Publications by authors named "R L Contreras"
Glioblastoma IDH wild type (GBM IDH wt) has a poor prognosis and a strongly associated with inflammatory processes. Inflammatory molecules generate positive feedback with tumor cells fueling tumor growth as well as recruitment of immune cells that promote aggressiveness. Although the role of many inflammatory molecules is well known, there are many macromolecules, such as the S100A proteins, whose role is only now beginning to be established.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStingless bees (Hymenoptera; Apidae; Meliponini), with a biodiversity of 605 species, harvest and transport corbicula pollen to the nest, like , but process and store the pollen in cerumen pots instead of beeswax combs. Therefore, the meliponine pollen processed in the nest was named pot-pollen instead of bee bread. Pot-pollen has nutraceutical properties for bees and humans; it is a natural medicinal food supplement with applications in health, food science, and technology, and pharmaceutical developments are promising.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The 2023-2024 influenza season had predominant influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus activity, but A(H3N2) and B viruses co-circulated. Seasonal influenza vaccine strains were well-matched to these viruses.
Methods: Using health care encounters data from health systems in 8 states, we evaluated influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) against influenza-associated medical encounters from October 2023-April 2024.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to find opportunities for improving antibiotic stewardship (AS) in medical-surgical intensive care units (MS-ICUs) and general wards (Gral-wards) across 41 hospitals in Latin America from March 2022 to February 2023.
- - Data was collected on antimicrobial use (AU) from 5780 MS-ICU and 7726 Gral-ward patients, revealing a 53.5% AU prevalence in MS-ICUs and 25.5% in Gral-wards, with a significant portion of antibiotics used for treating infections and surgical prophylaxis.
- - The study highlighted key areas for improvement in AU practices, including better antibiotic selection, the need for de
Background: Infection prevention and control (IPC) programs are essential to prevent and control the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms in healthcare facilities (HCFs). The current implementation of these programs in Latin America remains largely unknown.
Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of IPC program implementation in HCFs from Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, and Argentina, March-July 2022.