Background
Some unanswered questions persist regarding the effectiveness of corticosteroids for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. We aimed to assess the clinical effect of ...corticosteroids on intensive care unit (ICU) mortality among mechanically ventilated COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients.
Methods
This was a retrospective study of prospectively collected data conducted in 70 ICUs (68 Spanish, one Andorran, one Irish), including mechanically ventilated COVID-19-associated ARDS patients admitted between February 6 and September 20, 2020. Individuals who received corticosteroids for refractory shock were excluded. Patients exposed to corticosteroids at admission were matched with patients without corticosteroids through propensity score matching. Primary outcome was all-cause ICU mortality. Secondary outcomes were to compare in-hospital mortality, ventilator-free days at 28 days, respiratory superinfection and length of stay between patients with corticosteroids and those without corticosteroids. We performed survival analysis accounting for competing risks and subgroup sensitivity analysis.
Results
We included 1835 mechanically ventilated COVID-19-associated ARDS, of whom 1117 (60.9%) received corticosteroids. After propensity score matching, ICU mortality did not differ between patients treated with corticosteroids and untreated patients (33.8% vs. 30.9%;
p
= 0.28). In survival analysis, corticosteroid treatment at ICU admission was associated with short-term survival benefit (HR 0.53; 95% CI 0.39–0.72), although beyond the 17th day of admission, this effect switched and there was an increased ICU mortality (long-term HR 1.68; 95% CI 1.16–2.45). The sensitivity analysis reinforced the results. Subgroups of age < 60 years, severe ARDS and corticosteroids plus tocilizumab could have greatest benefit from corticosteroids as short-term decreased ICU mortality without long-term negative effects were observed. Larger length of stay was observed with corticosteroids among non-survivors both in the ICU and in hospital. There were no significant differences for the remaining secondary outcomes.
Conclusions
Our results suggest that corticosteroid treatment for mechanically ventilated COVID-19-associated ARDS had a biphasic time-dependent effect on ICU mortality. Specific subgroups showed clear effect on improving survival with corticosteroid use. Therefore, further research is required to identify treatment-responsive subgroups among the mechanically ventilated COVID-19-associated ARDS patients.
In previous studies, smaller renal volumes were reported in prematurely born infants, however, these renal volumes were not corrected for body surface area, the main determinant of renal size. Given ...the rapid growth of the renal cortex after premature birth, the authors hypothesized that corrected volumes would not differ from healthy controls.
Ambispective cohort study with prospective follow-up of prematurely born babies in a large specialized center and retrospectively recruited healthy control group. Children were assessed for renal length and renal volumes at age 5 by three independent ultrasonographers. Detailed anthropometry, blood pressure and renal function were also obtained. Age independent z-scores were calculated for all parameters and compared using descriptive statistics.
Eighty-nine premature study participants (median 32 weeks gestational age) and 33 healthy controls (median 38 weeks gestational age) were studied. Study participants did not differ in age, sex, Afro-Colombian descent, height, blood pressure, serum creatinine, or new Schwartz eGFR. Premature study participants had a significantly lower weight (17.65 ± 2.93 kg) than controls (19.05 ± 2.81 kg, p = 0.0072) and lower body surface area. The right renal volumes were significantly smaller (39.4 vs 43.4 mL), but after correction for body surface area, the renal volume and renal length z-scores were identical for both kidneys (mean right kidney -0.707 vs -0.507; mean left kidney -0.498 vs -0.524, respectively).
Renal volumes need to be corrected to body surface area. After correction for body surface area, 5-year-old healthy and prematurely born children have comparable renal volumes.
At least 20–40% of annual losses of avocado crops are caused by pathogenic fungi. The chemical treatments of these diseases are inefficient, cause environmental pollution and are increasingly ...restricted by international laws. This work aimed to assess the biocontrol capacity of a bacterial extract to protect avocado fruits and plants from pathogen infections. Extracts from the bacterial isolate Serratia sp. ARP5.1 were obtained from liquid fermentations in a biorreactor. A body rot postharvest infection model with Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on fruits was developed. Moreover, packaging conditions were simulated using the bacterial extract and the commercial fungicide prochloraz as a positive control. Additionally, seedlings infections with Phytophthora cinnamomi were performed on two types of avocado (West Indian race and cv. Hass). The Area Under Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC) was recorded using the bacterial extract and a commercial product with fosetyl-aluminium as treatments. The bacterial extract significantly reduced infections by C. gloeosporioides on injured avocado fruits at 31.1 μg mL−1. Intact fruits were also protected against body rot infections at the same concentration and showed no significant differences with the commercial fungicide. On the other hand, AUDPC in the seedlings was significantly reduced with the extract treatment at 3 μg mL−1 compared to the control. However, a possible phytotoxicity effect of the extract was evidenced in the seedlings and confirmed by pathogen recovery and tests on Raphanus sativus seedlings. Finally, formulations of the extracts (emulsion and emulsifiable concentrate) were prepared, and bioactive stability was assessed for 8 wk. The emulsion formulates demonstrated very stable bioactivity against P. cinnamomi. The extract and the emulsion formulate showed promising results for the control of avocado pathogens. New bioproducts based on this type of active principles could be developed for the benefit of avocado industry.
Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands. is a widely distributed pathogen in avocado crops. Root rot caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi decreases the yield and growers are to establish new productive areas in ...order to meet demand which in turn is causing the loss of native forests. Therefore, sustainable production of avocado is only possible by addressing yield issues and the efficient use of lands. In this work, the effectiveness of two promising antagonistic bacterial isolates associated to healthy avocado trees to protect avocado seedlings against P. cinnamomi was assessed. First, the virulence of five isolates of P. cinnamomi from different avocado growing regions in Colombia was evaluated. The most virulent isolate was used to infect five-month-old avocado seedlings. The native bacterial isolates, both identified as Serratia plymuthica, were used to produce extracts in solid medium and their inhibitory activity against P. cinnamomi was tested. One of the extracts was selected and submitted to a bioguided metabolite isolation. A siderophore molecule (serratiochelin C) was purified and fully characterised by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Finally, the protective capacity of one bacterial extract was assessed in vivo against the infection of Phytophthora cinnamomi on avocado along with a commercial product based on fosetyl-aluminum. The crude metabolic extract of S. plymuthica AED38 was found to be effective and nontoxic on seedlings at 60 µg.mL
−1
. The results were comparable with the effect of fosetyl-aluminum at 0.5 µg.mL
−1
. S. plymuthica extracts possess a promising potential as bioproduct for the control of P. cinnamomi.
The ecology of peace Salazar, Alejandro; Sanchez, Adriana; Villegas, Juan Camilo ...
Frontiers in ecology and the environment,
11/2018, Letnik:
16, Številka:
9
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Colombia, one of the world’s most species-rich nations, is currently undergoing a profound social transition: the end of a decades-long conflict with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known ...as FARC. The peace agreement process will likely transform the country’s physical and socioeconomic landscapes at a time when humans are altering Earth’s atmosphere and climate in unprecedented ways. We discuss ways in which these transformative events will act in combination to shape the ecological and environmental future of Colombia. We also highlight the risks of creating perverse development incentives in these critical times, along with the potential benefits – for the country and the world – if Colombia can navigate through the peace process in a way that protects its own environment and ecosystems.
Autoimmunity following COVID-19 vaccination has been reported. Herein, a 79-year-old man with clinical and immunological features of autoimmune hepatitis type 1 after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination is ...presented. Clinical manifestations rapidly remitted after the instauration of immunomodulatory management. This case, together with a comprehensive review of the literature, illustrates the association between COVID-19 vaccines and the development of autoimmune conditions.
Abstract The objective of this work was to evaluate the chitinolytic activity and bioactivity of fungi isolated from the palm weevil (Rhynchophorus palmarum) and from soil samples from coconut (Cocos ...nucifera) crops against the insect itself. Initially, to determine the chitinolytic properties of the isolated fungi, their ability to hydrolyze chitin in a liquid culture medium was evaluated. Then, preliminary pathogenicity assays were carried out, using the bean weevil (Acanthoscelides obtectus) as a reference, to select the fungal isolates to be used in the experiments with the palm weevil. Fi n a l ly, the bioactivity of two selected entomopathogenic fungi on palm weevil larvae and adults was assessed. There was no direct correlation between chitinolytic activity and pathogenicity capacity on the bean weevil nor between the isolates and bioactivity on the palm weevil. Beauveria bassiana CSU9 shows the highest activity on palm weevil larvae and adults, with a median lethal time of 0.8 and 14.4 days, respectively.
Resumo O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a atividade quitinolítica e a bioatividade de fungos isolados do gorgulho-da-palmeira (Rhynchophorus palmarum) e de amostras de solos de áreas de cultivo de coco (Cocos nucifera) contra o próprio inseto. Inicialmente, para determinar as propriedades quitinolíticas dos fungos isolados, foi avaliada a sua capacidade de hidrolisar quitina em meio de cultura líquido. Em seguida, foram realizados ensaios preliminares de patogenicidade, tendo-se utilizado o gorgulho-do-feijão (Acanthoscelides obtectus) como modelo, para selecionar os isolados fúngicos a serem usados nos experimentos com o gorgulho-da-palmeira. Por fim, avaliou-se a bioatividade de dois fungos entomopatogênicos selecionados em larvas e adultos do gorgulho-da-palmeira. Não houve correlação direta entre a atividade quitinolítica e a capacidade de patogenicidade sobre o gorgulho-do-feijão nem entre os isolados e a bioatividade sobre o gorgulho-da-palmeira. Beauveria bassiana CSU9 apresenta a maior atividade sobre larvas e adultos do gorgulho-da-palmeira, com tempo letal médio de 0,8 e 14,4 dias, respectivamente.
The importance of evaluating the stress field of loaded structures lies in the need for identifying the forces which make them fail, redesigning their geometry to increase the mechanical resistance, ...or characterizing unstressed regions to remove material. In such work line, digital photoelasticity highlights with the possibility of revealing the stress information through isochromatic color fringes, and quantifying it through inverse problem strategies. However, the absence of public data with a high variety of spatial fringe distribution has limited developing new proposals which generalize the stress evaluation in a wider variety of industrial applications. This dataset shares a variated collection of stress maps and their respective representation in color fringe patterns. In this case, the data were generated following a computational strategy that emulates the circular polariscope in dark field, but assuming stress surfaces and patches derived from analytical stress models, 3D reconstructions, saliency maps, and superpositions of Gaussian surfaces. In total, two sets of ‘101430’ raw images were separately generated for stress maps and isochromatic color fringes, respectively. This dataset can be valuable for researchers interested in characterizing the mechanical response in loaded models, engineers in computer science interested in modeling inverse problems, and scientists who work in physical phenomena such as 3D reconstruction in visible light, bubble analysis, oil surfaces, and film thickness.
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