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Objective: To determine the effect of SARS-CoV-2 variants on non-respiratory features of COVID-19 in vaccinated and not fully vaccinated patients using a University of California database., Methods: A longitudinal retrospective review of medical records (n = 63,454) from 1/1/2020-4/26/2022 using the UCCORDS database was performed to compare non-respiratory features, vaccination status, and mortality between variants. Chi-square tests were used to study the relationship between categorical variables using a contingency matrix., Results: Fever was the most common feature across all variants. Fever was significantly higher in not fully vaccinated during the Delta and Omicron waves (p = 0.001; p = 0.001). Cardiac features were statistically higher in not fully vaccinated during Omicron; tachycardia was only a feature of not fully vaccinated during Delta and Omicron; diabetes and GI reflux were features of all variants regardless of vaccine status. Odds of death were significantly increased among those not fully vaccinated in the Delta and Omicron variants (Delta OR: 1.64, p = 0.052; Omicron OR: 1.96, p < 0.01). Vaccination was associated with a decrease in the frequency of non-respiratory features., Conclusions: Risk of non-respiratory features of COVID-19 is statistically higher in those not fully vaccinated across all variants. Risk of death and correlation with vaccination status varied., 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 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Numerous health conditions in the older adult population can be attributed to falls, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can lead to devastating short and long-term sequelae. Older adults are also more likely to experience frailty, which encompasses physical, psychological, and social deficits that may lead to adverse health outcomes. Our literature review synthesizes current evidence for understanding frailty in the context of TBI among older adults using the Integral Model of Frailty as a framework., Content Synthesis: A total of 32 articles were identified, and 9 articles were included. The results of this review indicate that outcomes resulting from TBI are closely linked to the physical, psychological, and social domains of frailty., Conclusions: A small amount of literature currently examines frailty in the context of TBI among older adults. Using the Integral Model of Frailty to understand frailty in the context of TBI can help clinicians anticipate patient outcomes and improve care plans. We emphasize the need for a greater understanding of TBI concerning frailty to improve health outcomes among older adult patients., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright� by the Universidad de Antioquia.)

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has caused over 80 million infections 973,000 deaths in the United States, and mutations are linked to increased transmissibility. This study aimed to determine the effect of SARS-CoV-2 variants on respiratory features, mortality, and to determine the effect of vaccination status. A retrospective review of medical records (n = 55,406 unique patients) using the University of California Health COvid Research Data Set (UC CORDS) was performed to identify respiratory features, vaccination status, and mortality from 01/01/2020 to 04/26/2022. Variants were identified using the CDC data tracker. Increased odds of death were observed amongst unvaccinated individuals and fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, or individuals who received any vaccination during multiple waves of the pandemic. Vaccination status was associated with survival and a decreased frequency of many respiratory features. More recent SARS-CoV-2 variants show a reduction in lower respiratory tract features with an increase in upper respiratory tract features. Being fully vaccinated results in fewer respiratory features and higher odds of survival, supporting vaccination in preventing morbidity and mortality from COVID-19., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Abstract: It is critical to detect latent tuberculosis infection through screening and testing individuals at high risk of progression to active tuberculosis, including patients who are immunocompromised. NPs should be familiar with available testing for accurate diagnosis in order to expedite treatment., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis, a with variable clinical presentation and whose multifactorial etiology carries an essential genetic component. Multiple genetic variations associated with psoriasis have been described around the world. However, these variants are unknown among the Colombian population. This study aimed to evaluate the single nucleotide polymorphism rs10930046 (His460Arg) in the IFIH1 gene and its ssociation with the development of psoriasis in a Colombian population., Methods: An observational, unmatched, case-control study was performed, including 51 patients with psoriasis and 151 population controls, all with self-reported Paisa ancestry (from the Antioquia region). All individuals were genotyped for the single nucleotide polymorphism rs10930046 (His460Arg) in the IFIH1 gene, and its association with psoriasis was pursued. Both groups were demographically characterized, and cases were also assessed for clinical variables., Results: Through the allelic association analysis, cases were found to have a lower frequency of the single nucleotide polymorphism rs10930046 (His460Arg) in the IFIH1 gene than controls; 5% versus 22.67%, respectively. There were no significant differences in age or sex. We also found that psoriasis vulgaris was the most common variant (78%), that about half of the cases had nail psoriasis (56%), 19.6% had psoriatic arthritis, and that 45% had some comorbidity., Conclusions: The results obtained from this study confirm that carriers of the single nucleotide polymorphism rs10930046 (His460Arg) in the IFIH1 gene have a decreased risk of developing psoriasis.

Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico, are biodiversity hotspots threatened by microplastics (<5 mm). Little is known about the extent of microplastic pollution in coastal sandy beaches of Puerto Rico. Sand from six northern beaches was collected in the high tide line to determine microplastic abundance (0.3-4.75 mm). Península La Esperanza, the most polluted beach, exhibited higher average abundance (17 items/kg dw) and diversity. High urbanization, industrial/port activities, and riverine input are likely sources of plastic debris on this beach. The other beaches showed lower and similar average abundance (3 to 7 items/kg dw) despite having distinct potential point and non-point sources. Overall, fibers (40%), fragments (28%) and foams (27%) predominated (n = 102 particles). Results showed comparable levels to other world beaches, some classified as highly contaminated, but only when transforming units to items/m 2 . Preliminary ATR-FTIR analysis identified mainly polyethylene. It is imperative to have plastics source reduction through waste management., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Little is known about the presence and effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in Puerto Rico's waters. Four coastal aquatic systems were investigated using low-density polyethylene passive sampling for PCBs and OCPs in water and its overlying air. The highest total freely dissolved and gaseous concentrations of PCBs were found in Guánica Bay, with 4000 pg/L and 270 pg/m 3 , respectively. Five OCPs were detected, mainly in water, with greatest concentrations (pg/L) in Guánica Bay: α-HCH (7400), p,p'-DDE (390), aldrin (2000), dieldrin (420), and endrin (77). The compound α-HCH was also measured at elevated water concentrations in Condado Lagoon (5700 pg/L) and Laguna Grande (2900 pg/L). Jobos Bay did not show values of concern for these persistence organic pollutants. Levels of PCBs and OCPs in water, particularly in Guánica Bay, exceeded USEPA ambient water quality criteria values representing a human health risk regarding consumption of aquatic organisms.