Relationship between psychoactive substance, alcohol and cigarette use in nursing students. A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The increase in the use of psychoactive substances, alcohol and cigarettes in young people has become a public health problem. The identification of factors that increase or reduce the risk of exposure to these substances and the possible relationship between them is essential for planning strategies with a risk approach; hence the reason for this study. The objective was to establish the profile of use of psychoactive substances, alcohol and cigarettes and the factors associated with such use in nursing students of a higher education institution. METHODS: Quantitative, observational, analytical cross-sectional study. RESULTS: We included 310 students from 1 st to 9th semester of a Nursing programme from a private higher education institution in Bogotá. The prevalence of psychoactive substance use in the last year was 2.96% (95%CI, 1.36-5.54), with marijuana being the substance most used (55.55%). The prevalence of alcohol and cigarette use during the last 12 months was estimated at 86.64% (95%CI, 83.24-91.0) and 12.16% (95%CI, 8.43-15.88) respectively. A statistically significant association was found between the use of these substances: alcohol use was associated with cigarette use (OR = 3.22; P = 0.006) and smoking was associated with psychoactive substance use (OR = 15.4; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol use increases the likelihood of smoking cigarettes, and this in turn increases the likelihood of psychoactive substance use, in this university population.

Bioinspired Synthesis of Magnetic Nanoparticles Based on Iron Oxides Using Orange Waste and Their Application as Photo-Activated Antibacterial Agents.

Magnetic nanoparticles based on iron oxides (MNPs-Fe) have been proposed as photothermal agents (PTAs) within antibacterial photothermal therapy (PTT), aiming to counteract the vast health problem of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. We present a quick and easy green synthesis (GS) to prepare MNPs-Fe harnessing waste. Orange peel extract (organic compounds) was used as a reducing, capping, and stabilizing agent in the GS, which employed microwave (MW) irradiation to reduce the synthesis time. The produced weight, physical-chemical features and magnetic features of the MNPs-Fe were studied. Moreover, their cytotoxicity was assessed in animal cell line ATCC RAW 264.7, as well as their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. We found that the 50GS-MNPs-Fe sample (prepared by GS, with 50% v/v of NH4OH and 50% v/v of orange peel extract) had an excellent mass yield. Its particle size was ~50 nm with the presence of an organic coating (terpenes or aldehydes). We believe that this coating improved the cell viability in extended periods (8 days) of cell culture with concentrations lower than 250 µg·mL-1, with respect to the MNPs-Fe obtained by CO and single MW, but it did not influence the antibacterial effect. The bacteria inhibition was attributed to the plasmonic of 50GS-MNPs-Fe (photothermal effect) by irradiation with red light (630 nm, 65.5 mW·cm-2, 30 min). We highlight the superparamagnetism of the 50GS-MNPs-Fe over 60 K in a broader temperature range than the MNPs-Fe obtained by CO (160.09 K) and MW (211.1 K). Therefore, 50GS-MNPs-Fe could be excellent candidates as broad-spectrum PTAs in antibacterial PTT. Furthermore, they might be employed in magnetic hyperthermia, magnetic resonance imaging, oncological treatments, and so on.

Lower academic performance and dropout rates among University students with children: a prospective cohort study of nursing students in Bogotá, Colombia.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between parenthood and academic performance and dropout among professional Nursing degree program students. METHODS: A prospective cohort was conducted. 310 students were included, 26 parents (exposed) and 284 nonparents (unexposed), who were followed up during 16 weeks. At the end of this follow-up, student records were reviewed. RESULTS: Academic performance in the exposed and unexposed groups was 3.51/5.0 and 3.64/5.0 respectively. Although it was higher in the latter group, i.e., with a difference of 0.13, the values were not statistically significant (p=0.058). After adjusting for confounding variables, a difference of -0.165 point was seen (p=0.037). The risk of students dropping out of college is 34 % less for exposed compared to those who are unexposed (RR: 0.66; CI: 0.075-5.78; p=0.708). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that parenthood has a modest impact on the academic performance, and has no impact on the risk of dropping out.

Fluorescence-Linked Aptamer Assay for SARS-CoV-2 Spike-Protein: A Step-by-Step Performance Analysis in Clinical Samples.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a main concern over the last two years and has become one of the most important crises in the history of human health. Today, there is still a need for affordable and reliable diagnostic tests for massive disease monitoring. Previously, a set of highly specific DNA-aptamers (C7/C9) binding to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein were isolated but its performance in clinical samples remained to be tested. Here, 242 samples were collected through three different methods and subjected to florescence-linked aptamer assays (FLAA) based on C7/C9 aptamers through two readout protocols. Then, a step-by-step statistical approach which included agreement tests, proportion comparisons and binomial and multinomial logistic regressions was used to predict optimal conditions for the novel C7/C9 FLAA test. RTqPCR threshold cycles, symptoms onset and processing time were influential factors on FLAA test results. Naturally occurring mutations on S were also detected and analyzed. Aminoacidic substitutions D614G and T732A appeared relevant for aptamer recognition although further studies are necessary. The methodology presented here is the first step to determine the performance and diagnosis across a range of clinical contexts and it might serve as a base for a complete analysis applicable to other designs of new diagnostic tests.

Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial ZnMintPc Encapsulated in Magnetic-Nanocomposites with Graphene Oxide/MWCNTs Based on Bimodal Action of Photodynamic and Photothermal Effects.

Microbial diseases have been declared one of the main threats to humanity, which is why, in recent years, great interest has been generated in the development of nanocomposites with antimicrobial capacity. The present work studied two magnetic nanocomposites based on graphene oxide (GO) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The synthesis of these magnetic nanocomposites consisted of three phases: first, the synthesis of iron magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), second, the adsorption of the photosensitizer menthol-Zinc phthalocyanine (ZnMintPc) into MWCNTs and GO, and the third phase, encapsulation in poly (N-vinylcaprolactam-co-poly(ethylene glycol diacrylate)) poly (VCL-co-PEGDA) polymer VCL/PEGDA a biocompatible hydrogel, to obtain the magnetic nanocomposites VCL/PEGDA-MNPs-MWCNTs-ZnMintPc and VCL/PEGDA-MNPs-GO-ZnMintPc. In vitro studies were carried out using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and the Candida albicans yeast based on the Photodynamic/Photothermal (PTT/PDT) effect. This research describes the nanocomposites' optical, morphological, magnetic, and photophysical characteristics and their application as antimicrobial agents. The antimicrobial effect of magnetics nanocomposites was evaluated based on the PDT/PTT effect. For this purpose, doses of 65 mW·cm-2 with 630 nm light were used. The VCL/PEGDA-MNPs-GO-ZnMintPc nanocomposite eliminated E. coli and S. aureus colonies, while the VCL/PEGDA-MNPs-MWCNTs-ZnMintPc nanocomposite was able to kill the three types of microorganisms. Consequently, the latter is considered a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent in PDT and PTT.

DNA aptamer selection for SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein detection.

The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection throughout the world led to a global public health and economic crisis triggering an urgent need for the development of low-cost vaccines, therapies and high-throughput detection assays. In this work, we used a combination of Ideal-Filter Capillary Electrophoresis SELEX (IFCE-SELEX), Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and binding assays to isolate and validate single-stranded DNA aptamers that can specifically recognize the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein. Two selected non-competing DNA aptamers, C7 and C9 were successfully used as sensitive and specific biological recognition elements for the development of electrochemical and fluorescent aptasensors for the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein with detection limits of 0.07 fM and 41.87 nM, respectively.

Molecular and serological prevalence of Coronavirus in Chiropterans: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

In recent years, and now especially with the arrival of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), there has been increased interest in understanding the role of bats in the dynamics of transmission and origin of this pandemic agent. To date, no systematic reviews have been published on this topic. This systematic review aimed to summarize and highlight the frequency of bat infections reported in currently available observational studies for coronavirus. The purpose of this study was also to examine the differences between the pool prevalence by technique and country. We performed a systematic literature review with meta-analysis, using three databases to assess coronavirus (CoV) infection in bats and its diagnosis by serological and molecular tests. We carried out random-effects model meta-analysis to calculate the pooled prevalence and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). In all, 824 articles were retrieved (1960-2021). After screening by abstract/title, 43 articles were selected for full-text assessment. Of these, 33 were finally included for qualitative and quantitative analyses. From the total of studies, the pool prevalence by RT-PCR (n=14,295 bats) for CoV was 9.8% (95% CI 8.7-10.9%); Italy reported the highest pooled prevalence (44.9%, 95% CI 31.6-58.1%), followed by the Philippines (29.6%). Regarding the ELISA, the pool prevalence for coronavirus from 15 studies, including 359 bats, was 30.2% (95% CI 14.7-45.6%). The results for coronaviruses with the MIF were significantly lower, 2.6% (95% CI 1.5-3.7%). A considerable proportion of infected bats tested positive, particularly by molecular tests. This essential condition highlights the relevance of bats and the need for future studies to detail their role as potential reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2. In this meta-analysis, bats were positive in almost 10% by RT-PCR, suggesting their relevance and the need to understand their potential participation in maintaining wild zoonotic transmission.

A Latin American survey on demographic aspects of hospitalized, decompensated cirrhotic patients and the resources for their management.

INTRODUCTION & OBJECTIVES: Liver cirrhosis is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Adequate diagnosis and treatment of decompensating events requires of both medical skills and updated technical resources. The objectives of this study were to search the demographic profile of hospitalized cirrhotic patients in a group of Latin American hospitals and the availability of expertise/facilities for the diagnosis and therapy of decompensation episodes. METHODS: A cross sectional, multicenter survey of hospitalized cirrhotic patients. RESULTS: 377 patients, (62% males; 58±11 years) (BMI>25, 57%; diabetes 32%) were hospitalized at 65 centers (63 urbans; 57 academically affiliated) in 13 countries on the survey date. Main admission causes were ascites, gastrointestinal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis/other infections. Most prevalent etiologies were alcohol-related (AR) (40%); non-alcoholic-steatohepatitis (NASH) (23%), hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) (7%) and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) (6%). The most frequent concurrent etiologies were AR+NASH. Expertise and resources in every analyzed issue were highly available among participating centers, mostly accomplishing valid guidelines. However, availability of these facilities was significantly higher at institutions located in areas with population>500,000 (n=45) and in those having a higher complexity level (Gastrointestinal, Liver and Internal Medicine Departments at the same hospital (n=22). CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiological etiologic profile in hospitalized, decompensated cirrhotic patients in Latin America is similar to main contemporary emergent agents worldwide. Medical and technical resources are highly available, mostly at great population urban areas and high complexity medical centers. Main diagnostic and therapeutic approaches accomplish current guidelines recommendations.