Silver vanadium oxide (SVO) and Silver Vanadium Oxide/Vanadium Oxide (SVO@VO) composite hydrogels are formed from the self-entanglement of β-AgVO
3
nanoribbons and slightly reduced vanadium oxide ...(VO) (V
V
1.6
V
IV
0.4
O
4.8
) nanoribbons; respectively. Starting from randomly distributed nanoribbons within hydrogels, and after a controlled drying process, a homogeneous xerogel system containing tuneable SVO : VO ratios from 1 : 0 to 1 : 1 can be obtained. The precise nanoribbons compositional control of these composite system can serve as a tool to tune the electrical properties of the xerogels, as it has been demonstrated in this work by impedance spectroscopy (IS) experiments. Indeed, depending on the composition and temperature conditions, composite xerogels can behave as electronic, protonic or high temperature ionic conductors. In addition, the electric and protonic conductivity of the composite xerogels can be enhanced (until a critical irreversible point), through the temperature triggered charge carrier creation. As concluded from thermogravimetry, IR, UV-Vis and EPR spectroscopy studies, besides the SVO : VO ratio, the thermal induced oxidation/reduction of V
5+
to V
4+
, and thermally triggered release of strongly bonded water molecules at the nanoribbon surface are the two key variables that control the electric and ionic conduction processes within the SVO and composite SVO/VO xerogels.
Assembly of SVO and slightly reduced VO nanoribbons in inorganic hydrogels enables the formation of proton conductor and electron conductor xerogels depending on the SVO/VO ratio. Thermal charge carrier activation results in enhanced conductivity.
A comparison of an indirect immunofluorescence test using promastigotes (IFATp) or cultured amastigotes (IFATa) in the diagnosis and follow-up of canine leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum ...was carried out. Results obtained with both diagnostic methods were in good agreement although the IFATa titration was more sensitive than the currently used IFATp without losing specificity. The higher sensitivity of the amastigote-based IFAT resulted in an earlier diagnosis in the absence of clinical signs. Both methods showed comparable results for monitoring the clinical evolution of naturally infected and treated (meglumine antimoniate plus allopurinol) dogs.
The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a ...hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters.
A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs).
In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22–0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71–1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43–0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86–1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02–0.17; p < 0.001).
Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situation.
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Background: Training in surgery has remained relatively uniform since the residency programs were introduced. The continuous advances in science have led to the progressive super-specialization of ...surgeons; 70% of them continue their training with a subspecialty. Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the proportion of surgeons who dedicate hours of their practice in another activity and to analyze how surgeons enter the workforce. Material and methods: We conducted a prospective and descriptive cross-sectional study with data from a survey, records of the General Directorate of Teaching and Research, and records of competitive selection processes and professional profiles available online. Results: Of 435 survey respondents, 73.3% of the resident graduates continued postresidency training in a surgical subspecialty. Only 24.7% immediately started working in general surgery. Among the graduate trainees in general surgery, only 17.4% were exclusively dedicated to general surgery. Conclusions: The lack of confidence to perform procedures independently and the need for completing 4 years of training in the residency program in general surgery to start training in the professional field of interest, appear as the issued to be solved. We propose a 5-year program with a 2+3 model. The initial period comprises 24 months of basic training covering the general aspects of surgical practice. The second period of advanced training will provide thorough training in the subspecialty chosen. In the last year of the 5-year program trainees will have the opportunity to act as attending surgeons. General surgery, conceived as a subspecialty, would regain its status as an objective and no longer a pathway to become a subspecialist.
Departamento de Patologia Animal I, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
Specific serum antibody levels in Leishmania infantum-infected dogs treated with a combination of ...glucantime and allopurinol were estimated by indirect immunofluorescence and Western blotting. The sensitivity of Western blot was greater than that obtained with immunofluorescence titration. In general, both diagnostic methods concurred with the post-treatment clinical status of the animals. Clinical improvement of successfully treated dogs was related to lower immunofluorescence titers and simpler and/or less reactive immunodetection patterns in Western blotting. The recognition, by infected dogs, of certain low molecular weight antigens, particularly one of approximately 26 kDa, was restricted to pretreatment samples and a single animal in relapse thus apparently constituting an active infection marker.
This subanalysis of the European Vulvovaginal Epidemiology Survey study aimed to assess the correlation of vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) symptoms and severity, when confirmed by objective gynecologic ...examination, with the quality of life of postmenopausal women.
Women aged 45 to 75 years with confirmation of last menstrual period more than 12 months before, who attended menopause or gynecology centers, were included. Those women had at least one VVA symptom filled in a group of questionnaires, including EuroQol-EQ-5D-3L and Day-to-Day Impact of Vaginal Aging (DIVA). To confirm the VVA diagnosis, an objective gynecologic examination was also performed.
Of a total of 2,160 evaluable women, 66.3%, 30.5%, and 11.2% suffered from severe vaginal, vulvar, and urinary symptoms, respectively. VVA was confirmed in more than 90% of the participants. Mean (±SD) EQ-5D-3L score was 0.892 ± 0.144 and mean (±SD) score on the associated visual analog scale was 71.7 ± 16.0. Mean (±SD) DIVA score was 0.922 ± 0.653. For both EQ-5D-3L and DIVA, the overall scores and most of the dimensions/components were statistically significantly worse for women with severe VVA symptoms (vulvar and urinary) compared with women not affected by severe symptoms. Quality of life questionnaires showed worse scores in women where the diagnosis of VVA was confirmed by gynecologic examination.
Severe VVA symptoms showed a direct association with worse quality of life in postmenopausal women. This important effect on the quality of life of many women should be recognized as equivalent to those from other conditions and pathologies of which there is greater awareness.
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