Epidemiology of sarcoptic mange in free-ranging vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna): a cross-sectional study in Andean highland communities in Peru.

Sarcoptic mange or scabies is a contagious parasitic skin disease that affects a wide range of domestic and wildlife species. A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence, molecular identification, and characteristics of sarcoptic mange in vicuñas. A total of 3,274 vicuñas were examined.

Universal Screening for SARS-CoV-2 in Obstetric Care: Clinical Characteristics and Maternofetal Outcomes in a Latin American High-Complexity Unit.

The asymptomatic population's role in COVID-19 transmission poses challenges for control efforts. Pregnant women are susceptible to severe manifestations, increasing maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. This study describes the clinical characteristics, maternal and fetal outcomes, and our experience in universal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) screening of pregnant women admitted to a high-complexity obstetric unit in Latin America.

Pregnancy-specific responses to COVID-19 are revealed by high-throughput proteomics of human plasma.

Pregnant women are at greater risk of adverse outcomes, including mortality, as well as obstetrical complications resulting from COVID-19. However, pregnancy-specific changes that underlie such worsened outcomes remain unclear. Herein, we profiled the plasma proteome of pregnant and non-pregnant COVID-19 patients and controls and showed alterations that display a dose-response relationship with disease severity; yet, such proteomic perturbations are dampened during pregnancy.

Phylogenetic Studies and Metabolite Analysis of Species from Colombia and Chile by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution-Q-Orbitrap-Mass Spectrometry.

Eleven species of lichens of the genus , ten of which were collected in Colombia ( cf. cf. cf.

Mutation profile of SARS-CoV-2 genome in a sample from the first year of the pandemic in Colombia.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiopathogenic agent of COVID-19, a condition that has led to a formally recognized pandemic by March 2020 (World Health Organization -WHO). The SARS-CoV-2 genome is constituted of 29,903 base pairs, that code for four structural proteins (N, M, S, and E) and more than 20 non-structural proteins. Mutations in any of these regions, especially in those that encode for the structural proteins, have allowed the identification of diverse lineages around the world, some of them named as Variants of Concern (VOC) and Variants of Interest (VOI), according to the WHO and CDC.

Genomic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 and its association with clinical outcomes: a 1-year longitudinal study of the pandemic in Colombia.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore associations between the molecular characterization of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and disease severity in ambulatory and hospitalized patients in two main Colombian epicentres during the first year of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Methods: In total, 1000 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were included in this study. Clinical data were collected from 997 patients, and 678 whole-genome sequences were obtained by massively parallel sequencing.

Effect of High-Flow Oxygen Therapy vs Conventional Oxygen Therapy on Invasive Mechanical Ventilation and Clinical Recovery in Patients With Severe COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The effect of high-flow oxygen therapy vs conventional oxygen therapy has not been established in the setting of severe COVID-19.

Objective: To determine the effect of high-flow oxygen therapy through a nasal cannula compared with conventional oxygen therapy on need for endotracheal intubation and clinical recovery in severe COVID-19.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Randomized, open-label clinical trial conducted in emergency and intensive care units in 3 hospitals in Colombia.

Photo-mediated and advanced oxidative processes applied for the treatment of effluents with drugs used for the treatment of early COVID-19: Review.

The COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be one of the most challenging health and social crises ever faced by humanity. Several drugs have been proposed as potential antiviral agents for the treatment of COVID-19 since the beginning of the health crisis. Among them are chloroquine (CQ), hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), ivermectin (IVM), and the combination of QC or HCQ and azithromycin (AZI).

Performance verification of the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 test for qualitative detection of IgG in Cali, Colombia.

Background: Adequate testing is critically important for control of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Antibody testing is an option for case management and epidemiologic studies, with high specificity and variable sensitivity. However, characteristics of local populations may affect performance of these tests.

Degradation and mineralization of erythromycin by heterogeneous photocatalysis using SnO2-doped TiO structured catalysts: Activity and stability.

Heterogeneous photocatalysis was used for the degradation and mineralization of erythromycin (ERY), with a consequent production of carboxylic acids. For that, a series of TiO and TiSnO structured catalysts, namely M1 to M5, was prepared using the washcoating method, with the catalytic coatings being deposited onto stainless steel meshes. Besides, the catalytic activity of the prepared systems was compared to that of the commercial mesh (CM).

Influence of rain events on the efficiency of a compact wastewater treatment plant: a case study on a university campus aiming water reuse for agriculture.

In this study, the efficiency of contaminant removal from a compact wastewater treatment plant (CWTP) in a university campus under different rain conditions was evaluated. Wastewater samples were collected weekly for 1 year and the physicochemical parameters were monitored. Removal efficiency higher than 77%, reaching values above 95% for samples with lower wastewater flow rates, was found for biological oxygen demand (BOD) and total and fecal coliforms.

Broadly neutralizing human antibodies against dengue virus identified by single B cell transcriptomics.

Eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) against the four dengue virus serotypes (DENV1-4) that are spreading into new territories is an important goal of vaccine design. To define bNAb targets, we characterized 28 antibodies belonging to expanded and hypermutated clonal families identified by transcriptomic analysis of single plasmablasts from DENV-infected individuals. Among these, we identified J9 and J8, two somatically related bNAbs that potently neutralized DENV1-4.

Evaluation of abortions spontaneously induced by Neospora caninum and risk factors in dairy cattle from Lima, Peru.

Our objective was to identify the direct and indirect presence of Neospora caninum in dairy cattle and their aborted fetuses from Lima, Peru. A total 219 blood samples obtained from dairy cattle with records of spontaneous abortion were collected to detect antibodies against N. caninum in serum with indirect ELISA and search for risk-factor associations.

A 20-Gene Set Predictive of Progression to Severe Dengue.

There is a need to identify biomarkers predictive of severe dengue. Single-cohort transcriptomics has not yielded generalizable results or parsimonious, predictive gene sets. We analyzed blood samples of dengue patients from seven gene expression datasets (446 samples, five countries) using an integrated multi-cohort analysis framework and identified a 20-gene set that predicts progression to severe dengue.

Virus-inclusive single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the molecular signature of progression to severe dengue.

Dengue virus (DENV) infection can result in severe complications. However, the understanding of the molecular correlates of severity is limited, partly due to difficulties in defining the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) that contain DENV RNA in vivo. Accordingly, there are currently no biomarkers predictive of progression to severe dengue (SD).

Engaging critical community resilience praxis: A qualitative study with Mapuche communities in Chile facing structural racism and disasters.

Mapuche are the largest indigenous group in Chile and have survived histories of colonialism, socionatural disasters, and more recently, increasing conflicts with the Chilean state. This study aimed to engage critical theories and examine resilience processes from indigenous perspectives while exploring the impact of racism, intersecting adversities, and ongoing decolonial struggles in Mapuche communities. Decolonial qualitative methods, situational analysis, and community-engaged participatory approaches were utilized in application of a critical community resilience praxis (CCRP).

Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Species of the Genus Usnea by UHPLC-ESI-OT-MS-MS.

Lichens are symbiotic associations of fungi with microalgae and/or cyanobacteria, which are considered among the slowest growing organisms, with strong tolerance to adverse environmental conditions. There are about 400 genera and 1600 species of lichens and those belonging to the genus comprise about 360 of these species. lichens have been used since ancient times as dyes, cosmetics, preservatives, deodorants and folk medicines.

Comparative effects of melatonin and vitamin E in restoring aortic relaxation in pancreatectomized rats.

In a previous study we reported the efficacy of melatonin to restore the decreased relaxation response to acetylcholine (ACh) or to sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in aortic rings of rats turned hyperglycemic by subtotal pancreatectomy. The effect was amplified by pre-incubation in a high (44 mmol/l) glucose solution, a situation that resulted in oxidative stress. We hereby compare the effect of another antioxidant, vitamin E, with that of melatonin on ACh response in intact aortic rings or on SNP response in endothelium-denuded aortic rings obtained from pancreatectomized or sham-operated rats.

Effect of melatonin treatment on oxygen consumption by rat liver mitochondria.

The objective of this study was to examine the in vivo effect of melatonin on rat mitochondrial liver respiration. Two experiments were performed: For experiment 1, adult male rats received melatonin in the drinking water (16 or 50 microg/ml) or vehicle during 45 days. For experiment 2, rats received melatonin in the drinking water (50 microg/ml) for 45 days, or the same amount for 30 days followed by a 15 day-withdrawal period.

Gender-related differences in urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels in obese pubertal individuals.

The objective of this study was to measure the urinary excretion of the main melatonin metabolite 6-sulfatoxymelatonin in obese and normal weight (wt) boys and girls. The study included 94 subjects, aged 4-15.7 yr (50 obese and 44 normal wt; 48 boys) classified as: mid-childhood (4-7.

Chronic administration of propylthiouracil ameliorates hyperdynamic circulation in portal hypertensive rats.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a hypothyroid state, induced by chronic propylthiouracil administration, on splanchnic and systemic hemodynamic parameters in rats with portal hypertension due to portal vein ligation.

Methods: Portal hypertension was induced by surgical stenosis of the portal vein. Cardiac index and portal blood flow were measured using radioactive microspheres.

Low urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels in patients with severe congestive heart failure.

Objective: To assess urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion in patients admitted to the hospital because of congestive heart failure (CHF).

Methods: Urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin was measured by a specific radioimmunoassay in 33 hospitalized patients with CHF and in 146 healthy ambulatory volunteers. Individuals with hepatic or renal failure were excluded from the sample.

In vitro effect of melatonin on oxygen consumption in liver mitochondria of rats.

Objective: To examine the in vitro effect of melatonin on rat mitochondrial liver respiration.

Methods: Oxygen consumption by liver mitochondria was measured polarographically in the presence of one of the following Krebs' cycle substrates: Lsuccinate, DL-3- beta-hydroxybutyrate or L-malate. Respiratory velocities at rest (state 4) and during rapid respiration in the presence of substrate and adenosine diphosphate (state 3) were measured in the presence of 10 (-9)-10(-3) M concentrations of melatonin.