Impact of COVID-19 on paracoccidioidomycosis. Which was the most influential: The pandemic or the virus?

The impact of COVID-19 on paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) in Argentina and the consequences generated by the pandemic are discussed. From 2018 to 3 years after the pandemic declaration, 285 proven PCM patients were registered. No association between both diseases was documented. PCM frequency decreased to extremely low levels in 2020. Mandatory social isolation and the emotional and psychological effects generated under pandemic circumstances led to delays in diagnosis, severe disseminated cases, and other challenges for diagnosis in subsequent years. Probable underdiagnosis should be considered due to the overlap of clinical manifestations, the low index of suspicion and the lack of sensitive diagnostic tools.

STI self-testing: ensuring representation and outreach to teens and adolescents in expanded approaches.

In our correspondence, we describe the results from a quality improvement survey in a sexual health clinic in North Carolina regarding attitudes and perceptions among adolescents and providers regarding specimen self-collection. We find that adolescents have high levels of acceptability for self-collection and confidence in their ability to self-collection; however, providers expressed hesitation regarding the ability of adolescents to self-collection. Our study shows that while self-collection may provide a way to expand testing access to difficult-to-reach populations, we must ensure that providers are confident in the corresponding results.

Leaf abaxial immunity to powdery mildew in Arabidopsis is conferred by multiple defense mechanisms.

Powdery mildew fungi are obligate biotrophic pathogens that only invade plant epidermal cells. There are two epidermal surfaces in every plant leaf: the adaxial (upper) side and the abaxial (lower) side. While both leaf surfaces can be susceptible to adapted powdery mildew fungi in many plant species, there have been observations of leaf abaxial immunity in some plant species including Arabidopsis. The genetic basis of such leaf abaxial immunity remains unknown. In this study, we tested a series of Arabidopsis mutants defective in one or more known defense pathways with the adapted powdery mildew isolate Golovinomyces cichoracearum UCSC1. We found that leaf abaxial immunity was significantly compromised in mutants impaired for both the EDS1/PAD4- and PEN2/PEN3-dependent defenses. Consistently, expression of EDS1-yellow fluorescent protein and PEN2-green fluorescent protein fusions from their respective native promoters in the respective eds1-2 and pen2-1 mutant backgrounds was higher in the abaxial epidermal cells than in the adaxial epidermal cells. Altogether, our results indicate that leaf abaxial immunity against powdery mildew in Arabidopsis is at least partially due to enhanced EDS1/PAD4- and PEN2/PEN3-dependent defenses. Such transcriptionally pre-programmed defense mechanisms may underlie leaf abaxial immunity in other plant species such as hemp and may be exploited for engineering adaxial immunity against powdery mildew fungi in crop plants.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of telerehabilitation for musculoskeletal disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Internet-based telerehabilitation could be a valuable option for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, with the advantage of providing rehabilitation from anywhere. However, there is no solid and updated evidence demonstrating its effectiveness on relevant clinical and cost outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of internet-based telerehabilitation during the recovery of musculoskeletal disorders. METHODS: Medline, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane databases were systematically searched from inception to June 2023. Trials investigating the effects of internet-based telerehabilitation in any musculoskeletal disorder were selected. Nonoriginal articles and grey literature were excluded. Two independent reviewers conducted the study selection and data extraction. Random effect meta-analyses (standardized mean difference) and further sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS: We selected 37 clinical trials (33 randomized and 4 non-randomized) and 5 health economics studies, which included a total of 4,288 participants. Telerehabilitation was more favourable than control treatments in improving all studied clinical outcomes, although the effectiveness varied depending on the type of musculoskeletal disorder. The standard mean differences (SMD) ranged from 0.24 to 0.91. For physical function, the primary outcome, superior effectiveness was found only in people with hip fractures (SMD, 0.87; 95 % CI, 0.34 to 1.41). The effects for joint replacement, osteoarthritis, and spine pain were similar to those of control treatments. However, the favourable outcomes for telerehabilitation became insignificant when compared specifically to face-to-face rehabilitation. Some results displayed publication bias and a lack of robustness, necessitating cautious interpretation. In terms of health economics studies, telerehabilitation was 89.55$ (95 % CI 4.6 to 174.5) cheaper per individual than conventional treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Telerehabilitation should be considered in the recovery process of musculoskeletal disorders when optimal face-to-face rehabilitation is not feasible. Moreover, telerehabilitation reduces costs and time. PROSPERO NUMBER: CRD42022322425.

Identifying the most important data for research in the field of infectious diseases: thinking on the basis of artificial intelligence / Identificación de los datos más importantes para el desarrollo de inteligencia artificial en el campo de las enfermedades infecciosas

Objectives. Clinical data on which artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are trained and tested provide the basis to im prove diagnosis or treatment of infectious diseases (ID). We aimed to identify important data for ID research to prioritise efforts being undertaken in AI programmes. Material and methods. We searched for 1,000 articles from high-impact ID journals on PubMed, selecting 288 of the latest articles from 10 top journals. We classified them into structured or unstructured data. Variables were homogenised and grouped into the following categories: epidemiology, ad mission, demographics, comorbidities, clinical manifestations, laboratory, microbiology, other diagnoses, treatment, out comes and other non-categorizable variables. Results. 4,488 individual variables were collected, from the 288 articles. 3,670 (81.8%) variables were classified as structured data whilst 818 (18.2%) as unstructured data. From the structured data, 2,319 (63.2%) variables were classified as direct—retrievable from electronic health records—whilst 1,351 (36.8%) were indirect. The most frequent unstructured data were related to clinical manifestations and were repeated across articles. Data on demographics, comorbidities and mi crobiology constituted the most frequent group of variables. Conclusions. This article identified that structured vari ables have comprised the most important data in research to generate knowledge in the field of ID. Extracting these data should be a priority when a medical centre intends to start an AI programme for ID. We also documented that the most important unstructured data in this field are those related to clinical manifestations. Such data could easily undergo some structuring with the use of semi-structured medical records focusing on a few symptoms (AU)

Objetivos. Los datos clínicos sobre los que se entrenan y prueban los algoritmos de inteligencia artificial (IA) proporcio nan la base para mejorar el diagnóstico o el tratamiento de las enfermedades infecciosas (EI). Nuestro objetivo es identificar datos importantes para la investigación de las enfermedades infecciosas con el fin de priorizar los esfuerzos realizados en los programas de IA. Material y métodos. Se buscaron 1.000 artículos de re vistas de EI de alto impacto en PubMed, seleccionando 288 de los últimos artículos en 10 revistas de primer nivel. Los clasifi camos en datos estructurados o no estructurados. Las variables se homogeneizaron y agruparon en las siguientes categorías: epidemiología, ingreso, demografía, comorbilidades, manifes taciones clínicas, laboratorio, microbiología, otros diagnósticos, tratamiento, desenlace y otras variables no categorizables. Resultados. Se recogieron 4.488 variables individuales, pro cedentes de 288 artículos. 3670 (81,8%) variables se clasificaron como datos estructurados, mientras que 818 (18,2%) como da tos no estructurados. De los datos estructurados, 2.319 (63,2%) variables se clasificaron como directas -recuperables a partir de historias clínicas electrónicas-, mientras que 1.351 (36,8%) fueron indirectas. Los datos no estructurados más frecuentes estaban re lacionados con las manifestaciones clínicas y se repetían en todos los artículos. Los datos sobre demografía, comorbilidades y micro biología constituyeron el grupo más frecuente de variables Conclusiones. Este artículo identificó que las variables es tructuradas han constituido los datos más importantes en la investigación para generar conocimiento en el campo de la EI. La extracción de estos datos debería ser una prioridad cuando un centro médico pretende iniciar un programa de IA para la EI (AU)

Impacto de la rehabilitación cardiaca de 8 vs 12 semanas sobre la calidad de vida de personas con angioplastia. Ensayo clínico aleatorizado / Impact of an 8 and 12-week Cardiac Rehabilitation Program on the Perception of Quality of Life in Patients with Coronary Angioplasty. A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introducción. La evaluación de la calidad de vida es un resultado de salud que comúnmente se asocia con la eficacia de los tratamientos derivados a los pacientes con enfermedad de las arterias coronarias. Específicamente, la literatura no es clara con respecto al papel de la rehabilitación cardíaca sobre la calidad de vida en población sometida a revascularización coronaria. Objetivo. Determinar si existen diferencias en la percepción de calidad de vida relacionada con la salud, después de asistir a un programa de rehabilitación cardiaca de 8 semanas comparado con uno de 12 semanas en personas post revascularización percutánea. Métodos. Ensayo clínico controlado aleatorizado, conformado por personas que asisten a rehabilitación cardíaca, divididas en dos grupos de estudio (8 y 12 semanas), quienes se evaluaron a través del Cuestionario SF-36.Resultados. La muestra estuvo conformada por 17 personas, con edad promedio de 63.1±6.9 años. Al comparar la evaluación pre y posttratamiento en cada grupo, se encontraron diferencias significativas en los dominios función física y rol físico en el grupo de 8 semanas; al realizar la comparación entre grupos hubo diferencias en el dominio emocional. Conclusión. Los resultados del estudio no evidenciaron diferencias en cuanto a la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud entre los grupos de estudio en el resultado global del cuestionario SF-36. Sin embargo, al comparar las dos intervenciones, el grupo de 8 semanas demostró mejores valores sobre el rol emocional

Introduction. The evaluation of quality of life is a health outcome that is commonly associated with the efficacy of treatments derived from patients with coronary artery disease. The literature is unclear regarding the role of cardiac rehabilitation on quality of life in the population undergoing coronary revascularization.Aim. To determine if there are differences in perception of health-related quality of life after attending an 8-week cardiac rehabilitation program compared to a 12-week program in people after coronary angioplasty. Methods. Randomized controlled clinical trial that included people with coronary angioplasty, who attended a cardiac rehabilitation program, divided in two groups (8 and 12 weeks), who were evaluated through the 8 domains of Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36). Results. The sample was made up of 17 people, with an average age of 63.1 ± 6.9 years. When comparing the evaluation before and after treatment in each group, sta-tistical differences were found in the physical-functioning and role-physical in 8 weeks group. Comparation between group show differences in role-emotional. Conclusion. The results of the present study did not show differences between the global score on health-related quality of life. However, when comparing the two in-terventions, the 8-week group showed better values on the role-emotional.

Perceptions of Community Health Workers during Two Concurrent National Health Crises: Opioid Use Disorder and COVID-19.

The purpose of this study is to describe the perceptions of community health workers (CHWs), post opioid use disorder training, including the impact of the intervening COVID-19 pandemic, on service delivery and communication. Semi-structured interviews with 10 CHWs were conducted. Categories from the interviews focused on the loss of connections with their clients and how the COVID-19 pandemic caused the CHWs to experience significant interruptions in both their professional and personal lives. The COVID-19 pandemic caused dramatic changes in how CHWs operate within the communities they serve and limiting the interpersonal relationships that are vital to their profession.

Desafíos en el cuidado de personas con Covid-19 en posición prono: apoyo al estudio internacional PRONEtect.

SINOPSIS: El siguiente editorial presenta los resultados de una encuesta a los líderes de las 13 asociaciones de la Confederación Multidisciplinar Latinoamericana de Heridas, Estomas e Incontinencias (COMLHEI). La encuesta buscó determinar, de manera general, la situación de los pacientes con Covid-19 en posición prono (PP) con desarrollo de lesiones por presión (LPP). Los resultados indican que, en América latina, las LPP en pacientes en PP son frecuentes. Se evidenciaron deficiencias en estudios epidemiológicos y de elementos de protección, prevención y educación, además de brechas entre los diferentes países e instituciones en cuanto a la disponibilidad de personal para poder cumplir con las recomendaciones de posicionamiento de los pacientes. Las autoras sugieren tener en cuenta los resultados del estudio internacional PRONEtect para identificar, revisar y evaluar las pautas internacionales de pronación y cuidado de la piel, y hacer un inventario de los equipos y recursos de capacitación de uso común.

Genome-wide association study for deoxynivalenol production and aggressiveness in wheat and rye head blight by resequencing 92 isolates of Fusarium culmorum.

BACKGROUND: Fusarium culmorum is an important pathogen causing head blight of cereals in Europe. This disease is of worldwide importance leading to reduced yield, grain quality, and contamination by mycotoxins. These mycotoxins are harmful for livestock and humans; therefore, many countries have strict regulatory limits for raw materials and processed food. Extensive genetic diversity is described among field populations of F. culmorum isolates for aggressiveness and production of the trichothecene mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). However, the causes for this quantitative variation are not clear, yet. We analyzed 92 isolates sampled from different field populations in Germany, Russia, and Syria together with an international collection for aggressiveness and DON production in replicated field experiments at two locations in two years with two hosts, wheat and rye. The 30x coverage whole-genome resequencing of all isolates resulted in the identification of 130,389 high quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were used for the first genome-wide association study in this phytopathogenic fungus. RESULTS: In wheat, 20 and 27 SNPs were detected for aggressiveness and DON content, respectively, of which 10 overlapped. Additionally, two different SNPs were significantly associated with aggressiveness in rye that were among those SNPs being associated with DON production in wheat. Most of the SNPs explained only a small proportion of genotypic variance (pG), however, four SNPs were associated with major quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with pG ranging from 12 to 48%. The QTL with the highest pG was involved in DON production and associated with a SNP most probably located within the Tri4 gene. CONCLUSIONS: The diversity of 92 isolates of F. culmorum were captured using a heuristic approach. Key phenotypic traits, SNPs, and candidate genes underlying aggressiveness and DON production were identified. Clearly, many QTLs are responsible for aggressiveness and DON content in wheat, both traits following a quantitative inheritance. Several SNPs involved in DON metabolism, among them the Tri4 gene of the trichothecene pathway, were inferred as important source of variation in fungal aggressiveness. Using this information underlying the phenotypic variation will be of paramount importance in evaluating strategies for successful resistance breeding.

Developing and implementing a co-curricular IPE program: AHEC Scholars Program.

As part of a new directive, the Human Resources Services Administration (HRSA) mandated Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Programs across the nation to implement an interprofessional education (IPE) program for health professional students, with the goal of fostering collaborative practice among health profession students and motivating students to work in medically underserved areas post-graduation. The South Texas AHEC Program collaboratively developed and implemented a co-curricular IPE initiative, the AHEC Scholars Program, including didactic and practicum components, focused on the needs of communities in our area. A pre-post quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the student outcomes related to IPEC Competencies and knowledge and preparation for the practice of core topic areas mandated by HRSA. Student outcomes showed statistically significant improvement in all measures. In order to obtain more detailed accounts of students' practicum experiences, students were asked to complete reflective journals after each practicum. The AHEC Scholars Program provides students with opportunities to work with underserved populations and enables students to explore the benefits of team-based care. This article summarizes the collaborative process of the development and implementation of the AHEC Scholars Program; secondly, it details student outcomes from a 3-month pilot study.

Opioid Use Disorder ECHO: A Program Evaluation of a Project That Provides Knowledge and Builds Capacity for Community Health Workers in Medically Underserved Areas of South Texas.

Opioid use disorder is a growing public health concern in South Texas. To assist in mitigating the effects of this epidemic, staff produced a program that focused on replicating, modifying, and evaluating the impact of the "Opioid Addiction Treatment ECHO™ (Extension of Community Health Outcomes) for CHWs (community health workers) program" on 26 CHWs practicing in rural and other medically underserved areas through teleconferencing technology. CHWs trained on the topic of substance use disorder concentrated on behavioral health integration with a focus on opioid prescription misuse. The analysis found that knowledge attainment was increased above the pretest means. The ECHO™ model proved to be effective at linking subject matter experts and specialists at an academic "hub" with CHWs in local communities.

Using Mobile Health Tools to Engage Rural Underserved Individuals in a Diabetes Education Program in South Texas: Feasibility Study.

BACKGROUND: Access to diabetes education and resources for diabetes self-management is limited in rural communities, despite higher rates of diabetes in rural populations compared with urban populations. Technology and mobile health (mHealth) interventions can reduce barriers and improve access to diabetes education in rural communities. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) and financial incentives can be used with mHealth interventions to increase the uptake of diabetes education; however, studies have not examined their combined use for diabetes self-management in rural settings. OBJECTIVE: This two-phase Stage 1 feasibility study aimed to use a mixed methods design to examine the feasibility and acceptability of an mHealth diabetes education program combining SBIRT and financial incentives to engage rural individuals. METHODS: In Phase 1, we aimed to develop, adapt, and refine the intervention protocol. In Phase 2, a 3-month quasi-experimental study was conducted with individuals from 2 rural communities in South Texas. Study participants were individuals who attended free diabetes screening events in their community. Those with low or medium risk received health education material, whereas those with high risk or those with a previous diagnosis of diabetes participated in motivational interviewing and enrolled in the 6-week mHealth Diabetes Self-Management Education Program under either an unconditional or aversion incentive contract. The participants returned for a 3-month follow-up. Feasibility and acceptability of the intervention were determined by the rate of participant recruitment and retention, the fidelity of program delivery and compliance, and the participant's satisfaction with the intervention program. RESULTS: Of the 98 screened rural community members in South Texas, 72 individuals met the study eligibility and 62 individuals agreed to enroll in the study. The sample was predominately female and Hispanic, with an average age of 52.6 years. The feedback from study participants indicated high levels of satisfaction with the mHealth diabetes education program. In the poststudy survey, the participants reported high levels of confidence to continue lifestyle modifications, that is, weight loss, physical activity, and diet. The retention rate was 50% at the 3-month follow-up. Participation in the intervention was high at the beginning and dissipated in the later weeks regardless of the incentive contract type. Positive changes were observed in weight (mean -2.64, SD 6.01; P<.05) and glycemic control index (-.30; P<.05) in all participants from baseline to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The finding showed strong feasibility and acceptability of study recruitment and enrollment. The participants' participation and retention were reasonable given the unforeseen events that impacted the study communities during the study period. Combining mHealth with SBIRT has the potential to reach individuals with need to participate in diabetes education in rural communities.

Adherence to Antidepressant Therapies in Patients with Depressive Disorders Attending an Outpatient Clinic in a Public Mental Health Hospital, Antioquia, Colombia in 2017.

To evaluate the level of adherence to antidepressant therapies and associated factors in patients with depressive disorders. a cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in patients diagnosed with depressive disorders. The sample was for convenience, and a survey including sociodemographic, clinical, and therapeutic variables was designed. The Morisky-Green test, Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire, and Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire were also used, all of which have been validated for assessing adherence in patients with depression. The qualitative variables were evaluated with absolute and relative frequencies, and a bivariate analysis was performed. This study included 54 patients with an average age of 49.5 ± 13.7 years, and 83.3% were women. All patients were diagnosed with major depression, and 9.25% also had an anxiety disorder. According to the Morisky-Green test, only 37% of patients were compliant with the drug therapy, although this was not statistically significant. Women were less compliant than men (33.3% versus 55.6%; p = 0.21). The beliefs that patients have regarding medication do not have a great impact on adherence to antidepressant therapy. However, it was evidenced that adherent patients had less doubts about the medication administered in comparison to non-adherent patients.