovation and entrepreneurship are key factors to provide added value for food systems. Based on the findings of the Erasmus+Strategic Partnership BoostEdu, the objective of this paper is to provide answers to three knowledge gaps: 1) identify the needs for innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) in the food sector;2) understand the best way to organize learning;3) provide flexibility in turbulent times. BoostEdu aimed to provide a platform for continuing education within I&E for food professionals and was carried out through co-creation workshops and the development of an e-learning course. The results of the project in particular during the Covid-19 pandemics, highlighted the need for flexible access to modules that are complementary to other sources and based on a mix of theoretical concepts and practical experiences. The main lessons learned concern the need of co-creation and co-learning processes to identify suitable practices for the use of innovative digital technologies.

Colombian consensus for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of thrombotic conditions in adults with COVID-19: applying GRADE Evidence to Decision (EtD) Frameworks

Introduction: recent studies have reported the occurrence of thrombotic phenomena or coagulopathy in patients with COVID-19. There are divergent positions regarding the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of these phenomena, and current clinical practice is based solely on deductions by extension from retrospective studies, case series, observational studies, and international guidelines developed prior to the pandemic. Objective: to generate a group of recommendations on the prevention, diagnosis and management of thrombotic complications associated with COVID-19. Methods: a rapid guidance was carried out applying the GRADE Evidence to Decision (EtD) frameworks and an iterative participation system, with statistical and qualitative analysis. Results: 31 clinical recommendations were generated focused on: a) Coagulation tests in symptomatic adults with suspected infection or confirmed SARS CoV-2 infection;b) Thromboprophylaxis in adults diagnosed with COVID-19 (Risk scales, thromboprophylaxis for outpatient, in-hospital management, and duration of thromboprophylaxis after discharge from hospitalization), c) Diagnosis and treatment of thrombotic complications, and d) Management of people with previous indication of anticoagulant agents. Conclusions: recommendations of this consensus guide clinical decision-making regarding the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of thrombotic phenomena in patients with COVID-19, and represent an agreement that will help decrease the dispersion in clinical practices according to the challenge imposed by the pandemic.

Bioethical principles in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

The worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an international sanitary crisis that many countries could not tackle. In our country the relationship among the health care professionals their patients and relatives has been affected, in part due to a disorganized governmental response to the pandemic that dictated incorrect treatment recommendations based on foreign experiences resulting in severe attempts against the individual dignity. On the other hand, the lack of resources, the rampant corruption and the poor resolution capacity for diagnosing cases leaded not only of knowing the magnitude of the pandemic in the country but also to discouragement among health care professionals who are at the frontline experiencing fear and vulnerability. We do believe that we need to rethink on the impact of the pandemic in the country as well as on the critical reforms needed in our health care system promoting integrated human care, following current bioethical models and personalized ethical principles in order to improve current medical practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.