Título del artículo:

Nitric oxide synthase inhibitor improves de novo and long-term l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in hemiparkinsonian rats

Inhibitors of neuronal and endothelial nitric oxide synthase decrease l-3,4-dihidroxifenilalanine (l-DOPA)-induced dyskinesias in rodents. The mechanism of nitric oxide inhibitor action is unknown. The aims of the present study were to investigate the decrease of l-DOPA-induced abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned rats by nitric oxide inhibitors following either acute or chronic treatment. The primary findings of this study were that NG-nitro-l-Arginine, an inhibitor of endothelial and neuronal nitric oxide synthase, attenuated AIMs induced by chronic and acute l-DOPA. In contrast, rotational behavior was attenuated only after chronic l-DOPA. The 6-OHDA lesion and the l-DOPA treatment induced a bilateral increase (1.5 times) in the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) protein and nNOS mRNA in the striatum and in the frontal cortex. There was a parallel increase, bilaterally, of the FosB/ΔFosB, primarily in the ipsilateral striatum. The exception was in the contralateral striatum and the ipsilateral frontal cortex, where chronic l-DOPA treatment induced an increase of approximately 10 times the nNOS mRNA. Our results provided further evidence of an anti-dyskinetic effect of NOS inhibitor. The effect appeared under l-DOPA acute and chronic treatment. The l-DOPA treatment also revealed an over-expression of the neuronal NOS in the frontal cortex and striatum. Our results corroborated findings that l-DOPA-induced rotation differs between acute and chronic treatment. The effect of the NOS inhibitor conceivably relied on the l-DOPA structural modifications in the Parkinsonian brain. Taken together, these data provided a rationale for further evaluation of NOS inhibitors in the treatment of l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia. © 2011 Padovan-Neto, Echeverry, Chiavegatto and Del-Bel.

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Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience

Título del artículo:

First colombian multicentric newborn screening for congenital toxoplasmosis

Aims: To determine the incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis in Colombian newborns from 19 hospital or maternal child health services from seven different cities of five natural geographic regions (Caribbean, Central, Andean, Amazonia and Eastern). Materials and Methods: We collected 15,333 samples from umbilical cord blood between the period of March 2009 to May 2010 in 19 different hospitals and maternal-child health services from seven different cities. We applied an IgM ELISA assay (Vircell, Spain) to determine the frequency of IgM anti Toxoplasma. The results in blood cord samples were confirmed either by western blot and repeated ELISA IgM assay. In a sub-sample of 1,613 children that were negative by the anti-Toxoplasma IgM assay, the frequency of specific anti-Toxoplasma IgA by the ISAGA assay was determined. All children with positive samples by IgM, IgA, clinical diagnosis or treatment during pregnancy were recalled for confirmatory tests after day 10 of life. Results: 61 positive samples for specific IgM (0.39%) and 9 positives for IgA (0.5%) were found. 143 questionnaires were positive for a clinical diagnosis or treatment for toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. 109 out of the 218 children that had some of the criteria for postnatal confirmatory tests were followed. Congenital toxoplasmosis infection was confirmed in 15 children: 7 were symptomatic, and three of them died before the first month of life (20% of lethality). A significant correlation was found between a high incidence of markers for congenital toxoplasmosis and higher mean annual rainfall for the city. Conclusions: Incidence for congenital toxoplasmosis is significantly different between hospitals or maternal child health services from different cities in Colombia. Mean annual rainfall was correlated with incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis. © 2011 Gómez-Marin et al.

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PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases

Título del artículo:

Plasma nitrate levels and flow-mediated vasodilation in untreated major depression

Objective: Findings from several studies have revealed that major depression is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. The physiopathologic mechanisms of this association remain unclear, although recently, it has been hypothesized that a decreased production of nitric oxide could be a potential contributor to vascular dysfunction in depressive patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate nitric oxide production and vascular endothelial function in treatment-naive young healthy adults with a first episode of major depression. Methods: A case-control study in 50 treatment-naive young adults with a first episode of major depression and 50 healthy control subjects was conducted. Plasma levels of nitric oxide metabolites (nitrates/nitrites) were determined using a colorimetric assay based on Griess reaction. Endothelial function was assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation measurements after reactive hyperemia. Results: The mean age of the depressed patients was 22.6 (standard deviation [SD], 4.6) years, whereas the controls were 23.4 (SD, 4.8) years. Sixteen men (32%) and 34 women (68%) were included in each group. The plasma nitrite/nitrate concentrations were significantly lower in depressive subjects compared with healthy controls (17.5 [SD, 4.9] μmol/L versus 21.6 [SD, 7.0] μmol/L, p < .001); however, flow-mediated vasodilation values were similar in both groups (13.1% [SD, 4.3%] versus 12.1% [SD, 5.0%], p = .10). Conclusions: Decreased plasma concentrations of nitric oxide metabolites are not associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction in young subjects with a first episode of major depression. Reduced nitrate/nitrite levels could reflect a decreased nitric oxide production in the central nervous system of depressed subjects. Further studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis. Copyright © 2011 by the American Psychosomatic Society.

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Psychosomatic Medicine

Título del artículo:

Hyperinsulinemia is a predictor of new cardiovascular events in Colombian patients with a first myocardial infarction

Background: Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) is one of the main causes of mortality and disability in Colombia. The factors associated to a new event in surviving subjects to a first AMI in our population have not yet been fully identified. Methods: Two hundred and ninety five surviving subjects to a first AMI (58.8 ± 12.6 years) were included in a prospective cohort study between 2000 and 2006. Lipid profile, glycemia and plasma insulin levels were measured. Deaths of cardiovascular origin, a new AMI, unstable angina, heart failure, stroke, new myocardial revascularization or angioplasty were considered new cardiovascular events. Results: The study included 61 (20.6%) women and 234 (79.4%) men. The mean follow up time was 50 ± 30 months with a 38.9% incidence of new events. Fifty five patients (18.6%) were diabetic. Bi-varied analysis identified as risk factors for a new cardiovascular event the presence of: hypertension, anterior descending coronary artery stenosis, intrahospital cardiac failure, age over 55, low income, lack of education, Killip III-IV, heart rate over 76 bpm, pulse pressure over 80 mm Hg, total cholesterol over 200 mg/dl and insulin over 10 IU/ml. After logistic regression analysis, the log values of insulin remained as the only significant predictor for new cardiovascular events. Conclusions: Hyperinsulinism was the most important factor associated to the occurrence of new cardiovascular events in Colombian patients with AMI, which emphasizes the pivotal role of insulin resistance in the physiopathologic mechanisms of atherosclerosis, especially in undeveloped countries. © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

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International Journal of Cardiology

Título del artículo:

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with insulin resistance in a young Hispanic population

Objective: To investigate whether nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with insulin resistance (IR) in a young Hispanic population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in Bogotá, Colombia, during 2006 in 263 males from the Colombian Air Force (age range 29-54 years). Anthropometric measurements and biochemical determinations (glycemia, lipid profile, insulin, and HOMA-IR) were obtained in order to determine the presence of metabolic syndrome (MS) criteria and insulin resistance in this population. In addition, ultrasound studies were performed to evaluate the presence of NAFLD. Results: NAFLD was detected in 26.6% (n= 70) of the subjects. Thirty four individuals had complete MS criteria (48.5%). The presence of NAFLD was associated with higher insulin levels (11.0±5.1 vs. 6.6±3.6, p= 0.001), and its prevalence increased from 11% (n= 8), to 24% (n= 17) to 64% (n= 45) from the lowest to the highest HOMA-IR tertile. Body mass index, triglycerides and subcutaneous and visceral fat were found to be independent predictors of NAFLD. Conclusions: These results suggest that NAFLD is associated with insulin resistance and extrahepatic adiposity in nondiabetic young Hispanic population. © 2010 Elsevier Inc.

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Preventive Medicine

Título del artículo:

The microbiological quality of food sent to a public health laboratory in 2009

Objective Testing the microbiological quality of food samples from municipalities in the Santander department which were processed by the Public Health Laboratory (PHL) in 2009. Materials and Methods The microbiological quality of food samples sent to the Santander PHL in 2009 was analysed by collecting reports issued by the institution and conducting a statistical analysis of 763 food samples from 76 municipalities in the department. Minitab statistical software (version 15) and Statistica (version 8.0) were used for analysing the information by municipality; this information was organised by food category and adverse incident frequency was analysed in each municipality from January to December 2009. Results It was seen that 45.2 % (n=345) of 763 food records had bacterial contamination; there was a greater frequency of these events in the municipalities of Barichara, Barrancabermeja, Floridablanca, Girón, Socorro and Valle de San Jose accounting for 33.6 % (n=116) of all affected samples. The main foods that had non-standard parameters were prepared foods (160 samples submitted), of which 80 had alterations in quality (50 %), followed by drinks like fruit juice and soft drinks (48.3 %), dairy products (47.9 %) and meat (40.7 %). Conclusions A high rate of food contamination was found in the samples sent to PHL during 2009; this information is useful for planning preventative action within the ongoing PHL surveillance programme.

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Revista de Salud Publica

Título del artículo:

Evaluation of acaricides for the control of riphicephalus (Boophilus) microplus that affect the double purpose bovine using generalized linear models

In this paper, we present the results of an evaluation of several chemical products used as acaricides: alpha-cypermethrin Amitraz, Cypermethrin, and Ethion over the control of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus that affects the double purpose bovines. Tics (Rhipicephalus microplus) were collected in two production units in each County of the Municipality of Colón, in the Zulia State in Venezuela. After a selection of comparable insects, they were immersed in concentrations obtained from the recommended dose and concentration of the acaricides of each active principle. Then, the experiment was followed until the larvaes hatching and the number of death and alive ones larva was counted in each case. The data was analyzed using techniques related to Generalized Linear Models, considering first, binary models of dose-response based on the binomial distribution to model the proportion of death larva for each concentration, using models for each acaricide and, the \"best\" model was selected using the deviances and information criteria, considering the Akaike criteria (AIC) the Pearson χ2, the deviance and a adaptation of the R2 for binomial model. After determining the best performance concentration of each acaricide, it was performed an analysis of contingency tables using a Poisson distribution to compare the effect of the acaricides, using in this case the recommended dose for each product.

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Revista de la Facultad de Agronomia

Título del artículo:

Assertiveness: A necessary social ability in the professionals of nursing and physiotherapy

Health professionals are constantly interrelated with other people, sometimes derived from these relationships and conflicting distressing situations. The aim of this study was to determine the assertiveness of college students in nursing and physiotherapy. It is a cross-sectional study. 225 students were included. The instrument used was the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule. The results show that age is an essential element for people to be assertive; with increasing age, the indirect assertiveness increases each year in (0.04) and decreases the non-assertiveness (p=0.004). This leads to the conclusion that assertiveness as ability relational should be seen as a requirement in the formation of the professionals of nursing and physiotherapy, as properly applied enables greater and more complete realization of care and services provided, providing professional and personal recognition.

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Texto e Contexto Enfermagem

Título del artículo:

Role of the autonomic nervous system in the endothelial dysfunction of the metabolic syndrome

In the last decade there has been an accelerated growth in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS), especially in Latin American countries, which has led an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). Recently has been raised the relationship between the autonomic nervous system (ANS), endothelial dysfunction (ED) and the appearance of MS. In the present article we review the evidence that support the proposal that abdominal obesity (AO) produce adypokines that result in insulin resistance and low degree inflammation, which increase the activity of ANS, causing vasoconstriction, hypertension, decreased peripheral glucose uptake, and decreased secretion of insulin, leading to hyperglycemia and increased lipolysis and hypertriglyceridemia. All these factors cause ED, explaining the higher risk of the patients with MS of developing DM2 and CVD. © 2011 Bentham Science Publishers.

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Current Hypertension Reviews

Título del artículo:

Absence of hepatitis C infection among illegal drug users in bucaramanga, Colombia

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and identify risk factors associated with the transmission this virus among drug users. In 2009 we performed a cross-sectional study at three facilities handling cases of drug addiction and in one prison. 259 participants were interviewed to collect socio-demographic information and determine risk factors. Anti-HCV antibodies were identified with two different immunoassays. HCV prevalence was 0%. 98% of participants used illegal drugs either orally or nasally while 4.2% injected drugs. 78% of participants reported marijuana consumption, 51% reported consumption of bazuco (Colombian variant of crack cocaine), 50.2% reported cocaine consumption and 22.8% reported amphetamine consumption. 59% had consumed drugs for more than 5 years, 60.2% had tattoos, 17.8% had piercings, and 84.9% have practiced unsafe sex. HCV prevalence was lower than reported in previous studies of drug users in Latin-America. However, we identified risk factors that would facilitate HCV infection once the virus is introduced in this population. © 2011 Asociaciones Colombianas de Gastroenterología, Endoscopia digestiva, Coloproctología y Hepatología.

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Revista Colombiana de Gastroenterologia

Título del artículo:

Mediastinal malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in a neurofibromatosis type 1 patient

The malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a malignant neoplasm originated in the Schwan cells of the periferic nerves sheath. We describe a case of a man with Neurofibroatosis Type 1 (NF1), who developed a low grade MPNST, and subsequent to a discussion of this disease. 28-year-old Man with pleuritic pain in the left hemithorax, dyspnea and weight loss, with a previous diagnosis of NF1, from the age of 15 and a family history of NF1. At chest examination the patient had an intense thoracic kyphosis, with a decline in the ventilation of the inferior two thirds of the left hemithorax, where a dull sound to percusión was also found. The chest X rays showed a large radiopaque and well delimited mass in the posterior mediastinum, that pushed the cardiovascular structures to the anterior region, which was also documented by chest computed tomography (CT). In view of the above, a puncture biopsy was performed with thick needle guided by CT, from where a malignant mesenhymal neoplasm was identified. It was decided to perform the resection of the tumor of the left posterior mediastinum, by left posterior lateral thoracotomy, in which a large mass of 8×9×9 cm was obtanied, with irregular external surface, brown-violet, and firm. The histopathological and inmunophenotypic study concluded the diagnosis of MPNST in the posterior mediastinum grade 1. Following surgery the patient was asymptomatic. We present a case of MPNST which originated in a patient with NF1, who would usually have a worse prognosis. A brief review of the more relevant aspects of this disease was also reported, some of which have shown important progress in recent years.

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International Journal of Morphology

Título del artículo:

Combating the type 2 diabetes mellitus epidemic in Latin America: Special features demanding innovative actions

Latin American countries have an accelerated growth in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) associated with increased rates of obesity and overweight. This increase is due to the rapid urbanization experienced in recent years, which has led to changes in physical activity and dietary habits. In addition, the fetal programming of malnourished mothers during pregnancy increases the tendency of children with low birth weight to develop insulin resistance and low-grade inflammation. This is especially so when these children are subjected to an environment of excess food to which they were not programmed, leading them to develop abdominal obesity and an increased risk of DM2. This article reviews some of the factors that may be associated with the DM2 epidemic in Latin America. These factors are basically caused by the contradiction between the need of the fetus to adapt to poor maternal nutrition or placental insufficiency due to diseases such as preeclampsia, and the need of the adult to adapt to the urban lifestyle full of excess food with a high intake of saturated fats, flours and sweetened beverages, as well as a sedentary lifestyle, which lead to insulin resistance and DM2. A full understanding of these conditions is essential to combat the DM2 epidemic in Latin America, as well as acceptance that effective prevention of DM2 requires a concerted effort by all of the actors in society, not just health teams. © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. and SEA.

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Clinica e Investigacion en Arteriosclerosis

Título del artículo:

Fetal programming and cardiometabolic diseases: The role of angiotensin II and infl ammation

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Clinica e Investigacion en Arteriosclerosis

Título del artículo:

2026 Latin American consensus for the management of patients with hypertension and cardio-renal and metabolic disturbances: endorsed by the Latin American Society of Hypertension, the Iberoamerican Hypertension League, and the World Hypertension League

Hypertension is the main risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), affecting 20–40% of Latin American (LATAM) adults, and responsible for more than two million deaths annually due to CVD. The different ethnic, economic, geographic, and cultural characteristics of the LATAM population influence the high prevalence of all cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF), particularly metabolic disturbances such as type 2 diabetes (DM2), obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Their main determinants in LATAM includes environment, food quality, social inequity, low education, political aspects, contextual behaviour, and genetics. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in LATAM increased during the last four decades reaching figures of 10–20% in childhood, 30–40% in adolescence, and 60–70% in adults. Many studies in the region have reported the extremely low rates of awareness, treatment, and control of CVRF in the general population of LATAM, particularly in patients with metabolic disorders, and the consequent high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This 2026 LATAM consensus is developed by a large group of experts from different LATAM countries, the USA and Europe, representing areas of internal medicine, cardiology, nephrology, endocrinology, geriatrics, paediatrics, pharmacology, and epidemiology. A careful search for novel studies in LATAM, together with new evidence that has emerged since the 2019 LATAM consensus, support the statements and recommendations in the current report. This update aims to provide clear and useful recommendations for health professionals to improve awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension and associated CVRF in the region.

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Journal of Hypertension

Título del artículo:

Mental health in migrant families: Educational strategies for support from social work

Introduction: Mental health is crucial to the well-being of migrants, who face loss of support and job insecurity. This has led to an increase in demand for mental health services in Córdoba, related to family breakdown and unemployment. Objective: To analyse educational strategies formulated from social work aimed at psychosocial support in promoting mental health in migrant families, oriented towards identifying factors associated with psychosocial adaptation in contexts of human mobility. Methodology: Pragmatic paradigm under the mixed method, as it integrates quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitatively, 40 migrant families from San José de Cúcuta (Norte de Santander), Robledo (Antioquia), Montería (Córdoba), and Tierralta (Córdoba) were surveyed using a 36-item questionnaire. At the same time, in the qualitative analysis, 10 documents were analysed based on the categories (a) Mental health in migrant families, (b) Educational strategies for support from social work, which enabled the data to be analysed. Results: The link between mental health and educational strategies is fundamental, especially for migrant families with emotional vulnerabilities. Social work offers multiple teaching approaches that promote emotional well-being and social cohesion, thereby fostering social support as a formative practice for mental health and cultural integration, thereby building inclusive communities. Conclusion: The importance of developing educational strategies in social work for the psychosocial support of migrant families is emphasised, as the quality and continuity of interventions condition their mental health. Ongoing support, cultural recognition, and community participation are also important for better inclusion.

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Gaceta Medica De Caracas

Título del artículo:

Association of sexual orientation with current alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking in Colombian adults from the general population

Introduction: The available data present an inconsistent association between sexual orientation and alcohol or cigarette consumption in high-income countries. However, such studies are scarce in low-and middle-income countries. Objective: The study aimed to estimate the association between sexual orientation and current alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking among Colombian adults. Methodology: A secondary analysis of the National Survey on the Consumption of Psychoactive Substances was completed. Lay interviewers asked about sexual orientation, current alcohol drinking, and current cigarette smoking. Participants also completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) to assess depression risk. Results: 46,197 adults between 18 and 65 years (M=39.82, SD=13.83) participated; 59% were female. Lesbian/gay or bisexual (LGB) sexual orientation was related to current drinking alcohol (OR=1.63, 95%CI 1.37-1.94) and current cigarette smoking (OR=2.19, 95%CI 1.78-2.69). Conclusion: LGB sexual orientations were significantly related to current alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking. It is crucial to consider sexual orientation in alcohol and cigarette use prevention in Colombian adults.

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Medicina Clinica Y Social

Título del artículo:

Women in Positive Peacebuilding: Urgent Demands for Overcoming the Socio-Environmental and Armed Conflict in Colombia

This research article analyzes the role of women in positive peacebuilding to overcome the socio-environmental and armed conflict in Colombia. It uses a holistic approach, primarily influenced by the constructivist paradigm, to develop an analytical methodology with a documentary, evolutionary, and multivariate design. The methodology consisted of reviewing a series of official documents from an ecofeminist perspective. The goal was to reveal challenges, achievements, and developments in the government approaches adopted for peacebuilding following the signing of the Havana Agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP subversive group. The results show that, while discursive advances have been incorporated around gender equity and the recognition of nature as a subject of rights, multiple gaps persist in the territorial implementation of policies, especially in contexts where women have traditionally been excluded. Furthermore, a persistent instrumentalization of the female role is observed in post-agreement scenarios, which limits their transformative participation. The research concludes that a truly sustainable and just peace in Colombia requires the active integration of women as political and environmental agents, going beyond welfare-based approaches, by strengthening community leadership, protecting women environmental defenders, and adopting a cross-cutting ecofeminist perspective in state planning.

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Revista Kawsaypacha Sociedad Y Medio Ambiente

Título del artículo:

Environmental profile of a community\'s health (EPOCH): An instrument to measure environmental determinants of cardiovascular health in five countries

Background: The environment in which people live is known to be important in influencing diet, physical activity, smoking, psychosocial and other risk factors for cardiovascular (CV) disease. However no instrument exists that evaluates communities for these multiple environmental factors and is suitable for use across different communities, regions and countries. This report describes the design and reliability of an instrument to measure environmental determinants of CV risk factors. Method/Principal Findings: The Environmental Profile of Community Health (EPOCH) instrument comprises two parts: (I) an assessment of the physical environment, and (II) an interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect residents\' perceptions of their community. We examined the inter-rater reliability amongst 3 observers from each region of the direct observation component of the instrument (EPOCH I) in 93 rural and urban communities in 5 countries (Canada, Colombia, Brazil, China and India). Data collection using the EPOCH instrument was feasible in all communities. Reliability of the instrument was excellent (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient - ICC>0.75) for 24 of 38 items and fair to good (ICC 0.4-0.75) for 14 of 38 items. Conclusion: This report shows data collection with the EPOCH instrument is feasible and direct observation of ommunity measures reliable. The EPOCH instrument will enable further research on environmental determinants of health for population studies from a broad range of settings. © 2010 Chow et al.

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PLoS ONE

Título del artículo:

Author Correction: Contributing factors for acute stress in healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador (Scientific Reports, (2022), 12, 1, (8496), 10.1038/s41598-022-12626-2)

The Funding section in the original version of this Article was incomplete. \"This study was supported by PROMETEO/2021/061 grant (Generalitat Valenciana, 2021). J.M.D., R.P., P.S., I.C., E.G.E., M.G., and J.J.M. were supported by The European Cooperation in Science and Technology, COST [Grant Number CA19113].\" now reads: \"This study was supported by Generalitat Valenciana, 2021. CONV. UMH-GVA REF. SOLCIF 2020/0005. (Cód. Sub. 11-134-4-2021-0068). J.M.D., R.P., P.S., I.C., E.G.E., M.G., and J.J.M. were supported by The European Cooperation in Science and Technology, COST [Grant Number CA19113].\" The original Article has been corrected.

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Scientific Reports

Título del artículo:

Contributing factors for acute stress in healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador

This study analyzed the frequency and intensity of acute stress among health professionals caring for COVID-19 patients in four Latin American Spanish-speaking countries during the outbreak. A cross-sectional study involved a non-probability sample of healthcare professionals in four Latin American countries. Participants from each country were invited using a platform and mobile application designed for this study. Hospital and primary care workers from different services caring for COVID-19 patients were included. The EASE Scale (SARS-CoV-2 Emotional Overload Scale, in Spanish named Escala Auto-aplicada de Sobrecarga Emocional) was a previously validated measure of acute stress. EASE scores were described overall by age, sex, work area, and experience of being ill with COVID-19. Using the Mann–Whitney U test, the EASE scores were compared according to the most critical moments of the pandemic. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to investigate associations between these factors and the outcome ‘acute stress’. Finally, the Kruskal–Wallis was used to compare EASE scores and the experience of being ill. A total of 1372 professionals responded to all the items in the EASE scale: 375 (27.3%) Argentines, 365 (26.6%) Colombians, 345 (25.1%) Chileans, 209 (15.2%) Ecuadorians, and 78 (5.7%) from other countries. 27% of providers suffered middle-higher acute stress due to the outbreak. Worse results were observed in moments of peak incidence of cases (14.3 ± 5.3 vs. 6.9 ± 1.7, p < 0.05). Higher scores were found in professionals in COVID-19 critical care (13 ± 1.2) than those in non-COVID-19 areas (10.7 ± 1.9) (p = 0.03). Distress was higher among professionals who were COVID-19 patients (11.7 ± 1) or had doubts about their potential infection (12 ± 1.2) compared to those not infected (9.5 ± 0.7) (p = 0.001). Around one-third of the professionals experienced acute stress, increasing in intensity as the incidence of COVID-19 increased and as they became infected or in doubt whether they were infected. EASE scale could be a valuable asset for monitoring acute stress levels among health professionals in Latin America. ClinicalTrials: NCT04486404.

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Scientific Reports

Título del artículo:

A database of common vampire bat reports

The common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) is a sanguivorous (i.e., blood-eating) bat species distributed in the Americas from northern Mexico southwards to central Chile and Argentina. Desmodus rotundus is one of only three mammal species known to feed exclusively on blood, mainly from domestic mammals, although large wildlife and occasionally humans can also serve as a food source. Blood feeding makes D. rotundus an effective transmissor of pathogens to its prey. Consequently, this species is a common target of culling efforts by various individuals and organizations. Nevertheless, little is known about the historical distribution of D. rotundus. Detailed occurrence data are critical for the accurate assessment of past and current distributions of D. rotundus as part of ecological, biogeographical, and epidemiological research. This article presents a dataset of D. rotundus historical occurrence reports, including >39,000 locality reports across the Americas to facilitate the development of spatiotemporal studies of the species. Data are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.15025296.

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Scientific Data

Título del artículo:

Personal and household PM2.5 and black carbon exposure measures and respiratory symptoms in 8 low- and middle-income countries

Background: Household air pollution (HAP) from cooking with solid fuels has been associated with adverse respiratory effects, but most studies use surveys of fuel use to define HAP exposure, rather than on actual air pollution exposure measurements. Objective: To examine associations between household and personal fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC) measures and respiratory symptoms. Methods: As part of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology Air Pollution study, we analyzed 48-h household and personal PM2.5 and BC measurements for 870 individuals using different cooking fuels from 62 communities in 8 countries (Bangladesh, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe). Self-reported respiratory symptoms were collected after monitoring. Associations between PM2.5 and BC exposures and respiratory symptoms were examined using logistic regression models, controlling for individual, household, and community covariates. Results: The median (interquartile range) of household and personal PM2.5 was 73.5 (119.1) and 65.3 (91.5) μg/m3, and for household and personal BC was 3.4 (8.3) and 2.5 (4.9) x10−5 m−1, respectively. We observed associations between household PM2.5 and wheeze (OR: 1.25; 95%CI: 1.07, 1.46), cough (OR: 1.22; 95%CI: 1.06, 1.39), and sputum (OR: 1.26; 95%CI: 1.10, 1.44), as well as exposure to household BC and wheeze (OR: 1.20; 95%CI: 1.03, 1.39) and sputum (OR: 1.20; 95%CI: 1.05, 1.36), per IQR increase. We observed associations between personal PM2.5 and wheeze (OR: 1.23; 95%CI: 1.00, 1.50) and sputum (OR: 1.19; 95%CI: 1.00, 1.41). For household PM2.5 and BC, associations were generally stronger for females compared to males. Models using an indicator variable of solid versus clean fuels resulted in larger OR estimates with less precision. Conclusions: We used measurements of household and personal air pollution for individuals using different cooking fuels and documented strong associations with respiratory symptoms.

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Environmental Research

Título del artículo:

Mecanismos de acción de péptidos antibacterianos Ib-M contra Escherichia coli. Un estudio estructural y proteómico. Avances de resultados

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Iatreia

Título del artículo:

Towards the Hydrogen Economy in Paraguay: Green hydrogen production potential and end-uses

This study was conducted to estimate the potential for green H2 in Paraguay. A total production potential of 22.5 × 106 tons/year was obtained with a main contribution (93.34%) from solar photovoltaic. The greatest potential for producing H2 from solar and wind resources is in the Western region, and from hydro resources is in the Eastern region of the country. Two end-uses of green H2 were assessed: (1) automotive transportation, replacing gasoline and diesel; and (2) residential energy, replacing firewood and LPG for cooking in households across the country. In 16 of the 17 departments, green H2 is able to replace the overall consumption of gasoline and diesel, as well as firewood and LPG. Finally, energy service cost (mobility), environmental aspects and CO2 emissions were considered for three urban mobility technologies for the Metropolitan Area of Asunción. Results show that the mobility cost of fuel cell hybrid electric buses is still very high in comparison to diesel buses and battery electric buses. However, when a longer driving range is required, fuel cell hybrid electric buses could become a viable alternative in the long term. From an environmental point of view, green H2 used in fuel cell hybrid electric buses has the potential to save about 96% of CO2 emissions in comparison to diesel buses. It is concluded that the estimated green H2 production potential favors the incorporation of the Hydrogen Economy in Paraguay.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

Título del artículo:

The use of synthetic agonists of quorum sensing N- acyl homoserine lactone pathway improves the bioleaching ability in Acidithiobacillus and Pseudomonas bacteria

Metal solubilization from discarded electrical material and electronic devices (e-waste) using the bioleaching capabilities of bacterial cells is highly effective. However, gaps in understanding about the microbiological processes involved in the bioleaching reaction leads to less efficient metal solubilization in large-scale e-waste processing. In this study, bacterial species belonging to the genera Acidithiobacillus and Pseudomonas were used to leach copper and gold from discarded printed circuit boards (PCB). Through modulation of the cell-to-cell communication system in these bacteria, phenotypic traits directly involved in the bioleaching reaction were regulated in order to improve the metal solubilization. Addition of the long chain synthetic autoinducer molecule N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) of the quorum sensing pathway to the bioleaching reaction resulted in a significant enhancement of metal extraction from PCB. Factors such as: cell attachment to PCB, biofilm formation and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) production were regulated by the quorum sensing system and could be directly related to the improvement of metal bioleaching. Bioleaching reactions using bacterial quorum sensing modulation could represent a valuable tool in overcoming limitations at the industrial level imposed by microbiological traits that lead to inefficient metal bioleaching from e-waste.

Acerca de la revista donde se publicó este artículo:

PeerJ