Facing the challenges to shorten the diagnostic odyssey: first Whole Genome Sequencing experience of a Colombian cohort with suspected rare diseases.

Exome and genome sequencing (ES/GS) are routinely used for the diagnosis of genetic diseases in developed countries. However, their implementation is limited in countries from Latin America. We aimed to describe the results of GS in patients with suspected rare genetic diseases in Colombia.

Multicenter Comparison of Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests for the Diagnosis of Rectal and Oropharyngeal Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infections.

Research using nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) have repeatedly found rectal and oropharyngeal infections with Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae to be common and potentially more difficult to treat than genital infections. Unfortunately, public health and patient care efforts have been hampered by the lack of FDA-cleared NAATs with claims for anorectal or oropharyngeal samples. At the time of the initiation of this study, no commercially available assays had these claims.

Disparities and Temporal Trends in COVID-19 Exposures and Mitigating Behaviors Among Black and Hispanic Adults in an Urban Setting.

Importance: COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus, has disproportionately affected Black and Hispanic communities in the US, which can be attributed to social factors including inconsistent public health messaging and suboptimal adoption of prevention efforts.

Objectives: To identify behaviors and evaluate trends in COVID-19-mitigating practices in a predominantly Black and Hispanic population, to identify differences in practices by self-reported ethnicity, and to evaluate whether federal emergency financial assistance was associated with SARS-CoV-2 acquisition.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This survey study was conducted by telephone from July 1 through August 30, 2020, on a random sample of adults who underwent SARS-CoV-2 testing at a safety-net health care system in Chicago during the surge in COVID-19 cases in the spring of 2020.

Ancestry analysis using autosomal SNPs in northern South America, reveals interpretation differences between an AIM panel and an identification panel.

Current human populations are studied to elucidate their ancestry composition and to obtain reference values for an array of genetic markers for forensic practice. This study compared the 79 ancestry informative markers (AIMs) panel with the SNPforID 52plex set used in forensic identification, using samples belonging to Continental Caribbean populations from Colombia with a high percentage of locals self-determined as Native American descendants. The results show a bias in the individual estimation made with the identification markers, which disregards the Native American ancestry component and overestimates the African ancestry component.

Precision of the Abbott RealTime Assay in the Detection of Ocular in a Trachoma-Endemic Area of Ethiopia.

Nucleic acid amplification tests are increasingly used to detect ocular chlamydia infection in trachoma research and programs. To evaluate the reliability of detection by the Abbott RealTime CT/NG assay (Abbott Molecular, Inc., Des Plaines, IL) on the m2000 platform, three conjunctival samples were collected from each of 200 children aged 0-9 years in Ethiopia: two from the right eye and one from the left eye.

Insights into the thermal and chemical stability of multilayered VCT MXene.

We report on the thermal stability of multilayered V2CTx MXenes under different atmospheres by combining in situ Raman spectroscopy with ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to elucidate and monitor the molecular, electronic, and structural changes of both the surface and bulk of the V2CTx MXene which has recently received much attention. The MXene samples were heated up to 600 °C in inert (N2), oxidative (CO2, air), and reductive (H2) environments under similar conditions. In situ Raman showed that the V[double bond, length as m-dash]O vibration for two-dimensional vanadia is preserved up to 600 °C under N2, while its intensity reduces under H2.

Ocular Chlamydia trachomatis Infection Under the Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial Cleanliness, and Environmental Improvement Strategy in Amhara, Ethiopia, 2011-2015.

Background: World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for starting and stopping mass antibiotic distributions are based on a clinical sign of trachoma, which is indirectly related to actual infection with the causative agent, Chlamydia trachomatis.

Methods: This study aimed to understand the effect of SAFE (surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and environmental improvement) interventions on ocular chlamydia in Amhara, Ethiopia, by describing the infection prevalence in a population-based sample of children aged 1-5 years. Trachoma surveys were conducted in all districts of Amhara, from 2011 to 2015 following approximately 5 years of SAFE.

Comprehensive global genome dynamics of show ancient diversification followed by contemporary mixing and recent lineage expansion.

is the world's most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection and leading infectious cause of blindness, yet it is one of the least understood human pathogens, in part due to the difficulties of in vitro culturing and the lack of available tools for genetic manipulation. Genome sequencing has reinvigorated this field, shedding light on the contemporary history of this pathogen. Here, we analyze 563 full genomes, 455 of which are novel, to show that the history of the species comprises two phases, and conclude that the currently circulating lineages are the result of evolution in different genomic ecotypes.

Stability Studies on Dry Swabs and Wet Mailed Swabs for Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Aptima Assays.

The Aptima Combo 2 (AC2) and Aptima CT (ACT) (Hologic Inc., San Diego, CA) are nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) that detect AC2 also detects Storage and temperature conditions may impact the utility of NAATs in some settings and screening programs. We evaluated specimen stability for use beyond the Aptima package insert specifications for temperature and duration of storage (between 2°C and 30°C and 60 days, respectively) in two studies: (i) dry -seeded swabs were used with ACT after storage at 4°C, 23°C, or 36°C for up to 84 days and (ii) swabs seeded with and and then placed in transport medium were tested with AC2, after being mailed via the U.

Medication errors in outpatient care in Colombia, 2005-2013.

Introduction: Medication errors outside the hospital have been poorly studied despite representing an important threat to patient safety.

Objective: To describe the characteristics of medication errors in outpatient dispensing pharmacists reported in a pharmaco-surveillance system between 2005 and 2013 in Colombia.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a descriptive study by reviewing and categorizing medication error reports from outpatient pharmacy services to a national medication dispensing company between January, 2005 and September, 2013.

Design and analysis of a second and third generation biorefinery: The case of castorbean and microalgae.

In this work, a biorefinery system including castor bean seeds and microalgae is used as a case study to evaluate the integration of second and third generation biorefineries. A biorefinery concept was applied for the combined production of polyol, ethylene-glycol, omega-3 acid, biodiesel, methanol and heat and power from castor bean and microalgae. Castor bean cake and microalgae paste were used to feed a biomass-fired system (BIGCC), where part of CO2 produced in flue gas is captured and employed as substrate for microalgae growth.

Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Rectal and Oropharyngeal Swabs and Urine Specimens from Men Who Have Sex With Men with Abbott's M2000 RealTime.

We evaluated Abbott's RealTime assay for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) in the urethra, oropharynx, and rectum of 260 men who have sex with men. Compared with Hologic's AC2, RealTime had good agreement for detecting CT and GC. Overall, there were 25 CT and 44 GC AC2 positives, and 26 CT and 38 GC RealTime positives.

Is there evidence for resistance of ocular Chlamydia trachomatis to azithromycin after mass treatment for trachoma control?

Background: Trachoma, caused by repeated infections with ocular Chlamydia trachomatis, is targeted for elimination using multiple annual rounds of mass drug administration (MDA) in endemic communities. Infection rates do not decline as expected in some communities, leading to concerns about azithromycin resistance.

Methods: After 3 yearly MDAs in 32 communities in Tanzania, 107 children were identified 1 year later with infection.

Techno-economic analysis for brewer's spent grains use on a biorefinery concept: the Brazilian case.

A techno-economic analysis for use of brewer's spent grains (BSG) on a biorefinery concept for the Brazilian case is presented. Four scenarios based on different levels of heat and mass integration for the production of xylitol, lactic acid, activated carbon and phenolic acids are shown. A simulation procedure using the software Aspen Plus and experimental yields was used.

Techno-economic analysis of bioethanol production from lignocellulosic residues in Colombia: a process simulation approach.

In this study a techno-economic analysis of the production of bioethanol from four lignocellusic (Sugarcane bagasse, Coffee cut-stems, Rice Husk, and Empty Fruit Bunches) residues is presented for the Colombian case. The ethanol production was evaluated using Aspen Plus and Aspen Process Economic Analyzer carrying out the simulation and the economic evaluation, respectively. Simulations included the composition of lignocellulosic residues, which was determined experimentally.

Is there evidence of the new variant Chlamydia trachomatis in the United States?

A specific real-time polymerase chain reaction followed by melt curve analysis was developed for the detection of the Swedish variant (nvCT) strain of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT). Surveillance was performed on 476 CT-positive clinical specimens obtained from 15 laboratories around the United States using nucleic acid amplification test assays, which would not miss the nvCT. All were negative for nvCT; thus, there is no evidence of the nvCT in the United States.

Techno-economic analysis for a sugarcane biorefinery: Colombian case.

In this paper a techno-economic analysis for a sugarcane biorefinery is presented for the Colombian case. It is shown two scenarios for different conversion pathways as function of feedstock distribution and technologies for sugar, fuel ethanol, PHB, anthocyanins and electricity production. These scenarios are compared with the Colombian base case which simultaneously produce sugar, fuel ethanol and electricity.

Duodenal tumor presenting as acquired hemophilia in an 88-year-old woman: a clinical case and review of the literature.

Acquired hemophilia is a rare disease, presenting with severe hemorrhage, we present a case caused by a duodenal tumor, the clinical management, ethical implications, treatment recommendations, and a review of the literature.

Incentivising safe sex: a randomised trial of conditional cash transfers for HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention in rural Tanzania.

Objective: The authors evaluated the use of conditional cash transfers as an HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention strategy to incentivise safe sex.

Design: An unblinded, individually randomised and controlled trial.

Setting: 10 villages within the Kilombero/Ulanga districts of the Ifakara Health and Demographic Surveillance System in rural south-west Tanzania.

Risk factors for ocular chlamydia after three mass azithromycin distributions.

Background: An important component of the World Health Organization's comprehensive trachoma elimination strategy is the provision of repeated annual mass azithromycin distributions, which are directed at reducing the burden of ocular chlamydia. Knowledge of characteristics associated with infection after mass antibiotic treatments could allow trachoma programs to focus resources to those most likely to be infected with ocular chlamydia.

Methodology/principal Findings: We monitored 12 communities in rural Ethiopia that had received 3 annual mass azithromycin treatments as part of a cluster-randomized trial for trachoma.