A novel genotype of Babesia microti-like group in Ixodes montoyanus ticks parasitizing the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) in Ecuador.

Babesia species (Piroplasmida) are hemoparasites that infect erythrocytes of mammals and birds and are mainly transmitted by hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae). These hemoparasites are known to be the second most common parasites infecting mammals, after trypanosomes, and some species may cause malaria-like disease in humans. Diagnosis and understanding of Babesia diversity increasingly rely on genetic data obtained through molecular techniques.

Tracing the relationship between the upper plate earthquake cycle and megathrust slip, the Atacama fault system in Northern Chile.

Inland-normal faulting is recognised as an important process following large subduction earthquakes. The lack of data limits the understanding of how normal fault reactivation relates to the subduction earthquake cycle. We characterised the palaeoseismology of the Atacama fault system (AFS) in the Chilean subduction zone.

Depression, anxiety and stress in taxi drivers: a systematic review of the literature.

Purpose: Mental health is a global public health challenge, with mental disorders being a major cause of morbidity. Particularly, taxi drivers face unique challenges related to long working hours, economic instability, and hazardous working conditions. To summarise the existing scientific literature on mental disorders in taxi drivers and identify associated variables.

A multi-spectral and hyperspectral image dataset for evaluating chemical traits and the water status of avocado, olive and grape through leaf dehydration under laboratory conditions.

Assessing the health status of vegetation is of vital importance for all stakeholders. Multi-spectral and hyper-spectral imaging systems are tools for evaluating the health of vegetation in laboratory settings, and also hold the potential of assessing vegetation of large portions of land. However, the literature lacks benchmark datasets to test algorithms for predicting plant health status, with most researchers creating tailored datasets.

Role of astrocytes connexins - pannexins in acute brain injury.

Acute brain injuries (ABIs) encompass a broad spectrum of primary injuries such as ischemia, hypoxia, trauma, and hemorrhage that converge into secondary injury where some mechanisms show common determinants. In this regard, astroglial connexin and pannexin channels have been shown to play an important role. These channels are transmembrane proteins sharing similar topology and form gateways between adjacent cells named gap junctions (GJs) and pores into unopposed membranes named hemichannels (HCs).

Risk of carcinomas among children and adolescents with birth defects.

Background: Birth defects are associated with childhood cancer, but little is known regarding pediatric carcinomas, a group of especially rare tumors.

Methods: We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) for any carcinoma, as well as thyroid, hepatocellular, and renal carcinoma specifically, up to 18 years of age among children with major, non-syndromic anomalies or chromosomal/genetic syndromes, relative to unaffected children.

Results: Our registry-linkage study included nine states and 21,933,476 children between 1990 and 2018: 641,827 with non-syndromic anomalies, and 49,619 with syndromes.

The antioxidant property of CAPE depends on TRPV1 channel activation in microvascular endothelial cells.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a hydrophobic phytochemical typically found in propolis that acts as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular protector, among several other properties. However, the molecular entity responsible for recognising CAPE is unknown, and whether that molecular interaction is involved in developing an antioxidant response in the target cells remains an unanswered question. Herein, we hypothesized that a subfamily of TRP ion channels works as the molecular entity that recognizes CAPE at the plasma membrane and allows a fast shift in the antioxidant capacity of intact endothelial cells (EC).

Additional Cladribine tablets treatment courses in multiple sclerosis patients. A retrospective observational study in Latin American countries.

The use of additional cladribine tablets treatment courses is becoming an option in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) showing disease activity after treatment initiation. Despite the availability over the past year of several expert opinion guidance on the subject, there is a need for real-world assessment of the efficacy and safety of cladribine tablets in these patients. Thus, the aim of the present retrospective observational study is to describe the characteristics of patients that received additional treatment courses within the cohort of cladribine tablets-treated MS patients enrolled in the patient support program (PSP) Adveva® in Latin America countries.

Precision Oncology: A Global Perspective on Implementation and Policy Development.

Despite the acknowledged merits of precision oncology (PO) and its increasing global implementation, its full potential for advancing care and prevention remains unrealized. The benefits are currently accessible to only limited patient segments because of multifaceted barriers. Successful implementation hinges on various factors-scientific complexities not limited to technical, clinical, regulatory, economic, administrative, and health care policy-related challenges.

Retraction Note: Simple hemogram to support the decision-making of COVID-19 diagnosis using clusters analysis with self-organizing maps neural network.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1007/s00500-021-05810-5.].

Surgical outcomes, survival and prognostic factors in a cohort of lung cancer patients operated at the University of Chile Clinical Hospital.

Introduction: Lung cancer is the leading cause of death by cancer worldwide and has a high lethality. The best treatment for patients with localized disease is anatomical surgical resection, granting good average survival in the long term. We did not find Chilean studies focusing on complications, long term survival or potential association with pathological or clinical factors.

Altermagnetism in two-dimensional CaRuO perovskite.

We propose and characterize a novel two-dimensional material, 2D-CRO, derived from bulk calcium-based ruthenates (CROs) of the Ruddlesden-Popper family, CaRuO ( = 1 and 2). Using density functional theory, we demonstrate that 2D-CRO maintains structural stability down to the monolayer limit, exhibiting a tight interplay between structural and electronic properties. Notably, 2D-CRO displays altermagnetic behavior, characterized by zero net magnetization and strong spin-dependent phenomena, stabilized through dimensionality reduction.

Evaluation of the water quality monitoring program of Mountain Rivers located in a tropical protected atlantic Forest area (PARNASO, Brazil): are the impacts of the highway really assessed?

Road activities are recognized sources of pollution that affect the hydrochemistry of nearby water bodies. This study evaluated the Water Quality Monitoring Program in the Soberbo and Iconha rivers in the Guapi-Macacu watershed, which is affected by the BR-116 highway. The Rio-Teresópolis Concessionaire from 2009 to 2016 carried out quarterly sampling.

Impact of a Long-Term Home-Based Rehabilitation Program on Quality of Life, Balance, and Autonomy in Adults with Disabilities.

Background: Rehabilitation is a critical process for enhancing functionality, independence, and quality of life in individuals with disabilities. Grounded in the biopsychosocial model, it addresses physical, emotional, and social dimensions through personalized, evidence-based interventions. By integrating standardized assessments and continuous evaluation, rehabilitation has the potential to promote recovery and support active participation in society.

Chilean National Sports Talent Detection System: Influence of Biological Age, Sex, and Geographic Area.

Unlabelled: The purpose of this study was to assess the methodology for selecting sports talent in the Chilean Promising Athletes Program (CPAP).

Methods: The standing broad jump (SBJ), medicine ball chest throw (MBCT), thirty-meter running sprint (RS-30), Agility-T (T-test), and height were analyzed in 3060 schoolchildren from Chile, grouped by sex, age, geographical area (north, central and south) and maturity status at peak height velocity (PHV) in pre-, circa- and post-PHV.

Results: Superior differences were found in boys for all age ranges in SBJ, RS-30, T-test, and MBCT ( < 0.

Zirconia Barriers in Bone Regeneration Procedures: A Scoping Review.

Purpose: To identify the current status and development of zirconia barriers in bone augmentation procedures in the maxillofacial area of adult human patients.

Materials And Methods: Two independent reviewers conducted an electronic literature search in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO, the Cochrane Library, and LILACS databases, as well as a manual search to identify eligible clinical studies up to April 15, 2024. The protocol was designed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines.

Impairment of the Functional Status and Decrease in Albumin in Frail Older People After a COVID-19 Outbreak: A Descriptive Study in a Long-Term Care Facility in Chile.

Frailty is a common condition among older individuals and is associated with increased vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the impact of viral infections on frail populations. The present work aimed to determine frailty, functional and cognitive status, and clinical analysis of older persons in a long-term care facility in Chile, before and following the outbreak of COVID-19.

Trends and Association between Smoking and the Socio-Demographic Index Among 11 South American Countries, 1990-2019.

Objectives: To examine prevalence trends in the use of smoked tobacco products in 11 South American (SA) countries (i.e., Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela) and their association with country-specific socio-demographic index (SDI) over 30 years.

Identification and validation of a T cell receptor targeting KRAS G12V in HLA-A*11:01 pancreatic cancer patients.

T cells targeting a KRAS mutation can induce durable tumor regression in some patients with metastatic epithelial cancer. It is unknown whether T cells targeting mutant KRAS that are capable of killing tumor cells can be identified from peripheral blood of patients with pancreatic cancer. We developed an in vitro stimulation approach and identified HLA-A*11:01-restricted KRAS G12V-reactive CD8+ T cells and HLA-DRB1*15:01-restricted KRAS G12V-reactive CD4+ T cells from peripheral blood of 2 out of 6 HLA-A*11:01-positive patients with pancreatic cancer whose tumors expressed KRAS G12V.

Semiparametric estimator for the covariate-specific receiver operating characteristic curve.

The study of the predictive ability of a marker is mainly based on the accuracy measures provided by the so-called confusion matrix. Besides, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve has become a popular index for summarizing the overall accuracy of a marker. However, the nature of the relationship between the marker and the outcome, and the role that potential confounders play in this relationship could be fundamental in order to extrapolate the observed results.

Association between phase angle and daily creatinine excretion changes in critically ill patients: an approach to muscle mass.

Assessing muscle mass in critically ill patients remains challenging. This retrospective cohort study explores the potential of phase angle (PA°) derived from bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) as a surrogate marker for muscle mass monitoring by associating it with daily creatinine excretion (DCE), a structural and metabolic muscle mass marker. In 20 ICU patients, we observed a linear relationship between PA° and DCE at initial (S1) and follow-up (S2) points, with Rho values of 0.

Artificial intelligence and blockchain in clinical trials: enhancing data governance efficiency, integrity, and transparency.

This article examines the transformative potential of blockchain technology and its integration with artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical trials, focusing on their combined ability to enhance integrity, operational efficiency, and transparency in the data governance. Through an in-depth analysis of recent advancements, the article highlights how blockchain and AI address critical challenges, including patient data privacy, regulatory compliance, and security. The article also identifies key barriers to adoption in the mentioned integration, such as scalability limitations, association with existing healthcare systems, and high implementation costs.