Abstract
A fragment of the NWA 2975 Martian meteorite, an enriched basaltic shergottite, was analysed to complete its geochemical characterisation performed 10 years ago. By this means, the ...feasibility of the employed techniques in a combined way for present and future space exploration missions can be tested. For this aim, Raman spectroscopy was used supported by micro energy dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (μ‐EDXRF) and laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for an accurate interpretation of molecular and elemental results. Raman spectroscopy results from two setups, InVia from Renishaw and RLS Simulator, were compared. The major minerals detected by Raman spectroscopy were pyroxenes (mainly augite, pigeonite and enstatite) and plagioclases (mainly shocked maskelynite). Raman spectroscopy allowed defining different metal compositions for these main minerals based on the secondary Raman spectroscopy bands in the 200–500 cm
−1
region. In addition, other minerals were found such as merrillite, as well as pyrrhotite and apatite, in several veins and cracks of the meteorite, in agreement with the initial report by the Meteoritical Bulletin. Moreover, it should be highlighted that coesite was found for the very first time in this meteorite.
Background: Since the confirmation of the first patient infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Spain in January 2020, the epidemic has grown rapidly, with the greatest impact on the region of Madrid. This ...article describes the first 2226 adult patients with COVID-19, consecutively admitted to La Paz University Hospital in Madrid. Methods: Our cohort included all patients consecutively hospitalized who had a final outcome (death or discharge) in a 1286-bed hospital of Madrid (Spain) from 25 February (first case admitted) to 19 April 2020. The data were manually entered into an electronic case report form, which was monitored prior to the analysis. Results: We consecutively included 2226 adult patients admitted to the hospital who either died (460) or were discharged (1766). The patients’ median age was 61 years, and 51.8% were women. The most common comorbidity was arterial hypertension (41.3%), and the most common symptom on admission was fever (71.2%). The median time from disease onset to hospital admission was 6 days. The overall mortality was 20.7% and was higher in men (26.6% vs. 15.1%). Seventy-five patients with a final outcome were transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) (3.4%). Most patients admitted to the ICU were men, and the median age was 64 years. Baseline laboratory values on admission were consistent with an impaired immune-inflammatory profile. Conclusions: We provide a description of the first large cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Europe. Advanced age, male sex, the presence of comorbidities and abnormal laboratory values were more common among the patients with fatal outcomes.
We conducted a prospective evaluation of drug‐induced severe hyponatremia (adverse drug reaction (ADR)) through the Prospective Pharmacovigilance Program from Laboratory Signals at Hospital over a ...period of 10 years. Cases of serum sodium (Na(s)) < 116 mM were recorded from July 2007 to June 2017 (first period). Also cases of Na(s) 116–122 mM were recorded from July 2012 to June 2017 (second period). Drugs were the primary cause of severe hyponatremia. The incidence rate of Na(s) < 116 mM by drugs was increased threefold over the decade. Compared with other causes of hyponatremia, patients with adverse drug reaction–serum sodium (ADR‐Na(s)) in the first period were older (79 years (interquartile range (IQR) 68.6–89 vs. 65 years (IQR 48–81); P < 0.001) and were more often women (70.8% vs. 48.9% men, P < 0.001); in the second period were also older (79 years (IQR 65.3–89) vs. 63 years (IQR 46–80.6); P < 0.001) and were more often women (70% vs. 53%, P = 0.002), and ADR‐Na(s) occurred more often in summer. The most frequent therapeutic groups of culprit drugs were the cardiovascular system and nervous system. The 65.3% in the first period and 71.2% in the second period of the ADR‐Na(s) cases responded to hydration and had been diagnosed with hypovolemic hyponatremia.
In April 2020, two independent clinical trials to assess SARS-CoV-2 prophylaxis strategies among health care workers were initiated at our hospital: MeCOVID (melatonin vs placebo) and EPICOS ...(tenofovir disoproxil/emtricitabine vs hydroxychloroquine vs combination therapy vs placebo).
This study aimed to evaluate the reasons why health care workers chose to participate in the MeCOVID and EPICOS trials, as well as why they chose one over the other.
Both trials were offered to health care workers through an internal news bulletin. After an initial screening visit, all subjects were asked to respond to a web-based survey.
In the first month, 206 health care workers were screened and 160 were randomized. The survey participation was high at 73.3%. Health care workers cited "to contribute to scientific knowledge" (n=80, 53.0%), followed by "to avoid SARS-CoV-2 infection" (n=33, 21.9%) and "the interest to be tested for SARS-CoV-2" (n=28, 18.5%), as their primary reasons to participate in the trials. We observed significant differences in the expected personal benefits across physicians and nurses (P=.01). The vast majority of volunteers (n=202, 98.0%) selected the MeCOVID trial, their primary reason being their concern regarding adverse reactions to treatments in the EPICOS trial (n=102, 69.4%).
Health care workers' reasons to participate in prophylaxis trials in an acute pandemic context appear to be driven largely by their desire to contribute to science and to gain health benefits. Safety outweighed efficacy when choosing between the two clinical trials.
This is an exercise to explore the concentration of lithium, lithium-7 isotope and the possible presence of black dirty ice on the lunar surface using spectral data obtained from the Clementine ...mission. The main interest in tracing the lithium and presence of dark ice on the lunar surface is closely related to future human settlement missions on the moon. We investigate the distribution of lithium and 7 Li isotope on the lunar surface by employing spectral data from the Clementine images. We utilized visible (VIS–NIR) imagery at wavelengths of 450, 750, 900, 950 and 1000 nm, along with near-infrared (NIR–SWIR) at 1100, 1250, 1500, 2000, 2600 and 2780 nm, encompassing 11 bands in total. This dataset offers a comprehensive coverage of about 80% of the lunar surface, with resolutions ranging from 100 to 500 m, spanning latitudes from 80°S to 80°N. In order to extract quantitative abundance of lithium, ground-truth sites were used to calibrate the Clementine images. Samples (specifically, 12045, 15058, 15475, 15555, 62255, 70035, 74220 and 75075) returned from Apollo missions 12, 15, 16 and 17 have been correlated to the Clementine VIS–NIR bands and five spectral ratios. The five spectral ratios calculated synthesize the main spectral features of sample spectra that were grouped by their lithium and 7 Li content using Principal Component Analysis. The ratios spectrally characterize substrates of anorthosite, silica-rich basalts, olivine-rich basalts, high-Ti mare basalts and Orange and Glasses soils. Our findings reveal a strong linear correlation between the spectral parameters and the lithium content in the eight Apollo samples. With the values of the 11 Clementine bands and the 5 spectral ratios, we performed linear regression models to estimate the concentration of lithium and 7 Li. Also, we calculated Digital Terrain Models (Altitude, Slope, Aspect, DirectInsolation and WindExposition) from LOLA-DTM to discover relations between relief and spatial distribution of the extended models of lithium and 7 Li. The analysis was conducted in a mask polygon around the Apollo 15 landing site. This analysis seeks to uncover potential 7 Li enrichment through spallation processes, influenced by varying exposure to solar wind. To explore the possibility of finding ice mixed with regolith (often referred to as `black ice’), we extended results to the entire Clementine coverage spectral indices, calculated with a library (350–2500 nm) of ice samples contaminated with various concentrations of volcanic particles.
Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent, and recent evidence suggests a possible association between vitamin D deficiency and various health conditions. The aim of this study was to assess monthly ...calcifediol treatments for vitamin D deficiency (or biweekly, if the deficiency was severe) in a young adult population with no associated comorbidities. This multicentre phase I trial started with a four month open-label treatment phase (TP) that included 101 participants (65% women with mean age 29.8 years). Eighty-two percent of the subjects (79/96) achieved 25(OH)D levels within the target range (20-60 ng/mL) by the end of the TP, and they were subsequently randomised and subjected to a double-blind, placebo-controlled, five month follow-up phase (FP). At the end of the FP, 89% of participants maintained vitamin D levels of >20 ng/mL with calcifediol, versus 49% with placebo (
< 0.001). Subjects receiving monthly calcifediol during both phases (
= 32) maintained 25(OH)D levels >20 ng/mL, whereas those on the placebo during the FP (
= 38) exhibited deficiency levels of 25(OH)D by the end of the study. No clinically relevant changes in bone metabolism parameters or toxic 25(OH)D levels were observed, and no serious adverse events were reported throughout the study. Calcifediol is a safe and effective treatment for vitamin D deficiency in the young adult population, but long-term use may be required to sustain optimal 25(OH)D levels.
•Individualisation of the voriconazole (VCZ) therapeutic strategy is essential.•Clinical guidelines for VCZ dose adjustment are based only on CYP2C19 genotype.•SNPs in FMO3, NR1I2, POR, CYP2C9 and ...CYP3A4 contribute to VCZ AUC0-∞ interindividual variability.•Their inclusion in VCZ AUC0–∞CYP2C19 prediction algorithms improved model precision in the study cohort.
Individualisation of the therapeutic strategy for the oral antifungal agent voriconazole (VCZ) is extremely important for treatment optimisation. To date, regulatory agencies include CYP2C19 as the only major pharmacogenetic (PGx) biomarker in their dosing guidelines; however, the effect of other genes might be important for VCZ dosing prediction. We developed an exploratory PGx study to identify new biomarkers related to VCZ pharmacokinetics. We first designed a ‘clinical practice VCZ-AUC prediction model’ based on CYP2C19 to be used as a reference model in this study. We then designed a multifactorial polygenic prediction model and found that genetic variability in FMO3, NR1I2, POR, CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 partially contributes to VCZ total area under the concentration–time curve (AUC0–∞) interindividual variability, and its inclusion in VCZ AUC0–∞ prediction algorithms improves model precision. To our knowledge, there are no PGx studies specifically relating POR, FMO3 and NR1I2 polymorphisms to VCZ pharmacokinetic variability. Further research is needed in order to test the model proposed here.
Toxicovigilance is the active process of identifying and evaluating the toxic risks existing in a community, and evaluating the measures taken to reduce or eliminate them.
Through a validated ...toxicovigilance program (SAT-HULP) we examined the characteristics of acute poisoning cases (APC) attended in the Emergency Department (ED) of La Paz Hospital (Madrid, Spain) and assessed their economic impact on the health system.
The active poisoning surveillance system performs a daily search for cases in the hospital´s computerized case records. Found cases are entered into a database for recording of type of poisoning episode, reasons for exposure, causative agent, signs and symptoms and treatment. We carried out a cross-sectional epidemiological study with analytical projection, based on an impact study on cost per survivor. The data for the costs attributable to cases of APC observed at HULP (outpatients and inpatients) was obtained from the based on the information provided by the diagnosis-related groups (DRG) through the corresponding hospital discharge reports (available through SAT-HULP).
During the first 30 month of SAT-HULP operation we found a total of 3,195 APC, a cumulative incidence rate of 1.75% of patients attended in the ED. The mean (SD) patient age was 40.9 (17.8) years and 51.2% were men. Drug abuse accounted for 47.5% of the cases. Suicide attempt was the second most frequent category (38.1%) and other causes accounted for 14.5% of APC. The total cost of hospital care for our hospital rose to €1,825,263.24 (approximately €730,105.30/year) resulting in a permanent occupation of 4 beds/year.
SAT-HULP constitutes a validated toxicovigilance tool, which continuously integrates available data in real-time and helps health services manage APC data flexibly, including the consumption of resources from the health system.
Although the habitability of early Mars is now well established, its suitability for conditions favorable to an independent origin of life (OoL) has been less certain. With continued exploration, ...evidence has mounted for a widespread diversity of physical and chemical conditions on Mars that mimic those variously hypothesized as settings in which life first arose on Earth. Mars has also provided water, energy sources, CHNOPS elements, critical catalytic transition metal elements, as well as B, Mg, Ca, Na and K, all of which are elements associated with life as we know it. With its highly favorable sulfur abundance and land/ocean ratio, early wet Mars remains a prime candidate for its own OoL, in many respects superior to Earth. The relatively well-preserved ancient surface of planet Mars helps inform the range of possible analogous conditions during the now-obliterated history of early Earth. Continued exploration of Mars also contributes to the understanding of the opportunities for settings enabling an OoL on exoplanets. Favoring geochemical sediment samples for eventual return to Earth will enhance assessments of the likelihood of a Martian OoL.
PDF
