Offshore electricity production, mainly by wind turbines, and, eventually, floating PV, is expected to increase renewable energy generation and their dispatchability. In this sense, a significant ...part of this offshore electricity would be directly used for hydrogen generation. The integration of offshore energy production into the hydrogen economy is of paramount importance for both the techno-economic viability of offshore energy generation and the hydrogen economy. An analysis of this integration is presented. The analysis includes a discussion about the current state of the art of hydrogen pipelines and subsea cables, as well as the storage and bunkering system that is needed on shore to deliver hydrogen and derivatives. This analysis extends the scope of most of the previous works that consider port-to-port transport, while we report offshore to port. Such storage and bunkering will allow access to local and continental energy networks, as well as to integrate offshore facilities for the delivery of decarbonized fuel for the maritime sector. The results of such state of the art suggest that the main options for the transport of offshore energy for the production of hydrogen and hydrogenated vectors are through direct electricity transport by subsea cables to produce hydrogen onshore, or hydrogen transport by subsea pipeline. A parametric analysis of both alternatives, focused on cost estimates of each infrastructure (cable/pipeline) and shipping has been carried out versus the total amount of energy to transport and distance to shore. For low capacity (100 GWh/y), an electric subsea cable is the best option. For high-capacity renewable offshore plants (TWh/y), pipelines start to be competitive for distances above approx. 750 km. Cost is highly dependent on the distance to land, ranging from 35 to 200 USD/MWh.
ObjectivesTo analyse the physical activity carried out by the adolescents in the study, its relationship to being overweight (overweight+obese) and to analyse the structure of the social network of ...friendship established in adolescents doing group sports, using different parameters indicative of centrality.SettingIt was carried out in an educational environment, in 11 classrooms belonging to 5 Schools in Ponferrada (Spain).Participants235 adolescents were included in the study (49.4% female), who were classified as normal weight or overweight.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPhysical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A) was used to study the level of physical activity. A social network analysis was carried out to analyse structural variables of centrality in different degrees of contact.Results30.2% of the participants in our study were overweight. Relative to female participants in this study, males obtained significantly higher scores in the PAQ-A (OR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.04 to 4.25; p value: 0.036) and were more likely to participate in group sport (OR: 4.59; 95% CI: 2.28 to 9.22; p value: 0.000). We found no significant relationship between physical activity and the weight status in the total sample, but among female participants, those with overweight status had higher odds of reporting high levels of physical exercise (OR: 4.50; 95% CI: 1.21 to 16.74; p value: 0.025). In terms of centrality, differentiating by gender, women who participated in group sports were more likely to be classified as having low values of centrality, while the opposite effect occurred for men, more likely to be classified as having high values of centrality.ConclusionsOur findings, with limitations, underline the importance of two fundamental aspects to be taken into account in the design of future strategies: gender and the centrality within the social network depending on the intensity of contact they have with their peers.
Onychomycosis accounts for 50% of nail disorders, making it one of the most prevalent fungal diseases and a therapeutic challenge. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) could constitute a therapeutic ...alternative, owing to its good adherence, the low probability of resistance, the lack of interaction with antimicrobials, and its favorable adverse effect profile. This retrospective observational study included all patients with a microbiological diagnosis of onychomycosis treated with PDT at Miguel Servet University Hospital, Zaragoza (Spain), between January 2013 and June 2021. The protocol consisted of pre-treatment with 40% urea for 7 days, followed by 16% methyl-aminolevulinate (MAL) for 3 h and subsequent irradiation with a red-light LED lamp (37 J/cm2), every 1 or 2 weeks. Combined treatment with oral and/or topical antifungals was recorded. Of the 20 patients included (mean age, 59 ± 17 years), 55% were men. The most frequently detected microorganism was Trichophyton rubrum (55%). The most commonly affected location was the feet (90%): 50% of these cases were associated with tinea pedis. The median (standard deviation) number of PDT sessions was 6 (2.8). PDT was combined with systemic terbinafine (250 mg/day) in 10 cases (in 8 cases, this was administered for only 1 month), and with topical terbinafine in 3 cases. A complete clinical response was achieved in 80% (16) of cases and microbiological cure in 60% (12). PDT is a therapeutic alternative for onychomycosis, and can be administered either in monotherapy or combined with antifungals, allowing for a reduction in the duration and possible adverse effects of antifungal treatment and achieving higher cure rates than those obtained with either treatment alone.
is a Gram-positive microorganism that causes infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Treatment duration can be prolonged. While vancomycin is an effective drug in this scenario, its ...use may lead to renal damage. Studies have shown that continuous vancomycin infusion appears to be a safe strategy in terms of adverse effects compared to bolus administration.
We present the case of a 71-year-old female liver transplant recipient. After being diagnosed with a mediastinal infection caused by
with poor response to initial therapy, she required 12 months of continuous intravenous domiciliary infusion of vancomycin combined with oral levofloxacin and rifampicin. There was no drug-related complication throughout the follow-up.
The use of continuous vancomycin infusion has emerged as a safer, more efficient, and cost-effective alternative to intermittent administration. We want to emphasise the uniqueness of this case, where despite the unprecedented treatment duration, no adverse effects occurred.
Vancomycin therapy based on continuous infusion represents a safer and cheaper strategy than classic intermittent administration.The use of continuous infusion facilitates the management of complex infections with outpatient antimicrobial therapy.
Seasonal influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by the influenza virus which constitutes a significant public health issue associated with high morbidity and mortality. The aim of this ...study was to investigate changes in attitudes, perceptions, and practices regarding influenza vaccination in the Spanish adult population during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their vaccination intentions, with special attention paid to those over 65 years old and in high-risk groups. To this end, a cross-sectional study was conducted through 2219 telephone interviews, and the results were compared with results obtained a year earlier. Regarding the reasons for deciding to get vaccinated in the 2022/23 season, a significant increase was observed in vaccine confidence (36.7% vs. 42.8%), social responsibility (32.5% vs. 43.8%), and in awareness of the importance of vaccination due to COVID-19 (21.7% vs. 25.4%). Advanced age (OR 2.8, 95% CI 2.0–3.9), belonging to high-risk groups (OR 2.7, 95% CI 2.0–3.7), and prior vaccination (OR 25.3, 95% CI 19.5–32.7) emerged as significant predictors for the intent to receive the influenza vaccine in the 2022/23 season. Continuously observing shifts in perceptions and behaviors related to influenza immunization is crucial to pinpoint factors that may influence the willingness to receive the vaccine and, in this way, design public health strategies that achieve a greater acceptance of it.
Socioeconomic status (SES) influences all the determinants of health, conditioning health throughout life. The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between socioeconomic status ...and obesity in adolescence through an analysis of the patterns of contact between peers as a function of this parameter. A cross-sectional study was performed, analyzing a sample of 235 students aged 14 to 18 and 11 class networks. Social network analysis was used to analyze structural variables of centrality from a sociocentric perspective. We found that adolescents with a medium-low SES presented a two-fold higher probability of being overweight, but we did not detect any differences in the configuration of their social networks when compared with those of normal-weight adolescents. However, we did find significant differences in the formation of networks according to SES in the overall sample and disaggregated by gender, whereby adolescents with a high SES in general presented a higher capacity to form wider social networks. Elucidating the relationship between SES and overweight and its influence on social network formation can contribute to the design of preventative strategies against overweight and obesity in adolescents, since their social environment can provide them with several resources to combat excess weight.
Objetivo: Describir los efectos del uso del teléfono móvil sobre la seguridad del paciente en el áreaquirúrgica. Método: Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica sistemática de las bases de datos Web of ...Science,Scopus y PubMed, con una estrategia de búsqueda en los idiomas inglés y español utilizando términos claves DeCS y de uso coloquial. Resultados: Sobre 203 artículos estudiados, 18 estudios resultaron válidos para elanálisis, detectando un uso del teléfono móvil durante la práctica clínica con múltiples beneficios para losprofesionales de la salud y para el paciente, destacando mejoras en la información, administración,organización, comunicación y seguridad del paciente, así como distracciones, percepción desfavorable de lospacientes y/o familiares, propagación de agentes patógenos e interferencias con instrumentos electrónicoscomo efectos adversos asociados al uso del teléfono móvil por los profesionales sanitarios con importantepresencia enfermera. Conclusión: Se constata que el equipo quirúrgico utiliza el teléfono móvil durante supraxis clínica, siendo susceptible de importantes mejoras manifiestamente claras en la comunicación,gestión de recursos e información, así como en la seguridad del paciente. Los posibles efectos adversosdeben ser analizados desde una perspectiva crítica constructiva y con mayor profundidad investigadora.
A phosphatase inhibition assay for detection of okadaic acid (OA) toxins in shellfish, OkaTest, was single laboratory validated according to international recognized guidelines (AOAC, EURACHEM). ...Special emphasis was placed on the ruggedness of the method and stability of the components. All reagents were stable for more than 6 months and the method was highly robust under normal laboratory conditions. The limit of detection and quantification were 44 and 56 µg/kg, respectively; both below the European legal limit of 160 µg/kg. The repeatability was evaluated with 2 naturally contaminated samples. The relative standard deviation (RSD) calculated was 1.4% at a level of 276 µg/kg and 3.9% at 124 µg/kg. Intermediate precision was estimated by testing 10 different samples (mussel and scallop) on three different days and ranged between 2.4 and 9.5%. The IC(50) values of the phosphatase used in this assay were determined for OA (1.2 nM), DTX-1 (1.6 nM) and DTX-2 (1.2 nM). The accuracy of the method was estimated by recovery testing for OA (mussel, 78-101%; king scallop, 98-114%), DTX-1 (king scallop, 79-102%) and DTX-2 (king scallop, 93%). Finally, the method was qualitatively compared to the mouse bioassay and LC-MS/MS.
MR‐proADM as marker of endotheliitis predicts COVID‐19 severity García de Guadiana‐Romualdo, Luis; Calvo Nieves, María Dolores; Rodríguez Mulero, María Dolores ...
European journal of clinical investigation,
20/May , Letnik:
51, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Background
Early identification of patients at high risk of progression to severe COVID‐19 constituted an unsolved challenge. Although growing evidence demonstrates a direct association between ...endotheliitis and severe COVID‐19, the role of endothelial damage biomarkers has been scarcely studied. We investigated the relationship between circulating mid‐regional proadrenomedullin (MR‐proADM) levels, a biomarker of endothelial dysfunction, and prognosis of SARS‐CoV‐2‐infected patients.
Methods
Prospective observational study enrolling adult patients with confirmed COVID‐19. On admission to emergency department, a blood sample was drawn for laboratory test analysis. Primary and secondary endpoints were 28‐day all‐cause mortality and severe COVID‐19 progression. Area under the curve (AUC) and multivariate regression analysis were employed to assess the association of the biomarker with the established endpoints.
Results
A total of 99 patients were enrolled. During hospitalization, 25 (25.3%) cases progressed to severe disease and the 28‐day mortality rate was of 14.1%. MR‐proADM showed the highest AUC to predict 28‐day mortality (0.905; CI 95%: 0.829‐0.955; P < .001) and progression to severe disease (0.829; CI 95%: 0.740‐0.897; P < .001), respectively. MR‐proADM plasma levels above optimal cut‐off (1.01 nmol/L) showed the strongest independent association with 28‐day mortality risk (hazard ratio HR: 10.470, 95% CI: 2.066‐53.049; P < .005) and with progression to severe disease (HR: 6.803, 95% CI: 1.458‐31.750; P = .015).
Conclusion
Mid‐regional proadrenomedullin was the biomarker with highest performance for prognosis of death and progression to severe disease in COVID‐19 patients and represents a promising predictor for both outcomes, which might constitute a potential tool in the assessment of prognosis in early stages of this disease.
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