Persistence of COVID-19 Symptoms and Quality of Life at Three and Twelve Months after Hospital Discharge.

Medical and public recognition of "long-COVID or post-COVID syndrome", as well as its impact on the quality of life (QoL), is required to better address the disease burden. Objectives: We aimed to describe the persistence of COVID-19 symptoms and QoL among patients at three and twelve months after their discharge from the hospital. We conducted an observational, prospective, and longitudinal analytic study from September 2021 to April 2022.

On the value of advanced information about delayed rewards.

In a variety of laboratory preparations, several animal species prefer signaled over unsignaled outcomes. Here we examine whether pigeons prefer options that signal the delay to reward over options that do not and how this preference changes with the ratio of the delays. We offered pigeons repeated choices between two alternatives leading to a short or a long delay to reward.

Time, uncertainty, and suboptimal choice.

Under certain conditions, pigeons prefer information about whether food will be forthcoming at the end of an interval to a higher chance of obtaining the food. In the typical protocol, choosing one option (Informative) is followed by one of two 10-s long terminal-link stimuli: S always ending in food or S never ending in food, with S occurring only 20% of the trials. The other option (Non-informative) is also followed by one of two 10-s long terminal-link stimuli: S or S, both ending in food 50% of the trials.

Association between phenotypic characteristics of Escherichia coli and UTI recurrence in immunocompromised patients: A case-control study.

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) recurrence is important in immunocompromised patients. There is a trend to study genotypically and phenotypically the role of certain virulence factors of Escherichia coli in the diagnosis of recurrent UTI. The main objective of this study was to determine if there is an association between phenotypic characteristics of E coli and UTI recurrence in immunocompromised patients.

Oral colonization by gram-negative bacilli in patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors compared with healthy controls.

Background: Colonization of the oropharynx with gram-negative bacilli (GNB) is considered a negative prognostic factor in immunocompromised individuals. Hemato-oncologic patients represent a high-risk group due to their immunodeficiencies and associated treatments. This study aimed to determine the rates of oral colonization by GNB, associated factors, and clinical outcomes in patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors compared with healthy subjects.

Interim safety and immunogenicity results from an NDV-based COVID-19 vaccine phase I trial in Mexico.

There is still a need for safe, efficient, and low-cost coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines that can stop transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Here we evaluated a vaccine candidate based on a live recombinant Newcastle disease virus (NDV) that expresses a stable version of the spike protein in infected cells as well as on the surface of the viral particle (AVX/COVID-12-HEXAPRO, also known as NDV-HXP-S). This vaccine candidate can be grown in embryonated eggs at a low cost, similar to influenza virus vaccines, and it can also be administered intranasally, potentially to induce mucosal immunity.

How Does Time Affect the Antimicrobial Activity of Super-Oxidized Commercial Antiseptic Solutions? An Test.

This study aimed to identify variation in the minimum biocidal concentration (MBC) over time, comparing three commercial super-oxidized solutions with different chemical compositions. In the bactericidal assay, the following bacteria were tested: (ATCC 25922), (ATCC 27853), (ATCC 25923), and for each ATCC, one wild-type strain was used. experiments were performed in triplicate at 0, 60, and 120 days of follow up.

Impact of infections and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae on graft and patient survival in a kidney transplantation program in Mexico.

Introduction: Immunosuppressive treatments have improved graft and patient survival rates, but can increase the incidence of post-transplant infections.

Objectives: To analyze data from kidney transplant patients and describe the pathogens responsible for the infections they experience.

Methods: Longitudinal, analytical, observational study of 103 patients who underwent kidney transplantation.

Quality of Life and Persistence of Symptoms in Outpatients after Recovery from COVID-19.

Background and Objectives: Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 can have persistent symptoms after acute illness, which affects their quality of life (QoL). Research and data about this topic in Latin American ambulatory patients are scarce. Materials and Methods: We conducted an observational, prospective, transversal, and analytical study.

Fluoroscopy-Guided Percutaneous Transpedicular Biopsy Versus Posterolateral Endoscopy for Infective Spondylodiskitis Diagnosis: A Comparative Study.

Objective: We sought to determine the concordance in frequency of microbiologic isolation and species identification in specimens obtained by 2 methods.

Methods: Intervertebral disk specimens were taken simultaneously from each patient using percutaneous needle and posterolateral endoscopic biopsies. The isolates were reported in frequencies and concordance using the chi square and Cohen kappa tests.

Expert review of global real-world data on COVID-19 vaccine booster effectiveness and safety during the omicron-dominant phase of the pandemic.

Introduction: COVID-19 vaccines have been highly effective in reducing morbidity and mortality during the pandemic. However, the emergence of the Omicron variant and subvariants as the globally dominant strains have raised doubts about the effectiveness of currently available vaccines and prompted debate about potential future vaccination strategies.

Areas Covered: Using the publicly available IVAC VIEW-hub platform, we reviewed 52 studies on vaccine effectiveness (VE) after booster vaccinations.

Quality of life and persistence of COVID-19 symptoms 90 days after hospital discharge.

Objective: We aimed to describe the persistence of symptoms in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and quality of life (QoL) among patients 90 days after their discharge from the hospital for infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and to determine differences in QoL domains concerning the absence or presence of persistent symptoms.

Methods: To measure QoL, we used a validated Spanish version of the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).

Results: We included 141 patients.

Diagnostic Accuracy of the RDW for Predicting Death in COVID-19.

Background and Objectives: An association between high red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and mortality has been found in several diseases, including infection and sepsis. Some studies have aimed at determining the association of elevated RDW with adverse prognosis in COVID-19, but its usefulness has not been well established. The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of the RDW, measured at hospital admission and discharge, for predicting death in patients with COVID-19.

Safety and immunogenicity of a live recombinant Newcastle disease virus-based COVID-19 vaccine (Patria) administered via the intramuscular or intranasal route: Interim results of a non-randomized open label phase I trial in Mexico.

There is still a need for safe, efficient and low-cost coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines that can stop transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Here we evaluated a vaccine candidate based on a live recombinant Newcastle disease virus (NDV) that expresses a stable version of the spike protein in infected cells as well as on the surface of the viral particle (AVX/COVID-12-HEXAPRO, also known as NDV-HXP-S). This vaccine candidate can be grown in embryonated eggs at low cost similar to influenza virus vaccines and it can also be administered intranasally, potentially to induce mucosal immunity.

Isolated tricuspid valve surgery-Repair versus replacement: A meta-analysis.

Objective: There is a paucity of data on outcomes after isolated tricuspid valve surgery. This meta-analysis aims to compile available data on isolated tricuspid valve surgery and compare isolated tricuspid valve repair (iTVr) with isolated tricuspid valve replacement (iTVR) to elucidate outcomes after tricuspid valve surgery.

Methods: A literature search of 6 databases was performed.

Is Clostridioides difficile toxins detection necessary when the glutamate dehydrogenase enzyme is detected?

Introduction: Clostridioides difficile causes diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. Its diagnosis is made with glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) or toxins A and B detection and is confirmed with nucleic acid amplification tests.

Objective: To define if GDH determination is redundant to that of toxins.

Off pump coronary artery bypass in patients with an ejection fraction of <20%. What is our strategy?

Patients with left ventricular dysfunction and low ejection fraction (EF) are at high risk of complication and mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The potential success of off-pump CABG in this high-risk population has yet to be illustrated. Herein, we present our experience in regards to surgical planning and strategy on how to perform off-pump CABG in patients with very low EF.

Testing the Δ-∑ hypothesis in the suboptimal choice task: Same delta with different probabilities of reinforcement.

In a concurrent-chain procedure, pigeons choose between 2 initial-link stimuli; one is followed by terminal link stimuli that signal reliably whether food will be delivered after a delay; the other is followed by terminal link stimuli that do not signal whether food will be delivered after the delay. Pigeons prefer the former alternative even when it yields a lower overall probability of food. Recently, we proposed the Delta-Sigma (∆-∑) hypothesis to explain the effect: Preference depends on the difference (∆) between the reinforcement probabilities associated with the terminal link stimuli, and the overall probability of reinforcement (∑) associated with the alternative.

The disease burden of influenza beyond respiratory illness.

Although influenza is primarily considered a respiratory infection and causes significant respiratory mortality, evidence suggests that influenza has an additional burden due to broader consequences of the illness. Some of these broader consequences include cardiovascular events, exacerbations of chronic underlying conditions, increased susceptibility to secondary bacterial infections, functional decline, and poor pregnancy outcomes, all of which may lead to an increased risk for hospitalization and death. Although it is methodologically difficult to measure these impacts, epidemiological and interventional study designs have evolved over recent decades to better take them into account.

The functional equivalence of two variants of the suboptimal choice task: choice proportion and response latency as measures of value.

In the suboptimal-choice task, birds systematically choose the leaner but informative option (suboptimal) over the richer but non-informative option (optimal). The task has two variations. In the standard task, the optimal option includes two terminal link stimuli.

Transfer Factor: Myths and Facts.

Transfer factor (TF), also called "Lawrence transfer factor", or dialyzable leukocyte extract (DLE), has been used since the mid-twentieth century to transfer specific skin hypersensitivity through the injection of leukocytes from immunized donors to animals and humans. The main mechanism of action of TF has been suggested at the level of cell-mediated immunity, as it induces the production of migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ). Otherwise, TF can inhibit nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), and decrease tumoral necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and IL-4 levels.

Combine dengue vaccines to optimize effectiveness.

Developing a completely effective and safe dengue vaccine has been a complicated process. Dengvaxia®, by Sanofi-Pasteur, and recently TAK003, by Takeda, have strengths and weaknesses, but they seem to complement each other. In this work, we elaborate a rationale that could be applicable in a combined program of these vaccines for the control of dengue.