Evaluation of the diagnostic performance of a semi-quantitative lateral flow assay for the detection of Cryptococcus antigen in serum and cerebrospinal fluid specimens.

Cryptococcosis predominantly affects immunocompromised individuals, particularly those with advanced HIV disease, with meningitis being the most severe form and linked to high mortality. Diagnosis typically relies on rapid Cryptococcus antigen (CrAg) testing, and antigen titer quantification helps in early detection and assessing disease severity. However, conventional titer methods are often more expensive than qualitative antigen detection.

Exploratory analysis of the economically justifiable price of tezepelumab for asthma severe in Colombia.

Introduction: Asthma severe imposes important economic burden on health systems, especially with the incorporation of new drugs. Recently, tezepelumab has been approved to prevent exacerbations in patients. This study explores the economically justifiable price of tezepelumab for preventing exacerbations in patients with severe asthma.

Efficient use of mepolizumab in children: An analysis of the economically justifiable price in Colombia.

Introduction: Asthma imposes a crucial economic burden on health systems, especially with the incorporation of new drugs. Recently, mepolizumab has been approved to prevent exacerbations in patients with eosinophilic asthma. This study explores the economically justifiable price of mepolizumab for preventing exacerbations in children with severe asthma.

Tuberculosis in otherwise healthy adults with inherited TNF deficiency.

Severe defects in human IFNγ immunity predispose individuals to both Bacillus Calmette-Guérin disease and tuberculosis, whereas milder defects predispose only to tuberculosis. Here we report two adults with recurrent pulmonary tuberculosis who are homozygous for a private loss-of-function TNF variant. Neither has any other clinical phenotype and both mount normal clinical and biological inflammatory responses.

Standard Quality Characteristics and Efficacy of a New Third-Generation Antivenom Developed in Colombia Covering spp. Venoms.

In Colombia, snakebites are classified as severe according to the national clinical care guidelines and must be treated with specific antivenoms. Unfortunately, these types of antivenoms are scarce in certain areas of the country and are currently reported as an unavailable vital medicine. To address this issue, La Universidad de Antioquia, through its spin-off Tech Life Saving, is leading a project to develop third-generation polyvalent freeze-dried antivenom.

Cost-utility analysis of prenatal supplementation with long-chain n-3 fatty acids to reduce the incidence of wheezing and asthma in neonates.

Introduction: Recent evidence indicates that Maternal Supplementation with Long-Chain n-3 Fatty Acids During Pregnancy Substantially Mitigates Offspring's Asthma. Adding information regarding its cost-utility will undoubtedly allow its adoption, or not, in clinical practice guidelines. This research aimed to determine the cost-utility of LCPUFA supplementation in the third trimester of pregnancy to reduce the risk of wheezing and asthma in infants in Colombia.

The origin and speciation of orchids.

Orchids constitute one of the most spectacular radiations of flowering plants. However, their origin, spread across the globe, and hotspots of speciation remain uncertain due to the lack of an up-to-date phylogeographic analysis. We present a new Orchidaceae phylogeny based on combined high-throughput and Sanger sequencing data, covering all five subfamilies, 17/22 tribes, 40/49 subtribes, 285/736 genera, and c.

The potential of PGPR and -based bioproducts and resistant cultivars as tools to manage clubroot disease in cruciferous crops.

The objective of this research was to determine the potential use of eco-friendly technologies to reduce the clubroot disease caused by , the main constraint of cruciferous crops worldwide. Two commercial bioproducts were evaluated in susceptible broccoli, one based on the PGPR consortium (, , and K84) and the other one based on Th003 (Tricotec WG). Additionally, the resistant broccoli cv.

Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia: Squamous cell carcinoma versus oral paracoccidioidomycosis, a case from a dermatological perspective.

Paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic mycosis endemic in Latin America. The most frequent form involves a chronic compromise of the lungs, skin, and mucosa. The patient started with a single oral lesion that lasted for several years.

Studying the microbiome of suppressive soils against vascular wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum in cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana).

Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) is Colombia's second most exported fruit, with a market worth 37.8 million USD in 2021. Fusarium oxysporum f sp.

Using machine learning to study the association of sociodemographic indicators, biomarkers, and oral condition in older adults in Colombia.

Background: Chronic health conditions and socioeconomic problems that affect the well-being and life expectancy of older adults are common. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to analyze the association between sociodemographic variables, oral conditions, and general health and the biomarkers of older adults using machine learning (ML).

Methods: A total of 15,068 surveys from the national study of Health, Well-Being and Aging (Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento) data set were used for this secondary analysis.

Checklist of Orchidaceae from Caquetá, Colombia.

A checklist of Orchidaceae from Caquetá, Colombia is presented here. We recorded 98 genera and 418 species, exceeding a previous inventory by 276 species. The checklist is conservative in the number of genera and species by including only taxa that were fully and reliably identified and that are either linked to a corresponding herbarium voucher, a living collection specimen or a photo taken in the field and published in iNaturalist by one of the authors or a collaborator.

Validation of a new strategy for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 variants by sequencing the spike gene by Sanger.

Introduction: The emergence of multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic is of great world concern. Until now, their analysis has mainly focused on next-generation sequencing. However, this technique is expensive and requires sophisticated equipment, long processing times, and highly qualified technical personnel with experience in bioinformatics.

[Epidemiology of aquatic animal poisonings reported to a Colombian toxicology control center].

Objective: To characterize the cases of poisoning by marine and freshwater animals treated by the PCC of the University of Antioquia, Colombia, between 2016 and 2018.

Methodology: An observational, retrospective study using the PCC database that contains the demographic and clinical characteristics reported during the medical management during a toxicological emergency. Period analyzed was from January 1st, 2016 to December 31st, 2018.

Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Index Linked to Efficacy of the Ampicillin-Ceftriaxone Combination against Enterococcus faecalis.

Combination therapy with ampicillin plus ceftriaxone (AMP+CRO) is the first-line therapy for treating severe infections due to Enterococcus faecalis. However, the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) index linked to the efficacy of the combination is not yet defined, hindering dose optimization in the clinic. Because classical PK/PD indices are not directly applicable to antimicrobial combinations, two novel indices were tested in the optimized murine model of infection by E.

Target sequence data shed new light on the infrafamilial classification of Araceae.

Premise: Recent phylogenetic studies of the Araceae have confirmed the position of the duckweeds nested within the aroids, and the monophyly of a clade containing all the unisexual flowered aroids plus the bisexual-flowered Calla palustris. The main objective of the present study was to better resolve the deep phylogenetic relationships among the main lineages within the family, particularly the relationships between the eight currently recognized subfamilies. We also aimed to confirm the phylogenetic position of the enigmatic genus Calla in relation to the long-debated evolutionary transition between bisexual and unisexual flowers in the family.

A proof of concept reinforcement learning based tool for non parametric population pharmacokinetics workflow optimization.

The building of population pharmacokinetic models can be described as an iterative process in which given a model and a dataset, the pharmacometrician introduces some changes to the model specification, then perform an evaluation and based on the predictions obtained performs further optimization. This process (perform an action, witness a result, optimize your knowledge) is a perfect scenario for the implementation of Reinforcement Learning algorithms. In this paper we present the conceptual background and a implementation of one of those algorithms aiming to show pharmacometricians how to automate (to a certain point) the iterative model building process.

Validation of a duplex PCR technique using the gen E and RNase P for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2.

Introduction: Reverse transcriptase - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the standard technique for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. The World Health Organization recommends the Charité-Berlin protocol for COVID-19 diagnosis, which requires triple PCR, limiting the process capability of laboratories and delaying the results. In order to reduce these limitations, a duplex PCR is validated for the detection of the E and ribonuclease P genes.

[Validation of a new strategy for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 variants by sequencing the spike gene by Sanger].

Introduction: The emergence of multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic is of great world concern. Until now, their analysis has mainly focused on next-generation sequencing. However, this technique is expensive and requires sophisticated equipment, long processing times, and highly qualified technical personnel with experience in bioinformatics.

Two Unusual Mutations in the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Gene in a Patient With Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma (ADC) of the lung is the most frequent pathology corresponding to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The advent of target therapy and the discovery of drugs that block signaling pathways related to cellular events involved in the progression of the disease have led to a better prognosis in cases of ADC. Some of the targeted therapy focuses on the blockade of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), targeting mutations in exon 19 and 21, with favorable clinical outcomes.

Validation of a duplex PCR technique using the gen E and RNase P for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2.

Introduction: Reverse transcriptase - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the standard technique for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. The World Health Organization recommends the Charité-Berlin protocol for COVID-19 diagnosis, which requires triple PCR, limiting the process capability of laboratories and delaying the results. In order to reduce these limitations, a duplex PCR is validated for the detection of the E and RNase P genes.

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) for the evaluation of internal adaptation of class V resin restorations on Dentin.

Internal adaptation of adhesive restorations affects their longevity. In a clinical setting, the dentists use visual and tactile examination to evaluate marginal adaptation, while radiographs provide somewhat reliable information about adaptation or secondary caries present. For class V restorations located on the vestibular (buccal) surfaces, none of the tools available can provide any information about the internal adaptation or the presence of secondary caries.

A new pharmacodynamic approach to study antibiotic combinations against enterococci in vivo: Application to ampicillin plus ceftriaxone.

The combination of ampicillin (AMP) and ceftriaxone (CRO) is considered synergistic against Enterococcus faecalis based on in vitro tests and the rabbit endocarditis model, however, in vitro assays are limited by the use of fixed antibiotic concentrations and the rabbit model by poor bacterial growth, high variability, and the use of point dose-effect estimations, that may lead to inaccurate assessment of antibiotic combinations and hinder optimal translation. Here, we tested AMP+CRO against two strains of E. faecalis and one of E.