Management of deceased and living kidney donor with lithiasis: a multicenter retrospective study on behalf of the renal transplant group of the Spanish urological association.

BACKGROUND: To maximize the availability of suitable grafts and ensure effective management, several reports have demonstrated successful outcomes when using kidney grafts with urolithiasis. This multicenter study reports on the management and long-term outcomes of kidney transplantation using renal grafts with lithiasis. METHODS: Retrospective data from three Spanish hospitals were analyzed for kidney transplants involving grafts with nephrolithiasis performed between December 2009 and August 2023. The study included adult patients, excluding those with incomplete records. It evaluated stone characteristics, complications, and outcomes in recipients and in living kidney donors. RESULTS: Out of 38 analyzed kidney transplants, 57.9% were cadaveric and 42.1% were from living kidney donors. Most diagnoses were incidental during donor evaluation, with an average stone size of 7.06 mm. After follow-up (median 26 months), all recipients but one had functioning grafts, and there were no stone recurrences in both recipients and living kidney donors. Conservative management was adopted in 28 cases, while 10 cases required ex-vivo flexible ureterorenoscopy for stone removal. Following conservative management, 5 patients needed additional treatments for stone-related events. CONCLUSIONS: Kidneys with lithiasis can be considered for transplantation in selected cases, resulting in good functional outcomes with no stone recurrence in recipients or living donors.

A smartphone image-based method for the colorimetric characterization of historical pigments in mural paintings.

In this article, the detailed description of a smartphone-based analytical method to turn a smartphone into a colorimeter is described and applied to mural painting replicas. The method consists of a camera characterization process, to estimate CIELAB values from RGB camera responses, correcting for potential experimental interferences, like the effect of the lighting/capture geometry or software for color modification and enhancement. Next, the estimated CIELAB descriptors were used to build a chemometric Support Vector Classifier to objectively distinguish among the colors of the different pigments. The method was validated in terms of color reproduction and classification performance.•A smartphone-based method is described to capture mural painting color.•A color gamut-specific camera characterization procedure is developed and the performance of the smartphone-based colorimeter is compared with a spectrophotometer.•A classification method based on the estimated CIELAB descriptors is validated in terms of classification performance.

Predictive health monitoring: Leveraging artificial intelligence for early detection of infectious diseases in nursing home residents through discontinuous vital signs analysis.

This research addresses the problem of detecting acute respiratory, urinary tract, and other infectious diseases in elderly nursing home residents using machine learning algorithms. The study analyzes data extracted from multiple vital signs and other contextual information for diagnostic purposes. The daily data collection process encounters sampling constraints due to weekends, holidays, shift changes, staff turnover, and equipment breakdowns, resulting in numerous nulls, repeated readings, outliers, and meaningless values. The short time series generated also pose a challenge to analysis, preventing the extraction of seasonal information or consistent trends. Blind data collection results in most of the data coming from periods when residents are healthy, resulting in excessively imbalanced data. This study proposes a data cleaning process and then builds a mechanism that reproduces the basal activity of the residents to improve the classification of the disease. The results show that the proposed basal module-assisted machine learning techniques allow anticipating diagnostics 2, 3 or 4 days before doctors decide to start treatment with antibiotics, achieving a performance measured by the area-under-the-curve metric of 0.857. The contributions of this work are: (1) a new data cleaning process; (2) the analysis of contextual information to improve data quality; (3) the generation of a baseline measure for relative comparison; and (4) the use of either binary (disease/no disease) or multiclass classification, differentiating among types of infections and showing the advantages of multiclass versus binary classification. From a medical point of view, the anticipated detection of infectious diseases in institutionalized individuals is brand new.

Efficacy and safety of artificial tears containing Artemia salina extract with dinucleotides for dry eye.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This clinical trial was conducted as part of the marketing procedures for a medical device comprising artificial tears containing Artemia salina extract with dinucleotides. These molecules previously demonstrated secretagogue properties by enhancing the production of aqueous, mucinous, and lipidic components of the tears. BACKGROUND: After confirming the efficacy of artificial tears containing Artemia salina extract in an animal model, this study proceeded to evaluate their efficacy and safety on dry eye participants. METHODS: A randomised controlled clinical trial was performed on 36 dry eye participants (41.6 ± 20.6 years). Half of the participants were treated with saline solution as a placebo for four weeks, while the other half were treated with artificial tears containing Artemia salina, randomly assigned. After a wash-out period of two weeks, the treatments were crossed for another four weeks. Participants were assessed at baseline and after one week, two weeks, and four weeks. Efficacy variables were: eye dryness frequency (primary), eye comfort, visual satisfaction, tear secretion, tear break-up time, corneal staining, conjunctival staining, and conjunctival hyperaemia. Safety variables were: high- and low-contrast visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and eye fundus images analysis. RESULTS: Compared with the baseline, the saline solution showed no significant changes in any of the studied variables after four weeks of treatment (p ≥ 0.05). However, the topical instillation of the artificial tears with Artemia salina for four weeks significantly improved eye dryness frequency (p = 0.014) and corneal staining (p = 0.010). No systemic or ocular adverse events were reported during the clinical trial. CONCLUSION: The topical instillation of artificial tears containing Artemia salina in mild to moderate dry eye participants for four weeks slightly improved their symptoms related to eye dryness frequency and reduced corneal damage, with no undesirable side effects observed.

Unveiling origins, composition, and appearance of ancient Islamic gold coins through elemental and smartphone-based colorimetric studies.

In this article, the Islamic gold coins collections of the University of Valencia is studied for the first time for its elemental composition and colorimetric properties. To that end, non-destructive elemental analysis using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence is applied to obtain the coins' elemental profile. Additionally, the colour of the coins is assessed using smartphone-based colorimetry as an innovative non-invasive method. Results indicate that the Islamic coins could be attributed to Almoravids, and the gold origin could be the famous Sudanese gold, an ore which was valued all over the world. Also, the text found in the coins was translated and allowed to objectively identify the mint and year. Based on these results, it can be seen that the earliest coins struck in the Iberian Peninsula are characterised by slightly lower gold concentrations than the ones struck in the northern part of Africa, pointing towards a potential recycling of coins which already circulated in the area. In conclusion, this work provides new analytical insights into a peculiar and unique type of samples, allowing to draw some conclusions in terms of their origins and materials, and for the first time allows to characterise the chromatic coordinates of this type of samples.

Beneficial Effects of Halogenated Anesthetics in Cardiomyocytes: The Role of Mitochondria.

In the last few years, the use of anesthetic drugs has been related to effects other than those initially related to their fundamental effect, hypnosis. Halogenated anesthetics, mainly sevoflurane, have been used as a therapeutic tool in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, thanks to the beneficial effect of the cardiac protection they generate. This effect has been described in several research studies. The mechanism by which they produce this effect has been associated with the effects generated by anesthetic preconditioning and postconditioning. The mechanisms by which these effects are induced are directly related to the modulation of oxidative stress and the cellular damage generated by the ischemia/reperfusion procedure through the overexpression of different enzymes, most of them included in the Reperfusion Injury Salvage Kinase (RISK) and the Survivor Activating Factor Enhancement (SAFE) pathways. Mitochondria is the final target of the different routes of pre- and post-anesthetic conditioning, and it is preserved from the damage generated in moments of lack of oxygen and after the recovery of the normal oxygen concentration. The final consequence of this effect has been related to better cardiac function in this type of patient, with less myocardial damage, less need for inotropic drugs to achieve normal myocardial function, and a shorter hospital stay in intensive care units. The mechanisms through which mitochondrial homeostasis is maintained and its relationship with the clinical effect are the basis of our review. From a translational perspective, we provide information regarding mitochondrial physiology and physiopathology in cardiac failure and the role of halogenated anesthetics in modulating oxidative stress and inducing myocardial conditioning.

Comparative Study of the Efficacy of EHO-85, a Hydrogel Containing Olive Tree (Olea europaea) Leaf Extract, in Skin Wound Healing.

Olive tree (Olea europaea) leaf extract (OELE) has important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, supporting its use in human clinical practice. We recently designed an amorphous hydrogel called EHO-85 (EHO indicates olive leaf extract in Spanish) containing OELE for skin ulcer treatments. Yet, its effectiveness has not been previously compared with other products used in routine clinical practice. This is necessary to evaluate its potential translation to the human clinic. Thus, in this study, the effect of EHO-85 on healing was evaluated in comparison with treatments containing Indian/Asiatic pennywort (Centella asiatica), hyaluronic acid, or dexpanthenol in a rat model. The speed of wound closure and histological parameters after seven and 14 days were analyzed. All treatments accelerated wound closure, but there were differences between them. Dexpanthenol after seven days produced the highest epithelialization and the lowest inflammation and vascularization. EHO-85 also promoted epithelialization and reduced vascularization. After 14 days, wounds treated with EHO-85 showed less inflammation and higher levels of collagen in the extracellular matrix. This indicates a higher degree of maturity in the regenerated tissue. In conclusion, the effect of EHO-85 on healing was equal to or superior to that of other treatments routinely used in human clinical practice. Therefore, these results, together with previous data on the effects of this hydrogel on ulcer healing in humans, indicate that EHO-85 is a suitable, low-cost, and efficient therapeutic option for wound healing.

Factors affecting the benefit of glasses alone in treating childhood amblyopia: an analysis of PEDIG data.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate factors associated with better outcomes from optical treatment alone in amblyopic children from 3 up to 7 years. METHODS: Data extracted from two studies with similar protocols, Amblyopic Treatment Studies 5 (n = 152) and 13 (n = 128) from the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group database, were used to determine by regression analysis the factors associated with improvements in visual acuity in the amblyopic eye, inter-ocular visual acuity difference and stereoacuity. Input variables were aetiology of amblyopia (anisometropic, strabismic and combined-mechanism amblyopia), treatment compliance, visual acuity, interocular visual acuity difference, stereoacuity, tropia size at distance and near, age and refractive error at baseline. RESULTS: Despite the range of clinical factors considered, our models explain only a modest proportion of the variance in optical treatment outcomes. The better predictors of the degree of optical treatment success in amblyopic children are visual acuity of the amblyopic eye, interocular visual acuity difference, stereoacuity, treatment compliance and the amblyopic eye spherical-equivalent refractive error. While the aetiology of the amblyopia does not exert a major influence upon treatment outcome, combined-mechanism amblyopes experience the smallest improvement in visual acuity, tropia and stereoacuity and may need longer optical treatment periods. CONCLUSIONS: While results identify the factors influencing optical treatment outcome in amblyopic children, clinicians will be unable to predict accurately the benefits of optical treatment in individual patients. Whether this is because relevant clinical or non-clinical factors (e.g. nature and volume of daily activities undertaken) influences the outcomes from optical treatment has not yet been identified and remains to be discovered.

Living donor-gifted allograft lithiasis: surgical experience after bench surgery stone removal and follow-up.

This study presents the surgical experience and long-term outcomes of living donor kidney transplantations involving asymptomatic kidney stones, using ex vivo flexible ureterorenoscopy (f-URS) during bench surgery for stone removal. Out of 1743 living kidney donors assessed between January 2012 and October 2022, 18 (1%) were diagnosed with urolithiasis. Among them, 12 donors were rejected, and 6 were accepted for kidney donation. Stone removal was successfully performed using f-URS during bench surgery, with no immediate complications or acute rejections observed. The study analyzed six living kidney transplants, of which 4 (67%) donors and three recipients were female, and 4 (67%) donors were blood-related to the recipient. The median age for donors and recipients was 57.5 and 51.5 years, respectively. The stones, primarily located in the lower calyx, had a median size of 6 mm. The median cold ischemia time during surgery was 41.6 min, and ex vivo f-URS ensured complete stone removal in all cases. After a median follow-up of 120 months, the remaining grafts were functioning well, and no urinary stone recurrence was observed in either the recipients or living donors. The findings suggest that bench f-URS is a safe approach for managing urinary stones in kidney grafts, providing good functional outcomes without stone recurrence in selected cases.

[Health impact of the community intervention programme "Health education in adolescence"]. / Impacto en la salud del programa de intervención comunitaria «Educación para la salud en la adolescencia¼.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the impact of the community health programme "Education for health in adolescence" carried out in the Parquesol neighborhood, Valladolid (Spain), during the years 2015-2019. METHOD: Community-based quasi-experimental pre- and post-test analytical intervention trial with control group. A total of 407 adolescent surveys were collected. The CHIP-AE test validated for Spain was used. Pre- and post-test results were analyzed and compared with the control group. RESULTS: Improvements were found in the female intervention group compared to the control group in the variables resilience (3.68 vs. 3.41; p <0.01), health and safety at home (4.30 vs. 4.00; p <0.01), physical activities (3.16 vs. 2.60; p <0.01) and self-esteem (3.17 vs. 2.79; p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The community intervention carried out improves the health profile of adolescents. The baseline perception of health presents differences by gender, with higher scores in males. Post-intervention improvement is substantial in females in resilience, physical activities and health and safety at home. In addition, the worsening due to the passage of time described in previous studies is corrected in the variables self-esteem, satisfaction and well-being.

Genotoxicity and endocrine disruption potential of haloacetic acids in human placental and lung cells.

Chlorination of water results in the formation of haloacetic acids (HAAs) as major disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Previous studies have reported some HAAs species to act as cytotoxic, genotoxic, and carcinogenic. This work aimed at further exploring the toxicity potential of the most investigated HAAs (chloroacetic (CAA), bromoacetic (BAA), iodoacetic (IAA) acid) and HAAs species with high content of bromine (tribromoacetic acid (TBAA)), and iodine in their structures (chloroiodoacetic (CIAA) and diiodoacetic acid (DIAA)) to human cells. Novel knowledge was generated regarding cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, endocrine disrupting potential, and genotoxicity of these HAAs by using human placental and lung cells as in vitro models, not previously used for DBP assessment. IAA showed the highest cytotoxicity (EC50: 7.5 µM) and ability to generate ROS (up to 3-fold) in placental cells, followed by BAA (EC50: 20-25 µM and 2.1-fold). TBAA, CAA, DIAA, and CIAA showed no significant cytotoxicity (EC50 > 250 µM). All tested HAAs decreased the expression of the steroidogenic gene hsd17b1 up to 40 % in placental cells, and IAA and BAA (0.01-1 µM) slightly inhibited the aromatase activity. HAAs also induced the formation of micronuclei in A549 lung cells after 48 h of exposure. IAA and BAA showed a non-significant increase in micronuclei formation at low concentrations (1 µM), while BAA, CAA, CIAA and TBAA were genotoxic at exposure concentrations above 10 µM (100 µM in the case of DIAA). These results point to genotoxic and endocrine disruption effects associated with HAA exposure at low concentrations (0.01-1 µM), and the usefulness of the selected bioassays to provide fast and sensitive responses to HAA exposure, particularly in terms of genotoxicity and endocrine disruption effects. Further studies are needed to define thresholds that better protect public health.

Remediation of Pb-contaminated soil using biochar-based slow-release P fertilizer and biomonitoring employing bioindicators.

Soil contamination by Pb can result from different anthropogenic sources such as lead-based paints, gasoline, pesticides, coal burning, mining, among others. This work aimed to evaluate the potential of P-loaded biochar (Biochar-based slow-release P fertilizer) to remediate a Pb-contaminated soil. In addition, we aim to propose a biomonitoring alternative after soil remediation. First, rice husk-derived biochar was obtained at different temperatures (450, 500, 550, and 600 °C) (raw biochars). Then, part of the resulting material was activated. Later, the raw biochars and activated biochars were immersed in a saturated KH2PO4 solution to produce P-loaded biochars. The ability of materials to immobilize Pb and increase the bioavailability of P in the soil was evaluated by an incubation test. The materials were incorporated into doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0%. After 45 days, soil samples were taken to biomonitor the remediation process using two bioindicators: a phytotoxicity test and enzyme soil activity. Activated P-loaded biochar produced at 500 °C has been found to present the best conditions for soil Pb remediation. This material significantly reduced the bioavailability of Pb and increased the bioavailability of P. The phytotoxicity test and the soil enzymatic activity were significantly correlated with the decrease in bioavailable Pb but not with the increase in bioavailable P. Biomonitoring using the phytotoxicity test is a promising alternative for the evaluation of soils after remediation processes.

Visual perception alterations in COVID-19: a preliminary study.

AIM: To compare the visual perception (color and chromatic-achromatic contrast vision) of a small cohort of COVID-19 patients at the time of infection and after 6mo with that of a healthy population matched for sex and age. METHODS: A total of 25 patients (9 females, 16 males, mean age: 54±10y) with COVID-19 hospitalized in the COVID-19 Unit of the University Clinical Hospital of Valladolid were recruited for this preliminary study. Visual perception, as determined by monocular measurement of contrast sensitivity function (CSF) and color vision was assessed in each patient using the Optopad test. The results obtained were then compared with those of a sample of 16 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (5 females, 11 males, mean age: 50±6y) in which the same measurement procedure was repeated. Statistically significant differences between groups were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Measurements were repeated after a minimum follow-up period of 6mo and statistically significant differences between the two time points in each group were assessed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: Discrimination thresholds (color and chromatic-achromatic contrast vision) and their corresponding sensitivity, calculated as the inverse of the discrimination threshold, were evaluated. Analysis of the data revealed higher contrast threshold results (i.e., worse contrast sensitivity) in the COVID-19 group than in the control group for all spatial frequencies studied in the Optopad-CSF achromatic test and most of the spatial frequencies studied in the Optopad-CSF chromatic test for the red-green and blue-yellow mechanisms. In addition, color threshold results in the COVID-19 group were also significantly higher (i.e., worse color sensitivity) for almost all color mechanisms studied in the Optopad-Color test. At 6mo, most of the differences found between the groups were maintained despite COVID-19 recovery. CONCLUSION: The present results provide preliminary evidence that visual perception may be impaired in COVID-19, even when the infection has passed. Although further research is needed to determine the precise causes of this finding, analysis of CSF and color vision could provide valuable information on the visual impact of COVID-19.

Impacto en la salud del programa de intervención comunitaria «Educación para la salud en la adolescencia» / Health impact of the community intervention programme “Health education in adolescence”

Objetivo: Medir el impacto del programa de intervención comunitaria «Educación para la salud en la adolescencia» llevado a cabo en el barrio de Parquesol, Valladolid, durante los años 2015-2019. Método: Ensayo comunitario de intervención cuasi experimental analítico pre- y postest con grupo control. Se recogieron 407 encuestas de adolescentes. Se utilizó el test CHIP-AE validado para España. Se analizaron los resultados pre- y postest y se compararon con el grupo control. Resultados: Se encontraron mejoras en el grupo de intervención femenino frente al grupo control en las variables resistencia (3,68 vs. 3,41; p < 0,01), salud y seguridad en el hogar (4,30 vs. 4,00; p < 0,01), actividades físicas (3,16 vs. 2,60; p < 0,01) y autoestima (3,17 vs. 2,79; p < 0,05). Conclusiones: La intervención comunitaria realizada mejora el perfil de salud de los/las adolescentes. La percepción basal de la salud presenta diferencias por sexo, con mayor puntuación en los hombres. La mejoría posintervención es sustancial en las mujeres en resistencia, actividades físicas y salud y seguridad en el hogar. Además, se corrige en la variable autoestima el empeoramiento debido al paso de los años descrito en estudios previos.(AU)

Objective: To measure the impact of the community health programme “Education for health in adolescence” carried out in the Parquesol neighborhood, Valladolid (Spain), during the years 2015-2019. Method: Community-based quasi-experimental pre- and post-test analytical intervention trial with control group. A total of 407 adolescent surveys were collected. The CHIP-AE test validated for Spain was used. Pre- and post-test results were analyzed and compared with the control group. Results: Improvements were found in the female intervention group compared to the control group in the variables resilience (3.68 vs. 3.41; p < 0.01), health and safety at home (4.30 vs. 4.00; p < 0.01), physical activities (3.16 vs. 2.60; p < 0.01) and self-esteem (3.17 vs. 2.79; p < 0.05). Conclusions: The community intervention carried out improves the health profile of adolescents. The baseline perception of health presents differences by gender, with higher scores in males. Post-intervention improvement is substantial in females in resilience, physical activities and health and safety at home. In addition, the worsening due to the passage of time described in previous studies is corrected in the variables self-esteem, satisfaction and well-being.(AU)

Advances in the Measurement of Polymeric Colorimetric Sensors Using Portable Instrumentation: Testing the Light Influence.

Sustainable and green sensors based on polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) or cellulose polymers, as a case of study of the use of portable instrumentation joined to a smartphone, have been tested. A smartphone camera was used to obtain images and was also coupled to a minispectrometer, without and with an optical fiber probe to register spectra. To study light influence on the analytical signal, light-emitting diode (LED), halogen light and daylight have been assayed. A corrective palette of 24 colors and a set with 45 colors from different color ranges were used as the validation set. The results indicated that halogen light was the best option to obtain the spectra. However, for digital image analysis, it was the LED light that gave a greater approximation of the RGB values of the real colors. Based on these results, the spectra and the RGB components of PDMS solid sensors doped with 1,2-naphtoquinone-4-sulfonate (NQS) for the determination of ammonium in water or urea in urine, PDMS doped with Griess reagent for developing the assay of nitrite in waters and cellulose sensors for the determination of hydrogen sulfide in the atmospheres have been obtained. The results achieved were good in terms of sensitivity and linearity and were comparable to those obtained using a laboratory benchtop instrument. Several rules for selecting the most suitable light source to obtain the spectra and/or images have been established and an image correction method has been introduced.

Sensibilidad del test de diagnóstico rápido SARS-CoV-2 Panbio en Atención Primaria / Sensitivity of the Panbio COVID-19 rapid antigen detection test in primary care

Introducción y objetivos: los pediatras de Atención Primaria necesitamos técnicas de diagnóstico rápido (TDR) fiables para prevenir la propagación de la enfermedad COVID-19 mediante un cribado temprano y eficaz a la espera de una vacuna. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar como novedad en Atención Primaria, tanto en adultos como niños, sintomáticos y contactos asintomáticos, la sensibilidad (S) de los test de antígeno SARS-CoV-2 Panbio del laboratorio Abbott respecto a la reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR).Pacientes y métodos: se incluyeron 591 pacientes (222 menores de 14 años) (249 sintomáticos y 342 contactos). Se calculó la sensibilidad (S) y la especificidad (E) junto con sus intervalos de confianza (IC) del 95%. La independencia de los dos resultados ha sido analizada mediante el test de McNemar.Resultados: la S del test en adultos fue del 81% (IC 95%: 66,16-96,34) y en niños del 80% (IC 95%: 34,94-100) dentro de los 5 primeros días. En contactos se evaluó la S en los cinco primeros días, en adultos (68%; IC 95%: 51,13-86,37), del 5.º al 9.º día (85%) y en niños (66%; IC 95%: 30,31-100). El tipo de contacto más frecuente fue domiciliario en un 52% de los casos. La E fue 100% en todos los casos.Conclusiones: el test rápido de antígeno SARS-CoV-2 Panbio puede ser útil para diagnóstico de adultos y niños los primeros cinco días de inicio de síntomas, así como entre el 5.º y 9.º día tras el contacto con positivo COVID-19 confirmado, pendiente de interpretar en futuros estudios. (AU)

Introduction and objectives: primary care paediatricians need reliable rapid diagnostic techniques (RDTs) to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) through early and effective screening while awaiting a vaccine. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity (Sen) of the Abbott laboratory SARS-CoV-2 Panbio antigen test, newly introduced in primary care, in both adults and children (symptomatic and asymptomatic contacts) in comparison to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.Sample and methods: the study included 591 patients (222 aged less than 14 years) from 7 primary care centres; of who 249 were symptomatic and 342 asymptomatic contacts. We calculated the Sen and specificity (Spe) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We assessed the independence of the two results with the McNemar test.Results: the Sen of the test within 5 days from onset was 81% in adults (95% CI, 66.16-96.34) and 80% in children (95% CI: 34.94-100). In contacts, we assessed the Sen within 5 days, in adults (68%; 95% CI: 51.13- 86.37), in 5 to 9 days (85%) and in children (66%; 95% CI: 30.31-100). The most frequent source of exposure were household contacts (52% of the cases). The Spe was 100% in every case.Conclusions: the Panbio SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test can be useful for diagnosis in adults and children within 5 days of onset, and from days 5 to 9 in contacts of confirmed COVID 19 cases. Further studies are required for adequate interpretation of the latter result. (AU)

Transcriptional Regulation by the Velvet Protein VE-1 during Asexual Development in the Fungus Neurospora crassa.

Asexual reproduction in fungi facilitates the dispersal and colonization of new substrates and, in pathogenic fungi, allows infection of plants and animals. The velvet complex is a fungus-specific protein complex that participates in the regulation of gene expression in response to environmental signals like light, as well as developmental processes, pathogenesis, and secondary metabolism. The velvet complex in the fungus Neurospora crassa is composed of three proteins, VE-1, VE-2, and LAE-1. Mutations in ve-1 or ve-2, but not in lae-1, led to shorter heights of aerial tissue, a mixture of aerial hyphae and developing macroconidia, and increased microconidiation when they were combined with mutations in the transcription factor gene fl. VE-2 and LAE-1 were detected during vegetative growth and conidiation, unlike VE-1, which was mostly observed in samples obtained from submerged vegetative hyphae. We propose that VE-1 is the limiting component of the velvet complex during conidiation and has a major role in the transcriptional regulation of conidiation. Characterization of the role of VE-1 during mycelial growth and asexual development (conidiation) by transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) experiments allowed the identification of a set of genes regulated by VE-1 that participate in the regulation of conidiation, most notably the transcription factor genes vib-1 and fl. We propose that VE-1 and VE-2 regulate the development of aerial tissue and the balance between macro- and microconidiation in coordination with FL and VIB-1. IMPORTANCE Most fungi disperse in nature and infect new hosts by producing vegetative spores or conidia during asexual development. This is a process that is regulated by environmental signals like light and the availability of nutrients. A protein complex, the velvet complex, participates in the integration of environmental signals to regulate conidiation. We have found that a key component of this complex in the fungus Neurospora crassa, VE-1, has a major role in the regulation of transcription during conidiation. VE-1 regulates a large number of genes, including the genes for the transcription factors FL and VIB-1. Our results will help to understand how environmental signals are integrated in the fungal cell to regulate development.

Determinants of quality of life and well-being in cognitively unimpaired older adults: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: It is important to know the psychological variables that are related to quality of life and well-being in healthy elderly people. The main objective of the present review is to analyse which factors, through psychological variables, are determinant on the adaptive processes that acquire relevance in the last stage of life. DATA SOURCES: An electronic search was conducted in WOS, Science Direct, PsycARTICLES, Psychology Database and Psycinfo. STUDY SELECTION: The search terms used were derived from the combination of the following search string: (("Emotional Factors" OR "Emotional Effects") AND ("Emotional Intelligence" OR "Emotional Regulation") AND ("Quality of Life" OR "Personal Satisfaction") AND ("Healthy Old People" OR "Healthy Old Adults") AND ("Healthy Aging" OR "Successful Aging")). DATA EXTRACTION: 11th April 2021. DATA SYNTHESIS: In total, 13 articles were selected. CONCLUSIONS: The articles showed the importance of social support, proactive coping strategies (emotional regulation) and emotional intelligence as key factors in the elderly population for their positive influence on variables such as quality of life and well-being.

Heart Failure after Cardiac Surgery: The Role of Halogenated Agents, Myocardial Conditioning and Oxidative Stress.

Heart disease requires a surgical approach sometimes. Cardiac-surgery patients develop heart failure associated with ischemia induced during extracorporeal circulation. This complication could be decreased with anesthetic drugs. The cardioprotective effects of halogenated agents are based on pre- and postconditioning (sevoflurane, desflurane, or isoflurane) compared to intravenous hypnotics (propofol). We tried to put light on the shadows walking through the line of the halogenated anesthetic drugs' effects in several enzymatic routes and oxidative stress, waiting for the final results of the ACDHUVV-16 clinical trial regarding the genetic modulation of this kind of drugs.