IntroductionRelapse prevention is critical because psychopathology and functionality can worsen in patients with schizophrenia because the repeated episodes and we have strong evidence of ...antipsychotics efficacy for relapse prevention, but nonadherence rates in patients with schizophrenia are very high, even in comparison with other illness. The literature speaks of average rates of 42% in schizophrenia. For that, long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) are considered important treatment option, but they are underutilized (Taipale et al. Schizophrenia Bulletin 2017; 44, 1381–1387) (Garcia et al. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2016; 36(4)355-371).There is extensive clinical trial evidence for the use of paliperidone palmitate 1-month (PP1M) and paliperidone palmitate 3-month (PP3M) formulations for maintaining treatment continuity and preventing relapses and risk of hospitalizations in patients with schizophrenia. (Najarian et al. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2022; 25(3) 238-251).Paliperidone palmitate 6-month (PP6M) formulation is a presentation that provides a dosing interval of once every six months. It is the first and only antipsychotic to be administered twice a year.ObjectivesThe principal aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of the PP6M in people with non-acute schizophrenia in a naturalistic psychiatric outpatient settingMethodsSample: 22 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (DSM 5 criteria) that started treatment with PP6M after being stabilized with PP1M (N:10) or PP3M (N:12) (the treatment dose was not changed in the four months before study inclusion)The mean dose of PP6M was 822.727 mgBimonthly, the following evaluations were performed during a follow-up period of 4 months:The Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia scale (CGI-SCH)Treatment adherence, concomitant medication, adverse events and the number of hospitalizations and emergency visitsEfficacy values: Percentage of patients who remained free of admissions at the end of 4months of follow-up.Other evaluation criteria: Percentage of patients who never visited the emergency department at the end of 4 months of follow-up, average change from baseline visit to the final evaluation as assessed by score obtained on the following scale: GSI-SCH, treatment adherence rate and tolerability.ResultsThe percentage of patients who remained free of admissions at the end of the 4 months was 100% and the percentage of patients who never visited the emergency department at the end of 4 months was 100 %Mean variations from baseline scores at 4 months were: (-0.21 ±0.31) on the GCI-SCH.The rate of adherence to treatment with PP6M after 4 months was 100%.Tolerability was good. None of the patients experienced an adverse event.ConclusionsIn our study, we found that short-term treatment with paliperidone palmitate 6-month formulation is effective and well tolerated in clinical practice conditionsDisclosure of InterestNone Declared
The acaricidal effect of 14 strains of Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato isolated from soil of livestock farms in the Mexican tropics was evaluated against larvae and engorged females, and during the ...laying and hatching of eggs of Rhipicephalus microplus (Ixodida: Ixodidae). For each fungal strain, the larvae mortality percentage was evaluated through a larval immersion test, while the reproductive efficiency indices in engorged females were measured using adult immersion tests at a dose of 1 × 108 conidia/ml. All strains of M. anisopliae (s.l.) proved to be highly effective against R. microplus larvae (66-100%) and engorged females (100%). The strains also showed a good effect in inhibiting egg laying (16.45-56.38%) and a moderate effect in decreasing egg hatching (5.24-32.68%). Two strains demonstrated to be effective against all development phases of R. microplus in an integrated manner.
Although the influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus is expected to circulate as a seasonal virus for some years after the pandemic period, its behaviour cannot be predicted. We analysed a prospective cohort ...study of hospitalized adults with influenza A (H1N1) 2009 pneumonia at 14 teaching hospitals in Spain to compare the epidemiology, clinical features and outcomes of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 pneumonia between the pandemic period and the first post-pandemic influenza season. A total of 348 patients were included: 234 during the pandemic period and 114 during the first post-pandemic influenza season. Patients during the post-pandemic period were older and more likely to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease and cancer than the others. Septic shock, altered mental status and respiratory failure on arrival at hospital were significantly more common during the post-pandemic period. Time from illness onset to receipt of antiviral therapy was also longer during this period. Early antiviral therapy was less frequently administered to patients during the post-pandemic period (22.9% versus 10.9%; p 0.009). In addition, length of stay was longer, and need for mechanical ventilation and intensive-care unit admission were significantly higher during the post-pandemic period. In-hospital mortality (5.1% versus 21.2%; p <0.001) was also greater during this period. In conclusion, significant epidemiological changes and an increased severity of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 pneumonia were found in the first post-pandemic influenza season. Physicians should consider influenza A (H1N1) 2009 when selecting microbiological testing and treatment in patients with pneumonia in the upcoming influenza season.
Monte Carlo simulations forecast Gunn-like oscillations at ∼0.75-1.25 THz in InGaAs planar recessed diodes (slot diodes); however, up to date no experimental evidence of this effect has been ...observed. The effects of temperature and surface charges on the emission parameters from InGaAs diodes are analyzed by means of an ensemble Monte Carlo simulator. Cooling the device down to 77 K strongly improves the amplitude of the oscillations and can increase their frequency. On the other hand, the ratio between cap and recess charges plays an important role for the onset of oscillations. A high level of traps in the recess region may completely attenuate the emission.
Despite long-lasting HIV replication control, a significant proportion of elite controller (EC) patients may experience CD4 T-cell loss. Discovering perturbations in immunological parameters could ...help our understanding of the mechanisms that may be operating in those patients experiencing loss of immunological control.
A case-control study was performed to evaluate if alterations in different T-cell homeostatic parameters can predict CD4 T-cell loss in ECs by comparing data from EC patients showing significant CD4 decline (cases) and EC patients showing stable CD4 counts (controls). The partial least-squares-class modeling (PLS-CM) statistical methodology was employed to discriminate between the two groups of patients, and as a predictive model.
Herein, we show that among T-cell homeostatic alterations, lower levels of naïve and recent thymic emigrant subsets of CD8 cells and higher levels of effector and senescent subsets of CD8 cells as well as higher levels of exhaustion of CD4 cells, measured prior to CD4 T-cell loss, predict the loss of immunological control.
These data indicate that the parameters of T-cell homeostasis may identify those EC patients with a higher proclivity to CD4 T-cell loss. Our results may open new avenues for understanding the mechanisms underlying immunological progression despite HIV replication control, and eventually, for finding a functional cure through immune-based clinical trials.
The green cracked “seasoned” Manzanilla-Aloreña table olive is a specialty with a high demand when prepared from fresh fruits; however, when stored fruits are used, the product loses its green color, ...presents a brownish tone, and loses demand. Different alternative storage systems for preventing such changes and preserving the freshness of the fruits were studied, and their effects on sugar, polyphenol, color, and microbiological changes were analyzed. The application of two washing waters in the presence of different compounds before brining markedly decreased the sugar and polyphenol contents in the flesh, without negatively influencing the color; it also caused the inhibition of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (except in treatments using sodium metabisulfite and saturated carbon dioxide (CO2) in the storage olive brines. Salicylic acid inhibited microbial growth during washings and storage. The best long-term color was achieved in the presence of sodium metabisulfite. A combination of two washing waters (containing 5% sodium chloride (NaCl) and 0.1% sodium metabisulfite or saturated CO2), followed by immersion of the fruits in 15% NaCl brine with 0.1% sodium metabisulfite or brine under saturated CO2 added, led to the best storage conditions. Keywords: Table olives; storage; sodium metabisulfite; ascorbic acid; oxalic acid; salicylic acid; carbon dioxide; color of fruits; sugars; polyphenols
Fifteen sediment samples were analysed in order to determine their content of polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated dibenzo-
p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and biphenyls ...(PCBs). Samples were collected from several hot spots on the Spanish coast, such as the harbours of Almeria and Tarragona, and the mouths of the Besós and Llobregat rivers in Barcelona. A generic analytical procedure based on Soxhlet extraction followed by an automated cleanup system and gas chromatography-ion trap-mass spectrometry was employed for determining the toxic congeners of PCDDs and PCDFs, as well as dioxin-like PCBs. As regards PBDE determinations, a rapid method based on the use of selective pressurized liquid extraction followed by gas chromatography-negative ion chemical ionization-mass spectrometry was applied. Total toxicity equivalent (WHO-TEQ) values were calculated using the toxicity equivalent factors proposed by WHO for dioxin-like PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs. WHO-TEQ values ranged from 0.3 to 75 pg/g dry weight (dw), with PCB contribution on the toxicity of the samples between 1 and 84%. Total PBDE levels ranged from 2.7 to 134 ng/g dw, with BDE-209 contribution on the total PBDE contamination between 50 and 99%.
Decabrominated diphenyl ether makes a substantial contribution to the total PBDE contamination found in Spanish coastal sediments.
The field performance of the native Pappophorum vaginatum, the naturalized Eragrostis curvula and various cultivars of the introduced Achnatherum hymenoides and Leymus cinereus was evaluated as ...potential forage resources in rangelands of arid Argentina during the warm seasons of 2007/2008 and 2008/2009. Plants of these grass species, obtained from seeds, were transplanted to the field in 2006, when they were 1 year old. During the study years, there were two defoliation managements: plants of all study genotypes either remained undefoliated (controls) or were defoliated twice a year during spring at 5 cm stubble height. Despite tiller number being lower (P < 0·05) on defoliated than on undefoliated plants, and total leaf length per unit basal area being similar (P > 0·05) between defoliation managements by mid‐spring, there were no differences (P > 0·05) in dry weight production between defoliated and undefoliated plants in all genotypes at the end of the second growing season. Plants of one or more of the introduced genotypes showed a similar (P > 0·05) or greater (P < 0·05), but not lower, tiller number per plant and per square centimetre, daughter tiller production, total leaf length and dry weight production per unit basal area than the native species at the end of the first and/or second growing seasons. These morphological variables were similar (P > 0·05) or greater (P < 0·05) in the native than in the naturalized genotype. Plant survival, however, was lower (P < 0·05, overall mean = 20%) in the introduced than in the native (>70%) or naturalized (>39%) genotypes at the end of the first or second growing seasons.
In the present study, we analyzed the influence of untreated sewage exposure on carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic composition and several biochemical responses in the barnacle Balanus ...glandula. The main objective was to evaluate whether changes in stable isotopes signature do reflect biochemical sub-lethal effects in a sewage influence gradient. Stable isotopes analysis showed differences in isotope signatures between close sewage influence and distant sites, being δ13C signatures stronger than that of δ15N. Regarding biochemical effects, although organisms close to the effluent would be clearly exposed to contaminants (increased GST activity) the oxidative stress would not be too evident (peroxidases and ACAP not affected). The most affected physiological aspect was the digestive one, reflected in increased alkaline proteases and lipases activities. A clear relation between δ15N and GST activity was found, showing to δ15N as an indicator of potential exposure to chemical contaminants.
•Link of stable isotopes and biochemical biomarkers was assessed in sewage barnacles.•δ13C was a more sensible tracer of sewage than δ15N.•Digestive enzymes were measured for the first time in sewage-exposed animals.•Proteases and lipases are proposed as biomarkers of sewage pollution.•δ15N was correlated with GST and alkaline proteases and lipases activities.
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