Título del artículo:

Secondary CV Prevention in South America in a Community Setting: The PURE Study

Background Despite the availability of evidence-based therapies, there is no information on the use of medications for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in urban and rural community settings in South America. Objectives This study sought to assess the use, and its predictors, of effective secondary prevention therapies in individuals with a history of coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke. Methods In the PURE (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological) study, we enrolled 24,713 individuals from South America ages 35 to 70 years from 97 rural and urban communities in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia. We assessed the use of proven therapies with standardized questionnaires. We report estimates of drug use at national, community, and individual levels and the independent predictors of their utilization through a multivariable analysis model. Results Of 24,713 individuals, 910 had a self-reported CHD event (at a median of 5 years earlier) and 407 had stroke (6 years earlier). The proportions of individuals with CHD who received antiplatelet medications (30.1%), beta-blockers (34.2%), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, or angiotensin-receptor blockers (36.0%), or statins (18.0%) were low; with even lower proportions among stroke patients (antiplatelets 24.3%, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin-receptor blockers 37.6%, statins 9.8%). A substantial proportion of patients did not receive any proven therapy (CHD 31%, stroke 54%). A minority of patients received either all 4 (4.1%) or 3 proven therapies (3.3%). Male sex, age >60 years, better education, more wealth, urban location, diabetes, and obesity were associated with higher rates of medication use. In a multivariable model, markers of wealth had the largest impact in secondary prevention. Conclusions There are large gaps in the use of proven medications for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in South America. Strategies to improve the sustained use of these medications will likely reduce cardiovascular disease burden substantially.

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Global Heart

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Reproducibility of left ventricular global longitudinal strain using two-dimensional ultrasound speckle tracking: Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

Introduction Advanced echocardiography techniques, such as the global longitudinal strain using two-dimensional ultrasound speckle tracking, have been proposed for the detection of early changes in the left ventricular systolic function. The evaluation of the reproducibility of left ventricular global longitudinal strain is essential for its clinical application in different scenarios. Objective To determine the reproducibility of left ventricular global longitudinal strain in individuals from a Brazil cohort study. Methods The reproducibility of left ventricular global longitudinal strain was evaluated by the reading and analysis of echocardiograph images of a random sample of 50 participants of the baseline Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Results The mean age of the participants was 49.7 ± 7.3 years, of whom 54% were women, and the mean global longitudinal strain was –19.5% ± 1.9%. The inter-observer reproducibility of the mean global longitudinal strain, had a coefficient of variation of 7.4%, and an intra-class correlation of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.61 – 0.86). The analysis of the inter-observer agreement of the global longitudinal strain measurements using the Bland and Altman method showed a mean differences of 0.1% ± 1.4%, and upper and lower limits of agreement of 2.9 and –2.7, respectively. Conclusions There was adequate reproducibility of the left ventricular global longitudinal strain measurements in participants of the ELSA-Brasil study, and the values were similar to those reported in other longitudinal epidemiological studies. The findings reinforce the use of the global longitudinal strain as a clinical marker of myocardial deformation, capable of detecting subclinical changes in myocardial contractility.

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Revista Colombiana de Cardiologia

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Fruit, vegetable, and legume intake, and cardiovascular disease and deaths in 18 countries (PURE): a prospective cohort study

Background The association between intake of fruits, vegetables, and legumes with cardiovascular disease and deaths has been investigated extensively in Europe, the USA, Japan, and China, but little or no data are available from the Middle East, South America, Africa, or south Asia. Methods We did a prospective cohort study (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology [PURE] in 135 335 individuals aged 35 to 70 years without cardiovascular disease from 613 communities in 18 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries in seven geographical regions: North America and Europe, South America, the Middle East, south Asia, China, southeast Asia, and Africa. We documented their diet using country-specific food frequency questionnaires at baseline. Standardised questionnaires were used to collect information about demographic factors, socioeconomic status (education, income, and employment), lifestyle (smoking, physical activity, and alcohol intake), health history and medication use, and family history of cardiovascular disease. The follow-up period varied based on the date when recruitment began at each site or country. The main clinical outcomes were major cardiovascular disease (defined as death from cardiovascular causes and non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure), fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction, fatal and non-fatal strokes, cardiovascular mortality, non-cardiovascular mortality, and total mortality. Cox frailty models with random effects were used to assess associations between fruit, vegetable, and legume consumption with risk of cardiovascular disease events and mortality. Findings Participants were enrolled into the study between Jan 1, 2003, and March 31, 2013. For the current analysis, we included all unrefuted outcome events in the PURE study database through March 31, 2017. Overall, combined mean fruit, vegetable and legume intake was 3·91 (SD 2·77) servings per day. During a median 7·4 years (5·5–9·3) of follow-up, 4784 major cardiovascular disease events, 1649 cardiovascular deaths, and 5796 total deaths were documented. Higher total fruit, vegetable, and legume intake was inversely associated with major cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, cardiovascular mortality, non-cardiovascular mortality, and total mortality in the models adjusted for age, sex, and centre (random effect). The estimates were substantially attenuated in the multivariable adjusted models for major cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio [HR] 0·90, 95% CI 0·74–1·10, ptrend=0·1301), myocardial infarction (0·99, 0·74–1·31; ptrend=0·2033), stroke (0·92, 0·67–1·25; ptrend=0·7092), cardiovascular mortality (0·73, 0·53–1·02; ptrend=0·0568), non-cardiovascular mortality (0·84, 0·68–1·04; ptrend =0·0038), and total mortality (0·81, 0·68–0·96; ptrend<0·0001). The HR for total mortality was lowest for three to four servings per day (0·78, 95% CI 0·69–0·88) compared with the reference group, with no further apparent decrease in HR with higher consumption. When examined separately, fruit intake was associated with lower risk of cardiovascular, non-cardiovascular, and total mortality, while legume intake was inversely associated with non-cardiovascular death and total mortality (in fully adjusted models). For vegetables, raw vegetable intake was strongly associated with a lower risk of total mortality, whereas cooked vegetable intake showed a modest benefit against mortality. Interpretation Higher fruit, vegetable, and legume consumption was associated with a lower risk of non-cardiovascular, and total mortality. Benefits appear to be maximum for both non-cardiovascular mortality and total mortality at three to four servings per day (equivalent to 375–500 g/day). Funding Full funding sources listed at the end of the paper (see Acknowledgments).

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The Lancet

Título del artículo:

Interaction between epidemiological risk factors associated with Cystoisospora suis infection in swine intensive herís

It was carried out an investigation in Venezuela during 2016 with the aim to determine statistical association between some risk factor\'s and Cystoisospora suis in swine intensive herds. Sixty-seven farms with a history of neonatal diarrhea were selected. 10% of the litters were sampled, and from each selected litter, 4 to 5 piglets were selected. A hyssop were introduced by rectal way with the purpose of causing stimulation and collect the stool sample. An epidemiological survey was applied on each farm. The stool samples were cultivated in a 2.5% potassium dichromate solution during 24 h and later processed with a concentration - flotation technique. The results indicate that C. suis was found on 55 farms (82.1%). According to the bivariate analysis, statistical association (P < 0.05) were found between negative values with respect to the type of floors, disinfection programs and Veterinary presence. The size and type of farm had no statistical effect. According to the multivariate analysis, statistical association was determined between protocol 1 applied to plastic pallet floors in farms with good hygiene, as well as the permanence of the Veterinary, which are modalities that were associated with them and with the group of farms that were negative to C. suis. It is concluded that the multivariate analysis allows to evaluate the relationship between epidemiological factors that minimize the possibilities of proliferation and dissemination of the parasite in the herd, and should be considered in the control programs.

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Revista Electronica de Veterinaria

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Management of asthmatic crisis in children with heart diseases, do we have to know what to do?

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Archivos Argentinos de Pediatria

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Key Aspects in Foramen Magnum Meningiomas: From Old Neuroanatomical Conceptions to Current Far Lateral Neurosurgical Intervention

Foramen magnum meningiomas represent a challenge for neurosurgeons. These tumors require careful surgical manipulation as they are often located in proximity to critical neurovascular structures and the cranial nerves. The far lateral approach is considered the safest neurosurgical approach for excising foramen magnum lesions. It facilitates the access to the anterior foramen magnum and reduces the retraction of vital structures. We describe key historical, epidemiological, genetic, epigenetic, clinical, and neurosurgical aspects of foramen magnum meningiomas. We emphasize the far lateral approach for lesions arising in the foramen magnum, as well as the most appropriate patient positioning for such approach. Caring for these aspects will be rewarded with the best perioperative neurosurgical outcomes.

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World Neurosurgery

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Biomass and protein production of Chlorella vulgaris Beyerinck (Chlorellales: Chlorellaceae) via the design of selective culture media

In recent years, it has become more frequent the use of alternative culture media that use phosphorus and nitrogen sources as well as microelements, instead of using the more traditional ones. Therefore, in this study two mixotrophic culture media were designed with different sodium nitrate, potassium phosphate and sodium acetate/ammonium carbonate concentrations as carbon source, to evaluate the biomass and protein production of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris Beyerinck. A Pareto diagram and a response surface plot were generated in order to know the significant influence that the study variables have on protein production. The results showed that higher biomass production (3.72 g/L for the culture with acetate and 2.17 g/L for the one with carbonate) are directly related to sodium nitrate (1.96 mM) and potassium phosphate (2.11 mM). In addition, the maximum protein values obtained were 60% and 34% for acetate and carbonate cultures, respectively, both with 2.94 mM of sodium nitrate. Finally, the Pareto diagram showed that for the culture based on acetate there was no significant variables that influenced protein production; whereas the culture with carbonate, sodium nitrate and potassium phosphate influenced significantly the production of this metabolite.

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Corpoica Ciencia y Tecnologia Agropecuaria

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Spontaneous perforation of the bile duct in a neonate. An unexpected finding. Case report

Introduction: Spontaneous extrahepatic bile duct perforation is rare in newborns. It is a surgical cause of jaundice in this period and the acute presentation is unusual. Objective: To report a case of spontaneous bile duct perforation in a newborn due to its serious complications if an early and timely diagnosis is not performed. Clinical case: A 10-day-old newborn who developed food rejection, fever and abdominal distension without jaundice, acolia, or coluria two days prior of admission. The laboratory tests showed leukopenia, thrombocytosis, increased C-reactive protein, and normal hepatic function. The abdominal x-ray showed pneumoperitoneum, and the diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis was made. Laparotomy was performed; extrahepatic bile duct perforation and biliary peritonitis were noted. Intraoperative cholangiography demonstrated rescatable proximal bile duct and dilated cystic duct. Hepatic-jejunostomy was performed with Roux-en-Y and cholecystectomy. In the postoperative study portal thrombosis was found, so he received anticoagulant treatment. At 8 months of age, the patient had enteral feeding tolerance and adequate weight gain. Conclusions: Biliary perforation is a rare entity and more in the neonatal period, a condition that makes it a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The prognosis will depend on early intervention and intraoperative findings.

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Revista Chilena de Pediatria

Título del artículo:

Análisis de la duración del desempleo y el destino de los desempleados en la República Bolivariana de Venezuela

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Cepal Review

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Mendelian Genes and Risk of Intracerebral Hemorrhage and Small-Vessel Ischemic Stroke in Sporadic Cases

Background and Purpose-Mendelian strokes are rare genetic disorders characterized by early-onset small-vessel stroke. Although extensively studied among families with syndromic features, whether these genes affect risk among sporadic cases is unknown. Methods-We sequenced 8 genes responsible for Mendelian stroke in a case-control study of sporadic stroke cases (≤70 years). Participants included 1251 primary stroke cases of small-vessel pathology (637 intracerebral hemorrhage and 614 small-vessel ischemic stroke cases) and 1716 controls from the INTERSTROKE study (Study of the Importance of Conventional and Emerging Risk Factors of Stroke in Different Regions and Ethnic Groups of the World). Results-Overall, the prevalence of canonical disease-causing mutations was 0.56% in cases and 0.23% in controls (odds ratio=1.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-7.57; P=0.33). CADASIL (Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathies with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathies) mutations were more frequent among cases (0.48%) than controls (0.23%) but were not significantly associated with stroke risk (odds ratio=2.03; 95% confidence interval, 0.58-8.02; P=0.27). Next, we included all rare nonsynonymous mutations to investigate whether other types of mutations may contribute to stroke risk. Overall, 13.5% of cases and 14.2% of controls were carriers of at least one rare nonsynonymous mutation among the 8 Mendelian stroke genes. Mutation carriers were not at elevated risk of stroke (odds ratio=0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-1.16; P=0.55). Conclusions-In the absence of syndromic features and family history of stroke, screening for Mendelian mutations among small-vessel stroke patients is unlikely to have high diagnostic utility.

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Stroke

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Risk of bias and confounding of observational studies of Zika virus infection: A scoping review of research protocols

Introduction Given the severity and impact of the current Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in the Americas, numerous countries have rushed to develop research studies to assess ZIKV and its potential health consequences. In an effort to ensure that studies are comprehensive, both internally and externally valid, and with reliable results, the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization, Institut Pasteur, the networks of Fiocruz, the Consortia for the Standardization of Influenza Seroepidemiology (CONSISE) and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) have generated six standardized clinical and epidemiological research protocols and questionnaires to address key public health questions on ZIKV. Methods We conducted a systematic search of ongoing study protocols related to ZIKV research. We analyzed the content of protocols of 32 cohort studies and 13 case control studies for systematic bias that could produce erroneous results. Additionally we aimed to characterize the risks of bias and confounding in observational studies related to ZIKV and to propose ways to minimize them, including the use of six newly standardized research protocols. Results Observational studies of ZIKV face an array of challenges, including measurement of exposure and outcomes (microcephaly and Guillain-Barré Syndrome). Potential confounders need to be measured where known and controlled for in the analysis. Selection bias due to non-random selection is a significant issue, particularly in the case-control design, and losses to follow-up is equally important for the cohort design. Conclusion Observational research seeking to answer key questions on the ZIKV should consider these restrictions and take precautions to minimize bias in an effort to provide reliable and valid results. Utilization of the standardized research protocols developed by the WHO, PAHO, Institut Pasteur, and CONSISE will harmonize the key methodological aspects of each study design to minimize bias at different stages of the study. Biases need to be considered by researchers implementing the standardized protocols as well as by users of observational epidemiological studies of ZIKV.

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PLoS ONE

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Global mortality variations in patients with heart failure: results from the International Congestive Heart Failure (INTER-CHF) prospective cohort study

Background Most data on mortality and prognostic factors in patients with heart failure come from North America and Europe, with little information from other regions. Here, in the International Congestive Heart Failure (INTER-CHF) study, we aimed to measure mortality at 1 year in patients with heart failure in Africa, China, India, the Middle East, southeast Asia and South America; we also explored demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic variables associated with mortality. Methods We enrolled consecutive patients with heart failure (3695 [66%] clinic outpatients, 2105 [34%] hospital in patients) from 108 centres in six geographical regions. We recorded baseline demographic and clinical characteristics and followed up patients at 6 months and 1 year from enrolment to record symptoms, medications, and outcomes. Time to death was studied with Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for demographic and clinical variables, medications, socioeconomic variables, and region. We used the explained risk statistic to calculate the relative contribution of each level of adjustment to the risk of death. Findings We enrolled 5823 patients within 1 year (with 98% follow-up). Overall mortality was 16·5%: highest in Africa (34%) and India (23%), intermediate in southeast Asia (15%), and lowest in China (7%), South America (9%), and the Middle East (9%). Regional differences persisted after multivariable adjustment. Independent predictors of mortality included cardiac variables (New York Heart Association Functional Class III or IV, previous admission for heart failure, and valve disease) and non-cardiac variables (body-mass index, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). 46% of mortality risk was explained by multivariable modelling with these variables; however, the remainder was unexplained. Interpretation Marked regional differences in mortality in patients with heart failure persisted after multivariable adjustment for cardiac and non-cardiac factors. Therefore, variations in mortality between regions could be the result of health-care infrastructure, quality and access, or environmental and genetic factors. Further studies in large, global cohorts are needed. Funding The study was supported by Novartis.

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The Lancet Global Health

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The Relationship between Socioeconomic Status, Family Income, and Measures of Muscular and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Colombian Schoolchildren

Objective To determine the associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and physical fitness in a sample of Colombian youth. Study design Prueba SER is cross-sectional survey of schoolchildren in Bogota, Colombia. Mass, stature, muscular fitness (standing long-jump, handgrip), and cardiorespiratory fitness (20-m shuttle run) were measured in 52 187 schoolchildren 14-16 years of age. Area-level SES was categorized from 1 (very low) to 4 (high) and parent-reported family income was categorized as low, middle, or high. Results Converting measures into z scores showed stature, muscular, and cardiorespiratory fitness were significantly (z = 0.3-0.7) below European values. Children in the mid- and high SES groups jumped significantly further than groups with very low SES. Differences were independent of sex but became nonsignificant when adjusted for anthropometric differences. Participants in the mid-SES and high-SES groups had better handgrip scores when adjusted for body dimension. There were, however, no significant between-group differences in cardiorespiratory fitness, which was strongly clustered by school and significantly greater in students from private schools. Conclusions Area-level SES is associated with measures of muscular fitness in Colombian schoolchildren. These associations were largely explained by the large differences in body dimensions observed between SES groups. When area-level SES is considered, there was no evidence that family income influenced fitness. The clustering of outcomes reaffirms the potential importance of schools and area-level factors in promoting fitness through opportunities for physical activity. Interventions implemented in schools, can improve academic attainment; a factor likely to be important in promoting the social mobility of children from poorer families.

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Journal of Pediatrics

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Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome is characterized by altered functional brain connectivity of the insular cortex: A cross-comparison with migraine and healthy adults

Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS) has been linked to episodic migraine, yet little is known about the precise brain-based mechanisms underpinning CVS, and whether these associated conditions share similar pathophysiology. We investigated the functional integrity of salience (SLN) and sensorimotor (SMN) intrinsic connectivity networks in CVS, migraine and healthy controls using brain functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. CVS, relative to both migraine and controls, showed increased SLN connectivity to middle/posterior insula, a key brain region for nausea and viscerosensory processing. In contrast, this same region showed diminished SMN connectivity in both CVS and migraine. These results highlight both unique and potentially shared pathophysiology between these conditions, and suggest a potential target for therapeutics in future studies.

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Neurogastroenterology and Motility

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DNA secondary structure formation by DNA shuffling of the conserved domains of the Cry protein of Bacillus thuringiensis

Background: The Cry toxins, or δ-endotoxins, are a diverse group of proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis. While DNA secondary structures are biologically relevant, it is unknown if such structures are formed in regions encoding conserved domains of Cry toxins under shuffling conditions. We analyzed 5 holotypes that encode Cry toxins and that grouped into 4 clusters according to their phylogenetic closeness. The mean number of DNA secondary structures that formed and the mean Gibbs free energy Δ G $$ \\left(\\overline(\\varDelta G)\\right) $$ were determined by an in silico analysis using different experimental DNA shuffling scenarios. In terms of spontaneity, shuffling efficiency was directly proportional to the formation of secondary structures but inversely proportional to ΔG. Results: The results showed a shared thermodynamic pattern for each cluster and relationships among sequences that are phylogenetically close at the protein level. The regions of the cry11Aa, Ba and Bb genes that encode domain I showed more spontaneity and thus a greater tendency to form secondary structures (<ΔG). In the region of domain III; this tendency was lower (>ΔG) in the cry11Ba and Bb genes. Proteins that are phylogenetically closer to Cry11Ba and Cry11Bb, such as Cry2Aa and Cry18Aa, maintained the same thermodynamic pattern. More distant proteins, such as Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, Cry30Aa and Cry30Ca, featured different thermodynamic patterns in their DNA. Conclusion: These results suggest the presence of thermodynamic variations associated to the formation of secondary structures and an evolutionary relationship with regions that encode highly conserved domains in Cry proteins. The findings of this study may have a role in the in silico design of cry gene assembly by DNA shuffling techniques.

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BMC Biophysics

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Technological surveillance of aromatic species: From research to the consolidation of the productive chain in Colombia

The sector of aromatic, medicinal and seasoning herbs brings together a wide variety of native and introduced species with agroindustrial potential. In order to contribute to the technological assessment of the sector in Colombia and provide elements of strategic planning towards higher levels of development and internationalization. We prioritized certain aromatic species in this article and a technological surveillance was made during 2004-2014. A searching scientific articles and patents was made in eight national, iberoamericanand worldwide databases according prioritized issues. Data processing was performed using Microsoft Excel, EndNote, Vantage Point (2014) Thomson Data Analyzer programs. At National level, the planting material and breeding has been the main researched topic; whereas in iberoamerica and the world was biocidal effect. The leading countries in research on the monitored aromatic plants were Brazil, Colombia and Cuba. Internationally, the scientific leaders according to PubMed and Scopus were India, USA, Brazil and Colombia. The global trend in the field of patents has increased, whose main focus is: \"Current needs of life\". This technological surveillance gives an overview of developments and trends in research and technological development in different subject areas within the aromatic plants, besides identifying possible allied research and the scientific production trends over time.

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Corpoica Ciencia y Tecnologia Agropecuaria

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Strength and endurance training reduces the loss of eccentric hamstring torque observed after soccer specific fatigue

Objectives To investigate the effect of two hamstring training protocols on eccentric peak torque before and after soccer specific fatigue. Participants Twenty-two university male soccer players. Design Isokinetic strength tests were performed at 60°/s pre and post fatigue, before and after 2 different training interventions. A 45-min soccer specific fatigue modified BEAST protocol (M-BEAST) was used to induce fatigue. Players were randomly assigned to a 4 week hamstrings conditioning intervention with either a maximum strength (STR) or a muscle endurance (END) emphasis. Main outcome measures The following parameters were evaluated: Eccentric peak torque (EccPT), angle of peak torque (APT), and angle specific torques at knee joint angles of 10°, 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, 60°, 70°, 80° and 90°. Results There was a significant effect of the M-BEAST on the Eccentric torque angle profile before training as well as significant improvements in post-fatigue torque angle profile following the effects of both strength and muscle endurance interventions. Conclusions Forty-five minutes of simulated soccer activity leads to reduced eccentric hamstring torque at longer muscle lengths. Short-term conditioning programs (4-weeks) with either a maximum strength or a muscular endurance emphasis can equally reduce fatigue induced loss of strength over this time period.

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Physical Therapy in Sport

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Analysis of the structure of the labour market in Colombia: A gender study based on multiple correspondence

In spite of the increasing education level and labour participation, several studies conclude that working conditions differ by gender in Colombia. This study based on multiple correspondence analysis applied to data from the Household Integrated Sample Survey in two different periods, 2007 and 2014, is aimed at studying the Colombian labour market segmentation by gender using social perceptual maps that facilitate the comparison of the general structure of the markets and their evolution over time. The results support the thesis of labour market segmentation, with clear differences in wages and in sectors and conditions of employment, as well as a delay in the evolution of the women labour market.

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Cuadernos de Economia

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Not everything is Zika: Congenital toxoplasmosis, still prevalent in Colombia?

Congenital toxoplasmosis continues to be a public health threat. Even existing guidelines, publicly known, its implementation and lack of appropriate interpretation of serological tests in pregnancy is often observed. This leds to failure in opportunities for positive and known interventions to decrease the fetal risk due to Toxoplasma gondii infection. We reported herein a case series, with variable neurological and systemic compromise (respiratory distress, hepatosplenomegaly, enterocolitis, brain calcifications, thrombocytopenia, ascites, shock), even fatal, calling for awareness about the fact that despite the Zika epidemics in 2015-2016 in Brazil, Colombia and other countries, precisely toxoplasmosis, is a differential diagnosis still prevalent in these territories, that can leds to severe consequences, with neurological disability and risk of ocular damage, even lately. Additionally, with varieties of T. gondii with more aggressive patterns in Latin America, which make worse those cases, including also a higher risk of death.

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Revista Peruana de Medicina Experimental y Salud Publica

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Performance and Intellectual Capital: How Enablers Drive Value Creation in Organisations

The main aim of this study is to establish the relationships between diverse research fields that academics traditionally address separately. Specifically, this paper explores the links between the resource-based view, intellectual capital and knowledge creation. To achieve this, we developed a novel theoretical model of relationships and tested this model empirically. We quantitatively test this model using data from firms in the Spanish biotechnology sector. The main practical implication is the intense relationship between intellectual capital, performance and the mediating variables. The model indicates the existence of 10 useful channels through which to direct efforts to improve organisational performance. We define a theoretical relational model between these fields, thus marking an innovation in the subject-specific literature because of the inclusion of intermediate or mediating variables, and their relationship with organisational performance. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Knowledge and Process Management

Título del artículo:

Segment scale typology for colombian andean rivers

This paper presents a method for establishing segment scale typology for the Andean rivers of Colombia. The method incorporates physical and ecological aspects and combines inferences of structural stability and metabolic activity. The classification of river segments is based on the assignment of two non-dimensional descriptors. The first descriptor involves aspects related to structural stability of the channel, whereas the second descriptor includes factors that affect the metabolic activity of planktonic communities in the water column and biotic communities on the bed. Each descriptor can adopt values that are divided into two categories, high and low. Both descriptors are organized orthogonally. A bidimensional 2 × 2 matrix is created, where the x-axis represents the current structural stability of the channel and the y-axis represents the metabolic activity. A case study that combines a set of thematic layers using GIS is presented for the Cundinamarca region in Colombia. Most of the river segments (97%) in Cundinamarca correspond to type 2 or 4. We provide data from macroinvertebrate samples to compare the obtained types with the actual biological communities present in the region. This method, which can be useful for scientists, managers and water planners, compares similarities and differences between water body systems, compiles basic information in a brief and clear manner and locates monitoring and reference sites for bioassessment studies.

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Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology

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Developing consensus measures for global programs: Lessons from the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases Hypertension research program

Background: The imperative to improve global health has prompted transnational research partnerships to investigate common health issues on a larger scale. The Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) is an alliance of national research funding agencies. To enhance research funded by GACD members, this study aimed to standardise data collection methods across the 15 GACD hypertension research teams and evaluate the uptake of these standardised measurements. Furthermore we describe concerns and difficulties associated with the data harmonisation process highlighted and debated during annual meetings of the GACD funded investigators. With these concerns and issues in mind, a working group comprising representatives from the 15 studies iteratively identified and proposed a set of common measures for inclusion in each of the teams\' data collection plans. One year later all teams were asked which consensus measures had been implemented. Results: Important issues were identified during the data harmonisation process relating to data ownership, sharing methodologies and ethical concerns. Measures were assessed across eight domains; demographic; dietary; clinical and anthropometric; medical history; hypertension knowledge; physical activity; behavioural (smoking and alcohol); and biochemical domains. Identifying validated measures relevant across a variety of settings presented some difficulties. The resulting GACD hypertension data dictionary comprises 67 consensus measures. Of the 14 responding teams, only two teams were including more than 50 consensus variables, five teams were including between 25 and 50 consensus variables and four teams were including between 6 and 24 consensus variables, one team did not provide details of the variables collected and two teams did not include any of the consensus variables as the project had already commenced or the measures were not relevant to their study. Conclusions: Deriving consensus measures across diverse research projects and contexts was challenging. The major barrier to their implementation was related to the time taken to develop and present these measures. Inclusion of consensus measures into future funding announcements would facilitate researchers integrating these measures within application protocols. We suggest that adoption of consensus measures developed here, across the field of hypertension, would help advance the science in this area, allowing for more comparable data sets and generalizable inferences.

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Globalization and Health

Título del artículo:

Cartas al editor en investigación medica

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Medwave

Título del artículo:

Prevalence and molecular epidemiology of Canine parvovirus 2 in diarrheic dogs in Colombia, South America: A possible new CPV-2a is emerging?

Since its identification in 1978, Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) has been considered a pathogen of great importance in the canine population because it causes severe enteritis with high mortality rates in pups. CPV-2 is a virus belonging to the family Parvoviridae. Currently, there are three described antigenic variants (CPV-2a, CPV-2b, and CPV-2c). CPV-2c is an emerging virus that is seen as a global health hazard. The objective of this work was to confirm the presence of CPV-2 in dogs with acute gastroenteritis compatible with parvovirus and to molecularly characterize the antigenic variants circulating in two regions of Colombia. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted with fecal samples collected from 71 dogs showing signs of acute diarrhea. The samples were processed and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP), sequencing and phylogenetic analysis was performed to detect and characterize CPV. A total of 70.42% of the individuals were confirmed positive for CPV-2. Statistically differences were found in the presentation of CPV-2 between the evaluated regions. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed the presence of the antigenic variants CPV-2a/2b. Moreover, we found the presence of two conserved substitutions Asn428Asp and Ala514Ser in the VP2 protein suggesting the presence of a possible new CPV-2a variant circulating in Colombia. This study demonstrates the importance of the CPV 2a/2b in the region and highlights the importance of performing molecular studies for the early detection of new antigenic variants of CPV-2.

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Veterinary Microbiology

Título del artículo:

Mapping of enkephalins and adrenocorticotropic hormone in the squirrel monkey brainstem

An immunocytochemical technique has been used to study for the first time the distribution of fibers and cell bodies containing leucine–enkephalin (leu-enk), methionine–enkephalin (met-enk) or adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the whole brainstem of the squirrel monkey Saimiri sciureus. Cell bodies containing leu-enk or met-enk were found in the superior colliculus and the formatio reticularis tegmenti mesencephali, respectively. No immunoreactive cell bodies containing ACTH were observed. Leu-enk-immunoreactive fibers were observed in 40 brainstem nuclei/tracts/regions, fibers containing met-enk were found in 38 brainstem nuclei/tracts/regions and fibers containing ACTH were found in 26 nuclei/tracts/regions. In the latter case, the density of immunoreactive fibers was always low. A high/moderate density of leu-enk- or met-enk-immunoreactive fibers were found in 18 and 16 brainstem nuclei/tracts/regions, respectively. The distribution of immunoreactive fibers containing leu-enk or met-enk was quite similar, with both leu-enk and met-enk observed in 82.5 % of the squirrel monkey brainstem nuclei/tracts/regions. This relationship is less marked for met-enk and ACTH (60.5 %) and even lower for leu-enk and ACTH (52.5 %). In 42.5 % of the nuclei/tracts/regions of the squirrel monkey brainstem (colliculus superior, substantia grisea centralis, nucleus interpeduncularis, nucleus tractus spinalis nervi trigemini, nucleus tractus solitarii, nucleus parabrachialis, formatio reticularis, substantia nigra), we observed fibers containing all three neuropeptides. The widespread distribution reported here suggests that enkephalins and ACTH can be involved in several physiological functions. The distribution of the immunoreactive fibers reported here is quite similar to that previously reported for enkephalins and ACTH in Macaca species and humans.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

Anatomical Science International