The citrus borer, Diploschema rotundicolle, is a South American cerambycid beetle considered a primary citrus pest in Uruguay. Serious focalized population explosions have been registered in recent ...years, particularly in lemon orchards. The larvae feed on the woody tissue, causing tree deterioration and reducing grove productivity and value. Current management relies on cultural control, which is expensive and ineffective partially because of imprecise timing of interventions. Monitoring tools for adults or information of their flight periods in Uruguay are not available thus far. Working in lemon groves in southern Uruguay throughout four flight seasons (2015-2020), we used cross-vane traps coupled with white light devices to capture night-flying adults, and mesh covers around infested trees to study adult emergence. Visual observation of larval activity and oviposition damage were also performed throughout the year. Finally, Eucalyptus globulus windbreaks were checked underneath loosen barks for hidden adults. Throughout all four seasons, adult flight occurred between late January and early April, with a maximum around mid-February. Emergence from mesh-covered trees was observed in the same period. In general, oviposition damage was observed closely after the peak of adult catches. Mostly females were both trapped in light traps and emerged from infested trees. Larval activity was registered all year long. Adults were found sheltered under E. globulus barks; in this case, mostly individual males or couples were found. This study provides a monitoring tool for D. rotundicolle adult flight and information on bio-ecological aspects of this pest in southern Uruguay.
El taladro de los cítricos, Diploschema rotundicolle, es un cerambícido sudamericano considerado plaga primaria de los cítricos en Uruguay. Se observan explosiones poblacionales focalizadas, particularmente en cultivo de limón. Las larvas se alimentan de la madera, causando un deterioro en los árboles que impacta en la productividad y el valor de las quintas. El manejo recae en el control cultural, que es costoso e ineficiente parcialmente por la realización fuera de tiempo de las intervenciones. No existen herramientas de monitoreo de adultos, que tienen hábitos nocturnos, ni información sobre su período de vuelo en Uruguay. Trabajando en quintas de limón en el sur de Uruguay durante cuatro temporadas (2015-2020), relevamos el vuelo de adultos en trampas de panel cruzado acopladas a luz blanca, y registramos emergencia de adultos mediante enmallado de árboles. Asimismo, se registró la actividad larval a lo largo del año y el daño de oviposición. Finalmente, se revisaron cortezas de cortinas de Eucalyptus globulus como refugio de adultos. En todas las temporadas, el vuelo y la emergencia de adultos sucedieron entre enero y abril, con un máximo a mediados de febrero. En general, el daño de oviposición se observó inmediatamente después del pico de mayores capturas. Se capturaron mayormente hembras en las trampas de luz y mallas. Se registró actividad larval durante todo el año. Se encontraron adultos refugiados bajo las cortezas de E. globulus; en este caso, mayormente machos aislados o parejas hembra-macho. Este trabajo provee una herramienta de monitoreo para el vuelo de adultos y aporta conocimiento sobre aspectos bio-ecológicos de D. rotundicolle en Uruguay.
A broca dos citros, Diploschema rotundicolle, é um cerambicídeo sul-americano, considerado a principal praga dos citros no Uruguai. São observadas explosões populacionais, particularmente no cultivo de limão. Os adultos são noturnos e as larvas se alimentam da madeira, causando uma deterioração nas árvores que impacta a produtividade e o valor patrimonial das quintas. A gestão depende do controle cultural, que é caro e ineficiente, em parte devido aos tempos de intervenção inadequados. No Uruguai, não existem ferramentas de monitoramento dos insetos adultos, nem informações sobre seu período de voo. Durante 4 temporadas (2015-2020), usamos armadilhas de painel cruzado acopladas a luz branca e malhas envolvendo árvores infestados, para estudar a emergência de adultos em limoeiros no sul do Uruguai. A atividade larval ao longo do ano e os danos à oviposição foram registrados. A casca dos arvores de Eucalyptus globulus que rodeiam os quadros foi revisada como refúgio para adultos. Em todas as estações, o voo e a emergência nas malhas ocorreram entre janeiro e abril, com máximo em meados de fevereiro. Em geral, o dano de oviposição foi observado imediatamente após o pico das maiores capturas. As fêmeas foram capturadas principalmente em armadilhas de luz e malha. A atividade larval foi registrada ao longo do ano. Adultos refugiados foram encontrados sob a casca de E. globulus; neste caso, principalmente machos isolados ou em pares fêmea-macho. Este trabalho fornece uma ferramenta de monitoramento do voo de adultos e fornece conhecimento sobre aspectos bioecológicos de D. rotundicolle.
Urinary tract infections are among the most common human infections. Due to the progressive increase in ESBL-producing bacteria and the unavailability of new antibiotics, re-evaluation of 'old' ...antibiotics is needed. However, the pharmacodynamics of nitrofurantoin under variable pH conditions are poorly understood. We determined the pharmacodynamic properties of nitrofurantoin at different pH levels using time-kill assays.
Time-kill assays were performed at four pH levels (5.5, 6.5, 7.5 and 8.5), exposing the bacteria to 2-fold increasing concentrations from 0.125 to 32 times the MIC. Seven ESBL-positive and two ESBL-negative strains (MICs 8-32 mg/L) were used. The Δlog10 cfu/mL values at 6 and 24 h were plotted against each log10-transformed concentration and analysed with non-linear regression analysis using the sigmoid maximum effect model with variable slope. Geometric means normalized by the MIC of the EC50, stasis and 1 and 3 log10 cfu/mL kill were calculated.
Minimum bactericidal effects differed significantly by species and pH level. At pH 5.5-6.5 bactericidal effects were observed at ≥ 0.5 × MIC for Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae. At pH 8.5 only the two highest concentrations were considered bactericidal. Strong pH-dependent pharmacodynamic output parameters were observed in 6 h and especially 24 h modelling. At 24 h, pH 5.5-6.5 for E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae required significantly lower nitrofurantoin concentrations compared with pH 7.5 or 8.5. Although for E. cloacae similar strong decreasing trends were visible with decreasing pH, none of the tested pharmacodynamic parameters was significant.
Nitrofurantoin bactericidal activity against Enterobacteriaceae significantly increases at lower pH levels. Bactericidal activity of nitrofurantoin may be overestimated or underestimated, which may have implications for therapy and the interpretation of clinical breakpoints.
Foxp3⁺CD4⁺ regulatory T cells (Treg) have a crucial role in controlling CD4⁺ T-cell activation, proliferation, and effector function. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating Tregfunction remain ...poorly understood. Here we assessed the role of IL-7, a key cytokine regulating T-cell homeostasis, in suppressor capacity of Treg. Using a skin allograft model in which transplant acceptance is controlled by the number of transferred Treg, we find that Tregimpair the proliferation of allogeneic CD4⁺ T cells, decrease production of IFNγ by effector T cells, and prevent early and increase late IL-7 induction by lymph node stromal cells. Increased IL-7 availability enhanced Tregsurvival, stabilized Tregmolecular signature, enhanced surface IL-2Rα expression, and improved IL-2 binding of Treg, which diminished proliferation of alloreactive CD4⁺ T cells. Sequestration of IL-7 or impairment of IL-7R signaling after allograft transplantation abolished Treg-mediated tolerance by limiting their suppressive capacity. AgedIl7rα-ΔTregmice displayed mild symptoms of autoimmunity correlating with impaired expansion of effector Tregin response to IL-2. Thus, IL-7R signaling on Tregsupports the functional activity of effector Tregby increasing their IL-2 sensitivity in the lymph node during peripheral and allograft tolerance.
There is growing interest on the impact of performance-based financing (PBF) on health workers' motivation and performance. However, the literature so far tends to look at PBF payments in isolation, ...without reference to the overall remuneration of health workers. Taking the case of Sierra Leone, where PBF was introduced in 2011, this study investigates the absolute and relative contribution of PBF to health workers' income and explores their views on PBF bonuses, in comparison to and interaction with other incomes.
The study is based on a mixed-methods research consisting in a survey and an 8-week longitudinal logbook collecting data on the incomes of primary health workers (n = 266) and 39 in-depth interviews with a subsample of the same workers, carried out in three districts of Sierra Leone (Bo, Kenema and Moyamba).
Our results show that in this setting PBF contributes about 10 % of the total income of health workers. Despite this relatively low contribution, their views on the bonuses are positive, especially compared to the negative views on salary. We find that this is because PBF is seen as a complement, with less sense of entitlement compared to the official salary. Moreover, PBF has a specific role within the income utilization strategies enacted by health workers, as it provides extra money which can be used for emergencies or reinvested in income generating activities. However, implementation issues with the PBF scheme, such as delays in payment and difficulties in access, cause a series of problems that limit the motivational effects of the incentives. Overall, staff still favor salary increases over increases in PBF.
The study confirms that the remuneration of health workers is complex and interrelated so that the different financial incentives cannot be examined independently from one. It also shows that the implementation of PBF schemes has an impact on the way it does or does not motivate health workers, and must be thoroughly researched in order to assess the impact of PBF.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
CEKLJ, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The citrus borer,
Diploschema rotundicolle
, is a Neotropical longhorn beetle that has become a serious citrus pest in southern South America. Management strategies for this insect rely on trimming ...off damaged shoots, which is expensive and inefficient. We studied the chemical communication system in
D. rotundicolle
in search of attractants for monitoring or control. GC-MS and enantioselective GC analyses of volatile extracts from field-collected adults showed that males produce (
R
)-3-hydroxy-2-hexanone, irregularly accompanied by minor amounts of 2,3-hexanediol (all four stereoisomers) and 2,3-hexanedione. Males emit the compounds only at night, when the adults are active. GC-EAD analyses of natural and synthetic compounds showed that both male and female antennae respond to the natural enantiomer (
R
)-3-hydroxy-2-hexanone, suggesting that it may function as an aggregation-sex pheromone as seen in many cerambycines. The non-natural (
S
) enantiomer as well as the minor component 2,3-hexanediol did not trigger antennal responses. Field tests with the racemic 3-hydroxy-2-hexanone, enantiomerically pure (
R
)-3-hydroxy-2-hexanone, as well as a mixture of racemic 3-hydroxy-2-hexanone and 2,3-hexanediol, showed in all cases low capture levels of
D. rotundicolle
. However, increasing the elevation of the trap and the emission rate of dispensers enhanced field captures in traps baited with racemic hydroxyketone. Incidental catches of another native cerambycine,
Retrachydes thoracicus
, in traps baited with 3-hydroxy-2-hexanone are also reported. This is the first report of pheromone chemistry in the genus
Diploschema
and in the tribe Torneutini, reaffirming the pheromone parsimony well established for the Cerambycinae. Potential factors explaining the weak attraction of
D. rotundicolle
in the field are discussed.
The current sanitary crisis due to COVID-19 has further evidenced the enormous digital exclusion of older adults. Furthermore, the crisis has urged older adults to adopt new technologies to ...facilitate their tasks, as well as to provide them with an effective means against loneliness and social isolation caused by the confinement. In light of this, Digital Literacy is necessary for all those excluded from the digital era, who are characterized mainly by little or no ability to effectively use technologies. Nevertheless, detailed studies showing the leap from mixed (Blended Learning, BL) to digital literacy in the elderly have not been published. The objective of the present research was to analyze the level of Digital Literacy with the Digital Literacy Evaluation (DILE) of two groups of elderly adults with different levels of literacy (Group 1: G1, and Group 2: G2) during three stages: BL (Aug–Dec 2019); Transition (Feb–Jun 2020); and Digital (Aug–Dec 2020). Comparisons were made before each educational level (pre-pre-pre) and after each educational level (post-post-post) and during consecutive periods before and after each semester (pre vs post) and throughout different educational levels (G1: Basic 1, B1; Basic 2, B2; and intermediate 1, I1; and G2: Intermediate 1 to 3, I1, I2, and I3). Subsequently, considering all the elderly who had passed at least one of the literacy levels, we worked with a total sample of 176 older adults. The comparisons showed that, before the pandemic, G1’s pre digital literacy levels increased between B1 and B2 and that the differences continued with that increasing trend between the B1 level and the I1 completely digital treatment, and the same was observed for post measurements. On the other hand, for the G2, the differences in the DILE were statistically significant between the pre-condition of I2 (before the pandemic) and the I3 (completely digital treatment); and between the pre-conditions of I1 and I3; the same results were obtained for post treatments. Also, pre vs post scores on the DILE were statistically significant and older adults increased progressively their digital literacy despite the COVID-19 pandemic and jumped to the digital age.
Avibactam is a new non-β-lactam β-lactamase inhibitor that shows promising restoration of ceftazidime activity against microorganisms producing Ambler class A extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) ...and carbapenemases such as KPCs, class C β-lactamases (AmpC), and some class D enzymes. To determine optimal dosing combinations of ceftazidime-avibactam for treating infections with ceftazidime-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, pharmacodynamic responses were explored in murine neutropenic thigh and lung infection models. Exposure-response relationships for ceftazidime monotherapy were determined first. Subsequently, the efficacy of adding avibactam every 2 h (q2h) or q8h to a fixed q2h dose of ceftazidime was determined in lung infection for two strains. Dosing avibactam q2h was significantly more efficacious, reducing the avibactam daily dose for static effect by factors of 2.7 and 10.1, whereas the mean percentage of the dosing interval that free drug concentrations remain above the threshold concentration of 1 mg/liter (%fT>C(T) 1 mg/liter) yielding bacteriostasis was similar for both regimens, with mean values of 21.6 (q2h) and 18.5 (q8h). Dose fractionation studies of avibactam in both the thigh and lung models indicated that the effect of avibactam correlated well with %fT>C(T) 1 mg/liter. This parameter of avibactam was further explored for four P. aeruginosa strains in the lung model and six in the thigh model. Parameter estimates of %fT>C(T) 1 mg/liter for avibactam ranged from 0 to 21.4% in the lung model and from 14.1 to 62.5% in the thigh model to achieve stasis. In conclusion, addition of avibactam enhanced the effect of ceftazidime, which was more pronounced at frequent dosing and well related with %fT>C(T) 1 mg/liter. The thigh model appeared more stringent, with higher values, ranging up to 62.5% fT>C(T) 1 mg/liter, required for a static effect.
Exploring the entire set of formal and informal payments available to health workers (HWs) is critical to understand the financial incentives they face and devise effective incentive packages to ...motivate them. We investigate this issue in the context of Sierra Leone by collecting quantitative data through a survey and daily logbooks on the incomes of 266 HWs in three districts, and carrying out 39 qualitative in-depth interviews. We find that, while earnings related to the HWs official jobs represent the largest share, their income is fragmented and composed of a variety of payments, and there is a large heterogeneity in the importance of each income source within the total remuneration. Importantly, each income has different features in terms of regularity, reliability, ease of access, etc. Our analysis also reveals the determinants of the incomes received and their level based on individual and facility characteristics, and finds that these are not in line with HRH policies defined at national level. Additionally, from their narratives, it emerges that HWs are ‘managing ’, in the sense both of ‘getting by’and of enacting financial coping strategies, such as mental accounting (spending different incomes differently), income hiding to shelter it from family pressures, and re-investment of incomes to stabilize overall earnings over time, in order to ensure their livelihoods and those of their families. These strategies question the assumption of fungibility of incomes and the neutrality of increasing or regulating one rather than another of them. Together, our findings on earning and income use patterns have important policy implications for how we go about (re)thinking financial incentive strategies.
En explorant l’ensemble des gratifications formelles et informelles offertes aux agents de santé (HWs), il est essentiel de comprendre les incitations financières auxquelles ils sont confrontés et d’élaborer des mesures incitatives efficaces pour les motiver. Nous étudions cette question dans le contexte de la Sierra Leone en recueillant des données quantitatives à travers une enquête et la revue des registres quotidiens sur les revenus de 266 agents de santé dans trois districts, et la réalisation de 39 entrevues qualitatives approfondies. Nous trouvons que, si les gains liés aux emplois officiels des agents de santé représentent la plus grande part, leur revenu est fragmenté et composé d’une variété de gratifications; et l’on observe une grande hétérogénéité dans l’importance de chaque source de revenu au sein de la rémunération totale. Il est important de noter que chaque revenu a des caractéristiques différentes en termes de régularité, fiabilité, facilité d’accès, etc. Notre analyse révèle également les déterminants des revenus perçus et leur niveau sur la base de caractéristiques individuelles et celles des formations sanitaires, et constate que ceux-ci ne sont pas conformes aux politiques RHS définies au niveau national. En outre, à partir de leurs déclarations, il ressort que les agents de santé «gèrent», ce qui veut aussi bien dire «tirer son épingle du jeu» qu’adopter des stratégies financières d’adaptation, telles que la segmentation mentale (dépenser différemment des revenus différents), la dissimulation des revenus pour les tenir à l’abri des pressions familiales, et le réinvestissement des revenus pour stabiliser les gains globaux au fil du temps, afin d’assurer leur subsistance et celle de leurs familles. Ces stratégies remettent en cause l’hypothèse de la fongibilité des revenus et de la neutralité de l’augmentation ou la régulation de l’un plutôt que l’autre de ces revenus. Dans l’ensemble, nos conclusions sur les modes d’utilisation des gains et des revenus ont d’importantes implications politiques sur la façon dont nous allons procéder pour (re)penser les stratégies d’incitations financières.
Explorando el conjunto total de los pagos formales e informales disponibles para los trabajadores de la salud (TSs) es fundamental para entender los incentivos financieros que enfrentan y para diseñar paquetes de incentivos eficaces para motivarlos. Investigamos esta cuestión en el contexto de Sierra Leona recopilando los datos cuantitativos a través de una encuesta y de los cuadernos de bitácora diaria de los ingresos de 266 TSs en tres distritos, y tras la realización de 39 entrevistas cualitativas en profundidad. Encontramos que mientras los ingresos relacionados con trabajos oficiales de los TSs representan la mayor proporción, su ingreso es fragmentado y compuesto por una variedad de pagos, y existe una gran heterogeneidad en la importancia de cada fuente de ingresos dentro de la remuneración total. Es importante destacar que cada ingreso tiene diferentes características en términos de regularidad, fiabilidad, facilidad de acceso, etc. Nuestro análisis también revela los determinantes de los ingresos recibidos y su nivel basados en las características individuales y de las instalaciones, y se encuentra que estos no están en línea con las políticas de recursos humanos para la salud definidas a nivel nacional. Además, a partir de sus narrativas, resulta que los TSs se están ‘acoplando’, tanto ‘saliendo adelante’ como creando estrategias financieras, tales como haciendo contabilidad mental (gastando diferentes ingresos de manera diferente), ocultando los ingresos a fin de aislarlos de las presiones familiares y reinvirtiendo los ingresos totales para estabilizar las ganancias en el tiempo, con el fin de asegurar sus futuros y los de sus familias. Estas estrategias ponen en duda la asunción de fungibilidad de los ingresos y la neutralidad del aumento o la regulación de uno en lugar de otro de ellos. En conjunto, nuestros hallazgos sobre las ganancias y los patrones de uso de los ingresos tienen importantes implicaciones políticas para saber cómo vamos a re-pensar las estrategias financieras de los incentivos.
探索医疗工作者正式和非正式的全部收入对于了解他们面对 的资金激励和设计有效的能够刺激他们的激励计划来说十分 关键。我们在塞拉利昂通过问卷和日志方式收集关于来自3个 地区的266个健康工作者收入的相关定量数据, 同时进行39个 定性深入访谈来探索这个问题。我们发现尽管大部分情况下 健康工作者官方职务与收入相关, 但是他们的收入呈碎片化, 由多种收入来源组成, 在总收入中每种收入来源的重要性呈现 出较大的异质性。重要的是, 每种收入在规律性、可靠性、取 得的难易程度等方面有不同的特性。同时, 我们的分析基于个 人和机构的特性揭示收入的决定因素以及级别, 同时发现这些 与国家医疗人力资源政策不一致。此外, 从他们的描述中我们 了解到, 医疗工作者越来越多地”管理”, 在某种意义上同 时”得到”和制定财务处理策略, 例如心理账户 （用不同的方式 花费不同账户） 、收入隐匿从而在家庭压力中隐藏收入以及 收入再投资来稳定各时间段的总体收入, 进而保证他们和家庭 的生活。这些策略质疑了收入可替代性假设和提高或规范收 入组成的中立性。总体上看, 我们对收入和收入使用形式的研 究结果对我们如何进行财务激励策略的 （重新） 思考具有重 要的政策意义。
Cheating forms part of a complex emotional and cognitive process. However, although a relatively mundane phenomenon, instruments to evaluate cheating and its effects socially are scarce. This paper ...presents a five-stage approach aimed at providing validity to an instrument designed to assess cheating - specifically, its detection, and emotional reactions towards it once detected. An instrument was designed after (1) reviewing the relevant literature on cheating, in order to (2) design a bank of stimuli, (3) formulate a Delphi panel to judge the most coherent and pertinent ones, and (4) perform three pilot studies to adjust the final version of the instrument. Results from Stages 1 to 4 show that content validity was achieved for the Instrument for Detecting Cheating and its Emotional Reactions (INDETRAE, in Spanish:
). Stimuli were grouped into five categories of 18 different scenarios, for a total of 90 vignettes: meaning, the INDETRAE is a 5-category, vignette-based questionnaire consisting of contrasting social cost-benefit scenarios, where the cheating situation affects an undefined, a first or a third person, and also a neutral category with no cheating. In Stage 5, several chi-squared tests (
< 0.0005) revealed significant differences between categories, proving that the instrument can indeed be used to detect cheating and to identify differentiated emotional reactions - for example, anger when there was detriment to a third person as opposed to neutral situations, or glad when there was a case of cheating which benefited the first person. The last stage counts as the first approximation to support construct validity of the INDETRAE. The most important contribution of this work consists in developing an instrument to detect cheating, confirmed by the resulting emotional reactions, which therefore demonstrate its validity.
Ceftazidime and the β-lactamase inhibitor avibactam constitute a new, potentially highly active combination in the battle against extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria. To determine ...possible clinical use, it is important to know the pharmacokinetic profiles of the compounds related to each other in plasma and the different compartments of infection in experimentally infected animals and in humans. We used a neutropenic murine thigh infection model and lung infection model to study pharmacokinetics in plasma and epithelial lining fluid (ELF). Mice were infected with ca. 10(6) CFU of Pseudomonas aeruginosa intramuscularly into the thigh or intranasally to cause pneumonia and were given 8 different (single) subcutaneous doses of ceftazidime and avibactam in various combined concentrations, ranging from 1 to 128 mg/kg of body weight in 2-fold increases. Concomitant samples of serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were taken at up to 12 time points until 6 h after administration. Pharmacokinetics of both compounds were linear and dose proportional in plasma and ELF and were independent of the infection type, with estimated half-lives (standard deviations SD) in plasma of ceftazidime of 0.28 (0.02) h and of avibactam of 0.24 (0.04) h and volumes of distribution of 0.80 (0.14) and 1.18 (0.34) liters/kg. The ELF-plasma (area under the concentration-time curve AUC) ratios (standard errors SE) were 0.24 (0.03) for total ceftazidime and 0.27 (0.03) for unbound ceftazidime; for avibactam, the ratios were 0.20 (0.02) and 0.22 (0.02), respectively. No pharmacokinetic interaction between ceftazidime and avibactam was observed. Ceftazidime and avibactam showed linear plasma pharmacokinetics that were independent of the dose combinations used or the infection site in mice. Assuming pharmacokinetic similarity in humans, this indicates that similar dose ratios of ceftazidime and avibactam could be used for different types and sites of infection.
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