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One of the main factors that influences the fertility of cattle in grazing systems in hot tropical climates is heat stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of season, breed, hormonal and physiological condition on the quantity and quality of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) and embryos produced in vitro, from Romosinuano (RM) and Tropical Milking (TM) donors. Three ovum pick-up and in vitro fertilization (OPU-IVF) were performed, one per season: hot dry (HD; 10, 10), hot humid (HH; 9, 9) and fresh dry (FD; 7, 10) in RM and LT donors. Serum levels of cortisol, insulin and glucose were measured, in addition to heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and rectal temperature (RT). Effect of season x genotype interaction ( p ≤ 0.05) was observed in all COC variables and only in cleavage embryos (CLI) ( p ≤ 0.05). Body weight (BW) affected all COC variables ( p ≤ 0.01), except unviable (UNV) although affected degenerated embryos (DEG) ( p ≤ 0.01) and total blastocysts (BLAST) ( p ≤ 0.01). Cow age only affected viable COCs (VIAB) ( p ≤ 0.05), code one blastocysts (BC1) and BLAST ( p ≤ 0.01). Cortisol affected total COCs (COCsT), VIAB and total matured in vitro (TMIV) ( p ≤ 0.01), as well as CLI, BC1 ( p ≤ 0.01) and BLAST ( p ≤ 0.05). Insulin affected COCsT ( p ≤ 0.01), UNV ( p ≤ 0.05), denuded oocytes (DE) ( p ≤ 0.01), BC1 and code two blastocysts (BC2) ( p ≤ 0.01). Glucose affected all COC variables ( p ≤ 0.01), except UNV and all embryo variables except BC2. HR affected COCsT, DE, TMIV ( p ≤ 0.01), CLI, BLAST and DEG ( p ≤ 0.05). RR affected COCsT, UNV, VIAB, CLI ( p ≤ 0.05), BC1, BLAST and DEG ( p ≤ 0.01). RT only affected DE, VIAB ( p ≤ 0.01) and BLAST ( p ≤ 0.05). The seasonal climatic year variation of Veracruz and changes in physiological and hormonal variables have diverse effects on the cumulus-oocyte complexes and embryos produced by RM and TM donors.

Introduction: The end of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been declared by the World Health Organization on May 5, 2023. Several vaccines were developed, and new data is being published about their effectiveness. However, the clinical trials for the vaccines were performed before the Omicron variant appeared and there are population groups where vaccine effectiveness still needs to be tested. The overarching goal of the present study was to analyze the effects of COVID-19 vaccination before and after the Omicron variant in patients considering comorbidities in a population from Nuevo Leon, Mexico., Methods: Epidemiological COVID-19 data from the Mexican Social Security Institute were collected from 67 hospitals located in northeastern Mexico, from July 2020 to May 2023, and a total of 669,393 cases were compiled, 255,819 reported a SARS-CoV-2 positive reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) test or a positive COVID-19 antigen rapid test., Results: Before Omicron (BO, 2020-2021), after 14 days of two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 vaccines were effective against infection in non-comorbid and all comorbid subgroups, whereas after Omicron (AO, 2022- 2023) there was no significant effectiveness against infection with none of the vaccines. Regarding hospitalization BO, BNT162b2, ChAdOx1, CoronaVac and mRNA-1273 significantly protected non-comorbid patients whereas BNT162b2, ChAdOx1, and mRNA-1273, protected all comorbid subgroups against hospitalization. AO, BNT162b2, ChAdOx1, CoronaVac and mRNA-1273 were effective against hospitalization in non-comorbid patients whereas for most comorbid subgroups BNT162b2, ChAdOx1 and CoronaVac were effective against hospitalization. Non-comorbid patients were protected against death as an outcome of COVID-19 during the BO period with most vaccines whereas a reduction in effectiveness was observed AO with mRNA-1273 vaccines in patients with hypertension, and diabetes mellitus., Discussion: BO, COVID-19 vaccines were effective against infection, hospitalization, and death whereas AO, COVID-19 vaccines failed to protect the population from COVID-19 infection. A varying effectiveness against hospitalization and death is observed AO., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Camacho-Moll, Mata-Tijerina, Gutiérrez-Salazar, Silva-Ramírez, Peñuelas-Urquides, González-Escalante, Escobedo-Guajardo, Cruz-Luna, Corrales-Pérez, Gómez-García and Bermúdez-de León.)

Although primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) is the treatment of choice in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), challenges may arise in accessing this intervention for certain geodemographic groups. Pharmacoinvasive strategy (PIs) has demonstrated comparable outcomes when delays in pPCI are anticipated, but real-world data on long-term outcomes are limited. The aim of the present study was to compare long-term outcomes among real-world patients with STEMI who underwent either PIs or pPCI. This was a prospective registry including patients with STEMI who received reperfusion during the first 12 hours from symptom onset. The primary objective was cardiovascular mortality at 12 months according to the reperfusion strategy (pPCI vs PIs) and major cardiovascular events (cardiogenic shock, recurrent myocardial infarction, and congestive heart failure), and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium type 3 to 5 bleeding events were also evaluated. A total of 799 patients with STEMI were included; 49.1% underwent pPCI and 50.9% received PIs. Patients in the PIs group presented with more heart failure on admission (Killip-Kimbal >I 48.1 vs 39.7, p = 0.02) and had a lower proportion of pre-existing heart failure (0.2% vs 1.8%, p = 0.02) and atrial fibrillation (0.25% vs 1.2%, p = 0.02). No statistically significant difference was observed in cardiovascular mortality at the 12-month follow-up (hazard ratio for PIs 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.42 to 1.30, log-rank p = 0.30) according to the reperfusion strategy used. The composite of major cardiovascular events (hazard ratio for PIs 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.75 to 1.29, p = 0.92) and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium type 3 to 5 bleeding rates were also comparable. A low socioeconomic status, Killip-Kimball >2, age >60 years, and admission creatinine >2.0 mg/100 ml were predictors of the composite end point after multivariate analysis. In conclusion, this prospective real-world registry provides additional support that long-term major cardiovascular outcomes and bleeding are not different between patients who underwent PIs versus primary PCI., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Dr. Arias-Mendoza reports a relation with Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Sanofi Aventis, and Novo Nordisk that includes speaking fees. Dr. Gopar-Nieto reports a relation with Novartis that includes speaking fees. Dr. Briseño-De la Cruz reports for a relation with Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Boston Scientific that includes speaking fees. Dr. Araiza-Garaygordobil reports a relation with Abbott, Asofarma, Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim (Ingelheim, Germany), Eurofarma, Medix, Novartis, Silanes, and Servier that includes speaking fees. He also reports relation with Novartis that includes advisory board activities for Silanes and Servier and Research grants. The remaining authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Colonoscopy has attached great importance to early screening and clinical diagnosis of colon cancer. It remains a challenging task to achieve fine segmentation of polyps. However, existing State-of-the-art models still have limited segmentation ability due to the lack of clear and highly similar boundaries between normal tissue and polyps. To deal with this problem, we propose a region self-attention enhancement network (RSAFormer) with a transformer encoder to capture more robust features. Different from other excellent methods, RSAFormer uniquely employs a dual decoder structure to generate various feature maps. Contrasting with traditional methods that typically employ a single decoder, it offers more flexibility and detail in feature extraction. RSAFormer also introduces a region self-attention enhancement module (RSA) to acquire more accurate feature information and foster a stronger interplay between low-level and high-level features. This module enhances uncertain areas to extract more precise boundary information, these areas being signified by regional context. Extensive experiments were conducted on five prevalent polyp datasets to demonstrate RSAFormer's proficiency. It achieves 92.2% and 83.5% mean Dice on Kvasir and ETIS, respectively, which outperformed most of the state-of-the-art models., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyze the prevalence of no-reflow and the 30-day mortality in a university center in a middle-income country., Method: We analyzed 2463 patients who underwent primary PCI from January 2006 to December 2021. The outcome measure was 30-day mortality., Results: Of a total of 2463 patients, no-reflow phenomenon was found in 413 (16.8%) patients, 30-day mortality was 16.7 vs. 4.29% (p < 0.001). Patients with no-reflow were older 60 (53-69.5) vs. 59 (51-66) (p = 0.001), with a higher delay in onset of symptom to emergency department arrival 270 vs. 247 min (p = 0.001). No-reflow patients also had had fewer previous myocardial infarction, 11.6 vs. 18.4 (p = 0.001) and a Killip class > 1, 37 vs. 26% (p < 0.001). No-reflow patients were more likely to have an anterior myocardial infarction (55.4 vs. 47.8%; p = 0.005) and initial TIMI flow 0 (76 vs. 68%; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: No-reflow occurred in 16.8% of STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI and was more likely with older age, delayed presentation, anterior myocardial infarction and Killip class > 1. No-reflow was associated with a higher mortality at 30-day follow-up., (Copyright: © 2024 Permanyer.)

Purpose: While pharmacoinvasive strategy (PI) is a safe and effective approach whenever access to primary percutaneous intervention (pPCI) is limited, data on each strategy's economic cost and impact on in-hospital stay are scarce. The objective is to compare the cost-effectiveness of a PI with that of pPCI for the treatment of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in a Latin-American country., Patients and Methods: A total of 1747 patients were included, of whom 470 (26.9%) received PI, 433 (24.7%) pPCI, and 844 (48.3%) NR. The study's primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for PI compared with those for pPCI and non-reperfused (NR), calculated for 30-day major cardiovascular events (MACE), 30-day mortality, and length of stay., Results: For PI, the ICER estimates for MACE showed a decrease of $-35.81/per 1% (95 confidence interval, -114.73 to 64.81) compared with pPCI and a decrease of $-271.60/per 1% (95% CI, -1086.10 to -144.93) compared with NR. Also, in mortality, PI had an ICER decrease of $-129.50 (95% CI, -810.57, 455.06) compared to pPCI and $-165.27 (-224.06, -123.52) with NR. Finally, length of stay had an ICER reduction of -765.99 (-4020.68, 3141.65) and -283.40 (-304.95, -252.76) compared to pPCI and NR, respectively., Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that PI may be a more efficient treatment approach for STEMI in regions where access to pPCI is limited or where patient and system delays are expected., Competing Interests: Dr Alexandra Arias-Mendoza reports personal fees from Boehringer, personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from Novonordisk, outside the submitted work. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2023 Arias-Mendoza et al.)

Introduction: Time-fixed analyses have traditionally been utilized to examine outcomes in post-infarction ventricular septal defect (VSD). The aims of this study were to: (1) analyze the relationship between VSD closure/non-closure and mortality; (2) assess the presence of immortal-time bias., Material and Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated by VSD. Time-fixed and time-dependent Cox regression methodologies were employed., Results: The study included 80 patients: surgical closure ( n  = 26), transcatheter closure ( n  = 20), or conservative management alone ( n  = 34). At presentation, patients without VSD closure exhibited high-risk clinical characteristics, had the shortest median time intervals from STEMI onset to VSD development (4.0, 4.0, and 2.0 days, respectively; P  = 0.03) and from STEMI symptom onset to hospital arrival (6.0, 5.0, and 0.8 days, respectively; P  < 0.0001). The median time from STEMI onset to closure was 22.0 days ( P  = 0.14). In-hospital mortality rate was higher among patients who did not undergo defect closure (50%, 35%, and 88.2%, respectively; P  < 0.0001). Closure of the defect using a fixed-time method was associated with lower in-hospital mortality (HR = 0.13, 95% CI 0.05-0.31, P  < 0.0001, and HR 0.13, 95% CI 0.04-0.36, P  < 0.0001, for surgery and transcatheter closure, respectively). However, when employing a time-varying method, this association was not observed (HR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.45-1.98, P  = 0.90, and HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.41-1.87, P  = 0.74, for surgery and transcatheter closure, respectively). These findings suggest the presence of an immortal-time bias., Conclusions: This study highlights that using a fixed-time analytic approach in post-infarction VSD can result in immortal-time bias. Researchers should consider employing time-dependent methodologies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 González-Pacheco, Ortega-Hernandez, Meza-López, Soliz-Uriona, Manzur-Sandoval, Gopar-Nieto, Araiza-Garaygordobil, Sierra-Lara, Arias-Sánchez, Sandoval, Altamirano-Castillo, Mendoza-García, Arzate-Ramírez, Baranda-Tovar, Martinez, Montañez-Orozco, Baeza-Herrera, Sierra-González De Cossio and Arias Mendoza.)

Objective: The objective of the study is to identify clinical and angiographic characteristics of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) but without clinical manifestations of COVID-19 infection during the pandemic, compared with patients 1 year before the pandemic., Methods: Observational study that included 138 consecutive patients hospitalized with STEMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) without COVID-19 infection during the 2020 pandemic. A group of 175 STEMI patients treated with PCI in the year before the pandemic served as the control group., Results: During the periods analyzed, compared with the control group, patients admitted during the pandemic without clinical manifestations of COVID-19 did not have significant differences in demographic characteristics, comorbidities, or delayed time and location of the acute myocardial infarction. Furthermore, there were no differences between the two groups concerning levels of CK-MB and NT-proBNP, or in inflammation markers and left ventricular ejection fraction. In patients without COVID-19 during the pandemic compared with control, we found a higher intracoronary thrombus burden (thrombus grade 5; 78.3% vs. 62.9%, respectively. p = 0.002). Accordingly, the use of glycoprotein IIB/IIIa inhibitors (37.7% vs. 26.3%, p = 0.03) was higher in these patients., Conclusions: This study demonstrates an increased thrombus burden in STEMI patients without clinical manifestation of COVID-19 during the pandemic compared with the same time period in the previous year.

Background: Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions globally, and the fourth most common in the United States. Recurrent non-provoked seizures characterize it and have huge impacts on the quality of life and financial impacts for affected individuals. A rapid and accurate diagnosis is essential in order to instigate and monitor optimal treatments. There is also a compelling need for the accurate interpretation of epilepsy due to the current scarcity in neurologist diagnosticians and a global inequity in access and outcomes. Furthermore, the existing clinical and traditional machine learning diagnostic methods exhibit limitations, warranting the need to create an automated system using deep learning model for epilepsy detection and monitoring using a huge database., Method: The EEG signals from 35 channels were used to train the deep learning-based transformer model named (EpilepsyNet). For each training iteration, 1-min-long data were randomly sampled from each participant. Thereafter, each 5-s epoch was mapped to a matrix using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC), such that the bottom part of the triangle was discarded and only the upper triangle of the matrix was vectorized as input data. PCC is a reliable method used to measure the statistical relationship between two variables. Based on the 5 s of data, single embedding was performed thereafter to generate a 1-dimensional array of signals. In the final stage, a positional encoding with learnable parameters was added to each correlation coefficient's embedding before being fed to the developed EpilepsyNet as input data to epilepsy EEG signals. The ten-fold cross-validation technique was used to generate the model., Results: Our transformer-based model (EpilepsyNet) yielded high classification accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values of 85%, 82%, 87%, and 82%, respectively., Conclusion: The proposed method is both accurate and robust since ten-fold cross-validation was employed to evaluate the performance of the model. Compared to the deep models used in existing studies for epilepsy diagnosis, our proposed method is simple and less computationally intensive. This is the earliest study to have uniquely employed the positional encoding with learnable parameters to each correlation coefficient's embedding together with the deep transformer model, using a huge database of 121 participants for epilepsy detection. With the training and validation of the model using a larger dataset, the same study approach can be extended for the detection of other neurological conditions, with a transformative impact on neurological diagnostics worldwide., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There is no conflict of interest in this work., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

There is the notion that dysregulation of executive function (EF), which disrupts behavior and cognitive processes, may explain the emotional impairment which leads to increasing sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) intake. We aimed to test whether anxiety and depression mediate the association between self-reported problems in EF and sugar sweetened beverage intake in Mexican adults between 18-40 years. An open survey advertised as a 'mental health and sugar sweetened beverages study' was conducted, participants were recruited through Facebook ads. Males and females, between 18-40 years, able to read and write, and currently residing in Mexico were included. We analyzed data using causal mediation analysis with latent variables using a structural equation modelling framework. Significant indirect effects were found for somatic symptoms of depression (β = 6.601, SE = 2.657, p < .05) and anxiety (β = .679, SE =.334, p < .05). In depression model no significant direct effects of EF were found in the depression model, however they were found in the anxiety model (β = 1.335 SE =.566, p < .05). Somatic symptoms of depression were a total mediator, and anxiety a partial mediator. The results suggest that EF increased the probability of emotional symptoms, which led to a higher consumption of SBBs.

Background: Primary Health Care nurses express deficits in their training in Palliative Care. The purpose of this study is to design a Palliative Care training plan and a bereavement care protocol for Primary Health Care nurses of the Dr. Peset Health Department according to their needs., Methods: Assessment of theoretical and practical training needs and literature review for the design of the training plan., Results: A training plan was elaborated that included a protocol of care for the bereaved. The plan was adjusted to the needs detected in Primary Health Care nurses of the Dr. Peset Health Department. Important training deficits were detected in clinical practice; Conclusions: Improving the care of people with palliative needs in Primary Health Care requires adequate training of the nurses who care for them so their knowledge is the basis of their interventions. This study was not registered.

Background: Cardiogenic shock (CS) commonly complicates the management of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and it results in high mortality rates. Pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) monitoring can be valuable for personalizing critical-care interventions. We hypothesized that patients with AMI-CS experiencing persistent congestion measures during the first 24 hours of the PAC installment would exhibit worse in-hospital survival rates., Methods and Results: We studied 295 patients with AMI-CS between January 2006 and December 2021. The first 24-hour PAC-derived hemodynamic measures were divided by the congestion profiling and the proposed 2022 Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) classification. Biventricular congestion was the most common profile and was associated with the highest patient mortality rates at all time points (mean 56.6%). A persistent congestive profile was associated with increased mortality rates (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.85; P = 0.002) compared with patients who achieved decongestive profiles. Patients with SCAI stages D/E had higher levels of right atrial pressure (RAP): 14-15 mmHg) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP): 18-20 mmHg) compared with stage C (RAP, 10-11 mmHg, mean difference 3-5 mmHg; P < 0.001; PCWP 14-17 mmHg; mean difference 1.56-4 mmHg; P = 0.011). In SCAI stages D/E, the pulmonary artery pulsatility index (0.8-1.19) was lower than in those with grade C (1.29-1.63; mean difference 0.21-0.73; P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Continuous congestion profiling using the SCAI classification matched the grade of hemodynamic severity and the increased risk of in-hospital death. Early decongestion appears to be an important prognostic and therapeutic goal in patients with AMI-CS and warrants further study., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

People with comorbidities and the male sex are at a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19. In the present study, we aim to investigate the associated factors for infection, severity, and death due to COVID-19 in a population from Nuevo León, México. Epidemiological COVID-19 data were collected from 65 hospitals from December 2020 to May 2022. A total of 75,232 cases were compiled from which 25,722 cases were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Male sex, older age, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension were associated with infection. In addition to the above-mentioned factors, renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and immunosuppression were found to be associated with increased COVID-19 severity. These factors, as well as neurological diseases, are also associated with death due to COVID-19. When comparing the different variants of SARs-CoV-2, the variant B1.1.519 increased the probability of death by 2.23 times compared to the AY.20 variant. Male sex, older age, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, severity, and death. Along with the aforementioned comorbidities, renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and immunosuppression are also associated with severity and death. Another factor associated with death is the presence of neurological disease. The SARS-CoV-2 B1.1.519 variant increases the odds of death compared to the SARS-CoV-2 AY.20 variant.

Celiac disease is strongly associated with HLA DQ, specifically with haplotypes. DRB1*03-DQA1*05:01/DQB1*02:01 (DQ2.5),DRB1*07-DQA1*02:01/DQB1*02:02 (DQ2.2), DRB1*11-DQA1*05:05/DQB1*03:01 (DQ7.5), and DRB1*04-DQA1*03:01/DQB1*03:02 (DQ8). The distribution of these risk haplotypes in patients with celiac disease is different in the geographical areas investigated. A high frequency of DRB1*07- DQA1*02:01/DQB1*02:02 (DQ2.2) and DRB1*11-DQA1*05:05/DQB1*03:01 (DQ7.5), has been described in Southern Europe. We analyzed 2102 confirmed CD cases with information on both DQB1* alelles and their distribution by geographical area in Spain. According to the presence of this haplotype in one or two chromosomes, the genotype is classified in: DQ2 homozygous, DQ2 heterozygous (cis or trans), DQ8 homozygous, DQ8/DQ2.5, DQ 2.2 homozygous and genotype known as "half DQ2". Two different patterns of risks related to CD were identified. In the Basque Country and Navarre, the Mediterranean Area (Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, Balearic Islands, and Murcia), the South of Spain (Andalucía and Extremadura), and the Canary Islands, higher frequency of DQ2.5 trans, and more than 80% of DQ2.5/DQ2.2 homozygosis were described. The Cantabrian Coast (Cantabria, Asturias, and Galicia) and Central Areas (Castilla-León and Castilla-La Mancha) showed a higher percentage of DQ2.5/DQ2.5 homozygosis and a lower DQ2.5 in trans frequency, as in Northern Europe. Madrid has an intermediate model between the two described above. 17 cases (0.8%) did not carry any CD risk haplotypes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: Background : Mortality in cardiogenic shock (CS) is up to 40%, and although risk scores have been proposed to stratify and assess mortality in CS, they have been shown to have inconsistent performance. The purpose was to compare CS prognostic scores and describe their performance in a real-world Latin American country. Methods : We included 872 patients with CS. The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), CARDSHOCK, IABP-Shock II, Cardiogenic Shock Score, age-lactate-creatinine score, Get-With-The-Guidelines Heart Failure score, and Acute Decompensated Heart Failure National Registry scores were calculated. Decision curve analyses were performed to evaluate the net benefit of the different scoring systems. Logistic and Cox regression analyses were applied to construct area under the curve (AUC) statistics, this last one against time using the Inverse Probability of Censoring Weighting method, for in-hospital mortality prediction. Results: When logistic regression was applied, the scores had a moderate-good performance in the overall cohort that was higher AUC in the CARDSHOCK ( c = 0.666). In acute myocardial infarction-related CS (AMI-CS), CARDSHOCK still is the highest AUC (0.68). In non-AMI-CS only SCAI (0.668), CARDSHOCK (0.533), and IABP-SHOCK II (0.636) had statistically significant values. When analyzed over time, significant differences arose in the AUC, suggesting that a time-sensitive component influenced the prediction of mortality. The highest AUC was for the CARDSHOCK score (0.658), followed by SCAI (0.622). In AMI-CS-related, the highest AUC was for the CARDSHOCK score (0.671). In non-AMI-CS, SCAI was the best (0.642). Conclusions : Clinical scores show a time-sensitive AUC, suggesting that performance could be influenced by time and the type of CS. Understanding the temporal influence on the scores could provide a better prediction and be a valuable tool in CS., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 by the Shock Society.)

Introduction and Objective: There is little literature on the use of face masks in a treadmill test (TMT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of face masks during a TMT performed during the prepandemic (without face mask) and postpandemic (with face mask) era., Methods: Retrospective observational unicentric study of patients undergoing TMT. The inclusion criterion were being over 16years old and having performed at least one TMT in the prepandemic and postpandemic period., Results: One thousand six hundred fifty-five patients were included in the study. Nine hundred thirty-five (56.5%) were men and 720 (43.5%) women. The mean age was 57.3±14.9 and the mean follow-up time was 15.4 months. Fifty-three percent patients had arterial hypertension, 20% dyslipidemia, 12% diabetes mellitus, 8% smoking habit, 19% personal history of ischemic heart disease, 5% COPD, 8% bronchial asthma, and 8% atrial fibrillation. In almost all the variables studied in PE, including the appearance of ventricular arrhythmias, no significant differences were found, neither by age nor sex, except for the existence of a very slight decrease in exercise capacity with mask use in older patients (>65years)., Conclusions: The use of surgical or FFP2 face masks during the TMT did not affect functional capacity, blood pressure, heart rate, or increased ventricular arrhythmias., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The objective of the study was to analyze the differences between survivors and non-survivors with non-reperfused ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and to identify the predictors of in-hospital mortality., Methods: A retrospective cohort study included non-reperfused STEMI patients from October 2005 to August 2020. Patients were classified into survivors and non-survivors. We compared patient characteristics, treatments, and outcomes among the groups and identified factors associated with in-hospital mortality., Results: We included 2442 patients with non-reperfused STEMI and we found a mortality of 12.7% versus 7.2% in reperfused STEMI. The main reason for non-reperfusion was delayed presentation (96.1%). Non-survivors were older, more often women, and had diabetes, hypertension, or atrial fibrillation. The left main coronary disease was more frequent in non-survivors as well as three-vessel disease. Non-survivors developed more in-hospital heart failure, reinfarction, atrioventricular block, bleeding, stroke, and death. The main predictors for in-hospital mortality were renal dysfunction (HR 3.41), systolic blood pressure < 100 mmHg (HR 2.26), and left ventricle ejection fraction < 40% (HR 1.97)., Conclusion: Mortality and adverse outcomes occur more frequently in non-reperfused STEMI. Non-survivors tend to be older, with more comorbidities, and have more adverse in-hospital outcomes., (Copyright: © 2023 Permanyer.)

Introduction: The optimal anti-thrombotic therapy to prevent recurrent ischemic events in patients with acute coronary syndrome and coronary artery ectasia (CAE) remains unclear., Aim: To assess the efficacy and safety of antiplatelet plus anticoagulant therapy versus dual antiplatelet therapy in patients with acute coronary syndromes and coronary artery ectasia., Methods: OVER-TIME is an investigator initiated, exploratory, open label, single center, randomized clinical trial comparing dual antiplatelet therapy (acetyl-salicylic acid plus a P2Y12 inhibitor) with the combination of an antiplatelet monotherapy (a P2Y12 inhibitor) plus a low dose anticoagulant (rivaroxaban, 15mg oral dose) for the prevention of recurrent ischemic events among patients with CAE. We aim to enroll approximately 60 patients with CAE and acute coronary syndromes. After recruitment, patients are randomized to (a) standard of care (dual antiplatelet regimen) or (b) the combination of antiplatelet monotherapy and low dose anticoagulant. Patients will be followed for at least 12 months. The OVER-TIME study aims to assess the efficacy of the regimen in prevention of major cardiovascular events and its security in bleeding events in acute coronary syndromes among patients with CAE. Expected results and conclusions: OVER-TIME is the first randomized controlled trial to assess different antithrombotic strategies in patients with CAE and acute coronary syndrome, and its results will offer preliminary data for the prevention of major cardiovascular events and bleeding events in this group of patients., Trial Registration Number: NCT05233124 (ClinicalTrials.gov), date of registration: February 10, 2022., (© 2022. Italian Society of Hypertension.)

Aims: The Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) shock stages have been applied and validated in high-income countries with access to advanced therapies. We applied the SCAI scheme at the time of admission in order to improve the risk stratification for 30-day mortality in a retrospective cohort of patients with STEMI in a middle-income country hospital at admission., Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study, we analyzed 7,143 ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. At admission, patients were stratified by the SCAI shock stages. Multivariate analysis was used to assess the association between SCAI shock stages to 30-day mortality., Results: The distribution of the patients across SCAI shock stages was 82.2%, 9.3%, 1.2%, 1.5%, and 0.8% to A, B, C, D, and E, respectively. Patients with SCAI stages C, D, and E were more likely to have high-risk features. There was a stepwise significant increase in unadjusted 30-day mortality across the SCAI shock stages (6.3%, 8.4%, 62.4%, 75.2% and 88.3% for A, B, C, D and E, respectively; P < 0.0001, C-statistic, 0.64). A trend toward a lower 30-day survival probability was observed in the patients with advanced CS (30.3, 15.4%, and 8.3%, SCAI shock stages C, D, and E, respectively, Log-rank P-value <0.0001). After multivariable adjustment, SCAI shock stages C, D, and E were independently associated with an increased risk of 30-day death (hazard ratio 1.42 [P = 0.02], 2.30 [P<0.0001], and 3.44 [P<0.0001], respectively)., Conclusion: The SCAI shock stages applied in patients con STEMI at the time of admission, is a useful tool for risk stratification in patients across the full spectrum of CS and is a predictor of 30-day mortality., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Aim: Asses training, perception of readiness and training needs in palliative care (PC) theoretical and practical of primary care nurses in Spain, through descriptive cross-sectional study., Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study., Setting: Primary care nurses in Spain with online access., Participants: Primary care nurses in Spain, January and February 2021. 344 responses, 339 met the inclusion criteria., Main Neasurements: Sociodemographic variables, PC training, training needs were analyzed. Through Google Forms online questionnaire and INCUE Instrument. Descriptive analyses were performed and the results were compared using the exact symmetry test and the Mann-Whitney test., Results: 82,6% women, with an average age of 45.5years. 86.1% of the nurses had training in PC, been basic in the 45.4%. Only 40.5% feel quite or very prepared to take care for palliative patients. Nurses demanded more training in psycho-emotional and grief and coping with losses. 83.76% passed the theoretical block compared to 43.36% of the practical, detecting higher training needs in the last (P<.001). The passed rates varied depending on the educational level., Conclusions: Nursing training in PC in primary care continues to be deficient, especially in practical application. Targeted training is necessary to have an impact on the care of people with palliative needs and their families., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

SexedULTRA-4M™ is made using an improved method of sex-sorting sperm in a less damaging environment for better retaining sperm integrity throughout the sorting process. The objective of this research was to compare conventional (CONV) and SexedULTRA-4M™ (ULTRA-4M) semen for bovine IVP using four Angus bulls. Matured slaughterhouse oocytes (n = 4000) were divided into the CONV group and the ULTRA-4M group (2000 COCs for each semen type). The IVF process was implemented with CONV and ULTRA-4M semen from the same bull. The cleavage rates, eight cell embryos and blastocysts on day 7 of culture were evaluated for each semen type and each bull. The statistical analysis was carried out with the ANOVA procedure SAS software. The results were 54.45% ± 1.03 and 58.10% ± 1.07; 35% ± 1.57 and 39.15% ± 1.62; 22.8% ± 1.09 and 27.15% ± 1.12 for CONV and ULTRA-4M, respectively, for cleavage rate, eight cell embryos and blastocysts on day 7 for the average of all bulls, comparing only the semen type. Concerning only the semen type, ULTRA-4M was significantly superior to CONV for cleavage rates (P = 0.01) and blastocysts on day 7 (P = 0.009). There were no significant differences between the CONV and ULTRA-4M groups (P>0.05) for all variables analyzed for Bull 1 and Bull 4, however, for Bull 2 ULTRA-4M was significantly superior to CONV for cleavage rates and blastocysts on day 7 (P< 0.05). In Bull 3, ULTRA-4M was significantly higher (P< 0.05) for blastocysts on day 7 compared to CONV. In conclusion, under the conditions of this research the ULTRA-4M and CONV semen produced similar bovine IVP results overall., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Objectives: The purpose of this exploratory non-randomized controlled study was to determine the acceptance and effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) co-designed by a police officer., Methods: A pretest-posttest control group design was followed. Participants (MBI group = 20; control group = 18) answered baseline and post-training self-reported measures. In addition, the weekly emotional state of the MBI group was collected. Paired-samples t -test and analysis of covariance were performed for pre-post within-group and between-group differences, respectively, as well as linear mixed effects analysis of repeated measures for week-by-week data., Results: High acceptance and attendance rates, as well as significant pre-post within-group differences in the MBI group in mindfulness ( η 2 = 0.43), self-compassion ( η 2 = 0.43), depression ( η 2 = 0.54), anxiety ( η 2 = 0.46), stress ( η 2 = 0.51), difficulties in emotion regulation, sleep quality ( η 2 = 0.57), and burnout ( η 2 = 0.31-0.47), were identified. Moreover, police officers who underwent the MBI experienced a week by week decrease of anger, disgust, anxiety, sadness, and desire. Finally, after adjusting for pre-test scores, significant between-group differences were found in the way of attending to internal and external experiences (observing mindfulness facet; η p 2 = 0.21), depression symptoms ( η p 2 = 0.23), general distress ( η p 2 = 0.24), and the degree of physical and psychological exhaustion (personal burnout; η p 2 = 0.20)., Conclusions: The preliminary effectiveness of this MBI on psychopathology and quality of life outcomes in Spanish police officers was discussed. Previous evidence regarding the promising use of MBIs in this population was supported., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Introduction: Skin injury and wound healing is an inevitable event during lifetime. However, several complications may hamper the regeneration of the cutaneous tissue and lead to a chronic profile that prolongs patient recovery. Platelet-rich plasma is rising as an effective and safe alternative to the management of wounds. However, this technology presents some limitations such as the need for repeated blood extractions and health-care interventions., Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the use of an endogenous and storable topical serum (ES) derived from plasma rich in growth factors promoting wound healing, and to obtain preliminary data regarding its clinical and experimental effect over ulcerated skin models and patient care., Methods: Human dermal fibroblast and 3D organotypic ulcerated skin models were used to assess ES over the main mechanisms of wound healing including cell migration, edge contraction, collagen synthesis, tissue damage, extracellular matrix remodeling, cell death, metabolic activity, and histomorphometry analysis. Additionally, 4 patients suffering from skin wounds were treated and clinically assessed., Results: ES promoted dermal fibroblast migration, wound edge contraction, and collagen synthesis. When topically applied, ES increased collagen and elastin deposition and reduced tissue damage. The interstitial edema, structural integrity, and cell activity were also maintained, and apoptotic levels were reduced. Patients suffering from hard-to-heal wounds of different etiologies were treated with ES, and the ulcers healed completely within few weeks with no reported adverse events., Conclusion: This preliminary study suggests that ES might promote cutaneous wound healing and may be useful for accelerating the re-epithelization of skin ulcers., (© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Latin America has limited information about the full spectrum cardiogenic shock (CS) and its hospital outcome. This study sought to examine the temporal trends, clinical features and outcomes of patients with CS in a coronary care unit of single Mexican institution., Methods: This was a retrospective study of consecutive patients hospitalized with CS in a Mexican teaching hospital between 2006-2019. Patients were classified according to the presence or absence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI)., Results: Of 22,747 admissions, 833 (3.7%) exhibited CS. Among patients with AMI (n = 12,438), 5% had AMI-CS, and in patients without AMI (n = 10,309), 2.3% developed CS (non-AMI-CS). Their median age was 63 years and 70.5% were men. Cardiovascular risk factors were more frequent among the AMI-CS group, whereas a history of heart failure was greater in non-AMI-CS patients (70.1%). In AMI-CS patients, the median delay time was 17.2 hours from the onset of AMI symptoms to hospital admission. Overall, the median left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 30%. Patients with CS at admission showed end-organ dysfunction, evidenced by lactic acidosis, renal impairment, and elevated liver transaminases. Of the 620 AMI-CS patients, the main cause was left ventricular dysfunction in 71.3%, mechanical complications in 15.2% and right ventricular infarction in 13.5%. Among the 213 non-AMI-CS patients, valvular heart disease (49.3%) and cardiomyopathies (42.3%) were the most frequent etiologies. In-hospital all-cause mortality rates were 69.7% and 72.3% in the AMI-CS and non-AMI-CS groups, respectively. Among AMI-CS patients, renal dysfunction, diabetes, older age, depressed LVEF, absence of revascularization and the use of mechanical ventilation were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. However, in the non-AMI-CS group, only low LVEF and high lactate levels proved significant., Conclusions: This study demonstrates differences in the epidemiology of CS compared to high-income countries; the high mortality reflects critically ill patients and the lack of contemporary effective therapies in the population studied., Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s).)

Aim: This study aims to assess the influence of training on nurses' attitudes toward end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic alarm state in Spain., Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Data collection was carried out by means of an ad hoc questionnaire using Google Forms in April and May 2020. The score of attitudes toward end-of-life care was used, to which sociodemographic variables and training in palliative care were added., Methods: Data were collected from 238 nursing professionals who had cared for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 adult patients at the end-of-life stage in a hospital or nursing home., Results: Results showed that 51% of the nurses in the sample had training in palliative care. However, the percentage decreased to 38.5% among those who cared for COVID-19 patients and to 44.5% in those who cared for non-COVID-19 patients. In relation to attitudes about end-of-life care, more positive attitudes and a higher mean score were found in the trained group., Conclusions: Palliative care training is a key element in end-of-life care and is even more important in times of COVID-19., Impact: Although end-of-life accompaniment has been studied, few studies have included the influence of training on this during the pandemic. This study identifies key elements of accompaniment and training in a comparison of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients during the pandemic. In relation to attitudes toward end-of-life care, the results showed a more positive attitude and a higher mean score in the trained group (3.43 ± 0.37 versus 3.21 ± 0.32), the difference being statistically significant ( p < 0.001).

Many instruments have been created to measure knowledge and attitudes in palliative care. However, not only is it important to acquire knowledge, but also that this knowledge should reach patients and their relatives through application in clinical practice. This study aimed to develop and psychometrically test the INCUE questionnaire (Investigación Cuidados Enfermeros/Investigation into Nurses' Care Understanding of End-of-Life) to assess the basic training needs of primary or home healthcare nurses in palliative care. A questionnaire was developed based on the classical theory of tests and factor analysis models. Initially, 18 experts developed 67 items in two blocks and determined content validity by two rounds of expert panels. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability testing were conducted with a non-probabilistic sample of 370 nurses. Some items were observed to have very low homogeneity indices or presented convergence problems and were eliminated. Questionnaire reliability was 0.700 in the theoretical block (KR20 Index) and 0.941 in the practical block (Cronbach's alpha). The model converges and shows an adequate fit, specifically CFI = 0.977, TLI = 0.977 and RMSEA = 0.05. The correlation between the two factors in the model is ρ = 0.63. The questionnaire objectively evaluates primary or home healthcare nurses' knowledge of palliative care and its practical application, thereby facilitating more efficient training plans.

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are of significant relevance due to their unique properties, which have been exploited for widespread applications. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO 2 -NPs) are one of most exploited ENM in the industry due to their excellent catalytic and multi-enzyme mimetic properties. Thus, the toxicological effects of these ENMs should be further studied. In this study, the acute and subchronic toxicity of CeO 2 -NPs were assessed. First, an in vitro multi-dose short-term (24 h) toxicological assessment was performed in three different cell lines: A549 and Calu3 were used to represented lung tissue and 3T3 was used as an interstitial tissue model. After that, a sub-chronic toxicity assessment (90 days) of these NPs was carried out on a realistic and well-established reconstituted primary human airway epithelial model (MucilAir™), cultured at the Air-Liquid Interface (ALI), to study the long-term effects of these particles. Results showed minor toxicity of CeO 2 -NPs in acute exposures. However, in subchronic exposures, cytotoxic and inflammatory responses were observed in the human airway epithelial model after 60 days of exposure to CeO 2 -NPs. These results suggest that acute toxicity approaches may underestimate the toxicological effect of some ENMs, highlighting the need for subchronic toxicological studies in order to accurately assess the toxicity of ENM and their cumulative effects in organisms.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most prevalent chronicdiseases and has a significant health and social impact. Strict control of blood glucose levels and other risk factors for vascular disease (VD) reduces complications and mortality and is related to the quality of care received. Although care should be interdisciplinary, based on the coordination of primary care (PC) and hospital care (HC), little information is available on the effectiveness of the different existing intervention models., Objective: To assess, in a population with DM from a healthcare area, the impact on health, quality of care, and effectiveness in the use of resources of a specific model of shared management of patients with DM (Instrument for Evaluation of Models of Chronic Care in Diabetes Mellitus; IEMAC-DM)., Patients and Methods: A quasi-experimental before-after intervention study in patients with DM in the Cádiz-San Fernando Healthcare Area (Andalusia, Spain) that allows for identifying the capacity of the program to improve the quality indicators both in the whole population with DM and in that referred to HC. For this, a working group consisting of healthcare professionals of different profiles and care levels was set up. An initial self-assessment was done using the IEMAC-DM tool and, after analysis of the preliminary results, improvement strategies were established and implemented. Finally, the clinical and resource management results were assessed before and two years after the implementation of the model., Results: During the study period, no significant changes were seen in process indicators related to laboratory practices or examinations in the health area. The proportion of patients with acceptable metabolic control [glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level < 8%] was 49% in 2015 and 45% in 2017. The number of admissions related to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke remained constant, but there was an increase in the standardized ratio of major lower limb amputations (1.5 vs. 1.9). Of the 295 patients referred from PC to HC, the proportion of adequate referrals increased from 40% in 2015 to 76% in 2017 (P = .001). In the referred patients, a significant improvement was seen in the mean difference in glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c; 1.14 ± 1.73%; 95% CI: 0.73-1.55; P = .0001) and cholesterol (11.28 ± 40 mg/dL; 95% CI: 2.07-20.48; P = .012)., Conclusions: This study shows that an intervention based on a chronicity care model adapted to patients with DM improves certain aspects related to the quality of care and the degree of metabolic control. Improving health outcomes will require long-term evaluation and, probably, other additional interventions., (Copyright © 2020 SEEN and SED. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases and has a significant health and social impact. Strict control of blood glucose levels and other risk factors for vascular disease reduces complications and mortality and is related to the quality of care received. Although care should be interdisciplinary, based on the coordination of primary care (PC) and hospital care (HC), little information is available on the effectiveness of the different existing intervention models., Objective: To assess, in a population with DM from a healthcare area, the impact on health, quality of care, and effectiveness in the use of resources of a specific model of shared management of patients with DM (Instrument for Evaluation of Models of Chronic Care in Diabetes Mellitus; IEMAC-DM)., Patients and Methods: A quasi-experimental before-after intervention study in patients with DM in the Cádiz-San Fernando Healthcare Area (Andalusia, Spain) that allows for identifying the capacity of the program to improve the quality indicators both in the whole population with DM and in that referred to HC. For this, a working group consisting of healthcare professionals of different profiles and care levels was set up. An initial self-assessment was done using the IEMAC-DM tool and, after analysis of the preliminary results, improvement strategies were established and implemented. Finally, the clinical and resource management results were assessed before and two years after the implementation of the model., Results: During the study period, no significant changes were seen in process indicators related to laboratory practices or examinations in the health area. The proportion of patients with acceptable metabolic control [glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level<8%] was 49% in 2015 and 45% in 2017. The number of admissions related to acute myocardial infarction and stroke remained constant, but there was an increase in the standardized ratio of major lower limb amputations (1.5 vs. 1.9). Of the 295 patients referred from PC to HC, the proportion of adequate referrals increased from 40% in 2015 to 76% in 2017 (p=0.001). In the referred patients, a significant improvement was seen in the mean difference in glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c; 1.14±1.73%; 95% CI: 0.73-1.55; p=0.0001) and cholesterol (11.28±40mg/dL; 95% CI: 2.07-20.48; p=0.012)., Conclusions: This study shows that an intervention based on a chronicity care model adapted to patients with DM improves certain aspects related to the quality of care and the degree of metabolic control. Improving health outcomes will require long-term evaluation and, probably, other additional interventions., (Copyright © 2020 SEEN y SED. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Little is known regarding acute heart failure (AHF) clinical characteristics and its hospital outcome in Latin America. This study sought to assess the prevalence of, and identify differences among, in-hospital outcomes in patients hospitalized for AHF who were stratified by clinical phenotype at a hospital in Latin America., Methods and Results: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients with AHF who were hospitalized in the coronary care unit of a Latin American teaching hospital from January 2006 to December 2018. Cox regression analysis was used to identify predictors of mortality. Of 21 042 patients admitted, 7759 (36.6%) had AHF. Their median age was 62 years, and 35% were women. De novo heart failure was seen in 39.4% of patients. Most common was AHF-associated acute coronary syndromes (ACS-HF) in 43.0%, decompensated heart failure (DHF) in 33.7%, hypertensive heart failure (HT-HF) in 11.8%, and cardiogenic shock (CS) in 5.2%. Pulmonary oedema (PO) (3.3%) and right heart failure (RHF) (3.0%) were least frequent. Coronary artery disease was the most frequent aetiology in 56.5% of patients, valvular heart disease in 22.4%, and cardiomyopathies in 12.3%. Other less frequent aetiology included adult congenital heart disease (2.5%), lung diseases (2.1%), acute aortic syndromes (1.4%), pericardial diseases (0.8%), and intracardiac tumours (0.3%). Aetiology could not be established in 1.6% of patients. Before admission, patients with worsening chronic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction were treated with renin-angiotensin system blockers (60.4%), beta-blockers (42.5%), or spironolactone (34.4%). The percentages of patients given in-hospital management with intravenous diuretics, vasodilators, inotropes, and vasopressors were 81.2%, 33.4%, 18.9%, and 20.4%, respectively. The overall in-hospital mortality was 17.9% (71.3%, 43.9%, 23.8%, 14.9%, 13.6%, and 10.1% for CS, PO, RHF, DHF, ACS-HF, and HT-HF, respectively; P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that PO (hazard ratio [HR] 2.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.73-4.14, P < 0.0001) and CS (HR 3.37, 95% CI 2.12-5.35, P < 0.0001) were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. Use of intravenous diuretics was linked to reduction of in-hospital mortality (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.59-0.59, P < 0.0001). By contrast, increased in-hospital mortality was associated with the use of intravenous inotrope or vasopressor (HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.27-1.76 and HR 2.91, 95% CI 2.41-3.51, P < 0.0001, respectively)., Conclusions: Real-world evidence from a university hospital in Latin America shows that the high mortality among patients with AHF may depend, among other factors, on patients' AHF clinical phenotypes. The clinical characteristics and aetiologies of AHF appear to differ between these data from Mexico and those from European and US registries., (© 2020 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: A low proportion of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in low- to middle-income countries receive reperfusion therapy. Although primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the method of choice, a pharmacoinvasive strategy (PIs) is reasonable when primary PCI cannot be delivered on a timely basis. The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy and safety of a PIs compared with primary PCI in a real-world setting., Methods: This was a prospective registry that included patients with STEMI who received reperfusion during the first 12 hours from symptom onset. The primary composite end point was the occurrence of cardiovascular death, cardiogenic shock, recurrent myocardial infarction, or congestive heart failure at 30 days according to the reperfusion strategy used. The key safety end point was major bleeding (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium [BARC] score 3-5) at 30 days., Results: We included 579 patients with STEMI, 49.7% underwent primary PCI and 50.2% received PIs. Those who received a PIs approach were more likely to present with Killip class > 1 and to have a history of diabetes but were less likely to have a previous cardiovascular disease diagnosis. No statistically significant difference was shown in the primary composite end point according to reperfusion strategy (hazard ratio for PIs, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.48-1.21; P  = 0.24). Major bleeding was not different among groups (hazard ratio for PIs, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.45-1.86; P  = 0.81). Two patients in the PIs group (0.6%) and no patients in the PCI group had intracranial bleeding ( P  = 0.15)., Conclusions: In this prospective real-world registry, major cardiovascular outcomes and bleeding were not different among patients who underwent a PIs or primary PCI. The study suggests that a PIs is an effective and safe option for patients with STEMI when access to primary PCI is limited., (© 2020 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

In vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) models are a useful tool to screen the permeability and toxicity of new drugs. Currently, many different in vitro BBB models coexist, but none stands out as being notably better than the rest. Therefore, there is still a need to evaluate the quality of BBB models under various conditions and assess their ability to mimic the in vivo situation. In this study, two brain endothelial cell lines (bEnd.3 and hCMEC/D3) and two epithelial-like cell lines (MDCKII and Caco-2) were selected for BBB modelling purposes. They were grown as monolayers of a single cell type, under the following conditions: in coculture with either primary or immortalised astrocytes; or in the presence of primary or immortalised astrocyte-derived conditioned media. A total of 20 different BBB models were established in this manner, in order to assess the effects of the astroglial components on the BBB phenotype in each case. To this end, six parameters were studied: the expression of selected tight junction proteins; the enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase and of gamma glutamyl transpeptidase; the transendothelial/transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER); restriction in paracellular transport; and efflux transporter inhibition were each evaluated and correlated. The results showed that coculturing with either primary or immortalised astrocytes led to a general improvement in all parameters studied, evidencing the contribution of this cell type to effective BBB formation. Furthermore, the permeability coefficient ( P e ) of the tracer molecule, Lucifer Yellow, correlated with three of the six parameters studied. In addition, this study highlights the potential for the use of the Lucifer Yellow P e value as an indicator of barrier integrity in in vitro BBB models, which could be useful for screening the permeability of new drugs.

In this work, we use the finite differences in time domain (FDTD) numerical method to compute and assess the validity of Hopf solutions, or hopfions, for the electromagnetic field equations. In these solutions, field lines form closed loops characterized by different knot topologies which are preserved during their time evolution. Hopfions have been studied extensively in the past from an analytical perspective but never, to the best of our knowledge, from a numerical approach. The implementation and validation of this technique eases the study of more complex cases of this phenomena; e.g., how these fields could interact with materials (e.g., anisotropic or nonlinear), their coupling with other physical systems (e.g., plasmas), and also opens the path on their artificial generation by different means (e.g., antenna arrays or lasers).

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases are rapidly progressive neurodegenerative diseases, the clinical manifestation of which can resemble other promptly evolving neurological maladies. Therefore, the unequivocal ante-mortem diagnosis is highly challenging and was only possible by histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of the brain at necropsy. Although surrogate biomarkers of neurological damage have become invaluable to complement clinical data and provide more accurate diagnostics at early stages, other neurodegenerative diseases show similar alterations hindering the differential diagnosis. To solve that, the detection of the pathognomonic biomarker of disease, PrP Sc , the aberrantly folded isoform of the prion protein, could be used. However, the amounts in easily accessible tissues or body fluids at pre-clinical or early clinical stages are extremely low for the standard detection methods. The solution comes from the recent development of in vitro prion propagation techniques, such as Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) and Real Time-Quaking Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC), which have been already applied to detect minute amounts of PrP Sc in different matrixes and make early diagnosis of prion diseases feasible in a near future. Herein, the most relevant tissues and body fluids in which PrP Sc has been detected in animals and humans are being reviewed, especially those in which cell-free prion propagation systems have been used with diagnostic purposes.

Introduction: Introduction: conflicts are part of human relationships. Few studies have looked at the conflicts that food can produce at the end of life, the factors that affect its appearance, and the way to manage them. This knowledge would help healthcare teams to improve the care of these patients and their families. Aim: to analyze the existence of a family conflict linked to food in palliative-care oncological patients, its management, and the influence on their appearance of changes in diet, diet control, need to eat, support, adaptation to disease, and the association of feeding with survival, quality of life, and care. Methods: the design of the study was cross-sectional. Data from 57 palliative-care oncological patient-family caregiver pairs were collected through a validated ad hoc interview and the PACIS scale. The data was analyzed through content analyses and descriptive and inferential analyses. Results: patients and caregivers recognized the existence of conflict related to the patient's diet (49.1% and 54.4%), with approximately 30% managing it in an inappropriate way. None of the analyzed variables was statistically significant in relation to conflict appearance (considering p < 0.05), except patient need to eat (χ² = 9.163, p = 0,027). Conclusions: family conflict due to patient feeding is reported as a problem that requires reflection, analysis, and intervention by the healthcare team, given that all factors involved in its appearance could not be established.

Factors involved in the spontaneous cleareance of a hepatitis C (HCV) infection are related to both HCV and the interaction with the host immune system, but little is known about the consequences after a spontaneous resolution. The main HCV extrahepatic reservoir is the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and their transcriptional profile provides us information of innate and adaptive immune responses against an HCV infection. MicroRNAs regulate the innate and adaptive immune responses, and they are actively involved in the HCV cycle. High Throughput sequencing was used to analyze the miRNA profiles from PBMCs of HCV chronic naïve patients (CHC), individuals that spontaneously clarified HCV (SC), and healthy controls (HC). We did not find any differentially expressed miRNAs between SC and CHC. However, both groups showed similar expression differences (21 miRNAs) with respect to HC. This miRNA signature correctly classifies HCV-exposed (CHC and SC) vs. HC, with the has-miR-21-3p showing the best performance. The potentially targeted molecular pathways by these 21 miRNAs mainly belong to fatty acids pathways, although hippo signaling, extracellular matrix (ECM) interaction, proteoglycans-related, and steroid biosynthesis pathways were also altered. These miRNAs target host genes involved in an HCV infection. Thus, an HCV infection promotes molecular alterations in PBMCs that can be detected after an HCV spontaneous resolution, and the 21-miRNA signature is able to identify HCV-exposed patients (either CHC or SC).

Mexico has been positioned as the country with the highest mortality attributed to myocardial infarction among the members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. This rate responds to multiple factors, including a low rate of reperfusion therapy and the absence of a coordinated system of care. Primary angioplasty is the reperfusion method recommended by the guidelines, but requires multiple conditions that are not reached at all times. Early pharmacological reperfusion of the culprit coronary artery and early coronary angiography (pharmacoinvasive strategy) can be the solution to the logistical problem that primary angioplasty rises. Several studies have demonstrated pharmacoinvasive strategy as effective and safe as primary angioplasty ST-elevation myocardial infarction, which is postulated as the choice to follow in communities where access to PPCI is limited. The Mexico City Government together with the National Institute of Cardiology have developed a pharmaco-invasive reperfusion treatment program to ensure effective and timely reperfusion in STEMI. The model comprises a network of care at all three levels of health, including a system for early pharmacological reperfusion in primary care centers, a digital telemedicine system, an inter-hospital transport network to ensure primary angioplasty or early percutaneous coronary intervention after fibrinolysis and a training program with certification of the health care personal. This program intends to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with myocardial infarction., (Copyright © 2016 Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.)

Discretization is one of the most relevant techniques for data preprocessing. The main goal of discretization is to transform numerical attributes into discrete ones to help the experts to understand the data more easily, and it also provides the possibility to use some learning algorithms which require discrete data as input, such as Bayesian or rule learning. We focus our attention on handling multivariate classification problems, where high interactions among multiple attributes exist. In this paper, we propose the use of evolutionary algorithms to select a subset of cut points that defines the best possible discretization scheme of a data set using a wrapper fitness function. We also incorporate a reduction mechanism to successfully manage the multivariate approach on large data sets. Our method has been compared with the best state-of-the-art discretizers on 45 real datasets. The experiments show that our proposed algorithm overcomes the rest of the methods producing competitive discretization schemes in terms of accuracy, for C4.5, Naive Bayes, PART, and PrUning and BuiLding Integrated in Classification classifiers; and obtained far simpler solutions.

Background: Salicylaldehyde isonicotinoyl hydrazone (SIH) is an iron chelator of the aroylhydrazone class that displays antioxidant or prooxidant effects in different mammalian cell lines. Because the liver is the major site of iron storage, elucidating the effect of SIH on hepatic oxidative metabolism is critical for designing effective hepatic antioxidant therapies., Methods: Hepatocyte-like HepG2 cells were exposed to SIH or to analogs showing greater stability, such as N'-[1-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)ethyliden]isonicotinoyl hydrazide (HAPI), or devoid of iron chelating properties, such as benzaldehyde isonicotinoyl hydrazone (BIH), and toxicity, oxidative stress and antioxidant (glutathione) metabolism were evaluated., Results: Autoxidation of Fe(2+)in vitro increased in the presence of SIH or HAPI (but not BIH), an effect partially blocked by Fe(2+) chelation. Incubation of HepG2 cells with SIH or HAPI (but not BIH) was non-toxic and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, activated the transcription factor Nrf2, induced the catalytic subunit of γ-glutamate cysteine ligase (Gclc), and increased glutathione concentration. Fe(2+) chelation decreased ROS and inhibited Nrf2 activation, and Nrf2 knock-down inhibited the induction of Gclc in the presence of HAPI. Inhibition of γ-glutamate cysteine ligase enzymatic activity inhibited the increase in glutathione caused by HAPI, and increased oxidative stress., Conclusions: SIH iron chelators display both prooxidant (increasing the autoxidation rate of Fe(2+)) and antioxidant (activating Nrf2 signaling) effects., General Significance: Activation by SIH iron chelators of a hormetic antioxidant response contributes to their antioxidant properties and modulates the anti- and pro-oxidant balance., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pylephlebitis or septic thrombophlebitis of the portal venous system is a rare but serious complication of intra-abdominal infections which drain into the portal venous system. Its diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion and imaging tests, mainly a computed tomography scan, given the lack of specificity of the signs and symptoms. Spread of septic emboli is the major cause of morbidity and mortality. The aim of the study was to analyse patients diagnosed in our hospital., Material and Methods: Retrospective descriptive study of patients diagnosed with pylephlebitis in our hospital., Clinical Cases: Four patients were included, 3 men and one woman. In 3 cases it was acute cholecystitis that led to the diagnosis of pylephlebitis at the same time as the intra-abdominal infection. Emergency surgery was performed in one case, whilst the other 2 were treated conservatively. Blood cultures were performed in all cases, and empirical antibiotic treatment was used. In the only case of acute appendicitis, diagnosis of pylephlebitis was achieved during the study of postoperative fever, with empirical antibiotic treatment also being started. The haematologist was requested to start the required anticoagulation therapy in all cases., Conclusions: Pylephlebitis is a rare complication of intra-abdominal infections that may make lead to a worse outcome. A high level of suspicion is required as well as imaging tests to make an early diagnosis and appropriate treatment., (Copyright © 2015 Academia Mexicana de Cirugía A.C. Published by Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.)

Background: In patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), no conclusive agreement has been reached to date regarding the association between the different types of atrial fibrillation (AF) and the in-hospital mortality risk. We conducted a retrospective cohort study in patients with ACS to determine the prognostic implications of the different types of AF., Methods: We analyzed 6705 consecutive patients with ACS admitted to a coronary care unit (CCU), including 3094 with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 3611 with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). We identified the patients with pre-existing AF, new-onset AF at admission, and new-onset AF at the CCU., Results: The overall incidence of AF was documented in 360 (5.4%) of the patients (STEMI, 5%; NSTE-ACS, 5.6%), 140 (2.1%) of whom had pre-existing AF, and 220 (3.2%) of whom had new-onset AF (AF at admission, 1.3%; AF at the CCU, 1.9%). The patients with AF had high-risk clinical characteristics and developed major adverse events more frequently than did the patients without AF. The unadjusted in-hospital mortality risk was significantly higher in the patients with pre-existing AF (STEMI, 3.79-fold; NSTE-ACS, 3.4-fold) and AF at the CCU (STEMI, 2.02-fold; NSTE-ACS, 8.09-fold). After adjusting for the multivariate analysis, only the AF at the CCU in the NSTE-ACS group was associated with a 4.40-fold increase in the in-hospital mortality risk (odds ratio 4.40, CI 1.82-10.60, p=0.001). In the STEMI group, the presence of any type of AF was not associated with an increased risk of mortality., Conclusion: Among the different types of AF in patients with ACS, only the new-onset AF that developed during the CCU stay in patients with NSTE-ACS was associated with a 4.40-fold increase in the in-hospital mortality risk., (Copyright © 2014 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mesenteric panniculitis is an uncommon clinical entity which sometimes may be associated with hematologic, gastrointestinal and urological neoplasms. The diagnostic procedure ofchoice is based on obtaining a tissue sample for histopathological study usually through apercutaneous procedure. Treatment is indicated in symptomatic cases.

Introduction: The objective of this study is to analyze our experience in the use of sentinel node biopsy (SNB) in melanoma and identify the predictive factors of positive SNB and multiple drainage., Material and Methods: Retrospective study of patients who underwent SNB for melanoma between August of 2000 and February of 2013., Results: SNB was performed in 125 patients with a median of age of 55,6 (±15) years. The anatomic distribution was: 44 (35,2%) in legs, 24 (19,2%) in arms, 53 (42,4%) trunk and 3 (2,4%) in head and neck. The median Breslow index was 1,81 (0,45-5). Between 1 and 6 nodes were isolated. The drainage was unique in 98 (78,4%) and multiple in 27 (21,6%). The trunk was the localization of 25 (92,6%) nodes with multiple drainage. The definitive result of sentinel node (SN) was positive in 18 cases (7,1%). Breslow thickness (p=0,01) was statistically significant predictor of a positive SNB., Conclusions: The SNB allows patients to be selected for lymphadenectomy. Melanoma of the trunk was the principle location of multiple drainage. The only predictive factor of positive SNB was Breslow thickness., (Copyright © 2013 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and clinical pattern of celiac disease (CD) presently diagnosed in Spanish children., Methods: A prospective, multicenter, nationwide registry of new cases of CD in children <15 years was conducted from June 1, 2006 to May 31, 2007. The parameters studied were age at diagnosis, sex, clinical symptoms, associated diseases, nutritional status, CD serology, histological lesions, and HLA-DQ2/-DQ8. The crude incidence rate of CD was calculated as new cases per 1000 live births and as new cases per 100,000 person-years <15 years of age., Results: A total of 974 new cases of CD were included. The median age at diagnosis was 2.3 years; 39.5% of CD diagnoses occurred in the first 2 years, 42% between 2 and 6, and 18.4% from 6 to 15. Total number of cases in each age group was 385, 409, and 180, respectively. Regarding clinical presentation 70.9% showed classical symptoms, 21.9% were nonclassical, and 7% were asymptomatic. A total of 95.7% of 931, 94.7% of 611, and 86.7% of 651 children tested positive, respectively, for immunoglobulin A (IgA) anti-transglutaminase type 2 antibodies, IgA endomysial antibodies, and IgA anti-gliadin antibodies. Villous atrophy was observed in 92.4% and increased intraepithelial lymphocytes with crypt hyperplasia in 3.3%. Of the children, 55% had normal growth, and 3.4% were overweight. The HLA phenotype was DQ2: 88.3%, DQ2/DQ8: 8.4%, and DQ8: 2.3%. The incidence rate was 7.9 cases of CD per 1000 live births and 54 cases per 100,000 person-years., Conclusions: In Spain, the most frequent clinical presentation of CD is the classical form, mainly diagnosed during the first 2 years of life. The observed incidence of CD in Spanish children is much higher than the present CD incidence rates observed in other European countries.

Background: Appendiceal diverticulitis (AD) is a rare cause of acute appendicitis (AA) which is most frequently diagnosed after appendectomy in pathological study., Objective: To compare AA versus AD., Methods: Retrospective analytic study in avperiod of 51 months fom January 2009 to March 2013 in the Hospital Universitario San Juan de Alicante (Spain), including patients with clinical or radiological suspicious of acute appendicitis which was confirmed intraoperatively and with the pathological study., Results: We included 449 patients, 442 typical AA (98.5%) and 7AD (1.5%). DA was more frequent in women (57%) with a median age of 44 years old (range 37 to 57 years old), whereas AA was more frequent in men (61%) with a median age of 28 years old (range 15 to 46 years old). Leukocyte count, neutrophils and C-reactive protein were respectively 13,300 per mm3 (range 10,700 to 15,700 per mm3), 87.1% (range 84.6 to 89.6%) and 1.82 mg/dL (range 0.59 to 5.31 mg/dL) in AD versus 14,700 per mm3 (range 12,300 to 17,600 per mm), 81.6% (range 75.1 to 86.4%) and 2.71 mg/dL (range 0.67 to 75 mg/dL) in AA. Alvarado score and appendicitis diagnostic score were respectively 7 (range 6 to 8) and 6 (range 5 to 7) in AD and 7 (range 5 to 7) and 6 (range 5 to 6) in AA. An appendiceal perforation was seen in 3 AD (43%) and 80 AA (18%)., Conclusion: AD appeared in older patients with a clinical and blood test profile similar to AA but with a higher perforation rate.