Los hongos se pueden comportar como alergenos, y si la concentración de esporas supera las 2.000 UFC/m3 son un factor de riesgo para la salud. Nuestro objetivo fue aislar esporas de hongos alergenos ...en una biblioteca. Para ello, se muestrearon 20 áreas, con el aparato Andersen de seis niveles, con cajas de Petri con agar sabouraud. Se aisló un total de 787 colonias, el 90.34% de hongos filamentosos y un 9.66% de levaduras. Los géneros aislados con mayor frecuencia fueron Cladosporium sp. (52.99%) y Penicillium sp. (13.34%), la temperatura y la humedad relativa promedio fueron de 24°C y 50% H. R., respectivamente. Se concluye que la concentración de esporas encontrada estuvo dentro de los límites aceptables de UFC/m3, sin embargo se sugiere mantener ventanas cerradas y hacer una adecuada limpieza de los espacios para evitar futuras complicaciones tanto en la salud de los usuarios como en el deterioro del material bibliográfico.
In recent years, plastic pollution has become an environmental problem requiring urgent attention. Recently, the release of nano-sized plastics (<1 µm) into the environment has raised concern due to ...the possible adverse effects that their small size can have on the trophic web. Advanced oxidation processes are efficient at removing organic pollutants such as dyes and pharmaceuticals, making them a viable approach for treating these hazardous materials. This study proposes the use of photocatalysis as an alternative for removing polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs) from aqueous media. A comparative study was carried out to determine the photocatalytic activity of three different TiO2 photocatalysts synthesized by anodization. Elimination and degradation were monitored by turbidimetry, TOC, FTIR, and GC/MS, and the presence of carbonyl groups and intermediate products was recorded to confirm PS-NP degradation. Statistical analysis revealed that PS-NP elimination using TiO2/T and TiO2/M as photocatalysts was more efficient than with photolysis. The results indicate that the mixed structure (nanotubes/nanograss) reduces the concentration of PS-NPs in dispersion 2 times more efficiently than photolysis with UV light does. Despite the challenges posed by nanoplastic contamination, this study provides a useful remediation approach; a technique that, to date, has received little attention.
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•First insight into the PS-NPs photodegradation using TiO2 anodized is presented.•Three structured photocatalysts were proposed to remove NPs from aqueous media.•In the most favorable case, NPs concentration was reduced by 23.5% after 50 h.•FTIR and TOC techniques were used to indicate polymer oxidation.•The role of the photocatalyst morphology on the degradation rate is elucidated.
The death of a loved one was a challenge many people faced during the COVID-19 pandemic within the context of extraordinary circumstances and great uncertainty. Grief is an unavoidable part of life, ...and for most people, feelings of grief decrease naturally over time. However, for some people, grieving can become a particularly painful process with clinical symptoms that may require professional help to resolve. To provide psychological support to people who had lost a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic, an unguided web-based psychological intervention was developed.
The main objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the web-based treatment, Grief COVID (Duelo COVID in Spanish; ITLAB), in reducing clinical symptoms of complicated grief, depression, posttraumatic stress, hopelessness, anxiety, and suicidal risk in adults. The secondary aim was to validate the usability of the self-applied intervention system.
We used a randomized controlled trial with an intervention group (IG) and a waitlist control group (CG). The groups were assessed 3 times (before beginning the intervention, upon completing the intervention, and 3 months after the intervention). The intervention was delivered on the web in an asynchronous format through the Duelo COVID web page. Participants created an account that could be used on their computers, smartphones, or tablets. The evaluation process was automated as part of the intervention.
A total of 114 participants were randomly assigned to the IG or CG and met criteria for inclusion in the study (n=45, 39.5% completed the intervention and n=69, 60.5% completed the waitlist period). Most participants (103/114, 90.4%) were women. The results indicated that the treatment significantly reduced baseline clinical symptoms in the IG for all variables (P<.001 to P=.006), with larger effect sizes for depression, hopelessness, grief, anxiety, and risk of suicide (all effect sizes ≥0.5). The follow-up evaluation showed that symptom reduction was maintained at 3 months after the intervention. The results from the CG showed that participants experienced significantly decreased levels of hopelessness after completing the time on the waitlist (P<.001), but their suicidal risk scores increased. Regarding the usability of the self-applied intervention system, the results indicated a high level of satisfaction with the Grief COVID.
The self-applied web-based intervention Grief COVID was effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, risk of suicide risk, posttraumatic stress disorder, and complicated grief disorder. Grief COVID was evaluated by the participants, who reported that the system was easy to use. These results affirm the importance of developing additional web-based psychological tools to help reduce clinical symptoms in people experiencing grief because of the loss of a loved one during a pandemic.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04638842; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04638842.
Genetic testing is crucial in inherited arrhythmogenic channelopathies; however, the clinical interpretation of genetic variants remains challenging. Incomplete penetrance, oligogenic, polygenic or ...multifactorial forms of channelopathies further complicate variant interpretation. We identified the
/p.D446E variant in 2/63 patients with long QT syndrome, 30-fold more frequent than in public databases. We thus characterized the biophysical phenotypes of wildtype and mutant IKs co-expressing these alleles with the β-subunit minK in HEK293 cells.
p.446E homozygosity significantly shifted IKs voltage dependence to hyperpolarizing potentials in basal conditions (gain of function) but failed to shift voltage dependence to hyperpolarizing potentials (loss of function) in the presence of 8Br-cAMP, a protein kinase A activator. Basal IKs activation kinetics did not differ among genotypes, but in response to 8Br-cAMP, IKs 446 E/E (homozygous) activation kinetics were slower at the most positive potentials. Protein modeling predicted a slower transition of the 446E Kv7.1 tetrameric channel to the stabilized open state. In conclusion, biophysical and modelling evidence shows that the
p.D446E variant has complex functional consequences including both gain and loss of function, suggesting a contribution to the pathogenesis of arrhythmogenic phenotypes as a functional risk allele.
IntroductionHuman actions have influenced climate changes around the globe, causing extreme weather phenomena and impacting communities worldwide. Climate change has caused, directly or indirectly, ...health effects such as injury and physical injuries, which impact morbidity and mortality. Similarly, there is evidence that exposure to climatic catastrophes has serious repercussions on psychological well-being, and rising temperatures and drought have detrimental effects on mental health.Despite the recent effort of researchers to develop specific instruments to assess the effects of climate change on mental health, the evidence on measures of its impact is still scarce, and the constructs are heterogeneous. The aim of this scoping review is to describe the instruments developed and validated to assess the impact of mental health related to climate change.Methods and analysisThis review is registered at Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/zdmbk). This scoping review will follow the reporting elements chosen for systematic review and meta-analysis (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). We proposed a PO question, as it places no restrictions on the participants (P), and the outcome (O) are measurement instruments on mental health related to climate change. A search will be conducted in different databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO). We will use an open-source artificial intelligence screening tool (ASReview LAB) for the title and abstract review. The full-text review will be performed by three researchers. If there is a disagreement between two independent reviewers, a third reviewer will take the final decision. We will use the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments tool to assess the risk of bias for each included study. The review will be conducted starting in September 2023.Ethics and disseminationThe planned scoping review does not require ethical approval since it will not involve an ethical risk to the participants. The results obtained from this study will be presented at conferences, congresses and scientific publications.
Online psychological interventions have emerged as a treatment alternative because they are accessible, flexible, personalized, and available to large populations. The number of Internet ...interventions in Latin America is limited, as are Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) of their effectiveness and a few studies comparing their effectiveness in multiple countries at the same time. We have developed an online intervention, Well-being Online, which will be available to the public free of charge in 7 countries: Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Spain, and the Netherlands. We expect a reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms and an increase in well-being of the participants.
A multi-country, randomized controlled trial will be conducted. The intervention is multicomponent (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Behavioral Activation Therapy, Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Positive Psychology), with 10 sessions. In each country, eligible participants will be randomized to one of three groups: Enriched Intervention (interactive web design with videos, infographics, text, audio, and forum), Text Intervention (text on the website), and Wait List (control group). Repeated measures will be obtained at 5-time points. Our primary outcomes will be anxiety symptomatology, depressive symptomatology, and mental well-being. MANOVA analysis will be used for our main analysis.
This protocol describes the design of a randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of a web-based intervention to reduce anxiety and depression symptomatology and increase subjective well-being. The intervention will be made available in four languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and English). Its results will contribute to the evidence of effectiveness in terms of randomized trials and Internet interventions, mainly in Latin America and Europe.
This study aimed to analyze the biochemical, histological, and gene expression alterations produced in a hepatocarcinogenesis model induced by the chronic administration of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) ...and 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) in Wistar rats. Thirteen rats weighing 180 to 200 g were divided into two groups: control and treated. Rats in the treated group were administered an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of DEN (50 mg/kg/week) and an intragastric (i.g.) dose of 2-AAF (25 mg/kg/week) for 18 weeks. The treated group had significant increases in their total cholesterol, HDL-C, AST, ALT, ALKP, and GGT levels. Furthermore, a histological analysis showed the loss of normal liver architecture with nuclear pleomorphism in the hepatocytes, atypical mitosis, and fibrous septa that were distributed between the portal triads and collagen fibers through the hepatic sinusoids. The gene expressions of 24 genes related to fibrosis, inflammation, apoptosis, cell growth, angiogenesis, lipid metabolism, and alpha-fetoprotein (
) were analyzed; only
,
,
,
,
,
, and
showed significant differences when both groups were compared. Additionally, lung histopathological alterations were found in the treated group, suggesting metastasis. In this model, the chronic administration of DEN+2-AAF induces characteristic alterations of hepatocellular carcinoma in Wistar rats without
gene expression changes, highlighting different signatures in hepatocellular carcinoma heterogeneity.
Plastics composed mainly of polystyrene polymer have become widely used materials in different industries. The poor disposition of these products and their interaction with the environment has caused ...their fragmentation into particles that reach a nanometric scale (≤1 µm), called nanoplastics (NPs), considered pollutants due to their effects on human health and capacity to absorb toxic-bioaccumulative substances. Currently, advanced oxidation processes have shown efficiency in removing emerging pollutants, making them promising alternatives to treat NPs. This study proposes photocatalytic degradation with visible light irradiation to mitigate the contamination produced by polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs). Therefore, PS particles of ~ 350 nm were degraded using immobilized copper oxide semiconductors grown by the anodizing process for the first time. The anodization process considered two growth media (NH4F and NaOH), obtaining immobilized Cu2O/CuO semiconductors with different morphologies and a bandgap between 1.6 and 2 eV. The degradation of the nanoplastics was examined using several analytical methods such as TOC, ATR-FTIR, turbidity, and gas chromatography showing the presence of intermediates compounds with the carbonyl group, confirming the degradation of PS-NPs. The results showed that photocatalysis in visible light with copper oxide semiconductors promotes polymer chain scissions and reduces the concentration of PS-NPs up to 23%, representing six times more than the reductions achieved by photolysis. In addition, mineralization of up to 15% was achieved. Although contamination by nanoplastics involves many challenges, this study provides the basis for an alternative process that allows the mitigation of these nanoplastics using visible light.
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•Visible light photocatalysis of NPs using anodized CuxO is studied for the first time.•The concentration of PS-NPs was reduced by 23% after 50 h.•Polymer oxidation was demonstrated using techniques such as FTIR and TOC.•CuxO Anodic layers have good photocatalytic properties in short synthesis times.•CuxO semiconductors promote polymer chain scissions and degradation of PS-NPs.
The European CORDEX (EURO-CORDEX) initiative is a large voluntary effort that seeks to advance regional climate and Earth system science in Europe. As part of the World Climate Research Programme ...(WCRP) - Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX), it shares the broader goals of providing a model evaluation and climate projection framework and improving communication with both the General Circulation Model (GCM) and climate data user communities. EURO-CORDEX oversees the design and coordination of ongoing ensembles of regional climate projections of unprecedented size and resolution (0.11° EUR-11 and 0.44° EUR-44 domains). Additionally, the inclusion of empirical-statistical downscaling allows investigation of much larger multi-model ensembles. These complementary approaches provide a foundation for scientific studies within the climate research community and others. The value of the EURO-CORDEX ensemble is shown via numerous peer-reviewed studies and its use in the development of climate services. Evaluations of the EUR-44 and EUR-11 ensembles also show the benefits of higher resolution. However, significant challenges remain. To further advance scientific understanding, two flagship pilot studies (FPS) were initiated. The first investigates local-regional phenomena at convection-permitting scales over central Europe and the Mediterranean in collaboration with the Med-CORDEX community. The second investigates the impacts of land cover changes on European climate across spatial and temporal scales. Over the coming years, the EURO-CORDEX community looks forward to closer collaboration with other communities, new advances, supporting international initiatives such as the IPCC reports, and continuing to provide the basis for research on regional climate impacts and adaptation in Europe.
Healthcare workers have been one of the groups most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving them with serious psychological effects. Some of these effects have not been treated promptly, ...leading to further psychological symptoms. The objective of this study was to evaluate suicide risk in healthcare workers seeking psychological help during the COVID-19 pandemic, and factors associated with this risk on participants that were searching for treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a cross-sectional study analyzing data from 626 Mexican healthcare workers seeking psychological help due to the COVID-19 pandemic through the
www.personalcovid.com
platform. Before they entered treatment, the Plutchik Suicide Risk Scale, the Depression Scale of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Professional Quality of Life Measure, were administered. Results: 49.4% (n = 308) presented suicide risk. The most severely affected groups were nurses (62%, n = 98) and physicians (52.7%, n = 96). Predictors of suicide risk in healthcare workers were secondary traumatic stress, high depressive affect, low positive affect, emotional insecurity and interpersonal problems, and medication use. Conclusions: The suicidal risk detected was high, found mostly in nurses and doctors. This study suggests the presence of psychological effects on healthcare workers, despite the time that has elapsed since the onset of the pandemic.
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