Albúmina sérica predictor de resultados intrahospitalarios en pacientes admitidos a la UCIN del Hospital de la Mujer / Serum albumin predicator of intrahospital outcomes in patients admitted to the NICU of the women's hospital

INTRODUCCIÓN: En el estrés metabólico existe una sobreproducción proteica de reactantes positivos de la fase aguda y en el hígado, se frena la síntesis de otras proteínas, incluyendo la albúmina, denominadas Reactantes Negativos de la Fase Aguda. Los rangos de referencia precisos para la hipoalbuminemia patológica han resultado difíciles de determinar en los recién nacidos. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Descriptivo de corte transversal en 494 recién nacidos. Se realizó un análisis exploratorio de los datos con estadística descriptiva mediante el paquete estadístico SPSS v.20. RESULTADOS: 494 neonatos fueron seleccionados, 39% fueron prematuros tardíos, 27% reportó hipoalbuminemia en sus diferentes grados que se correlacionaron con los días de internación en UCIN (p=0,0001), necesidad y tiempo en ventilador mecánico (p=0,001), con la mortalidad (p=0,001) y patología infecciosa (p=0,001). DISCUSIÓN: La incidencia acumulada de sepsis no confirmada por hemocultivo fue de 54%, La hipoalbuminemia tiene asociaciones importantes con la evolución y pronóstico en pacientes pediátricos. La PCR no tiene correlación en el estudio (p=0,232) y solo fue reactiva en 4 pacientes (0,8%). CONCLUSIONES: El nivel de albúmina sérica reportada en las primeras 24 horas de ingreso a la UCIN es un predictor para los resultados intrahospitalarios (tiempo y requerimiento de ventilación mecánica), mortalidad neonatal, sepsis neonatal y enfermedad de membrana hialina. Su determinación sérica debe ser incluida en la lista de exámenes de laboratorio solicitados a su admisión y la PCR al ingreso debe ser excluida por su pobre sensibilidad como sugiere la SIBEN.

INTRODUCTION: In metabolic stress, there is a protein overproduction of positive acute phase reactants and in the liver, the synthesis of other proteins, including albumin, called negative acute phase reactants is slowed down. Precise reference ranges for pathologic hypoalbuminemia have proven difficult to determine in neonates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Descriptive cross section in 494 newborns. An exploratory analysis of the data with descriptive statistics was carried out using the statistical package SPSS v.20. RESULTS: 494 neonates were selected, 39% were late preterm, 27% reported hypoalbuminemia in its different degrees that correlated with the days of hospitalization in the NICU (p=0.0001), need and time on a mechanical ventilator (p=0.001), with mortality (p=0.001) and infectious pathology (p=0.001). DISCUSSION: The cumulative incidence of sepsis not confirmed by blood culture was 54%. Hypoalbuminemia has important associations with outcome and prognosis in pediatric patients. CRP does not correlate the study (p=0.232) and was only reactive in 4 patients (0.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Serum albumin level reported in the first 24 hours of NICU admission is a predictor for in-hospital outcomes (time and requirement of mechanical ventilation), neonatal mortality, neonatal sepsis, and hyaline membrane disease. Its serum determination should be included in the list of laboratory tests requested upon admission and the PCR upon admission should be excluded due to its poor sensitivity, as suggested by SIBEN.

Effect of Shock Waves on the Growth of Aspergillus niger Conidia: Evaluation of Germination and Preliminary Study on Gene Expression.

Shock waves, as used in medicine, can induce cell permeabilization, genetically transforming filamentous fungi; however, little is known on the interaction of shock waves with the cell wall. Because of this, the selection of parameters has been empirical. We studied the influence of shock waves on the germination of Aspergillus niger, to understand their effect on the modulation of four genes related to the growth of conidia. Parameters were varied in the range reported in protocols for genetic transformation. Vials containing conidia in suspension were exposed to either 50, 100 or 200 single-pulse or tandem shock waves, with different peak pressures (approximately 42, 66 and 83 MPa). In the tandem mode, three delays were tested. To equalize the total energy, the number of tandem "events" was halved compared to the number of single-pulse shock waves. Our results demonstrate that shock waves do not generate severe cellular effects on the viability and germination of A. niger conidia. Nevertheless, increase in the aggressiveness of the treatment induced a modification in four tested genes. Scanning electron microscopy revealed significant changes to the cell wall of the conidia. Under optimized conditions, shock waves could be used for several biotechnological applications, surpassing conventional techniques.

Coping strategies in parents of children with disabilities: A case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this article is to determine whether there are differences in the coping strategies of parents of children with disabilities (autism spectrum disorder or other disabilities) and children without disabilities, in reference to the most stressful situation they have experienced with their child in the last year. METHOD: To conduct the study, a purposive sample selection based on case-control characteristics was carried out, in which a total sample of 170 participants was recruited. Participants were assigned, according to their characteristics, to the group of parents of children without disabilities, with ASD or with other disabilities. An ad hoc sociodemographic questionnaire and the Coping Responses Inventory for adults were administered. RESULTS: The results obtained indicate that there are differences in the use of coping strategies between parents of children without disabilities and with disabilities but not between the two disability groups. Parents of children with disabilities have significantly higher scores on the four subscales defined as avoidance strategies, and on one subscale identified as an approach strategy. CONCLUSIONS: Parents of children with disabilities use avoidance strategies, to a greater extent, during the most stressful situations they have experienced in the last year with their child. In addition, they tend to use avoidance strategies regardless of the type of disability their child has.

Amaranth Seeds and Sprouts as Functional Ingredients for the Development of Dietary Fiber, Betalains, and Polyphenol-Enriched Minced Tilapia Meat Gels.

There is an increasing interest in the development of meat processed products enriched with antioxidant dietary fiber to augment the consumption of these health beneficial compounds. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional, nutraceutical, and antioxidant potential, as well as the physicochemical properties of minced tilapia fillets (meat) gels with added amaranth seed or sprout flours (0%, 2%, 4%, 8%, and 10% w/w). Dietary fiber content was significantly increased with the addition of amaranth seed (1.25-1.75-fold) and sprout flours (1.99-3.21-fold). Tilapia gels with added 10% amaranth seed flour showed a high content of extractable dihydroxybenzoic acid and cinnamic acid, whereas the addition of 10% amaranth sprout flour provided a high and wide variety of bioactive compounds, mainly amaranthine and bound ferulic acid. The addition of amaranth seed and sprout flours increased hardness (1.01-1.73-fold) without affecting springiness, decreased luminosity (1.05-1.15-fold), and increased redness and yellowness. Therefore, amaranth seed and sprout flours could be used as functional ingredients for the development of fish products rich in bioactive compounds.

Construction and Validation of a Brief Pandemic Fatigue Scale in the Context of the Coronavirus-19 Public Health Crisis.

Objectives: The chronic restrictions to mitigate the new SARS-CoV-2 virus may result in pandemic fatigue. This study set out to develop a short, reliable, valid, and gender-invariant instrument-the Pandemic Fatigue Scale (PFS). Methods: In the first phase, 300 students responded to a pilot questionnaire that allowed the reduction and refinement of the items. In the second phase, the validity, reliability, and invariance of the scale were explored among a sample of 596 participants. Results: Factor exploratory and confirmatory analyses confirmed a robust adjustment for the bifactorial structure that explained 79,36% of the variance. The two factors identified were 1) people's demotivation in continuing to follow the recommended protective behaviors (neglect) and 2) people's boredom regarding the pandemic-related information (boredom). The pattern of relations between the Pandemic Fatigue Scale and other variables-find through correlation, mediation, and path analyses-and the gender differences-find in the ANOVA analyses-provided strong evidence of the construct validity. Moreover, the PFS was shown to be invariant regarding gender in a multigroup factor confirmatory analysis. Conclusion: The instrument can be of utility for professionals and researchers to assess pandemic fatigue, a variable that can affect the adoption of protective measure to avoid catching and spreading the virus.

Salmon aquaculture and antimicrobial resistance in the marine environment.

Antimicrobials used in salmon aquaculture pass into the marine environment. This could have negative impacts on marine environmental biodiversity, and on terrestrial animal and human health as a result of selection for bacteria containing antimicrobial resistance genes. We therefore measured the numbers of culturable bacteria and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in marine sediments in the Calbuco Archipelago, Chile, over 12-month period at a salmon aquaculture site approximately 20 m from a salmon farm and at a control site 8 km distant without observable aquaculture activities. Three antimicrobials extensively used in Chilean salmon aquaculture (oxytetracycline, oxolinic acid, and florfenicol) were studied. Although none of these antimicrobials was detected in sediments from either site, traces of flumequine, a fluoroquinolone antimicrobial also widely used in Chile, were present in sediments from both sites during this period. There were significant increases in bacterial numbers and antimicrobial-resistant fractions to oxytetracycline, oxolinic acid, and florfenicol in sediments from the aquaculture site compared to those from the control site. Interestingly, there were similar numbers of presumably plasmid-mediated resistance genes for oxytetracycline, oxolinic acid and florfenicol in unselected marine bacteria isolated from both aquaculture and control sites. These preliminary findings in one location may suggest that the current use of large amounts of antimicrobials in Chilean aquaculture has the potential to select for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in marine sediments.

Controls on coral-ground development along the northern Mesoamerican Reef tract.

Coral-grounds are reef communities that colonize rocky substratum but do not form framework or three-dimensional reef structures. To investigate why, we used video transects and underwater photography to determine the composition, structure and status of a coral-ground community located on the edge of a rocky terrace in front of a tourist park, Xcaret, in the northern Mesoamerican Reef tract, Mexico. The community has a relatively low coral, gorgonian and sponge cover (<10%) and high algal cover (>40%). We recorded 23 species of Scleractinia, 14 species of Gorgonacea and 30 species of Porifera. The coral community is diverse but lacks large coral colonies, being dominated instead by small, sediment-tolerant, and brooding species. In these small colonies, the abundance of potentially lethal interactions and partial mortality is high but decreases when colonies are larger than 40 cm. Such characteristics are consistent with an environment control whereby storm waves periodically remove larger colonies and elevate sediment flux. The community only survives these storm conditions due to its slope-break location, which ensures lack of burial and continued local recruitment. A comparison with similar coral-ground communities in adjacent areas suggests that the narrow width of the rock terrace hinders sediment stabilization, thereby ensuring that communities cannot escape bottom effects and develop into three-dimensional reef structures on geological time scales.

GRAZING ON GIANT KELP MICROSCOPIC PHASES AND THE RECRUITMENT SUCCESS OF ANNUAL POPULATIONS OF MACROCYSTIS PYRIFERA (LAMINARIALES, PHAEOPHYTA) IN SOUTHERN CHILE(1).

The giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera (L.) C. Agardh is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, yet it exhibits distinct population dynamics at local to regional spatial scales. Giant kelp populations are typically perennial with the potential for year-round reproduction and recruitment. In southern Chile, however, annual giant kelp populations exist and often persist entirely on secondary substrata (e.g., shells of the slipper limpet Crepipatella fecunda [Gastropoda, Calyptraeidae]) that can cover up to 90% of the rocky bottom. In these populations, the macroscopic sporophyte phase disappears annually during winter and early spring, leaving a 3-4 month period in which a persistent microscopic phase remains to support the subsequent year's recruitment. We tested the effects of a suite of grazers on the recruitment success of this critical microscopic phase at two sites in southern Chile. Field experiments indicated that the snail Tegula atra negatively impacted M. pyrifera sporophyte recruitment, but that recruitment was highest in the presence of sessile female limpets, C. fecunda. Conversely, small male C. fecunda (biofilm grazers) did not regulate kelp recruitment. Laboratory observations showed that C. fecunda males only grazed on microscopic kelp gametophytes and small (<250 µm) sporophytes, rejecting larger sporophytes, whereas T. atra grazed on all the kelp stages. Recruitment to the C. fecunda treatments far exceeded that to bare rock in the absence of grazers but was not due to the physical presence of C. fecunda shells. We concluded that the key to M. pyrifera recruitment success in southern Chile is its capacity to colonize secondary substrates provided by the slipper limpet C. fecunda.