Publications by authors named "Silvia Restrepo-Restrepo"
Surfactants are molecules derived primarily from petroleum that can reduce the surface tension at interfaces. Their slow degradation is a characteristic that could cause environmental issues. This and other factors contribute to the allure of biosurfactants today.
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- The COVID-19 pandemic revealed significant gaps in prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) efforts across South America, with the region experiencing a high percentage of global cases and deaths.
- This study analyzed the impacts of political, socioeconomic, and health system challenges on PPR in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, using interviews and focus groups with key policymakers.
- Findings indicated that insufficient political will and barriers at various levels hindered effective PPR, prompting recommendations for a regional COVID-19 task force and improved health strategies to prioritize PPR in national agendas.
Over the past decades, Colombia has suffered complex social problems related to illicit crops, including forced displacement, violence, and environmental damage, among other consequences for vulnerable populations. Considerable effort has been made in the regulation of illicit crops, predominantly , leading to advances such as the legalization of medical cannabis and its derivatives, the improvement of crops, and leaving an open window to the development of scientific knowledge to explore alternative uses. It is estimated that can produce approximately 750 specialized secondary metabolites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffectiveness and adherence to closed face shields in the prevention of COVID-19 transmission: a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial in a middle-income setting (COVPROSHIELD).
Trials
August 2022
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigated the effectiveness of using closed face shields along with surgical masks to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) among working adults in Bogotá, Colombia during the pandemic.
- - Participants were randomly divided into two groups: one wore closed face shields with surgical masks while the other group wore only surgical masks, and the primary outcome assessed was the rate of positive COVID-19 test results over a follow-up period of 21 days.
- - Results showed that the closed face shield plus surgical mask combination was not less effective than using just a surgical mask, with very low rates of infection in both groups, suggesting that this method could be suitable for high-risk settings.
Symptoms-based models for predicting SARS-CoV-2 infection may improve clinical decision-making and be an alternative to resource allocation in under-resourced settings. In this study we aimed to test a model based on symptoms to predict a positive test result for SARS-CoV-2 infection during the COVID-19 pandemic using logistic regression and a machine-learning approach, in Bogotá, Colombia. Participants from the CoVIDA project were included.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Epidemiologic surveillance of COVID-19 is essential to collect and analyse data to improve public health decision making during the pandemic. There are few initiatives led by public-private alliances in Colombia and Latin America. The CoVIDA project contributed with RT-PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 in mild or asymptomatic populations in Bogotá.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNatural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) is a tropical tree used commercially for the production of latex, from which 40,000 products are generated. The fungus Microcyclus ulei infects this tree, causing South American leaf blight (SALB) disease. This disease causes developmental delays and significant crop losses, thereby decreasing the production of latex.
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