Impacts of seasonality on mercury concentrations, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and stable isotopes: implications for the use of tetragnathid spiders as sentinels.

Riparian spiders are used in ecotoxicology as sentinels of bioavailable contaminants that are transferred from aquatic to terrestrial habitats via emergent aquatic insects. Spiders in the family Tetragnathidae are particularly of interest because a high proportion of their diet consists of emergent aquatic insects and their contaminant loads reflect the amount transferred through the food web to riparian predators. The transfer of contaminants can be determined through food web tracers such as stable isotopes and polyunsaturated fatty acids; however, it is unclear how contaminants and tracers vary over the course of a year.

SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF THYMIC PEPTIDES IN THE TREATMENT OF HOSPITALIZED COVID-19 PATIENTS IN HONDURAS.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) active cases continue to demand the development of safe and effective treatments. This is the first clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral thymic peptides. ; We conducted a nonrandomized phase 2 trial with a historic control group to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a daily 250-mg oral dose of thymic peptides in the treatment of hospitalized Covid-19 patients.

Monitoring and behavior of unsaturated volcanic pyroclastic in the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, El Salvador.

Field monitoring and laboratory results are presented for an unsaturated volcanic pyroclastic. The pyroclastic belongs to the latest plinian eruption of the Ilopango Caldera in the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, and is constantly affected by intense erosion, collapse, slab failure, sand/silt/debris flowslide and debris avalanche during the rainy season or earthquakes. Being the flowslides more common but with smaller volume.

Detection of vaccine-derived polioviruses in Mexico using environmental surveillance.

Background: Early detection and control of vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) emergences are essential to secure the gains of polio eradication.

Methods: Serial sewage samples were collected in 4 towns of Mexico before, throughout, and after the May 2010 oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) mass immunization campaign. Isolation and molecular analysis of polioviruses from sewage specimens monitored the duration of vaccine-related strains in the environment and emergence of vaccine-derived polioviruses in a population partially immunized with inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV).

Vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis in the postelimination era in Latin America and the Caribbean, 1992-2011.

The Americas interrupted the transmission of poliovirus in 1991; most Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries rely on the oral polio vaccine (OPV) to maintain elimination. We estimated the risk of vaccine-associated paralytic polio (VAPP) in LAC for 1992-2011. VAPP cases were identified using LAC's acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance system.

Priming after a fractional dose of inactivated poliovirus vaccine.

Background: To reduce the costs of maintaining a poliovirus immunization base in low-income areas, we assessed the extent of priming immune responses after the administration of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV).

Methods: We compared the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of a fractional dose of IPV (one fifth of a full dose) administered intradermally with a full dose administered intramuscularly in Cuban infants at the ages of 4 and 8 months. Blood was collected from infants at the ages of 4 months, 8 months, 8 months 7 days, and 8 months 30 days to assess single-dose seroconversion, single-dose priming of immune responses, and two-dose seroconversion.

Guillain-Barré syndrome in children aged <15 years in Latin America and the Caribbean: baseline rates in the context of the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic.

In light of the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization of the World Health Organization requested that the acute flaccid paralysis surveillance system of Latin American and the Caribbean be used to establish Guillain-Barré syndrome incidence rates. An analysis was conducted of 10,486 acute flaccid paralysis cases diagnosed as Guillain-Barré syndrome from 2000 through 2008 in children aged <15 years in Latin American and the Caribbean countries and territories. The average incidence was 0.

Introduction of Hib conjugate vaccines in the non-industrialized world: experience in four 'newly adopting' countries.

Hib conjugate vaccines are widely used in the industrialized world, but are just now beginning to be introduced into other countries. To identify factors facilitating rapid global introduction, we evaluated the decision-making process, mode of introduction, effectiveness, and impact on the immunization program of Hib conjugate vaccine introduction in four non- industrialized countries through site visits and use of a standardized questionnaire. The key promoters of Hib introduction were the pediatric community and ministries of health.